Ms. McSally, the first woman to command a fighter squadron, said she ultimately determined it would be best to remain in the Air Force.
“I decided to stay and continue to serve and fight and lead, to be a voice from within the ranks for women and then in the House and now the Senate,” said Ms. McSally, who retired from the Air Force after 26 years of service. “It’s personal from two perspectives — as a commander who led my airmen into combat and as a survivor of rape and betrayal.”
In an interview with CBS after the hearing, Ms. McSally said that she considered sexual assault in the military to be a national security threat, and that during the hearing, she had tried to offer a perspective as both a commander and a survivor, and to give hope to others.