ISIS terrorists and supporters are targeting UAE fighter pilot Mariyam al Dassouri after it was reported she took part in the bombing raids on ISIS Monday night. Al Dassouri is the UAE’s first female pilot.
Mariyam’s ID was reportedly posted online following the attack:
Bismillah. iPICTURE – Mariyam al Dassouri, an #UAE officer and pilot on her way to bomb #IslamicState –> pic.twitter.com/41TAz4aPLe
— Censored31 (@Censored31) September 24, 2014
The UAE’s The National disclosed the pilot’s name.
Mariam Al Mansouri was a teenager when she set her sights on becoming a pilot for the Armed Forces.
But there was one little hurdle she had to wait several years to overcome – no women were allowed to join up.
She bided her time by spending several years working for General Command before becoming the first woman to join the airforce when the academy finally opened its doors to female recruits.
Now Major Mariam Al Mansouri, she is the UAE’s first female Emirati airforce pilot.
Major Al Mansouri, one of eight children, told Deraa Al Watan magazine that although her family supported her goal she had to overcome several challenges at the beginning of her journey.
A recipient of the Mohammed bin Rashid Excellence Award last month, taking home the “Pride of the Emirates Medal”, Major Al Mansouri said that as part of her training she had to show she had a high level of theoretical and practical proficiency.
A graduate of Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2007, the Major is now a veteran operations pilot, working with F-16 Block 60 aircraft.
As for being in competition with her male counterparts, the Major said this was never an issue, saying she “focused on competing with herself to improve her skills”.
“Competing with oneself,” she told the magazine.