M. J. Hegar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. J. Hegar
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Ottilie von Stein
March 16, 1976 Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Brandon Hegar
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BA, MBA) |
| Website | Campaign website[Usurped!] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1999–2011 |
| Rank |  Major |
Mary Jennings Hegar (born March 16, 1976) is an American United States Air Force veteran. A veteran is someone who has served in the military. She is also a former political candidate. In 2012, she took legal action against the U.S. Air Force to change a rule called the Combat Exclusion Policy. In 2017, she wrote a book called Shoot Like a Girl. This book shares her experiences serving in Afghanistan.
In July 2017, Hegar announced she wanted to run for a political job. She sought the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives. This job represents Texas's 31st congressional district. After winning the nomination, she lost the election to the person already holding the job, Republican John Carter. She lost by a small amount, about 3%. She was also the Democratic candidate in the 2020 United States Senate election in Texas. In that election, she lost to the current Republican Senator, John Cornyn.
Contents
Early Life and School
When Mary Hegar was seven years old, her mother, Grace, moved her and her sister. They moved from Fairfield, Connecticut, to Cedar Park, Texas. Hegar grew up in Cedar Park. Her mother later married David Jennings, a Vietnam veteran, when Mary was ten.
In high school, Hegar was the class president. She was also on the cheerleading team. She played many sports, including soccer.
In 1999, Hegar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She got this degree from the University of Texas at Austin. There, she studied topics like criminology and sociology. While in college, she was a leader in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). This program trains college students to become military officers. In 2015, she finished a leadership program in Austin. In 2016, she earned another degree, an Executive MBA, also from the University of Texas at Austin.
Her Career
Military Service
In December 1999, Hegar officially joined the U.S. Air Force. She did this through the ROTC program at the University of Texas. From April 2000 to March 2004, she was on active duty. This means she was a full-time military member. She worked as an officer in aircraft maintenance. First, she was stationed at Misawa Air Base in Japan. Later, she moved to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
At Whiteman, Hegar worked on different planes. These included the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the B-2 Stealth Bomber. She became responsible for a large part of the B-2 maintenance. She was even chosen as the Company Grade Officer of the Year in 2003.
In 2004, the Air National Guard chose Hegar for pilot training. She finished her training at the top of her class. Then, she was sent to Afghanistan twice. She flew an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter. She flew over 100 missions to find and rescue soldiers in combat. She also flew missions to transport injured people, called Medevac missions. As a member of the California Air National Guard, she worked as a pilot and trainer. This was at the Counterdrug Task Force in San Jose from 2007 to 2011.
On July 29, 2009, during her third trip to Afghanistan, Hegar's helicopter was shot down. This happened near Kandahar during a rescue mission. She was hurt by pieces of metal (shrapnel) in her arm and leg. This came from Taliban fire from the ground. But her helicopter still managed to rescue the soldiers they were sent to help. Under more heavy fire, her helicopter had to land quickly. Other U.S. Army helicopters came to rescue her, her team, and the other soldiers. Because the rescue helicopters were small and full, she and others had to fly out standing on the outside skids.
Hegar received the Purple Heart medal in December 2009. This medal is given to service members who are wounded in combat. Her brave actions on this mission also earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device in 2011. She was one of the few women to receive this special medal. In 2016, she shared details about a 2007 mission. In that mission, she helped transport an injured child. She spoke about it in a TEDx Talks presentation.
Because of a rule called the Combat Exclusion Policy, women could not apply for certain ground combat jobs. Also, Hegar could no longer fly planes due to a serious back injury from the 2009 mission. So, she left the Air National Guard. She then became a Reservist Liaison, helping other military members.
Other Work
In 2010, Hegar moved to Austin, Texas. She worked as a program manager at Seton Healthcare Family until 2015. From 2015 to 2017, she worked as a consultant at Dell Computers.
Hegar has also taught at the University of Texas at Austin. She taught at the McCombs School of Business. She also taught in the ROTC and women's studies departments. She has helped guide cadets at UT. She has also served on the AFROTC Advisory Committee.
Writing
In March 2017, a book company called Berkley Books published Hegar's memoir. A memoir is a true story about a person's life. The book was called Shoot Like a Girl. In 2016, it was announced that a movie might be made from the book. The movie company TriStar Pictures bought the rights to make it. There were talks that Angelina Jolie might play the main character.
Politics
On July 6, 2017, Hegar announced she would run for a political office. She wanted the Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative in Texas's 31st congressional district. In May 2018, she won the nomination. This meant she was chosen to be the Democratic candidate. In June, Hegar released a short video ad called "Doors." The video showed her military career, including being shot down in Afghanistan. The video became very popular online. It even got attention from famous people like Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the November election, she lost to the Republican who already held the job, John Carter. He received 50.6% of the votes, and she received 47.6%. This was the closest election Carter had in his nine times running for Congress.
On April 23, 2019, Hegar announced she was running again. This time, she wanted the Democratic nomination for the 2020 United States Senate election in Texas. This job was held by John Cornyn. She came in first in the first round of voting on March 3, 2020. She received 22.37% of the votes. She then won a second round of voting (called a runoff) on July 14. She won against Texas state Senator Royce West.
Hegar's campaign received support from former president Barack Obama. This happened on September 25, 2020. Her campaign focused on her support for the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). She also wanted to protect people with preexisting conditions. These are health problems someone has before getting health insurance. She also wanted to create a public health insurance option. Cornyn won the election, 54% to 44%. This election had a very high number of voters. Hegar received 4,888,764 votes.
The Combat Exclusion Policy
Soon after the 2009 mission in Afghanistan where Hegar was hurt, she was told she could no longer fly. The military had a rule called the Combat Exclusion Policy. This rule automatically stopped her from applying for ground combat jobs. These jobs would have helped her military career move forward. She was not allowed to train for a ground combat position. This was true even though she was a skilled pilot. If she had been a man, this would have been a natural next step for her.
In 2012, Hegar was the main person in a lawsuit. A lawsuit is a legal case brought to court. She, along with other service women, sued the U.S. Secretary of Defense. They argued that the Combat Exclusion Policy was against the law. Hegar said the lawsuit was important for the military to be more effective. She believed it would give military leaders more people to choose from for jobs. The lawsuit itself did not win. However, the policy, which started in 1994, was removed in January 2013.
Her Personal Life
In 2011, Hegar married Brandon Hegar. She had known him since high school. She and her family live in Round Rock, Texas. This is a town near Austin. She has two sons. She also has stepchildren from her husband's earlier marriage.
Hegar has many tattoos. These were shown in her popular 2018 campaign ad, "Doors." She has said that a cherry blossom tattoo on her shoulder helped cover up a scar. This scar was from the shrapnel wounds she received.
Awards and Honors
- 2008: California Aviator of the Year
- 2009: Air Force Association, Outstanding Airmen of the Year
- 2013: Foreign Policy, The Leading Global Thinkers of 2013 – with Zoe Bedell, Colleen Farrell, and Jennifer Hunt
- 2015: Army Women's Foundation Hall of Fame, inductee
- 2017: Merrimack College, Honorary PhD of public affairs
- 2018: American Red Cross Metro New York North, Exceptional Service Award
Military Ribbons
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
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Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device | 2011 |
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Purple Heart | 2009 |
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Air Medal | Four oak leaf clusters |
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Air Force Commendation Medal | One oak leaf cluster |
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National Defense Service Medal | |
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Afghanistan Campaign Medal | One service star |
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Humanitarian Service Medal | |
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Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon | |
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Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon | |
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Air Force Training Ribbon |
Books and Writings
– in response to retired Army Major General Robert H. Scales opinion piece of 6 Dec 2012 in The Washington Post
