Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Branch: U.S. Air Force
Unit: Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
Military Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Intelligence Medal for Valor
Date of Sacrifice: May 20, 2009 - KIA near Kabul, Afghanistan
Age: 25
Conflict: War in Afghanistan, 2001-2021

Roslyn “Roz” Schulte was a 2006 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, the first female graduate of the Academy to be killed in action. While traveling in a convoy from Camp Eggers, Kabul, to Bagram Airfield on May 20, 2009, her vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. She was 25 years old.

An outstanding student and athlete, First Lieutenant Schulte’s leadership qualities were obvious at an early age. She captained a high school state championship lacrosse team at John Burroughs School in St. Louis County and was recognized as an All-American. Schulte was inducted into the Missouri Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018.

At the Air Force Academy, Roslyn Schulte majored in political science, interned for former U.S. Senator Alan Allard (R-CO), became a group commander—one of the academy’s highest positions—and captained the lacrosse team. She chose a career in military intelligence after training to be a pilot.

Lt. Schulte is the first female recipient of the National Intelligence Medal for Valor, for “her courageous efforts to teach Afghan military officials how to gather and interpret military intelligence.” Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair made the announcement at a quarterly National Intelligence Community Awards Ceremony. According to the January 22, 2010 news release from the National Intelligence Public Affairs Office:

In only three months of duty in Afghanistan, she “made a far-reaching impact on how intelligence was taught and shared with the Afghan National Army,” said Blair, speaking from the headquarters of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Schulte, he added, was “wise beyond her 25 years, and respected as a leader by all those around her—from general to airman to Afghan tribal leader—regardless of the branch of service, regardless of nationality.”

In addition to her teaching duties, Schulte was the command’s foreign disclosure officer, working to enhance information-sharing with Afghan forces. She was often required to travel outside of her main base at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, to more remote parts of the region. She accepted the known risks of traveling across dangerous terrain, intensely focused on the goal of helping the Afghan military to achieve self-sufficiency. In fact, she was the main conduit for sharing intelligence with Afghan military officials.

She was also concerned about the Afghan people. Schulte spent three hours nearly every day organizing a charity for Afghan refugees.

An annual 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte Award for Exemplary Cadet Character and Leadership was established at the Air Force Academy, recognizing “impeccable character, unwavering leadership and spirit of service.” Ten years after Schulte’s sacrifice, Army Col. David Astin, who was also a member of her convoy on that fateful day, commented:

The example Roz set reinforced my belief that inspirational leaders have three common qualities: competence, commitment and caring. Roz had those qualities in abundance, and she was one of the most remarkable junior leaders I have ever known. Simply put, she inspired everyone with whom she served, and that is the true mark of a leader’s success. Leaders don’t divide, they bring people together. Roz continues to do that, a decade after her passing, which speaks volumes about the tremendous impact she had on those who served with her.

Sources
Military Times—Honor the Fallen: Air Force 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte
Dept. of National Intelligence: News Release, January 22, 2010
United States Air Force Academy: Schulte Award Marks Decade Since Namesake, Academy Graduate Killed in Afghanistan
Forward: Profiles of Our Fallen
Fallen Heroes Project: Roslyn L. Schulte
Jewish National Fund USA: Lt. Roslyn Schulte is Honored at Ammunition Hill
Burial Site: Find a Grave