DCUC Conference 2026: Combat Mission Becomes Leadership Lesson For Credit Union Executives
By CU Today Staff —
AVENTURA, Fla.--Former U.S. Sen. Martha McSally, the retired Air Force colonel who became the first American woman to command a fighter squadron in combat, told credit union leaders Wednesday that leadership is forged long before a crisis arrives, arguing that organizations must prepare people to perform under pressure before the stakes become life and death.
Speaking during a keynote session at the Defense Credit Union Council's Annual Conference here, McSally illustrated that message with a combat mission in Afghanistan during which the sophisticated targeting system in her A-10 Warthog suddenly failed as she prepared to provide close air support for U.S. special operations forces trapped in a canyon under enemy fire. With friendly troops intermingled with enemy fighters, she said she had only seconds to decide whether to hand off the mission or rely on the manual bombing skills she had practiced countless times during training.
Complicating matters, McSally said her wingman was flying his first combat mission, leaving her to make a split-second decision while processing rapidly changing information from troops on the ground. After firing a marking rocket, the aircraft's heads-up display and targeting system completely failed, forcing her to revert to manual calculations she admitted many pilots once questioned whether they would ever need in combat. The experience, she said, underscored the value of repeatedly practicing the fundamentals, even as technology becomes more advanced.
McSally said she ultimately trusted that training, quickly calculating altitude, airspeed and dive angle by memory while asking herself the same question leaders in every profession eventually face: "Do I have what it takes right now?" She successfully struck the enemy positions, allowing additional A-10s to continue supporting the operation until every American service member was safely evacuated after nightfall. The mission, she said, reinforced that confidence is built long before a crisis through preparation, repetition and experience—not in the moment when the pressure arrives.
Throughout the story, McSally drew parallels between combat leadership and organizational leadership. She described the importance of having a trusted "wingman," making decisions despite uncertainty, and remaining calm when circumstances suddenly change. Technology, she said, is an invaluable tool, but leaders cannot become dependent on it at the expense of judgment and foundational skills. When systems fail, organizations succeed because people are prepared to adapt.
McSally also encouraged attendees to view adversity as an opportunity for growth rather than something to avoid. The A-10 itself, she noted, was built to absorb extraordinary damage and still complete its mission—a characteristic she said became a metaphor for resilience in both military service and civilian leadership. The aircraft's ability to "take a licking and keep on ticking," she said, mirrors the mindset leaders need when confronting setbacks, uncertainty and rapidly changing environments.
McSally, who represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate from 2019 to 2020 after serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, said the experience shaped her approach to leadership well beyond the military. Whether leading troops in combat or organizations through uncertainty, she said, resilience comes from preparation, confidence is built through repetition, and decisive leadership depends on trusting both training and teammates when the pressure is greatest.
Originally reported by CU Today.