Year Honored: 2004
Birth: 1958 – 2020
Born in: Corpus Cristi, Texas
Biography
Carol Anne Timmons spent 42 years in military service. Her childhood dream was to fly jets, and after graduating from William Penn High School in 1976, she enlisted in the Delaware National Guard. Timmons began her career by flying helicopters, as during the 1980s, women were not yet allowed to fly in combat. At the same time, she earned a degree in aviation management from Wilmington College, and became full-time pilot and flight instructor for United Airlines, where she flew over 9,000 hours.
Once women could fly in combat, Timmons became one of the first women to do so, saying “it was tough. I never thought I would see a change in my career because the barriers were that strong,” but “I was doing what I was told I couldn’t do.” Timmons was the first woman to be assigned to the Air National Guard’s 166th Security Forces Squadron, and she began piloting the C-130 jet. She flew numerous combat missions during the Gulf War and Iraqi Freedom Tours. By the end of her career, she’d flown 5,000 hours.
Her second supervisor said of her, “She is a reliable and accomplished aviator, progressing to her well-deserved status now as a command pilot and an instructor aircraft commander in the C-130H. What has been truly unique about her has been the consistency of her leadership in high stress combat and contingency operations.” In 2017, she was first named Adjutant General and then Major General, making her the first woman to lead the Delaware National Guard.
Among the many commendations she received for her service, Timmons has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. She has also been inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame (2007), the Delaware Technical and Community College Hall of Fame (2011), and the William Penn High School Hall of Fame (2016). When not flying, Timmons and her wife, Lynn, loved to travel, hike, and bike.
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Sources and Additional Readings
Gen. Carol A. Timmons' life defined by historic moments. Cape Gazette. (1970, January 1). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.capegazette.com/node/12607
Major General Carol A. Timmons Obituary (2020) The News Journal. Legacy.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/delawareonline/name/major-timmons-obituary?pid=196601523
Major General Carol A. Timmons. National Guard Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.nationalguard.mil/portals/31/Features/ngbgomo/bio/2/2261.html
Press, T. A. (2020, August 3). Carol Timmons, first woman to lead Delaware National Guard, dies at 62. Air Force Times. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/08/03/carol-timmons-first-woman-to-lead-delaware-national-guard-dies-at-62/
- Collections: 2004, Delaware Women Firsts, Pride Month