Photo By Diana Nesukh | As a pioneer in civil engineering, retired Col Susanne Waylett paved the way for...... read more read more
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Throughout her military career, retired Col Susanne Waylett experienced many firsts and broke through many barriers due to her hard work ethic and determination to "get the job done." Waylett was not only an exceptional officer rising through the ranks of the Air Force but a civil engineering pioneer setting the path for generations of women to follow. Waylett's journey started from humble beginnings; her parents served in World War II and instilled in Waylett a deep understanding of patriotism and service. Waylett’s mother was an aircraft mechanic in the Marine Corps and one of three sisters who served in the military. Her father served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. As the oldest of eight kids, Waylett was raised as a leader.
Waylett's military career began in 1971 after graduating from the University of Michigan. At the time, few engineering jobs were available so Waylett explored options within the Air Force. After speaking with a recruiter, Waylett took the entrance exam and was accepted into the Air Force. It was a tumultuous time for women entering the Air Force in the early 1970s; the Vietnam War was at its height, and women could not serve in combat. “I had to wait until January 1971 for an opening spot at Officer Training School because of the war," Waylett explained.
Waylett was invited to Randolph Air Force Base to meet with the Air Force Civil Engineer at the midpoint of her officer training. This was an unusual invitation for an officer-candidate, but it was at that point Waylett learned she would be the first woman in the civil engineering career field. To her surprise, she was allowed to select her choice of assignment. For her first assignment, Waylett went with Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, which was a familiar environment due to Officer Training School.
During the first eight months at her first assignment, Waylett was invited to Washington, D.C., to meet high-rank officials in the Air Force and speak with local press members. She quickly realized that her time in the Air Force was turning into a publicity tour which was not the career she envisioned for herself when she signed up to serve her country. "I did not join the Air Force to be a poster child or do a campaign for recruiting," Waylett said. After having an opportunity to meet Maj Gen Jeanne Holm, who was the first woman general officer in the Air Force at that time, Waylett knew she could do whatever she set out to do.
Ambitious for more, Waylett was encouraged to seek a new opportunity, but this time on a more remote base outside the U.S. In 1972, she elected to go to Osan Air Base, Korea. It was at Osan that she met one of her first mentors in the Air Force, MSgt Dennis Mcknight, who told her, "Lieutenant, you can take over and run this industrial engineering function, or I will. But if you do, I will teach you everything I know." Waylett took his words to heart and made a name for herself. While only one of forty women across the entire base, Waylett never allowed her gender to limit her abilities or disqualify her from any role.
As the first woman RED HORSE commander, she led a team to Bosnia in the early 1990s to assist with the construction of tent cities for the Army. It was a highly challenging mission due to the aftermath of the war and the weather conditions. "We had mud up to our knees and slept in vehicles when we arrived," Waylett explained. In addition to the crumbling infrastructure, they also dealt with logistics problems. They had to fly materials from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to Bosnia, which resulted in many delays. While the Army was the lead service in Bosnia, Waylett was tasked with coordinating because of her leadership capabilities.
Her next deployment was the rebuilding of Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, following the Khobar Tower bombing. Waylett was flown out to the base immediately after her team was requested. Only after arriving at Prince Sultan Air Base did Waylett discover that a woman had never occupied the Saudi Arabia base headquarters building. In light of the political nature of the situation, Waylett was prepared to take a backseat. However, the base commander insisted that she have the freedom to command her unit. Through each deployment, Waylett gained the respect of her peers and leadership, along with trust in herself to do the job right.
During her career in the Air Force, Waylett held a number of firsts. She was the first woman in the field of civil engineering, squadron commander, O6 select, RED HORSE commander, and group commander at the Air Force Academy. "First was never on my mind. I was part of the civil engineer family and I wanted to do my job well," Waylett explained.
Each time Waylett transitioned into a new role or embarked on a new venture in her life, she received support and guidance from her civil engineer family. One of the toughest challenges Waylett faced was being a single parent in the military. "As a mom trying to balance between my career and motherhood, it made a huge difference what career field I was in," Waylett said.
Waylett understood the implications of being a mother and an officer in the military as her decisions directly impacted her daughter. “There are always hard choices, but they are magnified when you are in the military. We are there to support and defend. We have to be ready to pay with our lives,” she elaborated.
Through it all, Waylett is proud of the legacy she is leaving behind and the impact she has made on civil engineering. Among the many accomplishments Waylett has had throughout her career, one of her most memorable ones came just last year when she was awarded the AFIT Alumni Award. Waylett will continue her record of accomplishment at this year’s Readiness Challenge in April with an award being named after her that will be presented to winners.
Waylett paved the way for other women in a traditionally male-dominated career field and remains a proud figure in the civil engineering community to this day.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2023 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 441348 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON DC, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 483 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Women’s History Month: Col (Ret) Susanne Waylett, by Wood Francois and Diana Nesukh, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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