In December 2025, Lockheed Martin announced that it was marking 20 years of the F-22 Raptor. According to Lockheed, the aircraft ensures the United States Air Force remains dominant in every mission.
In the post shared on social media, Lockheed also said that behind every flight and every innovation are skilled Americans who operate, maintain, and advance every aspect of the aircraft.
Further, Lockheed said that, thanks to their expertise and dedication, the Raptor continues to evolve.
One of those skilled Americans is Tamara Crawford, who was honored at a Career Communications group event.
Tamara is currently a manager in Hardware (HW) within the Integrated Fighter Group (IFG), specifically focusing on Systems Integration Laboratories (SILs), where engineers test aircraft hardware/software in simulated environments, crucial for F-16/F-22 programs. It's about testing and verifying aircraft components, systems, and software for performance before flight, often involving agile processes for rapid development.
Tamara has amassed an extraordinary record with Lockheed Martin. Previously, she was the lead systems engineer on the F-22 Raptor, the world's only fifth-generation fighter.
When she received a Special Recognition Award at the HBCU Engineering Deans Breakfast during the BEYA STEM Conference, she was responsible for the product performance of the C-130, C-5, P-3, F-16, F-22, and Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter programs.
Tamara was also responsible for overseeing the dismantling of the F-22 production line and preserving its production components for future use. With no standard model, hers will be the blueprint used going forward.
“As a 13-year-old girl from a small Mississippi town in eighth grade, I decided to become an engineer," Tamara said in her acceptance speech at the 2016 BEYA STEM Conference HBCU Engineering Deans event. "In my junior year in college, I read the book that discusses Lockheed Martin's development of stealth technology. And I declared, 'I'm moving to Texas to work for Lockheed Martin!'"
Fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, she headed to Texas in 2002. “I set out with no job interview or connections, and with only $292 in my pocket. Fast forward thirteen years. Service is inextricably woven into the tapestry of my life. My joy is inspiring youth through STEM," she said with a smile.
Tamara was a board member of the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME) when she received the award at the Career Communications Group event. TAME is working to build a strong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce with more women and minorities contributing to the world through STEM careers.
Over the past thirty years, they have reached hundreds of thousands of students through statewide programs that depend on the support of volunteers like Tamara from industry, schools, libraries, and local communities. Every year, the TAME Trailblazers travel over 20,000 miles around Texas, sharing math and science exhibits with more than 20,000 students.
When Tamara began working on the F-35 program, she was the only American on the team, the single woman, the only person of color, and the youngest member.
Her exceptional performance resulted in an invitation to become a permanent member. “I had three brothers. I was the only girl,” Tamara said. “I had learned how to succeed in an atmosphere dominated by men.”
The aeronautical engineer is one of 25,000 specialists in aircraft design and stealth technology. The products they work on play an essential role in the national security of the United States and of more than 70 other countries worldwide.