Mitchell Institute’s Heather Penney Honored with Military Hero Award

The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes is honoring Heather “Lucky” Penney, Director of Studies and Research at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, with its prestigious Military Hero Award. The award—which recognizes Penney’s lifelong contributions to military, veteran, and aviation communities—will be presented at the Celebration of Service Gala on April 16, 2026.

Penney, one of the Air Force’s first female fighter pilots, previously served with the District of Columbia Air National Guard flying F-16s with the 121st Fighter Squadron. She is widely recognized for her service on September 11, 2001, when she was dispatched to help defend the nation’s capital during the terrorist attacks.

That morning, 1st Lt. Penney was scrambled alongside her commanding officer in unarmed fighter jets with orders to intercept United Airlines Flight 93, which was believed to be headed toward Washington. With no missiles on board and little time to respond, the two pilots were ready to ram their jets to disable the hijacked airliner, a move that would almost certainly cost them their lives. Ready to act if called upon, Penney and her fellow pilot positioned themselves to defend the nation’s capital. Flight 93 ultimately crashed in Pennsylvania following the actions of its passengers and crew.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Penney became a symbol of courage, resolve, and selfless service demonstrated by servicemembers across the country.

After leaving the Air National Guard at the rank of major, Penney has become one of the nation’s leading advocates for airpower, spacepower, and women in aviation. In 2018, she joined AFA’s Mitchell Institute, where she leads research on cutting-edge defense technologies and force structure and hosts the weekly “Aerospace Advantage” podcast.

The April 16 gala will be hosted at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Other awardees at the event will include Ross Perot Jr., the Red Tail Flight Academy, and the Achilles Freedom Team.

”This award is not about me—it really recognizes the spirit of duty, service, heroism, excellence, and sacrifice of all servicemembers,” Penney said. ”It’s crucial that we keep all these stories alive—not just to honor those whose legacy we inherit, but so that we can inspire the generations who will follow us.”