Megan Harper
US Air Force
Tech. Sgt. Megan Harper, the 2017 Air Force Service Member of the Year, joined the Air Force after the Sept. 11 attacks. In May 2004, Harper became the ninth woman in Air Force history to finish the elite security forces Phoenix Raven program, which specially trains airmen to secure aircraft while in flight and provide ground security when those aircraft land in dangerous areas. As a Military Training Instructor, Harper has trained 1,125 new airmen and graduated 22 flights, as well as overseeing 14 other instructors as an interim instruction supervisor. In May 2016, Harper performed the Heimlich maneuver on a trainee who was choking in a dining facility during dinner. Then, after leaving base she performed first aid on a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle.