Jenna Dolan

Dolan grew up near Saint Paul, Minnesota with three older siblings. Her father and oldest brother were both pilots in the U.S. Marine Corps which Dolan credits for sparking her interest in aviation.[1] She was active in athletics including gymnastics, waterskiing, and snow skiing. Dolan attended the Convent of the Visitation School, an independent, all-girls, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory school in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.[2]

Dolan attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. As with her father and brother before her, Dolan chose the U.S. Marine Corps and was commissioned a second lieutenant. She attended The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia followed by flight training in the T-34C Turbo-Mentor at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola in Florida. Dolan transitioned to jets, training in the T-2 Buckeye and the T-45 Goshawk at NAS Meridian near Meridian, Mississippi. She performed carrier qualification aboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73) and earned her wings in September 1999. She transitioned to the AV-8B Harrier at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point near Havelock, North Carolina and was assigned to the "Tigers" of VMA-542.[1]

AV-8B Harrier of VMA-542 on the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) in 2003

Dolan's first tour of duty took place from January to May during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[3] She deployed with VMA-542 aboard the USS Bataan (LHD-5)—the only woman in her squadron. Dolan became the first woman to fly the AV-8B Harrier in combat[4][5] on the evening of March 19, 2003 in support of the shock and awe campaign that utilized overwhelming power and displays of force to quickly end the military effectiveness of Iraqi forces. She flew close air support missions destroying targets in designated kill boxes and protecting troops engaged with the enemy. Upon returning home, she was selected to attend the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course at MCAS Yuma in Arizona. WTI is a prestigious seven-week course that trains marine aviators in advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics in order to return them to their squadrons to train other pilots.[1][4]

Dolan's second tour occurred from May to November 2004 during the Iraq War.[6] On this deployment, VMA-542 was stationed at Al Asad Airbase in the Al Anbar Governorate. She was assigned as the weapons and tactics instructor for the squadron and led combat missions in multiple battles including Operation Phantom Fury—the Second Battle of Fallujah. Dolan returned home and served as the group's safety officer. She attended school with Training and Education Command in Quantico, Virginia but ultimately decided to leave active duty for the Marine Corps Reserve and a civilian position at General Electric. During her 12 years of active duty service,[7] Dolan flew 121 combat missions in the AV-8B.[1]

In 2009, Dolan joined General Electric where she participated in a leadership program that sent former junior military officers on rotation through GE businesses.[5] She worked as a product development program manager at GE Aviation responsible for the production and sale of helicopter engines.[7]

In August 2012, Dolan was a host at a memorial dedication ceremony for Lieutenant Colonel Alfred A. Cunningham.[4] Cunningham was the first Marine Corps aviator and the first Director of Marine Corps Aviation.[8] The event was held at William L. Hammond Park in Marblehead, Massachusetts near the location where Cunningham learned to fly one hundred years prior at the Burgess Aviation Company.[9]

First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden created the Joining Forces initiative to support military families and demonstrate the unique capabilities veterans bring to the civilian workplace. In March 2013, Obama paid tribute to Dolan's successful transition from military to civilian life at the Business Roundtable quarterly meeting.[7] Dolan was interviewed for the 2015 book, Light It Up: The Marine Eye for Battle in the War for Iraq, where she described the attack and surveillance capabilities of the LITENING targeting pod that was used on the AV-8B Harrier. Dolan recounted her wartime experience using the pod to provide detailed imagery at high altitude, identify and designate targets using a built-in laser, and perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions using the pod to record video.[10]

An opportunity to fly the Harrier again came in 2014, when Dolan began training with Nalls Aviation, a company that operates a civilian-owned Sea Harrier in air shows in the eastern United States.[11] According to owner, Art Nalls, she completed training in both the Czech Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros jet trainer, the Sea Harrier, and plans to fly in the 2016 air show season.[12] During the 2016 MCAS Cherry Point air show, Dolan took members of the media for rides in an L-39 Albatros.[13]

In 2017, Dolan was featured in AARP Studios "Badass Pilot" series.[14] The nine-part series, hosted on YouTube, follows Art Nalls and his team as they perform at air shows.[15] Episode 4 showed Dolan training with Nalls as she prepared for her first air show season flying the Sea Harrier.[16] Dolan was promoted to colonel in the USMC Reserve in November 2018.[17]

Dolan is married to husband Matt with whom she has two children, Sean and Lara.[4] As of 2016, the family lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.[1]

• List of firsts in aviation
• List of United States Marines
• Martha McSally—first female U.S. combat aviator
• Sarah Deal—first female U.S. Marine Corps aviator
• Vernice Armour—first African-American female U.S. Marine Corps aviator

• "Colonel Jenna Dolan, USMCR". Nalls Aviation. November 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
• Cosmas, Graham A. (October 29, 1974). "Marine Flyer in France, The Diary of Captain Alfred A. Cunningham, November 1917 – January 1918" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Marine Corps. Retrieved April 29, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Darnell, Michael S. (November 15, 2017). "Flying through retirement: Vet and his Harrier star in air show business". Stars and Stripes. Washington, D.C.: Defense Media Activity. Retrieved December 10, 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Dowd, William (August 23, 2012). "Marblehead's Dolan a trailblazing 'top gun'". WickedLocal.com. Perinton, New York: Gatehouse Media, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Downs, Ed (November 2015). "Art Nalls Aviation Celebrates a Perfect Air Show Season". San Mateo, California: In Flight U.S.A. Retrieved May 1, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "GE salutes the U.S. Marine Corps for 100 years of aviation". Fairfield, Connecticut: General Electric. August 6, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
• Jaysura, Tanzania (October 24, 2018). "Officer Promotions for November 2018 and Projected Officer Promotions for December 2018". Washington, D.C.: United States Marine Corps. Retrieved May 12, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Kelley, Frank (March 2016). "Veterans' Stories with Frank Kelley. Guest: Jenna Dolan". Marblehead TV. New York City: Vimeo. Retrieved April 10, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Kellner, Tomas (November 13, 2012). "What We Need To Win: GE Hires 1,000 Vets In 2012, Hits Its Goal". GE Reports. Fairfield, Connecticut: General Electric. Retrieved April 10, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lilleston, Randy (December 5, 2017). "'Badass Pilot': America's Next Top (S)hero". Washington, D.C.: AARP. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Nordeen, Lon; Laurier, Jim (2013). AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom I-VI. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-310-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Obama, Michelle (March 13, 2013). "Remarks by the First Lady at Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting". whitehouse.gov. Washington, D.C.: United States Government. Retrieved April 10, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Pettegrew, John (2015). Light It Up: The Marine Eye for Battle in the War for Iraq. Baltimore, Maryland: JHU Press. ISBN 9781421417868.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Saint, Patricia D. (2015). "23 Days to Baghdad: U.S. Marine Aviation Combat Element in Iraq, 2003" (PDF). Occasional Paper. Quantico, Virginia: United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 31, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Shrum, Joy (November 14, 2017). "Local Harrier pilot to be featured in new series". The BayNet. Hollywood, Maryland: Logan Ventures. Retrieved December 10, 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Soult, Megan (May 1, 2016). "Media gets special look at attractions". Carolina Coast Online. Morehead City, North Carolina. Retrieved May 3, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "World's Second Civilian Harrier Acquired". Oshkosh, Wisconsin: Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). November 13, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2019.

• "Jenna Dolan". Show Your Stripes. San Antonio, Texas: iHeartMedia, Inc. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
• "Jenna Dolan taking off from an aircraft carrier". Tumblr. Txchnologist. Retrieved May 12, 2019.