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Niloofar Rhmani Is The Afghan Air Force's First Female Graduate Since The 1980s (PHOTO)

LOOK: Afghanistan Gets Its First Female Pilot In 3 Decades
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Last month, Niloofar Rhmani became the first woman to graduate from the Afghan Air Force since the 1980s, and her story is making her a popular symbol of changing times.

The 21-year-old from Kabul was awarded her flying wings on May 14 after successfully completing the air force's undergraduate pilot training program, according to the Washington Times. The program demanded roughly 145 flying hours, and Rhmani spent nearly a year learning English to qualify. "First, it was my ambition, and second, I want to show that Afghanistan can have female pilots," she told the Times.

Rhmani's story has received nearly 30,000 upvotes since being posted to Reddit on Tuesday.

"That woman just overcame not only the pilot training, but massive cultural resistance to get where she is. Massive respect is due," wrote user AttackTribble.

Another user, an Afghan male who grew up outside the country, wrote, "I'm proud that she's giving hope to all the little girls back home who have to better themselves under daily threats of violence. I hope this is the beginning of changing attitudes back home."

While some sources have claimed that Rhmani is Afghanistan's first female pilot, other reports have proved otherwise.

Still, Rhmani is hoping her success will pave the way for more women to pursue their dreams.

"Now my goal is to help my country have a bright future and stand up for females. I helped break down the doors for them after me," Rhmani said in a story published on the website of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

Via Reddit

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Before You Go

The People Who Give Obama Hope
Samantha Garvey(01 of05)
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"The young woman I met at a science fair who won national recognition for her biology research while living with her family at a homeless shelter, she gives me hope." -President Obama. Garvey was a senior in high school when her mother, a nurse, was out of work for eight months and her father, a cab driver, couldn't keep up with the bills. They were evicted on New Year's Eve. Garvey is one of 300 nationwide semifinalists in the prestigious Intel science competition. She spent more than two years researching the effects of the Asian short crab on the mussel population in a salt marsh on Long Island, east of New York City. (credit:AP)
Taylor Morris (02 of05)
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"And I think about the young sailor I met at Walter Reed hospital, still recovering from a grenade attack that would cause him to have his leg amputated above the knee. Six months ago, I would watch him walk into a White House dinner honoring those who served in Iraq, tall and 20 pounds heavier, dashing in his uniform, with a big grin on his face; sturdy on his new leg. And I remember how a few months after that I would watch him on a bicycle, racing with his fellow wounded warriors on a sparkling spring day, inspiring other heroes who had just begun the hard path he had traveled. He gives me hope." - President ObamaWhile we can't be sure, we think Obama was talking about Taylor Morris, 23-year-old Navy bomb detection and disposal expert who was wounded in Kandahar province while clearing explosive ordnance. The special unit he was with was trying to take up defensive positions when they came under attack from enemy fire. Morris lost some part of all four of his limbs. (credit:Facebook: Taylor Morris Community Support )
Zoe Lihn(03 of05)
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"You're the reason there's a little girl with a heart disorder in Phoenix who'll get the surgery she needs because an insurance company can't limit her coverage. You did that." - President Obama Zoe Lihn, will most likely need at least three open-heart surgeries to live.Zoe's mother, Stacey Lihn, delivered a speech on the first night of the DNC, praising the Affordable Care Act for making it possible for her daughter to have the surgeries she needs without hitting her lifetime cap. (credit:Getty )
Marvin Windows and Doors(04 of05)
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"The family business in Warroad, Minnesota that didn't lay off a single one of their 4,000 employees during this recession...they give me hope." - President ObamaMarvin's Windows and Doors last year employed 2,000 people in a town of only 1,700. Even when the economy got tough, Marvin Windows and Doors refused to fire a single employee. This economy will turn around, and when it does we'll have our talent and our team intact. We're set for when we come out of this." John Kirchner, a spokesman for Marvin Doors and Windows told the New York Times. (credit:AP)
William Shanteau(05 of05)
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"The auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed, but kept coming to work every day, and bought flags for his whole town and one of the cars that he built to surprise his wife - he gives me hope." - President ObamaWilliam Shanteau was among 14 workers at a Chrysler paint shop in Detroit who split a $25.1 million prize in the Ohio lottery. Each worker received about $1.2 million. Now a millionaire, Shanteau apparently still has no plans to quit his job. But he did purchase a couple of upgrades in his garage: a new Corvette for himself and a new Jeep for his wife, as well as neighborhood flags for "Curtice Kids Day," an annual event in his hometown. (credit:Getty)
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