Dr. Yardley Hunter joined the Air Force on Aug. 22, 1975. At the time, she was one of only three women to graduate with an Air Force commission from Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her graduation from Air Traffic Control school in December 1975 coincided with the integration of women at the Air Force Academy, and she was selected to be one of the first female Air Training Officers for the Academy. Later, she was named the best chief of social actions while stationed in Europe. Hunter served on active duty for 11 years before transitioning to the North Carolina Air National Guard for 10 years. One of Hunter’s fondest memories is returning to the Academy 30 years after her tour there to be honored as a true role model and mentor by female graduates of the class of 1980, the first co-ed class. From basic training to today, Hunter has worked for the betterment of womanhood and society. Since her military service, she has retired as a school administrator, volunteers as a deaconess in her church, is an active member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and serves as the president of the Greensboro Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc.