Thi-Lan Pham

Nationality: Vietnamese-East German Affiliation: Nationale Volksarmee (666th TSF Squadron Schwarzesmarken) Rank: Oberleutnant (1st Lt.) TSF: MiG-21 Balalaika

Pham Thi-Lan is the second-in-command of the 666th, being described as the spiritual backbone to the unit. Pham is called "Big Sis" by many of the younger surface pilots in the unit. She was recruited by Irisdina to join the 666th a few months after she made an impression on her during the retreat from Poland, when she singled her out because of a conversation she overheard and complimented her smile.

Pham is a second generation Vietnamese immigrant born in Lichtenberg, a suburb of East Berlin. She is the eldest of five siblings, 10 years older than the next. Being of Vietnamese descent, Pham experienced discrimination growing up in Berlin during wartime, and she believes her father trained her strictly in Shorinji Kempo as a child to fight it.