Megan Hainline

Maj. Megan Hainline is the chief of air superiority programs at the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF) International Affairs (IA) Weapons Division, located at the Pentagon. She is responsible for Air Force policy regarding fighter tactics and doctrine releasability to coalition and partner nations and advises on weapons and aircraft foreign military sales. Maj. Hainline provides invaluable operational insight to SAF/IA from her more than 10 years of experience flying F-16s as an instructor pilot and weapons instructor.

Maj. Hainline commissioned in the Air Force in May 2013 through the United States Air Force Academy. She completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, TX, where, as a distinguished graduate, she was selected to fly F-16s. She attended F-16 Basic Course at Holloman AFB, NM, before being assigned to the 35th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan AB, South Korea, in June 2016. Following Korea, she was assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, from June 2017 until 2020, where she completed flight lead and instructor pilot upgrades. Maj. Hainline was next assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw AFB, SC, from June 2020 until June 2021, when she was selected to attend the USAF Weapons School, Class 21B. Following Weapons School, she was assigned to the 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV, flying Operational Test (OT). Throughout her career, Maj. Hainline has been a training officer, scheduling officer, flight commander, F-16 division weapons officer, F-16 division commander, and wing chief of weapons and tactics. As the 53d Wing chief of weapons and tactics, she led tactics development efforts across a diverse Operational Test wing including all USAF fighter, bomber, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms. She has directed Exercise Black Flag, advancing tactics with a focus on future threats for 24 platforms across four services. Maj. Hainline was also a founding member of the Air Land Sea Space Application (ALSSA) Fighter Integration Committee and led it from 2023 to 2025, bringing together air-to-air tactics experts from all U.S. fighter platforms, including F-35A/B/C, F-22, F-15C/E/EX, F-16, F/A-18C/D/E/F, and EA-18G, to develop advanced joint tactics. Most recently, Maj. Hainline was a Department of the Air Force (DAF) strategic policy fellow, assigned to the Special Competitive Studies Project in Washington, DC.

Maj. Hainline has deployed in support of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel, Spartan Shield, Inherent Resolve, and Resolute Support, accumulating 290 combat hours. She has provided critical support and tactical expertise to Ukraine on Gray Wolf Team and has flown in multinational exercises including Vigilant Ace in Korea, Cobra Gold in Thailand, African Lion in Morocco, and Astral Night and One Sky in Italy and Poland. She has led large force exercises as mission commander in Red Flag at Nellis AFB, NV, and has flown in Green Flag at Nellis AFB, NV, and Red Flag Alaska at Eielson AFB, AK. She was awarded the USAF Warfare Center and 53d Wing 2023 field grade officer of the year, the 422d TES Wilma Vaught Award 2023, and the 55th Fighter Squadron 2020 flight commander of the year, in addition to multiple quarterly instructor and officer awards throughout her career.