Checkpoints June 2007

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

i: clward I;. i.oqasoy, '6/, Board Chair

Stove Finch, YD, Vico Chair

Bill Boisiure J?, V,/ Treasimn

Marianne aRiyoo, 'B0 Seaotary

James A Shaw, '67, Pf<-\i<loni/GFO

Mike Christy, *63

Ed Eberhart, *68 I: die I. dmondson, '97

Mike f lynn, '95

Mutly r.inu.:, *81.

Jack N Ki K.oia, 78

Gilbert v Mock 67

John Moore, '78

Amber D. O'Grady, '96

Alan V Rogers, '64

Pat Rosenow, '76 Or. Leon Smith’Harrison, 75

Checkpoints (ISSN 0274-7391) USPS 898-080 is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the Association of Graduates, US. Air Force Academy. (Phone: 719-472-0300, DSN: 333-2067. FAX: 719-333-4194, E-mail: eduoK'Aiogusafa.org.) A portion ofyour dues pays for your magazine subscription. Additional copies may be purchased for $2,50 each, plus $4.05 for shipping. Periodicals postage paid at the U.S. Air Force Academy, (Join., and additional mailing offices, POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Checkpoints* Association of Graduates, Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475.

Opinionsexpressed in this magazine are those ofthe authors. They do not: necessarily reflect the opinions, policy or attitude of the Association of Graduates, its officers or the editorial staff The appearance of advertisementsin this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Association of Graduates of the products or services advertised. Copyright, Association of Graduates of the U,S, Air Force Academy, June 2007.

Fellow graduates and members of the AOG -

The results ofthe 2007 election for new directors of the AOG are in. Please join me in congratulating and welcomingJim Wheeler, ’64, George Van Wagenen, ’67, Steve Dotson, ’63, James Sanchez, ’90, Pat Rosenow, ’76, (incumbent), and Fred Gregory, ’64, as your new directors. Theyjoin Bill Boisture, ’67, Ed Eberhart, ’68, Steve Finch, ’65, Mike Flynn, ’95, and Marty France, ’81, to round out the board that will be seated on July 1, 2007. That board will have the opportunity to appoint two additional directors in the fall.

The election saw 7,194 votes cast of 23,356 eligible voters (30.8 percent). While some might say that such a percentage is reasonable, or expected, I nonetheless find it disappointing that 70 percent of our members consistently prefer to stand on the sidelines, even during a pivotal election such as this one. I hope the next board has more success in attracting voters to future elections.

To refresh memories, thiselection reduces the board from 16 to 11 directors, and replaces 10 sitting directors with five new faces. This is the next step in the transition to the board structure recommended by the Blue Ribbon Council and approved by vote of the members in 2006. It constitutes the largest turnover the AOG board has ever undergone. To facilitate this transition, the current board expanded the May board meeting schedule by two days and invited new directors to attend an intensive two-day learning session, all committee meetings, and the board meeting, including the majority ofthe executive session. I believe this face-to-face handoff was very valuable and will enable the new board to be productive more quickly. All but one of the new directors were able to attend.

On Friday, May 11, 2007, a clear sunny day with a bright blue Colorado sky overhead, the AOG presented the Memorial Pavilion to the U.S. Air Force Academy for use by all graduates for all time. This beautiful facility was formally dedicated as the Association ofGraduates Memorial Pavilion as a tribute to all graduates, but particularly

in recognition of the key role ofthe AOG in raising the private funds needed to build this much needed addition to the Academy cemetery. The pavilion had been identified as a requirement for 25 years—but government funds werenever made available. As part ofthe $ 100 million comprehensive campaign for the Air Force Academy, the AOG raised all of the $4.7 million needed for construction. Ten couples, nine graduates and the brother of a graduate along with their spouses, donated $3.2 million; four classes-’66, ’81, ’83, and ’84—donated $1 million; and 11,000 graduates and friends donated the remaining $500,000. This is an outstanding example ofthe AOG using its core purpose ofraising private funds to turn the vision ofthe pavilion into a reality that will benefit all graduates and their families as they come to theirfinal resting place. Never again will family and friends have to endure the “other” kinds ofColorado weather as they make their final salute to their loved ones, classmates, and friends. Thank you to all who helped attain this great success. And thank you to the entire AOG staff, but particularly Project Manager “Bees” Kellenbence, ’78, who completed this project on-schedule, and under cost.

On that same Friday evening, we gathered at the USAFA Officers Club to present the 2007 Jabara Award to Major Mark W. Visconi,’93, who distinguished himself through sustained superior airmanship while serving as a Special Operations instructor pilot assigned to the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq. Maj. Visconi, an Arabic linguist and a member of the Air Education and Training Command, flew 106 combat sorties and logged 136 combat hours in Operation Iraqi Freedom while simultaneously training the fledgling Iraqi Air Force and conducting counter-insurgency operations. Please join me in congratulating him as the 45th winner of the Jabara Award. And please read the detailed article describing his accomplishments on page 24 of this magazine.

As is the custom at the final board meeting ofthe fiscal year, the board discussed and approved the budget for Fiscal FY08. This budget contemplates revenue of$11.5 million, down from $12.7 million in FY07; and expenses of$9.2 million, down from $11.5 m illion in FY07. The lower revenue forecast is due primarily from some conservatism in estimates for investment earnings, and slightly lower fundraising revenue. The lower expenses reflect the completion ofthe Memorial Pavilion in FY07, with smaller capital projects slated for FY08. The board spent considerable time discussing the FY08 fundraising forecast in light ofnegative signals that the current board sees in fundraising momentum. Fundraising revenues comprise $8.4 million ofthe $11.5 million budget. As I warned in my previous Checkpoints letter, the AOG is having trouble retaining top-notch fundraising professionals, and the AOG has a significant number ofpotential major donations on “hold” until the donors get a better sense ofthe future ofthe AOG. Ifthese factors are not reversed, there is the potential for considerable risk in next years revenue forecast. The current board made a strong recommendation that the next board set a top priority to send the graduate community a very strong signal oftheir support for the bylaws-specified core purpose offundraising by the AOG. The newly elected board members in attendance indicated their intention to do so. They committed to working together even before they were seated as a board so that they could proceed with board business as quickly as possible.

Also related to fundraising, the current board voted to approve a recommendation for consideration by the next board to establish a clearly identified organization, e.g. a foundation, as part ofthe AOG to focus specifically on fundraising. The board believes that such a foundation type organization can be put in place in such a way that it can: secure the lead role for raising private funds for the Academy that the AOG has undertaken; be governed in line with the member-centric focus ofthe Associations bylaws; be inclusive ofall members; inspire confidence in all donors; be transparent to donors, all members, and the Air Force; be cost-effective; be auditable and accountable; and provide the aura ofpermanence that will be necessary to provide professional staffand committed donors the platform needed to build the relationships so essential to the success of fundraising efforts. Steve Dotson spoke for the new board members present and said that he would lead an analysis ofalternatives and appreciated the recommendation, butdid not want to be constrained by it. The current board made it clear that the recommendation was simply a recommendation, but that it did represent the best thinking of a group who has been wrestling with this idea for some time. The Campaign Steering Committee oftheboard volunteered to help if the new board so desires. It is my personal view that this subject must be resolved appropriately and quickly or it will have long-term negafive effects on the ability ofthe AOG to continue to be the primary organization to raise private funds to support the Air Force Academy. The board also approved the policies and procedures that will guide the Class Senate. You may recall that the Senate was proposed by the BRC and approved by the members in 2006 as an outreach arm to give members yet another channel to communicate their ideas to the board. Thus far, 34 classes have selected representatives to the Senate and the remaining classes are engaged in the process. We all owe a debt

ofthanks to Dick Sexton, ’60, who has taken the lead to ensure the Senate gets up and running successfully. Thanks Dick.

The board approved the recommendations ofthe Graduate Dependent Scholarship Committee and awarded scholarships to 18 sons and daughters ofmembers to pursue postsecondary education. Three ofthe scholars are repeat winners; ten are completinghigh school this year; and eight are currently enrolled in undergraduate degree programs. The Committee considered applications from 87 children of graduates, granting $20,000 in financial assistance, which was double the amount in previous years. Congratulations to all the scholarship winners. And thanks to Amber O’Grady, ’96, the departing board member who has been the driving force behind this program for my entire board term. Thanks Amber.

The board also heard a presentation from representatives of the Class of’61 on an idea to build a hotel on the Academy grounds, similar to the Thayer Hotel at West Point. The class is looking at this idea as a potential 50th reunion gift opportunity. Sam Hardage, ’61, an accomplished hotel executive, made the presentation and asked the AOG to support the development of the concept. The board recognized this as a truly “aspirational” idea that, if all questions and details could be resolved favorably, would be a wonderful asset to have at the Academy. The board expressed its support of the continued examination and evaluation of the concept.

Finally, the board approved the appointment of Ed Eberhart to serve as the interim chairman from July 1 until the first board meeting, when a new board chair will be elected.

This is my final message to you as the chairman ofyour board. It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve in this role for the past four years and to represent my fellow graduates as a board member for the past six years. I am most grateful to my fellow board members for their confidence in allowing me to be their leader, and I would like to thank all theboard members with whom I have had the privilege to serve over these years. They include four people who have been honored as Distinguished Graduates—Harry Pearce, ’64, Dick Schlosberg, ’65, Ron Yates, ’60, and Fred Gregory, ’64; the current Chair ofthe USAFA Board ofVisitors, Charles Garcia, ’83; my favorite astronauts Susan Helms, ’80, and Fred Gregory (again); a host ofproven senior executives (some ofthem my esteemed classmates); and a group of dedicated and accomplished fellow Academy grads who I am grateful to now call my friends. I hope you will join with me in thanking my fellow board members whose terms are expiring for their years ofdedicated service to the Academy and the AOG—Jim Shaw, ’67, eight years; A1 Rogers, ’64 and John Moore, ’78, eight years; Amber O’Grady, ’96, six years; Gil Mook, ’67, five years, Feon Smith-Harrison, ’75, four years; Edie Edmondson, ’92, and Mike Christy, ’63, two years; and Jack Kucera, ’78, 1 year. I would also like to thank all members ofthe AOG stafffor their dedicated service to our members and our Academy, but particularly my classmate and friend, and your AOG CEO, Jim Shaw for his leadership and undying commitment to your AOG. He and his wife Cindy have provided us with a wonderful model to be emulated by all future leaders of our AOG. Thank you Jim and Cindy. Much has happened in these past six years. The Academy has had three superintendents; has endured a sexual assault scandal; has coped with a significant issue with religious freedoms; and

has tried to digest an externally-mandated Agenda for Change. Our nation endured 9-11; the Academy now has a fence around the Cadet Area; and access and security are everyday trade-offs. Our AOG membership has grown by 30 percent from 18,864 to 24,604. The AOG now provides support to seven reunions each year and offers a greatly expanded set of services to all members. Communications have moved from solely printed documents to the world-wide web. Though Checkpoints continues to be a leader in printed media by alumni organizations, our communications in all forums, from Checkpoints and ZoomieNews to fundraising brochures and our Web site, have earned 33 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education awards in the last 4 years—including best Advancement Office for a school of our size three of the last four years. AOG communications contacts with its members are now fully web-enabled with the advent of ZoomieNation and ZoomieNews. And our Web site is now pretty cool, though it will undoubtedly continue to evolve.

Over these years the AOG has transformed from a member dues dependent organization to an enterprise where dues comprise but about 8 percent of the revenue stream. By elevating its sights on the fundraising front, the AOG has raised nearly $40 million that will benefit the Academy and the AOG; the assets of your AOG have grown by about 68.5 percent from $ 29.9 million to $50.4 million; projects such as the Heritage Trail and the Memorial Pavilion are now a reality; and the Academy regularly receives AOG funding for mission critical programs such as the Center for Character and Leadership Development. Your AOG is now engaged with cadets from the day of their entry as they in-process at Doolittle Hall and cross over the ’59 bridge on the Heritage Trail; through their leadership training programs such as ACES, VECTOR, and LIFT that are funded by the AOG; on to the Outstanding Squadron banquet sponsored by the AOG; until their commissioning ceremonies conducted in Doolittle Hall. Your AOG has done much, but much remains to be done.

Ten years ago, the board in place in 1997 altered the governance model of the AOG to place emphasis on being able to recruit to the board graduates who had significant accomplishments in their careers. They “swung the pendulum” in that way because they felt that the board needed to take advantage of the time, talent, and treasure of the most accomplished graduates that they could attract to the board. That shift led to the recruitment in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003 of most of the very accomplished people whom I thanked earlier. Unfortunately, it also hadthe unintended side-effect of isolating the general membership from selection of their board members. When the sexual assault scandal broke, it served as a catalyst to rally members whofelt disenfranchised by the 1997 changes, and the reforms that have led to today’s board changes were born. The pendulum has now swung again.

Our members have now clearly voted to change the governance of the AOG from a model where directors are specifically recruited for their experience, skills, accomplishments, and financial means to one where all members have an equally likely chance to become a director. Indeed, in this most recent election, by choosing as the four top vote getters people who were NOT endorsed by the

Nominating Committee, my view is that voting AOG members have said that they want NO recruitment or screening whatsoever of candidates who run for election. This is a huge swing of the pendulum. I can only hope the non-voting members agree with this big swing, because it is now done. This new model is certainly more egalitarian. But, only time will tell if it is a better model for our AOG. One natural outcome of the prior model is that the board members with whom I have served over the past six years have contributed nearly 20 percent (over $7 million) of the funds raised in that period. The cultivation of such a group is a primary focus of every other non-profit board on which I serve, and I certainly hope that AOG boards going forward under the new model will find ways to continue to engage graduates such as them in support of the Academy andthe AOG.

Again, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve. I wish our new board well, and I look forward to seeing all ofyou at future events that support our Air Force Academy.

Thanks,

Ted Legasey, ’67

The AOG is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of not more than eleven elected directors and up to four appointed directors. Elections are conducted and appointments made \n odd-numbered years. Approximately half of the elected and appointed positions are open at each election cycle. Any AOG member willing to fulfill the requirements of directors may submit a nomination package. There are two nomination tracks. With the support of five members, a candidate may be considered by the Nominating Committee for placement on the ballot. By petition of 25 members, a candidate may be placed on the ballot without review by the Nominating Committee. Complete nomination information can be found on the AOG Web Site at www. usafa.org. Nominations for the 2009 elections will be accepted in 2008.

Pure

Breitling

SACC Success

The result of [SACC] is that I had a solid job offer (which I’ve accepted!) five business days after the job fair, and a whole bundle of folks with other offers, interviews and ideas. I’ve never seen anything like it. Granted, the job search thing is pretty new to me, but I was impressed. I think everyone at the SACC was impressed, on both sides. I met some pretty tired HR folks at the end of the day, but they kept going so they could talk to everyone who wanted to meet them. They said they’ve never seen such a turnout at a job event in their lives.

A big thank you to everyone who helped organize the D.C. SACC. Extremely valuable experience!

(Name withheld) Class of2002

Honor the Honor Code

I was a little surprised when I read AOG Chairman Ted Legasey’s comment in the March Checkpointsregarding the latest cheating scandal at USAFA. He said “We have urged [the superintendent] to deliver the strongest possible message that cheating will not be tolerated at the Air Force Academy.” How can Ted ask the superintendent to send such a message when Ted, and every other graduate, knows that this simply is not true and has not been true for at least 20 years?

There are many examples as proof: One can point to General Scott’s suspension ofthe code in the 80s, or General Gamble’s grant ofblanket amnesty in the 90s to Cadets who had forged ID cards, or any number ofother more recent examples to demonstrate this.

My favorite example occurred two years ago at the Graduate Leadership Conference when I asked General Rosa whether in today’s politically charged environment he could dismiss a large number of cadets (I think I said 200) if another cheating scandal were uncovered. General Rosa did not hesitate a second to say, “No.” We should ask what “message” this statement sends. This is the office that Ted Legasey wants to send the strongest possible message that we don’t tolerate cheating.

There was a time when we dismissed honor violators. What do we do with honor violators today? Apparently, the latest “punishment” is to keep the Wing on base for a whole weekend to think about it. I cannot help but remember the days ofmy childhood when we were put in the corner for doing something wrong so we could think about it. Cadets are adults, not four year olds. They need to accept the consequences oftheir actions, not be put on “time out.”

Wouldn’t it be more useful for Ted Legasey to use his influence as AOG chair to get the Academy to actually do something about enforcing the Honor Code? But, since I and many others have been suggesting this course of action for nearly 30 years, I am not optimistic that the AOG will accept the challenge. We do have some changes coming up on the AOG Board. We can hope that the new board will place a higher priority on maintaining the most important aspect of our USAFA experience than they will on raising money for the next monument.

Roy Miller, Class of1967

“Degrees” of Honor Do Not Exist

Regarding Michael Baribeau’s 30 May 07/2:10 pm post about “degrees” of cheating and why some cadets got probation when others were expelled, allow me to elaborate. There are no “degrees” ofcheating (or lying, stealing or tolerating for that matter). You either violated the Cadet Honor Code or you didn’t as determined by your own admission (and a Cadet Sanctions Recommendation Panel) or by a Wing Honor Board.

The sanction one receives for violating the code is based on several factors—the egregiousness of the violation, whether one admitted to the violation on his/her own or it was reported by another cadet, if one denied violating the code, and how long one has lived under the code as a cadet.

While I can’t get into the specifics ofthe 31 cases in the current cheating situation, I can say that when many were investigated, the cadet investigators turned up evidence ofadditional violations of the code beyond mere cheating on the 4th Class Knowledge Test in January 2007. Hence, the sanctions varied on a case-by-case basis as determined by the evidence in each. Also, probation is granted only to those cadets who the honor representatives and commandant view as likely to become better cadets and good officers.

Regarding Honor Probation, it is a humbling, intensive, 6-month-long process. The cadet is assigned an honor mentor, has to briefhis or her squadron about their particular violation, why they violated the code, what they are going to do about it. It involves keeping a journal on honor and integrity. It means convincing your mentor, AOC and, ultimately, the commandant that you have seen the error ofyour ways and have reformed your lifestyle. Most cadets who successfully complete the probation requirements liken it to taking a very tough class on top of their already-tough academic course load. Ironically, some of our most stalwart honor reps are cadets who have completed an Honor Probation session earlier in their cadet experience.

I hope this clears up some misconceptions.

Johnny Whitaker, Class of1973 USAFA Director ofCommunications

ThankYou

I am the son of 1963 Graduate Wesley E. White. I just wanted to say thank you so much for including my dads obituary in the March 2007 Checkpoints and for your kindness to our family during our time of loss.

We appreciate your efforts.

Sincerely,

Brian White

Well Done

Thank you very much for the revised Web site. It came up posthaste, with no hiccups.

I also appreciate what Gen. Regni said, and especially what is being done by him and other leaders at the Academy, and espedally theefforts being done by the leaders in the Cadet Wing— for it is there that the real changes must occur.

Ifthe occasion presents itself, please pass on to the superintendent and Cadet Colonel Gramm, the Cadet Wing Commander, that at least one of Zoomie (Class of 1959) looks back upon the Cadet Honor Code and its supporting system by the cadets, as well

as that provided by the Academy staff, as the key element ofofficer character development, and efforts by all to maintain its vitality is absolutely essential to keeping the Air Force Academy the premier source of the United States Air Force’s Officer Corps. Go Falcons!

Roscoe R. “Sonny” Roberts III, Class of1959 Corrections

In the article, Distinguished Graduates—More than over-achievers (March 2007, pgs.42-45), retired Lt. Gen. Robert Beckel, ’59, was quoted as saying, “Many times success isn’t recognized because it’s disguised as hard work.” This phrase was attributed directly to him, however he wanted to clarify that he was paraphrasing a statement he had heard or readelsewhere. While the general could not recall the true attribution of the statement, he wanted to give proper credit to the author by clarifying his quote.

In the article,’6ABloodthat Sticks (March 2007, pgs.70-73), the authors were Rick Cree, ’66, and Bud Kelley, ’66. Our apologies to Mr. Cree.

A Letter from the Athletic Director

By Dr. Hans J. Mueh, ’66

I’m still looking out my window at the greatest view in America and, in spite of the media, I wouldn’t trade this job for any other in the world. What an incredible school year 2006/07 has been for Air Force Academy athletics. Let me just recap a little ofwhat has transpired. Several teams and cadet-athletes brought great credit to the Academy during the year.

The hockey team capped the greatest season ever with a conference tournament title and the school’s first-ever NCAA tournament bid.

The move to the Atlantic Hockey Association from College Hockey America was clearly the right move as the Falcons won three straight conference tournament games, highlighted by the incredible 6-1 win over Army in the finals. The Falcons achieved the first-ever slot by any service academy in the “SweetSixteen” ofthe NCAATournament and put up a valiant effort before losing to No. 1 overall seed Minnesota in the first round in Denver. The team was led byjunior Eric Ehn, who was a first-team All-American selection and was one ofthree “hat-trick” finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, the Heisman Trophy ofhockey, given annually to college hockey’s best overall player. As it turns out, Eric actually finished second overall in the balloting and probably would have won ifthe committee had voted again after narrowing the field to three. Although the team will lose some standout firsties, the future looks bright as Ehn and the rest of the remaining players form a solid nucleus for next year.

The men’s basketball team reached the National Invitation Tournament Final Four and earned a trip to Madison Square Garden. The team set a record for the most wins in school history

en route to a great end ofthe season run. During the season, the team achieved the highest national ranking in program history by reaching No. 11 in the coaches’ poll. After a frustrating loss to BYU in the last regular season game at Clune Arena, the team suffered a true injustice by being overlooked by the NCAA selection committee. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the NIT Committee clearly saw that the Falcons were the class ofthe teams remaining and made them the overall #1 seed for the NIT tournament. Who will ever forget the great three game run at Clune, highlighted by the fantastic win over DePaul, 52-51, in our firsties’ final game in Clune, certainly eliminating the bad taste from the BYU loss. The experience in New York was a once in a lifetime experience for the cadets, highlighted by the warm reception and practice time at West Point, the trip to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, and the strong effort against a tough Clemson team in the semis in Madison Square Garden. All of us believed we still had a shot with 1.2 seconds left and Clemson leading 68-67, but it wasn’t to be. Truly a season for the ages and four incredible years from our firsties, Nick Welch, Matt McCraw, Jake Burtschi, Dan Nwaelele, Ryan Teets, and John Frye, who finished with 90 wins in four years.

In other sports, the cross country team finished second in the conference while the men’s swimming team finished third overall in the Mountain West Conference. Senior swimmer Chris Knaute was the conference Swimmer of the Year and qualified for the Olympic team trials. The boxing team recorded a runner up finish in the national championships with a strong finish by National Champion Heavyweight, senior Ian Tuznik, whose victory placed

the Falcons in second place and continued a streak of never finishing out of the top two in our history.

On the other side of the ball, puck, apparatus, rifle barrel, gloves, etc., for the first time in school history, we have had to replace head coaches in our most recognized sports in the same year. The remarkable Fisher DeBerry retired after 23 years as head football coach. Coach DeBerry’s legacy at Air Force is certainly intact, with 169 wins, 12 bowl games, 14 Commander-in-Chief trophies, and the National Coach of the Year in 1985. Were excited to welcome back a familiar face to the coaching family, one of Coach DeBerry’s “kids,” Troy Calhoun, a 1989 Air Force Academy graduate. Troy returns to head the football program as the first Academy graduate to hold the post. His staff is complete and he has just finished a very successful spring practice. Anyone who saw the Blue/Silver Scrimmage in Falcon Stadium on April 14 knows we will bring a new brand ofAir Force football to the opponents this fall—Air Force out of the shotgun? Wow.

Men’s basketball headcoach Jeff Bzdelik moved up the road to Colorado after two tremendous seasons at Air Force. We were lucky to have a coach with JeffBzdelik’s talents with us, if even for a short time, and we wish him the best at CU. JeffReynolds, Coach Bzdelik’s top assistant the past two years, takes over the reins as the men’s basketball head coach. He is completing his staff as I write this and has already hired Dave Pilipovich from Michigan and 1997 Air Force Academy grad and former coach, Rob Pryor, as his first two assistants. Jeffhas his work cut out because we lost a strong group of firsties, but the young Falcons remaining, led byjunior Tim Ander

son, a strong group from the Prep School, and a strong recruiting year give us a great nucleus to keep this program humming.

We also said goodbye to long-time men’s soccer coach Lou Sagastume and wrestling coach Wayne Baughman, who both retired after over 25 years at the Academy. Lou will leave us this summer but not before he earned legendary status nationally with over 300 wins during his coaching career. We are in the process of evaluating candidates for the next soccer head coaching position. Wayne retired last fall and achieved his own legendary status, as a former Olympian and one of the most highly respected coaches in the nation, evidenced by his selection to the Wrestling Hall of Fame. His replacement, Joel Sharratt, a former NCAA national champion and long-time assistant at Navy, already has the program on the right track. We also hired several other coaches ready to take our programs to the next level. Doug Day, New Mexico grad and coach, has our women’s gymnastics team on the rise. Launi Meili, former Nebraska rifle coach and a 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist, is our new rifle coach. Cross country coaching standout Mark Stanforth has also announced his retirement after one of the most successful coaching careers in Academy history.

The legendary Jim Bowman, our associate athletic director for recruiting support, is retiring this season after 49 unbelievable years at the Academy. Bo is truly a legend at USAFA and has enjoyed tremendous success in identifying the very best scholarathlete-warriors for the fields of friendly strife. He has national respect and has touched nearly every athlete who has ever played for Air Force. He and his wife, Mae, will retire in Oregon late this

Previous page: The 2006-07 Falcon Basketball team; Coach Jeff Reynolds in action; C2C Eric Ehn and C1C Chris Knaute

summer. There is no way to replace Jim Bowman. A true legend and certainly a big part of the great history ofthis institution, his shoes will be tough to fill. He also knows whereallthe skeletons are buried, so I hope to be able to use him even in retirement.

On the facilities side, I want to take a moment to publicly thank the 10th Air Base Wing, particularly the 10th Civil Engineer Squadron, for the incredible job they have done to keep our aging athletic facilities looking as good as they do, and for some innovative new additions. Just to give some quick examples, we have a monumental six-phase program starting this year to repair andremodel the 50-year-old cadet gym ($40M); repair ofthe HVAC andelectrical system in the field house ($8.5M); replace the field house roof ($2.1M); move the fences, install field turf, and upgrade the baseball stadium ($1.5M); and various other plans to complete the cadet and fan protection plan, parking, proximity locks, drainage, resurface tennis courts, replace doors, construct a golflearning center, build an athletic event security plaza, replace the lacrosse scoreboard, renovate the press box, and on and on. We are their largest customer, and they do an incredible job to keep us at the forefront. By the way, they also just hung the most beautiful new digital/video scoreboard in Clune Arena—I can hardly wait to show that off—and are completing the new sound system in Falcon Stadium. That place will finally rock the way it should. There are dozens if not hundreds ofother projects that maintain our position as the most beautiful and safest athletic facilities in America.

Finally, just a quick note about our ongoing attempts to be allowed to operate as a non-profit organization. I had previously talked about the formation of a 501 (c)3 Colorado Corporation, but we have actually taken that in a different direction. The model that seems to fit us better is the Federally Chartered Non-Profit Organization. There are 39 ofthose in existence, andthe best example is the Smithsonian Institution. That will allow us to do all ofthe things allowed under a nonprofit organization and be a better fit for a federal institution like the Academy. The legislation is written and has passed the Business Case Analysis done by one ofthe SAF/FM Centers ofExcellence. That was a huge step and now gets us to the point ofintroducing the legislation for adoption through the House ofRepresentatives. We have had great support from Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Regni, 73, the leadership in the Pentagon, and theBoard ofVisitors to make this happen. It will be a huge step in securing the fiscal future for this department.

Like I said at the beginning, I’m still living the dream. As I finish this, the sun is shining through my floor to ceiling windows, I can see the lacrosse team running through their practice drills, squadrons practicing for the outdoor intramural championships, cadets jogging to meet our tough physical standards, the PE golfclass spraying golf balls all over the soccer fields, and all is right at USAFA. I have the best staff in the country, we run the best events anywhere, and we are doing our part to produce the finest officers in the world. Thanks for the opportunity to do this. 93

beginnings through the people you already know.

Commissioned by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. Honored with the National Air & Space Museum's "Golden Age of Flight"Award >$fan%work also hangs in the Air Force art collection, the Pentagon, San Diego Aerospace Museum,the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., ;■/. and the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Association of Graduates

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS RESULTS

Results ofthe 2007 election ofdirectors were receivedfrom Survey andBallot Systems on Thefollowing are the newly elected board members who will take officeJuly May 2, 2007. 1

Jim Wheeler, ’64

Bio: Jim Wheeler, ‘64, will bring extensive and diverse management experience to the AOG Board. While on active duty, he served at USAFA as an Assistant Professor of Political Science, AOC of CS-08, and on the Superintendent’s Staff. His broad AOG experience includes seven years as the Executive Director; two terms as an elected Director; and active AOG Chapter involvement in Colorado, Ohio, and Texas. Jim is a LifeMember of the AOG and the AFAAA. He is currently President and COO of two Texas nonprofit corporations. He has earned an M.A. in Political Science and an M.S. in Systems Management.

George Van Wagenen, ’67

Bio: George Van Wagenen graduated from USAFA in 1967. In South East Asia he flew the Jolly Green Giant rescue mission as an HH-53 Aircraft Commander. He has been registered with the NASD and in the investment business since 1981. He currently owns his own investment advisory business. He is a stockbroker, registered investment advisor, and branchoffice manager. He is active in the Rampart Chapter of the AOG and currently serves on the Rampart Chapter Board of Directors.

Steve Dotson, ’63

Bio: UPT; T-38 FAIP; combat tour in Thuds; 70 72: MBA, Harvard Business School; 72 76: Air Force Studies and Analysis (Pentagon); 76: Left active duty for AF Reserve; 76 79: Defense program analyst, Office ofManagement and Budget; 79 83: Staffer, Senate Armed Services Committee; 84-97: Senior Executive Service, Office of Management and Budget; 97 - Present: Novelist. 76 93: Air Force Reserve: Air defense, eastern U.S.; Ranking brigadier general, “shadow superintendent” at USAFA; Headquarters, USAFE. 93: Retired brigadier general. USAFA: Sabre Society; attended all GLCs. 2006: Achieved improved financial statements, LMAG solution, letter to Congress for AOG; taught cadet history classes.

James Sanchez, ’90

Bio: My first assignment was the Air Force Personnel Center where I developed the first Assignment Management System. I was the first chief ofweb operations at the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific. After separating I became a Technology Consultant with Andersen Consulting and then with Grant Thornton.

I’ve been an IT Manager, a freelance webmaster, started a car lot (selling pickup trucks on eBay) and now work for Freese and Nichols in Fort Worth, Texas. I publish and edit eDodo.org and USAFAtoday.com, keeping grads informed and entertained and preserving USAFA history with the USAFA Folklore Wiki.

Pat Rosenow, ’76

Bio: Pat Rosenow is a 1976 graduate of the AF Academy. Following KC-135 navigator duty, he attended Duke Law School. He twice served as wing StaffJudge Advocate andhad two tours as a military judge. He presided over many high profile trials, including cadets charged with sexualassault and F-16 pilots accused ofhomicide in the accidental bombing of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Retired after more than 27 years ofservice, he is now a federal administrative law judge, hearing a wide variety of labor cases. His daughter and son are graduates of the Academy classes of 2001 and 2003.

Fred Gregory, ’64

Bio: A military and government career that lasted more than 40 years beginning as a Vietnam rescue helicopter pilot and ended as leader of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. During his career, Fred flew both helicopters and fighters in operations and as a research test pilot. As an Astronaut he flew the Shuttle three times, once as the pilot and twice as the commander. He lead the Safety and Mission Assurance and the Space Flight programs for NASA before he was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to be the Deputy Adminis trator ofNASA. SI

^ As cadets and graduates ofthe Academy, you hold integrity in the highest regard. Your official ring is created with that same integrity byJostens, your partner in expressing pride in the United States Air Force Academy.

A historical perspective

BY 2LT. MICHAEL LEBOVITZ, ’06

The United States Air Force Academy is a national landmark, a site visited by thousands oftourists each year. Visitors gather on the Chapel Wall to watch cadets march to meals and walk to classes on an area known as the Terrazzo, a term derived from the Italian word for terrace. Although most visitors notice freshman, or “doolies,” running on the Terrazzo s white marble strips and the four jets displayed on the grassy center, few notice the Air Gardens next to Fairchild Hall, the cadet academic building.

Perhaps it is appropriate that this feature ofthe Academy’s landscape normally escapes the public eye, since its original purpose was not to please visitors but to cater to members ofthe Cadet Wing. Since the mid-1950s, the landscape ofthe Air Gardens has changed dramatically; various monuments have entered and exited the green space over the years. Though many changes took place through the last five decades, the Air Gardens has had a fluid and fascinating progression from their inception in 1954.

The history ofthe Air Force Academy is relatively short in comparison with that ofthe other service academies. The campus resulted from the perception that the new service required its own service academy. In 1954, the design process for the Academy

began, and the government contracted Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill for the entire operation. After initial design work, SOM narrowed the possibilities for the location ofthe cadet area to two sites on the Academy’s new reservation, DouglasValley and Lehman Mesa. Interestingly, SOM based its choice on the desire to isolate the cadet area from the local community and base support functions, which eliminated DouglasValley from consideration. Therefore, the cadet area now sits on the remote Lehman Mesa situated at the highest plain on the northeast corner ofthe base. In addition to its isolation, SOM selected the location due to its spectacular view and level ground, suitable for the parade ground and athletic fields.

Dan Kiley, one ofmany architects who contributed to SOM’s design process, drew up plans for both the Air Gardens and many features ofthe dormitories. Before working with SOM, Kiley had extensive experience working as career landscape architect. While in his twenties, Kiley worked for Warren Manning and later entered the Harvard landscape architecture program. After Harvard, Kiley went to work for the United States HousingAuthority as an associate town planning authority. While working for the HousingAuthority he met and befriended Louis Kahn and Eero Saarinen, connections that would later lead to Kiley’s work on the new Air Force Academy. Kiley left the HousingAuthority and after some residential projects served in the Army Corps ofEngineers during World War II. While serving, Kiley was the architect for the NurembergTrials Courtroom, where he visited various European gardens and became fond oftheir geometric designs.

In 1955, Kiley worked on the Miller garden in Columbus, Ind., with Eero Saarinen. Here he developed “a grid plan and full integration ofindoor with outdoor space,” inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion and the De Stijl movement. Kiley designed this garden as a transition from garden to meadow to wood. Though this project was asymmetrical, Kiley believed perfect geometric forms have “cosmic awareness” and should be a part of the design process and implementation. Kiley brought all ofhis genius and creativity to the Air Force Academy

when SOM hired Dan Kiley with a recommendation from Eero Saarinen.

Kiley designed the cadet area with a “wooded sloping hill from the middle ofthe Terrazzo extending south to the valley below,” which visually balanced with a mountain south of the cadet area. The Academy removed this area in 1968 with the creation of Sijan Hall. Kiley also developed a number ofplans to landscape the dormitory quadrangle spaces, but funding was not available for these ideas.

Kiley designed the 700 feet long Air Garden geometrically to “break the straight lines ofthe Terrazzo level and release the spirit and achieve a spiritual fulfillment of a particular place and how people live there.” Furthermore, the Air Garden was not like European geometric gardens which extended the importance of a building. Instead, the Air Garden was meant to “extend” the lives of the cadets. In the days of a male-only cadet wing, Kiley designed the Air Garden as a special place where cadets could take their girlfriends to view the spectacular display offountains and visual affects. For example, the reflecting pools stretched from one end ofthe Air Garden to the other, and each had underwater swimming pool lights.

At night the pools created a spectacular glowing appearance, which offset groups of lit fountains. In fact, Kiley designed the Air Garden as a three dimensional work of art.

One ofthe most beautiful things about the garden was the raised pavement grid. In 1955, when one walked through the Air Garden, the path was literally above the pools, fountains, and landscaped areas. Duane Boyle, the ChiefofProgram Development at the USAFA Civil Engineering office, said in a recent interview that, “All the landscaping areas were the same depth as the pools which were three feet down. Because the walkway was above the rest of the garden, this design added an enhancing affect when walking through the garden. The idea was that there was an entire grid of pavement and everything was recessed below that so you were actuallywalking through an elevated grid ofpavement.” Boyle never spoke with Kiley in person, but he spoke with him on the phone. “He [Kiley] wanted

the effect of one leaving the terrazzo and walking or coming upon a forest and a lake. [It was a] modern adaptation ofwalking through a forest and coming upon a lake or river which happen to be ponds and fountains. He wanted it to be the nicest feature on the Terrazzo. Kiley’s design was right on because one really did get the feeling they were walking through a forest.” Initially, there were hedges mixed into trees, but the Academy most likely removed them when the Academy raised the ground in 1975.

Kiley’s complex design of the reflecting pools helped irrigate the trees and grass. The reflecting pools and the gardens were interconnected and in order to fill one pool, it was necessary to fill every pool. According to Boyle, “There was a reservoir of water that constantly kept the pools filled and the reservoir was also irrigating the gardens. Just south of the North pool, there’s a large aggregate plaza, all hollow underneath, the eastern 1/3 was a pump room, all pools filled at same time, when they reached a certain level there’s a valve, other 2/3 underground reservoir would then allow water into the reservoir, use the reservoir for irrigation, and the pump room supplied fresh water into the pools.”

Along with the pools, however, the Air Garden included the flag pole and the “Eagle and Fledgling” statue. While the flag pole is a standard feature to all military bases, the “Eagle and Fledging” statue was a gift from the personnel ofAir Training Command in 1958. The marble pedestal which the Eagle and Fledgling statue sits upon is ten feet tall, and consists ofmarble, bronze, and concrete. The large

Previous page: Air Garden 1958-1968 (USAF Photo)

Top to bottom: In 1958 CadetWing Commander (Later Lt. Gen. and USAFA Distinguished Graduate) Robert D. Beckel, center, accepted ownership papers ofthe Eagle and Fledglings. Looking on are General Curtis E. LeMay, USAFVice Chief ofStaff, third from left, Lt. Gen. Frederic H. Smith, Jr., AirTraining Command commander, second from right, and Academy SuperintendentMaj. Gen. James E. Briggs, far right. (USAF Photo); The Brig. Gen. Robbie Risnerstatue. (Photo by Ken Wright); The X-4 displayed in the Air Gardens (1958-1968). (USAF Photo)

eagle symbolizes the speed, power, and readiness of flight of the Air Force. The eaglets symbolize the cadets. Carl Mose of St. Louis designed the statue.

From 1955 to 1969 the Air Garden remained as Dan Kiley intended. In 1970, the Association of Graduates donated a new memorial to the Air Garden placing it at the north end behind the flag pole. Resting at the edge ofthe Air Garden is this War Memorial. The War Memorial faces the American flag for those deceased graduates listed on the memorial. The memorial is a striking curved monolith constructed of three 7’ x 21’ slabs ofblack starlite granite.

In 1970, Commandant ofCadets Brigadier General Robin Olds gave a striking speech to those attending the dedication ceremony. The wall serves as a simple reminder ofthose who died as result ofdirect hostile action, within an area ofconflict as the result of an incident which was in direct support ofthe conflict, or outside an area ofconflict while directly supporting the activities within that area (which is considered on an individual basis by the Board ofDirectors ofthe AOG). Over the years, many statues were placed and then removed from the Air Gardens. The Memorial Wall for fallen graduates is probably the best known memorial in the Air Gardens.

Unbeknownst to most, “there’s a visual axis that goes right down the middle ofthe Air Gardens, [splits the] void in Vandenberg, which [then] splits the cadet gym right in half. Nothing on the axis is supposed to be related to an individual person. Whatever is on the axis has to transcend the individual and that’s the way it was originally planned.” The Academy placed busts in the sides ofthe garden in the recessed areas. The axis remained clear of statues so the statues remained in the trees. In theory, when a cadet walked through the Air Garden they would see things about individuals. Originally, Kiley called this concept the “Mall of Heroes.” This is also the name for the Association of Graduates’ area where USAFA heroes are memorialized on the north side of Fairchild hall. Construction of the area is due to begin this year.

Eventually, Kiley’s Mall of Heroes failed and the Air Garden became a place to “put stuff, because there was space to put it.”

Between 1968 and 1975, the Air Garden became a collection area of busts and statues slowly losing its aesthetic appeal. The Air Garden became cluttered and confusing and in Duane Boyle’s opinion there was “too much out there for people to stop and understand what was trying to be told about that person.”

The Wright Brothers, General Jerry O’Malley, and the General Jack Ryan busts all had a short stay in the Air Gardens. After a Colonel from New York donated the Wright Brothers busts, the Academy placed the statues in Fairchild Hall andlater moved them to the Air Garden. The Wright Brothers busts are currently located at the sixth floor ofthe library. The Falcon Foundation donated the Ryan statue. These busts are valued between $35,000 to $50,000, depending on the artist.

Ross Perot donated both the O’Malley bust and Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner statue. Ross Perot was a good friend with O’Malley and his family. O’Malley was one of the original Air Training Officers for the Academy. In 2000, the Academy removed the busts from the Air Garden and placed them in the Honor Court next to Arnold Hall to improve accessibility. There was potential for conflict when the Academy moved the busts because the Academy did not notify the next ofkin about the move, but when the Academy notified the next of kin they had no misgivings. In fact they were happier because more people had access to them.

The most expensive piece to enter the garden was the Risner statue. The statue has a complex history. Originally, there was a small statue about three feet tall which Ross Perot donated because he wanted to have a way of memorializing Risner. Then Perot donated a 9.5 ft tall Risner statue sculpted by Larry Ludke in 2000 to replace the small one. The 9.5 ft statue was approximately $200,000 and included a $60,000 installation fee. Ross Perot also donated money to keep the statue maintained. The statue rests on the imaginary axis that splits the Air Garden which raised some concern in the graduate community. “A lot ofgrads were bothered by Risner’s location in the Air Gardens. They thought it belonged in Harmon Hall because it wasn’t honoring a graduate. Then the Association

ofGraduates got involved and negotiated a compromise. The compromise for the statue to remain was to put the names [ofgraduates who had been POWs] on [marble panels next to] the Risner statue.”

The black slabs are maybe ten feet long and angled. They are large enough so that many years from now there will still be room for the names of graduates. In 2001, the ceremony for the Robbie Risner statue was huge. Perot flew out fifty-seven men incarcerated directly or indirectly with Risner in Vietnam.

Duane Boyle’s perspectives on the statues were slightly different. “Over the years we got different busts to put in here, [but then we] took all those things out to different locations. There was a big statue donation from Ross Perot. We [as in the community] didn’t necessarily want it in the Air Gardens, but he overcame us politically.” It is not surprising that there are multiple stories about the difficulties with the statue. “The story I heard was he went directly to the ChiefofStaffof the Air Force, that’s what I heard kind ofbecame a downward directed thing at that point...”

Probably the most exciting piece added to the Air Garden was the X-4 flown by Chuck Yeager. Originally, it was in the courtyard on the south side of the Arnold Hall theatre. The problem was cadets on “spirit missions” moved the plane to places like the chaplain’s driveway. The Academy eventually moved the plane to the space on the fountain closest to Mitchell Hall, by the Eagle and Fledgling statue. There they filled the wings with concrete so cadets could not move the plane for “spirit missions.” In the early ‘90s the Academy had to move the airplane when they serviced the pools. The Academy hired a special crane to remove the concrete filled aircraft and sent the X-4 to Edwards AFB, CA in 2001. H

Editor’s Note: Author 2Lt. Michael Lebovitz wrote this article as a report while a firstclassman at the Academy. His work was so impressive that it was recentlypassed along to us forpublication.

Two U.S. colonels help Afghans build an Air Force Academy

BY PATRICK WINN, AIR FORCE TIMES

or now, the Afghan National Army’s aircraft fleet is lean and weary. Stripped down by neglect and war, it’s a collection offewer than 20 Soviet-era helicopters and jets.

In five years, the nation’s leaders want a full-bore Afghan force backed by 120 aircraft.

Two colonels on faculty at the Air Force Academy Tom Drohan, ’79, and Ed Westermann, ’84—are helping ready Afghans to man that growing fleet.

They’re setting up what amounts to a small Air Force Academy within the National MilitaryAcademy ofAfghanistan.

Their challenges, the colonels said, reflect Afghan’s poverty and back-to-back conflicts.

“Some of the young men coming from those provinces have never seen a computer,” Westermann said. “But they don’t need help being good fighters. They’re natural born warriors.”

Afghanistan’s air corps is currently a wing of its army. The country’s military academy—which now teaches about 550 cadets—is modeled on the U.S. MilitaryAcademy at West Point.

“The air force isn’t currently a branch within the service,” Drohan said, “but it walks and talks like a branch.”

A steady need for humanitarian missions and a fresh wave of Taliban suicide bombings in March underscore Afghanistan’s need for a strong air corps.

Helicopters make up most ofthe Afghan air fleet. They own Mi17s, Mi-24s and Mi-35s, which can all function as attack helicopters.

Cadet training recently wrapped up for flying Mi-24s, nicknamed “Devil’s Chariots” byAfghan Muslim Jihadists, who were ravaged by the Soviet helicopter’s missile attacks when the Soviets occupied the country in the 1980s.

The Afghan National Army was eager to “get them into the fight against the insurgency,” Westermann said.

The corps also owns two L-39s, a light attack jet, and at least two AN-26 transport propeller planes.

Many of the aircraft were seized by Afghans during their nineyear war with the former Soviet Union. Old Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter jets, better known as MiGs, could have been preserved with better upkeep, Drohan said.

“Over the course of time jet engines degrade,” he said. “Maintenance has not necessarily been a high-priority item in the Afghan military forces.”

Though the colonels have worked to bring Western standards to the academy’s air corps instruction, Westermann and Drohan are careful not to seem overbearing. They’re conscious that the Soviet takeover left behind some unease with foreign authority

“You need to be sensitive to the nature of the terms you choose,” Westermann said. “They don’t like the term ‘advisers.’ They had Soviet advisers. They prefer ‘mentors.’”

The academy Drohan said, is also about more than training Afghans to fight.

It’s about preparing them to deliver aid and rebuild the country despite its scattered sense of identity, he said.

Cadets can take four academic majors, each with a strong nation-building component. The academy teaches law, computer science, English and engineering.

Professors were hired to mirror the population, a move to encourage solidarity in a nation carved into 34 provinces and controlled in parts by provincial warlords. Only two Afghan provinces aren’t represented on the faculty.

“An American may enter thinking, ‘They’re all Afghans,”’ Drohan said. “You do a little reading and realize it’s a tremendous challenge building a national identity among all those ethnic groups.”

The academy, at Kabul International Airport on the former Taliban-controlled Afghan Air Force grounds, is set to expand rapidly. Academy leaders want 1,300 cadets in coming years, a near doubling of its student body.

Though the air fleet and the academy’s student body are both expected to boom, it’s still unclear whether the Afghan National Army’s air corps will splinter off into its own branch.

Westermann and Drohan, both learning the Farsi language’s Dari dialect spoken at the academy said they’ll continue counseling the school as long as they’re needed.

Having recently returned to the U.S. from Kabul, the pair expect to go back this summer.

“I feel a good amount of confidence in the cadets,” Westermann said. “We’ll assist them wherever they want to be assisted.”

% PERFORMANCE

111 H)

wo lines of cadets begin to form as their leader stands at strict attention while waiting for them to fall in. The two lines ofcadets stand about one and a half meters apart and face each other. Then, as they initiate a sequence of complex, staggered throws, their leader begins to walk right down the middle of the lines. The sabres pass no more than half a foot from his face and yet he is undeterred from his path. What the spectators have just witnessed is called “The Walk of Death.” This complicated maneuver is the “title” maneuver for the United States Air force Academy Sabre Drill learn.

The Sabre Drill 'leant started as a club in 1961 when a group of cadets set out to hold themselves and their teammates to a higher standard and to represent the Air Force Academy through a unique style of drill that is rarely seen, I that of sabre manual. Through hard work, the Sabre Drill

Team was able to obtain official team status at the Academy in 1969. This meant they were given funds for traveling and performing as well as Limited on Season Status, or LOS. LOS is when team practice is given higher priority than squadron training or intramurals. This team eventually became one ofthe most visible organizations at the Air Force Academy. It performed in both national and international competitions, appeared several times on the Miss America Beauty Pageant, marched annually in the Mardi Gras parade which is nationally televised, held arches for many important Academy events to include the Missing Man Formation, and represented the Academy in the local community by participating in such events as the well known Race for the Cure.

There are only a handful ofsabre teams throughout the world. Yet, in competitions against as many as fifty rifle drill teams, the United States Air Force Academy Sabre Drill Team has placed in the top four nearly every time. The team has even had the opportunity oftraining other sabre teams to include a team at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Cadets who wished to join this unique team were required to join as fourthclass cadets. Their whole focus as fourthclass candidates for the team was to learn what it meant to be teammates and members of the Sabre Drill Team. They experienced vigorous physical training and worked hard daily to perfect the basics ofsabre manual with the goal ofperforming at the annual Tulane University drill competition in February. The bond created between teammates is unbreakable and the lessons they learn are vital to them as current military leaders. This is the goal that the Sabre Drill Team worked to achieve with all its members.

In the fall of2003 for various reasons, the Sabre Drill Team took a hiatus. During this time, many ofits members graduated. However, in the fall of2006, the remaining three members ofthe original team, ClC Thomas Raper, C1C Chad Warner and C3C Eric Sullivan, were given permission to reorganize and renew the team. While maintaining many ofthe old traditions, they have also introduced a few new ones. With two new fourthclass cadets and one new thirdclass cadet dedicated to the standards of the new team, the Sabre Drill Team has begun to plan for the future.

It’s been a long walk, and a frustrating one at that, but we have believed and will always believe that where there is a will there is a way. The Sabre Drill Team meant something to us and we enjoyed the opportunity it gave us to represent the Air Force Academy in our own unique way.

It was worth everything we had to do to get the permission to continue this great tradition. With the hard work and dedication the Sabre Drill Team puts forth to obtain its perfection of sabre manual, it truly puts them on the cutting edge of drill performance at the Air Force Academy W

Visconi, ’93 , honored with 2007 USAFA Jabara Award

By Steven A. Simon, ’77

Maj. Mark W. Visconi, ’93, has earned a lot of titles during his Air Force career; Academy grad, pilot, linguist, teacher, warrior, Bronze Star recipient but early this spring, the impressive list got even longer. You can now call him “winner of the 2007 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship.”

The prestigious award was presented to the versatile officer at the Academy in Mitchell Hall during Founders Day Weekend in April.

The award is named in memory ofCol. James Jabara, and is awarded each year to the U.S. Air Force Academy graduate whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involved with aerospace vehicles.

Visconi distinguished himselfwhile serving as a special operations instructor pilot assigned to the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq.

Major Visconi demonstrated superior airmanship and exemplary leadership under hazardous conditions while participating in counter-insurgency operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He flew 106 combat sorties and logged 136 combat hours while simultaneously training the fledgling Iraqi Air Force and conducting counter-insurgency operations. He piloted a variety of light, unarmed surveillance and utility aircraft, and was the onlyAdvisory Support Team member qualified to instruct in three different aircraft types—the Aerocomp Comp Air 7SL, the Seabird Seeker SB7L-360A, and the SAMA CH2000. He

provided flight instruction in day and night tactical surveillance and reconnaissance tactics and techniques, the employment of low-light television and infrared camera systems, and short-field take-offand landing operations.

An Arabic linguist, Major Visconi was uniquely qualified to provide vital flight instruction to Iraqi aviators. His fluent Arabic language skills enabled him to overcome significant language barriers during critical phases offlight and communicate time-sensitive tactical information essential to mission success. His language capability directly contributed to the development of an unmatched rapport with his Iraqi Air Force colleagues and positively impacted the operations development and readiness of the Iraqi Air Force.

In order to safeguard Iraq’s valuable petroleum industry, he routinely initiated and conducted day and night low-level surveillance missions along key sections of the northern pipelines and around high-value petroleum refineries. On numerous occasions and despite significantly increased risk, Major Visconi identified suspicious vehicles and personnel, directed Iraqi ground forces to the target, and loitered overhead for up to forty-five minutes while awaiting the arrival ofground forces.

During one ofthese surveillance missions, he responded to a short-notice tasking to support United States Army convoy movement along one ofthe most dangerous supply routes in northern Iraq. Along with an Iraqi Air Force copilot, he executed airborne convoy escort duties, providing real-time threat identification to ensure the safety and security ofUnites States personnel. The superb coverage provided during this mission established the foundation for future joint combined convoy escort missions in this critical region.

Major Visconi was also involved in a wide variety of vital missions during his deployment. His ground-breaking efforts included participation in the first Iraqi Air Force psychological operations mission, the first Iraqi Air Force supply airdrop, and the first use of an Iraqi Air Force aircraft as a combat search and rescue asset.

While returning from a transport mission on April 8, 2005, during nautical twilight hours near Kirkuk Regional Airbase, Visconi was engaged by anti-aircraft artillery while flying as wingman in a two-ship formation. With a United States Army Special Forces passenger on-board, he immediately executed evasive maneuvers while simultaneously notifying the lead aircraft of the threat, directing formation maneuvers, and marking the position of the threat.

The Academy, the AOG, and the Jabara family are proud to name Major Mark W. Visconi the recipient of the 2007 James Jabara Airmanship Award. 82

Maj. MarkW. Visconi, ’93, receives the 2007 ColJamesJabara Award forAirmanship from Superintendent Lt. GenJohn F. Regni, 73. (Photo by David Armer)

DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE

NOMINATION CRITERIA CHANGED FOR DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARD

The Distinguished Graduate Award Committee, led by board member General (Ret.) Ed Eberhart, ’68, wants to enrich the pool ofpotential candidates for this important award. The committee has approved the establishment of a “Pre-Nomination Recommendation” which allows people to send the AOG a name and a one paragraphjustification. The AOG staffwould then do internet research to gatherpreliminary information on the nominee. The DGA Committee would determine if the person merited additional consideration and would contact the nominator for assistance in puttingtogether a more detailed package.

The Distinguished Graduate Award recognizes exceptional graduates who have set themselves apart by making extraordinarily significant contributions to our nation and/or their communities. It is a unique

TIMELINE

May 2007 - June 2008

Award is publicized and nominations are accepted. Pre-nominations must be submitted byApril 1, 2007

JUNE - AUGUST 2008

Selection committee reviews nomination packages

SEPTEMBER 2008

Selection committee recommends award recipient to AOG chairman ofthe boardand U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent. Recipient is notified and agrees to accept award at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

honor bestowed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and its Association ofGraduates, recognizing graduates whose accomplishments are inspirational and elevate the reputation and the standing ofthe U.S. Air Force Academy. Distinguished Graduates should provide an example to all graduates and cadets ofthe standards that we value and ofthe abilities that have made our country and society great.

While the selection criteria for this award are extremely demanding and the competition is keen, we need the assistance ofevery graduate to identify deserving candidates for evaluation. Non-graduates are also encouraged to submit nominations. This is our opportunity to recognize our own while identifying those who can serve as an inspiration to fiiture generations ofAmericas leaders.

APRIL 2009

Award presentation ceremony at U.S. Air Force Academy in conjunction with Founders Day.

SEND PRE-NOMINATION INFORMATION TO Association ofGraduates 3116 Academy Drive USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 or e-mail garv.howe@aoeusafa.ore.

For more information, contact Gary Howe, ’69, at (719) 472-0300, or gary.howe@aogusafa.org or visit the AOG Web site at www.usafa.org.

program provides unique experience

CADETS AND FACULTY RIDE HIGH ON RECENT SUCCESSES

By Col. Marty France, 1 81

adets First Class Eric Antonietti and Leah Sullivan surveyed their consoles in the 45th SpaceWings Range Operations and Control Center the evening ofMarch 8, monitoring the countdown ofthe LockheedMartin Ada^K As 45th SW commanders conducted the final poll ofpayloa^.managers, Erik gave the “Go” approval for the Academy’s spacecraft and moments later the cadet-built satellite was on its way to Low Earth Orbit along with five other satellites in the first-ever Department ofDefense sponsored Atlas V mission.

FalconSAT-3, the third free-flying satellite designed and built by cadets, began in 2002 with the original requirements definition. Members ofthe Classes of2003 through 2007 contributed to the design, construction, testing, integration, and operations ofFalconSAT-3 as part ofAstro 436/437, the multi-disciplinary senior capstone design course administered by the Department ofAstronautics and its Space Systems Research Center. The FalconSAT programs ultimate goal is for cadets to “Learn Space byDoing Space,” and provides them with an unmatched undergraduate space experience.

Akin to a full-year version ofthe now-defunct Engineering 410/430 courses offered from 1979 to 2002, the cadet teams

operate as a contractor with the faculty serving as the government representatives. Since FalconSAT projects are typically multi-year, documentation and continuity are critical as one class of senior cadets turns over their “baby” to succeeding classes, culminating in a launch approximately every three years.

The FalconSAT program includes cadets from a variety of majors and academic departments, as well as faculty mentors from across the faculty. Physics, engineering mechanics, systems engineering, systems engineering management, management, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science majors have all, at one point or another, been represented in the program. The Physics Department, led by Col. Rex Kiziah, ’81, in particular plays a critical role in the program since experiments on-board FalconSAT-3 and other program satellites have focused on space environment testing and characterization. The Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center, run by the Physics Department, provides cadets and expert mentors to help design, develop, test, and integrate real Department of Defense prioritized sensors onto FalconSAT satellite buses.

Previous page: FalconSATTeamon Day-of-Launch. Below: Lockheed-Martin Atlas V Carries FalconSAT-3 to Space (Courtesy photos)

FalconSAT-3 carried three primary payloads, two ofwhich were thanks to the Academy’s Physics Department. The Flat Plasma Spectrometer was designed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, constructed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and will characterize the effects ofnon-Maxwellian charged particles on formation, propagation, and decay of ionospheric plasma bubbles. FLAPS will also contribute to the validation ofthe plasma bubble and radio wave scintillation measurement and forecasting system associated with DoD’s Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System. The Plasma Local Anomalous Noise Experiment will identify and characterize spacecraft-induced plasma turbulence. A third payload, Micro Propulsion Attitude Control System, developed by Air Force Research Lab’s Propulsion Directorate at Edwards AFB, Calif., will establish system space flight heritage and quantify the change in momentum caused by this low-thrust, electric pulsed plasma system, with a thrust of 150 micro-Newtons, an Isp of 800 seconds, and an input power of4 watts. Cadets briefed these experiments to the DoD Space Experiments Review Board in November 2002 where they were ranked 18th (MPACS), 31st (FLAPS), and 36th (PLANE) among all 47 space experiments DoD-wide. A commercial-off-the shelf set ofspacecraft bus components providing power, communications, and data handling was adopted from SpaceQuest Ltd., in Fairfax, Va., to provide an out-of-the-box solution for critical components, freeing cadets and faculty to focus on payload, structure, and attitude control systems development.

As mentioned earlier, FalconSATs are built on a three to four year cycle. The first team ofcadets completes a preliminarydesign and then builds an Engineering Model to check form, fit, function, structural, and dynamic qualities. Mass dummies are used to simulate payloads within the satellite structure and then the whole system is subjected to vibration testing. The Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirdand AFB, N.M., provides the vibration testing facilities and the tests are conducted by cadets, with faculty assistance.

The next year, cadets build a Qualification Model that contains most of the real hardware and software carried by the next year’s Flight Model. The “Qual Model” is built to the same requirements as the Flight Model, and then subjected to even more rigorous testing, including thermal vacuum testing (again at Kirtland) and another round ofvibration tests. Software is evaluated as well, making the Qual Model a working lab replica ofwhat will ultimately go to space. In fact, software upgrades, fixes, and patches are tested on the Qual Model AFTER the Flight Model is launched in order to verify compatibility!

The Flight Model is built the following year, by another team of cadets, using documentation from previous classes—for example, the Class of 2006 built the FalconSAT-3 Flight Model. Another, final round oftesting at Kirdand completes the construction process, resulting in a “ready to launch” satellite.

While a FalconSAT is being built, other cadets in the FalconOPS program, working alongside FalconSAT cadets, pre

pare for on-orbit operations. Cadets majoring in Space Operations enroll in Space Ops 461/462 and take responsibility for setting up the ground station, writing operational procedures needed to commission and ultimately “fly” the satellite, and then (hopefully!) get to actually operate the spacecraft.

The launch ofFalconSAT-3 was flawless! Cadets, faculty, family members, and former FalconSAT cadets attendedthe night launch. Back at USAFA, the Astro Department hosted a launch party attended by nearly 100 interested supporters, including representatives from the 21st and 50th Space Wings at Peterson and Schriever AFBs. FalconSAT-3 was the final satellite released from the Atlas V secondary payload adaptor, setting up shop at about 560 kilometers altitude and an inclination of35o a much happier result than last year’s aborted launch from Kwajalein Atoll when FalconSAT-2 crashed into a storage shed, landing next to its shipping container (see Spring 2006 Checkpoints!) when the launch vehicle carrying it failed.

FalconSAT-3 was launched in an unstabilized, dormant state ready to be activated by the FalconOPS ground station a few days later. However, when the first “wake up” call was sent, the cadets received no response. Able to communicate using three different systems (S-band, UHF, and VHF), cadets and faculty tried all different combinations to no avail over the succeeding days. Air Force assets confirmed the satellite was in its predicted orbit and its orientation and tumble rates were within acceptable limits. FalconSAT-3 simply wouldn’t “phone home.”

The next week, cadets and faculty convened an anomaly resolution team, trying to determine the problem and a way to fix the issue. Possibilities were analyzed. Fixes were attempted on the Qual Model in the lab and the ground station communications gear was verified by sending and receiving signals with other compatible satellites. Other ground stations also tried to signal FalconSAT, to no avail. The faculty/cadet team then contacted SpaceQuest to discuss other possible

fixes. SpaceQuest’s President and CEO, Dr. Dino Lorenzini, ’62, and his team used their assets to communicate with FalconSAT-3 in a very basic “boot-up” mode. They also identified a potential software problem that prohibited the satellite from initializing its flight computer and operating system. With the help ofthe Academy’s 1 Oth Air Base Wing contracting office, SpaceQuest was on contract to provide a software patch for the flight computer within 48 hours, ultimately allowing full operation ofFalconSAT-3.

April 4 marked the first time in history that cadets in the USAFA ground-station communicated directly to a cadet-built satellite in orbit. While waiting for SpaceQuest’s software patch, cadet crews checked on the health and status ofFalconSAT-3 during its threeto-four overhead passes per day. Finally, on Apr. 17, the delivered software patch was installed, flash memory checked and rechecked, and thesatellite operating system was sent to FalconSAT-3 and loaded. The commissioning process began immediately.

Currently, five crews consisting offour cadets and a faculty mentor communicate with FalconSAT-3 several times a day, checking the health ofthe systems. Full commissioning will take 36 or more passes over the ground station. Each subsystem will carefully be turned on and tested, to make sure the launch did not damage the satellite and that each component is working properly. The entire process will take several weeks. Once all systems operations are validated (hopefully by late May or earlyJune), the satellite will begin to collect scientific data using the FLAPS and PLANE sensors, while the MPACS thrusters will be tested, too. Thesedata will then be passed to the Physics Department for analysis. We expect FalconSAT-3 to operate on orbit for at least 12 months, providing valuable data to the USAFA Department of Physics, Air Force Research Labs, and other Department ofDefense agencies.

While cadets operate FalconSAT-3, FalconSAT-4 is ending the second year ofits design phase. Missions and payloads were evaluated last year by members ofthe Class of2006 and their work was continued this year as Class of2007 cadets added detail to the design and completed the engineering model. Vibration testing ofthe engineering model was conducted in early May at Kirtland AFB. FalconSAT-4 s mission will again be to carry scientific payloads developed by several agencies to space. Wafer-Integrated Spectrometers will measure ions from an AFRL-provided charged particle source to validate USAFA and AFRL/PR plume models. SmartMESA (an improved Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer) with organic memory and process will detect the temperature and density ofambient ions to validate ionospheric data assimilation models. Finally, a RF Uplink Signal Strength meter will characterize signal distortion to improve ionospheric models. FalconSAT-4 is manifested for launch aboard a Minotaur IV vehicle in late 2009.

The Air Force Academy Department ofAstronautics would like to thank the Association of Graduates, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force Space and Missile Center and it’s Space Test Program, Air Force Space Command, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, the USAFA Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center, Boeing Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation fortheir continued strong support of our program. &

Top to bottom: Cadets and Faculty Prepare FalconSAT-3 for Integration onto the Atlas V Booster; Cadets Leah Sullivan and Eric Antonietti Await FalconSAT-3 Launch at Cape Canaveral; C1C Lauren Viscito Prepares FalconSAT-3 for Shipment to Florida and its 8 March 2007 Launch. (Courtesy photos)

Fogleman, ’63, receives T.D, White Award

Retired General Ronald R. Fogleman, ’63, the 16th Air Force Chiefof Staff, received the United States Air Force Academy T.D. White Award during a presentation in honor of the general on the terrazzo during a May 2 noon meal formation.

The T.D. White Award was established in 1962. It is presented annually to a U.S. citizen who has contributed significantly to the national defense ofthe United States. The award may be based on outstanding contributions to national security in any fields ofendeavor, including science, technology, leadership, management, national affairs, international affairs or a combination thereof.

The permanent Thomas D. White plaque is displayed in Arnold Hall, with inscriptions of the names of the annual winners. (Courtesy of USAFA/PA)

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) John Dallager, ’69, has been appointed president and CEO of Pikes Peak United Way.

Dallager, a former superintendent at the Air Force Academy and current chairman of the board of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, began his new job in April.

He was among more than 80 applicants for the position, according to Rick Mack, chairman of the United Way board.

“In the end, it was J.D.’s passion for the Colorado Springs community, his exceptional leadership abilities, and his fervent desire to serve others that made him the unanimous choice for president/CEO,” said Mack. “He hit a grand-slam home run at the interview

and he understands the organization.”

(Courtesy ofThe Gazette)

Charlie Jackson, ’00, enters his first season as a defensive assistant with the Denver Broncos in 2007 and his second overall year as an NFL assistant coach. Jackson, who was a defensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers in 2005, brings a vast array of leadership, management and coaching experience to the Broncos’ staff.

Jackson joined the Broncos from Utah State University, where he spent 2006 as special assistant to the headcoach

As a defensive assistant for the Packers in 2005, Jackson helped Green Bay’s defense improve in nearly every defensive category from the previous year while assisting current BroncosAssistant Head Coach/ Defense Jim Bates, who was the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Jackson coached a defense that improved from 25th in the NFL to first against the pass (167.5 ypg.) and a unit that ranked seventh in the league in overall defense (293.1 ypg.) after it also ranked 25th the previous season. (Courtesy ofDenver Broncos)

The Air Force Association Board of Directors has approved Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael M. Dunn, ’72, to become the next AFA president and CEO as ofJuly 1, 2007.

“We are very fortunate to have someone ofMike Dunn’s caliber as the next president of our association,” said Chairman ofthe Board Bob Largent. “Mike comes to AFA with an extensive military and academic background. He is committed to helping AFA further its mission: to educate the public about the critical role of aero

space power in the defense of our nation; to advocate aerospace power and a strong national defense; and to support the United States Air Force and the Air Force Family.”

As AFA’s top staffexecutive, Dunn will direct the association’s professional staff in all functional areas and be responsible for the management and operations of the association. He will also hold the position ofpublisher ofAir Force Magazine the official journal ofthe more than 125,000member association. (Courtesy ofAF Times)

Lt. Gen. Carrol H. “Howie” Chandler, ’74, deputy chiefof staff for air and space operations at the Pentagon, has been nominated to head Pacific Air Forces based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Chandler’s nomination has to be approved by the Senate. The former F-15 and F-16 fighter pilot was also nominated for a fourth star and promotion to the rank ofgeneral, said Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

As the leading Air Force officer in the Pacific, Chandler also will serve as air component commander for the U.S. Pacific Command.

If approved by the Senate, Chandler is expected to assume his new job in November. (Courtesy ofHonolulu Star-Bulletin)

As a child living in Oak Forest, Mike Mirowski hung posters of rockets on his bedroom walls and glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling and dreamed of one day exploring the depths of space.

Now, he’s helping others get there. Mirowski is an astronautical engineer at the Colorado Division of Lockheed

BEHIND THE SCENES

Martin, the company with an $8 billion contract to design and build a space capsule—the Orion—that will send astronauts to the moon and eventually to Mars. The goal is to replace space shuttles.

Part ofthe Constellation Program, Orion will be like a taxi cab that initially will take a space crew to and from the international space station and then to the moon, said Mirowski, who leads two teams of25 people each that look at all the components that make spacecraft work.

Orion is slated to be a 25-ton capsule measuring 16.5 feet wide and up to 25 feet tall.

Its first manned flight to the space station is planned for no later than 2014. It will go to the moon no later than 2020, Mirowski said. (Courtesy ofChicago Sun-Times)

Edwards, 73 Adjutant Genera! named ;o oracle

Brig. Gen. H. Michael Edwards, ’73, became the new adjutant general and execufive director ofthe Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in March.

Since 2002, Edwards served as commander of the 140th Wing, Colorado Air

National Guard at Buckley AFB, supervising and ensuring the combat readiness of more than 1,400 personnel.

A 34-year military veteran, General Edwards served as director ofthe Combined Air Operations Center in Qatar in 2003 and is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, including 140 combat hours enforcing no-fly zones in Iraq.

“At a time when the country is at war overseas and Colorado military personnel are regularly placed in harm’s way, Gen. Edwards will serve his troops and the entire state with distinction and dedication,” Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said.

Samelson, ‘73, named chief judge District judge Kirk Samelson, ’73, has been namedthe new chiefjudge for the 4th Judicial District, which covers El Paso and Teller counties in Colorado.

The chiefjudge is the administrator of district and county courts within the two counties. He is responsible for nonjudicial aspects of the district’s operation, including fiscal and personnel matters.

A district court judge since 2000, Samelson’s docket included civil, criminal, domestic and water-law cases. (Courtesy, The Gazette)

if i Si $ i U, icons bonn IT ffl

Judge Chip Terrill, ’70, recently joined the law firm Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP.

Terrill served more than 15 years as an administrative law judge with the federal government, most recently at the U.S. International Trade Commission andthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He is the only former ITC ALJ in private intellectual property practice.

At the ITC, Terrill presided over complex patent and trademark-related Section 337 cases, including the largest patent and trademark cases in ITC history each of which was heard and decided in less than one year. Terrill was also a key ALJ for cases in the high tech sector such as those involving modems, semiconductors, abrasives, display controllers and software.

The Secret Life of

sat eerily silent. Only a short time before, the basketball *<* court had echoed with the victory cheers of Falcon fans. The capacity crowd had rained proud congratulations down upon the Cadet Varsity Squad at the buzzer for another well-played game. The seats were empty now except for C/4C Waldo F. Dumbsquat and his friend, Warren Heels.

Waldo looked up at the scoreboard. It still displayed the game’s score and another impressive win for USAFA.

“That was more exciting than losing your grip on the Tiltin’ Hilton!” exclaimed Warren.

“You know I love Confidence Course metaphors,” grinned Waldo.

“Wait until I start to lay some Obstacle Course allegories on you.”

“Please don’t! I want to savor this moment for all cadets past, present, and future.”

“Why so sentimental?”

“Well, you know there was time when we didn’t enjoy this kind of success ...”

Warren looked shocked.

“Why do you look shocked?” asked Waldo.

“Championship Falcon Basketball is all I’ve ever known!”

Waldo shook his head.

“There was a time when the only fan in the place was in the ceiling circulating air. I heard they had to bribe cadets with free pizza to attend games.”

Warren contemplated the meaning of the doolies’ words.

“Was it pepperoni pizza? I wouldn’t come down all those stairs for just a cheese slice, you know.”

Warren was well known for his dislike of stairs.

Waldo lounged back in his seat and thought about the question.

“I think it was Canadian bacon you do realize the entire Academy is one big stairwell? I’m surprised you wanted to come to the Zoo.”

“Yeah, but the stairs lead up to a commission in the United States Air Force. And the Academy has an awesome basketball team! Besides, if I don’t become a 2nd lieutenant, I have to go back and work the family farm.”

by Don Hall, ’76

“I didn’t know your family owned land?”

“It’s a small plot—one foot by 43,560 feet.”

Waldo’s jaw dropped.

“What can you grow on such a narrow acre?”

“Earth worms and string beans.”

Waldo thought about Warren’s answer.

“Speaking of beans, we’re having red beans and rice at the noon meal Monday.”

Warren rubbed his hands together with excitement.

“I hope we have Mitch’s Mountain for dessert!”

The freshman shook his head at Warren’s wish.

“Due to military budget cutbacks, we’re only getting Mitch’s Foothill.”

Warren was not disappointed for long.

“Speaking of eating, Waldo, we better get back up to the Cadet Area and celebrate. I’ve got a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in the overhead just waiting for us!”

The two doolies wandered out the Field House doors and trudged down the stairs. To Waldo’s surprise, Warren sighed heavily and sat down on the curb.

“I don’t think I can do another stair, Waldo!”

“But you were going down those stairs.”

Warren merely brushed away Waldo’s sarcasm with a weary wave of his hand.

Determined to not let down his classmate, Waldo ducked behind the base of the Titan missile and uttered the magical words “three point shot”. Instantly, he transformed into the massive form of Colonel Waldo F. Dumbsquat, a man who could play power forward. The officer commandeered a nearby zamboni and easily lifted Warren into the driver’s seat. The grateful doolie took the wheel and glided his way up to the terrazzo. The colonel followed, taking the stairs three at a time. Once in the squadron, he degenerated into his puny freshman form. He couldn’t wait to make a peanut butter sandwich.

Then he smiled with realization. Life, even for a fourthclassman, was good.

The basketball season wasn’t over yet. S

Annual gifts to the Air Force

level provide support to programs and cadet clubs that promote civic responsibility and leadership

This cadet club works closely in the local community withAig Brothers/

“It no longer just meant being recognized as a member of the Cadet Wing, but also the realization we may be going off to war,” she said.

Recognition is the annual culminating event that provides cadets with an Officer Development System experience to prepare them to lead airmen and become accepted as part of the Cadet Wing.

The weekend was packed with different types of training led by the upper three classes, which pushed each fourth class cadet to his or her limits.

The assault course proved to be a physical and mental challenge with a take-the-hill race in which cadets carried tackle bags up and down a hill. A bear crawl race measured speed and agility while a low crawl course tested their ability to evade an enemy. Shuttle sprints focused on a cadet’s performance compared to classmates.

The Academy Tour hit home for the freshmen as they absorbed the Air Force heritage displays on the terrazzo, the flat marching area including the class crest wall, static aircraft displays, war memorial, eagle and fledgling statue, honor wall and spirit hill. This intrinsic reflection instilled the customs, traditions and heritage of the Air Force and the Academy.

A leadership course gave the fourth classmen a chance to lead and work as a team. The medium stress Chutes and Ladders course bestowed physical exercise tasks and previous knowledge and heritage on an already exhausted Class of 2010.

Saturday morning featured an inspection and personal appearance in-ranks inspection to measure attention to detail, followed by the Run to the Rock.

Before the freshmen trekked out to the towering rock formation with the firstie class, they found their rooms totally demolished by the seniors who had “SLAMI-ed” them.

The Run to the Rock conjured up memories for Cadet 1st Class Amanda Reed ofWinter Park, Fla.

“I thought, ‘Where did the time go?’,” Cadet Reed said. “It felt like just yesterday that I was running to the rock as a four degree. It really hit home that I am about to graduate.”

Thuds, grunts and barely-contained laughter of upper classmen floated down the dimly lit hallways causing the fourth class cadets of Cadet Squadron 2 to smile as they exited the unit’s sixth theme room.

The theme rooms of 2010’s Recognition were a welcome break to the fatigued four degrees.

“They were awesome,” exclaimed Cadet 4th Class Meagan Kuchan. “I especially liked the Prisoner ofWar Room and the Alcohol Room.”

Squadron 2 used a unique approach to the reflection room this year, sending the four degrees into a room with two upperclassmen drinking beer andthe aftermath ofgetting “caught” by an Academymilitary trainer, air officer commanding, or even Group 1 s AOC.

Cadets had grime-covered faces in the POW room. Cadet 4th Class Masha Scheglov from Los Angeles suspects the memory of the interrogation room will last a lifetime.

“There were times I felt a little anxious about not knowing what to expect, but in the end, it was all well worth it,” she said. “I felt a sense of importance and meaning in what I was doing and definitely felt a sense of accomplishment and personal pride.”

The culminating event finally arrived after a tedious and exhausting weekend. The Prop and Wings ceremony

symbolized their recognition as cadet wing members and the completion of Recognition.

Each individual four degree was called down the dark hallway lined with upperclassmen rendering salutes to those fourth class cadets named with a resounding

“Recognition granted” bellowed to the squadron. A stark “Recognition denied” was called after the names of freshmen who washed out during the year, emphasizing what a feat each Recognized member of the Class of 2010 has accomplished. Each passing member of Class 2010 received a set of Prop and Wings to wear on their flight caps with the upper three cadet classes.

Cadet 4th Class Andrea Brichacek of Cadet Squadron 6 fondly recalls the whispers of “Good job, Brichacek,” as she passed by the first alcove of upperclassmen who saluted her. “I couldn’t help but walk tall... even as short as I am.”

The transition of fourth classmen to upper class status, of successfully meeting the expected military training requirements and preparing to continue the four year sojourn and rigors, ended Saturday evening.

Individual squadron ceremonies and a wing-wide celebratory evening meal complete with new freshman privileges and a free night pass for all cadets was granted by the commandant.

Not

The dedication ofthe Association ofGraduates Memorial Pavilion on May 11, 2007 illustrates the importance the Association attaches to Washingtons quote. On a beautiful Colorado day under clear blue skies, the Association ofGraduates dedicated the Memorial Pavilion and donated it to the Academy. While the $4.7M building represents the largest single gift to the Academy, the entire project has many messages that every graduate, cadet, and Academy friend can take pride in.

Since 1982, the Academy had sought government funding for a pavilion at the cemetery, but other priorities caused the project to not be funded. In 2001, as the AOG and Academy begin to think about launching the major fund raising campaign, BuildingLeaders ofCharacterfor the Nation, then AOG Board Member, General Ron Yates, ’60, saw the importance of starting the campaign with a successful capital project that would show the graduate community what was possible through private donations. General Yates focused on raising funds for the Memorial Pavilion. In addition to providing a dignified setting for burials out ofthe Colorado elements, he strongly believed that graduates should feel honored to meet this pressing need in memory ofthose Academy graduates who have gone before us, and in the certain knowledge that many graduates and their loved ones will find their final resting place in the peaceful Colorado grassy prairie so near the institution that educated and inspired every graduate. He believed funding this facility would provide a heroic opportunity to build a legacy that would be

left for future generations ofgraduates who will serve our nation in unforeseen ways.

With Yates’ vision and board support, the AOG staffbegan the difficult work ofmaking the concept become reality. Duane Boyle, the Academy’s chiefarchitect provided the initial design for the pavilion ensuring it met Academy architectural restrictions. His superb work earned him the top Air Force design award. Our communications staffdeveloped a communications plan, key messages and marketing materials to explain the value of the project. Sean Pieri’s development team used those products to talk to potential major donors and classes. AOG President and CEO Jim Shaw, ’67, strapped on the challenging task ofselling the project to the Air Staff and getting Air Force Civil Engineering, The Judge Advocate and Air Force General Counsel approval.

While unplanned events slowed the fund raising efforts, the largest donation by AOG Board Chair Ted Legasey, ’67, and his wife Tricia, and major donations by Mr. Harry Pearce, ’64, and his wife, Kathy, Mr. Keith Withycombe, ’66, and his wife, Patricia, Secretary ofthe Air Force Michael Wynne and his wife, Barbara, Gen. (Ret.) Ron Yates, ’60, and his wife, Connie, AOG Board Member Maj. Gen. (Ret.) A1 Rogers, ’64, and his wife, Linda, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gene Lupia, ’67, and his wife, Diane, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Marcus Anderson, ’61, and his wife, Ginger, Federated Department Stores honoring John Dunham, ’68, and his wife, Jane, and Mr. Frank Mayberry, ’60, and his wife, Eve, permitted design and construction to begin in May 2006. AOG Director of Alumni Support and Special Projects Col. (Ret.) Wayne Kellenbence, ’78, oversaw the day-to-day construction of the pavilion. Despite 109 days of measurable precipitation and 86 inches of snow in the last year, Wayne superbly directed the project’s on-time, below budget completion—truly remarkable feats. Significant donations from the Classes of 1966, 1981, 1983 and 1984 greatly helped the final fund raising effort and allowed for additional features to include a composure room, special driveway, services room, and Graduate Locator Building. The latter provides a

Top: On a picture-perfect day, the dedication ceremony was attended by USAFA leaders, as well as many Academy graduates. (Photo by Matt Kleve)

Bottom: The Locator Building offers a simple way for visitors to locate grave markers, as well as learn about the life of the deceased. (Photo by Ken Wright)

moving tribute to those graduates buried at the Academy cemetery and serves as a grave locator. The state-of-the-art touch screen computer has many other features that will benefit visitors to the cemetery.

In addition to these donors, over 11,000 graduates and friends combined to donate over $500,000 toward this important project. At the dedication ceremony, AOG Board Chair Ted Legasey, ’67, said, “This is an outstanding example of the AOG using its core purpose of raising private funds to turn the vision of the pavilion into a reality that will benefit all graduates and their families as they come to their final resting place. Never again will family and friends have to endure the ‘other’ kinds of Colorado weather as they make their final salute to their loved ones, classmates, and friends. Thank you to all who helped achieve this great success.’’

The Memorial Pavilion serves as a highly visible example ofhow private fund raising can assist the Academy. It is the first step in many planned capital projects in the Building Leaders ofCharacter Campaign. In the next few years, The Admissions Weicome Center, The Mall ofHeroes, and the Southeast Asia Pavilion will be built with donations from individuals and classes.

While this great project proves that graduates care deeply about their alma mater, it also represents an important page in the Academy’s heritage. AOG President and CEO Jim Shaw, ’67, said in his remarks, “As we look over this majestic setting combining the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the splendor of our cherished alma mater, one realizes that this is indeed a special area—perhaps the most beautiful final resting place in the nation. As we gaze at the graves surrounding us, one thinks of fallen classmates, comrades, and great leaders. Our minds wander back to the days we shared with those resting here—whether it was as a cadet or fellow comrade in arms. Indeed this cemetery serves as a historical record of the leadership and dedication of many men and women who served their nation with distinction and above all—honor.”

Shaw went on to say, “Every graduate who rests here has a story and each made

a commitment to serve their nation. They all shared the stress of BCT and fourth class year, the joy of recognition, the rigors of academics, the competition on the fields of friendly strife, andthe thrillof tossing their hats in the air at graduation. They left this Academy with a sense of accomplishment, a high standard of integrity, andthe optimism ofyouth. Many have left us before their time.”

He went on to discuss some of the moving stories of those graduates buried at the Academy. He mentioned men like Karl Richter, ’64, who flew the F-105 and was the youngest pilot to down a MiG in combat. Richter volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam and was killed on his 198 th mission—two missions short of returning home. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Air Force Cross, Purple

THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE WASHINGTON

April 16, 2007

Mr. Jim Shaw

President and Chief Executive Officer Association of Graduates

3116 Academy Drive USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475

Dear Mr. Shaw:

Heart, 22 Air Medals and the Jabara Award. Major Robert Fodge, ’64, was considered by many to be the top fighter pilot in the Air Force. He shot down three MiGs during Vietnam, but was tragically killed when he was shot down in May 1972.

The events surrounding the burial of Major Victor ApodacaJr., ’61, symbolize the special bond among Air Force comrades and Academy classmates. Victor’s F-4C went down over North Vietnam in 1967, but his remains were not identified until 1999. He was scheduled to be buried here on Sept. 14, 2001 on the occasion of his class’ 40th reunion. The tragic events of 9/11 canceled all flights and Victor’s remains were in Minnesota. After much negotiating with government agencies, members ofthe 109th Airlift Squadron got

Barb and I are sorry to report that we will not be in attendance for the dedication ofthe Air Force Academy Cemetery Visitors Center that you and the Association have worked for over the past years. We are proud to have been able to play a small role in making it a reality, and know we join with many other graduates, relatives and friends ofthe Academy in hoping it brings the wonderful stories ofthe heroes that eternally rest proudly here at the Air Force Academy.

What has drawn us to support this visitors pavilion is that it reflects our quality of life efforts for allthe warriors and their families throughout the Total Force that is the United States Air Force. What you and the Association have done here, on these hallowed grounds, is to extend that ethic for the ‘Long Blue Line’ to the many relatives, friends and admirers that will come to pay their respects long after this dedication. They will be witnesses to the history of these brave patriots and heroes.

Well done!

Sincerely,

Michael W. Wynne

Highlights of remarks made by Superintendent Lt.

•“While this beautiful Memorial Pavilion illustrates the power ofphilanthropy, more importantly, it represents a visible monument to the love and affection graduates have for their alma mater. Thank you to the many donors and classes who have made this building a reality.”

•“The Memorial Pavilion provides a proper location to honor graduates who served their country in times ofpeace and war with dignity and respect. Free from the elements, it allows us to properly pay

permission to fly his remains home to the Academy on a C-130. Ironically, one of the crew members on the 130, had worn Victor’s MIA bracelet for six years. When they arrived at Peterson, Gen. Ed Eberhart, ’68, arranged an honor guard for Victor.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, VictorApodaca was finally laid to rest at theAcademy cemetery. Many ofhis classmates were there despite the prohibition on commercial flying. Family members and people who didn’t even know MajorApodaca stood in the flag-speckled cemetery to pay tribute. An honor guard fired a salute. A buglerplayed taps. The 10th Cadet Squadron—Victor’s squadron—wore dress-blue uniforms with white gloves, and an F-4 banked overhead.

Since Vietnam, many other graduates have made the ultimate sacrifice and rest in the sacred ground at the cemetery. They include lLt. Laura Piper, ’92, who was killed in a friendly fire incident over Northern Iraq in 1994, and Capt. Eric Das, ’95, who was killed when his F-15E crashed in Iraqduring Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

In these early years ofthe new millennium, we can see clearly how closely the sacrifices of our graduates in uniform in the past are linked to the yearning for freedom that gave birth to our nation more than 200 years ago. Today we are engaged in a long struggle in the Global War on Terrorism. We have lost seven graduates in that battle and we will lose more in the years to come. As President Abraham Lincoln counseled, “The greatest honor

Gen. John Regni, '73

our final respects to our graduates and their loved ones in a dignified setting.”

•“This pavilion is certainlywelcome by our superb mortuary affairs officer, Ms. Janet Edwards, who is no kidding the best in the business! She more than anyone else greatly appreciates the new pavilion where we can now conduct dignified services/ceremonies free from the cold ofthe dark ages!”

•“This is an important monument and symbol to the cadets oftoday. It will hope

fullyinspire them to realize the sacredness c the professiontheyhave chosen and reinfoi their commitment to join the Long Blue Line ofgraduates who have preceded them

•“The Association ofGraduates Memor Pavilion represents a strong foundation the partnership between the Academy a the Association ofGraduates. Together, have additional projects planned and ea will capture the Academy’s heritage and serve as a legacy to the accomplishmeni of our graduates.”

Top: AOG president and CEO Jim Shaw, '67, speaks to guests duringthe dedication ceremony. Bottom: Jim Shaw, Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Regni, ’73, AOG Board Chairman Ted Legasey, ’67, and Gen. (Ret.) Ron Yates, ’60, cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the pavilion. (Photos by Matt Kleve)

we can pay to those who have fought for America is to rededicate ourselves to the principles for which America stands, to ensure that those who suffered or died shall not have done so in vain.”

President Dwight Eisenhower also had moving words that were applicable to this historic occasion, “Our salute to those resting here—our prayer for them and for our nation—is this: “May you rest well in this place, and may our sons and daughters ever be the proud possessors of, and live in, the strength ofconviction, the courage and selflessness that you so richly displayed.”

Jim Shaw closed hisremarks by saying, “We are gathering here today to dedicate a memorial ofgranite and stone, but more deeply to honor the lives of those graduates who served and will continue to serve their nation in peace and war. Now they will have a dignified setting that will honor that service and sacrifice when the final roll call is made.”

George Washington would be proud of the Association of Graduates andthe many donors who saw the importance of this project which honors the accomplishments and dedication of our graduates and will inspire future generations ofgraduates to commit themselves to the same selfless service those who rest here exemplified. 9

Editor’s note: The AOG Web site (www. usafa.org) hasphotos and video ofThe Association ofGraduates Memorial Pavilion dedication. Go to the Heritage dropdown and click on “Memorial Pavilion.

AOG Thanks Supporters

The Association of Graduates would like to extend its deep appreciation to the graduates, friends, and parents who helped make this Memorial Pavilion a reality. Special thanks go to Duane Boyle. USAFA Civil Engineer and Chief Architect, Col. (Ret.) Wayne Kellenbence, AOG Memorial Pavilion Project Manager, the men and women of Gerald H. Phipps, General Contractors, in particular Chris White, Project Manager and Darrell Day, Construction Site Foreman.

Northwestern Preparatory School

Located in SouthernCalifornia 4

Post High School Service Academy Preparation Exclusively

Appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy and other Service Academies have been received by over 90 percent of our students.

SAT/ACT Enhancement

Candidate FitnessAssessment Improvement

“Northwestern Prepprovided me with an academicfoundation that raised my SAT scores by 200 points, as well as an ability to focus on the essential preparation to succeed at the Academy. As a result ofthe self-confidence I gained there, I became Outstanding Student in CST, Outstanding 2nd Class Cadet in 3rd Group, Team Captain of Women s Fencing, and Outstanding Squadron Commander ofthe #1 ranked squadron ofthe wing!

2002 USAFA Graduate Suzanne Durbeck,

1-800-367-8839

Distinguished Graduate presentation rescheduled

The Founders Day Parade and Distinguished Graduates Award presentation was cancelled due to inclement weather in earlyApril.

Award recipients Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Beckel, ’59, and Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier, ’64, will be formally recognizeduring next year’s Founders Day celebration.

Endowed Scholarships

The Association of Graduates is proud to announce the winners of r this year’s Endowed Scholarships.

Franklin C. Wolfe Fellowship

2Lt. Hunter P. Grunden, 07 Georgetown University

General Richard L. Lawson

2Lt. Joseph K. Kreidel, 07 University of Utah

General John F. Gerhart Fellowship at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences

2Lt. Christopher K. Gamble, 07

Grads prove to be great coaches

Graduates at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio are helping coach the base and local area masters swim team, the Dayton Area Sharks.

The team has four coaches on staff, all ofwhom are grads. The coaches are Capt. Cody Rasmussen, ’99, Capt. Trevor Warren, ’03, lLt. Susan Rietze, ’04, and 2Lt. Virginia Miller, ’06.

The team recently completed its first undefeated season bywinning all six regular season meets in the Ohio region. In April they took a contingency ofswimmers to Indianapolis to compete in the YMCA Masters Championships and just recently took five swimmers to the U.S. Masters Swimming Championships in Federal Way, Wash, where they represented Dayton, the Air Force, and USAFA well.

The team set several state records and finished in the top 10 nationally in individual and relay events at both competitions.

DoD blood drive flows smoothly

By Butch Wehry,

Academy Spirit

More than 1,200 units of blood were collected at the Academy by noon Wednesday during the Department of Defense Blood Drive.

“We’re a nation at war and it requires the nation to support it,” said

Col. Kerry Brady, medical director for this week’s blood drive. “We absolutely depend on the blood donors, especially with the vast numbers of troops we have deployed or deferred from contributing blood.”

Colonel Brady noted a need to reach out to areas with a high donor base, such as training bases like the Academy and to locations with a strong military presence like Colorado Springs.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the community and base support we’ve received,” hesaid. “Half of the donors were civilians, the other half military.”

C3C Ariana Allen was deferred from donating blood so she stood before Fort Carson’s post exchange handing out flyers. Hundreds of cadets are helping to spread the word.

Collections moved from the Academy to Fort Carson’s Special Events Center Thursday and will continue there 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.

“The 1,000-plus cadet cheering section canvassed the Cadet Wing and Colorado Springs with information, even distributing

(L-R) USAFA Graduate Studies Program Director, Dr. Kenneth Lavin, AOG President Jim Shaw, ’67,2Lt. Christopher K. Gamble, ’07,2Lt. Hunter P. Grunden, ’07, and 2Lt. Joseph K. Kreidel, ’07.

flyers during home games,” said Maj. Gil Martinez, Academy project officer.

Blood collected is transported to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., where it is flown out each night to Fort Hood, Texas, for processing. Within two weeks the blood will be at military medicalfacilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In February of this year, the AOG launched a new Web site with added features and services, a sleaker design and easier navigation.

Some of the added features are:

■ A new membership area and online directory with greater search capabilities

■ A new photo gallery where high quality images can be viewed and purchased

■ A new online store

■ Easier event registration

« Flash multimedia and streaming videos

■ ZoomieNationa closed e-community for AOG members and USAFA grads for social and professional networking, reconnecting and mentoring

»

AIR FORCE ACADEMY CADETS GOT ADVICE ON INTEGRITY AND HONESTY AT THE SCHOOL’S ANNUAL GRADUATION RITES JUNE 30.

c< A FREE PRESS, AS WITH A N0NP0LITICAL MILITARY, ASSURE A FREE COUN TRY,” GATES SAID, TELLING THE GRADUATES TO ADMIT MISTAKES AND TAKE THE HARD, BUT HONEST, PATH

By Tom Roeder and Khan Johnson, The Gazette

“Far too often today we see the results of a failure of leadership at too many levels—whether in the home, in schools, in business, in government, and yes, even in the armed forces,” Gates said.

Dark clouds cleared from academy skies well before Gates gave his 20-minute commencement speech, erasing early morning fears the ceremony might move indoors.

The 977 seniors were sworn in as Air Force officers in small ceremonies that started after midnight. Cadets were at the stadium shortly after sunrise for the 10 a.m. commencement.

It took more than an hour for the graduates to have their names read, cross the stage and get their diplomas. Then they leapt into the arms of classmates, high-fived and hugged.

The ceremony ended perfectly, with the Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team roaring over the stadium at the precise moment cadets launched their caps skyward.

ABOUT 30 HOLD SIGNS AT GATE AIMED AT DEFENSE SECRETARY

Jo Ann Nieman’s T-shirt said all she wanted to convey to Defense Secretary Gates.

“Support our remaining troops,” read the black shirt printed with the names ofAmericans killed in Iraq from March 20, 2003, to Feb. 24, 2007. “Bring the rest home alive.”

Nieman stood with about 30 other protesters Wednesday morning outside the academy’s north entrance, carrying messages urging an end to the war in Iraq and opposing the Army’s planned expansion of Pinon Canon training area.

They were ignored by many motorists as they drove onto academy grounds—but a fair number honked, pumped their fists in apparent agreement or gave a thumbs up. Others gave finger gestures of a different nature.

The protesters said they wanted their signs to be seen by Gates, whose motorcade did not pass through the north gate while they were there.

1 ST DAUGHTER-MOTHER GRADS

It was a historic day for the Hirst women. They became the first mother and daughter to have graduated from the Air Force Academy. Susan Hirst graduated in 1983, in the third class of women admitted to the school.

Wednesday, 2nd Lt. Stephanie Hirst got her diploma and took the officer’s oath.

“She’s my inspiration for everything,” Stephanie said ofher mother, who retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel and works as a civilian for the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The younger Hirst gets an opportunity her mother didn’t have. She’s going to pilot training and hopes to fly fighter jets, a job closed to women until 1993.

Mom couldn’t be happier.

“I’m extremely excited,” Susan Hirst said.

Susan Hirst admits she wanted her daughter to go to the academy. No pressure, though.

“I didn’t want her to do it just to please us,” she said.

They never aimed to be the firstmother daughter graduates and didn’t check to see if they were until this week.

‘It adds a historic note to a strong family bond, however.

“It made it more meaningful,” Stephanie Hirst said.

PROUD DAD RETURNS TO IRAQ

Army Sgt. 1st Class JeffreyJohnson came the farthest to the graduation. He left Iraq last week on leave to see his daughter CaseyJohnson become an Air Force officer.

Following a long-held tradition, he got a silver dollar from the kid for returning her first salute.

He’s going to carry that coin with him as he returns to combat.

“It means so much that wherever I go, I’ll still carry, even in Iraq, my first salute coin,” he said.

FAMILY FLIES TOGETHER

AFA graduate Kassandra Merritt now has a priceless token with which to remember the day. t>

“Papa” Don Merritt, her grandfather, carved an 18-inch tall falcon— the academy’s mascot—out of a piece ofwood as a graduation gift.

It took him more than a year and 500 hours to finish it—but he didn’t stop there.

All 15 relatives who came to the event got carved falcon replicas to wear.

45 RELATIVES SHOW UP FOR 1 GRADUATE

Graduate Joshua Gramm had 45 relatives in the stands, all of them eager to share their pride.

“We’re very proud ofhim” said an uncle, Paul Zeltwanger.

“He’s a born leader,” said another uncle, J.D. Gonzales.

Graduation almost seems like a demotion for Gramm, who was the cadet wing commander. But he was smiling.

“It’s a great day,” he said.

SHOWERING GRADS WITH PRAISE—AND CURRENCY

Concerns about the weather mounted until the beginning of the graduation ceremony, but the only thing falling from the sky Wednesday morning was cash.

While waiting to enter Falcon Stadium, the graduates were treated to a downpour of dollar bills dropped by people crowded on the balcony above the stadium’s entrance ramp.

The falling money drew another crowd—11 bomb-sniffing dogs and their camouflage-sporting handlers.

FEW MAKE IT TO THE STARS

If the trend holds, about 10 members of the academy’s Class of 2007 will earn the rank ofgeneral.

Since its founding in 1954, 39,776 officers have graduated from the academy, just 453 ofwhom—or 1.1 percent—wore stars.

TRADITIONAL CELEBRATORY CIGAR SMOKE FILLS STADIUM

The stadium filled with smoke after the hats flew as scores of the new lieutenants, men and women alike, lit up thick cigars.

“It’s a celebratory tradition,” said 2nd Lt. Tanya Dubiel ofChicago.

For graduates, it’s also a first chance to break academy rules without getting restricted to their rooms or worse.

Even though the cigar was making her a little sick, Dubiel kept the stinky stogie in her mouth.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” she said. “It’s worth it.”

A BRAINY BUNCH MAKES IT THROUGH

Four years ago, the Class of 2007 arrived in Colorado Springs for basic training and was marked as one ofthe smartest groups to enter the school, with average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of 1,293 and a class GPA of 3.83.

The class lost a quarter of its number, with 977 cadets earning diplomas. It kept the distinction as one of the best academic classes, with a class GPA of 2.98.

5 CADETS OUTSTANDING AMONG THEIR CLASS

Top cadets from the Class of 2007: Cadet Aaron Barrow was named overall top graduate, earning an overall grade-point average of 3.866. Cadets Brian Pascuzzi and Alicia Stirewalt tied for best academic performance, with GPAs of 3.97.

Cadet Brandon Dues was 2007’s top military performer, with a military performance average of 3.815.

Cadet Caroline White won for physical education, with a 3.940 average.

A HUG IN BROTHERLY NAVY-AFA RIVALRY

Standing out amid a sea of blue uniforms in his Navy white, Kendall Bolt was hugging his rival.

Kendall is a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was in Colorado to congratulate his brother Karl, who graduated from Air Force.

The two have been competitors since childhood and even faced each other on the baseball diamond this spring. Navy won.

Karl Bolt said while he gives his little brother a hard time about being in the Navy, they remain close.

“We talk every day,” Karl Bolt said. H

tEPfje ^apfarer

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a ’m excited to have the new ammo,” 1st Lt. David Bennet, ’03, said, “and glad to employ it to help the

Tguys on the ground.

.JL. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 332nd Air ExpeditionaryWing at Balad Air Base in Iraq are employing a new 20mm cannon round in their M61/A1 Gatling guns for the first time, improving pilot safety, while reducing collateral damage.

Pilots first validated the rounds at a firing range and then employed them in battle at the end of February.

Ground forces east of Baghdad chased insurgents into a building and then called in close-air support. F-l 6s from the 332nd AEW responded, strafing the insurgent stronghold and vehicle.

Improved PGU-28A/B 20mm ammunition began replacing the long used M56 high explosive incendiary ammunition in the wing’s F-l6s, making pilots’ jobs easier, safer and more effective. That is a lofty claim, but recent combat sorties prove the ammo is enhancing combat airpower.

The older M56 ammo required a specific impact velocity in order for its high explosive incendiary properties to function correedy. In other words, the round would not explode on impact if it did not get there fast enough, so pilots had to get in closer for the strafe. Of course, the impact and mass of the projectile would still damage the target, but would not achieve the full explosive effect for which it was designed.

The new cannon round employs a more aerodynamic design and “hotter load,” which increases its velocity and effective range, allowing greater standoff distance for pilots, according to wing

BY CAPT. KEN HALL, 332ND AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

officials. That increased distance directly translates to greater pilot safety overall, because they can fire the new rounds from more than a mile and a half away, said Capt. Jim Maxwell, ’98, the deputy chief ofweapons and tactics at the wing.

The captain also noted that when bullets can be used instead of bombs, the potential for collateral damage is reduced as well, increasing airpower options for the ground commander who must calculate the desired result when calling in air support, according to Captain Maxwell.

Acquiring and readying the new ammo for use, though, was not an easy task.

After airpower leaders determined the enhancements, the new cannon round could bring an “urgent operational need” in order to procure the PGU-28A/B, according to Senior Master Sgt. Michael Ray, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron. New ammo came from as far away as Naval Air Stations Miramar, Calif., and Sigonella, Sicily, as well as Naval Base Guam and Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station, Japan.

When the ammo arrived, 332nd EMXS munitions members received and inspected more than 80,000 rounds in a lightningfast six hours—compared to the 8,000 rounds usually processed in a typical day.

“It ain’t ammo ‘til we say it’s ammo,” Sergeant Ray said.

The PGU-28A/B rounds then made their way through loading machines, called replenishes, to fill drummed universal ammunition loading systems, which are used by weapons loaders to arm the wing’s F-l6s.

“Airmen toiled around the clock as well, swapping PGU ammo for M56 rounds over a period of two days,” said Capt. Kevin Tanner, 332nd EMXS officer in charge.

That hard work allowed F-16 pilots to employ the ammo quickly.

The weapons crew and ammo airmen are a diverse group of members deploying from throughout the world—Aviano Air Base, Italy; Misawa AB, Japan; Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.; Syracuse ANGB, N.Y.; Duluth ANGB, Minn.; and Joint Reserve Base Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.

“Our ammo and weapons loader personnel are just phenomenal,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Kumashiro, the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group deputy commander. “Ours is a total force team effort, and they managed to get our F-l6s loaded within an amazing 48hours of the ammo’s arrival.

Lieutenant Bennett and Capt. George Watkins, both from the 510th EFS here, piloted the first two-ship combat mission to use the new cannon rounds. The pilots worked as a team employing standard night tactics where one “sparkles” the target with infrared marker invisible to anyone not wearing night vision goggles, and the other then strafes and destroys the target.

Captain Watkins says, “Protecting the guys on the ground is our No. 1 priority, and having the new ammo makes it easier and safer for us to do that.”

Col. Scott Dennis commands the wings 332nd Operations Group. “It’s critical for ground forces who call in air support to get it when they need it,” Colonel Dennis said. “These new rounds certainly kick our (close-air support) effectiveness up a notch.” S

operation for the ‘replenished tray on the right as it feeds rounds in the Universal Ammunition Loading System (UALS). UALS are then used to transfer the cannon rounds directly into F-16 weapon systems. Tech.

Previous page: An F-16 takes off from Balad Air Base. Airman here have recently experienced a surge in flight operations due to a greater air support need from commensurate surges in U.S. forces on the ground in Iraq. (Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth); Technical Sgt. Chris Lakkala, 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (EAMXS), regulates the rate of

Sgt. J.C. Whitney (right), 332 EAMXS, prepares more rounds to load through the replenisher. (Air Force photo by Capt. Ken Hall)

DEAN DORSEY, 74, recently sat down to reflect upon his memories of USAFA and the people who shaped hiscadet experience. One person in particular stood out in his mind when he recalled his doolie year during 1970-71.

“I’m not certain if the ‘Big Brother’ program is still in place there,” he wrote to us, “but it was that summer of our first year. Our class had a couple ofsuicides early on and our Big Brother was there to monitor and help any doolies get through the first year. As I recall, it was one senior ‘Big Brother’ for every ten doolies. Mine was Cadet First Class Paul D. Ring.”

He helped me with sound advice, sincerity and a smile each time we had a short conference so he could check up on me. He also was a large part ofthe needed motivation I found when my supply ran low and he was my selfchosen mentor. With his low dress hat, saber, parachute wings, commandant’s badge and cadet captain’s bars, he was everything I was striving for and, most importantly, would achieve with his help and guidance.”

As the memories of Ring’s guidance flooded back, Dorsey was compelled to write a poem in his honor.

“This poem tells of my thoughts of him and how his demeanor and professionalism have carried me not only through that first year, but also the next three. In retrospect, how I have lived my life since that summer in 1970.

In reality, ClC Ring and I probably had a total ofless than 10 conversations with each other, all very short. But he carried himself so wellthat he ended up providing a foundation for the place where my soul lives.

Whenever Dorsey travels near Colorado, he stops at the grave of his “Big Brother” and shares a few quiet moments with him once again. He ends his words with a sharp salute of respect.

I Remember Paul

I remember them still, and I always will, my days at the Air Force Academy

But some things come to mind more readily I find, likethat morning back in 1970

Our first week there with our heads shaved bare, we were ready to serve our nation Our entire class, 1,400 young lads, was preparing to march in formation

Now at 6:00 a.m. just the doolies would standand wait for the three upper classes

‘Til then we were told to stand in the cold, read Contrails and they might not harass us

But that morning our class showed its spunk and its sass by spontaneously singing together

And though we were berated, what we created was something that lives on forever.

Now Vietnam was on, and with the war going strong we knew where we’d be before long After we’d trained to fly in our planes, we’d drop bombs on a place called Haiphong.

To the best of my knowledge everyone at the college stopped when our voices were heard CountryJoe and the Fish was the group who sang this and we all knew every word

“And it’s one, two, three, what are we fightin’ for?

Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn

Next stop is Vietnam

And it’s five, six, seven open up the pearly gates Well, there ain’t no time to wonder why, Whoopee! We’re all gonna die!”

By the time the last notes had left all our throats, all Hell broke loose around us Upperclassmen ran out and scampered about, and officers began to surround us

You see, it was then that many young men would die every day in the war And people back home would say on the phone, “What are we fighting there for?”

Colonels I’d only seen with a desk in between walked through our ranks with a scowl “You’ll wish you were dead,” one of them said and at breakfast the Commandant growled “Cute stunt,” he announced before we sat down, “You all should have known that was wrong.”

But what could he do when a fourth of his school just sang the main anti-war song?

To us we had grown and no longer worked alone, ‘cause we did it together as one

And that set the tone for how our class was known, and besides, we did it for fun!

Our integrity was intact and none of us lacked any strength to our convictions

Just our way to say, “Hey, we’re here to stay!” and the truth is greater than fiction.

At a military school you play by the rules, every ten of us had a ‘Big Brother’

This senior was there when some things weren’t fair. To most of us, he was our mother.

I remember his smile as we talked for a while, “In here,” he said, “life is a game.”

“Just learn how to play and watch what you say.” Cadet Paul D. Ring was his name.

As time went on, he was graduated and gone, and I learned well what he had taught me

There was so much to do as I took what he knew on how I would and would not be

My senior year came and I’d played ‘the game’ much better because of him

I threw my hat in the air and drove away from there, ready for my new life to begin.

It was weird being out, no more ‘Firstie’ with clout, I talked a lot with the guy in the mirror

I did my laundry myself, got my meals off the shelf, and concentrated on my new career

Things were crazy at first as a ‘brown bar’ worst, I still said things like, “Hold the Vator!”

Then I felt my heart fall and my fist hit the wall when I heard the news a month later

While training for war, Paul’s jet hit the floor of the desert surrounding the base

And just like that he was gone, and from that point on, the world’s been an emptier place.

The war would soon end and often I’d spend hours reflecting on it all I’d think about our song, how four years wasn’t long and always I’d think about Paul.

Now I ask myself, for my own mental health, on a bomb run would I pull the handle?

The answer is yes, with no second guess, but that night I’d light up a candle

I’d think of the mothers who lost sons and brothers when the bombs dropped away from my wing

But nothing is fair with the war in the air because I remember Paul D. Ring.

We veterans are funny about things besides money, we accept dying easier than living

But this country’s great ‘cause so many didn’t wait when it became their life they were giving

It’s a peculiar world but when our flag’s unfurled, only silent reflections I give And I always stand tall for us and for all who make possible the way that we live.

All we ask in return is the respect that we’ve earned that way we all benefit

And with the Good Lord above, we want our country to love, us as much as we love it. S

Left, Dean Dorsey,74

Paul D. Ring, 71

n tne corner or ®reenw slowed almost to a stop

The sound ofomnip sations shifted to a volu

There, just steps Iron stood, the Air Force bas

ch and Liberty streets, the hustle ofManhattan present car horns seemed to disappear. Convertypically reserved for church, where the World Trade Center towers once basketball team joined others absorbing the Wall. Composed of 14 bronze plaques that are west wall ofthe “Ten House” fire station, the memorial contains the names ofthe 343 active members ofthe Fire Department ofNew York who died in service Sept. 11, 2001.

An inscription reads: “Dedicated to those who fell and to those who carry on. We will never forget.”

That Tuesdaynight in March, the Falcons faced Clemson at Madison Square Garden in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals. But Sunday, following a morning practice at West Point, the Falcons shelved thoughts ofthe Tigers, backdoor cuts and match-up zones.

Near Times Square they toured a firehouse—Engine Company 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9—that lost 15 men Sept. 11. They took a ride on a fireboat to the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Then they ventured to Ground Zero to look into that big, empty space and stop by the memorial.

“This is where it happened,” Air Force senior forward Jacob Burtschi said while gazing through a chain-link fence at the void in the city’s skyline. “It really makes you think—there’s bigger things in life than just basketball, the NIT, the NCAA Final Four. Especiallybeing in the military, it reallygives you a wake-up call about where you’re going to be going out there and doing and what you’re doing it for.”

At the firehouse, the mood was upbeat even though the reminders of9-11 were everywhere; plaques for each ofthe 15 men who died, a memorial made ofsteel from the World Trade Center, the dry-erase board that held the lineup for Sept. 11, 2001, with messages from family members added.

Firefighters greeted the players and coaches with smiles while showing them around the station. They teased the Air Force players about their lack ofsize—“Is this the second team?” one said jokingly—and heckled as senior Matt McCraw, dressed in full firefighter gear with an oxygen tank, struggled to toss a basketball into a hoop at the back of the garage. The wise-cracking displayed a kinship.

“It’s all about helping people out,” said Kevin Seaman, an eight-year veteran ofthe fire department. “That’s why you become a fireman, that’s why you join the services.”

Seaman and the other firefighters said they’d be rooting for the Falcons on Tuesday.

So did Tim Moynihan, a veteran of 20 years, who works at Marine Company One and was on the boat that took the Falcons through the Hudson River.

“We appreciate soldiers around here,” he said.

At Ground Zero, the Falcons were escorted by firefighterJim Morandi, who was introduced to coach JeffBzdelik by mutual friend JeffNix, an assistant general manager with the New York Knicks.

Morandi took the team to Dey Street—a one-block road that runs perpendicular to the east side ofwhere the towers were built. Morandi ran up that street Sept. 11 as the North Tower fell. He pointed to the doorway he dived into to escape the tidal wave of debris from the falling building.

A woman in the office building across the street saw him before the remnants of the building buried him and another firefighter. Had she not, rescuers would not have known to look for them until it was too late.

Morandi said he distributed flyers in the building in search ofthe woman but still hasn’t met her.

“Any time I see a woman win the lottery,” he said, “I hope it’s her.”

While that hero went anonymous, there were 343 names on the FDNY Memorial Wall that were all too familiar to Morandi. As the players stood and stared at them, Morandi ran his fingers across one, PatrickJ. Brown.

“This guy right here? One of my best friends,” he said. “We worked together in Harlem.”

At the opposite end ofthe memorial, a family gathered around another individual name. Looking. Crying. Remembering.

As they left, a woman in the family stopped and walked back over to the Air Force players.

“Thank you guys for serving,” she said before disappearing down the street. SB

Reprinted with thepermission ofThe Gazette

Gifts to the Air Force Academy Fund support important cultural and foreign language immersion programs for cadets including travel scholarships, cadet/faculty area studies groups, semester exchanges, distinguished international visitors and the four-year international cadet program.

For more information about the Air Force Academy Fund, please contact Greg Knedler, director of annual and class giving, at (719) 472-0300 or greg.knedler@aogusafa.org.

Service Academy

August 16-17, 2007

San Diego, Calif.

What is SACC?

The SACC is the Service Academy Career Conference supported by the Associations of Graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy, and Alumni Associations from the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Previous conferences have been attended by hundreds of companies and thousands of alumni.

Where will the SACC be held?

The next SACC will be held at the Westin Horton Plaza, 910 Broadway Circle, San Diego, Calif. Call (619) 239-2200 for reservations and ask for the SACC rate.

SACC Schedule of Events

Thursday, August 16

Interview Prep Seminar.. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Friday, August 17

Breakfast (provided) 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Registration 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm

SACC ....9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m

Lunch (provided) 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

SACC 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 18

Interviews only if directly scheduledbetween company recruiters and candidates; Companies will contact you directly regarding any on-site interviews during the SACC.

NAME (for name tag, no ranks):

ADDRESS:

Registration Fee

The SACC Candidate registration fee is $35 ($40 at the door) and may be paid by check or credit card. Register online at www.sacc-jobfair.com or mail theattached registration with payment and one copy of your resume. Resumes must be one page/one sided and on plain copy paper. Please mail your registration, or e-mail to: sacc@usna.com.Do not fax your resume. Registration deadline is July 31.

Next Scheduled SACC Austin, Texas, November 1-2, 2007

For more information, contact Wayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300 or go online at www.sacc-jobfair.com.

USAFA CLASS:

PHONE (Home): (Work): (E-mail):

Will you attend the free Interview Prep Seminar? I_l Yes l_l No

Please include: □ Registration Form O Fee $35 O Resume (1 page/1 sided)

Mail to: SACC

247 King George St. Annapolis, MD 21402-5068

SACC Candidate Registration Form (San Diego, Calif., 2007)

iSplsSliipf

Italy’s Lake Garda & the French Alps, Sep. 22-30

See one ofthe most beautiful lakes in theworld, snowcapped mountains, picturesque towns, fabulous cuisine and great shopping. Visit Chamonix, nesded in the French Alps. A mountain town is celebrated for its superb location at the foot ofMont Blanc. Add to this a few days stay in Italy on the southern shores ofLake Garda where there’s dramatic views and quiet beauty. (*$1,899 per person)

Prague and Fairy Tale Bavaria, Oct. 11-19

Go where the Romantic Road takes you back in time, over cobblestone streets and through medieval villages. Browse in quaint little shops and enjoy a cozy tavern. Go to the world spa resort of Bad Kissingen. This resort with a royal history is a treasure of gardens, parks, shops, outdoor cafes, and museums. (*$1,899 per person)

Rome and Florence, Nov. 3-11

See yourself on the Ponte Vecchio bridge at sunset, or walking the Boboli Gardens, filling your soul with the smell ofjasmine. Experience the Colosseum side by side with the ghosts ofgladiators or in a cafe toasting the end of the day with a rich ruby red wine. Add to that the Tuscan countryside, vyneyards marching up undulating hills to medieval villages. (*$1,899 per person)

* PRICE INCLUDESAIRFARE! OTHER INCLUDED FEATURES:

Round-trip air transportation

Stand by for 2008 vacation spots

Spring: Paris, Danube River Cruise, Treasures of China, and South Africa.

Fall: Croatia/Venetian Treasures, Italian Riviera and Tuscany, Davos and Salzburg.

For additional information and a color brochure visit www.usafa.org. Click on “AOG Services,” then "Travel Programs” or contact Wayne Kellenbence at wayne. kellenbence@aogusafa.org, (719) 472- 0300

next

W8mm

* First-class accommodations Transfers between airports and hotels and more

Tony Marietta, ’70

Since 1975, selling Colorado homes, homesites, and recreational properties.

MARIETTA & COMPANY

6189 Lehman Drive, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918

E-mail: usafa70@aol.com

719-592-9700 Toll free: 1-800-571-1161

joint service academies jobs electronically

Looking to advance yourcareer? JSAJE is an exclusive site specifically designed for service academy alumni. Whether you are looking for a new job or different career, JSAJE is the place for you to make it happen. If you have not registered in JSAJE, please register and create a username and password. If you have registered to JSAJE, please log in to the program by using the username and password you created. Once you have logged into the JSAJE program you may browse through job listings and contact employers. Not actively looking for a job? Sign up for Job Retriever and let it alert you when jobs according to your search criteria become available. JSAJE also contains a resume database through which companies can search for promising candidates.

Joint Seo/ice Academies Jobs Electronically

CombatSearch and Rescue in Desert Storm

BY COL (RET.) DARREL WHITCOMB,

69

REVIEW BY BRIG. GEN. (RET.) DALE STOVALL, ’67

Brig. Gen. Dale Stovall, ’67, completedundergraduatepilot training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in 1968 and was assigned to the 8th MilitaryAirliftSquadron at McChordAir Force Base, Wash., as a C-141 pilot. In 1970 he completedhelicopter conversion training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and was assigned to Detachment 15, 44th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., as an HH-3Epilot. After an in-unit conversion ofaircraft to the HH-53 and beingupgraded to aircraft commander in 1971, he attended Squadron Officer School en route to the 40th Air Rescue andRecovery Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. There, in 1972, he was an HH-53 instructor pilot and made 12 combat rescues ofdowned airmen in North Vietnam and Laos.

Thegeneral is a commandpilot with more than 3,800 hours in the C-141, HH-53, T-39, C-130, UH-1Nand HH-3. His military awards and decorations include the Air Force Cross, Silver Star with oak leafcluster, Legion ofMerit with oak leafcluster, DistinguishedFlying Cross with oak leafcluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leafcluster, Air Medal withfive oak leaf clusters, andAir Force Commendation Medal. He was the 1973 recipient ofthe ColonelJames Jabara AwardforAirmanship.

Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm is a must read for aviators flying over enemy territory. Not many people have read a “Combat Rescue After-Action Report” on Desert Storm. This book is actually more inclusive than after-action reports because it contains in-depth interviews and extensive research. It’s all here in the recently released and expertly crafted compilation by retired reserve Col.Darrel Whitcomb, ’69, a noted writer on aviation history and combat search and rescue. The book de-mystifies combat search and rescue, providing crewmembers with a clearer picture ofwhat to expect if they are unfortunate enough to be shot down.

Anyone in a command or leadership position absolutely needs to read thisbook. Colonel Whitcomb exposes problems with communications, command and control, and operations that resulted in the capture of downed aircrew membersand the loss of a CSAR crew. Three of the CSARs make this clear: Corvette 03/F15E (4TFW DO Colonel Dave Eberly and Major Tom Griffith, ’79, both POWs), Mutt 41 /F-16 (Captain Bill Andrews, POW) and Bengal 15/UH-60 Army SAR Helo (5 KIA, 3 POWs).

The eight chapters of the bookfall into three sections. Thefirst part add resses the later years ofVietnam to the ramping up of Desert Storm. Colonel Whitcomb covers the flow of events that led to an Air Force CSAR force that barely existed at the start of Desert Storm. As a result, the combat rescue mission in Desert Storm defaulted to Special Operations units. The second section andthe primary focus of the book is a riveting week by week account of every coalition shoot-down. Included is a theater map for each week that gives the reader a visual of the ever-changing air and ground war, complete with shoot-down locations and call signs. Whitcomb deftly incorporates the flow of air and ground operations to give an important perspective on how and why combat losses occurred. He methodically interviewed all of the key players for each downed aircraft including the survivors, POWs, CSAR crews and command leadership at every level.

Postscript, the final chapter, covers the lessons learned and the problems that need to be fixed. Colonel Whitcomb explains the challenges of CSAR operations in a desert environment where a helicopter flying as low as ten feet can be spotted from miles away. He highlights the impact of stealth technology, precision weapons, improved electronic warfare, and night operations that resulted in increased sortie effectiveness and reduced losses. In addition, he stresses the value ofwell-trained and Red Flag experienced aircrews and commanders.

Whitcomb explains that even though aircrews’ expectations of getting rescued were high, reality was different. Air Force CSAR capability was dramatically reduced from the Vietnam era and Iraqi defenses now had later generation SAMs. U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) did nor have a quick, accurate or reliable way to locate downed airmen. Aircrews carried obsolete survival radios and leadership had unfounded expectations that Airborne Warning and Control Systems, Rivet Joint and satel

lites could pinpoint survivor locations. Another contentious issue that Colonel Whitcomb exposes is the lack of a single headquarters having command of CSAR assets, specifically the tasking of CENTSOC controlled assets by CENTAF. The following observations are based on my rescue and SOF experience. In 1972 my HH-53 crew recovered three aircrew members in North Vietnam and nine survivors in Laos. My rescue background includes a tour at Air Rescue and Recovery Headquarters, command of a rescue detachment, and an assignment as an air rescue action officer at the Pentagon. I served as Commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Vice Commander of AFSOC (during Desert Storm), and Deputy Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command.

In my view, one of the recommendations in the book needs to be updated. With the possibility of combat operations in Iran, Air Force leadership needs to find a solution for the absence of immediate and precise survivor location over defended areas. I would modify ColonelWhitcomb’s recommendation that the Downed Airman Location System (DAES) be installed on the F-16. While it’s absolutely correct that the DALS go to a “fast mover,” I believe the system should be installed on the more survivable F-22 and F-35. Without DALS on a highly survivable aircraft, there will be more Corvette 03 scenarios with recoverable crew members ending up as prisoners of war. In addition, every coalition aircrew member should carry a PRC-112/G survival radio to ensure that they are quickly located.

The events recounted in this book raise questions about the future ofAir Force combat rescue. Under exceptional leadership, current Air Force Combat SAR forces are superbly trained and have extensive operational experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are flying HH-60 helicopters and HC-130 tankers; however, the HH-60 is not adequate for future scenarios, especially in high altitude operations. The proposed HH-47 might work in a lowthreat environment, but for fast-developing SARs near high threat areas, combat rescue will require the SOF CV-22 tilt rotor, with its speed and range. From my perspective, the Air Force needs five active duty combat rescue squadrons of eight CV-22s and four HC-130Js. This force, backed with the 50 SOF CV-22s that are currently in production, would provide credible combat rescue for world-wide operations.

Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm is an essential addition to the collection of books that have been written about Desert Storm. It is an excellent, well-researched and clearly written account that outlines significant lessons from Desert Storm still relevant on today’s battlefield. 9S

By Matt Kleve, AOG

Photo by Ken Wright

n the summer of 2003, Basic Cadets John Frye and Willie Lloyd had their Academy experiences in front of them. Both spent the previous year at the Academy Prep School and had just finished Basic Cadet Training when they had a few seconds to catch up in Jacks Valley. At about the same time, AOG photographer Ken Wright and Communications Vice President Dick Rauschkolb, ’70, came upon the friends. Rauschkolb noticed the juxtaposition of two and motioned to Wright to quickly capture the moment.

“We saw the guy with a camera and just kind of posed really quick,” recalled Frye. “It was really random.” The photo was so entertaining that the Checkpoints staffmade it the cover of the summer 2003 issue.

If you look closely at the picture of the two in Jacks Valley, you see Frye has tally marks for 7 “Kills” on the brim of his hat. Frye explains the kills as a BCT pastime involving water jugs:

“Just screw the cap on lightly and hit it against your head and the cap goes flying off. If you hit somebody, it’s a kill. If you get five, you’re an Ace. On my seventh one I hit the squadron commander he made me earn my hat back.”

Four years later, as they leave the Academy as new lieutenants, they reflect on their accomplishments as cadets, and the bonds they’ve made. We thought we’d check in on the two who were the magazine’s face of BCT four short years ago.

2nd Lt. John Frye, ’07

At 6’ 10 ”, John Frye stands out in a crowd. A standout on the basketball court as well, Frye was part ofthe Falcons’ success on the court in recentyears; including two trips to the Big Dance, and a run to the semifinals ofthe National Invitation Tournament thisyear.

“Playing in Madison Square Garden isjust a dream come truefor a basketballplayer to do that, saidFrye.

It’s the dream that he shared with his teammates, who are now bondedfor life. “Were together all the time during the season, in and

out ofhotels, practices, games, and outside ofthe season we still hang out together... These are guys thatfor the next 10, 20years will be my bestfriends. We’ll stillget together and see each other. There’s definitely a bond there.

Nowfinished with competitive basketball, Frye continues to keep the same attitude as any athlete.

“I’llgo where the Air Force takes me... I’m going to take it one step at a time. ’’Admitting his heightpretty much rules him out ofbeing a pilot, the toweringgraduate’sfirst assignment is to VandenbergAir Force Base, Calif., where he’s entering the space and missilefield.

2nd Lt. Willie Lloyd, ’07

A man who stands only 5’5 oftenfinds himselfat a height disadvantage in many situations. At the Academy, Willie Lloydfound that beingonly 65 inches tall actuallygives him a leg-up as a 112 lb. boxer. “Most ofthepeople who are 112 are likefivefeet ...so itgives you a height and reach advantage.

Lloyd threw hisfirstpunches as a boxer while he was here at the Academy; it was something he hadn’t considered before a coach convinced him to take the boxing class. As an Academy boxer he racked upfour Wing Open titles, two National Championships, and two National runner-ups. He gives the credit his coaches. “It’s all because ofthe coaches and thepeople that helped me along the way. There’s no way I could have done it myself.”

He’s happy to have been a part ofwhat’s known as the 6-Minute Fraternity but admits this willprobably be the end ofcompetitive boxing.

“You have to choose betweenyour career andthe boxing career. There are other things I want to do in life. Boxinghasgiven me a lot ofopportunities, allowed me to dogreatthings and see great things, butI want to try anddo some other challenges and see whatelse life has to offer.

TheAir Force is keeping the aerospace engineering major at the Academy to work in recruitingfor a year before heading to pilot training, with aspirations to one day become an astronaut. S

■

In the early morning hours of 30 April 2007, WITH THE SUN JUST STARTING TO REFLECT OFF THE HONOR WALL NORTH OF the Cadet Chapel, cadets steadily filed OUT OF VANDENBERG AND SlJAN HALLS ONTO the Terrazzo. The squadrons were in DIFFERENT PLACES THIS MORNING FROM THE NORMAL NOON MEAL FORMATION OR REVEILLE FORM UP AREAS. SOON ALL 40 SQUADRONS WERE IN PLACE, FACING WEST ABOUT 50 FEET BACK FROM THE HONOR WALL. THE FORMATION WAS COMPRESSED, WITH SPACING BETWEEN SQUADRONS TIGHTER THAN USUAL AND THE CADET WING EXTENDED AS FAR BACK AS THE F-16 ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER of the Terrazzo. The mood was one of CURIOSITY AND ANTICIPATION.

The sun’s rays bounced off the metal letters of the Academy Honor Code just above the formation: “We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate anyone among us who does.”

Reveille sounded, and theCadet Wing Commander ordered Group Commanders to give their cadets attention, then parade rest. Then the Cadet Wing Honor Chairman, a firstclass cadet, stood at a podiumjust above the wall and prepared to speak. The silence was deafening.

The Wing Honor Chairman spoke ofhis duty to keep the Cadet Wing informed about the status ofhonor in the Cadet Wing. He proceeded to read the names of cadets who had been disenrolled for honor since January of this year. The list included firstclass cadets and fourthclass cadets andthe violations they

By Brig. Gen. Susan Des Commandant of Cadets

committed. With each name, with each violation read, a heaviness descended on the wing.

The Wing Honor Chairman finished with these words “This is our code, and it only survives if we uphold it.” Then the Cadet Wing commander dismissed his wing.

As you know, our Cadet Wing recently experienced a difficult period as 40 fourthclass cadets were investigated after a cheating ring was uncovered in February 2007. Fourthclass cadets were receiving advance copies ofthe weekly Knowledge test (K-test) and passing them to other fourthclass cadets via a social internet site called “Facebook.”

It is important to point out that cadets discovered the cheating, then initiated and investigated each ofthese cases.

Cadets convened Wing Honor Boards for those fourthclass cadets who denied they cheated. Cadets convened Cadet Sanctions Recommendations Panels for those fourth class cadets who admitted they cheated. A CSRP is composed ofthe Wing Honor Chairman, Investigating Group Honor Chairman, and a Squadron Honor Officer at large. A WHB consists ofeight cadets in good standing selected randomly from other squadrons than the accused.

After completion of each of these processes, a decision was

made—violation or no violation-and a recommendation-disenrollment or probation—was forwarded to me via a chain of command that includes the Squadron Honor Officer, Cadet squadron Commander, Group Honor Chairman, Squadron AOC, Group AOC, and Vice Commandant. I then made a final sanctions recommendation to the Superintendent. In all but four cases, I agreed with the recommendations of the cadet chain of command.

The fourthclassman who brought this incident forward, one ofthe least experienced cadets in the Wing, performed with the fortitude and moral courage we expect ofall our graduates. He became aware of

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the cheating and confronted the individuals. He asked them to turn themselves in and gave them time to do so. These cadets chose not to self-report, and the fourthclass cadet reported the incident.

All of the cadet honor representatives, cadet squadron commanders and cadet chain of command involved in these investigations also performed with integrity and excellence. They initially recognized the problem, used the proper channels, investigated, chaired Wing Honor Boards and Cadet Sanctions Review Panels, and made sanctions recommendations for those who were found in violation of the code. The written justifications of their sanetion recommendations were thoughtful and insightful. Their commitment to the code and to USAFA is clearly intact.

Forty honor cases were forwarded into investigation. Of those 40 cadets, 29 admitted to violating the code. One of thesecadets resigned before going to a CSRP. The CSRP decided that all 28 cases were violations of the Honor Code and made recommendations for disenrollment or probation to me. I recommended disenrollment for 16 of these cadets and probation for 12 cadets, thus agreeing with the cadet chain of command in 24 of 28 cases.

Eleven of the cadets denied cheating on the knowledge test. Six of those cases were dropped for insufficient evidence, and five were forwarded to Wing Honor Boards. Cadets were found in violation in two cases and were recommended for disenrollment. These two cadets resigned. The other three cases that went to WHBs were found to have not violated the code and thesecadets were returned to the Cadet Wing in good standing.

In summary, ofthe 40 cases, 31 (29 admits and 2 Wing Honor Board decisions) were violations of our Code. Nine cadets appealed my final recommendation ofdisenrollment to the superintendent. The superintendent upheld the recommendation for disenrollment in all but one case. Ofthe 31 violations, 18 cadets were disenrolled or resigned and 13 cadets were placed on Honor Probation.

There are two other issues that are worthy of discussion at this point: (1) factors considered in deciding sanctions, and (2) what Honor Probation entails.

Factors Considered in Deciding Sanctions

When reviewing the violation cases, honor representatives and the Academy chain of command used four factors to determine the sanction, in accordance with our Academy Cadet Wing Honor Code Reference Handbook. The four factors are (1) time under the code, (2) type of report—self-report, admit or deny, (3) “egregiousness”—how severe was the incident, and (4) forthrightness—did the cadet truly “come clean” about the violation.

The chain of command reviewed each case individually based on these factors. Although all 28 cadets who faced CRSPs eventually admitted to the allegations, many of them deepened their dishonor by lying during clarifications and only admitting when the evidence against them became overwhelming.

The cases also varied in degree of egregiousness. Those cadets who sought out the answers, cheated multiple times, passed the answers to others, lied, conspired to lie, and/or tolerated were recommended for disenrollment vice probation. Thosefourthclass cadets who tolerated or cheated once but were forthright when questioned were more likely to be granted probation.

As a note, it may be helpful to add that at the point the cheating was discovered, fourthclass cadets had completed 18 lessons on Honor and Air Force Core Values—13 during basic cadet training and 3 during the course of cadet professional military education. This constitutes just the early foundation ofeach cadets continuing honor education at the Academy. In the first two years, honor instruction focuses on understanding and living under the code. In the final two years, emphasis is placed on cadets living an honorable life, while helping others to do the same.

Photo by Maj. Andrew Travnicek

What Honor Probation entails

A form of Honor Probation has been part of the Honor System since very early in USAFA’s history. It was called “Discretion” in the early years, and it was used sparingly. A brief snapshot, not inclusive by any means, tells us that in 1962, two cadets received Discretion after being found in violation of the code. From 1966-67, 15 cadets received Discretion. By 1977, half of all cadets found in violation of the code received Discretion, and from 1996-2005, 58 percent of those found in violation were sanctioned with Honor Probation. Discretion and later probation, came to be viewed as giving a second chance to an otherwise worthy cadet who used bad judgment in violating the code, but whose violation did not merit disenrollment in light of the particular circumstances of the infraction. The current Probation program is suspended disenrollment which gives cadets who complete the rigorous program an opportunity to rehabilitate and recover from their violation. Those who fail probation are disenrolled.

This concept of“shades ofgray” when it comes to honor is confounding to some graduates. To them, a violation is a violation, and a violation means only one sanction—disenrollment. However, I would suggest that, when surveys point out that 80 percent ofhigh school seniors admit to cheating, we are obligated to provide an opportunity for honor to develop in a young person. Although we would like to tell ourselves that we select our cadets from the other 20 percent of high school seniors, we must recognize and confront the possibility that their maturity and understanding about the ethical behavior that is embodied in our code is a “work in progress” that must be shaped, internalized, and solidified during all four years at USAFA.

Through time, education, training and day-to-day tests of integrity, cadets learn and develop a sense ofhonor. The cadets administering and upholding the Honor System understand this and, depending on the egregiousness of a violation, tend to recommend probation for fourthclass cadets and sometimes for thirdclass cadets. They consider that these cadets are still developing the foundations for a strong sense ofhonor under the code. They rarely make such a recommendation for second or firstclass cadets who are expected to have understood and internalized the Honor Code by this time in their USAFA experience.

Today, Honor Probation is effective in instilling ethical behavior in 85 percent of the cases in which it is recommended. But it is a tough program. During those six months of Honor Probation, a cadet loses all rank and privileges associated with his or her standing or class. He or she is not allowed to represent the Academy at intercollegiate, academic, or club competitions and is not allowed to wear earned merit list (Dean’s, Athletic, Commandant’s) pins.

Cadets who are placed on Honor Probation may find that their academic and athletic plans may be seriously challenged as they adhere to the probation standards and requirements.

Honor Probationers must choose an “Honor Mentor” from the USAFA Permanent Party and must meet with that mentor monthly for counseling and discussion ofwhat constitutes honorable behavior. To successfully complete Honor Probation, a cadet must accomplish reflective journals, honor projects and readings, and unit briefings. He or she also must receive positive recom

mendations from the Honor Mentor and his or her commanders.

Several of our cadets who have spent six months on Honor Probation go on to be honor representatives at the squadron, group, and wing level.

The Cadet Wing’s assembly at the Honor Wall marked the end of a difficult period for the Academy. The Knowledge test cheating incident brought us face to face with the challenge of cadets holding each other accountable for adherence to the Honor Code that is the bedrock for all that occurs at USAFA, and is a foundation for living the Air Force’s Core Values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.

Our cadets stepped up to the challenge and took to heart the responsibility of “owning” the Honor Code. They are more determined than ever to guard against our Academy being disgraced by a similar honor incident in the future. As their commandant, I am encouraged by their actions and proud of them.

Honor Syste

By C1C Joe Kreidel, Cadet Wing Vice Honor Chairman

In only the fourth wing-wide vote in Academy history, the Cadet Wing recently approved several crucial REFORMS OF THE HONOR SYSTEM. THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THESE CHANGES WERE DEVELOPED, OUTLINES THE CHANGES THEMSELVES, AND TOUCHES ON HOW WE WILL IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES IN THE COMING MONTHS.

In May 2006, the superintendent commissioned an Honor System Review Panel to examine the Academy’s Honor system. The panel, comprised of cadets, retired and active duty Air Force personnel, graduates and non-graduates, and led by Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gary Dylewski, was tasked with determining whether anything about the Honor System facilitated dishonorable behavior.

The panel concluded that certain aspects of the system did, in fact, encourage dishonorable behavior. Specifically, they felt the current system could tempt cadets caught in a violation to deny it and “take their chances” at a Wing Honor Board. With this in mind, the panel developed a series of recommendations designed to remedy the system’s shortcomings. These recommendations were then forwarded to a follow-on Tiger Team led by the Director of the Center for Character Development, Col. John Norton, ’82. The Tiger Team briefed the superintendent in September 2006 after spending several months developing a proposal for how to best implement the panel’s recommendations. Shortly after the brief, the superintendent gave the Tiger Team the go-ahead to begin preparing for a wing-wide vote on the proposed system changes to be held in spring 2007.

The Honor Executive Committee, a cadet committee comprised ofwing and group honor representatives, designed and executed a number ofcadet focus groups in order to get a feel for the efficacy of the proposed changes. After several iterations ofthis process, the Honor

Executive Committee felt confidentthat the modified proposal was on target; the committee then returned to the superintendent in February 2007 and received permission to press with the wing-wide vote.

The final proposal put before the Cadet Wing was comprised of three parts, all essential to the effort to induce culture change at the Academy. Part one deals with sanctions for those cadets found in violation ofthe code. The current system contains a long-standing presumptive sanction ofdisenrollment for all violators; however, a review ofthe statistics shows that there has been a gradual erosion ofdisenrollment as a sanction for Honor Codeviolations. The proposed change implements an absolute sanction ofdisenrollment for those cadets who deny when confronted and are then found in violation ofthe code at Wing Honor Boards. Conversely, the proposed change eliminates all presumptive sanctions for those cadets who admit to violating the code and are subjected to a Cadet Sanctions Recommendation Panel (a three-member cadet panel that examines the case in question and submits a sanction recommendation to the commandant). All sanctions are available for the panel to recommend to the commandant.

Part two reinstitutes a sanction called suspension that was suecessfully used at the Academy from 1985-1993. Suspension is an

intermediate sanction reserved for first and secondclass cadets who admit to an Honor Code violation and have a high level ofofficership potential. A suspended cadet will be disenrolled for approximately 12-15 months, during which time they will serve as an airman in an active duty AFSC (career field). Ifsuccessful both in their job and in completing rehabilitative tasks, they will be given the opportunity to apply for readmission to the Academy, where they would return to the same cadet rank as when they departed. Note that West Point has enjoyed positive results from a similar program for a number of years.

Finally, part three changes the composition ofthe Wing Honor Board from eight to nine members and the voting requirement necessary to find a cadet in violation ofthe code from 3/4 (6 of 8) to 2/3 (6 of9). The additional cadet will be an at-large member of the Cadet Wing selected from the respondent s class. By way ofcomparison, the honor systems at West Point and Annapolis also utilize a 2/3 voting requirement, as do operational Air Force administrative processes.

In April 2007, theCadet Wing approved the proposed changes by a 77 percent majority. The details ofwhen and how the changes will be implemented are now being worked out. The Honor Executive Committee intends to have the changes in place when the class of 2011 is accepted into the Wing in August. H

AOG Launches New

In February of this yearf the AOG launched a new Web site with added features and services, a sleaker design and easier navigation.

Some of the added features are:

■ A new membership area and online directory with greater search capabilities

■ A new photo gallery where high quality images can be viewed and purchased

■ A new online store

■ Easier event registration

■ Flash multimedia and streaming videos

■ ZoomieNationa closed e-community for AOG members and USAFA grads for socialand professional networking, reconnecting and mentoring

July 5 - 16, 2007

Legendary Scotland awaits! From deep glacial lakes shrouded in mist to rugged, heather-covered Highland hills, Scotland's landscape sets a scenic stage for epic adventure. Through the centuries, and intricate blend of Celtic, Norse and Norman cultures have intermingled like the weave of a tartan pattern to fashion quaint cobblestoned villages and fairy-tail castles. Discover the very best of Scotland by walking in the wake of freedom fighter William Wallace, tracing the pathways of Prince Charles Edward Stuart and leaving your own footprints along the "bonnie banks of Loch Lomond." ($3,230.00)

Thinking about 2008? These exciting locations may be your next adventure.

Tulip time, river cruise, Bruges, Amsterdam

Stay in an Irish castle, see Belfast and the famous Guinness Storehouse

River cruise to Kiev, Crimea, Yalta and Bucharest.

Stay tuned for more information!

More information about these luxurious travel destinations is available online at www.usafa.org. Click on "AOG Services," then "Travel Programs"

or contact Wayne Kellenbence at wayne.kellenbence@aogusafa.org or (719) 472-0300.

Sponsored by

fO(/6

By Kyle Davidson, AOG

Ifyou’ve been to the AOG Web site in the past few months, you may have noticed some significant improvements.In March 2006, the Association of Graduates communications and information technology departments undertook a project to completely overhaul its Web site with added features, easier navigation, a cleaner design and greater incorporation of media and photography. In November of2006, that goal was partially realized when the AOG test-released its new online community, ZoomieNation, and was fully realized in February ofthis year with the official launch ofthe new site.The process began with a proposal which was submitted to the AOG Board of Directors for approval. Reasons for the redesign were many, such as easier navigation, more organization and a friendlier experience for the user. One other major catalyst for the new site was the restriction and rigidity ofthe previous hosting service used by the AOG, which did not allow for efficient on-the-spot updates and immediate content or template changes. The proposal outlined by the communication and IT departments presented a plan to bring all the development and hosting in-house. Although this forced the AOG to increase its bandwidth capabilities, it also provided the best possible solution for development, content management and database integration. It was ofthe utmost importance that the new site would easily integrate with the AOG’s database for tracking graduate and member information.After presenting the plan to the board, and upon coalescing the board’s suggestions, the departments set off to build the new site. The IT department solved all the technical and functional issues, while the communications department designed, created and collected page content, and researched possible communications features to be added. Once the site was built, the AOG solicited members, graduates, cadets and professional peers to test the site, looking for glaring functionality and design issues. Testing was done in three phases so the AOG could take into account problems and suggestions the test groups offered before the next group tested the site. The most serious issues throughout all of the tests were those ofnavigation incongruity, all ofwhich have since been fixed. Part ofthe board’s tasking was to find a way to create a more robust e-community where grads and members could mentor one another, as well as socially and professionally network. ZoomieNation, provided byAffinity Circles, is a platform which meets and exceeds those expectations. The AOG contracted with Affinity Circles to build and host ZoomieNation, which is much like the networking Web sites myspace.com, or facebook.com, except it is a closed community solely for Academy graduates and AOG members. This is important for a number of reasons, but perhaps the greatest is for the privacy and protection of the information ofthe user. Each user must use their real name, and while the user can choose who to share and not to share his or her information with, the closed aspect ofthe community provides one more layer ofinformation security. Like any platform, ZoomieN-

ation has some limitations and has received some criticism relating to its discussion forum, but on a whole, it has been very well received. In just more than four months, and without being heavily marketed, the registration for ZoomieNation totaled just over 5,000 users, which, according to Affinity Circles, was the best start-up percentage base out ofall of their clients, including Stanford and the University of Florida. “I like it... and it’s mighty darn nice ofthe AOG to provide it to all grads regardless ofAOG membership status, or lack thereof,” wrote Terry Bradley, ’90, in the ZoomieNation Feedback Forum. He added, “In fact, I am going to re-join the AOG... because of [the] fine resource.”So far, the new design and functionality has received rave reviews and many users have written to congratulate the AOG for a job well done, and to provide feedback. The AOG heeded a number of those suggestions in the plan for phased releases of new features to be added to the site. Some ofthose suggestions for features include a better military and award history that is searchable on a user’s profile, an AOG identification retrieval tool, as well as a Web site user ID and password retrieval online form.Beyond user suggestions, the AOG has plans ofits own for how to fully utilize its new Web site as a communications tool. Recently, the AOG has been producing online streaming videos ofAcademy and AOG events, such as recognition, graduation, and the dedication ofthe Memorial Pavilion. While these web videos have been somewhat limited and non-marketed, their reception has been favorable. It is the goal of the AOG to expand upon the use of its web video capability for brining higher-qualityAcademy information to its constituency. You can view some ofthe videos the AOG has already produced by going to www.usafa.org, clicking on “News and Media,” then on “AOG Videos.’’The AOG would like to thank all ofthe grads and members who helped with the Web site testing, or by providing feedback, and would like to encourage others with suggestions for improvement to make those suggestions known by contacting the communications department at (719) 472-0300. Please visit our new site to see for yourself the changes that have been made. RS

Announced Six USAFA graduates included on prestigious list

The George and Carol OlmstedFoundation recently announced the selection of the Olmsted Scholar Class of 2008. The list of scholars included six USAFA graduates.

Maj. Michael T. Cancellare, ’97, will attend Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey

Maj. James W. Price, ’97, will attend West University ofTimisoara,Timisoara, Romania

Maj. Philip L. Stodick, 96, will attend University ofTuebingen,Tuebingen, Germany

Maj. (Sel.) Philip D. Smith, ’98, will attend University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Maj. (Sel.) Eric A. Winterbottom, ’98, will attend Chubu University, Nagoya, Japan

Capt. Kevin M. Webster, ’98, will attend University of Belgrano, Buenas Aires, Argentina

Commissioned line officers from any service with 3 to 11 years of total active federal service may apply for an Olmsted Scholarship. Olmsted Scholar finalists are selected annually by each service through a rigorous application and interview process. Academic and professional performance standards are high.

The Olmsted Foundation selects each class of Olmsted Scholars from this highly competitive group of finalists based on their demonstrated military performance, undergraduate academic record, career goals, and aptitude for learning a foreign language. Only the most deserving and qualified candidates are selected as Olmsted Scholars.

Once selected, and following extensive foreign language training either stateside under Defense Language Institute auspices or directly in the coun try of assignment, the scholars and their families move overseas where they complete two years of study in a liberal arts curriculum at an overseas university in a foreign, non-English speaking country.

The George and Carol Olmsted Foundation, founded in 1957 by Major General George Olmsted, has sponsored more than 460 scholars worldwide since the first class in I960. More information about The Olmsted Scholar Program is available at www.olmstedfoundation.org.

The Academy hosted the 14th annual National Character and Leadership Symposium focusing cadets on the theme of “All Created Equal—Human Dignity and Respect” last February

The three-day event featured more than 30 nationallyrecognized speakers and guests.

Maj. Nicole Malachowski, ’96, is in her second season with the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” and flies the No. 3 jet as the right wing pilot in the diamond formation. Malachowski shared her experiences regarding teamwork and how being part ofthe Air Force team requires each airman to be an expert in their career field, to be accountable to the team, and to have the grace to applaud the strengths ofthose around them.

Bakhtiar Gozeh, building manager of the Douglass Valley Elementary School and a genocide survivor, told of his surviving Saddam Fiussein’s chemical weapon’s genocide campaigns against Iraq’s Kurdish population.

Fie described his survival experience under a dictator’s control and discussed his life as a Kurdish-American during the Global War on Terror.

A unique and personal story was told by Cadet 2nd Class Erik Mirandette. Fie overcame incredible odds to return to the Academy after humanitarian work in 13 African countries and then falling victim to a terrorist attack that nearly cost him his life and killed his brother. Now, almost two years after the attack, he discussed why we must live boldly with purpose.

Katie Koestner, executive director ofCampus Outreach Services, talked about her journey from victim to survivor ofdate rape, putting it on a level that everyone could feel and relate to. Seeing sexual assault through Katie’s eyes enabled students to challenge stereotypes and confront conventional beliefs and behaviors, tier emotionallycharged talk created an environment of

Leadership Symposium

By Butch Wehry, Academy Spirit

understanding, and helped to lay the groundwork for proactive, long-term behavioral transformation, according to Maj. Jeffrey Sandrock, ’94, an NCLS events coordinator.

Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, Commanding General, First United States Army, brought his experience of command, the challenges of fighting the Global War on Terrorism, and leading the reliefefforts for Hurricane Katrina.

This years theme hearkened back to the Declaration of Independence and its understanding ofequality to emphasize thefact that respect for the universality ofhuman dignity cuts across all ofthe cultural focus areas that the Academy andthe Air Force have emphasized in recent years, and that respect for selfand others is inherent within Air Force Core Values.

Approximately 125 students from universities around the nation joined Academy cadets in discussing moral, ethical and leadership issues facing the world.

The symposium emphasized characterand leadership from both a military and a non-military perspective. The symposium is hosted by the Academy’s Center for Character Development andthe Association of Graduates.

Retired Col. Thomas Berry, ’71, Character Development Center deputy director, has worked at the NCLS program for nine years.

AOG support of the symposium made a tremendous difference in the quality and smoothness of the event and did not go unnoticed byAcademy leaders.

“This truly was the highlight,” said Colonel Berry. “It’s due to the support of the Academy staff, allthe cadets, but a special thanks and recognition to the members of the Class of 1973 and the Association of Graduates.” He said the Class of’73 pulled out all stops this year.

“They were at the airport in Denver greeting people. They

were at our reception area signing visiting students in, giving it that special personal touch that the Air Force and the Academy are always so proud of,” said the deputy director.

“To the class of’73, the Class of’74, the Class of’59, whose members were there throughout the program, I say thank you very much. Our graduate community, through the generosity oftime and treasure, has made thisthe greatest undergraduate college character symposium in the nation.”

“His experiences were really great,” said Cadet 3rd Class Zach Zalneraitis of General Honore’s speech. “Like the different people he worked with through the Katrina disaster and the civilians andthe different joint units down there.”

“The best thing about General Honore was that he was straightforward about everything,” Cadet Zalneraitis said.

He said it was the same the next morning having the different points ofview from an Army officer and from the Thunderbird pilot.

“It’s pretty cool having the opportunity to meet with cadets from different service academies, including the federal academies, The Citadel, Texas A&M and others,” Cadet Zalneraitis said. “I’ve talked with a couple of the civilian college students in the different seminars they see a much more liberal perspective ofallthe events that are going on.”

To Cadet 4th Class Kristi Kemp, Ms. Koestner’s and Akyuoe Graham’s talks were especially meaningful. Graham is an African immigrant, actor in “American Pie” and founder of the Spiritual Awakening Foundation.

“I think it was a really great event,” said Cadet Kemp. “Katie Koestner’s lecture on sexualassault awareness dispelled a lot of the myths and rumors surrounding that issue. Akuyoe Graham’s talk on spiritual awakening was really good too.” S3

Previous page: Some of the guest speakers at the National Character and Leadership Symposium included Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who commanded National Guard troops during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts; Right: Maj. Nicole Malachowski, first female Thunderbird Pilot. (Photos by Joel Strayer)

Cadets build homes during spring break

ByJohn Van Winkle, USAFA/PA

hours and majoring in systems engineering, information systems.

He also had three graded reviews and one paper due when classes resumed at the Academy, so the chance to use a five-foot crowbar instead of calculus and classbooks was something Cadet Mitchell welcomed.

Alternative Spring Break is a program sponsored by the Academy’s Center for Character Development. Cadets performed more than 39,000 hours of community service projects during the 2005-2006 academic year on thousands ofprojects, but Alternative Spring Break is one ofthe center’s capstone programs. It gives cadets a paid, but no-frills opportunity to go somewhere new during spring break to work with Habitat for Humanity, and put deeds behind the words “service before self.”

“I worked with Habitat for Humanity back home and liked what they do,” said Cadet 4th Class Sean Long from Arlington, Va., who is on his first visit to Texas.

For one cadet, Alternative Spring Break is also a chance to help his hometown as well as practice some of the skills he’s spent years honing at the Academy.

“I’m from Austin,” declared Cadet 1st Class Jace McCown, while leaning on a crowbar and clad in an Academy T-shirt and cowboy hat. “Austin is my home and I’ve been looking to do Alternative Spring Break here for a couple ofyears. It’s always been someplace else other than Austin. But not this year. This year it’s a chance to help out my local community.”

Cadet McCown was also the cadet-in-charge for the Austin contingent, overseeing the welfare and well-being of his 19 fellow cadets that week.

“It’s a good experience and also fun to be in charge of a small group,” he said. “I get more leadership opportunities out ofthis than I have in my squadron a lot of times,” he added.

A MOAT OF MUD

The old saying “a man’s home is his castle” took on a new and messy meaning in Bryan, Texas, last week. Cadets met a moat ofmud when they started work in the Angels Gate subdivision on March 26. Rain had halted construction three ofthe previous five workdays there and saturated the ground. An additional two inches ofrain pounded the area the previous night, which turned the soil into a muddy moat.

The cadets’ work week started with edging and some structural work and then putting roofing shingles on the Gomez family’s future home.

“The rain’s slowing us down quite a bit. We could be working on the roof a lot faster than we are now. But you have to clean the mud offyour shoes at the top of the ladder, to avoid slipping on the roof,” said C3C Christopher Conley of CS-7. Cadet Conley

had helped build his parents’ house in Arlington, Texas, and experienced the trials of rain delays during that construction.

Two homes were slated for work that week, located at the west end ofthe Mervyn’s Run road in the Angels Gate subdivision on Bryan’s west side. Several other identical homes had been completed in the subdivision by Habitat for Humanity. Several more are in various phases of construction, and bore signs out front proclaiming the home’s eventual owner and the volunteers’ affiliations. At the Gomez home, cadets in ankle-deep mud traded tennis shoes for fishing waders and went about their tasks. Securing ladders became a chore within itselfwhen the ladders sank in the moist ground. With a few tradesman volunteers from the local area, cadets used scrap wood for footing and to secure the sinking ladders and set to their tasks. Slowly, the Gomez home went from a skeletal frame with a roof and some ductwork to looking more like a completed home.

MOM JOINS SPRING BREAK

Two streets over, a city crew spent the day loading and hauling off debris from a recently demolished home. Years ofeconomic hard times combined with Hurricane Rita have created the need that brought Habitat for Humanity to the southeastern Texas town, including newly-recognized C4C Marie McClendon ofCS-36.

She’d worked with Habitat for Humanity once before in Charleston, S.C. She volunteered to do so again with the Alternative Spring Break program, instead of using her precious few days away from the Academy for a trip home.

“My brother and sisters live 30-40 minutes from home, so they’re just a short drive away. But I only get to go a few times a year, since I decided to come to the Academy,” said the secondgeneration Academy cadet.

An important bit of home came to her. The cadet’s mother, Danielle Fontaine, flew out from South Carolina to work alongside her daughter and spend time with her.

“I thought it was great,” said the mother, recalling when Marie told her of her Alternative Spring Break choice. “I’m familiar with Habitat for Humanity, and Marie has participated before,” said the mother. It was also the best choice based on schedules. None of the cadet’s friends or family had the same spring break.

“The only problem is my other three kids are Clemson kids— two there and one heading there in the fall,” she said, noting that her children’s colleges made for an interesting discussion about the Air Force-Clemson basketball game in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals.

The mother-daughter team blended seamlessly with the local Habitat volunteer tradesmen and cadets. Marie teamed with fellow classmates, such as friend and C4C Maggie Blackstun of CS-33 to double-team on projects. Meanwhile, the mother’s architect skills and construction experience made a sounding board for questions and advice for many other cadets.

REPEAT APPEARANCE

Rather than stamping another exotic destination in her passport and knowing that her military career will offer plenty of future

travel, C1C Heather Moe opted to make a repeat appearance with the Alternative Spring Break program this year.

“It’s an inexpensive way to go somewhere I’ve never been,” said Cadet Moe, cadet-in-charge for the Port Arthur group. “I enjoy working outside and doing volunteer work and meeting new people. And you get to know people better working alongside them than you would if you just hung out together. Then there’s the whole road-trip aspect. You get put with a group of people you hardly know, but by the end of it everyone’s best friends.”

There was one person on this trip that she did know going into the Port Arthur excursion, and that’s her younger sister Lisa.

“We enjoyed it so much last year,” said C3C Lisa Moe. “We get to help people and it’s a fun way to do it, and not worry about any other obligations. Here we get to concentrate on just one thing.”

THE EASY WAY GR THE RIGHT WAY

With any project that uses volunteer labor, key management issues arise. Chief among these is assessing the skills and motivation levels of the workforce and then deciding how best to use those assets. For construction, that comes in the form ofwhat tasks to assign to whom. With the cadets, this was an easy task for the four tradesman who directed the Port Arthur construction projects.

“They dramatically reduce the time it takes to put this house up,” said Mike Singletary, Habitat volunteer. “And the reason is simple, they take instructions and follow them.” But mistakes do happen—a roofing nail is used on a piece of edging, or a piece of paneling is cut 1/4 inch too short for the side of the house. How cadets met those challenges spoke volumes about their character, said Singletary.

“If the volunteers do something wrong, we give them the choice-they can either pull it back out and do it differently and better, or they can just hide it,” he said.

Some of his volunteers from regular college campuses took the easy route each time, filling extra distances with caulk or painting over a bentnail.

“With your cadets, they always fix it. Whatever was done wrong is not even there anymore,” said Singletary. “I hate to say it, but even in real world construction, people often take the easy way out. But after working with your cadets, I know our country’s going to be in good hands when they graduate. Whatever profession they choose, if it’s a matter of the right way or the easy way, they’re going to take the right path every time.” B

Tradition ties us together

Jl of Character for the Nation

The Campaign for the Future of the Air Force Academy

For more information on becoming a part of the Building Leaders of Character for the Nation campaign, contact Mark Hiile, '97, at (719) 472-0300 or mark.hille@aogusafa.org.

Dedication sets us apart

This is an historic era for the United States Air Force Academy. USAFA has just begun celebrating its golden anniversary and your Association of Graduates is embarking on a ground breaking fund raising campaign. The campaign—Building Leaders of Character for the Nation—will take the Academy to new levels of excellence and give our cadets the best experiences to prepare them for leadership in an increasingly complex world.

Let us go back a few years, a little more than a decade ago, to get some understanding of Eric Ehn.

Ehn had just been cut from his Triple-A hockey team. The young Ehn, maybe 10 or 11 years old at the time, walked out ofthe building with Alice, his angry mom.

“Oh, I was mad about it,” Alice said from the Ehn family home in Dexter, Mich. “But Eric patted me on the back and said, ‘Mom, it’ll be all right. I think there’s a tryout in Detroit tomorrow. Can we go?”

That was Ehn, pronounced “eeen,” then. Adversity never fazed him. That’s been Ehn throughout his hockey career.

The Air Force Falcons’ junior center had been cut from teams. He was told he was too small, too slow and too untalented. And there were those who told Ehn he wasn’t goodenough to play at the next level, no matter what that level was. Ehn was even in Junior B hockey, about as close to hockey purgatory as one can get. He was a 16-year-old then, playing with men on a “team of misfits” he said with a chuckle.

“It was a pretty low level ofjuniors,” Ehn said. “That was like a second option for me. But it was pretty good for me because you can be 21 in that league, and I was 16. So, imagine trying to push around someone four or five years older. It’s not going to work. So, that helped me out with strength and winning pucks when you shouldn’t. I had a couple of good years there and made it to Junior A. It was kind of a blue-collar way ofworking my way up.”

Ehn is still blue-collar, which showed in his two assists in a 3-0 Atlantic HockeyAssociation victory over Holy Cross. There was Ehn on the boards fighting for the puck on one play and laying out to block a shot on the next.

The same player not good enough for the next level a decade ago is one of college hockey’s best players today. Ehn leads the NCAA with 62 points, including 24 goals. On April 6 he was one of three players considered for college hockey’s highest individual honor, the Hobey Baker Award.

If Ehn were going to college about 12 miles south at Colorado College, few if any would question his stature as one of the NCAA’s best. Still, even without scoring another point, Ehn has earned the right to be one of the three players at the Frozen Four in St. Louis when the Hobey Baker Award is given.

These days, nobody is looking past Ehn, who also leads the nation in points per game with 1.67.

“No heart. Too small. Too slow. It was always something,” Ehn’s father Bill said. “Not good enough. Not ready. Always something. I’m happy for him now.”

Ehn was never the biggest, fastest or strongest. He studied hockey, always trying to find the best and most

efficient way to make a move or score a goal. Ehn’s hockey intelligence, vision and unwillingness to quit help him compensate for tools most deem necessary to be a hockey star.

“It’s not always the most talented person who makes it places,” Ehn said. “It’s the person who’s willing to survive the longest.”

For Ehn, surviving was simply handling the adversity.

“A lot ofkids get crushed when they don’t make Triple-A midgets,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “He’s a very resilient young man to continue to be told every year that he’s not going to be able to play at the premiere level the next year then find a way to not only get there but to excel.” S

Editor’s Note: Ehn was selected as a second-team EastAll-American by theAmerican Hockey Coaches Association on April 6. On the same night in St. Louis, North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan won theprestigious Hobey Baker MemorialAward. Ehn was one of the threefinalistsfor the award, thefirstAFAplayer, andfirst service academyplayer, to ever be in the “Hobey Hat Trick.

Ehn’s other accolades this season includefirst-team AllAmerican (U.S. College Hockey Online), first-team All-American (insidecollegehockey.com), Atlantic Hockey Association Player ofthe Year andfirst-team all-conference. (Courtesy USAFA Athletics)

Air Force names

JeffReynolds men’s basketball coach

Takes over after two years as an assistant COach By USAFA Athletics

effReynolds, an assistant coach for the Air Force Academy men’s hasketball team the past two years, has been named head coach of the Falcons, athletic director Dr. Hans Mueh announced on April 17.

Reynolds, the seventh head coach in program history and the fourth in the last five years, agreed to a five-year contract. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. He succeeds JeffBzdelik, who resigned on April 3 to become head coach at the University of Colorado.

“JeffReynolds has a distinguished record as an assistant and head coach and has been honored at every level,” said Mueh. “He has had great success as a coach at eight different Division I and II programs before coming to Air Force at Coach Bzdelik’s request and was a key factor in Air Force’s success as his top assistant coach.”

During his two seasons as an assistant, Reynolds helped guide Air Force to its two most successful campaigns on the basketball court. In 2003-06, the Falcons were 24-7, the best record in program history, and played in the NCAATournament for just the fourth time ever. In ’06-07, Air Force posted a 26-9 record, setting a new school record for most victories in one season, and advanced to the semifinals ofthe NIT. Air Force was just one of 17 Division I teams to win at least 30 games the last two seasons.

“I want to thank the administration for thinking enough of me to allow me to direct this basketball program,” said Reynolds. “Myjob here is to sustain the success ofthe program and take it to the next level. Directing this basketball program is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Reynolds, 50, came to the Academy after serving as an assistant coach at Tulane for five seasons. Prior to his stint at Tulane, Reynolds served as the head coach at Division II Wingate University in Wingate, N.C.

He coached Wingate for three seasons, building the program into a Division II powerhouse. In 1999-2000, his

team led the nation in scoring defense and posted an impressive 26-4 record, closing the year with a final national ranking of No. 7 and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs also won their secondconsecutive South Atlantic Conference title and established the longest home-court winning streak at the Division II level (26 games).

In 1998-99, Reynolds guided Wingate to its first NCAA Tournament bid, as well as its first national ranking, and the Bulldogs closed that season with a 23-6 mark as Reynolds earned South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year honors.

As the top assistant coach at his alma mater, UNCGreensboro, from 1993-97, Reynolds helped the program to the 1996 Big South Championship and a bid to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, he served for four years as the top assistant at UNCWilmington, helping the Seahawks to Colonial Athletic Association Most Improved Team honors in 1992.

Reynolds began his coaching career at James Madison University in 1981, serving as a part-time assistant for a team which won 24 games and advanced to the NCAATournament in 1982. He went on to Division II power Randolph-Macon College, which reeled offthree straight NCAA Tournament appearances and earned a No. 4 national ranking in the final poll of 1984.

He logged one year as the head coach of North Carolina Wesleyan College in 1985-86, leading the program to a 21-7 mark andthe Dixie Conference

Burtschi,

Championship, before moving on to Winthrop College for four years. At Winthrop, he was directly involved in the team’s transition from Division II to Division I, and, in 1988, theschool captured the Big South Conference Championship.

Reynolds, originally from Mountain City, Tenn., is married to the former Janet Montgomery. 9

Jeff Reynolds’ Coaching Experience

Air Force, Head Coach 2007-

Air Force, Assistant Coach 2005-07

Tulane University, Assistant Coach 2000-04

Wingate College, Head Coach 1997-2000 61-27 Record

South Atlantic Conference Coach ofthe Year, 1998-99

UNC-Greensboro, Assistant Coach 1995-97

UNC-Wilmington, Assistant Coach 1990-94

Winthrop College, Assistant Coach 1986-90

North Carolina Wesleyan, Head Coach 1985-86 21-7 Record

Randolph-Macon College, Assistant Coach 1982-85

James Madison University, Assistant Coach 1981-82

Nwaelele share top honor at Men’s

Basketball Banquet

Seniors win Bob Spear Award for ’06-07 season

eniors Jacob Burtschi and Dan Nwaelele were awarded the top honor at the Air Force men’s basketball banquet, held at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel. They shared the Bob SpearAward, given to the student-athlete that is outstanding in all areas ofthe Academy—academics, athletics and militaryperformance. There is no higher honor for a men’s basketball player.

Burtschi, a forward from Chickasha, Okla., led the team in rebounding this season, averaging six boards per game and was second in scoring at 13.5 points per game. He earned second-team all-MWC honors this year and was also named to the all-district 13 second-team by the National Association ofBasketball Coaches. Burtschi leaves the program as AFA’s career leader with 125 games played. He is also the career steals leader with 196 steals and is 10th on the career scoring list with 1,205 points.

Nwaelele led the team in scoring in ’06-07, averaging 14.3 points per game, and his 499 points were

By usafa Athletics

the most in one season by a Falcon since Otis Jones scored 670 during the 1994-95 campaign. A forward from Bothell, Wash., Nwaelele earned first-team all-MWC honors this year and was named to the all-district 13 first-team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He shot 51.6 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point this season and leaves the program No. 2 on the school’s career threepoint percentage list at 45.1 percent.

Senior Nick Welch and junior Tim Anderson shared the Falcon Award, given to the player that gives 100 percent regardless ofthe situation and his place on the team. Welch, who missed the entire 2005-06 season due to injury, scored 9.9 points and pulled down 3.5 rebounds per game this season. The senior center from Fort Worth, Texas, tied his career-high with 20 points vs. Utah on Feb. 14 and posted the only double-double ofhis career with 17 points and 10 rebounds against Wake Forest.

Anderson, meanwhile, led the Falcons with 62 steals, tying the second-highest total in one season in program history, and tied for the lead with 101 assists. A guard from El Paso, Texas, Anderson was an honorable mention all-MWC selection and will enter his senior campaign No. 3 on AFA’s career list for free-throw percentage at 84.7 percent.

Burtschi joined fellow seniors Matt McCraw and Ryan Teets in receiving the prestigious captains award for the ’06-07 season.

Air Force finished the season with a 26-9 overall record, the most wins in the 51-year history of the program. The Falcons finished in a tie for third place in the Mountain West Conference and advanced to the semifinals of the NIT. zk

Falcons claims pair of NCBA National Titles

Boxers finish second in the team Standings

By USAFA Athletics

Two members of the Air Force boxing team were crowned national champions as the Falcons wrapped up competition at the 2007 National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships on April 14, in Reno, Nev. Senior Ian Tuznik defended his national title, while sophomore Jesse Horton claimed his first.

The Falcons entered the final night of competition in third place, with three boxers contending in the national finals.

Senior Willie Lloyd, four-time Wing Open champion and two-time national champion, opened the competition at 112 pounds, but was unable to claim his third straight national title as the judges awarded the bout to Army’s Mike Benedosso in a controversial decision. Lloyd and Benedosso traded punches in the opening rounds, but Lloyd seemed to gain the advantage as the bout wore on.

Horton claimed his first national title at 119 pounds by decisioningArmy’s Matt Longo. Even before the first bell tolled, Horton had a look ofdetermination in his eye. Using strong punches and relentless jabs, Horton kept pressure on Longo throughout the three two-minute rounds, giving the judges no other decision than to award Horton the bout.

Lor the second straight year, the Falcons were forced to wait until the night’s final bout—the heavyweight contest—to learn their fate, as that bout would determine the team’s finish, which could range from second to fourth.

Tuznik took the pressure in stride and wasted no time claiming his second national heavyweight title in a dominating referee-stopped-contest (second round) over Prince Brown of UNLV. Using several hard-hitting jabs, the focused Tuznik took the fight to Brown and never allowed his stockier opponent to find a rhythm. The referee was forced to call the bout in the second round when Tuznik caused three standing eight-counts in the second round.

A slim margin kept the Falcons from the national team title—the third straight year that scenario has occurred. Air Force combined for 27 points just shy offirst-time champion Lock Haven. For the second straight year, Air Force tied with service academy rival Army in points, but won the tie-breaker for second with two individual champions compared to Army’s one.

Air Force remains among the elite as it has never finished lower than second at the national titles.

In addition to its two national champions and one silver medalist, Air Force claimed four other NCBA All-Americans. Freshman Matt McPhail (125 pounds), sophomore Nicholas Goc (129), senior Joe Conrad (165) and juniorJohn Quinn (195) all claimed third-place honors following their finishes in last night’s semifinal round ofcompetition.

As a team, Air Force was also awarded a Sportsmanship Award for its community involvement through the annual “Fighting for a Cause” charity with the Wing Open Championships. Since 1984, the Air Force boxing team has donated more than $220,000 to worthwhile causes and families in need throughout Colorado Springs. R2

NCBA Championships

112-lbs.: Mike Benedosso (Army) dec. Willie Lloyd (Air Force)

119-lbs.: Jesse Horton (Air Force) dec. Matt Longo (Army)

Heavyweight: Ian Tuznik (Air Force) rsc-2 Prince Brown (UNLV)

The following procedures have been arranged by theAOG for graduates to play golf at the Academy’s EisenhowerGolf Course.

Graduates with military ID: Call (719) 3333456 for reservations. Reciprocal privileges are in effect for active-duty graduates who have annual memberships at otherAir Force courses. Green fees are $22. Golf cart fees are $11 per person.

l hree tampions Highlight

Final ay o championships

Korte sets new Academy, MWC meet record with a championship in the discus By usafa Athletics

Senior Olivia Korte (discus throw), junior Kevin Hawkins (800-meter run) and freshman Nick Frawley (pole vault) each picked up conference titles as the Air Force track and field team wrapped up competition at the Mountain West Conference Championships on Saturday, May 12, in San Diego, Calif. The Falcons picked up 10 all-conference honors, as the men and women finished third and seventh, respectively.

With a career-best 177 3”, Korte set a new Academy record as she won her first conference title in the discus. Topping her old program standard (173’3”) by nearly two feet, Korte also set a new MWC Championship meet record, edging out Colorado State graduate Loree Smith’s 2001 record of 1771”. Korte led the Falcons to a one-two finish, as freshman Sara Neubauer finished second with a career-best, NCAA Regional Qualifying Mark of 16011”, which is the second-best throw in Air Force history

Hawkins crossed the finish line of the 800-meter run in 1:50.66 to earn hissecond career conference title. Hawkins, who also won the 800-meter title at the indoor meet in February became the Falcons’ first outdoor champion in this event since 1994 and only the second in Academy history Classmate Calvin Glass bolstered the Falcons’ point total with a sixthplace time of 1:53.87.

With a NCAA Regional Qualifying Mark of 17’5 1/^”, Frawley claimed his first conference title. As the only non-BYU vaulter in the top five, Frawley out-distanced himselffrom the field by four inches. That mark, which is a career-best by over a foot, is the fourth-best height in Academy history Frawley is the Falcons’ first pole vault champion since Paul Gensic won it as a freshman at the 2002 MWC Championships.

As a team, the Falcons accounted for 146 points to finish third. BYU won its eighth straight title with 214 points. Colorado State (166) finished second, just 20 points ahead of third-place Air Force. TCU (123), Wyoming (88) and New Mexico (75) rounded out the field of competition. H§

Pounds, ’ 06 , wins second-straight NCAA javelin title

By USAFA Athletics

Lt. Dana Pounds, ’06, won her second-straight NCAA javelin title with a winning toss over 190 feet. The 2006 Female Field Event Athlete of the Year for the Mountain Region, Pounds broke the Academy, Mountain West Conference and MWC Championship-meet records with a toss of 195 feet, 8 inches, in winning her third straight conference title last spring.

A three-time All-America honoree, Pounds capped off a stellar career at the Academy in 2006, winning her second consecutive national championship title in the javelin after successfully defending her NCAA regional title. Pounds claimed her third consecutive Mountain West Conference title this past May with an Academy conference and championship-meet record throw of 195 8.” That throw was the best in the nation during the 2006 season, matched the best toss ever by an American-born collegian, was the second-best throw by any U.S. athlete and registered as the ninth-best throw in the world during 2006 Pounds was namedthe Female Field Event Athlete of the Year for the Mountain Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame honored Pounds as the state’s top female collegiate athlete in naming her as one of five Colorado Athletes of the Year. US

Air Force legend Jim Bowman to retire this summer

By USAFA Athletics

The Air Force Academy recently announced that Associate Athletics Director for Recruiting Support Jim Bowman has announced his retirement, effective this summer. Bowman will be leaving after 49 seasons at the Academy. Bowman first came to the Academy in 1958 as the head junior varsity football coach. He led the junior varsity for four years before taking over the freshman team. Bowman coached the freshmen until 1975 when he went back to the junior varsity head post. After the 1975 season, Bowman stepped down from coaching to devote his full duties to recruiting support.

In his five seasons as the junior varsity head coach, Bowman compiled a 24-4-1 record. His 1963 and 1975 teams went undefeated. In his 11 seasons as the freshman coach, Bowman led the squad to a 37-28 mark.

A 1951 graduate of Charlevoix High School in Michigan, Bowman won all-conference honors and received all-state mention as a center in 1950. After high school, Bowman attended the University ofMichigan where he graduated in 1956. Bowman played three years, lettering as a senior at center for the Wolverines.

Following graduation, Bowman entered the Air Force and completed pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas, in 1957. After earning his pilot’s wings, he attended B-47 transition school at McConnell AFB, Kansas.

Since his arrival at the Academy, Bowman has been a part of a coaching staffthat has led the Falcons to 17 postseason bowl games. He has served as associate athletic director since 1964. His extensive experience in all phases of intercollegiate athletics has helped him contribute immensely to one of the most successful programs in the country. He is an honorary member ofthe Academy Association ofGraduates and a lifetime member of the American Football Coaches Association. In 2001, Bowman was inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame as part ofthe 1958 Cotton Bowl team.

I have enjoyed working for and with so many great people,” Bowman said. “It has been a privilege and honor to have been part ofthis great program.” 19

Sagastume announces retirement

One of 25 coaches in Division I history with 300 career wins

By USAFA Athletics

ir Force men’s soccer coach Lou Sagastume has announced his retirement, ending over a quarter-century at the Air Force Academy. Sagastume, the “father” ofFalcon soccer, built Air Force into one of the most respected programs in the nation during his 28 seasons as head coach at the Academy.

Sagastume compiled a 282-188-43 record in his 28 seasons at Air Force and an overall record of303-195-43 in 30 seasons. During the 2006 season, hebecame the 25th coach in Division I history to reach the 300-win plateau. Teams under his guidance were responsible for 14 ofthe 16 double-digit win seasons in Academy history, nine of23 conference championships and four of the programs’ 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.

“It has been an honor for me to coach at the Air Force Academy,” said Sagastume. “As much as I have enjoyed the 28 years at this wonderful institution, it is time for me to move on and let someone else continue the progress of the men’s soccer program.”

His building of the Academy program did not go unnoticed by his peers, as Sagastume was twice named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Coach of the Year, including sharing the award in 2006 with Jeremy Fishbein of New Mexico and Chad Ashton of Denver. He also earned Midwest Region (Division I) Coach of the Year twice and was named Coach of the Year in the Rocky Mountain Intercol

legiate Soccer League (RMISL) andthe Far West Conference.

“Coach Sagastume leaves an impressive legacy for Air Force soccer,” said Colonel BillyWalker, Deputy Director ofAthletics. “Lou has developed great teams, great players, and great young men. More importantly, however, is that he has developed tremendous leaders ofcharacter who have gone on to do wonderful things for our Air Force and the nation. He will be very difficult to replace.”

In 1993, Sagastume was named the MPSF Coach of the Year as he guided the Falcons to their best season ever. Air Force posted a 15-5-1 record, won the MPSF’s Mountain Division and advanced to the Final Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Included in that tournament run was a 2-1, four-overtime win at No. 1 Creighton. The game, played in sub-zero weather and a driving snow storm, remains one of the biggest upsets in Division I soccer history. 8

Walsh Wins MWC Decathlon

Senior

becomes the

Academy’s

first decathlon

champion in 10 years. By usafa Athletics

Senior Brian Walsh claimed hissecond conference multi-event championship in as many years, as he won the decathlon at the Mountain West Conference Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 10, in San Diego. With 7,321 points, Walsh became the Falcons’ first decathlon champion ofthe MWC era. Walsh entered the day in first and maintained the overall lead following a second-place time of 15.14 in the 110-meter hurdles. A fourth-place discus throw of 117’11” caused Walsh to slip to second in the overall standings by just one point. With a career-best 15’5” to take first in the pole vault, Walsh regained the lead and never looked back. With second-place marks of 160’8” in the javelin and 4:44.81 in the

1500-meter dash, the league’s 2006 heptathlon champion took the 2007 decathlon title.

Walsh’s point total, just 13 points shy ofhis career best, is another NCAA Provisional Total and the third-best outing ever at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Walsh becomes the Falcons’ first decathlon champion ofthe MWC era and the first overall since 1997, when former Air Force great Marcus Nichols claimed his title at the WAC Championships. 8

Marathon Club overcomes weather at Boston

By C2C Jesse Mortensen

Despite the intimidating weather ofthe Nor’easter on April 16, eight members ofthe Air Force Academy marathon club trumped the elements and completed the 111 th running ofthe Boston Marathon. In these less than ideal conditions, four ofthe members ran their personal best times and seven ofthe eight re-qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2008. Successfullycompleting the marathon were Cadets First Class Bennet Krawchuk and Craig Geiser, Cadets Second Class Joe Robinson, Jake Hall, Chris Stover, Michael Fieharty, and Jesse Mortensen, and Cadet Third Class Greg Rettler.

Disregarding the formidable challenge ofcompleting the Boston Marathon race, the obstacles to simply reach the marathon were numerous. The course itselfis legendary, with a constant increase in elevation through miles 16-21, culminating with the infamous “heartbreak hill.” The Boston Marathon is different than the average marathon because each participant must achieve a specific qualifying time in a marathon before being allowed to enter the Boston Marathon. Each ofthese cadets had to previously run a marathon in 3 hours 10 minutes, a pace of 7:15/mile, or a 10:52 time for the 1.5 mile run. Training for the

Boston Marathon requires an average of 1-2 hours per day during the school week, with up to 20 mile long runs on the weekends. In addition to the already demanding schedule, the extra time for training requires great dedication, and the cadets must complete their training without missing any ofthe mandatory military duties during the week or on the weekends.

The Air Force Academy cadet marathon club has been growing since its establishment in 2002, and has big plans for the future. At the Boston Marathon, USAFA cadets competed against cadets from West Point and Annapolis, finishing 3rd to both ofthese teams. Failing to defeat West Point and Annapolis is hard for any ofthe runners to stomach, so the cadets are transforming their approach. With the returning six cadets, the team will be established as a competitive team of runners competing in races throughout the year culminating with a marathon each semester. With this increasing strength, the Air Force Academy cadet marathon team is looking to establish the Boston Marathon as the annual Service Academy marathon team championship.

Eight members ofthe Cadet Wing is the highest number that has qualified for the Boston Marathon in the history ofthe club, and they have recorded the fastest times as well. Each ofthese cadets gave unprecedented time and focus to this pursuit and has been a great example ofthe Air Force Academy and the USAFA Marathon Club. With a bright future ahead, the Marathon Club looks to grow and excel through competing for the Air Force Academy and the Air Force. R

Academy salutes DeBerry’s legacy

Tribute, parade and dinner honor 23-year head coachinglegend

By USAFA Athletics

Air Force Academy cadets and leaders recognized the contributions and achievements offormer football coach Fisher DeBerry during a parade in the cadet area and a dinner at the Broadmoor Hotel.

DeBerry served as football headcoach for 23 years and spend 27 overall at the Academy. His leadership developed thousands of cadets into officers of character, now leading the Air Force andthe country.

During the parade, Coach DeBerry was presented the Outstanding Educator Award. The award recognizes educators for their superior teachingaccomplishments and a demonstrated ability to instill high standards ofintegrity, service, and leadership in Air Force future officers.

At the tribute dinner, Coach DeBerry was presented the Exceptional Civilian Service Award by the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne; the Malham M. Wakin Character Development Award; a Senate Resolution presented by Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colo.); and a Congressional Resolution presented by Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.). In addition, several other presentations were made by former players and staff members.

The Distinguished Personal Service Award is presented for exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance ofoutstanding service to the U.S. Air Force.

The Mai Wakin Character Award is presented to cadets or personnel assigned to the Academy who have made significant contributions to cadet character development. Senate and Congressional Resolutions are presented after a member ofthe House or Senate recognizes an individual on the floor ofthe respective chamber.Fisher DeBerry’s record stands alone at Air Force and stands up against the best in the nation. He led 17 ofhis 23 teams to winning records and 12 captured a bowl bid, posting a 6-6 record. His career record of 169-109-1 is the best in school history in terms ofgames won and winning percentage. He is also the winningest service academy football coach ofall-time.

He coached the Falcons to three conference championships. The team won a share ofthe Western Athletic Conference championship in 1985, his second season, and again in 1995. In 1998, DeBerry guided the team to its first outright title with the WAC Mountain Division championship and a win over Brigham Young in the title game in Las Vegas. He was named WAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. The 1998 team’s 12-1 record completed the first back-toback 10-win seasons in school history following a 10-3 campaign the previous year. The 1998 squad finished the season ranked 10th nationally. &

Formerfootballcoach Fisher DeBerryspeaks at his tribute dinner. (Photo bv Dannv Mever)

Serratore savors 1st NCAA berth

Coach awaits opener in Denver vs. Gophers

Air Force coach Frank Serratore’s cell phone has been buzzing with calls and text messages ofcongratulations from fellow hockey coaches and academy alumni.

In his 10th season with the Falcons, the longtime coach earned his first invitation to the NCAATournament and the first for Air Force, which he referred to as the “hometown Cinderella.”

“It’s crazy, I couldn’t get out of my office,” said Serratore, whose team earned an automatic NCAA berth by winning the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament. “My phone’s ringing off the hook.” Ifthe Falcons win, they will meet the winner of the other semifinal—between No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 3 seed North Dakota—at 4 p.m. Sunday with a trip to the Frozen Four in St. Louis on the line.

AND NEITHER DO WE.

You lead two lives. And each one demands 100% from you. So you need someone fighting for you on the issues that countpay, health insurance, benefits. Rest easy. MOAA has been championing the interests of officers and their families for 75 years.

MOAA fights for you in Washington and provides a host of vital resources and benefits that serve the needs of officers and their families. But to remain strong, we

By Kate Crandall

The Falcons knocked off top seed Sacred Heart on Friday and extended their winning streak to six games with a 6-1 win over Army in the final to earn the NCAA berth.

Serratore elected to start freshman goaltender Andrew Volkening—who had played in only eight games—in the championship game.

“This is high-stakes poker,” said Serratore, who credited assistant Mike Corbett for suggesting the switch. “We’re playing to go the NCAA Tournament. We re playing against a fellow service academy in a historic game, where whoever wins is going to have huge, unbelievable bragging rights for a long time. There’s so many pressures on that game.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and made some tough decisions. There was none tougher than that.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to get this kind of recognition for our program as a whole,” said sophomore Mike Phillipich, who was voted the Most Outstanding Player in the AHA Tournament after he recorded two goals and three assists.

“I couldn’t imagine a better feeling than playing in the NCAA Tournament with the team we had this year.” Em

Alamo Chapter

The Chapter continues to give graduates networking opportunities with graduates from the other service academies at the monthly Business and Networking Meeting (BANG), held at Paesano’s restaurant in San Antonio on the fourth Tuesday of each month. All events are posted on the chapter Web site: www.alamoaog.org.

Arizona Chapter

The chapter will hold its annualJuly 4th Party at the home ofRon, 71, and Barb Marusiak. The Marusiak’s have again graciouslyagreed to hold thisannual fireworks/ dessert/beverages party at their house right on the Arizona Country Club golf course wherethe fireworks are set off. The party will start around 7:30 p.m. Address is 5742 East Orange Blossom, Phoenix. Please R.S.VP direedy to Barb Marusiak at (480) 949 - 5957

Los Angeles Chapter

The chapter has entered its third year with almost 50 members but we are always looking for more. The chapter is enthusiastic about supporting USAFA sports teams and clubs that visit the LA area and helping the local Academy Liaison Officers. Ifyour USAFA team/club is going to be in the area, contact Inga Coupe, ’91, at inga@coupeware.com

and we’ll lend a hand or at least a hometown crowd. Local Academy Liaison Officers can contact Will Cosby, 75, at wcosby@socal. rr.com. Our chapter will soon replace its initial board members. Join us during this exciting time in chapter growth and for ffiture events ofcamaraderie and community support. Any motivatedalum is eligible for board membership whether you are a chapter veteran or new to theclub. One of our newest members is the commander ofSpace and Missile Systems Center, Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, 72. The general will be hosting an informal alumni social late this summer. For more on the chapter, check out the chapter Web site at www.lausafaaog.com or contact a current board member, Joe Facenda, 75, Will Cosby, 75, Roger Smith, ’62, Inga Lisa Coupe, ’91, Jason Spindler, ’04, Nate Vosters, ’02, and John Cole, ’93.

Northern California

The Northern California AOG is supporting the incoming California USAFA candidates by sending alumni to the Doolie Send-Off Dinner in June. We are also looking forward to an event towards the end of summer. So, watch your e-mail for announcements. Ifyou have an idea for an event or want to help, please contact Susan at oisusan@yahoo.com.

Rampart Chapter

The chapter is looking for volunteers to greet members of the Class of 2011 as they arrive at the Colorado Springs airport on June 28. Volunteers will work twohour shifts from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and help new appointees find their Bed and Breakfast hosts, get to hotels, etc. Ifyou are interested in assisting, please contact John Fal, ’66, at 277-4362 or 481-2170.

GOAL 1

Celebrate Academy Heritage AFA Society of DC

We attracted over 50 members and guests for our 2007 Founders Day celebration at Maggiano’s Little Italy. Members from the 50s to the 90s graduating classes got to know each other with the help of an aeronautical who’s who game designed by Holly Svetz, ’80. TerryWeimer, 73, President of the AFASW, introduced our speaker General Hansford T. (HT) Johnson, ’59, who described his USAFA experience and its effects on his extensive military and public service. The Society continues to bring business oriented programs to its members. If you are looking to network with entrepreneurial graduates check out our Web site at www.afasw.org

Alamo Chapter

70 people (35 graduates and their guests) celebrated the annual Founders Day with a dinner dance at the Petroleum Club on April 7.

Atlanta Chapter

A group of the Atlanta faithful gathered for dinner on May 5, to get an update on

At the Alamo Chapter Founders Day event are (L to R) Frank and Nancy Kudla, ’80, Guest Speaker Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, ’80, ChapterVice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mark Anderson, ’61, Chapter President Brig. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot, ’82, and ChapterSecretary Copernicus Guerra, ’94.

Scott Steere, ’93, Elaine Grizzle, Capt. Uriah Orland, ’02.

the Academy from Capt. Uriah Orland, 02 Deputy Chief, Academy Media Relations. Capt. Orland—knowledgeable, informative and a terrific sense of humor-was a huge hit with the group.

Middle Tennessee Chapter

The Chapter celebrated Founders Day with an evening at the Vanderbilt University Club in Nashville, on April 13; Brig. Gen. Dana Bom, ’83, Dean ofFaculty was our guest speaker. A great time was had by all who were able to catch up with each other and hear

what was currently happening at the Academy. The chapter invites all area graduates to get involved in future events.

North Texas Association

Association members braved the severe weather on April 13 to have another great time at the Annual Founders Day Dinner and Dance at Las Colinas Country Club.

are Lev Prichard, ’89, in his second term as President, Mike McGinnis, ’76, Vice President, Chris Blue, ’90, Treasurer, and newly-elected Harry Icke, ’66, Secretary. Kirk Bell,’76, and John Visser, ’77, rounded out the slate as directors. Also discussed and approved were maintenance changes to the NTAAFAG Constitution, and plans for the AF vs TCU Basketball Game and pre-game gathering at Chili’s. We had a great turn-out at both events at TCU the following day—too bad the AF Basketball team didn’t meet the expectations we were counting on.

GOALS

Interact with other service academy graduates.

Alamo Chapter

The Alamo Chapter gave back to the community by participating in a Habitat for Humanity build on June 9. On June 16, it was time for some fun with the chapter’s annual picnic at the Randolph AFB Canyon Lake Recreation Area.

Arizona Chapter Doug, ’74, and Carol Pelton invited our chapter to their third annual pig roast on May 4. This continues to be a fun-filled and relaxing event for our chapter.

North Texas Association

The association had their annual business meeting in conjunction with the monthly luncheon Feb 23. Board officers for 2007

North Texas Association-(above) Disappointed faces of AF supporters at the AF vs. TCU basketball game. (Lto R) Mike Giles,’67, Art Johnson,’63, BJ Bjorklund,’70, Bob Chambers,

John Visser, 77, Harry Icke, ’66. (Not shown Mike McGinnis,

AFA Society of DC President ofthe AFASW, Terry Weimer, 73, (left), introduces our speaker General (Ret.) Hansford T. (HT) Johnson, ’59.

Those attendingthe latestAtlanta Chapterevent (left to right): Dr. Mary Kay Murphy, Dr. Jo Zurbrugg, Mike Murphy,esq., ‘59, Jerry, ’59, and Holley McDonald, RickZurbrugg, '65, Ken Grizzle, ’63,

70. (Below) Board officers for 2007 (Lto R) Chris Blue, ’90, Lev Prichard, ’89, Kirk Bell, 76,

76)

Brig. Gen. Dana Born, ’83 (left), with Middle Tennessee Chapter members.

(Lto R) Kathleen and Rick Grandjean,’69, David and NancyGroves, 78, Bob and Jane Pavalko, ’68 atthe North Texas Association Founders Day Dinner.

Arizona Chapter Members showing up in force for the Pelton-hosted Pig Roast.

Chapter Goals continued

GOAL 7

Support the needs and objectives ofthe Academy.

Rampart Chapter

The chapter has voted to support, on a trial basis, the Individual Awards Ceremony by sponsoring the Outstanding Boxer Award. The chapter paid for the award and sent a representative to present it during this year’s ceremony. During the next Chapter General Membership Meeting, the board plans to solicit support from the members to continue supporting this award in the future. This is an opportunity to not only recognize an outstanding cadet, but to show AOG and chapter involvement and support for USAFA and cadets, and to get AOG and chapter “face” time.

Affinity

AcademyWomen

Mark your calendars to attend the AcademyWomen Fourth Annual Symposium to be held at the Womens Memorial in Arlington, Va., on October 26-28. The entire day Friday will be devoted to career development with professional coaches facilitating workshops and offering insights on topics ranging from interviewing skills to strategic networking. Representatives from a wide range ofcompanies will be present also. Saturday and Sunday will be inspirational and informative with panels, keynote speakers and workshops on a wide range oftopics including women at war, finding your true north and leadership. Registration is open at www.academywomen.org.

Silver Falcons

Mark your calendars for the weekend of Oct. 17—21 for the annual Silver Falcon Convention. This year’s convention is special since we will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the ALO program. If you have any ideas for this year’s special agenda, please contact Kirk at ltckirkbrown@juno.com or 2539 Craycroft Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1423. The Falcons will be playing the Cowboys ofWyoming that weekend at Falcon Stadium. In the fall

edition of Checkpoints lookfor a possible article marking the 50th Anniversary of the ALO program. No news from the field this time. If you have news you want to share with the rest of the members, please send it to Ruth or Kirk. Look for more details aboutthis year’s convention in the next issue of Checkpoints. Have a great Air Force day!

Space Group

The past few months have been an especially exciting time for space-related activities at the Academy, and for the AOG Space Group. With FalconSAT-3 going fully operational after resolving a few technical problems and preparations for FalconLAUNCH V underway, the Academy and the graduate community are getting significant space operational experience. Moreover, work on FalconSATs-4 and -5 is providing a strong basis ofengineering expertise for the wing. USAFA grads have helped bring these programs along.

National awareness of the importance of space operations and the contribution of space capabilities to national security continues to grow. Members of the Space Group heard reports on USAFA space activities at the National Space Symposium, held in the Springs in April, and participated at the Academy’s Forum on Space and Defense Studies, conducted by the USAFA Center for Space and Defense Studies earlier this year. Both these events

highlighted new space expertise at the Academy. In addition, cadets participated in the Space Grant Symposium in Boulder and won several awards. The Space Group continues to support and encourage cadet participation in such activities.

Communication among spaceinterested grads continues to improve. ZoomieNation has been one path that has significantly increased the level of interaction between the Space Group andthe faculty. Astro Department head Col Marty France, ’81, has been especially active in promoting stronger ties with the graduate community through this link. We are also continuing to develop joint activities with other AOG chapters.

The Space Group wants to offer our sincere thanks to Tina Visco, ’92, for her long service to the group as secretary. Her continuous effortsheld the group together and provided the hub for communications among our virtual chapter. Tina’s role has been taken by Lawrence Cooper, ’86, and we thank him in advance for helping find new ways to make the Space Group even more successful. One potential project is improvement to the Group’s Web site usafaspace.tripod.com. Please check it out for more information about our activities and plans, as well as for information about how to join this effort to promote and strengthen space-related activities at the Academy. Stan Rosen, ’69.

SACC is the Service Academy Career Conference—a career fair hosted three times annually (soon to be four) and exclusive to alumni of the five service academies. SACC is designed to match our alumni with employers interested in hiring service academy alumni. Current SACC venues are Washington D.C., San Diego, CA and Austin, TX. Future SACC will be held in the Southeast early in 2008.

Alumni

Search for Jobs JSAJE (Joint Service Academy Jobs Electronically) is an exclusive job Web site designed for service academy alumni. JSAJE allows you to browse through job listings and contact employers. JSAJE also contains a resume repository for those graduates who are in an active transition mode and a job retriever for those who prefer to remain in a passive mode.

Employer

Post Jobs JSAJE is also an exclusive job Web site designed for companies in corporate America to advertise their career opportunities directly to service academy alumni. In addition to the job posting function, companies may also purchase access to a repository of resumes of those graduates who are in an active transition mode.

iSABRD is the online Service Academy Business Resource Directory and is a great tool to network with other academy alumni. With over 34,000 active profiles of service academy alumni from USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, and USNA, it is an excellent resource for advertising, career networking, and building business connections with fellow alumni. iSABRD can be searched by name, academy, graduation year, city, state, zip code, country, company name, business type and keyword.

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William M. Brandt '65

Willi am Marlin Brandt, Class of 1965, passed away on Thursday, April 12th at his home in Hobe Sound, Fla. He was 64 years old. He is survived by his beloved Doris Ann Becker of Philadelphia, Pa.; his father, Marlin Booser Brandt ofVero Beach, Fla.; his son William Marlin Brandt, Jr. of Oakton, Va.; and his daughter Amy Brandt Adelhelm of Limerick, Pa.

He is also survived by his brother Robert Brandt, and his sister Bonnie Wilson Jones, both of Punta Gorda, Fla.; andhis four grandchildren: Jack and Georgia Brandt ofOakton,Va.; and Jason and Julia Adelhelm of Limerick, Pa. He was predeceased by his mother, Mary Elizabeth (MacFarland) Brandt, of Norristown, Pa.

A retired commercial airline pilot, he started flying in 1965 after his graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He retired 35 years later with over 20,000 hours flown. This total inBill Brandt eluded over 700 hours of combat time when he flew in the Vietnam War from August 1968 until August 1969. For those combat missions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and five Air Medals.

In 1970, he was hired by Eastern Airlines and flew with them until they went out of business in January 1991. He was trained by Eastern Airlines as a captain to fly the Boeing 727 and the Airbus A300, the two aircraft he flew from 1970 until his retirement in 2000. From 1991 to

Fifth Academy Commandant Dies at Age 86

Louis T. “Ted” Seith, 86, the fifth Commandant of the Air Force Academy, died March 6, 2007 at the Falcons Landing retirement community in Sterling, Va. after several strokes. He was a four-star Air Force general and highly decorated combat veteran who retired in 1977 as chief of staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Gen. Seith flew 52 combat missions over Europe during World War II. In the 1960s, he became the No. 2 leader at the Air Force Academy in Colorado and was a leadingfigure in the air war against the North Vietnamese. He was chief of staff at SHAPE, headquartered in Belgium, from 1974 until he retired.

He settled in the Washington area and spent about 15 years as executive director of the Air Force Aid Society, a charitable organization. Louis Theodore Seith was born in Quincy, Mass., and raised in San Diego. His father served in the Army Medical Corps.

He graduated from Brown MilitaryAcademy in Pacific Beach, Calif, in 1938 and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. in January 1943. He played varsity football and attended flying school at West Point. He joined the Army Air Forces upon graduation and trained in flying B-17s. He became group commander of a bomber squadron in the 483d Bombardment Group and participated in campaigns throughout Italy, France and elsewhere in Southern Europe. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the highest award for

For more current information about graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org

i i r it ^

but not foraotten

2000, he was the captain of an Airbus A300 that flew all over the world. He flew in Egypt, Turkey, Great Britain and all of Europe as well as the Caribbean, South America, Australia and Indonesia.

A celebration of his life was held at his Hobe Sound, Florida home for family and friends on Saturday, May 19th Please contact the family for further details. (William M. Brandt, Jr. and family)

WalterL. Visinsky,Jr., *67

Col. (Ret) Walter L.Visinsky, Jr. died on Feb. 3,2007 in Aurora, Colo. Born in Houston, Texas, Sept. 17, 1945, Walt grew up with his six brothers and sisters. During his youth, he was involved in sports, his church, and was valedictorian at St. Thomas High School.

He graduated from the Air ForceAcademy in 1967 and married Linda Gerace that same year. Throughout his life, Walt extended his education with numerous degrees, including a master’s from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Texas. His daughter Monica was born in 1968 and daughter Jessica in 1976. He continued his love of baseball by coaching a team at SHAPE, Belgium and leading them to a w h\r lr European Championship in 1979. a lsmsky

Walt spent 26 years in the Air Force retiring as a colonel in 1993. In 1997 he went to work for Boeing and

valor after the Medal of Honor, for leading a successful mission to destroy an airdrome and installations at Memmingen, Germany, in July 1944. More than 200 Nazi fighters reportedly attacked Gen. Seith and his formation of 26 “Flying Fortress” heavy bombers. Fourteen of his planes were shot down as they destroyed 65 of the attacking fighters, according to an Associated Press dispatch.

During the Korean War, he served in the Far East Air Forces and participated in reconnaissance work before becoming director of fighter bomber operations.

He graduated from the National War College in 1961 and held a series of command positions before serving as commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy from 1965 to 1967.

He went to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and served successively as chief of staff for the 7th Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Airfield in Vietnam; deputy commander of the 7th Air Force and 13th Air Force; commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Group in Thailand; and chief of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group in Thailand.

General Seith

In the early 1970s, he held ranking positions with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington. Besides the Distinguished Service Cross, his decorations included three awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross andfive awards of the Air Medal.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Marjorie Easterly Seith of Falcons Landing; two children, retired Air Force Col. James Seith of Annandale and Susan Compton of Woodbridge; five grandchildren; andthree great-granddaughters. (Reprinted from the March 9, 2007 issue ofthe Washington Post.)

was still with them when he passed away.

A loving husband, Walt was also a supportive father with a unique sense of humor and great intellect. He could beat anyone at Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble and lovedcrossword puzzles and Sudoko. His generosity was abundant andextended to many charities, hisalma maters, and others in need. He was an excellent leader, hard working and committed to his job andhis people. He was loved dearly by his family and friends and will be sorely missed.

Walt is survived by his wife, Linda; daughters Monica and Jessica; siblings John, Susan, Marianne, Bill and Jean; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Agnes Mae; father, Walter Sr.; and sister Cathy. A graveside service was held on Feb. 2,2007 at the Air Force Academy (Reprinted from a newspaper article andinformation provided byhis wife, Linda.)

Jonathan G. Rand, ’68

On the 13th of January 2007, Jonathan G. Rand, husband, father, grandfather and friend made his final flight. A memorial service for Jon was held on the 19th of January at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Sun City, Calif. Jon was buried in the Riverside National Cemetery with full military honors. He is survived by his wife, Donna; his mother, a brother, six children, and a grandson.

Jon was born in Detroit, Mich, on the 20th of October 1945 to Ruth and Leonard Rand. His father was a civilian employee of the US Army, and, as a result, Jon attended high school at Camp Zama, Japan. In the fall of 1963, he started his college education at the University of Colorado/Boulder.Although having the time of his life as a Sigma Chi brother, Jon’s ultimate goal was to serve his country in the United States Air Force.

So on the 29th of June 1964, he gathered with 1,015 other young men to enter the Air Force Academy as the Class of 1968. Jon was a model cadet, making theCommandant’s List every semester. More importantly, however, he was affable, easy going, and generous with his time. He was popular among his classmates and made a name for himself as the banjo player in a Kingston Trio look-a-like group called The Third Edition that wowed large audiences on many occasions. When he wasn’t playing his banjo or “hitting the books”, Jon played water polo on the varsity team and enjoyed his Alpha Romeo sports car.

After graduation and commissioning as a second lieutenant, Jon entered pilot training at Moody AFB, Ga. Next came B-52 transition training and assignment to Loring AFB, Maine. He arrived at his new base at the height of the war in Southeast Asia and subsequently spent half his time in Thailand and Guam, flying missions around the clock. Although he upgraded to aircraftcommander in minimum time and was on his way to a very successful Air Force career, he had something totally different in mind.

In June 1973 he left the Air Force and enrolled in Brigham Young University. While there, he earned a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. During the next two decades, he devoted his life to the practice of naturopathy and the promotion of its efficacy and earned his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine.

Jon was an outstanding public speaker and spent his last years addressing large audiences at meeting and conferences throughout the world. At the time of his passing, Jon was serving as the Vice President for Facilitation, Partners in Leadership. Jon touched many lives in a profound and positive manner and will be sorely missed by all. The winds on his final flight were surely favorable. (Michael Thrower, ’68)

William R Witt, ’70

Bill Witt and his daughter Sarah, 21, passed away in an automobile accident in northwest New Mexico on Dec. 27, 2006. Born and raised in Illinois, Bill graduated from East Peoria High School in 1966 before the Class of ’70 came together on that traumatic day in June. The next four years were somewhat less traumatic for Bill than others of us, as his intellectual prowess kept the Dean comfortably in his pocket.

After Maintenance Officer schooling and a tour in Thailand maintaining 0-2s, Bill settled in at AFIT and emerged with a Master’s and PhD. His subsequent engineering career began with a tour as an Astro instructor at USAFA. Bill spent most of his Air Force career involved with the Strategic Defense Initiative and its offshoots at the Air Force Weapons Lab in New Mexico and at the Pentagon. He was an engineer’s engineer who was particularly motivated by the phrase “that probably won’t work”.

Bill

After his retirement from the Air Force in 1990, Bill’s services were in demand in the engineering community, most particularly in his field of space-based and airborne aiming platforms. He worked briefly for Mercer University Engineering Lab in Macon, Ga. before coming to work for what became Boeing-SVS in Albuquerque, then Los Angeles, then Albuquerque again, where he worked alongside his number two son, Chris, until his death.

Bill rescued his future wife, Pamela, from a life as a Drama major at DU. They married six months after graduation. In the early years of their marriage, Bill and Pam became active and enthusiastic members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While living in Macon, Bill served as Bishop of his Ward.

Bill’s true mission and first priority in life was his family. His devotion and love forthem is reflected in the fine young people they have become. His number one son is Bill (William P. IV), who has provided two grandchildren, Samantha and William P. V. Number two is Chris (Christian). Chris’s daughter Lily was born after Bill and Sarah’s death. Bill was buried with military honors alongside his beloved daughter in Albuquerque. (Steve Passmore, ’70)

JamesE. Arnold, ’78

On March 1 st 2007, a member ofthe Class of 1978, and my best friend, reached out his hand for the last time, and truly touched the face of God. On that day, James E. Arnold, Major USAF (Ret), went home to be with his Lord.

Jim was born in Havre De Grace, Maryland. The only son of a retired Navy CPO, Jim had a passion for the military, and in 1974 received an appointment to the Academy to pursue a career. Those of us who knew Jim as a Doolieremember a tall skinny kid who loved oldrock and roll music and always seemed more at home with his feet on the desk and book in his hands than on the athletic fields or in the cockpit. When it came to memorizing Fourthclass knowledge and military history, Jim was like a sponge. His grasp of military trivia was spotlighted by his endless explanations of whose birthday or anniversary corresponded with which date in military history. Politicsand military history were hobbies more than studies for Jim, and he graduated with a BS in International Affairs and Political Science.

Shortly after graduation, Jim lost his medical qualifications for UPT.

Jon Rand

and Sarah Witt

While this situation was a career changer for some of us, Jim took the setback in stride. With Jim, it wasn’t about being a pilot; it was about being a ’78 graduate of the Academy and a commissioned officer in the Air Force. Jim was reassigned to the computer ops branch at Edwards Flight Test Center. In 1981, Jim left Edwards to attend the National Law Center at George Washington University. While in law school, Jim hit another career setback when he developed medical problems that stole his sight, stopped his academic progress, and forced his placement on the Disabled Retired List. Jim eventually regained his sight and finished law school in February of 1985. Once again with Jim, it wasn’t about being an attorney; it was about being an officer in the Air Force. Jim used his legal education to fight the Air Force “Powers That Be” to regain his career. He was reinstated to active duty on Dec. 24,1985. Following reinstatement, Jim served as a JAG officer in Illinois, California, Germany, and Washington D.C. Jim retired from active duty on July 1, 1996, 22 years to the day after entering the Academy.

Jim’s passion for the Academy and the military kept him involved with the Academy andthe Class of 1978 through the years. Twice Jim was our acting scribe, keeping us informed on all the changes and movements of our classmates through his letters in Checkpoints. Jim also coordinated the memorial ceremony for our 25-year reunion. Jim was a great storyteller with a unique sense of humor and just an occasional touch of sarcasm. I remember Jim as a man of honor and integrity, someone who was always there when I needed a friend.

Jim leaves behind Julie, his wife of 21 years, and their two sons: James, 18, and Joseph, 15; as well as his sister Linda and two nieces. Allof us who were touched by Jim will miss his stories, his passion for his country and those who protect it, and his genuine love for his family andthe Lord. (Julie Arnold and Mike Skolaut, ’78)

§§§ Atpresstime wehadlearnedofthedeathsofthefollowinggraduates:

{Mr. Ira J. Moore, Jr., Class of 1965, who died on Feb. 11,2007 of cancer in Nevada.

Mr. James P. Lyons, Class of 1968, who died on Nov. 25,2006 of cancerinPunxsutawney, Pa.

Mr. Carl H. Richardson, Class of1968, who died on Jan. 5,2006 of a stroke.

Mr. CharlesW. “Bill” Head, Class of 1969, who died onApril22, 2007 ofcancer inHobe Sound, Fla.

Lt. Col. (Ret) MiltonP “Sandy”Kudlac, Class of1969, who died on March9,2007 in Parker, Colo.

Lt Col. (Ret) CarlJ. Bang,Jr., Class of1970, who died on May25, 2007oflymphomain Colorado Springs.

Col. (Ret) RichardW. Bonnell, Classof1970,who died onApril20, 2007in a motorcycleaccidentinTexas.

Maj. (Ret) PorterE. Nelson, Class of 1972, who died on June 11, 2006 in Lubbock, Texas.

Capt. (Ret) MartyTatum, Class of1987, who died on April27,2007 ofcancer in PortArthur, Texas.

Our sincere condolences to thefamilyandfriends ofthesegraduates.

For more current informationabout graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org.

MortuaryAffairs Provides List of Academy Cemetery Eligibles

Subparagraphs 1.1. through 1.12., HQ UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

ACADEMY INSTRUCTION 34-242, 8 MARCH 2006, Services, USING THE USAF ACADEMY CEMETERY list those peopleeligible; however, certain general conditions apply. First, all authorized military personnel must have discharges under honorable conditions (this also applies to graduates). Second, Academy authorities will not normally approve requests to inter individuals not authorized below. However, the 10th Air Base Wing Commander, (10 ABW/CC) can disapprove a request for an exception, but only the Superintendent can approve such an exception.

1.1. USAF Academy cadets.

1.2. Air Force military personnel assigned to the USAF Academy or to tenant units at the Academy at the time of their deaths. This does not include non-Academy personnel who are assigned on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to the Academy Patient Squadron

Section of the USAF Academy Hospital.

1.3. USAF Academy graduates. NOTE: Only the Superintendent may disapprove a request to inter a USAFA graduate in the Academy cemetery.

1.4. All active duty and retired USAF generals and lieutenant generals.

1.5. Former Superintendents, Vice Superintendents, Commandants of Cadets, Deans of the Faculty, Directors of Staff (formerly Chiefs of Staff), appointed Directors of Admissions, Directors of Athletics, Permanent Professors, Sequential Tour Faculty Officers (formerly Continuous Tour Staff Officers), Tenured Faculty Officers, Preparatory School Commanders, Air Base Wing Commanders, andAcademy CommandChief Master Sergeants.

1.6. Original cadre Air Force personnel assigned to the USAF Academy between 11 July 1955 and 10 September 1957.

1.7. USAF cross-commissioned officer graduates of West Point or Annapolis who have retired with at least 20 years of uniformed service.

1.8. Air Force Academy Board ofVisitors members with prior distinguished military service.

1.9. All Medal of Honor recipients regardless of branch of service.

1.10. All Air Force Cross recipients.

1.11. Former CMSgts performing as Cadet Wing Sergeant Majors who held the position during 1972-1996.

1.12. Eligible relatives of a service-connected sponsor listed in paragraphs 1.2. through 1.11. who are interred or eligible to be interred in the Academy cemetery. The Academy cemetery inters eligible relatives who die before their service-connected sponsor only if the sponsor signs an agreement saying he or she wants to be interred in the Academy cemetery. These eligible relatives are as follows:

1.12.1. A wife or husband.

1.12.2. A remarried widow or widower.

1.12.3. Dependent unmarriedchildren under the age of 23.

1.12.4. A dependent unmarried adult, defined as one whom at the time of death was over 21 years of age, incapable of self-support due to physical or mental condition, and who meets any of the following conditions:

1.12.4.1. Received more than one-half of his or her support from the service-connected parent.

1.12.4.2. If the service-connected parent is deceased and interred in the Academy cemetery, was receiving more than one-half of his or her support from the widow or widower of the deceased service-connected parent.

1.12.4.3. Was receiving such support from some other source because of the prior death or inability of the parent or parents to provide such support.

(Anyone wishingfurtherinformation or clarification should write the USAFAcademyMortuaryAffairs Office at 10 SVS/SIMM, 9023Academy Drive, USAFAcademy CO 80840, or call DSN 333-3323 or commercial (719) 333-3323, or email: Janet.Edwards @usafa.af.mil)

Jim Arnold

85% Members

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On22-24 February, theAcademysponsoredthe 14th AnnualNationalCharacter andLeadership Symposium (NCLS) attended, as always, bystudents andfacultymembersfromall overthenation.TheClass of1959fundedFriday’s keynotespeaker, authorandadventurerDanClark. Oneofhiskeythemes was to challenge the audience not to try to justifydishonorable behaviorbytieswithpastcultural, ethnic or social mores and imperatives. For example, “You may think it’s OK to cheat because75% ofyourpeers cheatedinhighschool.Thatdoesn’t work here. Ifyou discover your horse is dead, dismount. The cadets and the rest ofthe audience in theArnold Hall auditorium gave our sponsoredspeaker a thunderous ovation at the end ofhis presentation. That’s one Class Giftthat keeps on giving.

BillTelfordreports onwhatisbecoming a trademark“bash” forthe Class. The ‘mini-reunion’ inFloridawentverywell, although I don’t knowifOrlando will ever be the same. Despite some last minute cancellations (ChuckTaylorandJoe Morgan), we stillhad a total of37 attending: “Rick Carr and daughterKelly (Jean could not make it due to her recovery from surgery), Tom and Lois Chase, Joe DeSantis, Steve and PattyHamer,

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEYHELPS FUND

CADETWING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED.

CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Jack and ShirleyHundemer, Leigh and Cealie Hunt, Jimmie and JudyJay, WayneandBonnieJefferson, EdandJudyJosephson,Tom and MimiJozwiak, RobinandBevKozelka, Lorin andTracyKrueger, EdandPatLankenau, Kent andFreddaMontavon, Jim and SheilaReed, Pete and KayWinters andFred andBrendaWynn.

“Most ofus, except thosewithin drivingdistance, stayed at the Shades of Green, a militaryrecreation resort on DisneyWorld (rightbetweentwo beautiful golfcourses). The first night, (April. 16) we all met at the Sports Bar (we tookit over) and had a raucous evening.

“Waynebrought our ’59erbanner;whenyou’reherdingcats, it’salwayshard togetthem allin thepicture.

“OnTuesday, some played golfand others (about 14 people) attended a wonderful openhouse at the Reed’s home on Lake Istokpoga.Jim and Sheila did themselves proudbyservingwaffles, omelets, ham, prime rib and wonderful desserts. To cap it off(old Chinese tradition), he set offfirecrackers in a tree to wish goodluckand fortune to theirvisitors.

“Thatnight we alljoinedtogether at an Italian restaurant outside Orlando (selectedbyJackHundemer, the “pointman” forthis get-together.Thewaiter/ waitresses sangopera selectionswiththe accompaniment ofa grandpiano. Food andentertainmentwere fantastic! Nonetheless, we attemptedto getthe accompanist to playtheAirForce Song—which she didn’tknow. Therefore, when we were about to leave, the whole group stood up and sang the Air Force Song “a capella”. I suspect the owners will be quitehappy ifwe don’t ever return!

“OnWednesday, thegolfersfinishedtheirtwo-daytournament forthehonor oftakinghome the much maligned ‘Hacker’sTrophy.’ Thisyearthat dubious honor went to Kent Montavon, who, incidentally, is the man who had the trophymade manyyears ago.

“We butteach bloodyinstruction, which beingtaught, return to theplague oftheinventor. (Macbeth)

“Thatnightfolks broke up into groupsforplaces oftheir own choosing.Ten ofus went to Epcot and ate at the German Pavilion where we once again joined inwiththe singingofthe ‘OomPaPa’ band; others elected to stayat the resort to eat at theveryfine Manginos Italian restaurant. All in all a memorable event.

“As an aside, onThursdaymorning (ourlast dayofthereunion) atbreakfast, a group ofus were chattingabout the Class. I told themthat, years ago, Jack Hundemertold me that he was going to be the oldest survivinggrad.Wayne Jeffersonthen said, ‘Fine, butwhoeverit iswillbe responsible fortaking care ofallthe ’59erwidows! We are referring to this as the ‘Jeffersonian Doctrine’.”

In earlyMay, Dave Groarksent me a notewith some good news bothmedical and theatrical. “We spent a few days and last weekend in Houston. Margarettawent to see Dr. Burzynskiagainfor a consult on the latestCT scan. Everythinglooks goodbut nowhe wants a PET scan, which we do tomorrow andforward to him. She hadtheport out today so we are makingplans for as complete a recovery as we can get. She is offthe Chemo forthreemonths and then it is doubtful ifshe will go back on it again; we feel we won’t need it.

“While inHouston I had the greatpleasure ofseeing our ClassThespian at his best. Mr. Robert Lowe, Esq., played the part ofDr. Watson in “Sherlock Holmes’s LastAdventure”.Worth at least a Tonyand perhaps an Oscar, but alas, he may never be discovered. I have attached a picture ofBobby in costume taken at the end ofthe play.”

Pete Todd

“Elementary!”

Charlie andBetsyMeierwere vacationing in South Padre Islandearlierthis springandCharliewentfishing.Themarlinhethoughthehookedturned out to be a shark. OK, itwasn’t a GreatWhitebutCharlie says itsteethwereverysharp!

“Duh DUH!DuhDUH!”

Finally, theClassof1959 salutestheClassof2007 as yougraduateandgoforth tojoinin the defense ofour nation and itsvalues.Wewishyou every success; make us proud!

Thoughtforthe Quarter. “Nearly all can stand adversity, but ifyou want to test a man’s character, give him power.” AbrahamLincoln

AJ. (Rosie) Cler, Jr.

9180 Coors Blvd. NW #1003 Albuquerque, NM 87120-3114

Phone: (505) 897-4420

E-mail: RCtherose@aol.com

Class Web Site: www.usafa.net/1960

TheAnnualRiteofAlmostSpring MiniSkiXVII was 23 Feb-3 March2007 outside SLC. Snowwas great, andallskiersmanaged to keep both skis on the same side ofeverytree. “We were fortunate to have secondgenerationfolks plus one ’59er,” saidAndi Biancur. “It was great andtheybrought a lot to the party. We’ve asked GeneVosika (’59) to return next year and bringhis classmates. MarginallyMagnificentPerformanceAward was conferredfor a novel acrobatic maneuver never successfullycompleted(missingfromphoto:Ralph Lalime, son Jay, June Colgan—Greg’sfriend, JimGallagher ’62).

Revelations. Sid andMarvannNewcombmoved to Manchaca, TX50 miles east ofAustin “to be closer to daughters and grandchildren, church and the Elgin taco business”...J.P. Browning: “Retired, doingpart-time cost model work for Lockheed-Martin. Usual retirement golf, stock market, grandkids”...JimAlexander sayswife, Martha, teaches at a technical college, and “I am businessdeveloperforOconee County(SC). Hearfrom Ed Eberhart (’69) frequently he and his wife are coming for a visit”...Norm Alexander: “Heart is good after quadruple bypass;legshave stents forcirculationproblems. Debbieand I visit Denver this summer to see our ’56 bivouac location”.. .DerryAdamson: “Ten grandchildren live close in August Faith and I visit Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France”...Howie Bronson: “Work for Parks & Recreation teachingskiingat adaptive recreation centerin BigBear (CA), taughtskiing to 400 British kids and spent a week in New Hampshireskiingwith sons andgrandkids”.. .PhilMeinhardt has prostate cancer, weighing treatment options...“Health OK. Had a stroke 18 years ago—didn’tcripple me, but I have problemscommunicating. Live near HurlburtAFB,” says TonyJones.

DC-60:TonyBurshnick andMike Lohattended Gen. Seith’s burial atArlington in March.. .Bill and Fran Hodson moved to Colorado Springs May ’07... RG Head and Carole Hoover moved to Coronado, CA from Springfield, VA...RalphLalime,JerrydelaCruzandTonyBurshnickvisitedtheAF Memorial: “Magnificent, it sits on a hill overlookingArlingtonCemetery.”

Gary Karshnickcrashed his helicopter, so now he’s driving—stopping in ABQ to visit Bill Leninger. Garysoldhis chopperfouryears ago. “Aspart ofthe sale, I agreed to give the new owner’s IP a checkout, duringwhich he froze on the stick and let the rotor rpm die I foughthim for the controls when we crashed into a lake. Thehelicopter was destroyed. I got him out ofhis seat belt and his head abovewater, and then he left me to fend for myself. I made it to shore. The IP was uninjured and I had a four-inch cut on my scalp.While the ambulance took me to thehospital, the new owner managed to getthewreckage out ofthe water and recovered the bill ofsale and the cashier’s checkhe gave me. He claimedthattherehadbeen no sale andhis IP deniedbeing on the controls. I had no overwhelmingproofto the contrary, making a lawsuit’iffy.’ My insurance company turned out to be ‘bogus’ (located in Cyprus), and wouldn’tpaythe claim. So, thatwas a $45Klesson. Since I was technicallypilot incommand, NTSB assignedtheblame to me fornot insuringthatthe IPwould put us injeopardy.”

The Northwest Guysgathered inthe Museum ofFlight at Boeingheadquarters: “Pleasant conversation...lotsa war stories....no arguments...everybody watching what we ate...compared medications...talked about body part replacements...nowin our 7th decade.. .couple ofsweet young things at the nexttable were totallyignored (thattellyou something?), saidJim O’Rourke.

In thefrontroware Tiffany(Boyington’sdaughter),A1Johnson, DianaPupich, Bronson, Deke andSallyJohnson, Gene Vosika (’59), andPatVanlnwegen.

SecondRow:JeffFippa (Greg’sson-in-law), CaroleBiancur, Rani (Les’daughter), Hobgood,Boyington, DelaCruz, Biancur, Vanlnwegen, Pupich, Martha andCurt (Van’s son anddaughter-in-law), andKirstin (Van'sdaughter).

O’Rourke, Luck,Kaspar, Delisanti and O’Keefe

TheDakotaKids: Philip FrancisRoberts’ gorgeously-wroughthistobiopiece: “It wasApril24,1938 atMoe Hospital (Moe’smyfavoritestooge) in SiouxFalls, SD, and a beautiful boy was born—right next to me!

“Fast-forward 17 years to ahigh schooljuniorpulling Cs. The future was mine: Party-planner? Circus clown? Chicken-sexer? Then the bomb—my parents had spentmycollege fund on tires! I heard abouttheAirForceAcademy. I wouldn’tneed a college fund. TheAir Force paid for everything.Who caredthatI had no interest inthe military? I fantasized aboutbombingstuff.

“In eastern South Dakota we didn’t have anymilitary, so I never knewthis was mydream. NotknowingabouttheAcademywas justwhat I needed. IfI’d knownaboutthe runningandsweatingandscreamingandno-chicksand noleaving, I might havebeen discouraged.

“I needed a congressionalappointment. Senator Karl Mundt gave theAir Force a list ofnames andtold them to pickforthemselves. Doyouknowhow I got on thatlist?Neither do I. That meant tests at OffuttAFB, 200 miles away. Thephysicalwasn’tdegrading;justbendingover andspreadingmybuttcheeks. I reallyhoped I was passingthat test. I asked a doctorwhathe was lookingfor andhe said, ‘Next!’ I was sure I hadn’tmade the cut, so I went home to begin a car-washing career.

“One day a letter came telling me I would be a cadet startingJuly9th 1956. Ifignorance isbliss, I enjoyed severalblissfulmonths before reporting—picture inthepaper, highfives andproudparentspraisingthe no-tuitionfeature. OnJuly9th, I beganin-processing. Theycouldn'thave been nicer. Myheart sang. I hadmade the right choice. Thingschangedwhen I left in-processing. Insane officersscreamedat me from two inchesaway. Idemonstratedthe‘right stuff’ bygoing into shell-shock. I squeaked: ‘A terriblemistakehasbeenmade. Theysaid one dayIwouldlaughaboutit (Istill wantthatdayto come). Thatfirstnight, as Ilieinmybunkstaringatthe ceiling, I realizedthingscouldhavebeenworse. Hardlyanyone sawme crying ortryingto drinkthatDrano. Thingswouldgetbetterand, sure enough,theydidn’t.

“The next fouryears is a blur. I credit myprotective shell-shockforthehealing amnesia. Graduation!What to do! So, I bought a 1960 Ford convertible; and, I was a navigator, thanks to theT-29 BarfTransport. DidI lovenavigating? I wouldn’t call it love. Did I want to become a pilot? Hard one, but no. Could I live as a 2nd lieutenantwith no flying pay (ifI lived in my car ’til theyrepossessed it). So I became a navigator at OtisAFB, flyingracetracks in RC12IDs. Navigators weren’t exactlykings ofthe universe. Navigator-Man needed to compute a life change.

“One day a fellownavigatorpointed out some judge advocates and said, ‘We needthose lawyers like a plague needs locusts.’ But all I heard was, ‘We needthoselawyers...’, so I decided to become a lawyer. I graduated from CU law school and became a JAGOFF. I laterswitched to the Navy and retired in ’92 as a Captainwith30years active service. I didn’tneedUSAFAto be a lawyer; but, ifI hadn’t attended USAFA, Iwouldn’thave these sweet memories.”

Phil’shome ffillheaux@aol.com) overlooks San Francisco Bay; wife Sue’s a Research Scientistforthe State ofCalifornia (BS Cal-Berkeley, MS San Francisco State); daughter Laura, 40 (BACal-Poly), and Leslie, 37 (BA, Cal-Berkeley), bothlive nearby.

ThoseDakotaKids: Bujalski, Sheets and Roberts. WhatIf?

“Jan 23rd 2007 was 51 years since I tookthe USAFAphysical at Bolling—almost flunked thepull-ups!” MikeLoh (whatwould USAF have beenwithout thisman?).

“Rosie, Ijustwanted to showyouwhatLes Querry(lesquerry@wildblue.net) can do with photos that are in bad shape, wrote Charlie Liggett, including samples ofLes’ wizardry. “He’s doing greatwith our 50th CD encourage classmates to send photos, even thoughtheymightbe deteriorating—‘before-after’ is amazing.”

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H: (574) 273-2597

E-mail: EN0andTJ0@ameritech.net

Class Web Site: www.usafal961.org

MargyDingle is so appreciative ofthe manycalls, cards, concerns, flowers, memorial donations, andprayers givenbytheclass duringBob’s strugglewith pancreatic cancer andagainafterhepassedaway. Asanywhohavelost a spouse know, it is a rockyroad startingwithnumbness, frustrations, low concentration, manytears, endless paperwork, etc. Some ofthat is still a part ofher, but she does see progress and is holding on to themessage fromotherswho have gonethisjourney, andthatis thatthe sadness andfeelingofloss never go away, but they DO get easier. That is the light at the end ofher tunnel.. .or is it the beginningofher rainbow?

MarkAndersongot on the ski slopes forsixdays thisyear, whichisnothingto brag aboutifyoulive in Colorado or Utah, butfrom SanAntonio, itwas a good year! Ginger andMarkvisitedYosemite NationalPark, following a greatweekend at Brice’s Hospice ofSonoma event andhighlyrecommendboth. Markis still working with the Fisher Houses at LacklandAFB, the localAOG Chapter, and nudgingalongthe hotel initiative.

Bob and Cathy Best are still enjoyinglife in the Ozarks. Although their new house is still not finished, theystillhope to be in (but not settled) by Christmas. All work stops for fishing, hunting seasons (deer, turkey, squirrel, coon, and rabbit), and anytimewith a hint ofrain in the forecast.Bob has doubled up on his highblood pressure medication.

13 Satire Society Donors

JackBrighthad dinnerwithJohnandCaseyGoodleyatthe end ofApril. Both are doingfine, even thoughJackwill never understandhowshehas putupwithhimthislong! SamBarazzonehas invited Jack to spend a weekend inJunewith him and some ofour classmates in the Atlanta area. He needs to go so thathe can meethiswife, Gwen, andupdateher on Sam’s cadet activities.

Dave Carlstromand Rees Wagnerbothattended the NIT Final 4 basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Though seated on opposite sides ofmidcourt, Rees spotted Dave. Those eye operations must have been okay, but losingby 1 point was hard to take. It reminded them ofour reunion game.

Those not on our GrayTag Network on-line may not know that Johnny Caughman and Don Granthave had majorsurgery. Johnnyiswell on theway to recoveryandwants everyone to knowhowproudheis to beassociatedwith suchgood men as our classmates. He hashad encouragingcalls and get-well cards from classmates that he hasn’t heardfrom for “ages”. Sam Barazzone, JerryGill, andMike Rawlins even went to hishouse to “buckhim up”!Thefact thathe is alive is onlypartofthemiraclethatis his blessing. Tobea’61 GrayTag is one ofhis life’s greatestaccomplishments. More recently, Donis on theroad to recovery, but I’m sure would appreciatereceiving a telephone call, a card, or a note.

Tom andAnne Eller’s grandsonaccepted an appointment to theAir Force AcademyClass of2011. Regardingthehotelinitiative, MarkAndersonandSam Hardage briefed theAOGboard on 12 May, while RandyCubero,TerryStorm, andTom provided moral support. Feasibilitystudyresults, funded by Sam Hardage,byconsultingfirmPKF are due in a fewweeks. Members oftheHotel Initiative are: Mark, Lee Butler, Randy,Tom, Sam, BriceJones, HectorNegroni, and Hanson Scott. Recent activities include briefing Lt Gen Regni, USAFA Superintendent, andreceiving a favorable reaction; garneringsupportfrom a group ofdistinguished graduates; receiving support from theAOG Capital CampaignSteeringCommittee; andbriefingthe CEOs ofthreemajor501(c)(3) organizations supporting USAFA. Theyplan to briefthe AOG Class Senate soon.

50thAnniversaryCelebration of’61’s 1st DayAdmissionto USAFA as Cadets at the old LowryAFB is a “GO” forJuly5,2007. Contact Dick Fairlamb, Jim Hinkle or Dale Tabor NLT June 1 ifyouwill attend the planned events (they need headcounts!), which include several meals and time to reminisce, visit local attractions, visit theWings Over Rockies Museum at Lowry, golf, and more, July3 throughJuly 6. The schedule will soon be on our ClassWeb Site.

Bill Fosteris planningforthe Navyvs. USAFA game inAnnapolis at 1300 on Saturday, Sept29. As usual, he andThedawillhost a victoryparty, and Billwill purchase a block oftickets. Ifyou want to be included, please let Bill know EARLYthatyou want tickets to attend. (Two years ago, he was unable to accommodate latewishers for tickets, which he purchasesthroughthe USAFA Sabre Societywhen theybecome available in earlyJune.)

Lowell Jones said that the DC ’61ers had a great luncheon on April 12 to honor Steve Ho, who has now moved to Birmingham, AL, with Lynnbut still remains on the DC Roster to jointhe groupwhentheyreturn forfamilyvisits. Pat Buckley, CharleyDixon, Bill Foster, Steve Ho, LowellJones,JohnKohout, JackMcDonough, Spike Nunn, Tom Pattie, Jim Rogers, Bill Sanzenbacher, Bill Stackhouse, andTwyWilliams attended. Steve saidthattheir new place is

open to all ifyou’re in the Birmingham area. MarilynjoinedSandy and Lynn at anothertable in the restaurant farawayfromthe guys, so theycould talk. Bill Stackhousesaidthat their new homewill be readyfor a house-warming partyinJune. JimRogers describedwhere he andLinda are in theJuly 1 st party at theWestwood CountryClub inVienna,VA, celebrating our classmates first meeting each other at LowryAFB 50 years ago.

Jerry Lefton’s recovery from heart surgery is still going well. His cardiac rehabilitation three days a weekis a 36-session program. He is playinggolf againalthough notverywell. The USWomen’s Opengolftournamentwillbe there 25June to 1 July, andJerrywillbe a marshal on hole #3. He again thanks everyonewho sent cards or e-mails or called him on the phone afterhis surgery. Itmeant a lotto bothhim and Sue. Theywillbe attendinghis HS reunion inAttica, IN, in June and then visiting their daughter’s family in Arlington Heights, IL.

Charlie Neel, our Class Senator, saidthat most oftheir efforts have been to encourage recalcitrantclasses to appoint a senator and to write their “procedures” forAOG Board approval. The “issue” ofgreatestinterestis the upcomingdiscussion anddecisionoftheBoard concerning “The Foundation, once the new Board is convened this summer. Meanwhile, everybodyVOTE for new Board members andweigh inwithyour opinions about “TheFoundation” andwherewe as a class shouldgo. Fordetails,visittheUSAFAAOGwebsite, www.usafa.org.

HectorNegronisummarizedBrice’slatest annual Hospices ofSonomafunction, whichraisednearly a half-million dollars to support a host ofcharitable organizationsincludingthe BarryZito Foundationthat benefits wounded troops returningfrom war zones. Brice Jones orchestratedthe 4th Annual Pinot Noir BarrelAuction Celebration, 19-22April 2007. Among those classmates attendingwere BriceJones and SusanPorth, HectorNegroni, Pete and Patti Lane, Charles and GinaThomas,JackBright, Sam andVivianeHardage, Jim andJoyDarnauer, John Boesch, Dean andJo Jones, Bob andJanBrickey, Charlie and Linda Neel, Jim and PeggyHinkle, Jim and Linda Rogers, Mark and GingerAnderson, andBob andWinnieWagner. The festivities included, amongmanyothers, the DinnerPresentation andLaunch ofBrice’s newPinot Noir’s line ofwines: Emeritus andWilliamWesley Duringthe dinner, 61 st TFS (M) memberspresented Bricewithhis very own leatherflyingjacket. It was a greatexperience. Thanks, Brice.

Susan andJimmy Poole attendedhis 50th reunion in Mobile. JohnPayne also attended since hiswife of one year graduatedwithJimmy. The Graytag RedneckRivieraReunionin OrangeBeach,AL, is scheduledforOct 19-22 (Fridayafternoon throughMondaymorning). Markyour calendars. Detailed information will be out in June. Three beach homes are reserved (20 bedrooms, 20 baths), and 14 rooms remain available. Jimmy can get additional homes ifdemandwarrants; however, onlyafter establishingthe need. Motel accommodations within ? mile are also available.

JackandLindaTaylorstayedwithBill SanzenbacherinAprilforfouractionpackeddays oftouringMonticello, the UniversityofVirginia, some CivilWar battlefields,Alexandria, andmore. Theyhad lunchwith John Kohout inAlexandria, andTerryNorris in Fredericksburg.TerryandBill, neighbors forfive years, golftogetheroccasionally. Bill saidhe hated to see them go, but it was a blast. Theycapped each daywith some fun card games at home.

SmokeyStovertraveledto SanDiegofortheAirForce/SanDiego Statebasketball game in earlyFebruary, which began the end ofseason swoon. The team righteditselfintheNIT, achievingthe mostwins inAFAhistory. He stayedwith Haven andRobertaHill, a shortdistancefromthebeach, andtheyplayedgolf withWayneJones and Rob Pollack ’63.All played betterthan Smokey, buthe thinkshehad more fun. Afamilycommitmentpreventshimfromjoiningthose heartysoulswhowill be at the“OldLowry” digs on 5 July. Raise a glass forhim.

Tom and Laraine Sutton, since our ’61 reunion, have added two grandchildren for a total of20, andtheywillbe drivingto Johnstown, PA, inJune to help welcome number 21. Then they’ll stop and visit all the other childrenwho don’tlive in Utah andWyoming.

Charlie and Gina Thomasleftforthe FloridaKeys on 2 Mayto bewith their daughterJennifer and her two daughters. Theyplanned to “swim with the dolphins” sometime duringtheweek.

TwyWilliams and his brother Dan are planning a sailingtrip to Maine in June,with mostlydaysailing. On thewayhome theyplan to meet Nancyand Twy’sdaughter andgranddaughteraftertheirthree-day cancerwalkinBoston (3-5August) andcelebrateTwy’s 70thwith a sail aroundtheharborandislands followed by some good Italian food, arrivingbackhome the end ofAugust. Theirwives are happyto beleft at home, butmayjointhemfor a fewdaysalong theway.

Tom andJudyWilson survived his 50th HS reunion. It should come as no surprise to allwho knowJudy, but she was made an honorarymember ofthe SidneyLanier Class of1957!

Visit the AOGWeb Site.

Merchandise, Gone ButNot Forgotten and More! www.usafa.org

John W. “Jack" Jamba

4 Judy Court

Satellite Beach, FL 32937

H: (321) 777-5520 0: (321) 861-6279

Cell: (321) 432-1370

E-Mail: jwjamba@aol.com

HiRedtags, Thisjust came in fromRip Blaisdell.“The RTB 45th reunion is scheduled 31 Oct- 4 Nov2007. Informationabout the reunion is available atwww.usafa.org, Class Reunions, 1962. Alink to reserve a hotel room is available now at that website. Optionsto buyfootballtickets, classmerchandise and reunion events will be available soon on the website. A continuously updated reunion schedule is also available. Ifyou have questions, please contact Rip Blaisdell, (719) 686-1408, tharipper@msn.com.” Thanks Ripper andthe other members ofthe Reunion Committee.We’re looking forward to another greatreunion.

II

Paul Landers sent this email. “JoAnne andI were in southem Californialastweekandspent some timewith Rogerand Judy Rhoades. They have a great house in Orange which theyhavelivedinsinceRogerretiredfromtheAF andworked forNorthrop. They are both in goodhealth, except that Rogerhad a rotator cuffoperation on his pitching shoulder a weekbefore we arrived. I attach a photo ofthe two mature Redtags...me on the right, Rog on the left.” You two looklike the cats thatswallowedthe mouse. What was going on?Winthe Lotto or something?

RogerRhoades andPaulLanders

Got an email from LoganBabinlamentinghis predicament. “I was crushed to learnthatthe 45th Reunionwouldbe Oct31 to Nov4thisyear. Ihave previous commitments in San Francisco, CA and Lumberton, MS on those dates and willmiss thefirst reunion inhistory.Whoeveris going to do the 50th pleaseget the dates outASAP Ayearplus in advance is not too early.”

I hearyou, Logan. Mymemoryis a little fuzzybut I thinkthattheAOG has a procedure that they go through to match reunion dates withhome football games andother considerations. Ifa class wants to haveAOG supportfortheir reunion (registration support, attendanceand support at other functions, meetingplaces, staffbriefings, etc) theyhave a choice ofdates offered in some priority order.Those dates are subject to change without notice. That may have been the case thisyear. Orit couldhavebeenthattheAOG had to waitfor some informationbefore they couldfirm up the available dates. I don’t know for sure. I’m guessing. I knowthat we have always relied on theAOG for support. I’m sure yourfeedbackwill be taken into account. Youwill probablybe the chair ofthe next reunion committee. I’mjoking.. .1 think.

Next, I got an emailfrom Don Shepperd. He enclosed a picture offellowRTB “Hun” drivers at a recent F-100 reunion inVegas.Were they ever young?They looklike they are going to try out for a spot on American Idol... as prop men. I’M SERIOUS.

From left are RudyBow, Don Shepperd, LannyLancaster, PeteRobinson, JimMack, DaveBockelman andAlMosher.

Sabre Society Boners

Class of1962 45th Reunion

31 October - 4November USAFA vs.Army

Gotan emailfromCharlieHalesayingthatDaveandAnnWhitmanstoppedby for avisit. “Wewere mostpleasedwhenDavelet us knowvia cellphonethathe andAnnwere on thewaytoArizonato visitwithfamilyandhadrerouted a bitto spendthenightinMorenoValley(March 1 st ). So, PatandIarrangedto pickthem up and enjoy a delightful dinnerat one ofour favorite restaurants. Ithadbeen sincethelastgatheringinC-Springssince we sawDave andAnn; howgreatitwas to be togetheragain, have a glass (ormore) ofwine, and do some catchup. As you can observefromthepicture, we are allhappyandwellandstillenjoyinglife andfarfrom‘bewaringtheIdes ofMarch’. I’m still atVisterra CreditUnion (formerlyMarchCommunityCU) as theVPMarketing (11years). I’mthinkingmore seriouslyabout retirement one ofthese days especially since our elder son, CharlesR., hasgraduatedwithhonors from theArt Institute ofOrangeCounty andacquiredhis BS ingraphicdesign. Shouldanyonewish to see his portfolio, go to www.crhaledesign.com. Our other son is supporting his familywhile pursuing a BS in NetworkSecuritydegree. He and hiswife, Bridgette, are the proudparents ofour onlygrandchild, Noah,who is nowfouryears old. We are lookingforward to our USAFA45th reunion inlate October. Itis alwaysgreat to gettogetherwitheveryoneandcatchup. Hope alliswellinFloridaandthatyou have everythingundercontrolinthe Sunshine State. Bestregards, Charlie.

I got a PictureofArtFarringtonwithhis newest granddaughter,EmilyAbigail Himes, born on March 23rd. I didn’t have room left to show it. Maybe next issue. That’s it for now.

Oh, I almostforgot, I’m on another diet. Butit’s not really a dietbecause I’m LOSINGweiglit. Ilost30 lbs inthelast 12 months. This isprobablya significant life change, like a late Sixties male menopausalmisdirection or something. It has to bebecause I alwaysgainweightwhen I go on a diet. So I’m not on a diet, I’mjustcoincidentallylosingweight.

That’s itfor now. Next Shuttle launch is inJune, we pray. Seeyou allin Octoher. GO REDTAGS!

Norman I. (Skip) Lee

63119 E. Cat Claw Lane

Tucson, AZ 85739-2058

Home: (520) 825-7980

Cell: (520) 241-3498

sented annuallyto aU.S. citizenwho has contributed significantly to the nationaldefenseofthe UnitedStates. The award was presentedto Ron on May2nd at theAcademy and it is a big deal. Ron isjoining some elite company. Since its inceptionin 1962 recipients oftheWhiteAwardincludes two US Presidents, five Chairmen oftheJointChiefs, innovators like Clarence J (Kelly) Johnson, and significant contributors to the nationlikeJimmieDoolittieand Bob Hope. The permanentThomas D.White plaque is displayed inArnold Hall with inscriptions ofthe names ofthe annualwinners.

More News: Steve Dotson was elected to theAOG Board ofDirectors. The AOG announced thepreliminaryvotingresults on May4th Mike Christywas also a candidate (and a current board member) but was not re-elected. Boo! I think Mike did a terrificjob duringhis tenure and he deserves our thanks forhis leadership and dedication.

GetyourAdNovos Mundos theFirstThktyYearsDVD now before they are all gone! Any ofyouwho attended the 1993 reunionwilllikelyrememberthe magnificentmulti-media presentationbrought to us byRon Fogleman as a tribute to the first30 years after graduation. The originaltape was in the Betaformat (rememberthose?) andaccordingto Jimmie Butler we had a bunch ofVHS tapes dubbedfrom the Beta. TheVHS tapes were distributed for a donation to the Class Fund. Jimmie hadthe Beta from 1993 and it is now converted to DVD. The DVDs are a very goodrepresentation ofwhat we saw that night in 1993 (ed. note: I have a copyofthe DVD and itis a significantimprovement over theVHS tape and the audio is especiallygood). Jim Diffendorfer approved a projectto distribute copies ofthe DVD for a $10 donation to the Class Fund. Ifyouget a copyyouwill surelybe pleased. Foracopy, send a $10 CHECKmade out to the CLASS OF 1963 FUND and send it alongwithyour address to: Jimmie H. Butler, 7635 Delmonico Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. E-mail Jimmie at jimmieb@earthlink.netwithyour address and tell him a checkwill be on the way; the DVDwill be in the mail a day or two earlier. The old Honor Code still works for us. It’s a guessbut halfthe class probablyhas not seen the presentation. So please pass on the info to any/other classmates you contact.

Gil Merkle posted some excerpts ofan audio recordingfrom our graduation on the class web page earlierthis year so checkit out. Thanks to Jim Kuhn for the recordings. Gil says he is planningto create a Class Newsletterlinkin the next web site update. The Class News is currentlyfound in the Storieslink, http://www.usafa63.org/. You will like the color photographs.

Bob Hayes announced the 45th Class Reunionwill be held duringthe Navy Gameweekendof1-5 Oct2008 andthereunion siteis to betheColorado Springs Marriott (site ofthe 40th gathering). As soon as it becomes available, reunion information is being posted on the AOG Web Site

http://www.usafa.org/ index,asp.

The other dayI was goingthrough some papers fromprevious class events and ran across thebook ofbio sketchesfromthe 35th reunion puttogetherby Jack McTasney, Butch Verdier, Jimmie Butler andothers there are some trulygreat stories there. I also found the companion CD done byJim Gaston The USAFA Class of1963After35Years. That was a productivereunion. Could we possiblypullsomethingtogetherfor the 45th?

Speaking ofreunions here is a picture fromthe recent past:

80% Members

E-mail: 54wrs@msn.com

Bignews! Congratulations to RonFoglemanwho receivedthe UnitedStates Air ForceAcademyThomas D.White Award. This prestigious award is pre

Who are theseguys?

The dateforthisyear’s mini-reunion is setforOct20th This timethe gathering willbeforthefootballgame againstWyomingandshouldbethe same format as previousminiswith a tailgate aboutthreehours prior to the 12 O clockkickoff inthe northwestparkinglotandthe cup turningceremonyand dinnerto follow the game attheAOG. Moredetailsofthe eventwillbepublished on theClassWeb Sitewhenthey are available. Thedatethistime was prettymuchdictatedbythe homegameschedule;plus, the desirebythe attendees to avoid, ifat allpossible, badweather. Weather duringtheArmygame inNovemberis alwaysdiceyand therewasn’t a homegamedate, otherthan one nightgame, availablepriorto Oct 20th Onthatpointweneedtothinkaboutthe50 th in2013. Do we want to be at USAFAinNovember? Thisyear’s mini-reunionis guaranteed to be a greattime so make some plans andputit on your calendar.

From left are CharlieHale, Dave Whitman, Ann Whitman andPatHale. I got a picture ofChuckTurner and GaryForrest takenafterhis Mom’s funeral. I couldn’tlocate the short note that came with it. I knowit meant a lot to have a Redtagpayrespects to his Mom.

ChuckTurner, atleft, and GaryForrest.

JohnHeimbergerreportsheis an Operations Coordinatorat BushIntercontinentalAirportin Houston. When I askedwhat an Operations Coordinator does,Johnsaidhehelpskeep 12,000 acres ofairportsafe andrunningsmoothly. The airportis the6thlargestintheworldhandling 116,000 passengersdaily on over 800 flights andexperienced42.5 million customers in2006 (expectthat to double in the next 15 years to 85 million). Can you imagine? Theyhave five instrument runways with a sixth planned. They even grow $2.5M worth of alfalfaannuallyandhave98 securityrangers on horsebackthatpatrolthe outer perimeter.

DickTroysent a picture fromhis recent trip to China. His visit included the General StilwellMuseumin Chongqing(oldChunking). Dicksaidthat a photo at the museum ofLtCol Ed McComas ofthe FlyingTigers prompted a comment to a friend aboutGail McComas which caught the attention ofanother visitor, Dennis Hamletfrom Baltimore, a two-yearmember ofthe Class of’69. This led to the picture belowwhich was forwarded to me for the magazine. Smallworld eh?

Bob Hovde

206 Walker Ave.

Huntsville, AL 35801 (256) 532-3923

W: (256) 716-2765

bob@hovde.us

^

Members,

Dennis,VinegarJoe andDick

Doyourecall a blurb in theDecember 2006 magazine about Scott Seward’s BirchShores Resort? Brent andJeanne Maxonhad attended a previousgatheringofa mini-Fightin’ Fourth’s gettogether. Anyway, this maybe thefirst ever Brent Maxon entryinto the 1963 Class News:

"Grandpa PaulandLucyAlise, Class of’29."

Some PeopleJust Can’t SayNo: According to Shirley, John Denko was reappointed Cabinet SecretaryoftheDepartmentofPublic Safetywhen Governor Richardson was re elected. This means John is lined up for four more years!

KarlRickter: Fred Gregory sent outthefollowingpleafor stories aboutKarl. “I’m attheAcademyparticipatingintheFalconHeritage session.Ayoung man approached me tonight andbegantalkingaboutKarl. His name tagsaidRichter. He is the greatnephewofKarl. I toldhimthat Iwouldbegin a canvas ofhis classmates and gather as manystories abouthim as I could round up. Every one has Karl stories. Sendthem to me andI’llgetthem to thisyoungDoolie. He will certainly appreciate hearing about his...don’t faint...grandfather’s brother.”

Bret Dulaalready came backwith a greatstoryaboutKarl duringPilotTraining-having to do withworking allnight on a car he was going to race the next day. I’m sure there are lots ofKarl stories out there. Please send them to Fred so he can forwardthem, [f.d.gregory@att.net]

TheMaxons

That’sitforthis time. I need to getthisthingdone andmailed out to theAOG so I can make myTeeTime. Manythanks foryourinputstheymake this task fun. Please keep them coming. Take care out there.

“Is

this theF-100 thatbroke thesoundbarrier?”

Paul Belmontcontinuedthe storybyrecallingthatthe F-100 that stood atthe corner oftheTerrazzo was taken to FortCarson andblownup so that an F-106 couldtakeits place. The F-100, according to theCadetlore ofthetime, was the aircraftflown byChuckYeagerwhen he firstbroke the sound barrier. No one can verifyifthis aircraftis theactual one flownbyYeagerthatday, butitdidhave a longpeto tube probe thatis common on test aircraft.

Ifyou haven’tjoined this trip throughnostalgia, send me an email and I’ll replywith theemail traffic and internetlinks.

Left Coast Reunion? Dave Neal forwarded some email traffic he had with some ofthe classmates in the San Francisco area concerning a potential ’64 reunion a mussel party at Dave’s house. Dave said, “I havebeen far too busy thisspringto thinkaboutanothermusselparty as we bought a largewarehouse andmoved our Dyna-Gro business into the new location.We are still not entirefysettled, but at least I can see the opportunityto take a Sunday offbyfall. I will be on the road for nine trade shows this year, three or four motorcycle road races, three or four weekenddual sport (some dirt, some street) rides and a twoweekmotorcycle tour oftheAlps on new Ducatiswith an old friend (Robin Olds’ ex son-in-law) in September.

“As you probablyknow, mussels can onlysafely (legally) be gathered in “R” months due to the potential dangers of toxic contamination in the warmer months. I have obtained a tide table and looked at the potentialSaturday or Sunday lowtides.While no datehas superlowtides at an earlyafternoontime, there are some whichshould suffice. Giventhe time to prepare themussels, I have ruled out anytime laterthan 1500orbefore 1200.” Dave determined that there are severaldates in Octoberthrough Decemberthatwould suffice. All you Left Coastpeople stand byfor invitations to a reunion!

Bytheway, Dave also said that this is hislast season ofmotorcycle road racing. He’s rebuilding a Porsche 914-6 so he can switch to 4-wheel racing next year. He’s goingto take hisvintagemotorcycles to the LasVegas auctioninJanuaryand “find new homes for them.

WayupNorth! Igot a callfromHerbBevelhymer-justto sayhe’s stillaliveand stillliving (17years) inNorthMuskegon,Michigan.Annis an adjunctprofessor at thelocal communitycollege andHerb sayshe’ll never retire!Theyhave three grandkids (two girls and a boy). [Ofcourse, we have no wayofknowingifanyof thisis true, becauseyou can’tsendpictures over thetelephone!]

ReunionPoll: DonGraham sent an email (Yes, fromhisvery own computer!) asking me to pollthe class to see whatthe interestwouldbe in havingthe next reunioninthe summerratherthaninlatefall. Hepointsout, “Thegolfingweather wouldbemuchbetterand so wouldtheweatherforsidetripslikeCripple Creek. Ofcourse therewould not be a footballgame. Donthoughtthatwe couldhold avote byemailor, ifthere’s still someone holdingout on getting a computer,like Don did - by snail-mail. Ifyouwish to join the poll, please send me an email voting for either summer or late fall and I’ll pass the vote on to Don. Ifwe get enough response, we might nothave to do a more extensive polllater.

Untilthe next time, keep yourthoughtsandprayers goingforthose in harm’s wayandthose classmatesthat are sufferinghealth problems.

Rick Zurbrugg

2929 Gavin Place Duluth, GA 30096

(770) 476-4437

E-mail: ezurb@bellsouth.net

Hey’65!

Please take a moment to remember our classmateswho havetransitioned to eternity: IraMoore, Jr., February 11,2007 andWilliam Brandt,April 12, 2007. CarpeDiem.

John Blaha:“KenClark’s wife Lois retired after 36 years ofCivil Service on March 28 fromtheAir Force CenterforEnvironmental Excellence. Pictured at a reception in Lois’ honor are, fromleft,JohnBlaha, BrendaBlaha,Virginia

Edson (Lois’ mother), and Ken Clark. Lois received many awards for her outstandingservice to our nation, including twice named as the Civilian ofthe QuarterforJ6, SAC, and was the SAC nomineeforAF ResourceAdvisor ofthe Year. Lois’ future plans include playinggolf,fishing,traveling (Ken gave her a cruise throughthe Panama Canal), and enjoying a life ofleisure in theTexas hill country.”

(Scribe’s note: John, of course, didn’t send any news about his own and Brenda’s current activities, so withfurtherprodding:)

“I retired from USAA a little over two years ago, when our new home was complete up in the hill countrynorth ofSanAntonio. I spend 50 days a year providing motivational speeches at middle schools and high schools, and luncheon speeches to retired adults. The other315 days we livethe goodlife. Brendaand I own a Cessna 172 that we use to fly around centralTexas eatingbreakfast or lunch.We are also trying to reduce our golfhandicaps. Brenda is receivingher confirmation tomorrow night (April 7th 2007). All our kids/two grand children are here for the church service. Both ofus are trying to become better children ofGod. Thankyou, John. Itwould be hard to imagine a more illustrious or exciting career thanyours.

Errol Reiner: “I established a ’65er group on the AOG Zoomie web site today. Thought it might be fun to have a place for all ofus to go and put pictures, stories, etc. All is well in Colorado, although we are getting a smattering ofsnow today,Friday4/13 which I guess is prettystandard for a Fridaythe 13th. StillworkingatAT&T. Onlythreemore years to go. Guess I’m a gluttonforpunishment. “ThanksErrolforputtingup the ’65er site on Zoomienation—I guess it’s sort oflike MySpace for our age group—fun!

Marc Sabin: “Myolder son finishedhisArmycommitment (Bronze Starfor his service in OIF) andis now about to complete an MBAatUSC andtake ajob withProctor and Gamble in Cincinnati. Ouryounger son is flyingAlOs out of Osan in S. Korea. Thanks, Marc for sending to me a copyoftheletter dated 15 March 07 to the troops ofMNF-I byGen David H. Petraeus, Commander and forinspiringyour sons to serve their country.

JackMurphy: “I am the Reunion Cheerleaderfor20th Squadron...One of my daughters has moved to Parker, CO (between Denver and Castle Rock), andI’ve been out to visit a fewtimes. ThankyouJack, andforyourotherkind words. Now, I can never saythatwritingthis column is a thankless task.

BruceWood: “We’ve moved to MindenNebraska (sorta Bettyis stillback inNavarretryingto sell our home there andcommuting 1,400 miles to bewith me) and I workfor Royal Plastics Mfg, a high-techcomposite manufacturer makingpartsformanyDefense Systems (F-15, F-16, F/A-18,JSF, P-3, H-53, H60 andmanyothers). We’re going to build as soon as we sell our Florida place. I’ll get address, phone etc to you as soon as we settle in.” Steve Sheehan’s response: “Plastics? Oh myGod, don’t tell me we are so broke we are making our fighterplanes fromRevellKits. ThanksBruce, BestofLuckup there - now who are mywife and I going to freeload on when we go to Florida?

PartingShot: Just in case you’re a tinybitboredwith golf, travel or the current fratricidal activityin theAOG, and have an interest in existential crisis, mayI humblysuggestreading TheLanguageofGodbyDr FrancisCollins (led The Human Genome Project) who explains eloquentlyin lay terms how a man ofscience maybe also a man offaith. Then, ifyou dare, peruse TheGod Delusion_byRichard Dawkins (evolutionarybiologist, Oxford) who, ofcourse, has a differentview. Confusion and anxietyperhaps, boredom never!

Bewell, do goodworkandkeep intouch. As the Rocwouldsay, Cheers! Rick

Ryan Denny

1635 Mary Todd Lane

O’Fallon, IL 62269

H: (618) 624-4255

W: (314) 232-5117

E-mail: ryanden@aol.com

81% Members

GreetingsRedtags! Forthose ofyouwho wished they could have gotten a few more ofthose 40th Reunion trinkets, this isyourluckyday! JohnFal, one of our reunion’svolunteers, hasvolunteered again to help getrid ofthe few leftoveritems, at rockbottomprices. Here’swhathehas: Licenseplate frames (approx 42) $5 each silver metal frame with U S Air Force Academy on bottom and Class of 1966, white letters on red background, at top. Drink coasters (10boxes offourcoasters) $16 each—leatherwith class crestprinted inbrown. Keyfobs (8) $2.50 each-- Class crest on red LED lightwith ringfor keys. Class PictureAlbum (9) $10—CD containingpictures ofclassmates at varioustimes duringthepast44years. Thisisthe CD thatwas createdbyKenny Boone and Bill Riley and was shown throughout the Fridaynight dinner/ dance. It’s organizedbysquadron, so you can skip over allthose peoplethat you don’t want to see when they were teens or fighterpilots.

Anyone who wants one or all ofthese items, letJohn knowvia mail (John Fal, 18180 Flowered Meadow Lane, Monument, CO 80132) or via e-mail (jfal@divide.net). Please provide your e-mail and phone number. Johnwill

Lois Clark’sretirementMarch28,2007.

assembleyour order, figure out the postage, mail it to you and askfor a check forthe cost and postage. All the moneywill go into the class fund. Thanks to John for his hardwork!

Mike Blairsent me an articlefrom PeopleMagazineabouthis daughterPaige who is an Episcopalian minister inYork, Maine. Paige has been conducting special servicesforyoungerfolks (youknow, our age) thatfeaturethe music of Bono and U2. The article said that she has shared her rockin’ service with congregations from Nebraska to SouthAfrica, passingthe plate to fight povertyandAIDSwherevershe goes. While Mike’s daughterhas beenpreaching, his wife, Judy, created a quilt that is being raffled off on anysoldier.com, an organizationthat sends care packages to deployedtroops. The quilt wasAmericana-themed and she called it “OhBeautiful”. I’m not exactly sure what Mike has beendoing, butI imaginethathe’s stillenjoyinghislife in the great Alaskan outdoors sort of a cross between Davey Crockett and SamMaGee.

m

trainingforbeingable to make it. Rememberhowwe used to use our clothing to make floatingdevices?” Maybe thatstorywillinspire the cadets to pay even more rapt attention inwater survival class.

From Ken Sproul: “...I am veryhappy and contentedvolunteeringwith a local drug and alcohol ‘sober-living’ facility and two afternoons a week at a free clinic 20 miles away. I am hoping to be able to help our local hospital establish a free clinic here in Brazil (ClayCounty.) I also am helping one ofthe professors at the IndianaUniversityMedical School.. .givingher l st -year students some ‘real-life’ clinical info. The school’s ruralmedicine program plans to expandsignificantiy, so I mightbe able to help them even more. The program is starting to workwith a small clinic in Kenya, so myexperiencemight come in handy...”

Not much more inputthis time, guys - so thiswillbe an eclectic mix. First of all, aboutthe elections: Thanks to all who threwtheirhats into theAOG ring, and put themselves “out there” for the Board positions. Obviouslythere was some strongfeeling, and some stronglyexpressed opinions. Nowthe vote is in.

Sabre Society Honors

Since we live near ScottAFB, we have a lot ofclassmates and retired militaryfriends who live in thelocal area—but we never seem to see them, except at the occasional “funcdon”, whichwe tend to avoid more and more. To see these friends atleast once in a while, we started throwing a St Patrick’s Dayparty most years. This was one ofthoseyears, and a grandpartyit was. JimMurphy, stilllooking like a marathon runner and dressed in green, made his usual appearance. Jim is workingforARINC and lives almost three miles from us. I do see him pretty regularly at the localYMCA. (OK, he’s there prettyregularly, even ifI’m not.) Dennie Watson drove in from Kansas Cityand spentthe night. Dennie has become a man ofleisure, and lets his wife, Shirley, bring home the bacon. Another man ofleisure (ifyou callfishing“leisure”) thatmanaged to drivethe two miles fromhishouse for the partywas Ron Morey. Ronhas been retired now for severalyears and he really, reallyenjoys it. Bill Hudspeth drove over fromNashville, IL, whichis about40 miles away. He is semi-retired and spends a lot oftimevolunteeringandrunning retreats forChristianyouths. He probablyshouldhave spentthenight. Then there’s me—stillworking 50+ hours a weekforBoeingand on theroadabouttwoweeks a month. IfonlyI’dsavedall that flying paylike theytold us to do!

Somerumblings andreverberations continuefromthelatestHonordebacle. Again, howsad. Bob Muldrowdescribed howCol (ret) MalWakin, formerly professorofphilosophy&ethics during our era and a recognizedauthority on ethicsissues, returned to theAcademyto assist. I never hadhim as an instructor, buthe spoke at a number ofconferences I attendedduringmyADAFyears. Ivividlyrecallhis teaching To be a person ofintegrity, surroundyourselfwithpeople ofintegrity... Still true. In theAFI found that to be easy. Aboutthe cheating/ honor scandalitself: there has been at least one update on theAOGwebsite. I don’tknowthat allhas concluded. At one point there was a statement that 19% ofthe freshman class was failingacademically at the end ofthefall semester. Ihave also not seen an update on that. Iftrue, it seems thatthe AFAhas more problems than (lackof) honor alone.

TheAOG’s position on the matter (expressed in the March Checkpoints) evoked many strongfeelings and opinions. One of our classmates—who experienced firsthandterrible, tragicloss andboththemendacityofsome and the integrity ofothers, notablyEric Thorson—has questionedwhetherthere were anyservice academygraduates involvedinthe Tillmanfriendlyfire cover up, or the attempted cover up ofconditions atWalterReed. Howsadthatthese such breaches continue, affecting current troops in the field, and their families, and thosewho were injuredin service to theircountry. I thinkColWakin has a target- rich environment.

Bynowyou should allknowthatthe dates ofour reunionhave been set, for 3-7 October. Your squadron reps should be getting the word out. Start fine tuningyourgolfgames, see ifyou can stillfitintoyourcadetuniforms (hahaha), practicerackingyour chinbackand suckingyour gut up offthe line, getyour reservations now and avoid the inconvenience oflodgingfurtherthan crawlingdistance from the reunion events.

Ron Morey, Dennie Watson, RyanDenny, BillHudspeth, andJimMurphy. Reallrishmen tryingto rememberifStPatrick was a classmate ornot.

Ifyou’rewonderingwhy I keeptalking aboutthe 40th Reunion, it’s because absolutelynothingmusthave happenedsince then—judgingbythelackofemail, pictures, etc fromthe Class of’66.1 knowthis soundslikewhining (and itis), butit’s time to crankup thatoldcomputerand send us some news and a picture or two! It’s a longtime until the next reunion—or even until the next StPatrick’s Dayparty. Until next time.. .HappyLandings!

Larry Wilson 13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE Albuquerque, NM 87111

H: (505) 291-8949

E-mail: Lwilsn628@aol.com

Greetings to allyoufair-haired GoldenBoys - albeitperhapswith some gray now, or scarcity, or absence. It is springtime in NewMexico, and probably whereveryou are. Ithasbeen a strange one here - late snow andrain andcold. Goodforthe skiers and ski areas, but not as much fun for most others. Now howeverit seems to bewarmingup and appears to be stayingwarm, probably forthedurationofanotherlonghot summer.Well... that’swhythere are mountains. And evenings. And air conditioning.

Atidbitfrom Bob Muldrowabout a news storyfromlate March. Remember the couple that fell offthe cruise ship and were later rescued?Well... the guy was an AFA cadet. “His female acquaintance (maybegirlfriend, but not a cadet) fell offtheboat at night. Hejumpedintosaveher. The two ofthemfloated around for four hours before being rescued. He credits our water survival

Aformercolleague ofmine was recendynotifiedthather son, intheArmyin Iraq, was killed.While there have been frequentnewspaper notices ofdeaths and serious injuries ofarea residents, this was the firstclose-to-home deathfor me in this era. And I recalled all too vividly theVietnam period, when there were so many more American deaths. While theweekly death tolls now are generallynumbered insingle or sometimes double digits, insteadofhundreds or more frompast combatand wars - chances are every one ofthemhadfamily,people who cared forthem, who nowknowthepain and the sadvoid that follows such a loss. Andthe injured - while the technologyand advances in rehabilitation andprosthetics are trulyremarkable, allowingmanyto getback to remarkably“normal” life, even returningto active dutywithprostheticlimbs - it is still such a highprice to pay. Not to mention the psychologicallydamaged, whose injuries maymanifest themselves only over time, and then in covert and perhaps antisocial means. Howincrediblysad. I used to describe Vietnam as a tragic and disgustingwaste. I sincerelyhope that our current efforts in Iraqandthe entire Mideastbring about somemeasure ofstability. It is tough to be optimistic.

Bynowyoumayhave figured out that - forthefirsttime in a longtime-1 had fewinputs: no pictures, one email (asideform Bob Muldrow’s frequentsports updates - thanks Bob), and no hard copies. Thus youhave been again stuck with myramblings. You allknowthe drill - “no garbage in; no garbage out... To avoidthatinfuture, keep me inmindwhenyouhavepersonal or class news and pictures to share.

With that - I’ll sign off. Get in touch with your squadron reps for Reunion details - getyour reservations made - drop me a line or a few electronswhen youhave some dirt, gossip,pictures, news etc. Bestwishes to all - Godblessthe troops, and GodblessAmerica.

Sabre

Tim Davidson

9712 Hidden Valley Road

Vienna, VA 22181-6094

(703) 255-5313

Fax: (703) 255-5377

E-mail: timd@erols.com

69% Members

GOOD TIDINGS TO CLASS OF ’07! To the newest members ofthe Long Blue Line, best wishes for much success from your bold, courageous, and AARP forefathers in the Class of’68.

HELLO ’68! Foryoulong-rangeplanners, it’s time to callyour travelagents and markyourcalendars for 1-4 Oct 2008 so you can join in the revelryofour 40-yearreunion. Gene Roseispresiding as Chairman oftheReunionCommittee and alongwith other committee members RockyGaines, GarryDudley, Bill Eckert, Steve Staley, Bob Denny, andA1 Blumberghave selected the EmbassySuites, located near USAFA’s SouthGate, as the reunionhotel and headquarters. ForyouFalconfootballfans, we will be playingNavythatweekend. To getthelatestinformation on the event, please check our new class website atwww.usafa68.org. Ifyouhave anyquestions or suggestions forthe reunion (e.g., class gift, social events, etc.), please forward them via website: usafa68reunion@aol.com.

’68ER RETIRES FOR 4th TIME: Pat Hurley checked in to say that he has officiallybegunhis 4th and “hopefullylast retirement, but not his last gig. His last day at Raytheon was February2nd andinvolvedleavingthe confines ofhis Santa Barbara Bed and Breakfast in ParadiseValley to wend hiswayback to Arizona. Patwrites it was greatfunbuildingRaytheon’s electronicwarfare business, but the constant travelingand dislocationfrom Nancy and familytook its toll. Future plans includefamilytime, golf,fishing, sitting on a couple ofpublie companies’ board ofdirectors, and launching an Aerospace andDefense consultingfirm. He closedbysayingthat Nancyhas him on a strict fitness regimen to return to precorporate clothes sizes. Goodluck, on enjoying a bountiful, and buff, 4thretirement, Pat!

sG’M'.v Sabre Society Donors

’68ERASECOND-TIMEGRANDPA: SlavaHarlamor sent a proudgrandfather e-mail that thewife ofhis son Alexander, a captain in the Army National Guard in Florida and the GS-14 Facility Commander of BrooksvilleArmyAirfield, had a babyboynamedMitchelAlexanderHaralmor onApril9th Mitcheljoinsbigsister, Katherine, as grandchildnumbertwo. Slava notedhis son sawcombatinIraqworkingwithBlackhawkandApachehelicopters out ofTikritandthatheis currentlyinArmyTestPilot School at FortRucker. Congrats to both Dadand Grandpaforallofthe goodfamilynews!

’68’s “SPIDERMAN” ESTABLISHES CLASS WEB: After years oflaboring with careers in theAirForce andthe CityofLasVegas, ourvery own Pat Russell begandelving more deeplyinto the dark arts ofcomputerprogramming and web-design. In a moment ofweakness, following an exhilaratingdrive inhis speedyCorvette, he volunteered to take onWebmaster duties for ’68’s Class Website. The siteisnowup andrunningandmaybefound atwww.usafa68.org. The site includes photos, articles, class Checkpointscolumns, and classmate contactinformation. Ifyouhave suggestions or comments, please contact Pat atusafa68@earthlink.net. Manythanks, Pat!

’68’s MiG PILOT: Justwhenyou thoughtyou knew allyou needed to know abouttheColdWar, newrevelationsshatteryourperceptions ofa classmateyou knewonly as KarlWhittenberg. Underthe cloakofsecrecyfrom 1977 through 1988,workingin a now declassifiedprojectcalled“CONSTANTPEG,”AirForce, Navy, andMarinepilotswere selectedto flySoviet-designedMiGfighters to help trainAmericanpilots “howto defeat or evadethe Communistbloc’s fighter of theday.” As a card-carryingmemberofthe4477thTestandEvaluationSquadron’s RedEagles, Karlwas one oftheoriginal seven pilotswho establishedthe squadronin 1979. While serving as one ofthe“badguys” he flewtwo versions ofthe MiG-17, the MiG-21, and two versions ofthe MiG-23. Oh, the tales he is now clearedto tell! Thanks forcoming infromthe cold, Comrade Karl!

WIFE CONVINCES’68ERTOWRITETO SCRIBE:After a gentle admonishment fromwife, Jane, Bob Pavelkorealized the error ofhis ways and immediatelybegantyping on his computerkeyboard to communicate bywritten word to his class scribe for the first time on January23rd. Apparently, Bob, who lives inArlington,Texas, hadvolunteered to assist the NorthTexasAssociation ofAirForceAcademyGraduates inorganizingthetailgatepartybefore the USAFA-TCU football game on December2nd As fatewould have it, Bob’s son, Air Force Major Bob Pavelko, called to say that he would be returning fromThule, Greenland,where he is Commander ofDetachment 3 forthe 22nd SpaceOperationsSquadron, andwonderedwhetherhis dad couldhelp him pin on his below-the-zone lieutenant colonel oakleaves on December 1 st in Colorado. After carefullyweighing the pros and cons ofpinning on his son’s newrank or stayingthe course withhis commitment to thetailgateparty, Bob made a bee-line forColorado to bewith his son forthis momentous occasion. Using a green stamp or two, Bob’s son Jeff, a Marine Corps major and Cobra pilot, managed to get a fewdays leave fromhis unit andjoinedhis father and brotherin a veryhappyreunion atthepromotion ceremony. As Bob notes,Jeff seems to be headinginthe rightdirection, too. Hejustcompleted a tour at the MarineWeapons andTactics SquadroninYuma,AZ,whichistheMarine Corps’ version of“Top Gun” school. Following that assignment, Jeffwas sent to intermediate service schoolin Quantico,VA. To thePavelko family, a veryhearty congratulations on yourmanyaccomplishments!

BUMPED INTO DEPT:While chairingthe 18th Annual NationalDefense IndustrialAssociationSpecialOperations andLowIntensityConflictSymposium inFebruary, I sawsome fellow 68ers atthe event. Thosein attendanceincluded Charlie Holland, Bruce Gerrity,GeorgeDegovanni, and Dan Bucchoni.

In a more somberceremony, I sawEdandKarenEberhartandTom O’Beime at ourformerCommandantGeneralSeith’sfuneralatArlingtonCemeteryinMarch.

GONEBUTNOTFORGOTTEN: On a sad note, Ron Kerchner sent an e-mail indicating that our classmateJim Lyonspassed awayquietly in his sleep on Nov 25,2006 after a long battle with cancer. Jim is survived by his mother, brothers, and sisters.

THAT’SAWRAP: Mind the flak; keep ’em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos comingin to Pat Russell and me. Next columnfeatures Jim Reese in the Land Down Under, ClarkGerhardt in the Philippines, and the East Coast Reunion. Ciaofornow. Tim

Visit the AOGWeb Site.

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and more!

www.usafa.org

Class WebmasterPatRussellandFamily:Fromleftare daughter-inlawSpon; son Andy;daughterKathy; wife, Nita;grandsonJoe;granddaughterKatie; grandson Steve; daughter-in-lawMichelle; son Jim;andPat.

TheFlurleyfamilyatLaJolla Beach and Tennis Club. NancyandPat; son Justin;his wife,Andrea, and their two girlsAlana Grace (theolderofthe two) andEden Dwyer; and son Ethan andhis wife,Amy.

Bob Pavelko and sons. From left are son Lt Col, USAF, Bob; our classmate Bob; and son Maj, USMC, Jeff.

Lindsey Parris

616 King’s Cloister Circle

Alexandria, VA 22302

Home: (703) 836-3604

E-mail:

102177.1033@compuserve.com

66% Members

VTOERff

Mid-summer’s bestwishes to all, in hopes that golfhandicaps are falling, bicyclingmileage is soaring, serves are acing, and lucky stars are still being countedthatAlec Baldwinwasn’t an upperclassman in our day.

Acouple ofairline retirements have unfolded since lastinstallment. Bugs Forsythe tookhis fini-flight on 7April, from Paris to IAD, andhis new status is reflected in the smiles in the picturememorializing the day. Bugs is smiling becauseherelishes no more TSAsecurityhassles, line checks fromthe Feds, or (bad) crew meals. MissJudyis all smiles because she knows Bugs has no clue about eithertheyears ofchoresshe has in store forhim, now thatthere are no more ‘get-out-of-jail-free cards,’ or her plans to market a newline of“Bugs andfriends” bubblehead dolls for auto dashboards nationwide. She’s taking orders now. Grandcongratulations to Bugs on his enormous successes in two careers. More to come, no doubt.

has revved it up in hisT-34!). Ifany ofyou have more, let me know—may as well figure this out now, so we can speak ofimportant matters at the 40th reunion.

Many are gearingup forbicyclingadventures this summer. Though the list is farfrom complete, theTour de Colorado will have DennyRyll, Steve Kirby, Flip “RabbitFoot” KeckandJohnBuckner,ataminimum, probablyRAGBRAIalumnus Kit Busching (ifhis new international 777 gig permits him time off), and Jim Downey as well; Rick Olafson was planningto bike cross country; andChipAmbrose,Larry AlexanderandJimmyCummings are planning a NovaScotia getaway, pendingJimmy’ssurviving 10 days inIreland. Wonder ifLanceArmstrong knows Denny can bench press him 20times?

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Flip Keckis also newly-retired (31 January), and has a newlyrepaired rotator cuffto launchinto his new lifestyle ofcomparative leisure. Jle celebrated the occasioninpartwith a trip to admire his one-year-oldgranddaughter and play a little golfwith the inimitable Steve Cherry at the Muroc Lake Course. Stories on his “Miracle at the 18th vary, as thesetales always do, but it seems that Flip, with all bets and presses maxed out, was manyyards offthe green, and Steve had a 10-footputtforbirdie. Flip skulledhis chip,pushingthe ball off-line into a pile ofrabbit droppings—which served to redirectthe path of theball and divertitdirectlyinto thebottom ofthe cup. Needless to say, Steve, who usuallycomes on strongaftertheall-starbreak, alaRogerClemens, missed his own birdie putt. Flip not onlyusedtheround to prepare forBrian Nelson’s golftrip to the Dallas area, buthe andJan are usingthewinnings to add several Bill-Gatesiantouches to theirretirementcastle inthe Springs. Steve Cherry— good guy. Charitable, too.

FlipandJan celebrateFlip'sfinal uniformedflight.

Also on thelinks, Mike Goode and son Nick came close to succeedinginthe difficulttaskofrepeating as champions oftheir club’s father-son tournament. One stroke shy ofthe playoffs. Nickis deciding on colleges as ofthis writing, buthopes to find one atwhichFlip is part-timegreenskeeper.

TerryBrady and Glen Kane celebrated St. Pats at theparade in Denver, and plottedtheir own retirement parties inJuly, as ’69’slast, or at leastamongthe last, to flyforcommercial airlines, perhaps at least the last two ’69 Irishmen flyingthebigbirds. Glenhas some 28,000hours ofcreditedflyingtime, which couldbe rightup there contendingfortops in the Class (unless Dan Thomas

Les Dyer has completed several months of study and passed his EMT certification, whichputs him in elite companydown at the firehouse. All ofus need a good cut man in our corner when the chips are down. In a pinch, he may also be able to help deliver babies. Paramedic certification next, Les? Peachtree Cityis luckyto have you.

Sa&re Society Boners

Chris andStephHope are now deep inretirement, andsuggestthathadthey known howrewarding and enjoyable itwouldbe, theywouldhave done it25 yearsago. StillinKansasCity, Chris continueshisworkwith“ReadingReaches,” which has put over 100,000 dictionaries in the hands ofthird graders in 12 countiesinthe two-state metropolitan area overthelastfiveyears. Chris is also airborne more now than since he left theAF, and has increased both his pleasure and instructinghours. On the side, he has pickedup theguitar and ukulele to accompany Steph’sbluegrass and Irish fiddling. They are lookingforward to seeingGaryHowe duringJuneweek, andthereaftercatchingJim and Leslie Miller’s 40-acre ranch in southern Colorado.

Tom Fleming andTerrySchwalierjoinedforces for an eveningofrevelryin Seattie, and turned out in their Don Ho (RIP) finest, as attested below. Tom, workingwithTomAllen (who is at the Institute for DefenseAnalysis), will be headingto the Mideast for a stintthis summer.

On more somber notes, we have allbeen saddenedwith thepassings ofseveralwho touched us all. Not only are we now short two more ofour ’69broth-

BugsandJudy:Retirement#2!

TerryandTom:latestmodelsforTommyBahama Clothiers SeatdeBranch!

ers, SandyKudlac and Bill Head, but also our first commandant, Gen LouisT. “Ted” Seith. Sandyhadretiredfrom Continental onlythree monthsbefore the suddenness ofhisheart event; his son, who spentthelastnine months inIraq, put theAmerican flagpatch he had worn in combat in Sandy’s casket. Gary Howe, Kirk Stewart, Russ Brown, Bill Kiefer, Mike Guyote and TerryBrady helpedpayfinalrespects. Bill succumbed to cancer, andhis services were held in Colleyville, Texas. When additionalinformationbecomes available, I’ll pass it along. GeneralSeith’s ceremony was atArlington National. The Class sent a wreath, inscribedwith thewords“In memoryofGen LouisT. Seith. Commandant, Standard ofExcellence, and Inspiration to us all. USAFAClass of1969.” Thanks to ChipAmbrose forarrangingprominentplacement atthe gravesite. In addition, the Classwill donate $500 to theAcademyfundbeingestablished inhis name.

We miss them all, and honorthem in our thoughts forthe importantparts theyplayed in our lives.

Astheletteryou receivedfromDavidWagnerand me suggests, plans are well underway forthe largest reunion gift in USAFA’s history, the Class of 1969’s AdmissionsWelcome Center. Pleasehelp make our 40th Reuniongiftall it can be bydonatingin accordancewithyour means and inclinations. I knowwe’ll beatthe experts’predictionsthat no more than 50% ofthe Classwill contribute. Please don’thesitate to callDavid, me, or anyofthe Class officers ormembers ofthe Gift Committeewith anyquestionsyou mayhave. As stated in the letter, this is what our Class motto, translated into reality, is all about. Let’s make it happen.

Bestwishes to all for a grand summer. See you in the fall. Salute. Lindsey

Dick Rauschkolb

130 Luxury Lane

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

H: (719) 761-5764

W: (719) 472-0300/DSN: 333-2067

E-mail:Dick. Rauschkolb@aogusafa.org

67% Members

Greetings classmates! Hope the summer finds you golfers hitting them straightand everyone enjoyinggoodweather. This pastColorado winter was the worst I have experienced in mymanyyears here. It certainlycut down on mywintergolfgame and as a result as DustySwanson alwayswhines, “I need strokes!”

’70 Men atAOGMemorialPavilion Dedication. Fromleftare ThePhantom, LarryBush, RogerHillandJackMueller.

TommyThompson indicated some ofthe boys at FEDEX have hit or willbe hitting the mandatory retirement age of the big SIX-OH. Tommy, Dusty Swanson, JackTrimble, Rick Humke, A1 Fahy, Bill Bader, Fred Whitney, Jim Hinderhoffer, Bill Rathbun, Bill Lincoln, John McLaughlin, andAl Bloor all are gettingready to experience thejoys ofthe GoldenYears. Tommy—how aboutgetting a fewofthese guyswho aren’tmembers tojoin theAOG—so they can see their names in print!

Heard fromTerrySilvesterand DuffSmiley.Terryis enjoyinglife in the Fort Walton Beach area and Duffis rooting forhis hometown Detroit Pistons to play the Spurs in the NBA Finals. Mark and Deb Robbins checked in from Virginiathankfulfortheir son Chad’s returnfrom Iraq. Mike andMelissaHuber just saw their son Charles, ’97, head to the war zone as an F-16 pilot.We hope all ofour classmates’ sons and daughters return safely from harms way.

Mick Davey sent me a greatstoryanonymouslysubmitted by some ofour classmates abouttheir cadet days. I am going to push for it to be printed in a future issue ofCheckpoints. It’s titledthe “Pet Girl”, so I have some work to do to get it past myboss. It is a good, clean storythough.

BJ Bjorklund sent me this picture ofseventy men at BGen Dana Demand’s wing commander change-of-command ceremony at StewartANG Base in NewYork on 3 March. Danathanks foryoursuperb serviceto our nation. Great turnout Seventy!

ViVf'M 'Hk

$.i£:

63

Sabre Society Donors

Watched some spring football practices and had a chance to meet Troy Calhoun. He is a first rate guyandhas some prettyimpressive NFLcredentials. It is obvious fromthepractices I went to thatthe teamwillbethrowingtheball a lot more. We may still run some wishbone, but I saw the shotgun and “I” formations atthespringgame. Ijusthopewe havebetter success thanArmydidwhen theymoved away from the option. Marilyn and I attended a gala at the BroadmoorinhonorofFisherDeBerry. Fisher was a class act and good friendfor over 25 years. TheAthletic Department put on a firstclass affair. Itwas a pleasure to share a tablewith Mike Torreano, Tooey and Carol Emery, and Larry and MarleenBush.

Wasproudofthebasketball team gettingto thefinalfourin the NIT. Itwasn’tthe NCAAswhich I thoughtwe should have made, but it was a great reward for a very deserving team. See the article on their trip to New York elsewhere in the magazine. Larryand Marleen Bush, Roger and Cheryl Riggs and Steve Maclsaac gottogetherforthe NewMexico game inAlbuquerque. I hate to see JeffBzdelikleave. He was theright man to coach us for a long time. Based on talkswith the players, they are verypleasedwith the selection ofleffReynolds as new head BB coach.

Marilynand I got to see one ofthe Spurs-Nuggetsplayoffgames in Denver. It was awesome, hard to believe howbig and quickthose guys are. Sawfim and Debbie Mulford andIanDaveyat the game. GreggPopovichstoppedbyafter the game (Spurswon) and we allhad some time to catchupwith him. The life ofan NBAcoachmaylookappealing, butPopo saidhehad to leave at 2230 and go look at filmuntilthree in theAM.Yikes! Let’s hope the Spurs are stillplaying whenyouread this.

On 11 May, theAssociation ofGraduatesMemorialPavilionwas dedicated at the cemetery. This was a verymoving occasion and ifanyofyou get out here, make sure you go for a visit. Also stop at the Record Locator Building at the southwest comer to lookup info about our classmates andothergrads. I know you will be touched. See pictures and video on the AOG website at www.usafa.org. Thepavilion showswhat can be donethroughprivate donations. It was a $4.7M project and while there were several large donors, over 11,000gradshelpedfundtheproject. Just a reminder, our class giftis theVietnam Memorial Pavilion at the end ofthe HeritageTrail at Doolittle Hall. We havehad severalofour classmates make significantsixfiguregifts but we still need around $350K to break ground. Let’s all get behind this and make it a realityat our nextReunion. Hats offto GaryDahlen, MikeTorreano, andTooey Emeryforworkinghard on the details ofthis project. Nowwe need to do our part and come up withtheshortfall.

Our last classmate on active duty, John Kupko, is headed forIraq and he is planning on doingsomethingfor our class to commemorate the occasion. GoodluckJohn!

Had some interesting chats/email exchanges with John Martinson, John CusickandRandyRumpfthis last quarter. The two Johns are quite successful andRandyhas a son at UPTinT-38s. RudyAragon and DonRustling are working on a largeairplane disaster case together—that’s prettyneat. I hit mypartner in thebackofthehead duringtheMember-Guest golftournament—can one ofyou guys represent me-— Pro Bono ofcourse? Spider Baxter is another member ofthe big Six-Oh club. He is tied with Tom Rayl with eight grandchildren. TonyDeSantis celebratedfive-niner on a Caribbean cruise. Marilyn and I celebrated my60th on one ofthoseboats you paddlewith your legs—took a “cruise” across the Pueblo Reservoir.

Pete Peterson sent me picture ofDarrelMasseyandhimin a shelter at the top ofMt. Fuji.Theywere soaked to the skin and “freezingtheirbutts off” according to Pete. Wind and snow blew out three offive oftheir flashlights and it sounds like theybarelyavoided a case ofhypothermia. Good on you boys— Ithink! Heymen, ifyouhaven’tsignedup forZoomieNationofftheAOGwebsite at www.usafa.orgplease do so. I will start posting some ofthe extra pictures I have there oryou can postthem.We have 41 members in Class of 1970 group —it’s a greatway to stayconnected.

Hail to theChief!In thefrontrowfrom leftare Bill Oldenburg, PhilMoore, CraigNorthrop, and Chris Calvert. Backrow: EricMyers, Dana Demand, BJ Bjorkland, John Russ andShawn Raintree.

SawMikeKelleyagainlastmonth.We are going to gettogetherfor some golf in June. Chip Terrillhas a newjob as a patent litigation attorneywith a large lawfirm in DC.WildWoodWoodheadhas sent me a fewemails. One was the speechgiven at the Iwo JimaCemeterydedication in 1945 - awesome—look it up online—verymoving. Joe Bonner is running two private foundations that provide healthcare programs forthe citizens ofSouth Carolina and/or North Carolina. He hopes to be at next Reunion. Tim Karnowskichecked in fromAlaskaandpromises to makethe 2010 Reunion. DonandSusyWestbrook were in Casde Rock to visit their daughter. Don isworking forBoeing in F-22 trainingsystems. ChuckWeir lost his older brotherTom to cancer. Tom was like a brother to me. He was a largerthan life guy—All-American baseball player,playedintheRed Soxfarm system, andbecame a verysuccessfulorthodontist. Forthoseofus whoknewhim, we send a special salute to a greatguy.

Eric Meyers indicatedhe was retiringafter24years offlying. He was looking to hook up with Dave MacGhee at Netjets. Dave is on the mend from some backsurgeryandwasn’table to make it outfor our annual drubbingoftheboys from ’67 on the links. That is always a highlight ofmyyear. Getwell Dave!

Wild Bill Stealeythanks everyonewhovotedforhimintheAOG election. It’s a shame he didn’t win a seat; we could haveused someone withWild Bill’s passion and experience on the new board. Speaking ofWild Bill, seems he hosted the Sandbagger’s Invitational for all Seventy men. Unfortunately, the name ofthe tournament scared everyone awayexceptthebiggestsandbaggers as shown below.

Wild Billplans to make this an annual event afterwinningallthemoney. He promises the weatherwillbe better next year in MountainAir, NC. The boys played in pea-soup fogaccording to Tim. AndWild Bill keptraising thebet after givingTom andTim directions on where to hit the ball! Next May is the tournament—putit on your schedule!

BillHead, ’69,recentlypassedawayandhiswifeasked me to collectanyreminiscencesyoumayhave ofBillwhenhe taught some ofyouguys to flyatWebb.

On averysad note, we havelost two great classmates since thelast column. CarlBangpassed awayless thanthreeweeks afterbeingdiagnosedwithlymphoma. I sawCarlat everyBB andFB game-he was a trueFalconsportsfan. He was a greatguyandwe havelost a goodfriendandclassmate. RickBonnellwas killedin amotorcycleaccidentinTexasrecently. Rickhadcompletedthreeyears ofcollegeprior to attendingUSAFAandlots ofus calledhim dad. Please keep Carl’s and Rick’s familyinyour thoughts and prayers. AsYogi Royce said on ZoomieNation, “Gone But Never Forgotten...’’ - here’s a toast to Carl and Rick.

Paul D. Knott

5565 Lantana Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80920

H: (719) 570-9162

W: (719) 594-0100

E-mail: pknott@acninc.net

55% Members

their daughter’s recent nuptials. Speakingofweddings, Cindyand Harry’s son will be gettingmarried at the Botanical Gardens in Denverjust aboutthe time you readthis.

DarrylWimberleyrecendyreached an interestingmilestone; he is the first of our class to be mentioned in EntertainmentWeeidy. (ThatI knowof.) The book editor reallyliked his most recent novel in print, “King ofColored Town.” If youhaven’thad a chance to read Darryl’sbooks, Iwouldrecommendtracking them down and startingwith one ofthe earlier stories. Once you have, then read this one. The thrill ofwatchinghis giftripen and mature through time is wellworth the experience. Darryl is revisiting one ofhis characters, Barrett “Bear” Raines, inJuly; whenAmazon ships, mycopywill be one ofthe first out.

As ifto emphasize theweirdness ofthis year so far, there was snow over the PalmerDividethe firstweekend ofMay.Afterwatchingthefootball, basketball and soccer coaches leave, perhaps theweatherfits!

Just a reminder; the USAFAClass of2011 enters inJune. Ourclass isproviding themwith copies of Checkpoints, and anyofyou guys who can spare time to share withthese young ones will receive more thanyou will give.

Bob Bell

13 Pacific Ave.

Sinking Spring, PA 19608 (610) 678-3182/Fax: 678-4513

E-mail: rabell767@aol.com

51% Members

Hey ’72 grads! Once more (I think) before you head out to Reunion 20071 bringyouveryshort notes fromthe Internet. These emails came backinApril andI actuallyonlyhad to askfor one ofthem to be re-sent. Mustbe gettingthis cyber-stuffdown finally, and it’s abouttime, some would say...

As the first out the chute, Brinn Colenda sent a fine photo ofhis three sons withtheirdad on thewaybackfromtheNationalSnowboardChampionships heldinLakeTahoe, NVAllthree ofthemdidwell atthe meet and are nationally rankedskier/snowboarders. Brinn has also been able to ski some ofthe best mountains in the US because ofhis sons’ national competitions. He doubts theyinheritedanyoftheirathletic abilitiesfromtheirdad, butyou never know, right?TwinsJosh and Cameron attended soccer camp at USAFAlast summer and plan to be returningagain this summer.

Brinnhasn’t run into many ofour classmates since attendingthe funeral of Porter Nelson back inJune 2005. He does reportthatJim Simmons is retired andlivingin C-Springs andworking as a defense contractorin anotherjobthat he cannottalkabout.When not followingtheboys aroundthe ski slopes, Brinn is a real estate brokerinAngelFire, NM. He hasalso taken upwriting, finished a novel aboutBolivia and is working on a sequel.

A shout-out to Ellen Powell: Nick and Mike Stooke want you to know of yourhigh school’s upcoming reunion. Ifyou get in touchwith me, I’ll pass on their contact information. Ifanyone else knows howtofindher, letNick or me know.

Condolences to Ron Haleandfamily on theloss ofhis bride andbestfriend, Marti. Tom andJackie Berry, Cass Casada, RickMiller, and Greg andJanet Rocco,AndreaandI were among attendees atthefuneral andinternmentat theAcademycemetery earlierthisyear. Those ofyouwho knewthat she hadbeen battling cancer for a while maybe comforted inthe knowledge thatherpassingwas quiet andcalm.

On a decidedlylighternote, we recendy ran intoTom and JudyCurryand CindyDavis (Harry) at an antiques bazaar that Candace Sylling’s women’s club runs as a ftmd-raiser. Afterwards, we stoppedby to see the improvements that Charlie has beenmaking attheirhome, and some oftheweddingphotos from

Brinn andhis three sons.

TheAirForceAssociation sent “FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE” the news flash that one ofour own, LT GEN (Ret) Mike Dunnhas been approved to become the next AFA President and CEO as of 1 July 2007. He succeeds Donald L. Peterson, who is stepping down afterfive years in thejob.

QuotingChairman ofthe Board Bob Largent, “We are veryfortunate to have someone ofMikeDunn’s caliber as the next presidentofour association. Mike comes toAFAwith an extensivemilitaryandacademicbackground. He is committedto helpingAFAfurtheritsmission: to educatethepublic aboutthecritical role ofaerospace power in the defense ofour nation; to advocate aerospace powerand a strongnationaldefense; and to supporttheUnited StatesAirForce and theAir Force Family.”

AsAFA’s top staffexecutive, hewill directthe association’s professional staff

WildBill takesSandbaggerInvitationalfrom Kinnan andWaskow.

inallfunctional areas andberesponsible forthemanagementand operations ofthe association. He will also hold the position ofpublisher ofAirForce Magazine, the officialjournal ofthe more than 125,000-memberassociation.

Heartycongratulations go out to Mike in the recognition ofhis achievement as one ofthe top militaryleaders to be considered and selectedfor such an importantposition.

As a resultofmonths/yearsworkonhispart,TomMaddock reportsthathehasregistered a domainfor use bytheclass in whatevercapacityyouwish. ThatsiteisUSAFA72.ORG. All that is needed now is information to put on the site. He is also working on a secure login to a class forum for discussion. Staytunedfor more on that aftercheckingit out.

Andthat completes the news ofthis column, guys. IfI am correct andthis is thefinalissuebefore theReunion, thenplanto leave me with some more feedbackAFTERthateventandwe willfillupthecolumnnexttime. Inthemeantime,watchthemailfordetails fromHarveyLeCato, chairman of the Reunioncommittee, as things are gettingfinalized even as we speak. Take care until nexttime.

Joe Kahoe

4140 Saddle Rock Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

W:719-570-8658; C:719-661-8029 joedebkahoe@comcast.net jkahoe@arinc.com

46% Members

We owe a verybig “thankyou” to Bob Munson for his outstandingwork as our Class Scribe for the past three years. Dr. Bob invested countless hours reaching out to capturesnippets ofour lives. His articleshave drawn us a little bit closertogether as proudgraduates ofUSAFA’73. Thankyou, Bob!

Iquicklydiscoveredthereisfartoo littlespace to includeeverythingfolkshave sent, so I encourageallto readtheuneditedversion at our Classweb site (http:/ /73.texascomputerhelp.com) builtbyMikeNishimuta. Mike works forM7Aerospace in SanAntonio. (“WS”in thearticle means “go to web siteformore”.)

McNeillive in Memphiswhere Fredworks forUPS. Dave and NancyHanson live in SouthCarolina. Bush” is an F-16 sim IP at Shawand is SE Region Pres of AFA. Craigand SandyPatchinlive in SaltLake Citywhere “Patch” is the Shriner Hospital administrator.

Dennyand Sherri Maple are both flyingforSouthwestin Phoenix. Chrisand SandiBlack are inAtlanta. Chrisretiredfrom Delta and I thinkis sellingprefab homes. John andVickie Duncan are inD.C. Duneis an SES-5 workingfor State Department andVickie is an attorney. Don andLoriKanipelive in Beavercreek, OH. Donworks atWPAFB. JohnRowgackilives in FortWalton Beach. I believe Row is affiliatedwithWest Florida Univ. Dave and Sue Fulklive in California. Bob and BarbaraJean Hartman live inAppleValley, CA. Steve Trent was my3degree roommate and we met fordinnerwhenhe was in Boston for a medical conferencelastFall. Rowe StaytonisintheArkansasArmyGuard andisheaded back to Iraq orAfghanistan in the fall. Wewish him all the best.”

Tim and Cindi Long still live in Louisville. Tim flies 757/767s for UPS and both ride horses as a hobbyand exercise. (WS) Dennis Haugh lives in Denver and helped start our quarterlylunches for the nearly 80 classmates living in Colorado. Dennis is flight softwarelead forOrion. JohnMuse re-engagedwith the AOG about six years ago and is a classmate to whom weowe a debt of gratitude. Johnprovidedleadershipchallengematchingfunds a fewyears ago andhelpedkickoffNCLS (NationalCharacter & LeadershipSymposium).John and Lyn have five children and John is Chairman ofHM Capital. (WS) Luke Cokeris retiredfromAFReserves on 6Mayat PetersonAFB. Luke spent 28years inthe cockpitandamassed 8,500 hours. Congrats on a great career! (WS) Mike and PrisArnett still live in Merritt Island, FL and alongwithTrapperCarpenter at USAFA andVic Thuotte, will keep us posted on CS09. RandyFotinakes is manager ofNew Product Development and Config Control at EFC. Lt Gen JohnRegniwants all to knowofthe great success ofour Class of73’sworkand contributions to NLCS. “Our class, as the lead donor and with volunteers at USAFA, really did us proud—best NCLS ever!” (WS) Ron Scott commented: “NCLS is a worthy cause for our class gift, and we shouldtryto perpetuate it as long as possible.”

MS? M Sabre Society Donors

Great CS-19 update fromJohnKuconis: (WSforunedited report): “I work at Lincoln Lab on the Technical Staff and hike theAppalachian Trail. Mywife, Chong Sun, is doing wellinherboutwithbreast cancer andhasbeen cancer free forthreeyears. Bryan and Patty Clark are living inAtlanta. BryanretiredfromDeltainSep03, has aJuice Plus and small apparelbusiness, runs a largeyouthbasketball organization andcoaches anAAU team. Tom andBethBlase are stationed at LacklandALB. Tom is a Colonel andlead Chaplain. Tom’s sonWoodyis a Marine andhasjust returned from Iraq. Don and SheriWetekam are still in D.C. Congrats to Lt Gen “Hank”Wetekam, who retired 31 May at BollingALB!

Charlie and Donna Felton (CS-10): Charlie is a Citation 10 Captain with Netjets and lovingit. Donnais startingher Doctorate in Nursingthis June at UCCS. (WS) ScottWilson is still flying as a Captainwith NorthwestAirlines and is part time as stockbroker/ financial planner.

ScottWilson (CS-38) andnewbride, Maria (actress andmodel). Sam andRoniGrier are still in Rome. Samis the DeanforNATOWarCollege. Dave and KarenBrownlive in Colorado Springs. “Chaw” is a surgeon at a local hospital. DaleandGeorgieRandolph are stilllivinginAlaska. Dave is usinghis CE degree to develop portfacilities at MidwayIsland.A1 andKimberlyBiiding live in Monument, CO. AJ is a consultant providing services to New Orleans followingKatrina.JimandNatalie Mateos live in Dallas. Jim is a 767-757 pilot forAAon internationalroutes. ChuckandJudyMitchelllive intheLangleyarea where Chuckis a Zeltech contractor. Ron and CarolJohnson live inTucson. Ronflies for Southwest. Bob andWandaGlitzlive inthe Chicago area. Leo and RosieAguinaldo are retiredinthe LosAngeles area. Don andTracyRamm live in the San DiegoArea and are veryactive in a local flyingclub. Fred and Leigh

Richard Hayes (CS 31) took a newjob here in Charleston, SC as Contracts Manager for EDO. Just up the road is Mike Hub, a fellow Grim Reaper, now VicarofSt. MatthewEpiscopal Church! RickMazurowski (CS18) retiredfrom Delta and moved to Hawaii where he is now a musician. (WS) Kent (CS-33) and Diane

NCLS Players: TrapperCarpenter, Steve Dalrymple, John Stefonik, John Regni, DaleBirch, A1Maurer, Ron Scott, andBobMunson. Notpictured are Warren Smith, BruceMeyer, andScottBrennan. Thankyou all!

Buchanan moved to Florida two years ago where Kent is Chief Growth Officerin charge oftechnologyand M&A at Harris Corporation. (WS)

Ron Taylorgarbed out as a movie extra in Untraceable, filmedin Portland. TedKammire stoodup a newAOG Chapter in SouthFlorida. John Rosseris on the Board ofDirectors andTed isVP. CallTed at 305-889-1914 to join. Bill Ritter retired a second time and now he and Margaret have aWedding and EventVideographerbusiness, coachinggymnastics, andlivinginBeavercreek, OH. (WS) Bill and PamelaDiffley still live in Great Falls,VA. Bill is “persever-

ing” atUSAirways. (WS)Wayne Maricle reports nothing exciting from the Chickenhawks in FtWalton Beach, where they are too busyplayinggolfand tennisandridingjetskiswithMikeKoserandJohnLauten. StalkerReed (CS07) andAlKinback(CS07) (Kinner) flewAl’s 172totheEAAFun-in-SuninLakeland, FL the middle ofApril.

Congrats to our two new Major Generals—BradYoung (CS-07)AF Reserve andMikeEdwards, the newAdjutantGeneralofColorado! We are veryproud ofboth ofyou and are looking forward to seeingyou in uniform at our 35th reunion. Dean Haylett(CS14) has retired for a secondtime to Orlando. (WS) Monnie and Jennifer Gore live in Manitou Springs, CO. Monni is currently DepCountyAdministratorforElPaso County, CO. KenVargas, a foreign cadet from Mexico, served in the Mexican military, now lives in Calgary,Alberta, Canada (WS). Joe and Debbie Kahoelive in Colorado Springs andjustwelcorned #6 grandchildinto theworld. We also proudlyordered our 15 cadets from the Class of2007 to “Saddle Up” and move it out.

Joe Brezovic

1209 Bayou Oaks Drive

Friendswood, TX 77546

H: (281) 482-6860

0: (281) 244-8325/Fax: (281) 244-8020

E-mail: jbrezovic@houston.rr.com

joseph.brezovic-l@nasa.gov

Hello classmates around theworld. We appreciate the short notes and pictures from all. I thinkit’s greatthat our classmates cover each other so well! This first picture and story comes from Florida. Seven of’74 were at theAir ForceAssociation banquet in Orlando in February. The group was so happy they even wanted to showthatformany, retirement does not equate to separation from theAir Force. From left are Steve Gress (Boeing), Tom Henricks (President ofAviation Week), DuncanMcNabb (CINCAirMobilityCommand, USAF), Dan Goodrich (SAIC), EdWhalen (DirectorStrikeWeapons, LockheedMartin), SteveAndersen (Raytheon), andPete Gavares (Rolls-Royce). I’d give more oftheirbio but that is all I know at this time!

Military-IndustrialComplexSeniorExec Meeting

Stillworkingthe international scene is Paul Guzowski. Paul is stillworking for Cubic on the Slovakia team in Bratislava. I’ve beenworkingcloselywith theSlovakAirForce on a numberofissues, most recentlyaircrewtraining, and having a ball. He feels he is a bit slowerthanhe’d like on learningthe Slovak language; however it is fasterthan Hungarian! Skiingin Europe was terrible thisyear and onlygot one dayin March.

Dave Daley(civilian) wrote abouthis promotion. Afterthree andhalfyears at theWashingtonNavyYard, he transferred (with a promotion) from the DepartmentoftheNavyto theDepartment ofDefense Office ofSecurityReview inRosslyn.

Also a happier note from D.C. area becauseJoe Kelleyis still alive! LastAugust he collapsedwith a heart attack in frontofhis wife, Joy, and daughter. They are so thankful, knowing God had a hand in rightpeople-right-time treatments andfriends’ encouragements. Joe is back to work and exercise but not quite to the same level as before. Theyplan A.F. retirementthis summer.

Rich and Peg Bowman sent a note in from Beavercreek, where Rich has recuperated. Guys, get checked! Rich was diagnosedwithprostrate cancerbutwas fortunatethatitwas caughtearly. The minor problem of a spiral fracture ofthe distalfibula (brokenleg) fromdoingroofwork on theirhome healedwellenough. These incidentsdid not stop themfrom theirtravelinglaterlastyearthrough St Louis, Texas,Yellowstone, and Colorado Springs.

Anotherhome-fixer-upperupdate comes fromRoyandAnn Lower. They gave theiryoungest, Domi, awayinJanuary to her long-time beau. The ceremonyat StMarks inSeattleandsetting was almostmedieval in tone. Perhaps thefamilypicture showswhatyou’dlike to know. [Does the mess dress stillfit?] Theynamed theirhome on thehill “Curraghmoor” which is Gaelic for ‘great

swamp.’ With 20+ inches ofrain in thebasement during the construction period, theyfelt it was well deserved. Move-in time aroundJuly07. Whichwill be aboutthetime theyneed a new home to begrandparentsbytheir daughter AJ and Tommy. The home will display their Masonic Temple doors, doors from some suburb high school, doors from an old courthouse, and broken concrete from the northwestfor a retainingwall! Yep, theirhome is the designatedlocal recoveryshelter. I thoughtitwas forpeople, buthislist ofhardware says otherwise!

Lowerdaughter wedded.

Bill and PennyVan Horn wrote his son, Blair, is atWest Point and on the Ski PatrolTeam [lastwinter], buthasblessedtimewithAWANAstudents andbible lessons. With son gone, BiUtookBlair’sjeepandfamilyto some beautifulplaces in Colorado. Goodthingtheywere around‘causewaypast curfewtheylearned one ofthe otherjeeps w/ kids broke down and the mothers were glad that all could work thru that experience safely. Penny’s Dad is in second yearliving with them giving stories and insights fromyesterdays.

JJ and Cynthia Romano are proud ofson Joey son finishing 2nd in state for wrestlingin hisweightclass, andhe’s offto Philmontforpart ofthe summer. JJ is stillwith SAIC managingabout 140 people. Thishelps payhis gliderbills and the roadtripsCynthia takes as wrestlingteam mom andmanager.

Bill and Terry Casement still live in Dallas. They, too, gave theiryoungest daughter, Janice to marryand theymovedto Houston. Asad note fortheyear was that Bill’s dad passed in March 06 from aggressive cancer. Bill wrote that his Dad lived his life by two sayings fromhis childhood days “lost opportunities never return” (engraved at his public school) and“do a good deed every day” (scouting). Bill is now a fullyqualified 737-800 pilotbased at LAX. His normal route is Hawaii.

Dennyand LynnHughes are stillin Omaha. Lynnhappilypassed accreditation and is now Professorin theNursingDepartment. Their son Nate isworking IT for the Federal Reserve, and son Neal is a captain (AirForce) in intelligenceatOffutt. One oftheirdaughters,Tamara, is one ofthe top lOcosmetologists in Overland Park.

John and Cheryl Ephland live in Belton. Cheryl is healing fromhaving her lowerleft lobe ofa lungremoved for cancer in Feb 06. November 06 brought a biggersurprisewhenJohn had troublebreathingand chestpains one night. Theytookhim to theVA hospital and did a heart catheterization to learnthe rightpulmonaryartery was 99% blocked. A stent was put in. He had a good check on Nov30! John adopted the quote “God is good all the time!”

NickPuzak comes throughHouston, occasionally,working on the Hubble Missionpreparations. Belowisthefamilypic! Front: Joanne, Nick, Kelly; back: Hobie, Steph.

ThePuzakFamilyin Colorado.

TracyandCathyCheatham are stillmovinginto theirColoradohome. Cathy’s goalis to do the SusanGKomen3-dayBreastCancerWalkinArizonainNov07. Thewalkis 60miles. Cathyand one teammate haveagoalto raise$8,800. Drop your class scribe (Joe) a note when you wish more info to help.

As I understandhis mail, FrankMclntirerecendymoved to NewMexico to workwithASRC Communications, an Alaska Native Corporation, providing secure database and business processing services.

As forshort notes. Steve and CindyLunsford are stillliving inYorktown.VA.

Bytheway, as youlookthru some ofyourscrap books ofthosethrillingtimes ofyesteryear, I had a requestforpictures of75 grads. Wouldyousendwhatyou mayhave to me so I mayforward to their class prez? We’d appreciate that a lot! I am just aboutcaughtup with the Christmas mail, so ifyou were waitingfor slowcolumn to sendyour news in, this is the time to do it! Classmates, there are stories outtherejustwaitingto betold—theywillbehappilyreceived, and supportgiven as needed! Mayeach ofyoulive longand prosper.

Paul Kent

18166 S.E. 41st Place Issaquah, WA 98027-9717

Mobile: (425) 785-3586

E-mail: zooscribe@mac.com

45% Member

The Column ThatWrites Itself. The class with the highestpercentage of registered members inZoomienation is the same classwithhighest attrition rate at anymilitaryacademy ever. At303 registeredmembers, the next highest number for a graduating class is 41. No wonderwriting this column is easy. Between all ofyou and our highlymotivated presidentJim Carlson, you are the reasonwritingthiscolumnis a breeze. Thanksformakingit so. Go to http:/ /zoomienation.usafa.org/ for an expanded column.

News,Happenings, Retirements. Dean Coxwas featuredinthe Washington TimesAutoWeekend section ofFeb 9th The bulkofthe article follows Dean’s travails oftrying to purchase a TR-7 at the zoo, the car not beingreadilyavailable, purchasing a Firebird instead, and eventuallypurchasing a TR-7 while on his first tour inAlaska, and aTR-8 later.

The7thAnnualClassof1975 DarkAgesParty(DAP) inWashingtonDC netted 46 classmates and significant others and met at the Ft McNair Officers Club. JimBurlingorganizedthefirstClass of75DarkAgesParty(DAP) forthe Springs at Giuseppi’s. MarkVolcheffmadetheGiuseppi’ssuggestion to bringbackthe memories ofpizza and beer and rushingback to the dorm beforeTaps.

From MikeAnderson,who is ChiefofStaffforAlaska’s onlyCongressman, DonYoung: DaveJanettais here on Capitol Hill As always, it was justgreat to hookupwithhim! He’sbeenworking on stuffthatwe inthe D.C. area can relate

to - sensors andsystems in place to help make our commute a little easier—or at least give us the tools to help make the right decisions fortravelingaround the district.

The OhioAerospaceInstitute (OAI) announcedtheappointmentofMichael L. Heil as president and CEO. FromJim Burling: Rich Chanickis Presidentof Fun Finders. It is a companythat uses GPS receivers to provide directions and suggestions (forfun) at theme parks, ski areas, national parks and large cities. Mary and Rich came up with the idea while at San Diego SeaWorld watching a ladypush a stroller up a hill while trying to read a map en route to her next attraction. (You gotta see Rich act out this scenario!) Burr adds this scenario to help us visualize the product: Jack Storer is atYellowstone and wantsto take his son Micha to Old Faithful, see thelocal buffalo heard, have lunch at theYellowstone Lodge, buthisreal goal is to fishfor some trout in thebest stream inYellowstone. Fun Finder to the rescue. (Jack’s a pilot.. .not a navigator.)

From Bruce Mitchell: DickWebber, Spence Roberts and I are planning to take ourwives to Dave Sprenkle’s retirementfromthe postofDeputyAdjutant General ofColoradoAir National Guard in Denver on 14April. Thatwillleave Generals Webber andVolcheff as our remnants from the Stalag 17 on active duty. MarkVolcheffretires May 18th Duane “LoDrag” Lodrigelast day in uniform was March 28th

Mike Rosebush, Mike King (USAFAfan), Mike Goyden, Lee Colburn, and JD Barrowclough

From Johnny Sims: That’s me, flying mygyrkin* Khap on a cord.We had a couple ofgray gyrs (they also come blackand white, depending on latitude) thatweweren’tallowedto flybecausetheywere confiscated evidence. Ihandled Khap as a 3-degree and2-degree. Oncethelegal case fellthrough, anotherguy got to flyKhap at a game myfirstie year. The pic is when I got interviewed in Central Park (NYC) afterflying him. I suspect that guyin the background is a youngGene Shalitt. The othertiercel** is a prairie. I don’trememberifthat was Summit, the team star, or mine,Temujin, one we had successfullybred (afirst inhistory).* ‘Gyrkin’ is a male gyr. The female is calledgyrfalcon. ‘Tiercel’ (as opposed to “falcon”) also indicates a male. It means “one third smaller” which the males are.

The Old MenDigest. Bill Murrayhas successfullyrecoveredfromprostate surgeryand gotpositivebiopsyresults. He adds a special thanks to our classmate, Dr Scott Swanson, a Urologist with the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Although Bill didn’t know Scott at theAcademy, he called him severaltimes to bounce ideas offhim. Bill adds: “He has been so helpful! I reallythink he’s related to Einstein. He reallyknows his trade and has such a greatperspective. Everytime I talkwithhim Ijustfeellike saying,Yes, DrEinstein. I thinkI understand. Ofcourse I feltlike that a lotwhen I talkedwith myclassmatesfrom the Academy.”

Reading Bill’s experiences elicited this from Sandy Terry: Bill’s journey throughprostate cancer treatment hitshome! I’m facingsurgerythis summer to have a gastro/intestinal tumor removed from thewall ofmy colon. Fortu-

DaveJanetta,AlaskaCongressmanDonYoung, andMikeAnderson

JohnnySims andhisgyrkinKhap in CentralPark circa 1973.

nately, thanks to a routine colonoscopy, this has been caughtwhen it is still smallandbefore itbecame cancerous or caused otherproblems. I’llberiding (100-mile bike ride) as a member ofThe Leukemia & LymphomaSociety’s Team InTraining on Jun 3rdwith our class ring crest prominentlydisplayed. Ivalue myassociationwiththe Class of1975 as one oftheveryspecialprivileges ofmylife.

From MarkHolmes: Hey Brothers in Blue, (I) had another run in with the grim reaper a month ago and this onecame with a lesson. Carry an aspirin in yourpocketlikeyou doyourdriverslicense inyourwallet. It might save your life. I was making a sandwich atlunchtimewhen I startedfeeling something different’ inmychest, Ireachedinmypocket, crushed itup andputitbetween mygumandcheek, andwithinsecondsthe pressure andpainsubsided,letting me knowmy concerns were likelyreal. I calledthehospitalandtoldthemI was comingin andwhen I arrived attheER, foundthatindeedI’dhad a heartattack andthatthe aspirinmightwellhave prevented a much more serious one that couldhaveendedmylife. The good news is thatthere was little damage. Steve Keenadds: Sharingthestoryofyour experiencewithyourheart attackandthe waya crushedaspirinreducedthe damage andpossiblyprevented even more serious consequences was a greattip for everyone. I have carried aspirinwith me since Jan 1995, when at age 431 had quadruple heartbypass surgery. AnotherPlea. From Jim Carlson: Register and validateyour membership with Zoomienation at https://zoomienation.usafa.org/usafa/ register.html?ref=tip andafteryou register and update your profile (and upload a photo),join the rest ofyour classmates in the Class of 1975 BestAlive! Group by going to http://zoomienation.usafa.org/usafa/groups/18/ index.html and clickingthe “Add to MyGroups” button.That’s all there is to it. However, a warningis in order: whenCarlsonfinds outyou’veregistered, he’s goingto askyou tojoinhis personalnetwork.View our class group photo atthe lastreunion atwww.jimccirlson.org/. Also,Jim sent the scribe thedraftlottery numbers forthose ofus bom in 1952 and 1953, in case youforgotthedraft was justending at this time. The scribehopes to postthiselectronically,alongwith this expanded column. Lastly, anothercallforphotos, slides, and othercadet memorabiliato be sent to our classmate Bill Estelle, who hastaken on therole of our class archivist (pre-graduation).

Dan Beatty

12196 Stanley Canyon Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

H: (719) 488-1962

E-Mail: whrlybrd76@aol.com

Dan.Beatty@usafa.af.mil

http://www.AFAcademy.com/76

53% Members

Fellow ’76ers,

Asyou read this, the class of’07hasgraduated and are the newest officers in ourAirForce. Anditislessthantwo monthsuntilthe Class of2011 enters BCT. The LongBlue Line grows!

The onlysad news I have this time is for our Prep school classmates. Col GlennAlexander, our Prep school commander, passed awayrecently.

General Class Stuff: Better input fromy’allthis time, mebbebecause I remembered to asky’allforinputs (I dohavemymoments!), but no photos this issue. First ofall, I saw BenThomson and PatRosenowat theAOGMemorial Pavilion Dedication 11 May. The Memorial Pavilionis a tremendous addition to the USAFAcemeteryandtruly a testament to theefforts oftheAOG, USAFA, and graduate leaders to bring a much neededfacility to fruition. I encourage all ofyou to visit the Pavilion the next time you are at our alma mater.

A1 Grijalvatells me youngestdaughter Cari is engagedwithweddingplans forApril. A1 and Cara (notCari) recentlyvisited oldest daughterMichelle and familyinAtlantato help celebrategrandsonChase’s 8th birthday. MikeMcGinty initiallyemailed to tell me he hadnothing to reportthen emailed again to say Kittyplans to retire nextyear andhe looks forward to the‘challenge’ ofboth of thembeinghome full time. Phil “VaT Vollelunga emailed from a Tokyolayover. Philflies forNorthwest and saidhe crossedthepondwith Fred Kneib on a 747, saw Rich Long two daysbefore, and saw Dave Mitchelllastmonth. Phil andValerie still live in SanAntonio and he says he “would be glad to open a beerforanyclassmates maydropby.”

Dave Bergtells me he is scheduled to gethis knee scopedbutdidn’tsaywhy. Says sonJacobplayedCarnegie HallrecentlywiththeShenandoahUniversity Wind Ensemble andthe familyhad a great NYC visit. Les Garrison says he’s coming home from Iraq NLT Aug 07 after 28 months working for the State Department in Babil Province Iraq as part ofthe Provincial Reconstruction Team. Staysafe foryourremainingtime Les! StefEisenwrote fromthe MontgomeryAL area. He, Denny‘Diller’ Rea, andTerryWilliams are all now local residents there.Stefsays Cathytold him for retirement locations she really didn’t care where Steflived “just sendthe checkto Montgomery! Since Cathy is aTuscaloosanative, Stefsayshewasn’tsurprised. StefandDillerretiredfrom Maxwelllastsummer—Dillerwas CombatAirForces Chair atAWC; Stefserved as Dean ofFaculty. Both Diller andTerry now work forVertex, andsupport numerous education missions at MaxwellAFB. Stefsays allthree livewithin a stone’s throwofeach other, andTerry is seen frequentlyriding his “man-

bike” throughtheneighborhood. Stefsays he’s now anAF civilian as Director ofAF’s Negotiations CenterforExcellence providing research and education on negotiations to theAF. Stefinforms me heinterviewedMikeWarden (still an active dutyMaj Gen) as partofan effort to build case studies in negotiations.

A1 Patriquin spent theweekend at the Blue Zoo in earlyMayfor the annual AlumniSoccerWeekend. Says60+varsityalumniplayers attendedcelebrations and alum/cadet soccer matches andthathe was the only '76’erin attendance andalsothe oldest attendee (amazinghowthat seems to happen to us all more andmore!). A1tells me “Iputmyrequisite 5 to 10 minutesin on the pitchagainst thevarsitycadets, andmade a respectableshowing—meaning: I didn’tgethurt, I didn’thurt anyone else, was a little bitwinded, surprised a fewpeople when theyrealized my “wheels” stillwork, and made a couple ofcadets thinktwice aboutleavingthe littie, blond, old guy all byhimself, unmarked on the right wing.” Wayto goAl! Not onlythe Spiritbut the bodystilllives!

Tom Bowie and Dan Jordan rang injust to say‘Hi’. Had a chance meeting withMickErdle at Home Depot. He andTamaratookthekids to NYC to watch the Falcons attheNITduringSpringBreakandtheyallgot a goodeducation on what Public Transportation is really all about. Says they saw all the sites Empire State Building, Statue ofLiberty, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Plaza,American Museum ofNatural History, Central Park,Wall Street, and of course, Madison Square Garden. With two young ones, Micksays theirlives consist ofwork, coachingLitdeLeague baseball (Philip, 6th grade) andwatching kids’ soccer (Adam, 4th grade) and thatAdam actually apologized forwanting to playsoccer—guess he tookMick seriouslywhen he proclaimed (only a dozen or so times), “Soccerisforkidswhocan’tplaybaseball!” OOPS! Mickalso says his golfgame is in the pits, but blames it on the lousy weather and kids’ activities. Right Mick!

BillHansonemailedto sayhejustcompletedallPhD course requirementsandpassedPhD comprehensive exams,justhas to writehisdissertation. CongratsBill! He’s a ProjectManager with RealizationTechnologies, out ofSanJose, anddaughter Carol is graduatingfrom the UniversityofOklahomawith a double major in EconomicsandBusinessManagement. EdGallaghertells me hejoinedtheState Departmentlastweek as a Foreign Service Officer (after a year oftests, interviews, and clearances!). He is currentiy in theirinitial course and “expect to knowmyassignmentthefirstweekofJune—June weekall over again! Says a fairnumberofthepossibleassignments are to themid-east. Keep us postedEd.

MikeGould sent a niceupdatetelling me he andPaulaattendedthetribute to CoachFisherDeBerryandLuAnnandthatit “was one ofthe coolest events I’ve seen ever!” Mike says “this was a most impressivegathering offormerand current Falcons. The clearmessage was that over the past25+years, Fisherand LuAnngave so muchofthemselves to helpdevelop leaders ofcharacterfor our AF and our nation. Ourhope is that Coach and Mrs. DeBerrywill alwaysknow theirpersonal sacrifices and contributions have become a significantpart of USAFA’sheritage andthatwe sincerelywantthemto remain active players in all aspects ofAcademylife. Miketells me ’76ers presentforthe gala eventineludedRandyandBeckySpetman, RussLaney,andJohn andSandyAndrew.

Finally, Enrique Saa and I have been corresponding about our Class Gift Project. Ifyou are interested in helping out on the project, let me knowASAP.

Again time to stick a forkinit. Send me yournotes, inputs, address updates, suggestion,junkmail, etc and I will do mybest to keep all ofyou in the loop. As always, ifyou are headed to the Springs, let me and the other locals know. Keepflyingyourflags andlet our deployedtroopsknowyou have them inyour thoughts and prayers.

The Spirit of’76 is STILL alive and well! Until next time, Beatty.

John J “Lou” Michels, Jr.

4107 Harvey Western Springs, IL 60558

Voice: (312) 849-8150

Fax: (312) 849-8151

E-Mail: jmichels@mcguirewoods.com

43% Members

Greetings and salutations on this, the 30th anniversaryyear ofour liberation from captivityat the BlueZoo. As Iwrite this, the reunion is some five months off, but I expectyou will be reading it closer to 30 days away. I urge all ofyou to make everyeffortto attend. DanJarka (Pam) hasthestickforreunion events. Dan is ablyassisted byJohnBuckley (Melinda),TedLinhof(StephanieWillis), John Herd (Mindy), Bob Eskridge (Shiela) andChuckCurran (Claudia) as the Reunion Committee. With so manyhomesteaders in the Springs area, we shouldhave a full slate ofmemorable events. Markyour calendars for Octo-

ber 17-21. And Dan, John,Ted,John, Bob and Chuck—manythanks for volunteering” forthis task.

OPENING BIDS: BTW, Dan works as a financial advisor (and retirement planningspecialistforthose ofus who mayactuallyget to retire) forMorgan Stanleyin Colorado Springs. So this maybe a business development opportunityforhim in addition to doing the rest ofus a favor.

And speaking ofretirements, since the onlypeople still on active dutythis year are now over 30 years’ service, we are seeing the mandatoryretirement announcements. Mike Stanley(Sandy) sent me a greatphoto oftheattendees atJimMoschgat’s (Becky) last day atAirWarCollege inApril.

Got a nice messagefromJohnMol (Debbie), who continues inhis teaching job in Germany. His oldestis at CU now, where he has gotten a lot ofhelp from BarneyBallinger (Gay), who runs the parent-teacherliaison officethereand does a greatjob at it. John has bumped into DoyleGage (Deborah) as he does his contractwork over there. John notes, “Guys shouldn’t saythis about guys, but he is lookingfit, healthy and happy.” Well, it’s hardlylike we think ofyou as a metrosexual, John. Johnalso notedthat Doyle was tooling around in an open-top Porschewith shades and a suit on, which no doubt accounts for the happypart. ThanksfortheEuro-report. BenAllen (Donna) dropped me a line from northernVirginiasaying itwouldbe a great ideafor me to get a listing of allthe retirees that are coming up over this year. You’re right, Ben, it is a great idea and I will try to include it in the Fall Checkpoints, since I knowwe have several thatwill come in after I finish this article. Ben notes that Rob Veale (Christine) is retiringthis summer fromhis defense attachejob in Sweden and returningto Farifax,VAwherehe andBenwill no doubt run into each other on a more regularbasis.

7'Os 17 iabre Society Donors

Mike thoughtfullyprovidedplentyofinformation so I can flesh outthis twodimensional image foryou. Fromleft to right: a) JimGlass (Susan), who I still thinkis the mostjuniormemberofthe class, is atACSC, with aJune ’07 graduation; He heads offto Bollingpost-Maxwell to work in the ChiefofChaplains Office. I am sure Jim and Mike Weinstein (Bonnie) will have an interesting discussion at the reunion in October. Jim didthe invocationforthe ceremony; b) George Earnhart (Pat) teacheswithMike atAirWarCollege—as Mikenotes, “He’s in management, but we don’ttalk about it.” George and Pat, who have beenmarriedlessthan a year, will be headingup toWilmington, NC afterhis retirement at the end ofJune this year; c) the Guest ofHonor, Mr. Moschgat. Jim and Becky are planning to ride the rails (well actually, they’llbe doing the old “MAC refugee” trick) and hop to as many exotic places as they can find prior to his return to Colorado Springs as theDeputyComm oftheNationalSecuritySpace Institute; d) Ron Ladnier (Pam), unlike the rest of the individuals in this picture, will not be retiring soon because he’s a general. Ron is theTACC Commander at Scott, runningthousands ofmissions dailyandappreciatingallthe help andattentionthathegetsfromhis supervisors. Ronis an old squadron mate ofmine and, to no one’s surprise, did a greatjob ofofficiating at the ceremony; e) Steve Schwalbe (Ingrid) is also a departmentchairatAWC andwillberetired (14May) bythetimeyoureadthis. Lasttime I talked to Steve, he andIngrid were headed outWestwhere he could put his new PhD to good use; f) Roger Smith (Patricia) is now retired and pushingmetalforSouthwest out ofChattanooga; g) Mr. Stanley. Mike retires on June29, andhe and Sandywill stayinMontgomery one more yearto finish theirhouse renovation before moving to Pennsylvania. In between, there is a tripplannedtoWashington, DC forMike’sfirsttouristvisitsincehislastchange ofcareer in 1977.

Mike, thanks fortheupdates and allthe detailed info. Goodluck to allofyou on your upcoming retirements and to General Ladnier, for not completely losinghis mind in thatjob.

And we can add anotherretirement announcement to thefold. JohnVisser (Ann) retired at the end ofApril fromthe Reserves.

Here’s a shot ofJohn andAnn with some incrediblypatriotic animals that hangaroundtheirnorthTexashome. Congratulations,John, andI’mgratified to hearthatyou’ll stillbe doingtheALO thingfortheforeseeable future.

MiltJohnson sent me this picture ofthe new stylish attire forcivilians in the SWAFunZone. Milt is usuallybummingaround C Springs, buthe was in the AORlongenough to at leastpass Curt Cichowski (Laura) inthe chowhall.

BRIDGE BUILDING: Bill Kittle (Colleen) wrote me a very engaging letter abouthis life in Stafford,VA. Bill resigned after ten years ofAD and went to work forMcDonnell Douglas in St. Louis. He ultimatelyended up on active duty as a full-time Guardguyand retiredfinallyin 2005. Billis now thepastor ofthe Rock Hill Baptist Church in Stafford. He noted that it’s been a “lot of fun,” and is thankfiil that the congregation is tolerant ofhis small mistakes, such as when he set the sanctuary on fire during his first Christmas sermon. But, as Bill noted, it was a small fire, and the women in the choir put it out quickly. Bill and Colleen’s three children are as follows: Joshua is teaching chemistry at the Zoo following a fewyears on active duty at Eglin and a stint at VirginiaTech gettinghis masters. Their middle son, Joseph, is with the Peace Corps in Krgyzstan where heteaches English and his wife is working on improvingwomen’s health in the region. Theiryoungestdaughterjustfinished at George Mason and looking to work for non-profits. She might start with Bill’s church, since it seems to be in need ofsolidfinancial backing to secure a large fire insurance policy. Thanks, Bill, and I hope to see you in October.

ALLIN: That’s it from Chicagoland. I’ll look to see all ofyour smiling faces in Octoberbut, inthe meantime, send me details since I’m all out ofmaterial. Be seeingyou.

Bob Kay

40411 Tesoro Lane

Palmdale, CA 93551

Home:(661) 274-2201

Work: (661) 824-6426

Email: Robert.kay@baesystems.com

42% Members

Greetings ’78ers...

I’mverysad to reportforthosewho haven’theard ofJimArnold’s passing in March. Jim was a close friend during our cadet days and we worked together on the 25th ReunionCommittee. Thanks to much ofJim’s efforts, the reunion was the success thatit was. Mike Skolaut dropped a note sharingthat he was able to attend Jim’s funeral at theAcademychapel. Jim’s widow, Julie, and sons James andJoseph asked Mike to say a fewwordswhile Bob Herris read High Flight at the grave site. Those of us whoknew Jim believe beyond a shadowofa doubtthathe is in a much betterplace with his Saviorbut we will miss him anyway.

On a bit happier note, Mike also reported that Ed Hunt will be retiring in April and has taken a Senior Civilian Attorneypositionwith the Space and Missile Defense Command in Colorado Springs. He and bride, Kala, visited Edand Karen in Omahalast summer, andhad a greattime (asusual). Thanks forkeeping us informed Mike.

Got a nice note and greatpixfrom Dave McLeran. The first is ofDave and TigerTen classmate John Follmanwhen theyflew a Southwest triptogether thispastMarch. Johnretired out oftheNiagaraGuard andlives inupstateNew

Yorkwithhis bride of (almost) 29 years,Yvonne. Johnjoins Dave alongwith Tom Ball, JonWeiss, and Bob Heim, as 7810th Squadron alumni flying for Southwest. Dave remembered that the last time he andJohn flewtogether, theymade an emergencylandingin a T-38 at MatherAFB on the Fridaynight thattheworldfound outwho shotJR. He was happyto reportthat thisflight turned out a bit better

Dave also sent a picture as theproud dad with son Charlie (’05) afterearning hiswings at LaughlinAFB lastDecember. Charlie goes to Lukethis summer for F-16 training. Great news Dave.. .thanks forthe info!

Goldie notedhowincrediblycool it is that we have so many seniorleaders in keypositions guiding the AF. He reallypiqued my interest, so being the curious type andhaving a couple hours to burnyesterdayat Dyess Base Ops (with this deadline looming as usual) while waitingforthe thunderstorms to go awayat Barksdale I did some research on theAFweb site. I perusedthe GO biosand it was utterlyastoundingjusthow dominant as a class we are in the upper echelons oftheAF—thinkyou’ll feel the same way. In addition to the positions above (in no particularorder—hope I don’t leave anyone out.. .ifI do, myhumblest apologies):

Also received severalmessages and differentshots ofthe same picturethat was taken at Bob Barton’shouse inAttleboro, MAforhis surprise 50th birthday party. Itried to pickthebestshot so fromleft are Ole Olsen (Deltacaptainflying international 767s and living in FtWorth), Ernie StGelais (flew in from the Springswithbride, Marie, where he is quite the entrepreneurhavingstarted two verysuccessful companies),birthdayboyBob, Eric Brown (alsolivingin FtWorth after havingretiredaround the 20-yearpoint and relocating to Ft Worth from Cape Cod—has beenwithAmerican the pasteightyears and is currently a 737 FO), and Steve Lofgren (flew in from Chapel Hill NC with daughterMelaniewhere Steve runs theUNC dormprogram—Bob andbride, Sally, are Melanie’s godparents). Eric provided an interestingaside inthathe, Bob, and Ernie were thethree CS-31 squadron commanders flrstieyearwith Bob snagging squadron commander ofthe year for our class. Great work gents.. .thanks andhappybirthdayBob!

Lastly, I received a note from Mr. Reliable, Goldie Goldfein alongwith a picture ofseveralclassmateswho gottogether at GoldieandJeanne’shomewhile at Langleyforthe CAF commander’s conference this pastDecemberwhen Goldie was theACCVice (is now theDeputyDirectoroftheJointStaff). Along withthefour-starsthe DOs andXPs (nowuse legacydesignations ofA-3 andA5) oftheMAJCOM attendbytradition. Goldie attended as theACCVice host unitandnotedthat our class dominates theDO andXP positions attheUSAF MAJCOMs. Fromleft are Goldie andJeanne,ACC/CVTankerSnyder, PACAF/ XP (plans to hangit up in the near future, Mike “Snod” Snodgrass,USAFE/XR Doug and Claudia Raaberg (just pinned on his second star), Don Alston, AFSPC/DO, andthe MarkZamzow,AETC/DO.

2S

Sabre Society Boners

Taco Gilbertis the newAMC/XP RobWorleyisthe current SpaceCommand XP Bill Chambers returns fromAfghanistan to bethe SECAFDirectorofCommunications. Herb “Hawk” Carlisleis the new Director ofLegislative Liaison (the guyhe’s replacingjust gothis third star). Del Eulberg is theAF Civil Engineer. LarryJames is the new 5th AFVice replacing Joe Rehiser who in turn replaces Johnny “Pyro” Weida as the CommanderoftheAF SecurityAssistanceCenter. Pyroreplaces Steve Sargeant as theDeputyChiefofStaff for the UN Command at Youngsan as Steve takes over AFOTEC. Punch Moulton is the new 7th AFVice replacing Marke Gibsonwho is goingbackto the Pentagon in theA-3 shop (old XOXjob I believe)...is there a pattern here? Joe Mudd is the 12th AFVice (sawhissmilingfaceinDM Base Ops theotherday). Tom Owen is the commander oftheWarnerRobinsALC. Joe Reynes is the newACC/IG. Dave Eidsuane is the newAirArmament Center commander (gotthe guide-onfromtheAFMCVice, LtGenTerryGabreski.. .as in former 2nd LtATOGabreski). Ed Rice is the PACAFVice. Glenn Spears is the Southern Command Deputy. Kevin Kennedyis the commanderofthe newAF Global CybespaceIntegration Center. Jay Lindell is theACSC Commandant. BobMcMahonistheAMC/LG. Steve Sargeantisthe newAFOTECcommander. Kip Selfis the newAF ExpeditionaryCentercommander (tried to gettogether at Little Rockwhen I was passingthrough—he was still thewingking—but couldn’tpull it offdue to conflictingschedules).

Not to be outdone by his AF bros, Al “MadAl” Myers is the Carrier Strike Group 8 commander.

Prettyamazing it seems to me; sure don’t think anyone can denythat ’78 reallyis Great! Seeyou guys next time.. .have a great summer.

John “J.R.” Dallas

1612 Rannoch Trace

Fort Smith, AR 72908

H:(479) 648-0433

Cell: (479) 420-7817

jrdallasfl6@yahoo.com

Greetings, '79! Anotheryear has flownby and it’s my turn to take a stab at updatingy’all on some class news. Life inArkansas for my Dallas clan gets bettereveryday. IhopethiseditionofCheckpointsfindsyou andyours in great health andwith financialfreedom! Fall of2009—the big 3-0 (as in 30th anniversary) is approaching!

Withthatinmind, itis time to pass theword to all ’79ers that we expect max participation at#30. It’s never too earlyto startbeatingthebushes andfinding thoselostsouls! $700lump sum for anAOGlifetimemembership is still a good deal.

HappyBirthdayto all. MyAARP application arrived inthe mail lastweek, so I knowthatyou’regettingthe same. Turning (turned) 50—what a milestone! Congrats!

Tothenews—inputsarrivingslowly; I’mtryingmybest. I sawinAFMagazine thatMarkSteamesmovedfromMiami toTravisAFB as the 1 5lhEMTFCC,AMC. “TF” isTaskForce. ‘EM’ is—no idea. EdDubicki(AALA300 CA) retires from his Liaison Office Director position on 1 June. Still flyingthe Caribbean. Bob Swain is deployed to theAfrican continentforsixmonths—as a Reservist (Dobbins); he’s overseeingAF Operations. Don Palandechheads theArizState ROTC departmentinTempe.

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Satire Society Donors

RodMcNeilislivesinCSprings andfrequentstheoldhangouts. JustinRueb teaches college inWisconsin. KenWaveringstillcalls O’Fallon, ILhome. PatGerdemann is theChief Helo Pilotfor a medevacunitinLubbock. GregBrewerlives in Evergreen, CO but is working at Kirtland for DMOC. Carl Hawkins still teaches at USAFA. Bob Ennis (Laura) lives in Colorado near USAFAand frequentstheAFAgameswithTmandDebiEyre. Dan BoylenandBobKronebush bothflyfor DAL and live in Monument, CO.

JanJouas (Marion) and family are at Lackland, where Juice is theVice CommanderoftheAirlntelligenceAgency. LeftOkinawalastJanuary. SonChristoph is now on his own, whileJennigraduatesAmericanUnivthisMay. No news yet on next assignmentstop. MajGen(sel) ErvLesselleft the Pentagon and is at RandolphAFB as theAETC DirectorofPlans, Requirements and Programs.

AtAALflightops, I’ve seen Mike Fountain (AAL737CA). Stillthe same butthe hair has turned a brightershade ofwhite. Ed Childers (Jan) is flying 777s for AAL to exotic locations. Still living in the DFWmetroplex. Not sure thefollowingupdatefromPaulOstdiek (Karen) was printed, so better latethan never. In an emailhe reported he retired severalyears ago and now works atAppliedPhysicsLab inMaryland—theybuildthe spacecrafts that are heading to planetsMercury and Pluto. Been married 27years andhopingfor more. Three kids; oldestworks for GE, #2 is in college, and#3 is dancingthru High School. He’s lookingforallChickenHawks—Call410-480-9737.

Walt Wright (Ingrid and three sons) are doing well in Litchfield Park, AZ. Walt’s a business consultantteachingeverythingfrom CEO-coachingto business development/strategicplanning. All three sons are into scouting and oldest (Derek) made Eagle Scout in ’06. Derek’s also a boxing enthusiast (1 st fight—KO in 52sec) with NCAAaspirations. Oh.. .BTW...Walt coaches him.

MikeWatson (Bonnie) relays that son Lance (CS-13) graduates USAFA on 30 May—great date! So does Jim Regan’s son. Mike’s son Jason(CS-12,Class of ’09) is there too. Mikehas seenWaltWrightandJonFago a fewtimes attheLuke golfcourse. SaidJon was offin the dirt searchingfor errant tee-shot. Normal. RandyMeyers has retired and now flies forJetBlue.

ogy) and son Jeff(MontanaTech studying Petro Engineering) are fantastic. Jeff was captain ofboth his football team(all-state) and wrestling team in H.S. Both gotthe brain genes’ fromLeAnn’s side ofthefamily! Thanks forwriting!

Greg Sveska (Brenda) still commutes from Monument, CO to DFW as he flies 777s forAAL. Greg and Brenda continue to sponsor cadets andlove it. Their two girls are growingfast and are the bestbehaved girls ever! Seeya at DFW. I talkedwith Phil Finch (Beverly) (NWA) during his 50th birthdayparty lastOct. BevsurprisedPhilwith a belatedpartyto confusetheold cuss, andI’m sure theyhosted a fantasticevent. DaughterAmyis a flightattendantforUnited, son GreganddaughterAmanda are in college. Phil stillcan’thitthegolfball too far, butkeepstryingnonetheless.

SteveLepper(Kathy) is nowat ScottAFBwherehe’stheSJAforAMC—congrats on the 1-star pin-on! DepartedBollingAFB inAugust. DaughterJenisanA.F. lLt; Helen is ajunior at CSU. Steve, be lenient. We rememberyouwhen! Jeff ‘Jammer’ Moore (Pattie) (UPS-A300CA) writesthatlife as ajuniorcaptainkeeps food purchased andthekids in/going to college. PattiewhipsJammerin tennis everytime according to league records.

As for me I retire on 30May07 from theArkansasANG.Have donethe StateHQ gig for a year what a joke, but can say that my ‘swan song’ was havingthe privilege (?) ofbriefing COMACC (GenKeys) as mylast official act. I didthe SafetyBoard presidentdutyfor an F-16 mishaprecenfiy—whatfun! While at Langley, I paid a socialvisit to Burt Field (lFW/CC). He graciously tookthetime to see me whenIknowhehad muchbetterthings to do! He’sdone verywell - first ’79er to flythe F-221 think?

Anyway—Burtis offto BaladAB, Iraq to become the332AEW/CC inJuly. He replaces BGen Robin Randwho’sthere now. Forthose counting - three ’79ers in a row as the332AEW/CC at Balad—THEonlyAF FighterWinginIraq. Frank Gorenc, Robin Rand, and now Burt Field. Maybe we can make itfourin a row —I nominateJuice to go next! Goodluck, Burt. Greatjob, Robin!

Let’s see—Robin replaced Burt asWpnsSchool CC; Frankgoes to Langley; Burt replacedFrank at Langley; Frankgoes to Balad; Robin replaced Frank at Balad; BurtreplacesRobin atBalad. Who’s on firstandthird? Who’s nowon deck?

TruEyre (Debi) becomestheWG/CC atBucldeyANGB on lMay07. Congrats! Will still fly the F-16 when he’s home from DAL trips. They live 15 minutes northofthe North Gate on theirhorsefarm. SonTJis a privatepilotandattends UnivofWyoming. The grocerybill droppedsubstantiallywhenhe left forcollege! Oldest son Jeremy’s in Delaware, and daughterJennais the onlychild at home now butkeepsbusywith dance and pom squads. Debiteaches motorcyclesafety classes forHarleyDavidson. Sweet! Tru completedthe ‘Ride the Rockies’ lastyear—500 miles in sixdays on a bike. Deb says he stilllooks good in those tightbiker shorts! Congrats again, Tru. You have made us proud!

Steve Hoog, Robin Rand, andBurtField atBalad, Iraq.

RandyMeyers,PhilDavis,Tom Clay, andMikeWatson

TomTalbot (LeAnn) writes that theytook a French excursionvacation last summer. DaughterMegan (UnivofWyominggrad—Zoology and Physiol

Tru Eyre with son TJ, wife Debi, and daughterJenna.

That’s itfor me. Hopeyou enjoyedmyupdate. It’s hardmakingthis stuffup! Enjoythe summer andbe safe! Nextup is a newscribewho is replacing Brian Koechel in the mix and will be writingthe next article. Send your inputs to JohnPardo atjrpardo@bu.edu. Passtheword—find our ‘lostsouls’. 79 Mighty Fine!

Don Myers

401 Chambray Hill Peachtree City, GA 30269-4247 (770) 631-1429

E-mail: DMyers80@hotmail.com

46% Members

Class Home Page: http://usafa80.tripod.com ZN=Zoom ieNation.usafa.org

Doin’Goodthings. Got a greatemailforwardedto me, writtenbyJimCarlson, ’75, about our own Holly (Emrick) Svetz: “Hollyhas been a stalwart force here inthe DC area inmaintainingthehighvisibilityoftheAirForceAcademy andthegraduatecommunity. Herindomitablespiritandunrelentingenergy have keptthe local grads informed ofUSAFA-related activities; consistently reminded them that we are a potent force in doinggood works for our communities; maintainedand established new (such as theannual FoundersDay CelebrationinDC) USAFAtraditions; providedfora to discuss issues affecting our almamater; andfacilitatedthenetworking ofciviliangrads amongthemselves to promote individual professionalgrowth and development. I first met her as a reference from a classmate when I arrived in DC in 2000, after graduatingfrom law school at the age of47. Since our firstmeeting, she has profoundlyinfluencedthe direction ofmy career and [has] beenthe source of inspiration andsound advice. I knowthat there are other zoomies here and elsewherewho can testify to her positive influence on their lives.

Day. “Iwouldlikeyou to print the [photo] with Susan and I and myfourchildren. Mychildren are Luke, Caroline, Ethan and Elizabeth. I retired from the AirForce 6.5 years ago. Susan is a deputysheriffand I am a Profwith Defense AcquisitionUniversity.”

Karen et al.

I had a layover a while backin Kona, Hawaii (onthe BigIsland). Thought I’d look-up Scott (Jan+2) Carrothers while I was there. It really is a big island: Scott lives in Hilo and, whenyou’rejustthere for a meal and some sleep, that might as well be on the other side ofthe world! So it turned out to bejust a phone call. Anyhow,they’redoingfine. Theboys are nowteenagers andScott’s no longerhomeschooling, so he has time to get into something else. Somethingelseisthe real estate appraisalbusiness, which is likelyveryinteresting, giventhe prices andvarietythere. Jan stillworks as a manager/doc at Kaiser. Scott sayshe knows about a fewofus inhis neckofthewoods, buthasn’tbeen able to connectveryoften, due to his remoteness.

Humpty-Dumpty. PosteriorTibialTendon Rupture. Sounds bad. It is. Tim (TJ) Johnsonis recovering afterhavingfoot tendons and ligamentsoperated on and hisheel bone broken and repositioned. Basically, his foot collapsed overtime. He’s been on his backforweeks. All this afterhaving his shoulder cut on a fewmonths earlier. Oh, and the secondfoot has the same problem andwill get the same treatment as soon as he recovers. AndI was feelingsorry for myselfbecause ofa little knee problem...

Sabre Society Donors

MilitaryUpdates: BG FrankJ. Kisner, fromDeputyDirector, Strategic Planning & Policy, PACOM, HI, to Director, Force Structure, Requirements, Resource, & StrategicAssessment, SOCOM, MacDillAFB, FL. BGChristopherD. Miller, fromCmdr, 455AEW, BagramAB, Afghanistan, to Director, Plans, Policy, & Strategy, NORAD & NORTHCOM, PetersonAFB. BGJohnI. Pray, Jr., from Cmdr, 89thAW,AndrewsAFB, MD, to DeputyDirector,Air, Space & InformationOps, ScottAFB, IL. BG Charles K. Shugg, Commander, 379thAir ExpeditionaryWing, Al UdeidAir Base, Qatar, to Commander, JointUnmannedAerialVehicle Center ofExcellence, J-8, Joint Staff, CreechAir Force Base, NV. Reserve BGDonaldC. Ralph is the MobilizationAssistant to the Director ofGlobalOperations, US StrategicCommand, OffuttAFB, when not flying forDelta.

AscommanderoftheCoalitionAirForceTransitionTeam, BobAllardicespoke attheactivationofthe370thAirExpeditionaryAdvisoryGroup andSquadron at the NewAlMuthanaAirBase. “This event symbolizes the commitment ofthe U.S.AirForce in rebuildingthe IraqiAirForce. Coalition andAmericanforces are good at destroyingmilitaries; however, rebuilding one is even better.”

Mishmash. I hadthe occasionto pickup one ofour planes atthe Gulfstream maintenancefacilityinDallasrecently. NoneotherthanBobWilsonspotted me beforewalking outthe door. He is a SeniorProductionTestPilot at Gulfstream forthe G150 and G200 aircraft. Bob’sbeen doingthishome-every-nightflying for 1.5years. Before thathe was withFockheed as a JSFFlightTestEngineerfor an equal amount oftime afterhe was furloughedbyAmericandue to 9/11. Bob updates us on thosehe’sheardfrom/aboutrecently: “Ikeep intouchwithKent Fonsecawho isbackup to Captain statuswithAmerican on the Super80. 1 also hadlunchwithMarkStephensrecentlywho is attendinglawschoolwhen not flyingatripforAmericanasa757/767FO.” And“TallPaul” (PaulG.) Smith, alongwith a full-timeflyingjob (UPS?), is part ofa sidebusiness, GoldenArm Associates. These guys are all test pilots and do contractworkinthat area.

Mary (Hughes) (Gary79) Erkes, who also hails from theDallas area, shares some interestingUSAFAvs. USMAfactsusingherson,James, “AtUSMAforhis class (2010), Recognitionis the dayofgraduation ofthe Class of2007, May26. He has periodleave and thenbackthe rest ofthe summer to Camp Buckner there nearWest Point for field training. It will be pretty intense they are tryingto incorporatethethingstheyhavebeenlearningfromtheyears offightingintheMiddle East. The familyrecentlydid a little golfingthenheaded to the SmokeyMountains “forabout two weeks, in a combination ofdayhikes/ condos, thenbackpackingforaboutsixdays. Theweather was perfect—and we confirmed that we reallyenjoybackpacking! The highlight was standing on top ofRockytop andtakingintheview. We had no ideaitwas gonnabethat goodfromthatpartoftheAppalachianTrail. We saw some thruhikersthathad left the southern most point in Springer Mountain, GA during the first two weeks inMarchheadingto Maine. We actuallydidn’tspendmuchtime on the AT, we spent most ofour time seeing otherparts oftheNationalPark. This our third time to backpack there and stillhaven’t seen it all!”

From Karen (Jorgensen) Blackford. “This is the veryfirst time I have ever writtensomethingto have itputin Checkpoints. Iguessfor27years Ihavebeen waitingforjusttherighttime andthattimehas now arrived. Karenwishes to announce her civil unionwith Susan Bartle, whichhappened on St. Patrick’s

TJ(recovering) with son Sean.

I didn’t have any extra/overflow items this go, so there are no additional posts to read at our class section oftheZoomieNationwebsite. Standingbyfor the heat (ofAtlanta’sJuly andAugust). Don

Rich Trentman

11102 Asbee St.

Falcon, CO 80831-8170

Home: (719) 494-8438

Work: (719) 234-0754

E-mail: trentman@usafa81.com

Class Website: www.usafa81.com

50% Member

Fairlyquiet on the ’81 news front. I’m stillrecoveringfromAir Force’s mens’ basketballcoachgoing to thedarkside. Afteranothertremendous season, Mr. (don’twant to call him coach anymore) Bzdeliktookthebigbucks and ran to theevilempire (Boulder) to coachthe Buffalos. (Anyplace but CU!) OurAD, Dr. Mueh, continues to surprise (befuddle) byhiring one ofBzdelik’s assistants after a 15-minuteinterview. AFhas a newbasketballcoach,JeffReynolds, andhis firsttaskis to tryto lure teams into playing us at CluneArena. No one wants to come playAF at Clunewith a 56-2 record over the past fouryears! Our class capitalcampaign is underwaywith an ambitious goal ofraising $300,000 forthelocatorbuilding at theAcademycemetery. This buildingwill house a touch screen locator/information system for families, friends, and

visitors. Initial callingbegan in mid-May. Please consider a gift. Therewill be a plaque commemorating our gift on the building. A special “thankyou” to ChuckPhillipsforhelping to getthis campaignrolling. I did spend some time trainingthefirm doing our campaignphone calls, so hopefullyyouhave good words to pass back to me.

On to class news: JakeJakobi emailed thathe hasrecoverednicelyfrom his secondheart attackand isbackplayinglacrosse again. After two surgeries, his swimsuit modelingdays are well behind him now, thankgoodness. Leona Flores andherhusband,RayCannon, attendedtheAFAGala thisFebruary near DisneyWorld.They sawthree classmates: Bill Nelson, who is stationed at EglinAFB, as well as Mike Winslow and his wife, Susie (Jackson) who are at Tyndall AFB. John Marlin is doingwell at Exxon Mobil (howcould he not bewith gas prices and profits at record highs - John, work on that forus). Johnhas been training to go with his BoyScouttroop to Philmontthis summer. Withhis extensive workoutregiment, he’s uppedhis chances ofsurvivingthe trekto 50/50.1 was relieved to hearfromJohnthatthetroop voted to spendtimeinNewMexico priorto thetrekversus mybackyard! Kelvin Manning is doingwell at NASA in Florida. Kelvin and I were emailingdaily whileAF was winningitswaythroughthe NIT this Spring. John, Kelvin, and I were lieutenantstogether at EglinAFB for our first assignments. John sent a picture ofRod Loza retiringfrom the EcuadorianAF. Rodlooks great!

14

Sabre Society Donors

7685 Brams Hill Drive

Centerville, OH 45459

W:(937) 426-4300; C:(937) 760-2333 rattijm@mindspring.com http://usafa82.org

GreetingsRedtags!

Well, it’s official-I’m an ORF (Old Retired “Fellow”)! We had a very nice ceremonyanddinner out here in Utah on the 19th ofApril,completewith all the appropriate pomp, reflection, fun and frivolityyou’d expect. Ellen and I had a great time celebratingthe end ofa great career with friends and family. After two weeks in Italy, we’ll move back to Middletown, OH, and I’ll start work as a consultant for DaytonAerospace.

Some ofthe biggest news this time is that we have several new general officers amongstus! Dave Fadokpinned on inFebruary, and here’s a picture from his ceremony at the BollingOfficers’ Club, courtesy ofGregTate.

RodLoza retiringfrom theEcuadorianAF.

Lauri Cross had a barn raisingparty to work on the many “to dos” needed with a new barn. Well, itwas Colorado in Mayand we had snow, thunder, rain and some prettymiserable temperatures, but we all had a blast. The barn is unbelievable andthe property in Black Forest is breathtaking. Ken Smith emailed me a bitduringBoard electiontime. We were comparingresearch on the candidates. Speaking ofthe election, ’81 onlyhada33% (147/439) ballot return rate - we need to improve that!

Pictured from left are Greg, TonyMauer, Bob Otto, and Mike Sinisi. Since thenanotherBGlisthas beenpublished, andfour more ofour classmateshave madethe leap to the flagranks. They are Bob Otto, Barb Faulkenberry, Sharon Dunbar, andCathy Clothier. Ifmymath is correct, that makes seven GOs for ’82. Heartycongratulations to all!

Mike Sinisipulledtogether an '82 luncheon event in D.C. backinAprilwhich promises to become a semi-regularthing. He gotquite a turnout, as evidenced bythese two pictures.

Class Senate update:We’ve had anothermeeting (probablytwo bythe time yougetthis) andapproved our by-laws. WehavesolicitedvolunteersforPresident,VP, etc. andwill vote on thatin the near future. Nowthatthe new Board elections are complete, we will engagewith theBoard on how to best help them as a conduit and soundingboard to the classes. There was a lengthy discussionand a lot ofhesitancyamongthe Senators about accuratelyrepresentingtheir classes. I feel stronglythatyou count on me to “best” represent yourideas, feelings, andinterests to the Board. I’ll use email, this article, and ourwebsiteto gaugeyourfeedback. I’ll continue to pass allinformationto you throughthepreviouslymentioned means. One ofthefirst bigissues coming up is a decision over whether to form a fund raising “Foundation” organizationallyseparatefromtheAOGandsimilarto theNavalAcademymodel. Please read information on the AOG website and email me with any questions or opinions.

This hasbeen a shortarticle, so turn up the emails a bit! ’81 Second to None!

Mike says everyone “.. .gathered, talked about life, reminisced about old times, looked atyearbooks from BCT to graduation, andjusthad an enjoyable lunch!” He gleaned a LOT ofupdates from folks, which follow.

Mike Sinisi: Retired 1 Jan 07 after spendingeight ofthe past 11 years in DC assignments. Now an InformationTechnology contractor with SRA, International. He and Cyndihave one eight-year-old son.

BobRanck: Leftcommandofthe 621stContingencyResponseWing(McGuire AFBNJ) inMarch06. Chaired the GlobalMobilityPanel until Oct 06. InJan 07 he tookcharge oftheAF/A8 Engine Room - buildingtheAF POM. Got engaged on Christmas Eve andwill be getting married on July28th.

LauriCrossin frontofhernewbarn.

Class of1982 25th Reunion 12-16September USAFA vs. TCU

MikeIsherwood: Retired 1 Aug2006 asVice Commander, 355thWing, DavisMonthanAFB. Currently a seniorair andnationalsecurityanalyst, Northrop GrummanAnalysisCenter,Rosslyn,VA TonyLazarski:DepartedMoodyAFB in Feb 05 (479 FTG/CC). ChiefofAF Senate Liaison Office. CathyClothier: Departedthe22ARW/CCjob atMcConnellAFB, KSinFeb 06. Nowimpersonating apersonnelistatthePentagon as theDirector,AF GeneralOfficerManagement. PaulAckerley: Tookcommand of316thWing atAndrews inJun 06. Previous threeyears at PentagoninJ-3 and HAF/A5X. He andDiannahave fourkids (22 -13). DiannaAckerley(Angeline):MarriedPaulAckerleyinl983. Maintenance Officer 1983-87, ReeseAFB, TX. Got out inAugust 1987, andhasfourkids.

TonyMauer: Commanded92dAirRefuelingWing(Spokane) 2003-2005. Now theDirectorofCombatCapabilities forHQAMC at Scott. Keep a lookout atthe 25threunion—youmightmeet CadetFirstClassDavidMauer (2008) running around theTerrazzo! BrockStrom: RetiredJune2005 as DirectorofOperations fortheAirNationalGuardandcurrentlyflies forDeltaAirlines. Has three sons (ages20,17,15) andlives nearAnnapolis. Bob Otto:Was working as Director of Inspections fortheAirForce 2005-2006 and is currentlytheAssistantDeputy Director ofGlobal Operations, on the Joint Staff. Lyn Sherlock: LeftTravis AFB about a year ago. Now at State Department as Director oftheOffice ofInternationalSecurityOperations inthe Bureau ofPoliticalMilitaryAffairs.

Cynthia Mack: Separated in 1990 as an Intel Officer. CurrentlyaVPandDivision ManagerforSAIC. Also serves on the Women’sLeadership CommitteefortheBoys and Girls Club ofGreaterWashington, DC. Don “Bo Bo” Schilpp: Retired in April as DeputyDirector, Office ofBudget andAppropriations Liaison andtheAF’s Fighter, BomberandWeaponsAppropriations Liaison. Nowwith Lockheed Martin as a Director LegislativeAffairs. He andwife, Shelley, have five kids (14,11,2, twins of 2 months).

Dave Hagginbothom: Retired Mar 05 from HqACC staff; now withWyle Labs (Crystal City) as their subject matter expert supporting F-35/JSF C4I interoperabilitytesting.

HeatherWilson: CongresswomanfromNewMexico,servingsinceJune 1998. Won a tough electionthis pastyear. ArdenDahl: Left commandoftheJointAir GroundOperationsGroup atNellisAFBinJun06. CurrentlytheAssistantDeputy Director,J-34,Anti-terrorism andHomelandDefense on theJointStaff. Seven kids, ages 18 down to 6.

Dave Fadok:Arrived in DClastAugust; currentlyworking on theAir Staffas theDeputyDirectorofStudies &Analyses,Assessments, andLessons Learned. Most recent priorassignmentsinclude: Commandantofthe College ofAerospaceDoctrine, Research, andEducation (CADRE) at MaxwellAFB; PACAFIG andADO at HickamAFB; andJSTARSWingCommander at RobinsAFB.

RockyReiners: Spentthreeyears attheAmericanEmbassyRome as theCooperativeArmaments Officer. BeenatthePentagonsince2001. CurrentlytheChief, ProgramBudget &CongressionalDivision, DirectorateofGlobalReach, SAF/ AQQX.

GailFrancisTarlton: Lastactive dutyassignmentwas pilotKC-135,924thARS at CastleAFB. Separated in July 89 to followher spouse to Offutt. Moved to Andrews in 1992. Nowa singleparent. Earned a BS in nursingandMaster’s as a familynurse practitioner. Nowin a privateneurologypracticeinWaldorf, MD. Has three children, 22,18 and 15.

ColKeith “Zuegs”Zuegel: DirectorWashingtonOperations,JFCOM/Director, LegislativeAffairs, JFCOM/US National LiaisonRepresentative to Allied CommandTransformation (ACT). Married to Evawith son and daughterand residesinSpringfield,VA.

Tim Collins: Retired in 2005. Executive forJohns HopkinsUniversityAppliedPhysics Lab (JHU/APL). He and Drendahave three kids (two in college andaHS senior).

Bill Erikson: Retired September05 afterfouryears inthePentagon. Working forthe InstituteforDefenseAnalyses. He and Melissahave two children —19 yr old son inhis 2ndyear at UVA and 17yr old daughter (high schooljunior).

PowellWilson: Took earlyretirement in 1998 and is a Senior Managerwith KartaTechnologies,runningthe SAFTASA-Teamsupport contract forSAF/AQ.

JR Smith:Worked inAirForce Legislative Liaisonfor the last four and a half years - currentlythe division chief. On thelocaljob market now, as he retires in June.

Inothernews, ToddHarrisonwrotewith a quicke-mailupdate. His son C3C Ryanis on the USAFAfootball team as a placekicker/punter. Andy Andersonsent anote sayinghe’slivinginOliveBranch, MSandflyingforFedEx. His daughterjustgraduatedfromBYU, andhis twin sons graduatedfromHigh Schoolin Mayandwill also be attendingBYU on full ROTC scholarships.

A1 Lowryis headed to Maxwell to serve on theWarCollege staffaftercompletinghis tour as an OpsGroup commander at Scott. And finally,

Rich Ruiz sentwordthathe retired lastJulyand his wife

Liz (Durham) retired in April ’07. Both are working as contractors at STRATCOM. Their oldest son, Jonathanis, in the class of2010.

So that about wraps it up for this episode. By the time you read this, it’ll nearlybe time for our 25th reunion-1 hope to see all ofyou there! Until then, be safe. R

Jon Duresky

207 Knob Hill Drive

Warner Robins, GA 31088

H:(478) 953-3141; C:(478) 396-7787

DureskyJB@aol.com

Greetings, Classmates!

I’m sendingeveryone to R-Flightthis summer, because I suspectthat no one hasrecentlyperusedhis or hercopyofEshbach, or Great PoliticalThinkers, in keepingwith that“whole person concept. Both ofthese tomes sit prominently on mybookshelf. (Really! Come visit me in Georgia and see foryourself!) What? You soldyourcopies in 1983 andusedthe moneyto buybeverages?

Ah, impulsiveyouth....

So we’ll start with Englishcomposition class and some definitions.

Dearthanyscarcity or lack.

Extortion - the act ofgetting (something) bythreats and exaction ofa high price.

Poetic license - disregard ofstrict fact.

Now, use theabove in a complete sentence, such as “Jonhad a dearth ofinfermation to write this column, so he decided to use extortion on his classmates, promptinghimto callthem onthephoneandsay‘Ifyoudon’tgive me some good info, I’mgoingto use poeticlicense andjustmake stuffup, or maybetellthetruthaboutthattimebackattheZoowhenwe...’”

Lo and behold, soon my email was overflowing. But, I still might use some poeticlicense, so, buyerbeware!

Vince Compagno came throughwith a plethora ofnews.

pstm

14 Sabre Society Donors

To start, he is a newlyminted 737-800 Captain with Delta, transitioning fromthe MD-88, and is the Liaison OfficerDirector forthe state ofGeorgia, supervising 54ALOs, one of whom is DerrickCollins, his formerBCT roomie. Derrickis a company-mate of mine. He is a 10-year Captain with AirTranAirways, currentlyflyingthe 717.1 am a mere peon 17-month FO, so Ijusttellhim, “Greatapproach, Sir, andnice landing, too! Hey, anything to get a free dinner, me being a retiree on a fixed income with erodingAF benefits. For R-Flightphysics class, and the concept ofthree dimensionallinear time, Vince claims thatwhenhe andDerrickmake LtCol intheAF Reserve, theywill be the last ’83ersto pin on 0-5. Fact or Fiction, can anybodyclaim a laterdate ofrank? Other news fromVince Mavis (Thorp) Compagno is a software advisorfor an aviation consultingcompany. Tamra Rankis theViceWing CC at ScottAFB. Sue (Newhouse) Ross iswriting a how-to bookaboutgettinginto theAcademy. Amy(Wimmer) Coxwas votedtheLOD ofthe nation, as well as beingthe LOD forTennessee, and a full time nurse. You go, girls! Congrats!

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Amy(Wimmer) Cox, NationalMVPoftheLODs, andherbackupsingers. Ibumpedinto Carl McDanielintheAirTran crew room theotherday, and as we were chatting, John Crowstumbled by, and ClevelandMcCrayappeared out ofnowhere, too! Wehad a mini-reunion rightthere. I askedallofthemfor some news. Carl came through, John and Cleve, well. ..Sol did some researchand found out thatJohnis trying out for “Milwaukee Idol,” and Cleve wantsto compete on “Dancingwiththe Stars,” showing offhis runningback talents. Fact or Fiction?You decide! Anyway, Carlbeatthebushes, contacting JimOgdenandDaveRemendowski. Jimsays, some ’83ershe sees inthe “PentagonAOR,”Mike Edwards,MarkPrice,DaveUzzell, andBenHulsey, allwearing0-6, and doingwonderfulthings. Carl saidhe was flying on a Deltaplane the otherdaycaptainedbyJackPolo. Dave passedalongthe Dan Horackand Linda (Telkamp) Torrens are both at Ramstein.

Anotherrespondent to myarm-twisting was Dan Brunskole. Now, Fact or Fiction... Dan can readandwrite. Fact! He not onlyis theChiefPilotforCocaCola, flying out ofAtlanta, the companyHQ, but is one ofonly96 corporate pilots worldwidewhohave done the extensive academic work to become a CertifiedAviation Manager, which is like a PhD forcorporatepilots. Dan also reads his Eshbachregularly.

Bob Ulichshiveredinhis bootswhen I calledhim, with thethreatofmaking stuffup or, even scarier, tellingthe truth. He saidhe is stillhappilyflyingfor Delta, is still an ALO forthe northAtlanta region, will retire from theAF Reserve soon, and finallyfound his car keys.

JeffFiebig, you have 24 hours to return my call, or I’ll tell everyone that DonaldTrump fired you on liveTVbecause youhad more hair than he did. Jeffis biginto developingreal estate, andis on trackto wear BG inthe Reserve. More than one ofthe above is true, you decide!

One goodfriendwhose arm I did not even have to twist is Dr/ColEliPowell. I should makehimwrite a Checkpointscolumn one oftheseyears, becausehe writes the absolutelybestholidayletterthat I have ever read, year afteryear, and this year he even called me on the telephone, you know, that old-fashioned communication device. Sure was great to hearyourvoice, myfriend. You classmates out there inletter-land,youreallyneed to callEliandget on his list. Eli is an orthopedic surgeon and thehospital CC at Elmendorf, so right about nowhehas21 hoursofsunshine a day, andlots oftime to write everyone back. And to breakthe ice (punintended, ha ha), askhim aboutthe singular unbroken downhill ski he has for anyone who will visit him in thefrozen North. Rumorhas itthatEli andDave Leibbrand are trying outfor“TheAmazingRace, withKellyHeffemontaking a leave ofabsence fromhis Southwest 737 Captainjob to betheirpersonalchauffeur. Ifthatis not true, it shouldbe.

Charlie Lee sent me an email,unsolicited even! After20years ofthenomadic AF lifestyle, he and Susan and daughterAlexfinallysettied down in Columbus, Ohio, where he works in flight ops forNetjets.

Chris Moulton is alwaysgoodfor an amusingemail, as he chronicles hisAF wanderings from westTexas/DyessAFB to southern Iraq to Texas and soon backto ScottAFB, wherehehopes to retire andthentake up fulltime employment as the groundskeeperforthe St Louis Cardinals, citing his vast experience cultivatinggrass inthelushness ofTexas and Iraq.

Speakingofemployment,althoughRayBlustis stillhappilyemployedwith AmericanAirlines, he has a resume inwith Comedy Central and Saturday NightLive, hoping to gethired based on his signaturejoke,somethingabout a cryinghorse. Contact Rayfor“the rest ofthe story.” Fact or Fiction?

Billy“Scales”Walker’s arm ismuchtoo studlyto twist, butIcalledhimanyway, lookingfor news fromthe USAFA arena. Billyis a PermanentProfessorofAthletics attheAcademy, whichis the#2 positionbehindthe 0-7 Director ofAthletics. What a life. But, itis not allfunand games. Hehasthemonumental task of“supervising” Chris “Swiss” Cicere, who works forhim inthe office next to his office. Yep, I see a lot ofworkgetting done between those two. Important stuff, like “Didyou make our racquetball court reservation today, or do I have to do it?” Rumorhas itthatSwisshas some goodpictures ofBillyfromwaaaay backinthe day, so Swiss sets his own hours, shows up at 10, two-hourlunch at 11, headingforthehouse at 3. Surewish I had a camera backin the day, too.

Swiss andScales, USAFA basketballathleticsupporters.

As we learned inphysics, time and space cannotyetbemanipulated. We’lllet the class of2183 wresde with that. Therefore, mytime and space are ending, butto completeR-Flight, we have one more class to pass—remedial Philosophy. Final exam is only one question to ponder. Are the transgressions ofthe father destined to be visited upon the daughter? I need help with this one, because I thinkmy daughter has a cadetboyfriend, soon to be a brand new butter-bar. It is no wonder that myhair is thinning, as the photo ofmy clan, enjoying the sunset on the beach in front oftheHale Koa, dramaticallydemonstrates. Notice, also, that I am proudlywearing my 1983 polo shirt!

TheDuresky’s and a sunset over thePacific.

Classes complete, backto the realworld. For something to lookforwardto, and foryouTypeA planners out there, only 15 months until our 25-Year Reunion, coming to a hotel and footballstadium near to yourheart (FalconStadium), September2008!

As always, it has been nice chattingwith everyone. Check six, three in the green, make back-up off-site files, and enjoywatchingyourkids growup— theyspread their own wings and leave the coop waytoosoon.Jon Duresky

Mike Jensen

12035 Milam Road Colorado Springs, CO 80908 (800) G0-AFA-G0

michaeljensen@remax.net

www.usafa84.com

OnMay11,2007 at 1400 theMemorial Pavilionwas dedicated. Just 14 months after ground was broken, through the hardwork and donations ofmany, to include our class, theUnited StatesAirforceAcademy now has an area to properly send offthosewho have passed before us. It is a beautiful structure and I hope you take the time to see whatyou helped create. Thankyou!

Feast or Famine! This class is great! Iwrite paragraphs on howI needupdates and get little response. I write a subjectline “Updates needed” and I am overwhelmed. I am already 10 days late on this term paper, and I don’t knowhow much theywill give me, so go check out theweb site andyou can get it all inits entirety. Pictures too!

Updates: Craig“Hugo” Hughes held his retirement ceremony on 18April 2007 at FortMyerright next to theArlington National Cemetery. It was a great time and event, and other ’84 attendees included David “DJ” Johnson (the narrator, ofcourse) MarkNovak (flewinjustforthe ceremonyfromNebraska), Gary“Fabs” Fabricius (serving time in the Pentagon), and Thomas “Dingo” Doyne (also servingthere in Rosslyn). Craig’swife, Elena, son Jack (soon to be sixyears old) and Craig will likelystay in the greater DC/NorthernVirginia area. The highlight ofthe retirement ceremony was when theyhad technical difficulties during the National Anthem (the music wouldn’t play), then DJ

simplyaskedthe crowd tojoin him as heled us with his amazingand glorious singing skills. Craighas spoken to KenArteaga this weekand he’s relocated back to SanAntonio fromthe East Coast. TroyDixon and Craigalso exchange emailsandcallsrecently. Troyiswrappingup ayearinIraq andis SanAntoniobound. Al Burke checks in when he is there TDY from Colorado Springs. Lastly, he sees DougWreath around theRosslyn area once in a while andhe’s as busy as always Thanks forthe updateCraig and congrats!

MarkDrinkard is backfrom Korea. I have not heardwhere he is now, but he is back on US soil! ClayWisniewski hung up his g-suit lastyear and is now working as an engineerfortheutilitydivision ofa largecontracting company out of Goldsboro, NC. Others near Clay are: Tom “Ernie” Eannarino, now workingforthe cityWater Divin Clayton, NC, and Brad Roberts, flying out of Atlanta. Stew LeBlanc is currentlyliving in ElaymarketVA. Kelly, Dominica, Nicolas andtheWeimeraner, Zelda, are alldoingwell. Stewis assigned to the OfficeoftheChairmanoftheJointChiefs ofStaffandwas promotedto Colonel in Feb of2006. His current position is DirectorofStafffortheAssistants to the Chairman, JointChiefs ofStaffforNational Guardand Reserve Matters.

Where’sMarty? Didhe ever leave Colorado Springs? Well,MartyLouthanis nowbackflyingandwrote whenhe was in Londonflyinghis firsttrip back out on theline after 11 yearsintheDENtraining centerforUnited. He andBrenda are working on theirhomejust northofthe AFA. His family is doing great, home-schooling all five children and their activities which include soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and swimming, etc...

More updates! Scott Fenstermakeris an attorneyinNewYork, andhasbeen since 1992,whenhe graduatedfromHarvardLawSchool. Hepractices almost exclusivelycriminal defense, butwill handle some civil cases with criminal aspects and some tax litigation as well. Scott andhis wife, Linda, live inWestchesterCountywiththeir two daughters AshleyandElena. Sam Goodwillretiredin ’05 after21 glorious years intheAFandstilllive in GigHarbor,WA. He is now an instructorpilot/trainingcaptain in the B-737 NG.

ChuckRath retired fromAD on 1 Oct 07. Chuck now lives inLasVegas andhastaken ajob as anAF Civilian coordinating activities on the Nevada Test & Training Ranges. He is married to a wonderful lady (Natalie) and they have one daughter. DJJohnsontooktimefromthisnarrationandsingingto checkin. He sees manyregularly on the shuttie bus fromtheiroffices in Rosslyn for the bus ride back and forth to the Pentagon. He has seen Steve Johnson andAndreaClarke. Tom“Dingo” Doyneis anotherandtheyrecently attendedthepin-on ceremonyforJohn “Woody” Almind to Colonel. It was also his farewell as he PCSed to Scott to working the AMC/IG office. Rory Maynard showed up at Woody’s ceremony. Rory is currentlyworking for Lockheed Martin in the DC area.

Many also had a chance to watch Sharon Ruckerpin on Colonel and got a chance to see Melody Bell who just relocated to the DC with herjob at the Department ofEnergy. Other guests includedJulia Phifer as well as Sharon’s husband and ’84er Stew Holmes. John“JD” Taylorjustrecentlyretired and took a sweetjob inCharlotteNCwithBankofAmerica. He actuallygotanother ’84er to acthashis real estate agent to sellhis home inVirginia. Thatwouldbe Stu “Frenchie” LeBlanc who is currently on theJoint Staffand moonlights as a realtor. OthernotablesinthePentagon are MaxieThom on theA8 staff, Mike Torino on the A3 staffand GaryFabricous also on theA8 staff. With all the classmates intheDC area, we mighthave to move the next reuniontoWashington DC.We will see you all at the NAVYgame!!

Bob Kittyle is finishing his residency in Radiologyhere in Toledo in June. From there he will be doing a fellowship in Neuroradiology at the University ofMichigan, AnnArbor. After thatyearis up, he hopes to take a position as a radiologist down in DaytonaBeach, FL - or at least somewhere nearby.

Steve Reedgave us the quickand dirty: Left active duty 1998, transferred to AFRES (T1 IP at Columbus), transferred to USAFAALO dutyin2001, retired in 2006, was hiredbyUnited 1999, furloughed2003, Hired byFedEx2004. Joel Henness is stilldoingtheTexasANG thinghere (he is set there!).Been the OG forthelast couple ofyears andpinned on 0-6last summer. He has a two-yearold (late start eh?!) babyboy, Konnor. He’s totally out ofcontrol. Kristi, the frau, is awesome. He reports that Doi Heckler: The Thai Restaurant Mogul here inHoustonjustopened their 10th store. MarkMavitypinned on 0-6 this pastMaythenPCSedfromthe Surgeon General’s office on theAirStaffover to Andrews as the ChiefofAerospaceMedicine fortheAirNational Guard. Still on active duty, but on loan to the Guardfor two years.

Hadthe greatopportunitythis past summer to go back to Philmont Scout Ranch, thebest summer experience he ever had at theAcademy. This time he got to do it as an adultadvisorwithmy 14-year old son and seven otheryoung men ofcharacter. Onthewayoutwe were able to stopbyandget a guidedtour oftheAcademy. Needless to say, all eight were highlyimpressed. Hopingfor atleast one fighterpilot out ofthebunch. RichBradshaw came outto check on me inApril; goodthing it was in conjunction with a business trip... I was in Dallas. He retired as a Commander, USNR (Intelligence) in July2006. He is a SVP, UPC Capital, and runs their Small Business Division. He and his family lives inAtlanta. Married to Stacey, three kids, two in college and one in high school.

Brent “Mongo” Johnson is still up inAlaska at ElmendorfAFB as the J3, DirectorforOperations,AlaskanCommand. Hehasbeen selected to be the next 611 AirSupportGroup Commander, also at ElmendorfAFB. Shouldtake commandinJune 07. Chris DiNennais still an active-dutyColonel andis stationed in the Republic ofKorea with US Forces Korea on thejoint staff. He will be there until June 2008—a two-yearhitch—and is therewith his wife, Kelley, and young son Devon whojust turned two years old. Devon is living in his third countryin his two shortyears.

AlBurke gave a greatupdate as well. He is backin Colorado Springsworking in the Missile DefenseAgency as the DeputyDirector for the newWarfighter SupportCenterlocated on SchrieverAFB. Jon “Monster” Huss is a Command Director in the Cheyenne Mountain Directorate which is part ofNorthern Command/NORAD. Pickle McGillicuddy was picked up for aWing Command as theABW/CC at Maxwell so he’s stayingdown south for a bit longer. TurboThompsonisbackteachingrecent2006 gradshowtoflyinthegreat state ofTexas. Mike Stroudis still in Evanston,WYworking as the School DistrictIT gum, coaching soccer andenjoyingtheoutdoors as a professionalguidewhen time allows.

Kathleen Harrington became a mom on 3 Apr 06. Her quote: “The pregnancywas a piece ofcakebutthe deliveryaboutkilledme! Mollyis now a little over one year old. In Sep ‘04, Kathleenbecame the PermanentProfessor and Head forthe Dept ofEnglish and FineArts. A cadet came to heroffice a few months back... last name “Guertin.” So she puthim in a brace (justkidding) and asked the cadet, “Youwouldn’tbyany chance be related to a classmate/ squadron-mate ofmineJohnGuertin, ’84. The cadetsaid, ‘Yes, that’s mydad.’ Man oh man... do I feel old!! Here’s to hopingbeing a new mom keeps me young!”

Paul Chapmanretiredfrom USAF lastMarch/April (2006) out ofRandolph AFB,TXafterflyingtheT-6AasaPITIPforthelastfouryears(2002-2006) ofhis AF career. Nowflyingfor SouthwestAirlines and based out ofHouston, TX. GeoffJohnsonretiredfrom active dutyinlate 2005 andtook a fewmonths off (about 14, give or take). Justenjoyinglife,playingwithmyhobbies, and catchingup on a fewthingsreally. He started enjoyingit too muchandtransitioned backinto theAirForce—this time as a civilianworkingin STRATCOM’s JFCCISR (atBollingAFB). Bill Brei, like MarkDrinkard, should be backin the CONUS this summer, didn’t give muchofa reportexcept his son was graduating High School.

Nowfromthe familyofthe ‘intense” one Chris Erickson, no for that one you’llhave to go online! Running out ofspace!Lastly,right downtheroad is Bill Anonsen in Monument. He is a CAP Reservist at Peterson and a UAL FO in Denver 757/767. He is still married to firstwifewith two kids. Erik, firstyear at Boulder. Colin,junior at LPHS in Monument. Thanks for the updates!

Quintel Williams

8980 Peabody Court

Colorado Springs, CO 80920 (719) 282-4333

USAFA1985@aol.com

There’s one more retiree amongus!

36% Members

Bythe time you all read this article...I maybe officially retired (1 Jul 07)! I alreadyhadtheretirementceremonyandeverything. Itwas on 23 Mar07 atthe Cheyenne MountainAFS, COTechnical SupportFacility auditorium. Man, it was a great ceremony, but I’m I glad it’s over! It takes a lotofhard work to get readyforretirement. Anyway, my crew... Echo Crew, “the best crew” sent me offin grandstyle. And mywife, Renee, really did a lotofhard work to make things extra specialfor me. Thanks Renee!

Well, since none ofthefolks in our classwho’ve preceded me in retirement have sent in pictures from their retirement ceremonies for Checkpoints, I’ll lead the way. And this is also a formal invitation foryou fast-burning, hard-

From left are Marcus, Quintel, Renee, andKristen Williams.

charging, colonels (and some daygenerals) outthere to do the same whenever you get around to retiring.

OurPetersonAFB photographerwiselygot a pictureofmylittlefamilybefore alloftheretirementactivitieskicked offinearnest. Itwas quietandthekidswere settled, butthatallchanged once people showed up andthe ceremonybegan with a receptionimmediatelyafterwards. Forthefamilypicture, we gatheredin frontofthecakeandapresentfrommyfriendLeeWright—abronzeeagle.. .wow! I held Marcus (twoyears old) and Renee heldKristen (sixyears old).

I am fortunate to havemadeitthroughthe academyand allthewayto retirement. I thankGod, myfamily, and friends for all ofthelove and supportthey gave me along the way. I also thankthe many academy instructors and staff who continuallychallenged, but supported me. Maj. Gen. Joseph E Stein 75 gets some credit as myAOC during our junior and senior years. Col (Ret.) John “Jack” Anthony 78 was myASTRO 332 professorduring our senioryear, but he became a lifelongfriendand mentor. Jackmade itto the ceremony. Other members ofThe LongBlue Line made it to support me too. Col (Ret.) GeoffEgge '66 andhiswife, Bemi, made it. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joseph “Jody” Smith ’68 andhis classmate Lt. Col. (Ret.) DougWilson ’68 made it. Mr. JohnAikens, III ’83 and Maj. (Lt. Col-select) Marcus Hervey ’93, alongwith is dad, Mr. BillyHervey, pleasantlysurprisedmybymakingit to the ceremony. Buttheprizeforthe comingthefurthestdistance easilygoes to Lt. Col. GeorgeWeathersbywho came backfromYemen for the ceremony. Of course, Georgehad some otherbusiness to take care ofinthe states as well, but it was a greatsurprise to see him! Check out the picture ofallthe grads and a grad’sfathergivingme advice onhowto getmyson MarcusreadyfortheUSAFA Class of2022!

8 Satire Society Donors

JohnAikens, III’83, BillyHervey, MarcusHervey’93, MarcusWilliams (USAFA Class of2022?), QuintelWilliams, andGeorgeWeathersby.

I was able to puttogether a familyandfriends tour the daybefore myretirement ceremony. Some ofmyextendedfamilymembers were able to go on the tour. Mybrother-in-lawStevePinacameoutfromMelbourne,FLandmadethe tour. Mysister-in-lawKaren (Pina) Burns andherhusband, Steve Burns, came outfromPaloAlto, CAandtheyalsomadethetour. Thesegood-lookingfolks are inthepicturebelow,butnoteveryoneinthepicturewent on thetour. Mymotherin-lawTheresaandmymotherFreddie didn’tgothe tour. ButTheresahasbeen on a previous tourofCheyenneMountain. MybrotherRodney,mywifeRenee, and mykids Kristen and Marcus didn’tmake the tour either.

soon. Please followup with Pete. This tragedy has changed his life forever. Our hearts and prayers go out to you andyourfamilyPete.

I saw Lt. Col. (Ret.) DougBums andhis wife at the Chapel Hill s Malltonight. Dougis stillworking on PetersonAFB, but as a defense contractor. Doug said theydidn’t plan it, buthe andhis old roommate from the zoo both retired on the same date last summer: 1 Jul 06.1 also saw Lt. Col. (Ret.) Pat Stoneham recently. Sincehe retired, Pat’sbeenworkingforBoozAllenHamilton at HeadquartersAirForce Space Command on PetersonAFB.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles “Ched” Jones and I spoke on the telephone a few weeks ago. Ched shared his transition experience and resume tips with me. Chedworks for DTRA as a civil service employee now. Thus far, usingadvice from Ched andtheTAP class, I havebeen“referred” formanygovernmentjobs but I have never gotten a followup e-mail or telephone interview. Rumorhas it that all ofthe governmentjobs are alreadytaken or promised to someone’s buddy. I don’tknowifit’s true or not, so I keepapplying for governmentjobs. I’m also applying for defense contractorjobs. I’ve had some offers from defense contractors, but only on a contingencybasis so far. We’ll see howthis all works out shortly.

Please sendyour class news to eitherthe e-mail or snail mail” addresslisted at the beginning ofour class section in Checkpoints. Untilthe next time.. .take care...Q

Bob “Cactus” Colella

9301 Harness Horse Court Springfield, VA 22153 H:(703) 455-3176; W:(706) 697-0007

rkascolella@cox.net

Robert.colella@js.pentagon.mil

Attention in theArea!

holding

Kevin andWendy (Link) Routhier sent their annual Easter Newsletter.The Routhier clan is doingreallywell. Kevin said he’s been busywith several adventures in home improvement thisyear. Kevin went to Floridafor aweek to helphis sisterSusan on her newhome. He spent aweekwithhis church’syouth group in Mississippi to help HurricaneKatrinavictims rebuild theirhomes. Kevin saidhe went on two trips to Honduras to help a missionarydoctorand hiswife buildtheirhome. Kevin finishedthe newsletterbystatingthathis big summer event will be takinghis son Caleb offto college.

Lt. Col. PeterReaddid an interview on CNN because his daughterdiedinthe VirginiaTech massacre. I meant to checkin on Pete bynow, buthopefullyIwill

48% Members

I was down at the clinictryingto get out ofa morningmeeting(funnyhowold habits dye hard—I actually “scheduled” the appointmentduringtheweekly staffmeeting, but in our “effectsbased” world we live in... Shack!) andwho should I run into to but a fellow“Sick-Call Commando” Anne (Ley) Gorney— at the Optometryclinic luckyforthat old“25-Redeye” shewasn’tbeing seen forconjunctivitis. Then, I’m trying to skip the same meeting two weekslater andwho do I see inthe dental clinic? Yep, itwasAnne—same prettysmile. She promised to give me an update, but failed, so I figure I am going to show up with a camera forhernext appointment for some payback—checkbackhere in sixmonths to see howthis storydevelops.

I was on the METRO just the other daywhen I suddenly heardthe words “PASS IN REVIEW” and there stood my idol “CadetWing Commander Mike LoGrande” Former 8708 Willie Scat Pack/Beer Canclassmate. Hiswordsfollow: “Greetingsfrom Washington DC. Bob threatened me on the METRO that ifI didn’thelp with his article hewould make up all sorts oflies about me (Scribe note: Anne, pay attention here).

I’m working as the ChiefofLegislative Affairs for the Air Force Reserve. Mywife, Colleen, and our three children love living in D.C. I was furloughedbyUnitedAirlines, post 9-11, andtook anAGR tour. I took a yearoffto go to National War College (2005), but have been workinglegislative issues (authorization and appropriation) since 2002.

Here is a quickupdate on Bull Sixers I’ve seen recentiy. Two ofthe ol’ gang retired since January 07: Joel Schmickand Nils Larson. Joel retired from the A4 staffat the Pentagon and is nowworking forAcuityConsulting, Inc. right here in D.C. Joel andhiswife, Jennifer, andtheir two girls, Amanda and Haley, live aboutthree miles awayfrom us in the MountVernon area. Severalformer Bull Sixers attendedJoel’s ceremony/party: Mike Marshall, Dave Tubb, John Miller, and even KenDudley. Joel’s contracthashimworking on theJoint Staff at the Pentagon.

In March, I flew out to EdwardAFB to attend Nils’ ceremony. He retired as the Deputy Ops Group Commander at the Test Center. Nils and his wife, Kirsten, had their first back in October, Cooper Michael Larson. Nils’ post retirement career is working as a Test Pilot for NASA. He actuallyflew a T-38 sortie the dayofhis retirement ceremony. Notbad. A21-yearAF career and even in retirement never left the cockpit. Justlike me excepttotallydifferent!

John Miller is slugging awayinAF/TE. John and his wife,Teresa, havethree little ones. Inbetweenjugglingthe demandsofthree childrenunderthe age of six,Johnhasbeen doinglots ofimprovements to his home in Alexandria. He’s got a lucrative career ahead ofhim, shouldhe choose to become a contractor doinghome improvements.

Mike Simpsonrecentlystarted a coffee companycalledBlackHole Coffee. I will tellyou that Black Hole coffee is wonderful. Mike’s marketinghisjava through Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Hole-CoffeeCaffeinated-Gourmet/dp/B000K5Xjki).

InJanuarywe gottogetherwithToddWaitandhiswife,Maureen, andtheirtwo wonderfulchildren at theirhouse in Reston,VA. We tookthekids ice skatingin Januaryanditwas 75 degrees. Toddis flyingwithUnitedAirlines out ofDulles.

StevePina

Kristen Williams, Theresa Pina, Renee (Pina) Williams holdingMarcus Williams, QuintelWilliams, FreddieWilliams, RodneyWilliams, Karen (Pina) Burns, andSteveBurns.

I recentlybumpedinto a classmate andpilottrainingbuddy, PaulHuffman. Paul is coming out ofschoolto the Pentagon andwill be the division chiefin SAF/LLP the Programs and Legislation division ofLegislative Liaison. With Paul’s personalityand background, there’s no doubt he’ll do reallywell.”

I run into Mary (Donohue) Matusiewicz all the time at the Pentagon, and she passed alongthis update and photo from our Fall 06 Reunion Anne, note the “reverence forthe Scribe”!

“Scribe, Sir, as promisedhere are some pics ofCS-39 alumfromthe reunion. The first is a picture ofme and myroommate, Belle Fourche, South Dakota’s own, Lisa Logan.

MaryandLisa roommatesreunited atReunion.

“Although we were placed on waivers by CS-39 mid-waythrough ourjunior yearand finished our time (and tours) with CS-38 and CS-40, we remainJedi at heart. Lisa flies forUnited and lives in Sioux Falls, SD with her husband, Chad, who is dentist. Theyhave two kids, Charles and Carly. I am currently finishingout myassignment on theJointStaffJ-5 (workingfor a classmate, Col David Sutton,). I’llbe sliding over to AirStaffA-5 inJune. Myfamily, Dan, Beth (16), Tim (13) andAna (12) have all adjustednicelyto life in NorthernVirginia.

Fromleftare ErnieBenavides, Von Gardiner, DaveBuckman,JohnZiegler, Jim Griffith, andScott Campbell.

That’s allfor now— once again out ofroom because ofyour efforts to keep in touch write often and tune in to see ifAnne gets a restrainingorder, or if I get a photo! Oh, and join the AOG! Bob “What the hell am I doing in J6” Colella.

Ezra Vance

7320 Brixham Circle

Castle Rock, CO 80108

Home: (303) 6885431

Work: (303) 304-1287 ezravance@motorola.com

doctorvance@hotmail.com

Wings From Heaven.

Greetings! In this update, we will provide a classmate update and an overview ofthe reunion activities that are being finalized byyour class reunion planning committee. Ifyou are interested in helpingwith the reunion, fund raising, or event planning, please contact me at the email address or phone number above and I will see thatyou get involved. Additionally, we have one editorial correction. We apologize for the typo in the last update where Chuck Espinoza was mistakenlyidentified as a “him”. Cholene, we apologize for the error and askyour forgiveness.

Classmates, Iwish to pass on our sincere condolences and prayers to the family and friends ofMartyTatum. Captain MartyTatum, USA.F Ret., 43, ofPort Neches, TXwent to be with his Lord on Friday,April27,2007, withhis lovingfamily athis side. Aftergraduation,Martywas sent overseas toTurkeywhereheserved one year and was a Satellite Specialist. During“Desert Storm”, Martyserved at FalconAir Force Base in Colorado SpringsadvisingSpace Command on where to launch missiles duringthe war. Overthe pastfewyears, Martytaught at Stephen F. Austin Middle School in PortAcres where he was the 7th and 8th Grade science teacher and also thetrackcoach. More than anythingelsethat Martydid, his most importantjob, and what he was best at, was being a devotedfather. He lovedhis children and theywill miss him greatly, alongwith his familyand all ofhis friends and co-workerswho were a part ofhis life.

Men of39... andstillholding!

“Theguys inbackfromleft are JamesDye, JohnSacks, Pete Davey, and Kraig Evenson. Front: ScottCurtis, Carl (“Tiny”) Martin, andJohnMacrena. Jamesis flyingforSouthwestout ofBaltimore;John is finishingup his assignment asAir Attache to BANG-A-LA-DESH (pleaseprintitlikethat...insidejoke) andwillbe retiringinJuly; Peteis an F-16 squadronCC; andKraigis doing some sort ofhigh payingengineeringgig. I’mnot sure whatScottisupto;Tinyis a defense contractorin Californiaworking space programs; and I’m not sure whatJohn is doing eitherbutifit doesn’tinvolve sellingsomething, he needs to changejobs.

“Other CS-39ers at the reunion: Juli (Dahnke) Mansfieldwho is a stay-athome mom living near Denver. Jules is married to Bob Mansfield (who lived in thatotherdorm). I thinkBob’s a Unitedbubba. Mike Flanneryis a sculptor and creator ofan incrediblybeautiful crucifixin St. Patrick’s church in Colorado Springs. Reed Nelson is a defense contractorworking space programs. He and hiswife, Dianne, are livingjust south ofDenverwith their daughter. That’s all for now— M2.”

Dave Buckmanwrote a while backand I forgotto get it into an article so the photo maybe datedin terms ofwhere folks are, but as a piece ofhistorythat at one time reflected reality—here goes:

“Mywife (EmilyWhittaker, ’88) and I just arrived inWashington DC after graduatingfromAirWarCollege in May. I’m assigned to the Pentagon in SAF/ AQXandEmilyis assigned toAF/A4R, though she’s currently on a 365-daydeploymentto Baghdad. While atAWC, Iwas fortunate enoughto getreacquainted with some ’86 classmateswho were also in attendance. I’ve attached a picture. Fromleft are ErnieBenavides (mid-yearAWC student—graduates Dec ’06and is headed to NRO),Von Gardiner (assigned to SAF/XCID), me, JohnZiegler (also deployed), Jim Griffith (SHAPE), and Scott Campbell (assigned to AF/ A5RM).

KenVelten, Marty’sacademyroommate, attended Marty’s service and gave Marty’seulogy. I can pass Ken’s eulogyalong to you ifyou contact me. Marty is survived byhiswife, Pam Bazinet, and children, Harrison, Grant, Elisabeth and step-daughterBrooke Duplantis. Forthose whoknewMarty, I am confidentthatyouwill rememberMarty’scontagious smile and robustlove oflife. Martywe willmissyou andwillholdyourmemories in our hearts. Godspeed our friend and we will see you again. Memorial contributions can be sent to theAmerican Cancer Society at RO. Box4, Port Neches, TX77651 in honor of MartyTatum.

I received updates from a fewof our classmates and am eager to get more updates from the rest ofyou as we get closer to our 20th Reunion. First, Steve Hopkins andhiswife, Kim (Fegere ’88), are both out oftheAirForce andliving inFlorida. Theyhave two children, Nick (10) andAlexis (8). Kim and Steve are excited about openingtheirthirdbusiness aftersuccessfullystartingand runningtwo others. Theyincluded thisfamilyphoto takenwhile deep sea fishing.

JeffFamb sent an update from Colorado Springs. Jeffhas already had his retirementceremonyandofficiallyretiresJune 1 st Afterretirement,Jeffandhis wife,Valerie, are movingto Huntsville, AFsince thejobsformissile defense are much more abundantthere. Jeffwillbe starting a new career with BoozAllen HamiltoninHuntsville. JoeyChapmansentmeaquicknotetosayalliswell. Joe is attheNRO inChantilly,VAwatchingthosethings thatgo“bump” inthe night. Patti (Michalcik) andherhusband,JackStuart (’85), livein Colorado Springs as well. PattirecentlyretumedtoworkwithNewEnglandFinancialafter14years ofbeing a stay-at-home mom. Pattihastwo daughters (14 and 11) who, like my daughterandI, arebigFalconBasketballfans. GregMilleris atScottAFB andwas recentlymarried. KirkBroussardis still at KadenaAB and shouldbe retiring soon and returning to the U.S. this summer. Broussie, give Kristen and me a holler! JamieWhitleyis inWashington, D.C. andwill also be retiringthisyear. Finally,RangerDue sayshello fromSeattle! He soldthe assets ofhistechnology services corporationin2000 andjoinedMicrosoftwherehemanages technical aspects ofMicrosoft’srelationshipswithpartners. Hehas sixchildren (24F, 2IF, 15F, 14M, 1 IF, 8F) and is also a PatentAgent. Wow, Ranger was one busyfellow. Rangeris thehandsomefellowinthemiddle ofthepicture.

Our 20th REUNION has been scheduled for theweekend ofOct. 20th 2007 when the mightyAir Force Falcons take on theWyomingCowboys in Falcon Stadium. Afewdays ago, you shouldhave received a letter outliningtheplanning and activities. We have a greatplanfallinginto placethroughthe efforts of our reunion committee that every grad, spouse, partner, and familywill want to be a partof. Ifyou did not receive a letter, please send us an email and I will get one out to you. This is such an important event and a once-in-alifetimechance forallofus to come back to USAFA, getre-acquainted, andtell the same stories again, except this time with more embellishment as that is whathappens as you age. Please reach out to your personal networkofclassmates and encourage them to attendand to get involved. We knowthat we are not reaching everyone through our letters, our website and Checkpoints. So please tell everyone you know this information and don’t let anyone slip through the cracks.

Here’s the scoop. When: Our Homecoming game is on the20th ofOctober againstWyoming, and events will run throughout the weekend. Where: Sheraton Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs. Why: Rekindle friendships and celebrate life. Who:You andyourloved ones! Ourplan includes plentyof time at the zoo with 21st Centurycadets, a memorial to remember our fellow fallen classmates, a golftournament, tailgating, a class gala, dinnerand dancing, andofcourse a bigwin against the Cowboys.You can register aroundJune 1 atwww.USAFA.org.

To give our reunion meaning and our class a legacy, we’llbe raising money —lots ofit. Ourgoalis 100K to give to theAcademyin some form to help carry on thelongblue line.Weneedeveryone’shelp to meet this ambitious goal. For manyofus, thismightbethe firstrealopportunityto give backto the academy that gave us so much. This is not a time to be stingy. Reach as deep as you can to give backto USAFAand help make our class gift one ofthe best ever.

Fall is coming. It’s time to remember. Call your old buds, register and reserve your room. ’87 is comingback to the HOUSE!

Mark Peters

2437 Bedford Circle Bedford, TX 76021-1823 (817) 937-9696 pylt@yahoo.com

Greetings88!

I’m glad to reportthat myin-boxhadjustenough material forthe column, butthat means I’ll rely onyou to send inyourinputforthe next one. ChrisPike and JoeTegtmeyersaved the daythis time around. Fet’s startwith Chris: “For 19years, I have read the Checkpointsupdates and always say, ‘I ought to send him a letter’andthusfar, I neverhave. Well, that streakends here. The pictures show five ’88ers who have joined the Cult ofClausewitz and are currently thinkinggrandstrategicthoughts as partofNationalWarCollege Class of2007. The photo was taken outside posingby an airplane prop (representing air power at this Joint School).

Rangeris lookingforJeshuaMetcalfand keeps intouchwithWillieWilson, who retired last year and lives in Tennessee. He sits on the board of a nonprofit called “simone4children.org”thatprovides schoolsupplies and builds schools inJamaica. HisemailisRANGERD@microsoft.com. As we prepare for our 20 th reunion, please send your updates to me at ezravance@motorola.com or to Kristen at doctorvance@hotmail.com and we willgetyourinformationincludedinthe next editionof Checkpointsmagazine.

From left are Chris Nina Kip Chuck, andParker.

Chris reports that Parker Northrup arrived from BarksdaleAFB where he was Commanderofthe 11thBomb Squadron (B-52) andhas been married to Carol (Stuart ’89) since 1989—three kids. Parkerpinned on 0-6 on 1 Jan and isheadedto Minotto be OpsGroup Commanderthis summer. NinaArmagno: from Peterson, where she was DeputyGroup Commanderofthe 21st (Space) OperationsGroup. Single, but engaged to Eddie Papczun, andwaiting to pin on 0-6 later this year. Chuck Beames came from the Pentagon, where he worked Fegislative Fiaison; single. Kip Turain, formerly from Grand Forks wherehe commanded the 906thAirRefuelingSquadron (KC-135); married to Mariawith two kids. (Kip was also inthe KC-10world atTravis for severalyears

prior.) Lastly, Chris reports thathe was previously at CharlestonAFB, where he commandedthe437thAerialPortSquadron andhasbeenmarried to Libby since 1998, also with two kids.

Joe Tegtmeyer on hisfirstdayin charge.

I also buttonholedJoeTegtmeyerfor some news a fewmonths ago. Joe’s the newcommanderofthe97thOperationsSupportSquadronwhich supportsall operational units assigned to the 97thAir MobilityWing at AltusAFB, OK. Specifically, his unit provides air traffic services, weather, airfieldmanagement, intelligence, life support, tactics, flightrecords, scheduling, and current operations services. His unit consists of some 185 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel and theymanage the wing’s $121.9-million, 28,650-hour flying program for over 350 instructors and2,910 C-5, C-17 andKC-135 students annually. Lastly, his unit is currently one ofonlythreeAir Force units conducting airfield operations officertraining. As for Joe, he’ll be flying the KC-135 as an instructor, but only after he completes some additional trainingforhis squadronjob. Joereports, “I recentiy met up withJohnBowserwho is here at C-17upgradetraining. He is on militaryleave fromAlaskaAirlineswherehehasbeen flyingfor a good numberofyears and is one oftheirevaluatorpilots. Afterhe’s done atAltushe’llbebackto flying out ofMcChordAFB.”

Sabre Society Donors

Thanks again to all that wrote. More next time, especiallyifyou’llhelpby dropping a short note to your scribe!

Paul W. Tibbets, IV 854 Westover Road Whiteman AFB, MO 65305

Home: (660) 563-3095

E-mail: p2a2@charter.net

Class web site: http://www. usafaclasses.org/1989/

Greetings classmates. We have a lotofnews to get to this issue, so let’s get started! OurfirstupdateisfromGretchenKurlander,who is stationedat Dover in the USAF Reserves as the commander ofthe 712th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. We ran into each other sixyears ago when I was passingthrough LajesAB. Gretchen left there forAviano, thenTravis before landing at Dover. Once at Dover she firsttookcommand ofthe 512th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, which was thenredesignated and merged with anotherandbecame the 712th Gretchen saidtheceremony was unique because they did the merger, inactivation, redesignationand activation allin one ceremony. This is the first C-17 maintenance squadron at Dover as the Reserves beat out the active dutyby a fewmonths!

ThePhilipsfamily on theirwaytoJordan.

Mygoodfriend GilPetrinais out at LangleyAFB as the ChiefoftheAdvanced SurvivabilityTechnologyBranch forHQACC.We ran into each other at Nellis for Red Flag 07-2. During an earlier TDY Gil bumped into Dave “Smokin” Tholewho is working in ACC/A8F on F-22 requirements. His wife, Joan (Holter, ’89), is happilyplayingfull-time mom. Dave said he saw Frank Souza and Dave Torres-Laboy atACC but didn’tknowexactiywhat theywere doing. He also said he heard thatTom Klingensmith was flyingwith the Reserves at Hill. Gil also ran into Joe Schulz at Nellis. He’s flyingA-10s with the Bradley Reserves andworking atACC inA3F. SteveWilliams was out forRedFlag. He’s with the 13FSatMisawaflyingF-16CJs. Brian Kieffer is workingrange issues and Reb Butler is the IOAggressorsquadron commanderin the 57th at Nellis. Gil also received a bunch ofChristmas cards this year. His roommate Jim Breckis backatKirtlandflyingtheV-22 Ospreywiththe 71 st SpecialOperations Squadron. He andMiekehavefourkids now, Hannah, Isabella, and the twins, Ian and Edward. Gregg Hall lives in Chandler, AZ andflies MD-11 s for FedEx. He and Cyndyhave two kids, Gavin andMacy. Gregg’s also an academyliaison officer helping the best and brightestjoin the long blue line. Gil’s freshman roommate MylandPride is at SchrieverAFB. He,Trish, and their two boys are stillinvolvedwith academylife and now sponsorfour cadets. His other freshman roommate MattRetzloff(’90), is atWUfordHall as a reproductive endocrinologist. He andMoniquehavefourkids,Tyler, Kourtni,Ryan, andJake andlive in a beautiful house on the north side ofSanAntonio. Mike andTonyaChapa moved to Colorado and Mike’s teachingAero at USAFA and flyingT-4Is. Jeff BriereisflyingKC-135swiththeNebraskaANG. AnnastaysbusywithJeffreyand Ashleywho are nowin4th gradeandkindergarten. Gilreceived a cardfrom Greg Bashkoff. He’s in NewJersey—not sure what he’s up to but the familylooks great. Eric Fitz lives in Niceville, FL. He and Sallyhave two kids,William and Claudia. EdRedmanishalfwaythroughhis graduateprogram at Duke University. HeandAmandarantheCountryMusicMarathonagainlastyear. Theirtwo boys, BrandonandGarrett, are lOandsixnow. HalCranmerlivesupinMinnesota. He andAndreahave three kids, Maddie, KevinandJohnny. Carolyn and Gil are doinggreat. Carolyn’s on firewith her business she justrecruited a new businesspartner to help her grow more and continues to expand her expertise in health and wellness. Gil is busytraveling a lot and workingissues inAdvanced Programs. He and Carolyn love it inVirginiaand wouldn’tmind stayinglongerin theWilliamsburg area. Thanks Gil!

Sabre Society Donors

Gretchenbumped into a fewfolks while at Dover, including Louis Patriquin who is the Reserve deputy ops group commander. Joe Glebockiis a Reserve maintenance squadron commanderat McGuire and a civilian attorneyworking as a contractoratthePentagon. BothJoe and Louis are attheArmyWarCollege in Carlisle, PAandwill graduate the summer of’08. Mike Travalent is also in maintenance as thecommanderofthe 439th Maintenance OperationsSquadron atWestover. In his civilianjob he is a government contractor for ESC out ofHanscomAFB with SAIC. Mikeworks on the missionplanningsystemsfor allmobilityplatformsoverseeingthe fined updatesbeing added to PFPS and preparingthemformigration to JMPS. He lives in Stow, MA about 23 miles west ofBostonwithhiswife and two boys. Thanks Gretchen!

From the D.C. area Keith Phillips wrote to sayhe is goingthroughArabic lemguage and attache training at theJointMilitaryAttache School on his way toAmman, JordaninAugust. He andhiswife,Jackie, andkids Darius (13) and Maya (11) will serve threeyears there in a prestigious attacheposition. Thanks Keith!

Gil and Carolyn in Hawaii.

ToddWilkowskidropped me a note from Cincinnatiwhere he is a lawpartner at KeatingMuething& Klekamp. He recendyaccepted an offer to serve as General Counsel ofBaker Concrete Construction, the largest concrete construction companyin the United States. Todd has extensive arbitration and mediationexperience inthe constructionindustry, andhasspentthe majority ofhis career defendingcompanies from claims ofnegligentworkmanship/ construction defectclaims, fraud claims, breach ofcontract claims and ERISA breachoffiduciaryclaims. Hereceivedhis MA. fromRegentUniversitySchool ofPublic Policy and his J.D. from RegentUniversitySchool ofLaw.

3

Ourlastletter comes from Kim Milner, wife ofJoe, who she says he “never seems to have the time” to write. They are at USAFAwhere Joe is the deputy commanderofthe 10th MissionSupportGroup. Afterayear as the 10th Security Forces Squadron commander he was asked to move up to the group. Kim works for theAOG as a special functions coordinator. Over the past two reunion seasons shehasworked a fewreunionlunches and sign-insalongwith manypromotions, retirements,weddingreceptionsandother events. Thanks forwriting Kim - howabout some other spouses dropping a line?

rado Springs lastmonth—he’s nowworkinglocallyin thereal estate business. LucindaAspden: Don and I have PCSedbackto KirtlandAFB and are enjoying our last tour here. Both Don and I retire in a year. Additionally, I made Captain atJetBlueAirways thispastwinter andenjoythe exciting destinations I’ve been going to (likeAruba, SanJuan, andVegas!).Aswithanynewposition, there is never a dull moment intheleft seat, but itis quiterewarding. Feel free to drop us a line ifyou’re ever in the Duke City, “Albuquerque”; land ofthe green chiliesand hot air balloons.

Kurt Shuler: I’m still inthe SanFrancisco Bay area andhave been married to Faustafor 12years; no kidsyet. Mysecond start-up is comingto a close and I’m lookingfor mythird. I’m the marketing/business guy. I also havetheprivilege ofmentoring and evaluatingUSAFAcandidates as anAdmissions Liaison OffreerReservist. There doesn’t seem to be many 1990 folks here in the bay area, so ifyou are here drop me an email.We’re headingtoVegas inJune forTaewon Kim’s (CS-251990) 40th birthday. I hope to see other Mighty ’90 folks there!

Carson Tavenner

6828 Raccoon Court Waldorf, MD 20603 (202) 231-2484

DSN: (312) 428-2484

Home: (301) 374-2752

tavenner@hotmail.com

42% Members

TheMilnerfamilyatop theSt. Louis arch!

That’s a wrap forthis quarter. Let me hearfromthe rest ofyou! Bestwishes to you andyourfamilies. Take care and Godbless.

JamesSanchez

8301 Emerald Circle

North Richland Hills, TX 76180

Cell: (817) 881-6357

Web: WWW.USAFA90.COM alohatiger@gmail.com

JClass of1990: First ofall, everybodywho supported me in theAOG election has mythanks. I’ll do mybest to serve the entire graduatecommunity.

Ed Starkputtogether aJediKnightmini-reunionto celebratePete Meinhart’s 40thbirthday. The gathering occurredinBozeman, MT andincluded aweekend ofsnowmobilingand reminiscingaboutthe great times at theZoo. Afew beverages were also served. AttendeesincludedWesErb, andLeftySummerlin, ToddYounkin andthe guys inthepicture:

(Seven Sabre Society Donors )

(Editor’snote: We didnotreceive an inputfrom Carsonforthisissue. Please email or drophim a line with yourinputandphotosfor thenextmagazine.)

James S. Mehta

8509 Custer Court Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 652-3433 DSN: 682-8898

james.mehta@ogn.af.mil or jamesmehta@earthlink.net

42% Membsrs

1992, with Mayrollingbyagain andJunejustaroundthe corner, both mark anothermilestone in our lives. Mayis the month we graduated andJune was the month fouryears previouslythat we got offthe bus at the Bring Me Men ramp. I know that none of our lives have ever been the same after either of those two dates. But, theyshouldn’t have been the same and we didn’t want them to bethe same orwe wouldhave madedifferentchoices. Ihopethisfinds all ofyouhappy and healthy.

GreggMurray, HarryBlue, Pete “BirthdayBoy”Meinhart, Ed Stark, Kurt “Slim”Kuntzleman, andIkeEickmann.

LeeArmstong: BrianHastings is at OsanABwithhis family, and is taking over the OSS/CCjob in May. Greg Reese is the SFS/CC at Osan, and Brad Rice is thereworking at 7AF for a year. Parker Shipleycalled me fromWisconsin, still withFBI, has one child, seconddue inJune. I saw Lisa Kirkat CrystalCity, she’s with the Guardand working at the Pentagon. Brian McCombs is deployed to Baghdad with OSI, and will be coming home soon. He works at HQ OSI at Andrews. My wife and I are headingto OsanAB in Mayfor a two-yeartour as the OSI Sq/CC.

JonCooper: I’m in thecenterfoldoftheMayissue ofFlying magazineflyingthe Citation Mustang. I’m also on the cover but theyblurred me out ofthe photo.

Russ Maclean: Maj Ferrelle Smith gotorders from USAFA to Egyptfor a 24-month accompaniedtour—workingwith theEgyptian armytrainingcommand. I’vegotorders backto flyingthis summer atBarksdaleAFB inthe B-52 FTU. Raninto ShannonKruse atBarksdale— he’s goingthrough B-52 requal andheadingto MinotAFB thisweekto takethe reigns as the next 23 BS/CC laterthisyear. Raninto MarkMcWilliams in Colo-

Hasitbeenthatlong! RecentlyAFPC went to a paperlesssystemforpersonnel records. The system is calledARMS. So when it came on-line, I logged in to see what was in myrecords. All the expected stuffwas there like OPRs and decorations. However, theoldest document in myfile was from 1988 and it was the original orders appointing me to USAFA and CS-39. I printed it out and took a look.. .there were about40 names on thelist—everyonewho was in my BCT and my4-degreesquadron. There were some names I had not heardin (dare I sayit) 19years. Ofcourse, there are some on therewho are lifelongfriends, too. It was definitely a trip down memorylane. With the global e-mail address book, a quicksearch is allthatis necessaryto see ifsomeone is still in theAF. One name jumped out at me for some reason: ChadPit-og. I pluggedthe name inthe GAL and therehe was. Maj Chad Pit-og, 3 SOS. “Hmmm.. .3 SOS, that’s here at Nellis,” I thought. Sure enough, Chadhadbeen sittingjust across theflightline from me forthe pasttwo years. An e-mail, phone call, and a fewweeks later, he and I were sittingin my office reminiscingfor a longtime. We had some goodlaughs andwere amazedithad been so long since we saw one another. The next dayChad deployed to OIF andwon’t return until after I PCS. The 3 SOS is a UAVsquadron. Previously, Chadhas been anALO and CH-53 pilot. Currently, Chad andhiswife have a nine-year-old son and twins on the way.

TarantulainTexas. I got an unexpected e-mail fromJohn Miltnerrecently. He hasbeen at DyessAFB for a year or two and recentlycompleted construetion on a newhouse. John is clearlyahead ofmost ofus inlookingto the future. He included many“green” features inhis house to make it more efficientand low energy. He learned a lot having this one built and said he has even more ambitious plans for the next one. He’ll probably have the walls made of Styrofoamand cement makingitultraefficient. Imighthave to hireJohnwhen I am ready to build someday.

Congratulationsto allthe new LtCol(s)! I rememberwhenI thought Lt Cols were old. Nowwe are the newest Lt Colselects! I guess we must beold... Nate Aflerheiligen sent me a photo and an e-mailfromLittleRockAFBwherehe and several other ’92ers were celebratingtheir new promotion. Ryan Guiberson andPhil Clinton are bothinthe 61 AS flyingC-130Es forAMC andNate is inthe

FTU forthe C- 130E. Bob Mayis also in the 53rd withNate, buthe’s headed to Ramsteinfor a new assignment. Nateiswaitingto see whatopportunitiesopen upwhen the BRAC hits LR.

Nate,RyanGuiberson,

and Phil Clinton

Other news fromNate isthatJim Dittus hasjusttransitionedto the C - 17 and is now at McChord. Kendra Matthews is moving to Florida (I think) for a commandjob there. Lee Smithjustrequalifiedinthe C-130 and is looking to command at Pope. Keep in touch Nate and thanks for the photo.

The Nellis O-club hosted the promotion party for those ofus here. There were fiveTrue Blue promotees (ofthe 14 at Nellis), but onlythree ofus could make it. I alreadymentionedChadPit-og. ByrlEngel is currentlydeployed to the GreenZone in Baghdad as theChiefofSecurityForces. Beau Booth, Mike Bruzzini, and Irounded out thefive. Wehad a goodpartyandthebase enjoyed a fewdrinks on us. Also, Mike Clarkhappened to be TDYto Nellis thatweek and so joined us at the club. I guess he got to celebrate twice!

backto Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. Ifyouhavebeen reading over theyears, you knowthat Steve cross-commissioned into the USMC after graduation. Steve’s assignment to Memphis was as a recruiter and you can imagine how difficultthat has been the pastfewyears.

That’s it for this column. I welcomethose ofyou reading this and saying to yourself, “I shouldwriteJames some time, to do so. I lookforward to hearing fromyou. Bythe time I write next, I’ll be in D.C. and I’m sure I’ll see manyof you there, too. Until next time, True Blue and God Bless, James.

Michael D. Sundsted

1805 Macadams Place Alexandria, VA 22308 (703) 768-5664/Cell:(240) 338-9839

E-mail: Bravecwboy@cox.net

Class Website: www.highflight.com

Greetings to the Class thatNone ShallSurpass—NonusSuperato! I hopethis finds all ofour classmateswellandinto the summer groove—hopefullyvacation. I have been verybusyplanning theAndrewsAFB Joint Services Open House. We had over 130 aircraft and 550 aircrew—the coordination for this was immense, but it prepared me well for our 20YEAR REUNION planning! Can’twait forthat one! ftis a relativelyshortletterthis time due to the factthat I haven’ttraveledmuchlatelyand our classmateshavebeeninfluxwithmoves/ school and PCSes (atleastfortheActive Dutyfolks).

Just wanted to pay congratulations to Joe Sucich who passed his Captain check in theAirbus forJet Blue. He andhis family continue to do well in San Antonio. The next timeyouflyJetBlue—listenup forwho the Captain is—it mightbeJoe! Congrats!

JasonMills checkedinbrieflyto notifyme thathe is movingless than 10 miles from where I live. He will begin work in some alphabet-soup office in the Pentagondoingundoubtedlyveryimportantthings—most of our classmates at some point will have to traverse those halls. When you get settled let us knowhowthe move was and howthe newjob is.

I received a greatupdate from Maria (Thomas) Anthony. She said she finallydecidedto writewhenshe metwith Heidi (Carter) Heinlein. Mariais married to ChrisAnthony (’92). Theywere stationed inbeautifulMadrid, Spain fortheirlast tour. Maria saidthe assignment was incredible and she was able to pickup a good deal ofSpanish. Before Madrid, they were in Monterey, CA at the DefenseLanguage Institute. Prior to Spain, Maria and Chris were at Nellis where theyhad two boys (David-4 and Ethan-3). At their assignment to Lakenheath, theyhad theirgirls (Olivia-7 andVictoria-6). At Lakenheath, Maria was an Intelligence Officer and this is where she made the separation from active dutyandworked for a Reservist a bit. Fortunately forthem, Chris’ staffjob hasbrought thembackto the states down at Langley AFB to slowthings down a bit—allthose moves in such a short amount oftime —you guys are saints!

James, Beau, andMike

Mike Bruzzini is currentlythe DO with the 30 RS, butwill also beheaded to the Pentagon this summer. I guess he and I will run into one another in the hallways andreminisceabout our days atNellis andthe 100-degreeheat. Mike andhiswife, Laura, have two sons, Michael (6) and Matthew (3). I thinkMike told me he has not spentmuch time in D.C. (mymemoryfromthat nightis a littie fuzzy) and he is lookingforward to seeing allthe sights D.C. has to offer, one ofwhich is visitinghis dad’s grave atArlington National Cemetery.

Maria and I had several classes together, but she recalls one ofthe memorable ones. It was one ofthose reallychallenginghighpowered senior classes —music. I was definitelymentallychallenged at this class and I am sure Maria

Mike, Laura,Michael, andMatthew Tarantula news. I got an e-mail from Steve and Kaye Wolfwho are leaving Memphis afterthreelongyears. They are hopingfor an assignment to Hawaii,

found it most amusingwhen I confused an oboe sound with a saxophone sound. Too funny! She updates us on Sean Choquette andhis family—they are doingwellandliverightaroundthe corner at Langley Occasionally, Chris runs into Alex Grynkewich. Heidimentioned earlier is married to Steve Heinlein fromthe class of1992 —True Blue!

Rodd Todd and Christy (Tanner) Todd checked in. They are stationed at Mountain HomeAFB in the outdoor state ofIdaho. Rod is one ofthe Family Medicine doctors outthere. Christyandhewere marriedtwo days aftergraduation and are now on assignment #5 as well as child five (Ryan 12, JET 11, Tanner 7, Logan4, andAmber 1). He says in the vast spaces ofthe great outdoors and in downtown Mountain Home he hasyet to find any classmates. Have a Great BigPinkOinkforme—I miss the BBQ!

Our class President,WispySperos, has beenworth his weight in gold this quarter. Wispyis doingwell, butjetsettingaround the globe operating as a phenomenallawyerin the D.C. area. He is rather good at handlingPR events —Wispyand I can giveyou some stories. Thanks forthe helpWispy.

Thanks for the quickupdates—Ihope to have more foryou next time. For thosewho have been out oftheAF for a while—some of our classmateswill be pinning on Lieutenant Colonel before long! I can’twait to see who pins on first—let me know! Some daytherewillbe a 4 degreespitting outyour names atthebequestofsome upperclassman—“Sir, General so and so fromtheclass of1993 was thefirst personto... ’’Cheers Mike.

C.C. M. Masotti

7608 Southern Oak Drive Springfield, VA 22153 (703)455-4789

Cell: (202) 243-9980

cc.masotti@yahoo.com or bowhead94@hotmail.com

77% Members

wife, and their daughtersJulia (9) and Lauren (8) are allreallyexcited about it! John also let me knowthat Lamar Pettus was among our classmates to get picked up two years BTZ for Lt Col—congrats, Lamar! And, though he’s not hereyet, RobertMorrison wrote to sayhe’ll be moving to DC this summer for a yearoftraining at Bolling; he, Susan and their daughters Mariah andAlexis are lookingforward to it.

OutsidetheDC area, I’ve heardfromseveral folks, includingBrianNoe, who’s at FEWarren, butrecentlywrappedup a rewardingdeployment toAfghanistan wherehe got to mentorAfghan seniormilitaryleadership (MoD, ChiefofGeneral Staff, ChiefIG, ChiefJAG, etc.)—he even wrote some ofthetalkingpoints PresidentBushusedin a press conferencewithPresidentKarzai. He’slookingto fill some time with an Iraq deployment until it’s time for his PCS. Definitely headingbackto Iraqis ChuckMcGregor,whowillbetherethis summer, leading a MobileTrainingTeam embeddedwith IraqiSecurityForces in Haditha.

Hello all! SorryI missed another column, but I actually didn’t get the deadline e-mail... for some reason, itwent to myold EUCOM address, so it never reachedme (aremindertokeepyouAOGdataupdatedregularly!). But, enough excuses, there’sTONS ofnews to report! And a lot ofphotos ifthey’lllet me squeeze themin!

As I mentionedlasttime, I’m now inDC fortraining, which gives me plenty oftime to run into fellowRedTags... infact, Blaine Rochlitz was a superstarin myAttache training class and is headed offto be theAirAttache inAlmaty, Kazakhstan—andheandJennifer (Patterson, ’95) shouldhaverecentlyadded anotherhealthybabyto theirfamily—Jenwas aboutto deliverwhenwe graduated inApril!

Returningfrom a deploymentthathas takenherfromAfghanistanto Kuwait, to Qatar and finally to Kyrgyzstan is Tam (Vo) Elliott, who will, fortunately, swingthrough DC on herwaybackthrough to visither sister, so I get to catch upwithher as well. Though she’shad some frustrations dealingwiththeArmy, she was able to find time to finishACSC in correspondence (I’m on the “see if I can do itin eightweeks plan”myself... NOTfun on top ofall mylanguage and othertraining, butmuch easierthan orderinghard-copy tests in France) and to do a base half-marathon. She’s had a chance to run into a ton ofgrads, as shown in the photo.

RedHotHappyHour, Ozio’s, DC.

There are tons ofothersinthe area, includingDeb Lovette [AFA-1 staff], who recentlyorganized a Red-Hothappyhour... included in that gang were Tom and Kay (Aquino) Kale [both of whom are consultants with Booz-Allen Hamilton];'80sparty-queenLisaKary[Chief, HomelandDefenseAirOpsBranch inA-3 andfabulouspartyhostess], BobGoodwin [was an SES inOSD, butleftwithabout aweek’snotice to become COO of InternationalAidin GrandRapids, MI]; FreemanHolifield [BioenvironmentalEngineer, engaged to getmarried in San Antoniothissummer];Ernesto (no more “Ernie”!) Hernandez [militaryposition at State Dept]; myLouisiana friendsTodd RicheandGrahamBloxom [bestbudswithkidsthe same age who were able to get“kitchenpasses” forthenight... they’re bothheadedtoACSCthissummer] andJohnGifft [lOyearsin DC as a lobbyistforRockwell Collins]. Johnis in touchwith James “BigDaddy” Davis (ACSC); Pat Clowney (NavyCommand and Staff); WayneYoung (here in DC); John Newby (DC lawyer); Tom Rozylowicz (DC lawyer); LisaDyer (StateDepartment Civilian—I ran into herthereinbetween meetingsafewweeks ago,thoughwebarelygotthrough abriefhello...); andjeff Clark (DC contractor).

Though she couldn’t make the party, PattyRodriguez-Rey is also in town; she’s on theA-1 staffandis engaged to a Navyofficerlaterthisyear. I also get to see John Pantleo at foreignlanguage school... he’s there studyingGerman in preparation for a two-yearassignment to Hamburgfor German IDE. He, his

Kyrgyzstan. Standingfrom

are LtSean Gibbons, ’03;

ColMikeDeGreef, ’83;CaptKarlRecksiek,’01;LtColMichaelGaal, ’89;MajJeff Parks, ’94;Lt ColScott Ulrich, ’89;Brian Freiburger, '94;LtColJohnDewine, ’86; and CaptJeffCashion, ’98. Kneeling: lLtChrissyMott, ’04; lLtManuela (Layendecker) Peters, ’04;MajStephenMatthews, ’96; ColMichaelBranham, ’77; andMaj Tam (Vo) Elliott, ‘94

Dr. MarkShideler (FlightSurgeon, 517AS/C-130 UnitinAlaska, butmovingto Wright-Patthis summer) hasbeen on the move as well, butin about as farfrom thedesert asyou can get... hespent some timeprovidingmedical care fortheNY ANG at McMurdo Station,Antarctica andwas able to visitthe South Pole.

ChuckMcGregor(top row, 4th fromleft) withhis troopsfromLima Company 3/24.

USAFA Gradsin

left

Lt

AlsoPCSingthis summer is our classVP Deb (Reuther) McKay [HillAFB, but headed to ArmyCGSC]. She andherhusband, Sean, (retiredmilitary, now a real-estate agent) are celebratingtheirfirst anniversaryalongwith the recent birth oftheir first child, a beautiful son named Christian James. Attending their sunrise weddinglast summeron Ormond Beach, FL were Jiro McCoy, Georgina (Christopher) Johns and Mike Raynoha (and his new bride, Trish). Also stationedwiththem at Hill are Chris andMelodyColcord, amongseveral other grads in the ’94 - ’99 span...

Mr. andMrs. Sean McKayin theirfirstdance as husbandand wife.

In more news ofexpanding families and moves, Larry and Jen (Kappeler) Nemetz, who welcomedHarrison John to theworld inJanuary—just in time to hearthatLarryhadbeenoffered a greatjob in GrassValley, CA, where they’ll move afterLarrygraduates fromtheColorado School ofMines inMayandJen will get to be a fiill-time mom.

Larry, Jen and babyHarryNemetz.

A fellow friend of ours and another full-time mom is Kathy (Cleveland) Leisman, who is loving time with Joshua (almost 2 V2 now!) while Gregg is deployed to Qatar for four months. Kat wrote to let us knowthat CJ and Jen Sovadawelcomed LandonWinslow to the world in October andAdam and Alicia (Valleni) Matteson celebrated the birth ofbabyNoah in November.

Another family update (albeit a bit belated!) came in from David and Stephanie Pleasance, who will celebrate their 3rd anniversarythis summer. Dave’swith the FBI andhas been in the San Diego area forthe past two years. He’dlove to hearfrom anygradstravelingthrough or livingthere...just callthe local FBI number and they’ll find a way to connect you to him!

Mr. andMrs. DavidPleasance

That’smynews for now; I’mdue to head to Paris inAugust,thoughorders and such are still up in the air, so I don’tknowthe exact dateyet. I’ll be in language immersionformuch ofthe summer, as well as in othertraining andwill take a weekofleave with myfamily, so I’m basicallydown to about two weeks left to fit in all my moving, out-processing, renting out the house, pre-departure meetings, etc... It’s all a bit stressful, but I’m still excited. I’ve been assigned a fabulousapartment, so planyourParis trips soon so I can bookthe guest room foryou! Wishingyou allthe best! Take care andGodBless! C.C.

R. Travis Koch

5304 Sports Club Lane

Suffolk, VA 23435

Cell: (850) 499-8242

richard.koch@langley.af.mil

traviskoch@yahoo.com

Moving On:Well, we got an assignment to LangleyAFB,VA. We should be therebythe timeyou are readingthis so ifyou are in that area, drop me a note and we’ll grab a bite. AFIT and Dayton have been a blast and I recommend both. I have a few rounds ofgolfto playwith Mike Bettencourt and a lunch or two with Chris Bisbano before we go. I’m still looking forvolunteers to write an article or two, especially now that I’m on myway back to working again. So ifyouthinkyou’refunnyand are alwayssaying, “I coulddo a betterjob thanthatKoch fella”, please send me a fewhundredwords. Chris Buckleyzapped me a great update so here it is:

Buck writes: “I’m out here at Hickam working in HQ PACAF. Greatgig! Thisplaceisjustawesome! Haven’tlearned to surfyetbutit’s on the list. Melissaand I are lovinglifewith our two dogs,Walker andTexas Ranger (actuallyRuss and Cosmo). WethankLittleInfantBabyJesus each dayforbringing us out here. Prior to Hickam I did a remote to Ecuador afterfour awesomeyears at Randolph. I met theloveofmylife, Melissa, while we were both doing the MBA program at St. Mary’s in SanAntonio. We got married in Nov ’04. While we were on our honeymoon to Hawaii one ofthe tour guides mentioned HickamAFB. Melissa asked me ifwe would ever have the chance to be stationed here and I said “The chances are one in a million.” Well, here we are.

Ecuador: “IfyouspeakSpanish, andyou’refacing a remote, the MantaFOL in Ecuador is a sweet deal. It was a greatopportunity to be involvedwith the counter drug mission and the aircrews chasing the drugboats, but also an awesome opportunity to connect with the communityofManta. The FOL Commandermylast sixmonthsthere was LtColJavierDelucca (’90) andboth ofthe SecurityForces Chiefs were grads, Chris Sheffield (’98) and DevlinKostal (’99). I also ran into Ben Maitre down therewhile he was flyingwith the Coast GuardC-130 unit out ofClearwater. I thinkBenhas moved on to Monterreyfor IDE and I’m pretty sure theyhad a newborn before theyleft.

Stolpe andSusanna with Luke, Max, andMya.

Blackbirds update: “Ted Lane (’93) isworkingin theAFSO 21 office here at PACAFandSonnyKimisworking over at 13AF. MattLiljenstolpe andhiswife, Susanna, have three awesome kids andjustgot assigned to RandolphAFB where Stolpe is flyingwith the 435 FTS teaching IFF. Curtis St.Amand (’96) is also flying there. Joel Stephens is flying Hercs up in Little Rock andjust got engaged. Jobie Turner (’96) is also flying Hercs at the Rockbut is leavingthis month to go to ASAM at McGuire. DerrickMilleris offactive-dutyand flying Vipers with the IndianaANG and for UPS as well. Dave Norton is working at thePentagon in the Combat SupportBranch. Rob Rossiis finishingupArmy Command and StaffCollege at Ft. Leavenworth.

Other ’95ers: “Alex Cotto (andhiswife, Martha Eugenia) is a Captain in the El SalvadoranAF, and is livingin SanAntonio teaching SOS to LatinAmerican exchangestudents at IAFFA. He’s enjoyingthe IAFFA gigandhas anotheryear to go there. Carlos Dellepiane is also in SanAntonio for a training course but is flyingVIP support missions forthe PeruvianAirForce. Rich Carrell is flying theTalonII down atHurlburtFieldandhas two boys, Scottie and Sammy,with hiswife, Carmen. JimRowleyisfinishingupACSCatMaxwellafteraC-17gig at McChord and is going to Stavanger, Norwayfor his follow-on. He and his wife, Jen, have one son but I forgethis name. I thinkit’s Shamus or O’Toole or somethinglikethat. Jason Smith andhiswife,Jen, have a little girl, Emma (or Emily) and live in Ft.Worth where Smitty is flying F- 16s in the Guard.

Backto Randolph: “WhenIwasn’t gettingmarried or enjoyingSpurs games with Melissa (we had season tickets for two years and it was heridea. She’s a

keeper!) I was trainingNavs inthe MightyT-43. Also downthere was Darrick Galacgac (’96) who has since moved on to the EC-130 at Davis-MonthanAFB. Chris Johannsen (’96) and I handled Nav Class 04-10 togetherand Chris has since separated andis goingthrough a “formationprocess” (Ithinkthat’swhat theycallit) withthe FranciscanFriars. FastI heardfromhim, he was ministeringin a parish in NewYorkCity. SHAKEAND BAKE, BABY.”

ThanksBuck. Stolpe wrote in andwanted to mentionthatBuckwas actually in Rio, not Ecuador, gettingpreppedforhis “identitychange” surgery. He also saidBuckdid not go on a honeymoonbutit was aweek-longfiestawithfive of the 12 members ofThunder from Down Under. I don’t believe any ofthat, Stolpe. Bythe way, here is an update from Nico Adlung:

Nico, Henks, andWoodywith Ryan Seacrest.

Nicowrites: “AndyLyonsjustrecentlyhad a reunionin LasVegas to celebrate getting out oftheAF. He is still in the Reserves flying F- 16’s. The picture ofus in LasVegas is me, Mike Henkelman, Chris Cunic andAndy. BothAndy and I justrecentlygothiredbySouthwestAirlines andhavejoinedMike Henkelman who is at SWA as well. Mike is in Balad right nowflying F-16s for a two-month deploymentwith the Reserves. Ijoined the Reserves here inWashington DC andflythe KC-135R atAndrewsAFB. Mywife, Natalie, andI are livinginArlingtonVA and lovingit. Chris Cunic andhiswife are in LosAngeles and he is involved in the wine distributingbusiness and is doinggreat.” Thanks, Nico.

restless. I am excited for our seniors and even more excited that they are on theirway out to you. 2007 was a great class and I’m sure theywill impressyou as they start showing up in your units this August. Our RIF results are also around the corner. I’m not sure how many ofyou are affected bythis board, but I’ll be anxious to see ifI will be beginning a new career outside the Air Force this June. Good luck to all who are facingthe draw-downs this summer.

Well, I just received word that one of our classmates has justreachedthe rankoffullColonel. Talkaboutthe fasttrack. It is none other than our own Piotr Blazeusz. Many ofyou mayknowthathelefthis post as a DefenseAttache inWashington D.C. last summer to return to Poland. On 6 Mar2007, he was appointed as the Director, Secretariatofthe Minister ofNational Defense (our equivalent ofthe ChiefofStafffor the SecDef).Wow! So ifyou meet Piotr fornational defense issues, make sure you addresshim as Mr. Director. (Although on the personallevel, I don’tthink we will ever forgetthe antics of“Zeus.”) So farthe new position has kept him on the run. Hehas alreadybeen toAfghanistan and Iraqin thelastfewmonths. It has been stressfulbut extremelyrewardingboth personallyandprofessionally. Please continue to keep him inyourthoughts andprayersthathewillhave thewisdom and leadership to excel in his new position.

I got a quick, and of course humorous (would you expect anythingless), update from GarrettStumb. He’sworking as a blasterbackin NewHampshire (his home state) but was recentlyassigned to Beale as an IMA Reservist (civil engineer). He said there’s nothinglike living3,000 miles fromyour duty station. He was activated in Decemberlastyear and hopes to completehis stint in May. The Reservisttourhas had some perks. He’s beenfortunate to get a fair amount ofskiing atTahoe on theweekends. He has also had the opportunity to meet up withJD Foster as well. JD is currentlylivingin the Bay area, andhe and his wife, Judy, became parents last December. Finally, he had a chance to catchupwith some ofour classmatesandCS-12 DirtyDozenpals attheOshkosh Air show inWisconsin. Marco Parzych, Chris Kirby, Alan McCraken, Chad McGarry, MattMcGarry, AlexWellman and Garretthad a greattime reminiscing about airplanes, flying, and the zoo over some adult beverages.

Jason,Rowan, and Genae

RandomUpdates: Here’s a picture ofJason Lambwithhis wife and daughter. Jasonandthe gals are movingfromNPSthis summer to SAASSwhereJason willbejoinedbyPaulSpaven. AnybodyrememberduringBEASTwhenJason told our Hellcats’ C Flight Cadre he could do 200 “sit-ups” during our fitness competition? He did37, forgotthatthere was a differencebetween sit-ups and crunches and we all sat in the motherfor20 minutes. That was fun. Amanda andIhad some HuevosRancheros withBenjiandClaudiaGlazerattheirhome inHouston. Theyshouldhave ababybythetimeyou are readingthis. Claudia looksfantasticthanks to Benji’s advancedplyometrictrainingprogram. Jason and Kristin Cockrumhave anotherbeautifiil girl, too. Congrats.

Finally, the Jon Hamby section ofthe update. Bone broke a S.O.F. It was awesome. We were on the way to Bender’s bachelorparty. Luckily, Murph’s trucksurvived a battlebetweenEmilyandthe Captain, a fewnights inthe “NoJo’s” parkinglot, and a return trip geyser. We’ll see you fellas at thewedding. Till then, Keep the Faith, T. Koch.

Melissa S. Cunningham 15668 Candle Creek Drive Monument, CO 80132 (719) 487-3071/DSN: 333-4405

Melissa.cunningham@usafa.af.mil or melcunningham@msn.com

67% Members

There is only a weekleft ofclass left as Iwrite thiscolumn. I’m not sure who is more readyfor school to be over, the students or me. It has been another greatyearinstructing at USAFA, but as graduation nears, the cadets are getting

TheWoyteFamily

Over the holidays, I ran into Joe and Kirsten Woyte at the Rampart Range AOG ChapterHolidayparty. Theyrecentlymoved fromTexas back to Colorado Springs. Joe isworkingwithHoneywell and Kirsten is enjoyingspending quality time with their two girls, Emily and Mackenzie. Joe has picked up home brewing as a new hobby, so ifyou are ever inthe Springs, make sure you hit him up forhis latestbatch.

Other news: Jenny Caballero has decided to head to corporate America. After her separation from theAir Force lastfall, she has been spending time settingup theCaballero household inWaukesha,WI. Tom was hiredbyGE in early2006 andJennyfollowed afterwrappingup the schoolyear. Nowthatthe dust ofthe move settled, she decided to go back to work. After several offers, she setded on Miller BrewingCompany. How couldyou pass up the perks of free cases ofbeer everymonth?

TheFellasattheOshkosh, Wisconsin,Airshow. From leftare GarrettStumh, Marco Parzych, AlexWellman, Alan McCracken, Chris Kirby, MattMcGarry and ChadMcGarry.

Several ofour classmates will be heading to Avigon, France, this springfor Kerre Ellis’ wedding. Shewill be marryingLudo, a French fighterpilotwho she metwhile deployed to the desert two years ago. I had an opportunityto meet Ludo lastyearwhen they came to the Springs for a visit andhe is a wonderfulman. Congrats Kerre!

Ialso got a callfromMike andDeniseVarner. Mikehasdecidedto taketheVSP and return to the Springs. His familylives in the area and they are looking forward to settlingdown after manyyears ofdeployments.

Linell Letendre (Bartholic) is leaving the lawdepartmentthis summer for Washington DC. GregLetendrehas separated fromtheAir Force andwill be workingin the Capitolregion as well so they are thankful that theAF could workLinell’s assignment to the same area. Recently, Linell was honored as an OutstandingAcademyEducator; one ofthe highesthonors instructors can receive atUSAFA. Another ’96winnerwas MelissaPhillips (Baumann) forher workinthemath department. The event was attendedbythe Secretaryofthe AirForce, theBoard ofVisitors, and USAFAfaculty. I was proud thatthe Bricks were wellrepresented!

Injust a fewweeks, Kip Kieferwillbejoiningthe Managementdepartment. I’m excited to have another Brickinthe department.

psijif

Melvin E. Maxwell, Jr.

276 Third St., Apt. 2 vPiiJEf Memphis, TN 38105

mel_maxwell97@hotmail.com mel.maxwell@fedex.osv.com

Heyall,

Let me ask a question. Does anythingchange for our class? First we lose a quarterofour class inBCT. We getAscended instead ofRecognized,graduate inthestands ofFalconStadiumratherthan on the field, and nowwe can’t even get a normal reunion weekend. I guess it is onlyfitting...whychange now? Hopefully, the invitations have foundyou all andyou all are as excited as I am for the Reunion Weekend, 12-16 Sep. Make sure you check http:// www.usafa.org/reunion/1997/1997.aspxforthelatestupdates. We’ve got a lot ofnews this go round so let’s get to it.

First bit ofnews comes in the form of a pretty incredible storyfrom Matt Smith. Smittygraduatedbut was not commissioned out oftheAcademydue to medical reasons. Upongraduation, Smitty was immediatelydischarged due to a life-threateningheart arrhythmia that sprungup the end oftwo-degreeyear—hespentthefinalyearat USAFAloadedup on beta-blockers (heart drugs). Today, Smitty’s health is good but it was certainly a journey. After graduation, he had procedure done in OklahomaCitywhich was expected to cure his condition. Unfortunately, things didn’twork out as planned and Smitty woundupin coma andwas hospitalizedforabouttwoweeks before beingreleased. Since then, he’s had an implantable automatedcardiacdefibrillatorimplantedandalsohadopen heart surgery to replace a malformed pulmonary valve. Thankfully, today he’s healthy enough to play sports and poundthe occasional Guinness. As ifgettinghealthywasn’t enough, Smittywent to lawschool at Florida State UniversityCollege ofLaw inTallahassee, FL and graduated inApril 2000. “Afterlaw school I stayed in Tallahasseeworking as a prosecutor at the StateAttorney’s Office. I worked thereforfiveyears andtheninDec20051movedtoTampa, FLwhereI currently liveandworkstill as a prosecutor at the StateAttorney’s OfficeinTampa. I don’t haveanyexcitingstories to tellsuch as beingshot at or havingmyvehicleblown up by an IED. Myline ofworkis farless dangerous than some ofour brothers serving overseas. Although I was on CourtTV one time for a trialwhere I was prosecuting an NFLfootball playerand I have hadthreats on mylifebutnothingtoo serious. Ifanyofyoufolks are inthe MacDill area andwantto hitMatt up, drop me a line.

Nextbit ofnewscomes from down the road at Little RockAFB where Chris Rogers is a C-130 instructor pilotalongwith a number ofother ’97ers to inelude JimTuite, AlfMartinez, Ralph Clark, Ian Fairchild, Noah Oviedo, and StephJardineamongothers. Here’sthe relativelyuncensorednewsfromChris: “Kim Stamets was here, butshebailed attheendoflastyearandis nowrapidly makingherwayup theseniorityladder at SouthwestAirlines.AlfandRalph are takingtheVSP andpunchinginthe nextfewmonths. I haven’t seen Stephfor a while so I assume she’s gotten out and rumor has itthat Noah is punching as

well. RollandArmour is here for a fewmonths goingthrough IP school. He’s flyingAC-130s down at Hurlburt andloving everyminute ofit...what’s not to love aboutgettingtoblowthingsup?Well, thispastweekendArmour,Tuite, and I were out having a fewdrinkswhen I turned around and see AlexPupich and JamieMaunzjustdownthebar. Turns outthey’rebothheregoingthroughtrainingfortheirnewGuardjobs. Pupich is still Pupich...Godhelp us all. However, youwouldn’trecognizeMaunz. He’slost a ton ofweightsincehis footballdays. Ihad to do a doubletakejustto make sure itwas him. Anyway, we threwbacka fewcold ones and caughtbackup on old times. Rob Barnett alsojustshowed up for training. It seems he got tired offlying KC-lOs and now has ajob with NashvilleflyingthemightyHerkaswell. Asforme, Igotmarried afewyearsback andnowhave an 11-month-old son namedLogan. Mywife’s name isValle. She’s fromArgentinaandImetherinTokyowhileIwas stationedatYokota. Gofigure...a guyfromthe states has to go to Japan to meet a girlfromArgentina. It’s a strange world. Anyway, that’s the quickdown and dirtywith things here.”

Nextupdate comes fromMaurice (Moe) Dunnwho wrote in fromD.C. Moe is leavingtheAirForce to pursue his dream offinancial independencebyage 35. Meanwhile, he’ll serve in a government contractorpositionwith theWhite

ChrisRogers andhis wife, Valle.

USAFAgradandmuseum volunteerBillEbertshares some vintagestories. FromleftareJimMcReynolds ’77,BobbyClegg ’77, BillEbert ’63andMaurice Dunn ’97.

House CommunicationsAgency, hislastdutyassignment, whilepursingfreedomthroughbusiness ownership. On thelast Saturdayin February, Moe assistedthe USAFAWayofLife Group at theAfricanAmericanPioneers inAviationevent, hostedbytheNationalAir& SpaceMuseum. “TheNationalAirand SpaceMuseumholds an annualtribute toAfricanAmericanPioneers inAviation at the Steven UdvarHazyCenterjust southoftheWashingtonDullesAirport. The daywas a familyevent designed not onlyto introduceyoungandold to some originalTuskegeeAirmen but to also affordvisitors a chance tomeet AfricanAmericanAcademygraduates. Itwas a greatopportunityto meet some ofthegraduateswho came before us. It was an awesome event so I thought I would share itwithyou and our class.

I received a quickupdatefrom KevinTemplin and family. Last September, TemplinsPCSedfromHollomanAFB, NM toWhitemanAFB, MO,where Kevin is transitioning to the B-2. However, the big news is that theTemplinfamily grew a little bigger this pastJanuary. Kevin and Dionna’s third child, Noah Joseph, was born on Jan 23rd As forthe other children,Taylor turns two years old inMayand Dawson turns fouryears old a coupledays later.

TheTemplinFamily

Here are a fewquickhits to close out theupdate. Shout outto Rob Pryorfor beingnamed an assistantcoachfortheAirForceMen’sbasketball team under new coachJeffReynolds. Rob returns to AFA after a one-year stint at Siena College. Congratulations to Dave Raymanwho was featured in theinaugural editionoftheChiefofStaff’s Portraitsin Courage. Dave was recognizedforhis actions inleading a two-ship formation ofA-10s, engaging and destroyed enemyinsurgents and allowing a friendlyconvoy to disengage fromthe enemy. Checkouttheportrait on the mainpage oftheAirForce Portal. AndreJohnson is the chiefofmunitions planning onAir Staff. I’mheaded to USTRANSCOM in July. Alright, that’s it forthis go-round. Thanks to all those who wrote in. Until next time.. .Mel.

Karin McWhorter

8243 Oasis Bloom St. Las Vegas, NV 89085 (303) 847-4118

mcwhorters@hotmail.com

Well, ithas been nineyears since graduation and it is hard to believe that in the nextyearthosethat are stillactive dutywillbemajors. Forthatmatter, some ofour Reserve classmates are alreadywearingthe rank. How did we get from “onlythe strong” in BCT, where Majors were sooo old, to beingthe Majors so quickly? Time really does fly.

I amverysorryto saythataftercrashingforthethirdtime, mycomputerhard driveis completelyfriedand even the computerexperts here in Korea can’t retrieve anyinformation from it. Youwould thinkthat after the last time this happened, I would have learned to backup sufficientiy; but that isn’tthe case and I havelostallmye-mailsandfiles. So, mysincerestapologies to CarrieandBrandonJohnson,who sent agreatfamilyphoto andbirthannouncement as well as KeithandJaime (Melton) Andersen, who also sent a great familyphoto and lots of updates. I also never got to printtheupdate fromJayRhone because ofmylastcomputerincident. To preventthis from happeningagain, I have opened a hotmail account for Checkpointsupdates andthese emailswill stay on thehotmail server. Please sendfuture updates to mcwhorters@hotmail.com. Ihope thatmycomputerproblemswill endwhen we leave Koreathis July and the next update shouldbe a nice long one.

I haven’t run into many classmates here at Osanlately, but I did see Jordan Grant, who is here on a one-year remote at 7thAF. He also promised a great update for next time.

ThelastthingIwanted to mentionisthat ourreunionis comingup—just one yearfrom this fall. I don’tknowexactlyhowthe planningworks, but I will be

backinthe states soon andcan’twait to find out. I stillhave our slide showfrom ringdance—itis on aVHStape, butI thinkwe can stillfind awayto playit, and I would love to put together another one for the reunion. So, please look throughyourphotos andsendanygreatshotsmyway. Iwill startputtingthem together, and I promise to backup thephotosregularlyandin multipleplaces.

Ihopeyouallhave a great summer. Ifyouget a moment, stop andthinkabout howmuchfuntheClass of2007 ishavingright now as brand new2ndLieutenants andwhat the class of2011 will start inlateJune andthen rememberwhat you were doing nine and 12 years ago...

I promise a great article this fall- Karin

James W. Busch

1697A Borneo St. Clovis, NM 88101 (505) 693-2266

DSN: 681-6521 Buschfl6@yahoo.com

james.busch@cannon.af.mil

(Two Sabre Society Donors)

(Editor’s note:James was about to deployas the deadlineforthisissue arrived. Pleasesendhim yourinputsandphotosfor thenextmagazine.)

Jason “JW” Simmons 3524 Lakeside Drive Shreveport, LA 71119

Simmons@USAFA2000.com

Hello Classmates,

Well, summer is almost here, so be thinking about some vacationbecause I’veheardalotofus are outthereworkinghard. I’verecentlyPCSedto Barksdale AFB andhaveweddingplans forFebruary;myfiancee, Melissa, willbejoining me inAugustanduntilthenit seems like I’llbeTDYabout50% ofthetime. I ran into Eric Bixby on daytwo there, since we’re both underthe newAFNETOPS attached to 8AF forthe time beinguntil the Cyber Command stands up. Eric recentiymarried a specialgal inhis life, Rachel, and they’ve beenlettingyour class scribe bum a spare room until I close on my new house.

The Scohy Family

I recentlyheardfrom Khris (Clark) Scohy; she separatedin2005 to become a schoolcounselor. JeffScohyistakingtheVSB alongwithmanyotherclassmates andthefamilyismovingtoOhioforhisnewGSjob. ThisJanuary, Khris andJeff welcomedtheirnewborn CJ;theyalsohave an 18 month olddaughter,Taylor.

Pictured are Kristen (DiScala) Westby, Bessie Fontenot, Kristina (Welde) Pina, andJoann Keannallyat Kristina’sbabyshower over St. Patty’sDayweekend in Boston. Tom Pina and StinawelcomedAlexisAnne on April 15th and

theyalso have one otherdaughter, Isabel;theyplan to be inBostonforanother year before PCSing. Bessie is in the middle ofstudying for comprehensive exams andis atthehalfwaypointinherPhD program. KristenandJoshWestby are now at Columbus MS flyingtheT-37;Joannis in LAstillworking contracting but is deploying soon to SouthAmerica. Tracy (Wilkerson) Foster has separated and now resides in the Colorado Springs area with her husband; theyrecentlyhad anotherbaby, but I don’thave the details.

Thomas Hutton and Leslie are expecting twins soon. Leslie successfully wentthrough a lasersurgeryrecentlyto overcome Twin-ToTwinTransfusion Syndrome andthey are nowveryhopeful ofthetwin's survived, butpleasekeep theminyourthoughts and prayers.

for an engineeringjob at Rockwell Collinswith his wife, Megan, and their sixmonth-old daughterAmelia.

AmyRiverais the SecurityForces OperationsOfficer at the 380AEWinUAE for a one-year remote assignmentuntil Feb 2008. Amanda (Rivera) Williamsis stationedatthePentagon inWashington D.C. and will be separating in Sep 2007 to pursue a career inthe civilianworld; herhusband Brad (’99) is stationed atAndrewsAFB andtheyhave two beautifultwin girls, Miah and Zoe. DorothyDeLuz is also livingin the DC area workingfor Lockheed at the five-sidedbuilding. Teri Hunterrecentlygotmarried staying in DC for a littlewhilelonger. Keeping on this DC theme, Sam Deaton along withmanyothergradsjustattendedthe ServiceAcademyCareerConference in town lookingfor a follow-onjob aftertheVSB career shift. I guess it was a greatchance to catch upwith“Balls” classmates andmanyothergrads; here’s a picture ofDavidChow,TomDeAngelis, JulieWeiss, and SamDeatongetting some lunchtogether:

Sabre Society Donors

TheMalin family:Andy, MaryEdith andKatelyn.

Melanie (Bates) Presuto wrote in between classes at USAFA. She and her husband, (DaxPresuto ’00), are bothteachingback at theAcademy, she inthe BiologyDepartment and he in DFF. Theywill be there for fouryears and are enjoyingallthethings to do in Colorado. Several grads are at USAFAwith them includingZach Hickman teaching in DFF, Nate Beard is a strength coach in AH, andNelle (Pirotte) Barriteau is coaching gymnastics, and all three of them are separatingunderVSP.

Lisa Vice has returned from Iraq safe and sound and updated me on her experience. She was in Baghdad for sixmonths on an Iraqi PoliceTransition mission. TheytaughtIraqipolice about security and catchingbad guys and ended up beingstuckin the middle ofthe sectarianviolence and responding to insurgent attacks. The IraqiPolice offered her a position in their unit after she gets out oftheAirForce, butshe’s gonnapass on that! She starts terminalin June and is taking the summer offbefore goingback to work. Good luck Lisa and thanks forthegreatpicture!

him to Phoenix,AZ andSeattle,WA. I alsorecently ran into Kirk Olsen in SanAntonio; he’s doingwell and planning to stayinwhile currently working on SecurityHill.

Well our validated emaillistisjust over 50 now, so please let me knowyour updates and sendyour email address anytime. I hope everyone enjoys the summer and for those on the block for the RIF, best wishes for retention... maybeby next issue we’llknowfor sure our fates. Peace, Jason.

Faith Dunn (Hitchcock)

17551 Nutwood Drive Carson, CA 90746

Faithd03@hotmail.com

67% Members

MikeJuni sent an updatefrom HanscomAFB thatheandhiswife, Samantha, justhadtwin sons on 30Jan07. He separatedthroughPalaceChasein September 2005 and went throughtrainingfor OSI in the Reserves.

Hi there’01ers,

Hope this finds everyonewell. I’veheard from quite a fewpeople this last time-mostlyreportingseparations, deployments, and babies!

MaryEdith (Smith) Malin wrote that she andAndy are still in Iowa City, IA where he is finishinghis second year offive ofhis orthopedic surgery residency. Theyjusthad a little girl,Katelyn, inmid-January and MaryEdithjust returnedto work as a part-time eventplanner. Shegets toworkfromhome and lovesthetime shegets to spendwiththebaby. She also updated me on a couple people: Colleen Crabtreehad a little girl, Elisa, 12 days after MaryEdith had Katelyn andthey are doinggreat as well! LisaJorgensen is doingwellandjust moved toAlaskawith her husband, Colt. Luke Porischjust returned to Iowa

Visit the AOGWeb Site

Merchandise, Gone ButNot Forgotten and More!

www.usafa.org

GregBall won his bidforAssemblyman ofNewYork in November 2006. He recently made the news when he stood up with the Governor ofNewYork Elliot Spitzer on reformissues for the state. Jason Feuring is still stationed at Davis-Monthan flyingA- 10s and recentlyleft for his third deployment to Af-

Guillermo “G” Dekatseparated in fall ’06 andhas now finishedhis firstyear oflawschool at St. Mary’sUniversitySchool ofLawin SanAntonio. His plans for the summer include participating in the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, whichwilltake

Lisa Vice with Iraqipoliceduringherdeployment to Baghdad.

Samantha, Isaac, Mike and GabrielJuni.

ghanistan. Jim Schiess is stillflying F- 15s andhe andhiswifejustPCSedfrom Elmendorfto Kadena. GiveyKochanowski andhiswife are still at Elmendorf and justwelcomed their first baby (a girl) on 29 April. He is contemplating separatingunderVSPandstayinginAnchorage. JesseGoolsby and his wife are in Knoxville, TN where Jesse is working on his masters at UT. They are expectingtheirfirst babyinJuly.

Brent Greer and his wifejustPCSed to Eglin and Brent BaJk willbejoiningthemdownthereinSeptemberwhenhePCSes fromLakenheath.

JeffFeuringrecentlyPCSed to LAAFB fromWright-Pat. He is gettingmarried to a girlhe met in Korea andwillbehaving two ceremonies - one in May in Korea and another in Novemberin SanAntonio. We getto see him oftenanditis great to finallybestationedwith some oldfriends! I recentlymetupwithEvaSanchez forlunch. Sheis stationed at LAAFB and is separatingunderVSP She’s deciding betweenmovingto England or stayinghere a coupleyears andtransitioningto a civilianjob on base.

As forMikeand me, our time atLAAFB andintheAir Force iswindingdown. Mike is separatingand we are movingbackhome to Iowathis summer. Grant is three months old now andkeeps us busy, butis such ajoy. He is a veryhappy babyandstartedsleeping7-8hours atnightwhenhe wasjust over two months old-so I am averyhappymommy! IrecentlyleftmyjobwithRaytheon and am enjoying staying home with Grant for the few months I have offbefore we move to Iowa and I have to find a newjob.

Thatis itfor now. Pleasekeep intouch and sendupdates andpictures! Faith

Amy Schultz

806 Magnolia Bend San Antonio, TX 78251

215-280-1760

aschultzdmd@gmail.com

Class Website: www.usafa02.org

63% Members

RedTags:

Itis almost our five-yearanniversary! Ihope allofyou andyourfamilieshave been blessedwith another fabulousyear. I have not been gettingverymany emailupdates from ourAOGmembersand alumni, so please I encourageyou to take the time to send a littleupdate myway.

Brent andMaggie (Breun) Feldthavewelcomedtheirfirstbaby, a son named GriffinWilliam, into theirfamily on March3,2007. He is a sweet boyand they are veryblessed to have himintheirfamily. Maggie has separatedfromtheAir Force to be a stay-at-home mom while Brent is finishing up his thirdyear of medicalschool at USUHS. He will graduate in May2008.

The FeldtFamily

Brian Stiles is still an IP at SheppardAFB. He andhiswife, Sherri, are expectingbaby#2 inAugust.

Jesse and Catie (Fahrner) McLaughlin are nowlivingthe civilian life in Columbus, GA. Catiestays athomewiththeirtwo adorablekids, Tori andA.J. Jesse finishedhis master’s atAFIT before separatingfromtheAF and accepting ajobwithAFLAC.

Chris Bartleyandhiswife,Bekah, are headedforTexas this summer. Chris hasbeenworking at the NRO in Chantilly,VA but is separating from the AF to attendmedical school in Dallas.

Kenyatta H. Ruffin

PSC 76, Box 7075

APO, AP 96319

aimhighknowhim@netscape.net

Bongers, Fouryears... fourwonderfulyears since that gloriousspringday. I’m sure thatthatmildColorado Springsdayis nothinglikethescorchinghotdays Dave Bennett, Bryan Spence, John MacRae, Jon Wentzel and others have faced while deployed to Iraq. I soon will bejoining them out there with myfellow Bongers from MisawaAB: Lena Freienmuth, Janet (Modell) andTom Tauer, AlexWolfard, and Mike Schmidt. Krystal (Shamblin) Wolfard will also be deploying, but to anotherbase andJason Kramer is offto Afghanistan. Giles Whitingspent hislastfewmonths workingwith the Government ofIraq and the DOD to develop Iraqi economic strategy. MaxJohnson finished flighttraining and will be going on to flythe F-16 andTomGreenawayis nowservingintheAirNationalGuard and will be living inWashington D.C. Rick Jaime is on his wayto finishinghis degree at the NavalPostGraduate School - he wraps up this Fall.

Congratulations to Jason and EmilyKramerwho are expecting their second child and to Steve Maddoxwho was married in late March. Also congratulations to Liz Rini, SimonRichie, Eric Pittman, andthe rest ofthe Bongdoctors whohaverecentlygraduatedmed school. NickandMarta (Nyberg) Lofthouse are back at Kadena afterhertime intheAOR and his TDYin the States. Laura Stepko and Eva Belanger are enjoyingtheirtime in NewMexico and Bailyn Beckmoved from Moodyto Laughlin. Russ Isemingeris at EglinflyingF-15s, Jared Tomlin is at Ellsworth flying B-Is and AndyBogusky is flying B-52s at Minotwhere he and his wifejusthad their first child.

Oh, andhowcould we forget, a bigcongratulations to Conor “Checkpoints” Teegardenwho has come a verylongwaysince calling minutes to marrying a verylovelyyoungladythat musthavefallenfor too manyoftheAlaskanAssassin lines. Conor, you better send pictures fromyourwedding.

Lastly a specialmessagefromGilesWhiting... I am happyto announce Heidi (McKinley) Schlagheck as 2003’s Senatorto theAOGboard. Shewillbeworkinghand-in-handwithKenyand I to shape theAOG’s policyandagendato our class’ needs and desires. I hope everyone is well both personallyand professionallyandplease don’thesitate to contact me ifyouneed anything. Myemail address is richard.whiting@post.harvard.edu. All the best, Giles.

Breezy (Long) Heddinger

2531 W. 225th Place, Apt D Torrance, CA 90505

Cell: (719) 213-3205

Work: (310) 653-4515

windy04@gimail.af.mil

Thanks to SusanRietzewe have updates to sharefor over 40 classmates! 2006 offeredmanymilestones forthe“ReadyforWarriors.” It startedwith the mar-

H-’s-cT: AN:

None Yet

Sabre Society Donors

Chris Vojtaandhiswife, Leslie (’02 NavalAcademygraduate), are expecting their first baby in July. Both Chris and Leslie are finishingup theirinternshipyearatTravisAFB. They willbemoving to SanAntonio afterthebabyis bomwhere Chriswillbe a flight surgeon and Lesliewill start a residencyin EmergencyMedicine.

Thatis allfornow! Suzyand Iwishyou all a safe andrelaxingsummer! Allmy best-Amy.

riage ofAndrewAnderson to his new bride, Brooks Herr, inJanuary. In attendance were more than a dozen members ofthe Class of2004. (See photo.)

In May, hats were tossed into the air once again in Boston when David Nierenberg,RandyWebb, HankMoon, GeoffLucas, andJake Hess graduated fromHarvard’sKennedySchool ofGovernment. Davidand Randy are now at ENJJPT. Hankis stationed at GrandForks, andJake is at MoodyAFB finishing UPT. Jake married his NavalAcademysweetheart, Diana Roach (USNA ’04), in Dec 06.

Boston also celebrated thegraduation ofnewlycommissionedfirstlieutenants AndrewAnderson, Tom Billingsley, Corban Bryant, Eric Gorney, Dan McAllister, Philemon Sakamoto, Cristin Smith, and Susan Rietze from MIT. Andrewis stationed at SchrieverAFB. Cristin is working forthe NRO at Los AngelesAFB andis engaged to Scott Stengel (’03). Eric and Dan are bothclassmates and roommates with David at ENJJPT. Corban is married to his Colorado sweetheartKatrina andstationed at EglinAFB. Susan is an analystworkingin HQAFMC atWright-PattersonAFB and is engaged to Prichard Keely. Prichardis stationedat SeymourJohnsonAFB as an F-15EWSO goingthrough theB CoursewithCyMogan (recentlyengaged to CandiceDawson) TyWalsh, TyTerrazone,JaredLaliberte,JohnnyHutto, KirkWanner, NickSuppa, Mike Polidor, andRyanRoper.

OtherBostonians include gradsCliristineKnorringandTedErickson. Christineworks in ESC at HanscomAFB whileTed moved from HanscomAFB to Wright-PattersonAFB this summer to attendAFIT. Ted is also engaged to his Boston sweetheart, Diana.

In other news, former USAFA swimmers Sarah Thilo and Paul Brehm are nowengagedwith aweddingplannedforSep 07. Sarahis stationed atAndrews AFB flyingthe C-21 whilePauljustfinishedthe F-16 RTU at Lukewith a followon to ShawAFB. Lexi (Plunkett) Bennett graduated from the University of Maryland andisstationed atWright-PattersonAFB. ShemarriedJasonBennett (’02) injun04. Jelaine (Bremer) Fondren is married toArmandFondren. She is studyingphysics atAFITwhileArmandflies the RC-135 at OffuttAFB. Others atWright-PattersonAFB include Doneda (Perkins) Downs, Mason Phelps,Willie Mims, and Eric Dittman.

MikeChmielewskiis on hiswayto MisawaABinJapan to flythe F-16. Casey Bowenis inhis thirdyear ofmedical school at the UniversityofNebraska. Jeff Petersonis stationed atTyndallAFB andwill soon move to EglinAFB to flythe

F-15C. John Schwartz andJoe Rice are bothT-1 instructors atVanceAFB and Laughlin AFB, respectively. James Conley is happily married to his bride, Jenny, andmovedto EglinAFB afterfinishing atAFITlast March. JasonWall is at Luke finishingthe F-16 RTUwithhopes to go to Koreaforhis first assignment.

Zachary Lehmann is stationed at LosAngelesAFB, as is CrystalWilliams. Chris MarronandMaureenMuehl are stationed atMcGuireAFB flyingthe KC10. Chris is married to his lovelywife, Sara. Carly (Baxter) Fultonmarried Ben Fultonwho is flyingthe KC-135. Both are stationed atWarnerRobinsAFB, GA. LindseyBauer moved to RamsteinAB in Sep 06 to flythe C-21. Ian Holt continues to make the world safe at FEWarren as a missilierwhile he rides as a professional cyclist for theArmed Forces Cycling team. Congrats to all for graduations, trainingcompletion, engagements andmarriages!

On the deployment side ofthe house, I’m sure there are tons of ’04 grads runningaround inthe desert as we speak, butI thoughtI’dmention a fewI ran into in Baghdad. Against all odds, two ofus actuallyended up inthe same deployedunit, from two differentbases, two different career fields—RyanSchmollis almostfinishedwith his tour, afterfourmonths ofpracticinghisArabic skills and schmoozingwiththeIraqisecurityteamsprotectingtop government officials. JonathanLord, one of our Army crosscommissioners, was stationedinthevicinityofMahmudiyah (arguably one ofthe toughestneighborhoods in centralIraq) the last time we spoke, and he’ll be there for at least a year total. Passing through the city on various missions were Patrick Kucera and Dan Blackledge —Dan was on his second deployment, this time for 6+ months. Mydeployed unit also boastedhaving a number of gradsfrom as farback as ’86 “Tough as Bricks”—including oneWestPointgrad! Mypoint here is simply that the USAFA graduate communityis everywhere these days, making an impact. And as always, ’04 is leadingfrom the front.

Nowwe have a fewclass admin points to share. First ofall, Keith Smoly, who is currentlyworking in theColorado Springs area, hastaken it uponhimselfto make sure the ’04voiceis stillbeingheardloudandclear—he is our representative to theAOG’sClassAdvisorySenate. Ifyou’reinterestedinbeinginvolved, please let me know. Secondly, due to force shaping and a number ofother unforeseencircumstances, severalofour classmateshaveleftthe active duty Air Force. Some folks are in the Reserves, others are in a civilian position workingwith the military, othershave chosen entirelydifferentpaths; but of all the people I’ve talked to, they’ve all had one thing in common: service. Most ofour classmates are still in pursuitofa challenge—abetterwayto use theirdegree, a betterwayto serve the country, a betterwayto use theirunique talents to serve the greatergood. When I hear classmates talking abouttheir post-active-dutyplans, I am remindedofwhatittrulymeans to be a grad. On that note, let’s not forget that no matter how longwe’re members ofthe AF, we’reALWAYSmembersoftheLongBlueLine. Ifyouwantto stayintouchwith yourgradfamily,pleaseupdateyourpersonalinfo inthe onlinegraddirectory on theAOGwebsite. Thatincludes those ofus married ladieswho might otherwisebe hard to trackdown, even on theGAL, if/when ourlast names change. Lastly, I want to thankthose who offered to help as POCs forthis article—we reallyappreciatethe interestandinvolvementofas manyclassmates as possible.

Thanks, again, forthe news submissions... don’tbe a stranger.

John Tamasitis

124 Halidon Drive Warner Robins, GA 31088 (610) 850-3352

John.Tamasitis@ogn.af.mil

Tombo012@hotmail.com

(No Sabre Society Donors Yet)

(Editor'snote:WedidnotreceiveaninputfromJohnforthisissueashedidnot receive anyinputfrom classmates. Pleasesendhim yourinformation and photosforthenextmagazine.)

Felisa (Hervey) Dyrud

132 Banks St. Cambridge, MA 02138 (719) 352-5991

Felisa.dyrud@gmail.com

FEELTHE FIRE! “Springiswhenyoufeellike whistlingeven with a shoefull ofslush."DougLarson.

Hope you are soakingup long-craved sunrays like we are here in Boston! Enjoythe latest dose ofclass news and ifyouwould like to be on our e-mail listfor a reminderbefore next time,just shoot me an e-mail so I haveyours.

Formyhusband PeterDyrud and me, one ofthe most challenging adventuresthisspringwas runningtheBataanMemorialDeathMarchinWhiteSands, NM. Itis said to be thehardestmarathon course inthenation, with a five-mile hill andthe infamoustwo-mile sand pit at mile 20. Those in the “heavy” categorycarry35-lb packs, and manymilitarymembers run in BDUs andboots. But ofcourse all this is stillprettywimpycompared to whatthe Filipino and American soldierswentthrough atBataan. Peterfinishedinthetop 12% ofhis category (malemilitaryheavy) andTiffany (Scheivert) Salazarand I finished top two inthewomen’smilitaryheavydivision. Itwas an awesome event honoringthevets andthosewho diedin theoriginal Bataan DeathMarchin 1942. Ifyou want to know more: www.bataan.com

Trykeeping a Frisbee awayfrom MelanieThomasson. She is playingUltimate again on the University ofPittsburghWomen’s team (named Danger), which is ranked#8 in the country. Rockin’ layout Mel!

Mel’slayout!

GraceYigave us thescoop on Intelschool; classmateslistedbelowgraduated onApril25th and are now roamingtheworld. Grace is stationed at KunsanAB for a one-year remote tour and will be working with the F- 16s there in the targetingshop: ColinKubera, Eric Carey,Aviano; Rebecca Saxer,JettaWeber, John Kovacic, Kim Bentley, Ramstein; Meredith Benson, Davis-Monthan; GeoffSlater, Eielson;JamesonLocklear, Shaw; KurtLubelan, Roz Schulte, JeffTetrault, Mike Maynard, Hickam; Kim Templer, Amber Collins, Sze Lau, Osan; Tanya Kessler, Kadena; ToddMyers, Offutt; ReynYamashiro,Tyndall; Kory Pearson, DrewJaniszewski, Hurlburt; James King, Beale; Megan Stromberg, Dan Qualls, McGuire; and Lindsay Bergeron, one year deployment to the CAOC atAl-Udeid.

ErinWarddripjust finished hermaster’s thesis in Boulder, CO andis assigned as aerospacephysiologistto LangleyAFB, VA. Megan (McClary) Moran became an official civilian on March 1 st She andherhusband, LtBenMoran, are lookingforward to moving to Tuscon, AZ inJuly, 2007.

Still catching up on weddings... last summer (June 17th 2006) JustinTaylor married hometown girlJordan Beck (nowTaylor) backhome inTennessee. Groomsmen andushersincluded DaveKilpatrick (BestMan), MichaelLeary, Michael Huegerich, Marc Northern, Scott Kotowski (Best Usher), Ryan Scoggin,AdamKing, Bret Saubert, Brett Stevens, andJoshHallford. Justin started UPT this Feb at Laughlin.

Bronwyn Oliver was recently engaged to Dan Ouper (’07). They will be married on September 22nd RyanMoore gotengaged inApril to Tina Dokmo. Thewedding is scheduled forthis September.

TorreyHamilton and Sarah Boor were married onApril21 st 2007 at theAFA chapel.JillAdamekandJoshWolframwere also married at thechapel on May 5th Jillis atthe USAFAPrep School as the GroupExecutive Officerandwill start UPT onJune 14th atLaughlinAFB. Joshis currently a BudgetOfficer at Laughlin AFB.We caughtwind thatJordanFirth andJakeAshmore were recently married as well (not to each other) but no detailsyet... fill us in guys!

Ryan and Tina’s engagement.

Ryan Baker, still in Ranger School, let us knowthatJeremyHefner got engagedlast month to Kelly, a college student in Colorado. Theweddingis tentatively set for Dec 2007. Also JD Hertzel, currently at Oklahoma, got aT-38 drop whichhe’s pumped about.

Shawn Ingkiriwangis currendydoingBasic JetTrainingin Perth, Australia. He willbe donewith that near theend ofthisyear. He reports thatJasonPiper is gettingmarried inOctober, Brent Peterson is engaged, and CodyBrownis still a swingingsingle.

Anna,Maurice, andCindy

Maurice Kamgaingwrote us a letterwith the following: “I movedbackto the States twoweeks agowith no intent to return to Cameroon. Mywife,Anna, and I spent about 11 months in Cameroon. She was teaching music. She had a problemwiththepresidentialprotocol (‘causeshe was teachingthepresident’s kids), butI thinkoverall shehad a goodexperience. I was the chiefofMilitary BudgetProgramming (I had to plan out the defense budgetfortheAir Force, Army, Navy, Firefighters and Gendarmes). It was a goodexperience for me as wellwith all itinvolved and I’m now ready to move on. The big news is we got a babygirlApril28th, so yeah, I’m a daddy. In short, I tookthe option to live a littie longerand so I’m backin the US with a wife, a kid and no job!

Visit theAOGWeb Site

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More! Update your address.

www.usafa.org

Justin Taylorandbride.

Remember all the < reunion? Well now is your life with the 25

classmates shared with one another at your r chance to share some of the most important memories of readers of Checkpoints magazine, which includes a large part

versa ry, the staff of how your four years at the

celebrate this institution s your cadet experiences and storie your career and life.

h we can't guarantee every submissionwill be published, we hope many of you wi :aKe time to share your first-hand account of the Long Blue Line's heritage and history.

Please keep your story between 500-2,000 words. If you have photos, please inciuc them. Digital copies of photos must be in "jpg" file format, at a resolution of no le Dn h 7

E-mail your story and photos to editor@aogusafa.org. If please include a digital copy of your story on a CD or 1 make sure you get them back in the condition they were sen

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Brother, R. Berthiaume, USAFA 73

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Sept.

Sept. 8 Utah*

Sept. 13 TCU*

Sept. 22 BYU*

Sept. 29 Navy

Oct. 6 UNLV*

Oct. 13 Colorado State*

Oct. 20 Wyoming*

Oct. 25 New Mexico*

Nov. 3 Army Bold

Nov.