An official news release features US Air Force Major Jaime Nordin and her attempts to balance her life as an F-16 fighter pilot and mother.  While many people consider being a fighter pilot “who they are,” it seems Nordin is in transition:

“Being a mom and a fighter pilot are both equally demanding, which makes having only 24 hours in a day hard,” she said. “But more and more, I’m becoming a mom, and a fighter pilot is my trade.”

Everyone has priorities in life; having children can put a new perspective on things.  For those that are curious, the article describes some of the details about female fighter pilots who get pregnant.  Nordin was grounded during her pregnancy and recovery, meaning she was out of the F-16 for about a year.  She was out of the cockpit for so long she had to go through a re-qualification course to get back into an F-16.

Nordin is also married to an F-16 pilot, adding challenges to family life.

[Nordin] sometimes worries about what will happen while she’s flying or in the middle of something else and can’t pick up Caleigh.

“Fortunately, we have friends who are willing to step in and help us out at the drop of a hat,” she said. “Several times we’ve had to cash in on them for help because of mission requirements.”

For times when the two pilot parents have temporary deployments at the same time and can’t bring Caleigh, they have a family care plan in place to ensure their daughter’s care.

Nordin was previously one of three female fighter pilots recently featured by the Air Force News.