Tinker Installation Commander honored as Oklahoma Women Aerospace & Aeronautics 2024 Woman of the Year Published Dec. 11, 2024 By Breonna Summers 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Defying gravity and defying the odds - Not even the sky is the limit for Women in Aviation. From breaking molds to breaking glass ceilings, the 2024 Roses and Wrenches Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day luncheon held by the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace & Aeronautics and the Oklahoma National Guard event Dec. 6, 2024, highlighted the accomplishments and achievements of women in the aeronautics field. In addition to the luncheon, the event, designed to inspire young girls to pursue a career in aviation and aerospace, hosted more than 500 students from 32 different schools from around the state at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tinker’s Installation and 72nd Air Base Wing Commander, Col. Abby Ruscetta, was honored as the 2024 Aerospace and Aviation Woman of the Year. She was recognized “for her dedication, advocacy, and contribution to the advancement of aerospace and aviation in Oklahoma and beyond, her exceptional leadership and ability to thrive in a male-dominated career, her commitment of professional development and for her distinguished service, exceptional contributions, and unwavering commitment to the United States Air Force,” according to the citation. Col. Abby Ruscetta, Tinker Installation and 72nd Air Base Wing Commander, gives an acceptance speech for the 2024 Aerospace and Aviation Woman of the Year award Dec. 6, 2024, at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ruscetta was honored for her dedication, advocacy, and contribution to the advancement of aerospace and aviation in Oklahoma and beyond. (U.S. Air Force photo by Breonna Summers) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “Growing up in Seattle, my mom had a magnet on our fridge of Rosie the Riveter. I had no idea Rosie the Riveter would impact me so much, but her saying ‘We Can Do it!’,’ propelled me into this amazing career that I am in today.”, said Ruscetta, “Today, we are stronger together and today everybody can do it. So, at Tinker Air Force Base we say, ‘Tinker Strong,’. Thank you so much for this honor.” The Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day is aimed to inspire the next generation of young women innovators and leaders to aspire to aim high and strive for excellence. The aerospace and defense industry is the second largest and fastest growing industry in Oklahoma. Tinker Air Force Base, America’s largest Air Force maintenance depot, is Oklahoma’s largest single site employer, with nearly 30,000 personnel delivering airpower for America.