Bayan kammala karatunta daga Syracuse, ta kasance ɗaya daga cikin mata huɗu da aka zaɓa don Horar da Jirgin Sama na Farko a Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Bayan samun fuka-fukan jirgin sama, ta zauna a Vance har tsawon shekaru uku a matsayin matukin mai koyar da T-38 Talon kafin ta koma C-141 Starlifter a Travis Air Force Base, California. Daga 1986 zuwa 1989, an tura ta zuwa Jami'ar Sojojin Sama ta Amurka a Colorado, inda ta kasance mataimakiyar farfesa a fannin ilmin lissafi kuma matukin mai koyar da T-41. A cikin 1989, Collins ta zama matukin jirgin sama na biyu da ya halarci Makarantar Matukin Jirgin Sama ta Amurka kuma ya kammala karatu tare da aji na 89B. An zaɓe ta don shirin ɗan sararin samaniya a 1990.Collins ta auri Pat Youngs a cikin 1987; suna da yara biyu. Tambaya: Yaya tsawon lokacin da ta zauna a Vance?
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