Niloofar Rahmani

Niloofar Rahmani was born in 1991 in Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1992 when she was six- months old and with the Taliban coming to power, her family fled to Pakistan. For the next nine years of her life she lived as a refugee, but in 2001 she and her family returned to Afghanistan. Then September 11th happened and the world—and Niloofar—changed forever.

From the time she was a little girl, Niloofar dreamed of flying, and in 2010 a remarkable opportunity presented itself. In the midst of the American-led war against the Taliban, for the first time ever Afghanistan would allow women to join the military. Between 2010 and 2012 Niloofar underwent officer training, was selected for flight school, and became Afghanistan’s female air force pilot.

As an Afghan Air Force pilot, Niloofar served her country with honor and courage, but in 2015 the death threats became too much. Despite being honored by the United Nations, receiving the International Women of Courage award from the US State Department, meeting First Lady Michelle Obama, and flying with the US Navy’s Blue Angels, Niloofar eventually had to seek political asylum in the United States where she now resides.