Checkpoints March 2025

| FEATURES

A FUTURE DEFINED

The Defining Our Future campaign began in 2018 and raised more than $330 million, supporting each of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s mission elements. Some of the many projects to benefit include the Institute for Future Conflict, the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, the Kucera Legacy Center and many more.

PLAN OF ATTACK

Combatives, a core USAFA physical education component, includes boxing and two levels of grappling. Instructors say that while many cadets may never have to engage in hand-to-hand combat, the ancillary benefits will follow them throughout their careers.

FAST NEW DIGITAL

Defining Our Future projects, from top lef to bottom right: Madera Cyber Innovation Center, Hosmer Visitor Center, Kucera Legacy Center at Falcon Stadium, Institute for Future Conflict, Air Garden restoration, Martinson Honors Program, the Class of 1974 Forevermore Overlook and the Leader Challenge Tower. (Designed by Melissa Campbell) 48

U.S. Air Force Academy officials have strived to obtain feedback from cadets regarding the food served in their dining hall since the institution’s inception. That continues to this day, though in a decidedly more modern manner.

GRAD C ONNECTIONS

AOG updates, your feedback, news and fun

CEO Mark Hille ’97 column p. 8

Letters, check-ins and more p. 11

A message from Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91 p. 14

Meet your new Foundation board directors p. 17

The Transmission: News from USAFA and grads p. 88

ROLL C ALL

Heritage and graduate profiles

AOG and Foundation welcomes Col. (Ret.) Michael “Baja” Cornelius ’00 p. 54

My Cool AF/SF Job: Capt. Sullivan Brakefield ’20 p. 56

Grads take on Wall Street p. 58

Falcon AeroLab empowers next generation of aviators, innovators p. 74

USAFA’s unique tartan has arrived p. 80

Here’s A Toast: Gone But Not Forgotten p. 90

FROM THE TERRAZ ZO

Cadet life and the latest from the Academy

PHOTO ESSAY: National Character and Leadership Symposium p. 64

PHOTO ESSAY: Sullenberger Award for Courage p. 70

From the Hill: News of significance from the Academy p. 84

Season 3 of the Long Blue Leadership podcast is underway.

GRADUATES YOUR ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES AND AIR FORCE ACADEMY FOUNDATION

BOARD OFFICERS

ASSOCIATION OF

CHAIRMAN

Maj. Gen. (Ret.)

Brian Bishop ’83

SECRETARY

Dr. Ginny Caine Tonneson ’80

VICE CHAIRMAN

Lt. Col. (Ret.)

Cathy Almand ’90

TREASURER

Glenn Strebe ’87

AIR FORCE ACADEMY FOUNDATION

CHAIRMAN

Alex Gilbert ’87

SECRETARY

Lt. Col. (Ret.)

Steve MacLeod ’91

VICE CHAIRMAN

Steve Dickson ’79

TREASURER

Jeff Frient ’87

SENIOR STAFF

Chief Executive Officer: Mark Hille ’97

Chief Financial Officer: Katie Willemarck, CPA

Executive VP, Alumni Relations: Col. (Ret.) Michael “Baja” Cornelius ’00

Executive VP, Development: Kelly Banet

Senior VP, Engagement: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz ’99

Senior VP, Marketing & Communications/Executive Editor: Wyatt Hornsby, APR

CHECKPOINTS TEAM

Managing Editor: Bryan Grossman

Creative Director: Melissa Campbell

Deputy Managing Editor/Class News & Gone But Not Forgotten Editor: David Bitton

Graphic Design: Amy Davis

Photography & Videography: Ryan Hall, Ted Robertson

Social Media/Digital: Brittany Weinzierl

Copy Editor: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Edie Brantley ’92

Writers: Sam Hastings, Steven Lincoln, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77

EMAIL

To email a staff member, use the first and last name. Example: Steve Simon | steve.simon@usafa.org 719-472-0300

FIND US ONLINE:

Volume 53, Number 4

Checkpoints (ISSN 0274-7391) USPS 898-080 is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 (Phone: 719-472-0300; DSN: 333-2067; FAX: 719-344-5705; Email: editor@usafa.org).

Additional magazine copies may be purchased for $2.50 each, plus $4.60 for shipping. Periodicals postage paid at the U.S. Air Force Academy, CO, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Checkpoints, Association of Graduates, Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 808404475. Graduates can update their records at recordupdate@usafa.org. The editorial board serves the Checkpoints mission by providing a top-quality magazine to the Air Force Academy’s broader community. Together, the editorial team and editorial board collaborate to ensure all articles meet the standards of excellence readers expect from Checkpoints. The AOG reserves the right to publish or omit submissions at its discretion. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy or attitude of the AOG, its officers or the editorial staff. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the AOG of the products or services advertised. Copyright, Association of Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy, March 2025.

COLORADO ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

What graduates are saying about working with Roger Hill ’70

It was great knowing our realtor was a USAFA grad because we knew we could trust him right away.  Roger was there every step of the way providing insight and guidance.

Class of 1989 - T. D. Monument, CO

Outstanding Realtor. Helped me buy my home, investment properties, and a vacation home. His vast knowledge and 30+ years of experience are indispensable. Roger truly has our highest recommendation.

Class of 1997 - D. H. Castle Rock, CO

Roger Hill ’70 Associate Broker

Your Castle Real Estatethe largest independent real estate firm in Colorado750 brokers serving the Front Range from Fort Collins to Pueblo.

Roger is the real deal. He speaks the same language. He delivered during incredibly competitive marketstwice. FAST, NEAT, but certainly NOT AVERAGE.

Class of 2006J. S. & M. G., married grads Fountain, CO

Roger was the best and knows his stuff. Helped me and my two daughters buy our separate homes in Colorado.  He is family to us.

Class of 1970 - X. V. Centennial, CO

Buying or selling real estate, you need a Broker you can trust. As a graduate with 44 years of real estate experience and 31 years licensed in Colorado, allow me to be your real estate consultant.

Contact Roger at 303-956-5955 or by email: Roger.Hill1970@gmail.com

• Ethical, professional agent looking out for your best interest as your buyer’s OR seller’s agent.

• Member of Colorado Springs MLS and Denver MLS.

• Serving Colorado Springs, Monument, Castle Rock (where I live), Parker and the South Denver metro area.

• Nationwide referral and consulting available at no charge. I can save you money.

• Awarded Master of Real Estate from the Colorado Association of Realtors.

• ABR, ePRO, GRI, MRP, SFR, SRES

Celebrating our future and our shared success

By Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Brian Bishop ’83, Association of Graduates Board Chair, and Alex Gilbert ’87, Air Force Academy Foundation Chair

In the September 2021 Checkpoints, our board chair predecessors penned a letter celebrating the public launch of the Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign. The Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation had a year and a half earlier joined together under a new CEO to chart a new course. Membership for all graduates was about to roll out, and we were making progress toward the campaign’s ambitious goals.

All the while, significant Air Force Academy projects backed by private support kicked off. The Academy broke ground on the Madera Cyber Innovation Center. USAFA stood up the Institute for Future Conflict to create and cultivate flexible warfighters prepared to prevail in all types of conflict. The time had come to boldly invest in Falcon Stadium as a key revenue generator benefiting the entire USAFA athletics mission element. And a long-awaited development at the North Gate to transform the visitor experience finally materialized.

At the same time, the nature of conflict continued to evolve, underscoring the prescience of our nation’s strategic shift to Great Power Competition. True to its timeless mission, our Academy remained steadfast in developing leaders of character for the Air Force and Space Force — remarkable, service-minded young people prepared to lead, answer the call of duty whenever it comes, and, if necessary, fight and win our nation’s wars.

Now, more than three and half years after the campaign’s public launch, we can unequivocally say that the Academy and its cadets have benefited — and will continue to benefit — from the private support garnered through Defining Our Future. Through careful investment of

funds and generous gifts from donors, we were able to transition from paid membership to no-cost membership in the Association in early 2022. Since that time, our membership has grown from 58% to 72%, strengthening the Long Blue Line. Meantime, nearly 20,000 donors, including more than 12,300 graduates, participated in the campaign, contributing gifts of all types and sizes, emphasizing their commitment to the Academy, the cadets and all that unites us.

The original $270 million fundraising goal was achieved 16 months early. Staying true to our values as graduates, we didn’t stop there. We raised the goal to $300 million and remained focused on making sure every project received the funding it needed. This included the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, the Kucera Legacy Center at Falcon Stadium, the Institute for Future Conflict, the Martinson Honors Program, Hotel Polaris and the Hosmer Visitor Center at the North Gate. It also included key graduate services like reunions, a range of impactful class projects, and Wecker Hall and Yost Plaza at the Doolittle campus. By the campaign’s conclusion on Dec. 31, 2024, donors had contributed nearly $330 million — a remarkable show of support.

None of this came easily. At times, it was hard. But since when do we as grads back down from a challenge? What a difference we all made together.

We welcome all graduates who joined — and continue to join — our Association through no-cost membership. To those who attended reunions, chapter gatherings, Long Blue Line Weekend, tailgates and other events: Thank you for connecting with others, staying informed about the Academy and showing you care.

ank you to all those who volunteer in service to our Academy and graduate community. We appreciate every individual who participated in the campaign, whether as a graduate, parent, family member, mission-aligned corporate partner or foundation. We extend our gratitude to USAFA’s supporting nonprofit partners for their teamwork and dedication, and to the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation boards of directors for their unwavering commitment. We salute the hardworking, expert Association and Foundation staff. And we thank our dedicated USAFA partners for their collaboration in achieving great things for the Academy, the cadets and our graduates. Together, we made a profound impact.

In the following pages, we invite you to learn more about the transformative effects of the Defining Our Future campaign. You will discover information about the projects and programs funded with private support, as well as what lies ahead.

This is a moment of celebration, and we should be proud. We must also remain committed. Excellence is a moving target, and we will stay focused on making sure every graduate is served, our Academy is supported in its mission and the heritage of the Long Blue Line is preserved.

Sincerely,

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Brian Bishop ’83

Alex Gilbert ’87

THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE IS HERE!

Real Estate Veterans Tad Vannaman ’94 & Siobhan Celusta ’02 understand the stresses of transitioning, PCSing and retirement. Their strategies are tailored to each individual situation and are constantly evolving in this dynamic market. Tad and Siobhan are FULL time, experienced, licensed REALTORS® and Tad is now a mortgage loan o cer serving Colorado, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio & Texas (NMLS: 2441247)

Whether you’re buying, selling or investing in Real Estate, the Fighting Falcon Home Team is your strongest wingman.

Seriously above and beyond any realtor in Colorado Springs! My house was listed and sold within 48 hours! I was able to move my family in a safe and secure manner, without feeling rushed, which is extremely important and they made it happen without hiccups. Do not look anywhere else!! They make you family, period! I’m so sad to leave this group of people, but if we’re ever back or ever need anything anywhere, they’re just a call away! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! *tears*

— Samantha

SIOBHAN CELUSTA ’02

TAD VANNAMAN ’94

Why do we ask?

By Mark Hille ’97, CEO, Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation

There is an old saying that “philanthropy is simply an expression of one’s deeply held values … that just so happens to be in the form of a check.”

If this is true, it implies that charitable giving is much more than a transaction, or a savvy means of tax avoidance. It suggests that the act of supporting an organization like our Academy is a meaningful statement — both publicly and within ourselves — of what we hold dear.

Having spent nearly all my professional life in philanthropy, this saying rings true to me, even as the notion of paper checks is increasingly rare. What we choose to support tells a story of what we value, and in turn, what the Academy values and aims to achieve.

This has been on my mind as we complete a seven-year, $330 million comprehensive campaign to support our Academy, serve graduates and preserve our growing heritage. More than 19,000 individuals contributed to the effort, many making a charitable gift to the Academy for the very first time. Each of these gifts helped to advance the following initiatives:

The Institute for Future Conflict, a new effort chartered during the campaign, brings relevant warfighting expertise and current threat scenarios to cadets and faculty across the Academy. The Institute ensures cadets are ready to engage the increasingly complex and dynamic problems posed by our adversaries.

The Martinson Honors Program offers an especially rigorous academic program for our highest-achieving cadets and now serves to attract students who may be weighing challenging academic options at other institutions.

The Kucera Legacy Center at Falcon Stadium transforms the game day and

year-round functionality of Falcon Stadium, serving as a dynamic “front door” celebrating our growing heritage, providing modern services for fans and generating increased revenue benefiting every part of our institution.

The Hosmer Visitor Center and Hotel Polaris open the Academy anew to all guests. Nearly 1 million visitors each year will pass through both facilities — inspiring continued support for our Academy and inspiring future generations of servant leaders.

The Madera Cyber Innovation Center will attract and develop the best minds in cyber from our nation and around the world. Our American way of life, and our defense of it, increasingly depends on integration between government and industry, and the type of leading collaborations made possible by this new facility and its embedded capabilities.

The Air Garden restoration, the Air Warrior Combat Memorial and the HH3E Static Display recall our heritage and remind us of the heroes who have placed themselves in harm’s way for our nation. Along with the expansion of the Heritage Trail and the additions of Wecker Hall and Yost Plaza, the campaign has supported our ability to honor and serve the Long Blue Line.

The Class of 1970 Reunion Endowment ensures that future classes will have the most engaging and powerful experiences upon returning to the Academy.

And finally, the Air Force Academy Fund, including gifts at the Sabre Society level, has made these and every project, program and service possible. A portion of each effort in the campaign includes unrestricted contributions made by thousands of individual donors.

Each of these initiatives has made a

difference for our cadets and for our Academy, advancing the timeless mission of developing leaders of character who are ready to defend our nation.

But beyond this, each contribution has signaled to those who would care that our Academy is in good hands. For decades, U.S. News & World Report used graduate participation in its rankings as a proxy for institutional quality, knowing that schools with active, supportive alumni bases must be on the right track. While we have much work left to do (a quarter of graduates supported the campaign), the growing participation from graduates, parents and friends signals a bright future. Finally, I believe that each gift made a difference in the hearts and minds of those who stepped forward. Each donor has the unique satisfaction of knowing that their actions and their values find alignment as they do their part for our Academy.

As we tie a bow on the Defining Our Future campaign, I conclude that our Academy and all who have supported our school have been materially changed for the good. To all who have responded to our requests during this campaign, and at any time: We say thank you. It is a privilege to participate together in our Academy’s future — it’s why we ask.

Best wishes,

Mark Hille ’97

Honor all of the hard work and dedication that you poured into earning your degree at the Air Force Academy. Celebrate your distinguished achievements with a custom-crafted commemorative you can wear with pride. Jostens is The

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Col. (Ret.) David Schutt ’71 went through several disappointments on his way to a successful 26year medical career in the Air Force. He says his Air Force Academy experience was instrumental in setting his course.

“The Academy gave me a tremendous leg up and helped with both my Air Force and post careers,” he said.

Read Schutt’s story at legacy.usafa.org/cp2

Now that I am retired, I’m focusing not on what I’m going to achieve, but how I can contribute back.

Col. (Ret.) David Schutt ’71

STATE of MIND

FEEDBACK, INSIGHT and FUN from Falcon Nation

VOIDING LEGACY

Reading the December 2024 issue of Checkpoints, I learned that a second squadron name has fallen in as many years. The former Tough Twenty Trolls are now Red Tails, a change made to honor Tuskegee Airmen heritage. Similarly, last year Squadron 19 reverted from Wolverines to Starship 19. Apparently that prior name was adopted in 1976 due to a space-themed television program popular at the time; however, the primary reason cited for returning to Starship is to recognize the beginning of a new legacy — USAFA is now the Space Force’s Academy as well.

While I applaud honoring legacy — past or future — I wonder: What about the legacy of thousands of graduates from these two squadrons? The articles documenting the name changes seemingly dismiss that legacy. In the case of the Trolls, it is noted that change “stirred up a hornet’s nest.” In the case of the Wolverines, that change is described as something that was “inexplicably” done by “hastily gathered cadets” and that there was found “no official documentation or justification for the change.”

But that is beside the point. Future members of these squadrons had no awareness of those circumstances, rather they had only the awareness of their lived experience as they wore their respective patches, shouted out their mottos and proudly formed their own heritage. It is difficult to believe those prior changes happened without any approval from higher-ups (as the stories seem to indicate); after all, somebody had to sign off approving the cost of manufacturing a new patch!

Understandably, the original Playboy 19 moniker of ’62-’75 had to be abandoned in the era of female cadets. But while Starship 19 lasted 16 years (’76-’91), for over 30 years (half of its history!) members of Squadron 19 were Wolverines. For over 40 years (two-thirds of its history!), from ’72 to ’23, members of Squadron 20 were Trolls. While the recent changes might seem in vogue and are labeled “no-brainers,” please note decades of graduates who return for reunions will find their own heritage hastily abandoned. The emblem indelibly engraved inside my class ring is no longer worn on A-jackets seen on the Terrazzo. The familiar greeting of “Rip ’n Tear” is no longer heard. Precedent and longevity certainly matter when it comes to heritage. I’m disheartened that legacy that has existed for the majority of the Academy’s existence is so easily being voided.

— Mike Fieberkorn, Class of 2003

Letter Guidelines

Checkpoints welcomes the feedback of our readers. The editorial staff reserves the right to limit the number of letters on a particular topic, decide on the publication of letters, and edit letters for length and accuracy. Letters may include corrections, clarifications or criticisms of specific content.

To be considered for publication, letters must:

• Directly reference content that was published in Checkpoints magazine within the past two issues.

GRADS AND THE F-15E STRIKE EAGLE

Thank you for Eagle Excellence in the December 2024 Checkpoints. Let me share the important role USAFA grads played in introducing the game-changing F-15E Strike Eagle.

Its evolution began with TAC’s early-’80s dual-role fighter (interdiction and air-to-air) program. F-16XL and F-15C/D candidates competed at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California. Maj. Dave Spencer ’69 won the “fly-off” thanks to the Eagle’s superior range and payload. Lt. Col. John Hoffman ’64 flew the high angle-of-attack testing. The F-15E model evolved with two crew as standard, missionized cockpits, new 9g structure, new flight control system and sensor suite, including LANTIRN pods, for precision-guided munitions.

In 1985, I took over as F-15 chief test pilot and F-15 CTF (combined test force) director from Lt. Col. Harry Strittmatter ’70 and became the first Air Force pilot to fly the F-15E. In February 1987, I flew “E Number One” from the McAir plant at Missouri’s Lambert Field and AFFTC flight testing began.

It was time for a paradigm shift in fighter ground attack. Out were “dumb bombs” and flying over the target; in were “smart bombs” and “launch-and-leave” weapon delivery capability. Our goal was to develop the F-15E as the first purpose-built precisionguided-munition attack fighter while retaining the Eagle’s proven air-to-air forte.

My team — mostly USAFA grads — included test pilots Maj. Dave Eidsaune ’78, Lt. Col. Richard Ferraioli ’72, Maj. Lance Grace ’75, Maj. Mark Prill ’73 and Maj. Charlie Precourt ’77. Test WSOs (weapon systems officer) included Lt. Col. Larry Cooper ’72 as CTF deputy director and chief WSO, Capt. Jim Heald ’75, and Capt. Joe Zeis ’81. The F-15E SPO director was Col. Mike Butchko ’62. Our wing commander was Col. Roy Bridges ’65. My classmate Lt. Col. Steve Cherry ’69 took over the F-15 CTF reins after my three-year tour as chief Eagle driver concluded.

Flight testing went well — the 4th TFW received its first E model in late ’88. Under the command of Col. John O. McFalls ’66, the 4th TFW converted from the F-4E to the F-15E and became the first combat-ready Strike Eagle unit. Quickly deployed to the Persian Gulf conflict, the F-15E demonstrated remarkable combat effectiveness. It has further evolved into the Air Force’s newest fighter, the F-15EX. USAFA grads played a key role in ushering in this new era of USAF fighter capabilities.

—

Steve Stowe, Class of 1969

• Be 400 or fewer words in length.

• Include the writer’s full name, phone number and graduation year (if an Academy graduate) and be emailed to editor@usafa.org.

Letters will not be published if they:

• Contain information that is promotional in nature.

• Are anonymous.

• Contain personal attacks.

CHECKING IN WITH Checkpoints

Col. (Ret.) Bill “Nap” Napolitano ’81 checked in from Kerrville, Texas, during a trip as a captain of a nine-passenger Phenom 300 for Part 135 high-end charter company Nicholas Air. He passed along Checkpoints to his second-in-command, Josh Stehr, U.S. Navy (Ret. LDO), to help stoke Stehr's high school-age son’s interest in USAFA and the U.S. Space Force.

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dave Clary ’76 and wife, Lynd Clary, checked in from the Cape of Good Hope on their cruise from Capetown to Dubai.

Sean Singleton, left, and Jeremy Cannon, both with the Class of 1994, checked in from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Col. (Ret.) Geoff Steeves, left, and Ben Brown, both with the Class of 2001, checked in with Checkpoints at Mount Rushmore National Memorial during a vacation that included stops in Yellowstone National Park and Devils Tower National Monument.

Roosevelt “Pahoke” Hanna ’98 checked in at The Evangelical College of Theology in Jui, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Hanna posed in front of the student dormitory named for his late father-in-law.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Petro ’73 and wife, Barbara Petro, at a World War II French artillery site on Goree island, off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. The island was a slave trade holding spot and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The couple visited the island during a 28-day cruise down the west coast of Africa, starting in Barcelona, Spain, and ending in Cape Town, South Africa.

Jonathan Boyd ’93, left, and Jonathan Shultz ’95 on a resort balcony while vacationing with their families in Sint Maarten over Christmas.

Dave Lippert ’76 and wife, Teresa Lippert, checked in on Trinity Island in Antarctica while on their bucket-list trip to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica.

Find the Falcon

The winner of last quarter’s “Find the Falcon” contest is Dan Hrovat ’85. He was among the 36 Checkpoints readers who reported finding the falcon — hidden on page 33 — in the December 2024 edition. Thank you to all the readers who participated in the past quarter’s contest!

Bray ’78 checked in from the Harbin International Ice and Snow

Locate the falcon hidden in the magazine and send its location, along with your name and contact information directly to editor@ usafa.org to be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate at the AOG Gift Shop. Deadline for entry is May 26, 2025

WANT TO CHECK IN?

Send us a hi-res (300 dpi) digital image of you and your Checkpoints magazine at a unique locale or event, and your photo could end up on the Grad Connections page in the magazine. Include your name, city and state, class year, and a short note about where you are pictured, what you are doing and who is with you. Email everything to editor@usafa.org

Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Dunstan ’76 checked in from the Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Tim

Sculpture Festival in Harbin, China.

Warrior Leaders Ready on Day 1

We are in a Time of Consequence, facing threats from every corner of the world and in all domains. Our adversaries have watched and learned the American way of war over the last three decades, so we must adapt and continue to field lethal, warfighting teams, or risk losing future conflicts.

From China setting 2027 as a readiness target, to Iranian war games, and the new Russian nuclear doctrine, this Time of Consequence demands swift and sweeping action. We will answer the challenge and focus our Military Service Academy

B y Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91

on warfighting, leadership, and critical thinking in order to forge the leaders our Air Force and Space Force need to deter our adversaries, and should deterrence fail, fight and win our Nation’s wars. The following outlines the changes we are implementing at USAFA to achieve this mission.

UPDATED MISSION AND PRIORITIES

The President gave the Department of Defense a clear mission — to achieve Peace through Strength. Our Secretary of Defense outlined his three priorities that will achieve that mission, chief among them restoring the warrior ethos. We are American Warriors in the Air Force and Space Force, and that is reflected in our updated mission statement:

“We will forge leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service, and developed to lead our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our Nation’s wars.”

Our priorities are derived from our mission and are built on the foundation of our Air Force and Space Force Core Values:

Integrity, Service, Excellence, Courage, Character, Connection, and Commitment. Building on these foundations, focused on universal military standards, and grounded by our Honor Code, our priorities are:

• Forging Warfighters to Win

• Inspiring Leaders of Character and Quality

• Motivating Critical Thinkers to Adapt Warfighting is not a job — it is a mindset. Our transformation will ensure our cadets are ready to lead Day 1 after their commissioning. The warrior ethos our Nation needs must focus on readiness — physical, mental, spiritual, and within our families — driving us to be offensivelyminded, masters of our craft, and team builders who overcome adversity. Our mission, priorities, and warfighting training are the bedrock of developing Warfighters to Win.

Leaders of Character and Quality make the right decision, the right way, even if unpopular. They value teamwork, hold each other accountable, and build each other up to exceed the standards. Leaders set the vision for their team, fight for

USAFA photo

USAFA photo

resources needed to succeed, and knock down barriers to ensure success. As Leaders of Character and Quality, especially when faced with the fog and friction of war, we will uphold our high standards and our honor. To that end, we will revitalize the intent, execution, and oversight of the cadet-led Honor Code, with an understanding that while sanctions from honor violations may be tiered, to include the ultimate sanction of expulsion, our Honor Code is holistic and will not be parsed.

Finally, the dynamic strategic environment of our time demands Critical Thinkers to Adapt. On modernday and future battlefields, our leaders must innovate solutions to wicked-hard problems, while operating with limited information and Mission Command. By focusing on military readiness, rapid decision making with limited data, exercising mission command, and managing operational risk, our cadets will be ready to face a changing world.

ENFORCING OUR STANDARDS

For this Academic Year, we focused on returning to the basics of military training and standards for all USAFA personnel. This includes a common Uniform of the Day for staff and cadets. We are one team, and our unity is reflected through a standard uniform.

Additionally, we reinstated weekly Morning Formations and Noon Meal Formation each weekday. This builds muscle memory among our future officers who, as supervisors, will check on their subordinates daily. For faculty and staff, we implemented quarterly formations and uniform inspections. These routine, recurring formations serve an important purpose by bringing the unit together, providing accountability, and promoting unit cohesion.

Standards and accountability are critical to good order and discipline. Of greater importance, standards and accountability are vital to modern warfare, where precision, professionalism, tactical contracts, and trust are the bedrock of the complex military activities inherent in our tactics, techniques, and procedures.

We are laser focused on executing the sets and reps required to instill enhanced

standards and accountability in USAFA’s muscle memory.

UPGRADING MILITARY TRAINING

To instill the warrior ethos among our future leaders, we are training on fundamental warfighter skills. Our foundational warfighter training will prepare cadets to shoot, move, communicate, medicate, and automate. Some may call this Army training, but the face of modern warfare has evolved — this is joint warfare. These are the skills our joint force requires, where our warriors will fight to deploy from their bases, fight into theater, and fight from theater in pulsed operations to achieve the strategic advantage our joint force requires.

At full capacity, our warfighting training will require every cadet to qualify on two weapons each year. We can no longer afford to provide familiarization training and rely on the active-duty units to provide just-in-time training. A more lethal force requires Airmen and Guardians who are proficient and confident in their weapons and engagement techniques.

As the Air Force and Space Force build the capability to rapidly establish and fight from small forward airfields, Airmen and Guardians must be capable across multiple specialty codes. Cadet squadrons, as the foundational Unit of Action, will learn to execute Agile Combat Employment concepts by quickly establishing, sustaining, generating an exemplar of combat power, and defending forward operating locations.

Cadet squadrons will execute command and control, through mission-type orders, at all echelons, to generate combat power. They will understand and execute commander’s intent to succeed in an environment where communications will be denied or degraded. While cadets will develop resilient command and control centers, they must also prepare for a “Day Without Space” or a “Day Without Comms” to enable decentralized execution to accomplish the mission.

Cadets will learn and execute enhanced life-saving medical skills necessary in combat conditions. As we pivot to highend warfare, the concept of the “Golden Hour,” where we had high confidence that

medical care or rescue would occur within an hour, it is not a guarantee. Airmen and Guardians must have the skills to immediately care for their teammates in contested, hostile environments, while still generating combat power to defeat our adversaries.

In our rapidly changing environment, cadets will learn to utilize automated systems and processes to increase their speed of decision making, enable their defense, and assist the generation of combat power. Our cadets will embrace the power of automation and the understanding that the military force who moves out with automation first, gains the competitive advantage.

We are in the crawl phase of our military training efforts. For the run phase, the long-term vision is for our cadets to own their training. They will be resourced appropriately, understand their mission, lead their squadrons through their training and mission requirements, and be evaluated against defined standards through Fall and Spring culminating exercises.

Finally, modern warfare requires warriorleaders who understand effects delivered from the Air, Space, and Cyber domains. As we evolve our warfighter training, we will develop programs to ensure our graduates appreciate the organizations, doctrine, tactics, and procedures involved with generating Air, Space, and Cyber effects for the joint force.

EVOLVING THE FOUR-CLASS SYSTEM, RECOGNITIONPROMOTION

As cadets gain, improve, and test warfighter skills throughout their time at the Academy, they will also gain, improve and test their leadership competencies. Historically, our Academy placed a great emphasis on stressfocused training, with limited military value, during the four-degree year. We are evolving to an intensive, military-focused, progressive training at the team and unit levels that spans their entire 47-month developmental program.

As four-degrees, cadets will focus on becoming strong followers and good teammates with a focus on basic military skills and junior Airman-level responsibilities. They will gain the

experience and knowledge throughout their first year to build the confidence and skills to teach and mentor the next class.

As they move to their three-degree year, cadets will transition to front-line, engaged supervisors taking on the responsibilities of non-commissioned officers and supervising fourth-class cadets in their flights. As three-degrees, cadets will teach, motivate, mentor, and be responsible for those under their supervision, while taking direction from their upperclassmen.

As cadets progress into their two-degree year, they will focus on being team and element leaders, where they will continue to supervise other cadets. They will be the primary military training instructors (shoot, move, communicate, medicate, automate), and take on increased responsibility, learning specialized roles within the squadrons, identify resource shortfalls, and begin to manage operational risk.

During their senior year, our firsties will become Unit Leaders managing every level, while taking responsibility for a healthy command climate. These leaders will plan and execute unit training and military exercises, and ensure team success, while understanding and managing risk and resources.

Aligning our four-class system into a follower/teammate, front-line engaged supervisor, team leader, and unit leader model enables us to train, test, and certify each cadet on required leadership skills — skills necessary in our Air Force and Space Force. As cadets progress through their leadership development, we will evaluate their progress through Fall and Spring CULEXs. These CULEXs serve as a comprehensive training exercise, comprised of field training and three focused events to assess cadet readiness, leadership, and operational competencies.

Cadets who successfully meet the defined standards, will be RECOGNIZED for their performance, and PROMOTED to the next grade. Those who fall short, will be provided time and resources to meet the standards, ideally before the beginning of the next academic year. We expect to build on this year’s CULEX to develop more challenging and in-depth scenarios, while

procuring the warfighting equipment necessary for realistic training.

OPERATIONALIZING THE ACADEMY

At the end of our 47-month program, our cadets will be Airmen and Guardians ready to lead their teams on Day 1. As we evolve our training and mindset as an institution, we must also change our structure and nomenclature to best prepare cadets for their time as officers.

The cadet squadron, led by the squadron commander, is our Unit of Action and must represent the squadrons and units within the Air Force and Space Force. We have restructured our squadrons to align with the updated roles and responsibilities, mirroring Air Force and Space Force operational units.

The cadet squadron A-staff provides firsties and two-degrees the experiences unique to staff functions (A1 – Admin/ Personnel, A2 – Intel, A3 – Operations, A4/6 – Logistics/Comm). From addressing personnel matters, exercise planning, fixing comm outages, to embracing pride in ownership of our facilities, A-staff opportunities give our future leaders frontline experience on how our Air Force and Space Force operate. Of special note and aligned to our warfighter training, we established the A2, an Intelligence Operations Division, in our Headquarters staff and within each cadet squadron to provide regular intelligence briefs to cadets. These briefs prepare cadets for the complex

state of the world and the threats we face.

FOCUSING ON WARFIGHTERS TO WIN

The United States Air Force Academy will be a premier Military Service Academy, forging leaders of character who are motivated to a lifetime of service. Our graduates will be prepared to lead the Air Force and Space Force as warfighting officers, ready to lead lethal, warfighting teams to deter our adversaries, and should deterrence fail, win our Nation’s wars. Through rigorous, adversary-focused military training, a nationally recognized academic program, and a culture of highly competitive athletics, we will develop graduates who exemplify unwavering courage and a deep commitment to honor and integrity. Our world-class installation, professional and dedicated permanent party, and engaged alumni ensure we will be the Nation’s preeminent institution for developing leaders prepared to answer our Nation’s call.

We must forge Warfighters to Win. We must inspire Leaders of Character and Quality. We must motivate Critical Thinkers to Adapt. At the end of their 47 months at our USAFA, our cadets will be the warriorleaders our Nation deserves.

Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind ’91 is the 22nd superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Two graduates join Air Force Academy Foundation board

By Steven Lincoln

Two U.S. Air Force Academy graduates have joined the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors. The board is the governing body of the Air Force Academy Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Academy through philanthropy.

The new directors are BJ Jones ’85 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Gen. (Ret.) Terrence O’Shaughnessy ’86 of Boulder City, Nevada.

Board Chairman Alex Gilbert ’87 says the new directors will make an immediate impact on the board with their extensive leadership experiences.

“BJ Jones and Gen. O’Shaughnessy represent different ways Air Force Academy graduates serve and succeed,” he says. “They both offer great perspectives on how to support the Academy, and I look forward to working with them more in support of the Academy’s mission.”

BJ Jones ’85

Jones is the chief commercial officer at NewAmsterdam Pharma, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company working on lifesaving treatments for heart disease and other lipid-related conditions. Previously, Jones acted as CCO of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. He has over 30 years of commercial experience in the health care industry and has held executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim and NitroMed. He has significant experience in mass market product launches.

“I credit my time at the Air Force Academy, and subsequent years of active service, with laying the foundation for a successful career in corporate America. It truly was a leadership laboratory for me

to learn, practice and refine my leadership skills,” Jones says. “I hope to give back and invest time and energy in enhancing the Academy’s resources and capabilities as the institution continues to serve and develop future generations of combat officers and corporate leaders.”

In addition to his Air Force Academy Foundation board service, Jones serves on the boards of directors of Apogee Therapeutics and Annexon Biosciences. He also supports the LUNGevity Foundation and Life Science Cares through voluntary board membership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human factors engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Terrence O’Shaughnessy ’86

Gen. (Ret.) O’Shaughnessy is a senior adviser to Elon Musk on matters regarding SpaceX, and he is the vice president of SpaceX’s Special Programs Group. The Special Programs Group focuses on leveraging SpaceX commercial technology for government applications, including Starshield satellites that use SpaceX’s Starlink technology to support national security efforts and the Rocket Cargo program using SpaceX’s Starship.

“The Academy set the foundation for my career, inspiring me and instilling the character, discipline and knowledge to be successful in the Air Force and beyond,” says Gen. O’Shaughnessy. “I want to leverage my Air Force experience and my experience in an innovative commercial space company to help ensure the Academy remains relevant by adapting to the changing environment

while continuing to inspire and develop tomorrow’s leaders critical to the future of our nation.”

During his 34-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Gen. O’Shaughnessy commanded at the squadron, group, wing, numbered Air Force, major command and combatant command levels. His commands included the 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan; the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command; Seventh Air Force, Osan Air Base, South Korea; and Pacific Air Forces. He culminated his distinguished Air Force career as commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. Gen. O’Shaughnessy served as a Weapons School instructor pilot, an aggressor pilot and a command pilot with over 3,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 168 combat hours. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy.

BJ Jones ’85

Terrence O’Shaughnessy ’86

A FUTURE DEFINED

DONORS HELP ENSURE ACADEMY'S COURSE

Photo by Ryan Hall

The sun rising over the U.S. Air Force Academy on Jan. 1, illuminated several new structures built over the past seven years. It reflected from the shiny metal and glass of a new football stadium upgrade and highlighted the plaques and statues of heritage projects that did not exist before the Defining Our Future campaign launched in 2018. It penetrated the windows of new projects focused on cyber education, an enhanced visitor experience and the day-to-day operation of foundations that support the Academy.

Thanks to nearly 20,000 graduates, families and friends of the Air Force Academy, the future of the institution and of its cadets who become leaders is even brighter and more focused on preparing for uncertainties.

Dec. 31, 2024, marked the official conclusion of the seven-year Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign, which has changed the skyline of the Academy, broadened its academic offerings and elevated the way cadets prepare for future conflict. Each of the projects and programs made possible by the $330 million in private support contributed during the campaign has already or soon will make a difference in each cadet’s development as a warfighter, leader of character and critical thinker. These gifts strengthen services for graduates through the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation.

In the pages that follow, Checkpoints writers highlight how donors defined the way cadets prepare to lead and serve in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. Through future conflict preparation, cadet experiences, athletic opportunities and more, Checkpoints highlights many of the programs and projects that impact individuals who will go on to positively impact our nation and its security.

Photo by Ryan Hall

THE IMPACT OF DONOR GENEROSITY AND ENGAGEMENT

Kelly Banet, executive vice president for development, sat down with the two U.S. Air Force Academy graduates who served as chair of the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors during the seven-year Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign. The three reflected on the impact of the campaign and the donors who made it successful. Jack Kucera ’78 served as board chair from August 2017 to August 2023. Current chair Alex Gilbert ’87 took over in August 2023.

KELLY BANET: Jack, can you share your reflections on when the campaign was just an idea and how the board viewed the goals and prospects for success?

JACK KUCERA: There was optimism for sure. I’ve been actively engaged in fundraising for the Academy for more than 20 years, and I think people were optimistic that we could do it. We had done some good things, and we were also transitioning from an entity that just supported the Academy to one that was being asked to support all of the supporting foundations as well.

BANET: Alex, as the campaign surpassed its two fundraising goals — the initial $270 million goal and then the expanded $300 million — what reactions did the board have to the results?

ALEX GILBERT: The board was ecstatic about surpassing the original and expanded goals. But you know, the real key to sustainability of our organization — and the real key to the next campaign and to

the period between the campaigns — is to generate continued interest from the nearly 20,000 donors who participated in the Defining Our Future campaign. As Jack always says, someone starts with a $100 gift and continues to make a difference year after year, eventually endowing a chair or program or a building. The board was equally thrilled with the number of donors and the engagement, and that has continued to be something that we’re focused on as we go in between periods of campaigns.

BANET: What do you both see as highlights or defining moments of the campaign?

KUCERA: It was maybe my first or second meeting as chair when Dr. Paul Kaminski [Class of 1964] showed up with the “Big Idea.” As I look back and I think of the most significant defining moment, it is me realizing we’re making an impact. Not just realizing, but accepting and embracing. The “Big Idea” evolved into the Institute for Future Conflict, and it re-

quired that the Academy — particularly the Dean of Faculty mission element and the superintendent — believe in the concept and what we were doing and support it. The evolution of the “Big Idea” into the Institute for Future Conflict was a real defining moment for me in seeing that, when we get to a point where we have true trust, mutual respect and cooperation between the Foundation and USAFA, we can do great things.

GILBERT: Our mission is to support the Academy to build leaders of character, right? And to do that, they need infrastructure, they need process and they need people. Our fundraising did all three. But the infrastructure, I think, is the start. The Madera Cyber Innovation Center, Kucera Legacy Center, Hosmer Visitor Center, Wecker Hall, Hotel Polaris — they are the infrastructure changes that we’ve been a part of. And that will result in continuing to allow the processes of programs like the Institute of Future Conflict and Martinson Honors Program to make a difference. And then we’ve added people, too.

Jack Kucera ’78

Alex Gilbert ’87

Kelly Banet FEATURE

I think it’s the combination of actually seeing some of the tangible infrastructure programs that came out of the campaign that was exciting for me.

BANET: Obviously, many new projects and programs have come online in the last seven years and are still coming online here in the next few months, some of which you already mentioned. How would you both describe how the introduction of programs such as the IFC and Martinson Honors Program are influencing cadets to become future warfighters?

GILBERT: The character of conflict continues to change, and so the Academy has to change. As Dr. Kaminski referenced with his “Big Idea,” we have to skate not to where the puck is but where it’s going — a famous Wayne Gretzky quote. Our job as the Foundation is to support the superintendent, the dean and the commandant as the threats change and as they determine how the training and the process have to adapt to get our end result.

KUCERA: In a perfect world, from a certain perspective, these cadets who are there today, it’s all they’ve ever known. So, it isn’t different to them — it just is. When I look at the Institute for Future Conflict and the Martinson Honors Program, for example, those are really about skating to where the puck is going to be. We are no longer just relying on cadets to attempt to gain an appointment to the Academy. We’re actively recruiting outstanding, service-minded young people to come to USAFA. We’ve always said we go after the best and the brightest, but these students interested in the honors program are academic superstars. The IFC, the Martinson Honors Program and other investments are helping young people decide that they want to go to the Air Force Academy. We’ve done a great job of aligning donor intentions with the needs of the Academy and our nation in preparing cadets for the future of warfare.

BANET: How does the addition of new buildings and programs compare to expectations?

KUCERA: They’re world-class buildings that are changing the landscape of the Academy forever. And at least for me and Alex, every one of these buildings has exceeded expectations, and ideally, we hope they exceeded the donors’ expectations across the board.

GILBERT: I agree that we exceeded fundraising and donor expectations. And really what that means is we also set up the organization — the Association and Foundation — for even greater success down the road. We have the infrastructure to implement another campaign, to implement more and better, whether they’re buildings or programs or processes. I don’t want to put words in Jack’s mouth, but I think we’re both incredibly proud of the organization that’s going to continue this, because we would be remiss if we just built a few of these buildings and then went into hibernation, right? Yeah, we’re excited about the new buildings and expanded programs. But we’re equally excited about the organization going to the next level and getting to 30,000 donors and whatever the next campaign aims to do. One of the intended outcomes was increased organizational capacity. This is a piece that we’ve accomplished and that we have to maintain moving forward.

BANET: What other comments do you have about particular programs supported during the campaign?

KUCERA: At the outset, our No. 1 goal wasn’t to raise $270 million; our No. 1 goal was to elevate graduate participation and awareness, and the fact that we’ve had nearly 20,000 people contribute to this campaign speaks to that. We were successful in getting our graduates to be more engaged in what’s going on with the Air Force Academy and supporting it.

GILBERT: To the nearly 20,000 donors: You made a difference. Thank you. Thank you to the graduates, the parents, the grandparents, the friends, families, and corporate and foundation partners. This engagement is what sets us up for the future.

KUCERA: We also increase graduate awareness by increasing cadet awareness, and that goes back to the whole naming rights thing. Does it matter if cadets know who Bart Holaday [Class of 1965] or Paul Madera [Class of 1978] were? Perhaps, but what’s really important is for those and other names on buildings to communicate to cadets that there are graduates and donors out there who are supporting their efforts, and hopefully the cadets will leave the Academy with a sense of, “I need to give back in the future when I can.”

BANET: What will the board focus on post-campaign, and what are your hopes for the next one?

KUCERA: We’re always building for the future, and somebody has to replace the generous board directors who will be completing their service to the Foundation soon. I know that it’s a big part of your job and responsibilities to continue to recruit directors. An awful lot of our support comes from people who have fully vetted what the Foundation is doing and chosen to commit their time and resources to it. Each of us can be called on to pitch people as needed.

BANET: What closing message do you have for our campaign donors?

KUCERA: We are grateful for every single donor who participated in the Defining Our Future campaign. When we give, there’s a sacrificial “I’m committed to the Air Force Academy” dynamic that’s going on, and we feel a tremendous sense of appreciation for every donor’s belief in the Academy, as well as the Association and Foundation. Together, we did it.

GILBERT: Because of nearly 20,000 donors, this campaign was successful. And that success will continue to foster more successes at the Academy and within the Association and Foundation. Each donor can say, “This is our Academy, and I helped improve how it develops leaders of character. I helped define our future.”

DEFINING THE WARFIGHTER DEFINING THE WARFIGHTER

HISTORIC CAMPAIGN BETTER PREPARES NATION’S AIRMEN AND GUARDIANS

By Bryan Grossman

Throughout the Defining Our Future campaign’s seven years, donors contributed more than $330 million in support of the U.S. Air Force Academy and graduate services. This support helps secure the Academy’s focus on developing warfighters equipped to lead on Day 1 across air, space and cyber, bolstering national security and sovereignty amid

Great Power Competition. From the Institute for Future Conflict to the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, private support through the campaign has significantly enhanced military training and preparation for the Air Force and Space Force leaders of tomorrow — and well into the future.

USAFA photo

THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED

The Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict benefited from nearly $17 million in contributions through the Defining Our Future campaign. The IFC prepares cadets for emerging challenges, focusing on creating and cultivating flexible warfighters who are prepared to prevail in conflict regardless of the form it may take in the future.

With a combination of federal funding and private support, the IFC has integrated subject-matter experts into USAFA’s curriculum to prepare cadets to address global threats, particularly from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia. This includes recruiting experts to enhance training in areas like geopolitical strategies, space operations and policy, artificial intelligence, logistics, nuclear strategy and more.

The Institute for Future Conflict was conceived in 2018 by Dr. Paul Kaminski ’64, a technologist who is well known for his leading role in the development of stealth aircraft. Dr. Kaminski approached USAFA leadership with the “Big Idea” and a challenging question: How do we better prepare cadets for warfare of the future? The “Big Idea” consisted of three major points: Anticipate rather than react to changes; contribute to the next military offset; and expose Air Force Academy cadets and permanent party to the technologies, organizations and ideas shaping future conflict.

With the support of Academy senior leaders and alumni, the “Big Idea” led to the Institute for Future Conflict, which formally began in late 2019.

“Dr. Paul Kaminski recognized several years ago that the nature of warfare has changed significantly and that the USAFA curriculum needed to change in a major way,” says IFC supporter and former fighter pilot, Paul Rossetti ’70. “Today’s conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine vividly demonstrate that reality. I have supported the IFC from its early days to jump-start the effort to update and adapt the USAFA cadet experience to that reality. Time is our enemy. The [Air Force Academy] Foundation board had the vision, and we needed the talent to develop the programs outside of the

normal government channels. Today, we have the talent and the programs and are implementing the needed new programs in coordination with the dean much more expeditiously than had we simply waited for official channels. These programs are very consistent with the Air Force focus on STEM disciplines and related technologies.”

Generous private support played a pivotal role in the IFC’s development and expansion. Notably, a $1 million donation from John Fox ’63 helped create the Fox Fellow position, a leadership role that brings specialized expertise to the Academy. Former U.S. State Department official, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) David Stilwell ’87, was the inaugural Fox Fellow and brings deep and broad expertise in China and North Korea to the Academy. Recently, the IFC benefited from a $5 million donation from Dr. Kaminski for a chair focused on augmented intelligence.

Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre ’96, dean of the faculty, says IFC support has played a key role in securing specialists.

“Some of these high-powered experts have developed and taught new courses, giving cadets and other faculty a front row seat to what’s just over the horizon in geopolitical competition,” she says. “Foundation support of the IFC helped raise its stature in the Air Force to the point where coming to research here is now an Intermediate Developmental Education program, like Air Command and Staff College. This brings us a few IFC Fellows each year who research ‘where the puck is going to be’ in terms of the future of war but also teach in the classroom where they are qualified, extending their reach to cadets.”

The IFC’s collaborations with various departments, military branches and facilities like the Multi-Domain Lab give cadets a hands-on experience in joint operations and future conflict scenarios.

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) David Scott ’78, senior adviser to the IFC, tells Checkpoints that the Defining Our Future campaign allowed the IFC to host four active-duty Ukrainian service members in February 2025. They participated in classes and a panel discussion to a standing room-only crowd of more than 220 cadets and an ad-

ditional 30 permanent party.

“During this visit with the Ukrainians, we met the new USAFA mission statement of forging leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service,” Gen. Scott says. “The time spent with the four Ukrainians enabled cadets to understand what it takes to be warfighters to win and leaders of character and quality along with how to think critically and adapt to new situations in the battlespace. We believe this makes them better prepared to prevail in conflict regardless of the form it may take in the future.

“Without the funding and support of our donors and the Foundation, this would not have been possible,” he adds.

“This enables the IFC to continue to create and cultivate flexible warfighters who will understand current and future conflicts to meet the superintendent’s three priorities and develop them to lead our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our nation’s wars.”

Additionally, USAFA graduates coming for their reunions have received IFC briefings from the center’s director, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradford “B.J.” Shwedo ’87, and other key personnel. Gen. Shwedo has also taken his briefing on the road, speaking at chapter events.

“Without the outstanding and generous support of the donors with their gifts to balance the organization, we would not have been able to operate at the level we have since our inception,” Gen. Shwedo told Checkpoints in November 2024.

“When you can hire the former assistant secretary of the state for Asian Pacific Affairs who knows more about China than most individuals along with the former Joint Staff J4 who helped the chairman with the logistics of both Ukraine and the Afghanistan withdrawal, you have the expertise to meet our mission of creating flexible warfighters.”

AT THE NEXUS

During a 2023 news conference focused on the Madera Cyber Innovation Center’s construction, Col. Judson Dressler ’05, permanent professor and head of the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, said “the nexus of cyber and artificial intelligence” is being integrated into

warfare and future conflict.

“[The Madera Cyber Innovation Center] represents a commitment by the Air Force to our cadets and to our nation’s future security,” he said.

Combined with $30 million in federal funding, hundreds of donors, including USAFA classes, committed more than $39 million in gifts and technology — notably, Paul ’78 and Joan Madera, Cisco Systems and The Anschutz Foundation — to help produce cyber-savvy airmen and guardians ready to lead on Day 1.

The Madera Cyber Innovation Center, which is set to open to cadet use this year, was another signature priority of the Defining Our Future campaign.

The Madera Center will support the Academy’s Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, offering seven specialized labs, including those focused on robotics and autonomous systems; industrial controls and platform security; cross-domain integration and command and control; immersive environments, data visualization and decision-support; cyber security, networking, radio frequency and telecommunications and more. The center will provide space for cadets to work on capstone projects and collaborate with industry and academic partners.

CyberWorx, described by the Air Force as “a Department of Defense cyber mission-focused, operational problem-solving organization,” will also be housed in the new facility.

The center’s namesake, Paul Madera, says the Defining Our Future campaign has positively impacted each of the USAFA mission elements, benefiting cadets for decades to come.

“The campaign has had a huge effect on both the training and the lives of cadets — as it has been targeted at every aspect of cadet life from athletics to academics to military training and daily life,” Madera says. “We have seen an amazing number of large projects come to life over the past 24 months with the Kucera Legacy Center, the Cyber Innovation Center, the Martinson Honors Program and many more that are targeted at individual sports teams or clubs. The campaign has enabled grads, parents and other supporters to have an opportunity to participate in programs we

support and believe in.”

Madera adds, “I have spent my civilian career in venture capital — and have seen firsthand how cyber technology is not only a pervasive threat in our lives, it is a problem as well as an offensive opportunity that requires constant innovation. And it is already ever-present in all military conflicts we as a nation will face. I sincerely hope the center will ensure that cadets are better prepared for this massive threat of cyber warfare and disruption. It is simply imperative we prepare cadets, faculty as well as the larger Air Force and Space Force for the reality of the changing nature of conflict.”

Additionally, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dick McConn ’66 was instrumental in obtaining necessary Air Force approvals for the building.

EXPERTS IN RESIDENCE

Many of USAFA’s military-focused cadet clubs have also benefited from the Defining Our Future campaign.

The Air Combat Club, for instance, has grown significantly since its 2021 launch, expanding from just a few cadets to more than 400 members. The club, supported by generous donations, helps cadets learn aerial combat physics and tactics through virtual reality flight simu-

lators. Notably, Rossetti has contributed funds to purchase simulator equipment, enhancing the club’s training capabilities. The club’s offerings include guest speakers, fighter pilot insights and opportunities to compete. Rossetti says the club provides valuable training that will benefit cadets in pilot training and beyond.

Photo by Trevor Cokley/USAFA

Photo by Justin Pacheco/USAFA

Photo by Ryan Hall

“This was another opportunity to get the cadets more aviation experience, to learn real aerial combat tactics and maneuvering, and to have a lot of fun in the process,” Rossetti explains. “[The club] is very competitive as well, which is good for the cadet development. The Academy staff has a huge amount of aviation combat experience, so the cadets could learn from realworld experts in residence. Today it has numerous computers and display screens, and it is the largest club on the campus. The cadets compete quite successfully against the other service academies!”

And it may sound like fun and games, but the Academy’s Drone Racing Team, formed in 2021, has gotten serious about its craft. The team practices multiple times a week in the Holaday Athletic Center and competes in the Collegiate Drone Racing Association circuit, while promoting STEM and preparing cadets for future roles in the Air Force, especially in understanding drone technology for defense. Funded through donations, the team purchases equipment and maintains its drones.

EVENTS AND SYMPOSIUMS

The Defining Our Future campaign’s impact on preparing cadets for future conflict can be felt beyond the classroom. For instance, the Strategy and Warfare Center Symposium — held last year at the Academy — focused on the impact of disruptive technologies like autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons systems and quantum computing on future warfare. Supported by donors and sponsored by Raytheon Technologies, the event gathered over 600 cadets from various academic disciplines to explore how these technologies will shape military conflict.

The symposium is planned to be an annual event aimed at keeping the Academy at the forefront of military strategic and technological advancements.

Another example: The National Security Strategic Studies Partnership, a cooperative effort by USAFA, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the University of Colorado at Boulder, is slated to be held twice a year, rotating among the three campuses. The partnership brings together Colorado higher

education, private industry, and civilian and military agencies to provide national security thought leadership in the areas of space and cyber security.

The event, made possible by a grant from The Anschutz Foundation, is designed for students from the three institutions to engage in conversations surrounding strategic national security issues in the space domain.

A workshop held at USAFA in April 2024 featured seven sessions touching on topics like the domestic roots of national strategy to space-based security threats. Experts in the industry spent time leading roundtable discussions with students who were challenged to think critically.

Gen. (Ret.) Gregory “Speedy” Martin ’70, who retired from the Air Force in 2005 as commander of Air Force Materiel Command and went on to help launch the IFC at USAFA, delivered the keynote speech and spent much of the time discussing China, Russia and the increasing need for national security in space and the role of the Space Force.

“We cannot wipe our hands clean,” Gen. Martin told those gathered at the event.

“[This] is just the start of a group of people who are single-mindedly focused in making sure that our space domain has what it needs to be secure and to provide the kind of supporting revival to the entire national security structure.”

C2C Kai-min Tsuei

(Photo by Ryan Hall)

DEFINING THE CADET EXPERIENCE DEFINING THE CADET EXPERIENCE

By Steven Lincoln

Over their 47 months at the U.S. Air Force Academy, cadets interact with donor-supported programs and initiatives almost daily. Academic research, upgraded technology, lab equipment, cadet clubs, symposia and guest speakers all are supported with gift funds from donors to the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation.

That support during the seven-year Defining Our Future campaign — $96 million for academics alone — offered cadets many chances to take advantage of expanded and improved opportunities to test and hone their leadership and teamwork skills, academic strength and analytical acumen.

“Defining Our Future opened doors by expanding the reach of existing giftfunded activities and allowing more cadet involvement,” says Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre ’96, dean of the faculty. “The world is only becoming more complex, and preparing for Great Power Competition means we need to exploit all opportunities now to send our graduates into the Air Force and Space Force equipped to succeed on Day 1.”

MARTINSON HONORS PROGRAM

Perhaps the biggest transformation made possible by philanthropy during the campaign was the expansion of the Academy Scholars Program into the Martinson Honors Program.

“The Martinson Honors Program takes the already impressive success we’ve had with margin of excellence funding and then straps a rocket to it. The program has grown in both size and opportunity over the last three years,” Gen. Letendre says.

Made possible by a $10 million gift from John Martinson ’70, the largest philanthropic gift for academics in Academy history, the Martinson Honors Program has expanded the number of challenging academic opportunities for cadets who thrive on them. From doubling the number of cadets who can participate in the Stamps Scholar Program to proving the efficacy of new materials and pedagogical techniques for the broader curriculum, the honors program has strengthened the ways cadets are challenged and hone their

critical thinking skills.

“This space is one of the best facilities countrywide for honors, where scholars can study, interact, network, conceive great ideas and learn to work together and create significant accomplishments in whatever careers they go into,” said Martinson, a 2008 Distinguished Graduate, during the May 2023 ribbon cutting for the Martinson Honors Program suite in McDermott Library.

Ninety-four cadets in the Class of 2028 were accepted into the Martinson Honors Program, bringing the four-year total of scholars to more than 350. Additionally, the program added seven new faculty capstone mentors and expanded its reach with a sociology course, the first scholars course in the social sciences.

The program’s leaders continue to explore best practices in honors education to inform future programming and attract service-minded students who also relish academic challenges.

MILANOVICH CHAIR

Dr. Fred ’67 and Linda Milanovich earmarked their campaign support for both the Madera Cyber Innovation Center and an endowed chair within the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences. One of the largest gifts in support of academics at the Academy, the Milanoviches made their commitment with the future in mind.

“We really have to up the game here. I felt the next most important thing was to make sure this is a top-notch program,”

Dr. Milanovich said. “The best way to do that is through endowed chairs. You really can attract top talent. I couldn’t be more excited about this cyber facility. The Academy will do things out of that facility that the country will recognize.”

Dr. Chris Inglis ’76, who served as the nation’s first cyber director, filled the endowed Milanovich position during the 2023-24 academic year.

Michael Kloenne has been the deputy Milanovich Chair since September 2023.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

The Academic Success Center tallies more than 11,000 cadet contacts during an academic year. Cadets use the center to learn

strategies for academic success, better communication and quantitative reasoning, and to receive assistance with graduate school and post-graduate scholarship applications.

The dean has prioritized the center’s success for several years.

“The great thing about the ASC is that it provides a rising tide that lifts all boats. Cadets come to us from all walks of life and varying academic preparation. The Academic Success Center gives us the opportunity to lift up those who need additional help so they can contribute right alongside their classmates, and we can confidently present our Air and Space Forces with graduates who are ready for the challenge,” Letendre says.

Several of the part-time evening instructors within the center are funded by philanthropy. The number of cadets helped in the Academic Success Center has increased because of these donors. In addition, donor support allowed the Public Speaking Lab to be outfitted with teleprompters, a lectern, flags and furniture, making it more conducive for cadets to practice public speaking, record their speeches, fine-tune delivery and increase their public speaking confidence.

In the Writing Center, instructors developed specialized workshops tailored to the needs of academic departments such as Physics and Meteorology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. These workshops helped cadets improve their writing skills and analytical capabilities.

The Academic Success Center has many other stories of how cadets have improved their grades, deepened their understanding and mastery of concepts, overcome obstacles and remained resilient in challenging scenarios.

REMOTE LEARNING

In 2019, donor funds helped upgrade the Wi-Fi capacity and reliability in Fairchild Hall, the main academic building at the Academy. The upgrade included training for faculty in effective use of Microsoft Teams.

“That was great, but little did we know that the latter investment literally saved our semester when the COVID shut-

down sent the lower three classes home to finish the spring semester remotely,” Gen. Letendre says.

The updated capabilities allowed instructors to offer classes to remote and in-person cadets at the same time.

CADET CLUBS

Cadet clubs help cadets put leadership lessons into practice. Across the Academy’s more than 100 cadet clubs, members work together toward common goals, plan logistics, train, learn and compete.

Many clubs received gifts from donors to pay for travel to academic and club sports competitions. Donors also paid for team uniforms and specialty equipment necessary to participate in each club. The Class of 1984 created an endowment for cadet clubs as its 40th reunion class giving project while the Class of 1968 supported the Cyber Competition Team as its 50th reunion giving project. With the class’s funding, the team can travel to more than 10 competitions annually and also pay for resources that help team members train.

The Air Force Academy mock trial team hosted the inaugural Service Academies Cup in the Washington, D.C., area, and invited many judges and attorneys, sitting judges on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, and trial judges. Donor funds helped pay for the tournament’s new trophy, which the Air Force Academy Team won.

The forensics team competed in more than 30 competitions during the campaign, including trips to Japan and France and to the U.S. and world championships. They also hosted a national tournament at the Academy.

“Excelling at this level simply wouldn’t be possible without help from our graduate community,” Gen. Letendre says.

NATIONAL CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM

During the Defining Our Future campaign, the National Character and Leadership Symposium celebrated 30 years of bringing speakers to the Academy to discuss their experiences with and perspectives on leadership and character. The cadet-led event has featured more than 1,000 speakers since it debuted in 1994.

TOP: Lt. Col. (Ret. ) Gary Mills '90, Ph.D., leads a section of the new Communication Strategies course in the Academic Success Center. (Photo by Sam Hastings)

ABOVE: Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences cadets and two members of the supporting Class of 1968 (Carl Janssen, left, and Garry Dudley) with the 2023 National Security Agency Cyber Exercise Trophy on Aug. 28, 2023. (Photo by Justin Pacheco/USAFA)

NCLS to maintain its impact far into the future. In 2024, the event attracted more than 6,500 attendees. In addition to cadets and community members, students from 110 colleges and universities attended.

Over the past seven years, the symposium has added special sessions with the help of philanthropy. The Class of 1993 funded a panel discussion featuring the most recent enlisted personnel named as the 12 Outstanding Airmen of Year. The panelists offer a new perspective to the future officers in the audience as they work on developing their leadership skills.

After meeting an NCLS speaker flying in to present at the 2019 NCLS, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Earl Enix ’77 decided to attend the symposium, about an hour south of his home in the Denver metro area. The symposium's powerful narratives and perspectives deeply moved Col. Enix and his wife, Candy, compelling them to ensure similar knowledge, history and experiences would be available to future generations of cadets. The Enix family established the Enix Heritage keynote lecture to continue the legacy of inspiring cadets through stories that exemplify character

and leadership. Their sponsored lectures joined several others, including the Class of ’73 Muse Family Foundation Keynote, generously supported since 2004 by the Class of 1973 and John Muse ’73.

LEADER CHALLENGE TOWER

In August 2023, the Academy dedicated the new Leader Challenge Tower at the Outdoor Leadership Complex. Funded by the Class of 1963 and the Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Foundation, the Leader Challenge Tower offers multiple at-height challenges, including a simulated free-fall station, and six physical challenges at 23 and 55 feet, as well as a climbing wall. The tower offers opportunities for cadets to work on character and team building.

“Character comes from adversity; this tower injects adversity,” Dr. Tom Torkelson ’92, deputy director for the Center for Character and Leadership Development, said at the dedication ceremony for the tower.

Fittingly, the tower was dedicated in honor of one of the Academy’s all-time greats, retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogleman ’63.

“I’m honored to have my name associated with a facility that has leadership in its title, particularly since the mission of this Academy is to provide training that produces leaders of character with a competence and a compassion to lead our Air and Space Forces during the 21st century,” Gen. Fogleman, a 2001 Distinguished Graduate and the first Academy graduate to become chief of staff of the Air Force, said at the dedication.

ABOVE: Jason Redman speaking at the 30th NCLS in 2022 (File photo)

RIGHT: C1C Adrienne Weaver (Photo by Ryan Hall)

DEFINING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE DEFINING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE

Kucera Legacy Center at sunrise (Photo by Ryan Hall)

By Sam Hastings

Athletic excellence has been a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force Academy since its inception. Intercollegiate sports foster teamwork, leadership and perseverance in each generation of cadets, equipping them on the “fields of friendly strife” for service to the nation as Air Force and Space Force officers.

The Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign priorities included enhancing the Academy’s athletic programs to ensure that all current and future cadet-athletes have the facilities, resources and opportunities necessary to compete at the highest levels

In addition to transformational capital projects like the Kucera Legacy Center at Falcon Stadium and the renaming and future renovation of Erdle Field, the campaign spurred the development of several athletic endowments and expanded staffing in the Academy’s Human Performance Lab.

Thanks to thousands of generous campaign donors, these efforts have elevated the cadet experience and strengthened the Academy’s reputation for excellence in intercollegiate athletics.

A GAME-CHANGER FOR FALCON STADIUM

While the Academy has many iconic landmarks, Falcon Stadium is one of the installation’s most visible and public-facing destinations. For many, the stadium represents more than USAFA’s exceptional athletics; it symbolizes the Academy’s connection to the surrounding community.

For nearly 20 years, athletics staff and Academy leaders envisioned modernizing Falcon Stadium into a 21st-century facility. Making that vision a reality became a signature priority of the Defining Our Future campaign.

With the support of nearly 800 donors, the Kucera Legacy Center opened in time for the first home football game of the 2024 season. Named for lead donors Jack ’78 and Vianne Kucera, the facility has redefined the game-day experience, creating a dynamic atmosphere that celebrates the Academy’s heritage while generating new revenue streams to support its intercollegiate sports programs, and benefit the entire athletics mission element.

“This project was built to support the Air Force Academy’s constant efforts to attract and develop the best and brightest as our future leaders — the leaders our Air Force and Space Force require,” Jack Kucera said during a Sept. 6, 2024, ribbon cutting, joining hundreds of supporters. “The enhanced revenue from this versatile, multiuse facility will support all 27 USAFA intercollegiate athletic programs. The broad impact is what this project is about at its core, and it’s why Vianne and I have enthusiastically supported it.”

Falcon Stadium opened in 1962 with private support. As part of the Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign, the Association and Foundation partnered with the Air Force Academy Athletic Cor-

poration to renovate the facility. Philanthropy provided $35 million of the $90 million needed for the project, while AFAAC secured $55 million in debt service bonds to complete it.

“Falcon Stadium is much more than a football stadium,” said Nathan Pine, director of athletics. “It is the first thing most people see when looking west from Interstate 25 toward the Academy. It’s the front porch that introduces hundreds of thousands — nationally, statewide and in the local community — to the Academy through football games, lacrosse games, and, of course, graduation, which is the culmination of the four-year cadet journey to develop as leaders of character for our Air Force and Space Force.”

When fans and visitors arrive at the state-of-the-art facility, they are now welcomed by a new entrance, a ticket services office, modernized restrooms, an enhanced variety of concessions and an Air Force team shop. Additionally, the Kucera Legacy Center honors the heritage of the Academy and the Long Blue Line throughout the facility, including a planned Class of 1966 Legacy Walk that will pay tribute to graduates from the Academy’s first 50 years.

“[The Kucera Legacy Center] also gives us the ability to host more large events for our constituencies and will have positive ripples across our entire Academy and the Cadet Wing for years to come,” said Pine.

The Kucera Legacy Center is designed for year-round use. As part of the center, the new East Club, presented by L3 Harris, features 850 premium seats and two event spaces that can host Academy and community events and generate revenue beyond game days. The modernization project also enabled key renovations to the stadium’s tunnel to accommodate

concerts and other large-scale events, further enhancing its role as a premier venue.

HONORING A LEGACY, ELEVATING THE GAME

The renaming and upcoming renovation of the Falcon baseball field is another key capital improvement made possible during the Defining Our Future Campaign.

Thanks to a $2.5 million lead gift from the Erdle family, USAFA renamed the baseball diamond Erdle Field to honor Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Philip J. Erdle, a career Air Force officer who taught and coached at the Academy.

Family members and supporters gathered during a September 2023 ceremony to celebrate Gen. Erdle’s contributions and announce the new name, including his wife, Carolyn, and son, Col. (Ret.) Mick Erdle ’76.

“What a great day for Falcon baseball,” said Col. Erdle. “To see Dad’s name on the Falcons’ diamond provides well-deserved recognition for his efforts in Air Force athletics and fulfills a longtime dream of my own and our family.”

The Erdle family’s gift has helped begin design and development work to remodel Erdle Field with permanent concessions, modern restrooms, a press box, expanded seating, upgraded team dugouts and improved locker rooms for teams and umpires. These updates will enhance the fan experience and ensure USAFA baseball continues to thrive.

A LASTING IMPACT

In addition to facility upgrades, campaign donors reinforced the important role of USAFA athletics by giving to 58 athletic funds, supporting cadet-athletes in baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, lacrosse, swimming, track, volleyball and more.

These gifts were instrumental in establishing and contributing to athletic endowments that provide sustainable support for USAFA’s intercollegiate athletic programs. Endowments fortify USAFA’s athletic programs by providing a steady source of funding annually for recruiting, travel, equipment, coaching, facility upgrades and overall program excellence. Notable endowments created during the campaign include:

• The Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence

• The Wayne Baughman Endowment for Men’s Wrestling

• The Men’s Lacrosse Endowment

• The Men’s Soccer Endowment

• The Mike Blassie ’70 Warrior Award for Men’s Soccer Endowment

• The Bill ’73 & Karen ’80 Fox Endowment for Athletics

• The Carole Gilchrist Bassett Award for Outstanding Women’s Tennis Endowment

• The Caine-Tonneson Endowment for Women’s Swimming By establishing these endowments and helping them to grow, donors ensure that USAFA athletics continue to impact cadets and remain a source of excellence and pride, both on and off the field.

“My best friends, fondest memories, and most important life lessons from USAFA are drawn from my time with my teammates on the lacrosse field,” says Jack Parchman ’08. “I hope that supporting men’s lacrosse allows many others to share that experience while enabling the program to be visible in a positive way and compete at the highest levels.”

FROM THE FIELDS TO THE FRONT LINES

“Athletics provides an unmatched leadership laboratory for our cadet-athletes to develop to their fullest potential during their 47-month experience at USAFA,” says Pine. “The lessons learned on the fields of friendly strife help to forge our young men and women into exceptional officers.”

As the Defining Our Future campaign progressed, the Association and Foundation began working closely with the athletic department and the Institute for Future Conflict to enhance the connection between athletic excellence and military readiness.

That partnership led to an exciting opportunity in USAFA’s Human Performance Lab. The lab and its staff create comprehensive individualized plans to help with cadets’ physiological devel-

opment and performance. These plans incorporate nutrition, physiology and psychology to ensure cadets can meet the unique demands of military operations and athletic excellence.

Thanks to generous donor support, the IFC has recruited a new human performance optimization fellow who will begin working in the lab in spring 2025.

The new fellow will be responsible for researching, applying and integrating human performance optimization in areas beyond athletics, including USAFA’s curriculum, military training and course instruction. The role will also focus on how cadets can optimize their performance to better prepare for future conflict.

Cadets will benefit from this human performance research and training, ultimately becoming better officers and warfighters as a result.

“Donor support is and will continue to be critical to athletic success on all fronts,” says Pine. “We are very thankful for the Long Blue Line and the generous investment graduates continue to make in Air Force Athletics.”

OPPOSITE: Men's wrestling

(Photo by Justin Pacheco/USAFA)

TOP: Women's gymnastics

(Photo by Ray Bahner/USAFA)

ABOVE LEFT: Women's swimming

(Photo by Dylan Smith/USAFA)

ABOVE RIGHT: Human Performance Lab (Photo by Trevor Cokley/USAFA)

RIGHT: Women's boxing (Photo by Justin Pacheco/USAFA)

DEFINING THE VISITOR AND HERITAGE EXPERIENCE DEFINING THE VISITOR AND HERITAGE EXPERIENCE

DONORS BUILD A LASTING LEGACY

By Sam Hastings

For decades, the U.S. Air Force Academy has molded young men and women into leaders of character. Though the Academy’s mission remains timeless, its landscape has evolved. This transformation has been especially noticeable since the Defining Our Future campaign launched in 2018. From the TrueNorth Commons development to class projects, these capital improvements and peer-to-peer initiatives honor the past while building toward an even stronger future.

REDEFINING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

In 2022, construction officially began on the long-envisioned TrueNorth Commons development just outside the Academy’s North Gate. The development, which includes Hotel Polaris and the future Hosmer Visitor Center, quickly became a Defining Our Future campaign priority.

The Academy’s new visitor center is named in honor of Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradley Hosmer ’59 and his spouse, Zita, thanks to a generous gift from Jerry ’70 and Pam Bruni. Gen. Hosmer is the Academy’s first

graduate and Rhodes scholar and the first graduate to serve as superintendent.

During the center’s cornerstone dedication ceremony in September 2022, the Brunis expressed their hope that the space would inspire generations of visitors to learn about the Academy’s mission and explore ways to serve.

“Hardly a person who walks around here [the visitor center] won’t be able to find some motivation and some ways to contribute to their communities and to our country,” Jerry Bruni said during the dedication. “That’s one good reason why so many people are working so hard to make the iconic Hosmer Visitor Center and the displays a fantastic and moving visitor experience.”

The Hosmer Visitor Center will replace the current visitor center and serve as an official Colorado State Welcome Center.

A POWERFUL FINANCIAL FUTURE

A new pedestrian bridge connects the Hosmer Visitor Center to Hotel Polaris, which opened in November 2024 with

over 500 attending a ribbon-cutting celebration. Dan Schnepf ’83, founder and president of Matrix Design Group, and Mark Hille ’97, CEO of the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation, were among the event speakers. Schnepf is one of the original visionaries of the TrueNorth Commons project.

“I took on this monumental development task to give back to our Air Force Academy and our Colorado Springs community,” said Schnepf. “As a graduate of this fine institution, this was truly a labor of love for me.”

TrueNorth Commons will also include office, retail and restaurant space. The development is a partnership between public and private stakeholders, including the city of Colorado Springs, the Association and Foundation, Blue & Silver Development Partners and Provident Resources Group.

That public-private partnership, made possible by a unique financing structure, will transfer the hotel property to the Association and Foundation once construction costs are paid off.

Wecker Hall courtesy rendering

“Soon, millions of dollars of revenue annually will flow from this project to support the Academy, serve our graduates and preserve our growing heritage,” said Hille during the ribbon cutting.

Gifts from generous donors like Hugh ’64 and Nan Williamson and others have already accelerated the repayment of that debt.

“When I learned the details about the benefit of paying off the most expensive tranche of capital for the hotel early, which would mean reducing the interest by tens of millions of dollars, it just connected all the dots,” says Hugh Williamson, the first USAFA graduate to head a Fortune 500 company. “It will result in the Association and Foundation owning the hotel several years earlier than planned and seeing millions of dollars of profits that can be used in support of the Academy. I’m hoping we will still be around to see that happen.”

In addition to the direct economic impact on the Academy’s mission, Hugh Williamson sees the hotel as a valuable addition to both the Academy and north Colorado Springs. It will serve as a gathering place for graduates and a convenient lodging option for classes hosting reunions.

A NEW HOME FOR THE FOUNDATION

Nearly two decades after its founding, the Air Force Academy Foundation will soon move into a new headquarters funded by philanthropy. Wecker Hall, named in honor of lead donors Dr. William E. Wecker ’63 and his spouse, the late Mary Linn Wecker, will be a modern facility that unites the Foundation and Association of Graduates under one roof.

“The new Foundation headquarters building will bring the entire staff together so that they can work more effectively and enjoyably in a first-class working environment,” Dr. Wecker says. “We have finally arrived. From a small startup operation with grand ideas and no track record to what the Air Force Academy Foundation is today — hundreds of millions of dollars

raised to benefit cadets. And now, a Foundation headquarters building to match that accomplishment.”

Designed as a net-zero building, Wecker Hall will harness sustainable energy through geothermal wells, an exterior shading and louver system and rooftop solar panels, all supporting greater efficiency. It is located west of Doolittle Hall, which will continue to serve as the Long Blue Line’s alumni center and event space.

Yost Plaza, named in honor of Dave ’69 and Jean Yost, is between Wecker and Doolittle halls. In addition to the existing Pegasus statue, the plaza will feature a seven-foot replica of an Air Force Academy ring that will recognize donors whose lifetime contributions have advanced the Academy’s mission.

When Wecker Hall opens in the spring of 2025, nearly 60 employees will work there. The facility will have space to accommodate future growth and house nonprofit partners dedicated to supporting the Academy’s mission.

PRESERVING ACADEMY AND AIR FORCE HERITAGE

Throughout the Defining Our Future campaign, graduate classes have honored service and sacrifice by completing several heritage projects across the Academy.

The Academy dedicated the Spirit 03 Memorial on the Honor Court in May 2023. Spearheaded by the Class of 1979, the memorial commemorates classmate Maj. Paul J. “Dream Weaver” Weaver ’79 and his AC-130H crew, who made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Desert Storm.

“We believe their devotion to duty and selfless service to their fellow warriors should be learned — emulated — by every airman and guardian, especially Air Force Academy graduates,” said Col. (Ret.) Michael Van Hoomissen ’79, class president.

The campaign also saw the addition of two new static displays adjacent to the

B-52 near the Academy’s North Gate. The HH-3E Jolly Green Giant display honors combat search-and-rescue crews who risked their lives so “that others may live,” and was championed by Max James ’64, who flew Jolly Greens during the Vietnam War. The Air Warrior Combat Memorial recognizes the history of aerial combat and features a statue of former Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Robin Olds.

In addition, several class reunion projects helped to restore the Air Garden to its original design and laid the groundwork for a Tuskegee Airmen memorial at Davis Airfield.

CLASS BONDS FORGE A LASTING LEGACY

Defining Our Future allowed many graduate classes to make an indelible mark on the institution they love through transformative class reunion projects.

The Class of 1974 completed the Forevermore Overlook, their 50th reunion project, in 2024 after raising more than $1.1 million. It now provides cadets with a place for reflection and contemplation.

“It’s cool knowing this was donated by the Class of ’74. They’ve been here. They did it. And 50 years later, they are still thinking about cadets,” says 2nd Lt. Alyssa LeCours ’24.

The Class of 1963 rallied behind the state-of-the-art Leader Challenge Tower at the Outdoor Leadership Complex, part of the Center for Character and Leadership Development. After a successful fundraising drive, they joined together in the late summer of 2023 to dedicate the tower in honor of their classmate, Gen. (Ret.) Ronald R. Fogleman, the first USAFA graduate to serve as chief of staff of the Air Force.

From Madera Cyber Innovation Center support to National Character and Leadership Symposium endowments, class giving bolstered the Academy and its mission during the campaign and will continue advancing its mission in the years ahead.

Hotel Polaris and the Hosmer Visitor Center (Photo courtesy of Maj. (Ret.) Christopher Vasquez ’97)

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

CONTINUING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT AT THE ACADEMY

By Steven Lincoln • Photo by Ryan

Donor support has always been an important part of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s history. Since its founding in 2007, the Air Force Academy Foundation has focused on cultivating increasing support from donors to help define the future of the Academy, its cadets and its programs – and making sure those gifts are carefully stewarded.

The Defining Our Future campaign, the largest such effort to date, helped focus fundraising efforts on major Academy priorities. Donors responded in record numbers, contributing more than $330 million to capital and programmatic projects as well as graduate programs. Build-

ing on those successes, the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation will continue to work with donors and classes to support priority programs and cadet experiences, furthering excellence in all areas of the Academy.

“We’re always focused on supporting the Academy and building leaders of character. But we also are very focused on building an organization and sustaining it in the interim period so we can exceed the previous campaign when the time comes,” says Alex Gilbert ’87, chair of the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors. “That takes planning. We want to develop the team, and then we want

to have the policies and procedures for stewardship in place so that we can have a successful campaign next time as well.”

FUTURE PHILANTHROPY

In 2025 and beyond, donor support will continue to focus on preparing cadets for a technologically advanced and dynamic future and for maintaining peace, defending the nation and winning conflicts. Part of that focus will include fostering critical thinking among the Cadet Wing through extra support of academic departments, academic assistance and research centers. The Association and Foundation will also place an added emphasis on creating

Hall

sustaining support for graduate services, heritage projects and meaningful engagement opportunities.

“There are three areas where we see graduates and the Academy can benefit from each other: membership, volunteering and philanthropy,” says Kelly Banet, executive vice president for development at the Association and Foundation. “We want people to engage. They can become members and be active within the Association of Graduates. They can volunteer locally within chapters or as admissions liaisons. And they can make a philanthropic gift in support of their alma mater.”

On the philanthropic front, the Association and Foundation will support the priorities of Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91, who assumed command in August 2024. Gen. Bauernfeind has identified overarching priorities related to developing warfighters to win, leaders of character and quality and critical thinkers to adapt.

Additionally, fundraisers will seek foundational support for academic programs and the Dean of Faculty mission element, such as through endowed fac-

ulty funds and chairs. Plus, the Association and Foundation will seek long-term support for graduate services.

The Academy can expand the breadth and depth of its academic program with the expertise and experience of distinguished faculty who are named endowed chairs. These donor-funded positions attract national leaders and preeminent scholars to devote their time and talent teaching and mentoring cadets and faculty. They also may focus on research projects of national security importance, providing meaningful experience to cadets and other faculty members.

Donors can also support the Academy’s academic mission through endowed funds that establish academic centers, scholarin-residence or visiting lecturer positions, and fellowship opportunities. Each of these options helps strengthen scholarship within specific disciplines, especially emerging fields that may not be addressed in the current curriculum.

The Association and Foundation offers many programs to serve graduates throughout their lives. Philanthropy can help those programs thrive long into the

future. For example, donors can support the quarterly award-winning Checkpoints magazine with endowments or other gifts focused on travel for writers to meet graduates where they make their impact or other recurring operational costs. Similarly, a recently expanded next-ofkin program is designed to grow along with the burgeoning graduate community. The program assists families of deceased graduates with navigating funeral details if the burial will happen at the Air Force Academy Cemetery. Other services include the printing of Here’s A Toast, a new memorial publication remembering graduates who have died in the past year, and additional support during next-ofkin ceremonies at the Academy. Although these programs are funded through the operating budget, endowments will help sustain and grow them for decades and generations to come.

Because the Association and Foundation exists to support the Academy, additional fundraising priorities may be added as they are identified by Academy leaders.

CELEBRATE THE SABRE SOCIETY’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH US!

As an Air Force Academy Fund donor, you provide the U.S. Air Force Academy with crucial, flexible funding to help develop warfighters to win, leaders of character and quality and critical thinkers to adapt.

Your generosity reaches all generations of Academy cadets and graduates, especially during the moments that matter.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENDURING COMMITMENT!

LEGACIES CONNECTIONS AND

MEET THE TEAM

Our engagement center team builds connections with U.S. Air Force Academy graduates, supporters and community members.

The team’s outreach efforts — phone calls, emails, handwritten notes and surveys — help graduates and donors stay informed and involved by sharing updates, celebrating milestones and creating opportunities to give back — all while strengthening the Academy and the Long Blue Line.

ANSWER THE CALL AND STAY CONNECTED

The engagement team looks forward to talking with you soon. Watch for a phone call from Braden Barker (719-247-8701) or Zoe Paganis (719-247-8739).

If you need to reach the team directly, call 719-409-9712

The Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation’s engagement center team. From left: Brent Diederich, general manager; Zoe Paganis, engagement specialist; Braden Barker, engagement specialist.

Photo by Ryan Hall

P LAN OF ATTACK

Combatives courses and clubs prepare cadets for life’s uncertainties

By Bryan Grossman

“ THE SOCIETY THAT SEPARATES ITS SCHOLARS FROM ITS WARRIORS WILL HAVE ITS THINKING DONE BY COWARDS AND ITS FIGHTING BY FOOLS.” THUCYDIDES

Entangled bodies struggle to gain dominant positions while droplets of sweat mark the mats inside the Cadet Gymnasium. An instructor — set apart from the sea of camouflage by his all-black ensemble and cauliflower ears, divulging years of grappling experience — reminds the group that the goal is to control their training partners on the ground. Strangles and joint locks will come in due time.

It’s a Thursday in January and about a dozen cadets are participating in the U.S. Air Force Academy’s mandatory PE 215, also known as Combatives I. The core physical education course includes boxing and two levels of combatives. Recently, it expanded to offer electives to include self-protection and marksmanship. The program also supports the broader Air Force by developing curricula and certifications for a variety of groups and situations, including Security Forces, Special Warfare and pre-deployment training. Combatives is made up of a variety

of functional martial arts systems (see sidebar on p. 47), such as freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and even some Filipino and Thai disciplines, according to Dave Durnil, Ph.D., chief of training and education, Air Force Combatives Center of Excellence. Each, he says, was selected for its ability to be effective under stress and teachable in the time constraints of the program.

Hand-to-hand combat training, Durnil adds, helps forge warfighters to win, but the program’s benefits go beyond simply learning how to fight.

TRADITIONAL MEETS MODERN

Anthropological studies have found evidence of martial arts and their societal impact throughout human history.

“Ultimately, martial arts, just like food or language, are inherent to every culture, and so they exist because there’s a need for them,” Durnil says. “It’s this concept of developing internal hierarchies and

also repelling external threats. But martial arts encompass more than just empty-hand skills. They include weapons. And you could say operational planning, handcuffing — all those are martial arts utilized in a military framework.”

Combatives training evolves to meet the changing needs of airmen and guardians, blending traditional arts like judo with more modern disciplines.

The Air Force’s martial arts roots trace back to World War II, when Gen. Curtis LeMay promoted judo as a path to exercise and teambuilding. By the 1960s, judo tournaments were not uncommon for Air Force personnel, Durnil says. And over the next couple of decades, several USAFA-affiliated judokas competed internationally.

Combatives struggled over the next few decades, however. Durnil says a shortage of ranked instructors and shifting priorities brought many programs to a halt.

But in 1999, USAFA’s Combatives program saw a resurgence. A mix of judo,

wrestling and other techniques emerged, and the Air Force’s modern combatives curriculum was born. Some notable changes: The more combat-realistic Operational Camouflage Patterns replaced the traditional judo gi, and the program expanded to include verbal de-escalation techniques, weapons handling and tactical strategies.

“After 9/11, we started deploying with the Marine Corps and the Army and finding ourselves in more of a joint role,” Durnil says. “So there was a cease and desist of all training in 2007.”

Gen. (Ret.) T. Michael Moseley, thenchief of staff of the Air Force, ordered a unified program be developed for the branch.

“I got here in 2007 and was part of that initial discussion and how this centralized approach can be utilized to help airmen throughout the Air Force,” Durnil

says. “Initial adoption was something based on the Army system, which had been in existence since the ’90s, initially in Ranger Regiment, and should be used as a template.”

By 2009, the Academy became the Air Force Combatives Center of Excellence and by 2019, it had produced over 100 master instructors, impacting thousands of airmen, and now guardians, annually, Durnil says.

The current combatives training program at USAFA is built around three key components: mandatory physical education training for all cadets, mission-specific training for those preparing for deployment, and career-specific instruction within fields such as Special Warfare or Security Forces. The courses ensure airmen and guardians are prepared to physically defend themselves while also build mental preparedness and strengthen ethical decision-making un-

der stress. Included in the curriculum, of course: the development of character, leadership and adaptability — skills that extend beyond combat.

‘STRONGER PEOPLE ARE HARDER TO KILL’

“Yes, I’ve been hit in the face — I’ve gotten into a couple of fights in high school — but it’s not a natural thing, right?”

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mark Clifford ’97, Ph.D., the Academy’s head boxing coach, observes his class from the Cadet Gym bleachers while instructors work with groups of cadets on their power hand.

He explains over the thump thump thump of gloves meeting heavy bags how, as a cadet, he was first drawn to a different sport.

“Even in basketball I was rough, physical. I’m gonna get some fouls. So I’m OK with the banging and the pushing, but

Combatives coaches go over the power hand during a boxing course in the Cadet Gym. (Photo by Ryan Hall)

“Combatives is a bridge that allows us to get to many of those outcomes — individuals who are able to thrive in adversity and to encounter it in a healthy and safe way, which allows them to take the lessons they learn from the curriculum and apply it to everyday life...”

—Dave Durnil, Ph.D.

I’m not OK with people punching me in the face,” Col. Clifford says.

Col. Clifford traded “riding the bench” for hand wraps and rounds after showing promise during his own cadet training. He would go on to become a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Association All-American and NCBA national cham-

pion in his weight class.

Col. Clifford explains that when he attended the Academy, boxing was only offered to male cadets; the curriculum opened to USAFA’s female population about a decade ago.

And the program’s focus, Col. Clifford says, is not on producing national champions but rather building resilience and teaching cadets how to handle stress, respond to pressure and maintain composure in potentially dangerous situations.

The boxing training emphasizes safe techniques, especially jabs, and includes sparring with controlled punches. Cadets get a couple of power punches per round, so they have to make them count.

“There’s apprehension,” Col. Clifford says of some boxing newcomers (most cadets), “but they know they have to get through it. And I think there’s an evolution of understanding: ‘Yeah, getting punched in the face hurts, but I can withstand that pain and I can fight through it.’ That’s what we look for from the cadets. Are you going to get knocked down? You can get punched in the face, metaphorically, throughout your career. But how do you bounce back from that?”

Durnil, a 30-year practitioner of and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, echoes Col. Clifford’s intent: forging resilient warfighters.

“Looking at both the Great Power Competition component and looking at the future Air Force and Space Force — we want to develop people who are not only effective within their jobs, but are able to deal with stress, able to make ethical decisions under stress, and able to support our nation’s needs regardless of environment,” he says. “And so a big aim of our program is to develop resiliency and anti-fragility within our users so that those individuals can conduct a mission

USAFA's combatives club is akin to a civilian Brazilian jiu-jitsu school. Primarily focused on the sport aspects of grappling, cadets learn techniques, then attempt them while sparring. (Photo by Ryan Hall)

TOP LEFT: Boxing instruction includes heavy-bag work. (Photo by Ryan Hall)

TOP RIGHT: Only jabs are allowed to help avoid injury. (Photo by Bryan Grossman)

ABOVE: Cadets spar, or "roll," during combatives club. (Photo by Ryan Hall)

regardless of what the needs are.”

Durnil adds, “Combatives is a bridge that allows us to get to many of those outcomes — individuals who are able to thrive in adversity and to encounter it in a healthy and safe way, which allows them to take the lessons they learn from the curriculum and apply it to everyday life, to use it as a way of destressing and understand the effects of stress on their body, and, in a lot of ways, make them stronger. There’s a quote — Mark Rippetoe — that goes something like ‘stronger people are harder to kill and therefore more useful.’ I think that they’re more useful in many different ways. They’re more useful in high-pressure environments at home, high-pressure environments in the workplace, and ultimately just better individuals for service.”

GROUNDED

“It just clears your head,” Cadet 1st Class Nathaniel Pimentel says.

Pimentel, the cadet in charge of the combatives competitive club, pursued an appointment to the Academy from his native Carbondale, Illinois, because he sought “a little more exciting experience” than a traditional university can offer.

“I think there are a lot of physical activities you can do as a hobby,” he says. “You can run, bike, whatever, but nothing for me attracts my focus like combatives does. You absolutely can’t think about anything else while you’re down there, and so having that opportunity to mentally reset helps me come back better for the rest of the day.

“And also it’s just really, really fun.”

Pimentel wrestled in high school, so combatives club seemed like a natural continuation of that.

“I wasn’t good enough to wrestle at the collegiate level, but it was an awesome way to still have that competitive environment for grappling, just a little bit less competitive,” he says.

The club meets three times a week and resembles civilian jiu-jitsu clubs. Participants warm up, spend time learning and refining techniques, then “roll,” a term for sparring, typically with the intent of submitting one’s training partner. Submis-

“You can get punched in the face, metaphorically, throughout your career. But how do you bounce back from that?” —Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mark Clifford ’97, Ph.D.

TOP: Rules are posted in the grappling room.

ABOVE: Cadets work positioning — specifically how to pass the guard, where the person on top tries to get out from between the bottom person's legs. (Photos by Bryan Grossman)

Photo by Ryan Hall

sions are indicated through physically and verbally "tapping" one’s opponent.

Club members may also compete at local jiu-jitsu tournaments.

“I try to get out once a month,” Pimentel says. “It keeps me sharp.”

More advanced club members also assist those readying for the core grappling class.

And while the mandatory classes focus on self-defense and ensuring airmen and guardians are prepared if ever in a dangerous situation, the club is more focused on sport jiu-jitsu.

“What I really picked up from the Combatives program that’s different from the club was that situational awareness that you would need to have in a real situation,” Pimentel says. “Things like looking out for weapons, looking out for other individuals who might want to harm you. In the club, we’re getting ready for competitive tournaments and we’re less focused on real-life self-defense.”

As a former wrestler, Pimentel’s confidence on the ground was high coming into the program, but he still experienced the boxing shock to which Col. Clifford referred.

“I had a lot of confidence in myself from wrestling, and that was pretty shattered when I realized how bad I was at boxing, how different it is,” he says. “And so it’s great for me to get exposed to that other side of combatives, because I don’t think I would have been prepared at all.”

Pimentel says the mandatory program and the club have made him “a more confident, relaxed individual.”

“You’ve realized that you can handle it,” he says. “And I think you can take those skills outside of combat as well. When I find myself in a stressful situation, I’m like, ‘This is nothing. I was just down at practice getting beat up on.’ So it’s definitely given me some confidence to handle stressful situations.”

COMBATIVES 101

PRIMARY DISCIPLINES COMPRISING USAFA’S COMBATIVES PROGRAM

• B OXING

A martial art where two competitors, often wearing protective gloves, face off in a contest of strength, speed and endurance by throwing punches at each other. The goal is to land punches on the opponent ’s torso or head while avoiding their punches. Arranged bouts typically end with judges’ decision following the final predetermined round, technical knockout or knockout.

• G RECO-ROMAN WRESTLING

A style of wrestling characterized by the prohibition of using the legs to attack or hold an opponent, and by the emphasis on throws. The core objective of sport Greco-Roman wrestling is to either pin both of the opponent’s shoulders to the mat to win the match or accumulate more points by the end of the match. In competition, wrestlers can score points by successfully completing holds, locks, throws or other takedowns.

• F REESTYLE WRESTLING

A martial art where the primary objective in a sport setting is pinning the opponent ’ s shoulders to the mat for a short duration of time. Wrestlers can also score points by executing legal holds, throws, takedowns or reversals. Freestyle wrestling allows for a wider range of techniques than its Greco-Roman counterpart because competitors may attack their opponent’s entire body.

• J UDO

One of the longest-taught hand-to-hand combat systems in the U.S. Air Force, judo is a Japanese martial art that involves throwing and grappling opponents to the ground. In sport judo, a perfectly executed throw results in an ippon, comparable to a knockout in boxing. Judo, like Brazilian jiu-jitsu — a related martial art — also includes ground techniques (newaza) and submissions via strangles and joint locks.

• B RAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art focused on ground fighting and grappling. Moreso than judo, it emphasizes techniques like joint locks and strangles to control or submit an opponent. The art is widely used in mixed martial arts and law-enforcement self-defense curricula due to its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

FAST NEW DIGITAL

The rebirth of Form O-96

By Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steven A. Simon ’77

Photos by Ryan Hall

From the beginning of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s existence, officials have strived to obtain feedback from cadets regarding the food served in their dining hall.

That noble objective continues to this day, though it is now solicited in a decidedly more modern manner.

Yes, the most famous form in the Academy’s history has undergone a digital facelift. The Cadet Food Acceptability Report, known to all as the USAFA Form O-96, began its life at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, the home of the Academy from its inception until August 1958.

Members of the first USAFA class, the Class of ’59, were still four-degrees when then-officer in charge of the Cadet Dining Hall, Lt. Col. W. E. Eichelberger, introduced the document. Initially dated March 9, 1956, it featured six multiple-choice questions about the dining experience. The cadet completing the form would rank the “Service of Food,” “Waiter Service,” “Portion Served,” “Personnel Attitude,” “Beverage” and “Meal Considered.”

Due to unforeseen but ultimately beneficial circumstances, cadets began to complete the Form O-96 with the same answers. Rather than take the time to think it through, rushed cadets would rate food service as “Fast,” the waiter service “Neat,”

the portions “Average,” and the attitude “Friendly,” while the beverage and meal were both deemed to be “Good.”

From there, the form’s standard “answer key” took on a life of its own, far from the dinner table. Seeking to determine if an individual had attended the Academy, a cadet or graduate could merely say “fast neat average.” If the queried person had graduated from the Academy, they would respond “friendly good good.”

O-96 LORE

The graduate call-and-response has resulted in many fascinating interactions over the decades, from the lifesaving in Vietnam and the scary in the post-9/11 environment (see sidebar p. 53) to amusing anecdotes from throughout the world.

A Checkpoints article in the March 2020 issue told many of the more interesting Form O-96-generated stories.

The default answer immortalized the form, but it also made it less helpful to Mitchell Hall officials. Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Whiteman, former deputy director of cadet food service, says, “The standard response actually makes it more difficult to receive cadets’ truthful and thoughtful opinions on the meals we serve.”

In fact, due to its limited value in accomplishing its intended purpose (as

“I WAS EXCITED TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WAS ALREADY A VEHICLE FOR US TO GET CADET INPUT, AND THAT IT WAS SO WELL KNOWN.”

—Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Whiteman

well as the cost, the waste of paper and the manhours required to read the same responses thousands of times), the form has disappeared from Mitchell Hall tables from time to time.

The current Mitchell Hall staff’s sincere quest for constructive criticism has led to Form O-96’s reappearance, albeit with a different configuration. When Whiteman arrived at the Academy in 2023, he expressed interest in learning more about cadets’ dietary likes and dislikes.

“I wasn’t familiar with the Form O-96

or its history and heritage,” he says.

He was shown a display that the Association of Graduates, in cooperation with the commandant of cadets, had installed in Mitchell Hall on Nov. 1, 2016.

“I was excited to discover that there was already a vehicle for us to get cadet input, and that it was so well known,” he adds.

“Then, it was just a question of making the Form O-96 more useful for our purposes.”

The goal was to start with the historic document but go beyond the rote response and elicit useful information.

Whiteman says, “Making the new product digital was key, as it would allow the staff to change the follow-on questions as needed so we could get honest feedback.”

Members of the Cadet Wing were involved in the process as well and are enthusiastic about the innovation. A statement from three of those cadets, who had served in Summer 2024 leadership positions, Cadets First Class Micah Stark, Mayson Slaughter and Aaron Reyes, said, “We as cadets are excited to bring back

the Form O-96 in a way that accommodates modern technology. We are eager to be a part of the ‘fast neat average’ tradition while still being able to provide appropriate feedback to Mitchell Hall and its staff.”

Academy leadership is also on board with the new form. Col. Peter Gryzen ’97, the vice commandant of cadets, oversaw the project.

“With the digital form, we kept the ‘fast neat average’ as the first thing cadets see in order to tie back to the heritage and connect to the Long Blue Line. We’ve then added more detailed options to get actional feedback from cadets for Mitchell Hall staff,” Col. Gryzen says.

The USAFA Form O-96 heritage is deep, rich and much-loved by Academy graduates. Due to the Mitchell Hall staff initiative, the form’s continued existence and relevance are secure. With luck, graduates far into the future will have the opportunity to approach an individual, say “fast neat average,” and get the immediate bonding response “friendly good good.”

A MATTER OF TASTE: CADETS SHARE FOOD CRITIQUES AT MITCHELL HALL EVENTS

Form O-96 is only one of the ways the Mitchell Hall staff collects cadet feedback on its menus. Another is the Mitchell Hall food taste test. In October, Mitchell Hall staff invited more than 200 cadets to spend their lunchtime in the underground dining room.

Claire Wilhite, Mitchell Hall dietitian, says one or two of these events are held each semester. Typically, about 220 cadets are invited, and about a third to half show up. For the October 2024 event, the acceptance rate was well over half, as the room was overflowing with enthusiastic subjects. Wilhite and Kendra Maurer, the other dietitian, work with Cadet Support Chief Jaime Kuzio to research and come up with menu ideas. For each tasting, the Mitchell Hall staff allows different vendors to show off in hopes of gaining a coveted place on the meal schedule.

As for the specific offerings, the staff attempt to meet the cadets where they are.

MITCHELL HALL FACTS AND FIGURES

12,000

meals

The dining hall serves about 12,000 meals per day.

$25 million

The annual budget is about $25 million.

6-8 weeks

The executive chef and nutritionists build the menu, working six to eight weeks out to ensure the availability and delivery of required food items.

up to1 dozen

A staff of up to a dozen people order, receive and store the required food items.

SHAMROCK FOODS

is the main vendor, but many other suppliers provide food and drink products served in Mitchell Hall.

On a typical day, TWO FULL SEMI-TRUCKS will unload their cargo at the Mitchell Hall loading dock. While cadets are in Jacks Valley during Basic Cadet Training, Mitchell Hall staff members shift a significant portion of their operation there. The

SATELLITE DINING

FACILITY — ALSO KNOWN AS “METAL MITCH’S” OR “DEPLOYED MITCH’S” — serves the same menu as in the Cadet Area dining hall, although the offerings will likely be more limited. The food is prepared on site in Jacks Valley.

Because cadets are so busy, the meal options include several grab-and-go items, allowing cadets to quickly stop by Mitchell Hall to get food on the way to class, training, practice or another commitment.

On this day, Maurer welcomed the cadet volunteer tasters, then described each dish and invited the cadets to dig in.

Cadets walked the buffet line, choosing food to sample, then completed a survey. Whether or not a menu item ever gets offered to the whole Cadet Wing is entirely dependent on the cadet ratings. If fewer than 50% of the raters respond favorably, that item will never be served. A dish receiving between 50% and 75% support will be considered by the staff, with some

items implemented and some eliminated. Any item scoring better than 75% will make an appearance in Mitch’s.

On this day, the shrimp, scallop and lobster cannelloni served with creamy tomato alfredo and tri-color bell peppers seemed to be the big hit.

Cadet Second Class Ebony Joseph, CS-31, a member of Fourth Group Staff, participated for the first time as a Mitchell Hall food taster. She already had a favorable opinion of Mitchell Hall’s overall menu and found that most of the tasting event samples were good. She said she enjoyed providing feedback and looked forward to seeing the recommendations implemented for the Cadet Wing.

The Mitchell Hall menu features vegetarian options at every meal, and the tasting reflected that commitment.

Cadet First Class Madison Nieves, CS36, also said this was her first tasting. She found it to be an “awesome opportunity” to help. As a vegetarian, she was excited to try meatless offerings. She had been a veg-

O-WOW!

ACCORDING TO LEGEND, the Form O-96 helped save a graduate’s life during the Vietnam War. When a grad was shot down in combat, he verified his identify via radio with a fellow grad. In response to the prompt “fast neat average,” the stranded pilot correctly responded “friendly good good.” The pilot was subsequently rescued.

Perhaps the best-known Form O-96 story took place amid the heightened security and distrust that existed after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. As related by Snopes, the truth-or-fiction website: “On 6 February 2003, a passenger on a Chicago-bound American Trans Air plane departing from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., handed a note reading ‘Fast. Neat. Average.’ to a flight attendant and asked her to deliver it to the pilot. The pilot, puzzled by the note and suspicious of the passenger’s motive in sending it to him, contacted airport police and headed the aircraft back to the gate. The note-writer was taken off the plane and detained for questioning, while the flight departed (over an hour late) without him. … Airport police took the man into custody, but after several hours of questioning and background checks he was released, an airport spokeswoman said.”

“MAKING THE NEW PRODUCT DIGITAL WAS KEY, AS IT WOULD ALLOW THE STAFF TO CHANGE THE FOLLOWON QUESTIONS AS NEEDED SO WE COULD GET HONEST FEEDBACK.”

—Senior

Master Sgt. Daniel Whiteman

etarian for a couple of years before arriving at USAFA. She said the menu items for her have improved during her cadet tenure.

In addition to the vegetarian choices, the staff also provides lean protein options and is cognizant of the need for glutenfree items at every meal. The weight gain and weight loss tables of the past are gone, so as not to label or stigmatize anyone.

For most graduates, reunions are their only exposure to the present-day Mitchell Hall. During the tasting session, AOG

communications staffer Ryan Hall made a trenchant observation: Mitchell Hall is the last place cadets want to eat, but the first choice among returning grads.

Our escort at the event, a Class of ’24 grad awaiting pilot training, endorsed that viewpoint, at least on the cadet side of the equation. The second lieutenant even provided some first-person evidence, admitting that he had eaten dinner in Mitchell Hall only two or three times during his firstie year. He said he preferred the convenience of ready-made meals or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Though now a grad, the cadet mindset had not yet faded during his first few months as an officer. Despite being assigned to the dining hall, last year’s tasting event marked the first Mitchell Hall meal he’d eaten since commissioning.

As for the returning graduates’ enthusiasm for the Mitchell Hall experience, the Association of Graduates’ Michele Bergeman, director of heritage and longtime reunion planner, says, “The opportunity to eat lunch in Mitchell Hall is our most sought-after reunion activity.”

She goes on to say, “classes usually fill all the allotted slots within days of registration opening, with long waiting lists.

The grads definitely enjoy having a meal and visiting with cadets in the dining hall.”

Dane Matthew, cadet services flight chief, understands and accepts that cadets grow tired of the offerings. He observes that, “A cadet may eat up to 3,500 meals in Mitchell Hall during a career.” Given that regularity, he states, “In that situation, even a five-star restaurant would get old. That’s why the staff works so hard to vary the menu. They largely — but not totally — change out the menu every semester. It is essential to keep things fresh.”

On that score, my personal experience helps make his case. As a cadet, I always liked the Mitchell Hall food but found the menu repeated itself too regularly. We’d have the same meals every five or six weeks or so, as I recall. Then I graduated and was on my own, tasked to plan and prepare my own meals. Laughably, my menu items began repeating themselves every five or six days, if not more often.

The food tasting event and the interaction between the cadets and the staff made one thing perfectly clear: Those in Mitchell Hall building menus and providing quality meals genuinely care about the product — and those who consume it.

New EVP of alumni relations takes the reins

By Bryan Grossman

Col. (Ret.) Michael “Baja” Cornelius ’00 took on life’s next challenge for the same reason he attended Weapons School while on active duty.

Sitting in Doolittle Hall’s library, he tells Checkpoints, “I want to make myself better so I can make others better.”

Col. Cornelius is the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation’s new executive vice president of alumni relations, overseeing alumni relations while working closely with the AOG board of directors.

Following his commission into the U.S. Air Force, Col. Cornelius served as a weapon systems officer in the B-1 bomber and supported multiple combat deployments during the Global War on Terrorism.

Formerly director of operations and strategic analysis at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Col. Cornelius led nearly three dozen military, civilian and contract personnel. Some responsibilities included maintaining institutional effectiveness processes and issuing orders on behalf of the USAFA superintendent.

Col. Cornelius also served as commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School from June 2022 to June 2024. He is a 1996 Prep School graduate.

Col. Cornelius assumed his new duties with the AOG and Foundation in February and leads alumni relations, engagement, customer service, membership and merchandise operations. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to increase and sustain graduate and parent engagement and serve a growing base of constituencies, including more than 53,000 living USAFA graduates. His portfolio includes reunions, chapter and affinity groups, career services, heritage programs, parent and graduate membership, and the WebGuy program.

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

Like many graduates, Col. Cornelius did not foresee returning to the Academy in any official capacity after tossing his cap into the air a quarter-century ago.

“So many put this place in the rearview and don’t necessarily forget about it, but it’s like, ‘Been there, done that. Now let’s go to the next thing.’ For 20-plus years, I didn’t even give it a second thought,” he says. “I came back here for a football game or two; I missed every one of my reunions due to deployments. So, it’s like, ‘What ties you to the Academy?’ It was really my classmates.”

Col. Cornelius aims to strengthen class ties as he continues his work at the Academy, but for the first time as a civilian.

“I think I lend a perspective that can be shared with the graduate community to help bring them back to where a lot of the things may have started for them,” he says. “We obviously have outstanding graduates and a graduate community that’s out in the real world doing great things, whether it’s in the civilian sector or people are continuing to serve. But we need to put our arms around all that.”

Col. Cornelius says that by service academy standards, USAFA is relatively young, but class demographics still span a wide variety of experiences and opinions. Bridging those experiences is one of the challenges he will face in his new position.

“That connective tissue with your alma mater is going to mean something later, and whether you’re five, 10, 25 years out — it’s not too late to get involved. I’m just trying to build those linkages.”

No matter how much time has passed since graduation day, Col. Cornelius says one linkage endures: the “why.”

“The ‘why’ doesn’t change,” he says. “I’ve heard where people were concerned with the next crop, the next generation behind them, right? Well, the motivation

is to serve, and the reasons why — you’re going to get 1,000 different opinions on why people are here, but they are here, and they are making a sacrifice, whether it’s a five-year commitment on the backside of graduation or serving a 30-year career.”

At A Glance:

Col. (Ret.) Michael “Baja” Cornelius ’00 served in leadership roles at the squadron, group, wing, component and major command levels. His awards and decorations include:

• Legion of Merit

• Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

• Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters

• Air Medal

• Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

• Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

• Meritorious Unit Award

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and eight oak leaf clusters

• Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster

• Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two oak leaf clusters

• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Photo by Ryan Hall

[ My Cool AF/SF Job ]

RANK, NAME AND CLASS YEAR:

CAPT. SULLIVAN BRAKEFIELD U.S. AIR FORCE CLASS OF 2020

MY COOL JOB: KC-46 PILOT

MY CURRENT ROLE:

KC-46 CO-PILOT AND SQUADRON EXECUTIVE OFFICER

WHAT MAKES MY JOB SO COOL?

I feel incredibly fortunate to have a job that allows me to travel the world projecting U.S. air power. I get to experience different cultures and environments while serving a critical role in maintaining global security, working with advanced technology and equipment, and fostering cooperation with international partners and allies. As a member of the crew that operates and supports the KC-46 Pegasus, the Air Force’s newest and most advanced tanker, I’m proud to be part of a game-changing capability that enables our military to extend its reach and respond to emerging threats. I take great

pride in my role and feel a sense of purpose knowing that my work has a direct impact on the safety and well-being of people around the world. Every day is different and exciting, whether I’m working on a base, participating in exercises and training missions, or supporting humanitarian efforts, and I feel grateful to be able to do work that is so critical to global security, making a difference and serving my country in a meaningful way.

HOW IS MY ROLE IMPACTING THE AIR FORCE OR THE NATION?

As a KC-46 crew member, I’m making a

significant impact on the Air Force and nation. By flying the KC-46, I’m providing critical aerial refueling capabilities that enable our military to operate effectively and efficiently, responding to emerging threats and crises. Every mission I fly helps extend the range and endurance of our aircraft, allowing them to defend our nation and its interests. I’m proud to play a critical role in this essential capability.

WHAT ELSE HAVE I BEEN UP TO?

As the head of the aviation inspiration team for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, I’ve been busy leading efforts to promote aviation awareness and inspire the next generation of aviators. It’s a rewarding role that allows me to give back to the community and share my passion for flight with others.

OTHER COOL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

I’ve had the opportunity to be part of some amazing operations and exercises, but the experience with my brother’s [Lt. Lawson

Brakefield] Navy EA-18 squadron really stands out. Coordinating a mid-air refueling with my brother’s Navy aircraft was a thrilling experience, and it was great to see the KC-46’s capabilities in action. It was also a unique chance to work with my brother in a professional setting, and I’m grateful to have had that opportunity. The fact that we could plan and execute a rendezvous in the sky, with my crew refueling his aircraft, was a testament to the skill and training of both our teams. It’s experiences like those that remind me of the importance of our mission and the impact that we have on the global stage. And, of course, it’s always cool to be able to say that I got to refuel my brother’s jet in mid-air!

PREVIOUS PAGE: Capt. Sullivan Brakefield '20 is all smiles inside the cockpit of a KC-46 Pegasus while refueling her brother's Navy aircraft at 25,000 feet.

LEFT: Capt. Sullivan Brakefield '20 with her airframe, the Air Force's newest and most advanced tanker

ABOVE: Capt. Sullivan Brakefield '20 examines a KC-46 Pegasus. (Courtesy photos)

Long Blue Line includes pinstriped Wall Street detachment

By David Bitton

The values instilled at the U.S. Air Force Academy are hardly buzzwords for graduates working on Wall Street. Integrity, service, excellence, honesty and fair dealing mean something, and they have created a long, blue pipeline to America’s financial industry, with Academy graduates garnering top roles in the world of pinstripes after shedding their uniforms.

The Academy’s management courses focus on decision-making under extreme pressure, with life — not money — on the line. And while the Defense Department isn’t a profitable business, it does instill discipline and character, according to four graduates who talked to Checkpoints about how the Academy prepared them to be captains of industry.

Recruited to play football for Coach Fisher DeBerry, Scott McKay ’01 stood out on the gridiron, returning punts and kicks, catching the ball out of the backfield, and earning team MVP in 1999.

He also held leadership positions within the Cadet Wing, serving as a squadron commander his firstie year.

“I bought into all that the Academy had to offer,” McKay says. “It certainly prepared me for Wall Street and the world of finance, to connect with a broad range of personalities, people and backgrounds.”

As senior managing director at Blue Owl Capital, he helps match investors with companies in search of funding in the form of secured loans leveraged against assets.

“We have a very close-knit team that reminds me of the teammates I had at the Air Force Academy,” McKay says. “We face adversity every day with volatility in the market, and having a team you can lean on to accomplish great things is something that I love about the job. It just so happens we’re doing it for a large asset management firm.”

Before arriving on Wall Street, McKay served as an acquisition officer at Los Angeles Air Force Base, where he helped procure space launch services.

He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California before launching his finance career in New York City, where he worked as an investment banking associate at Bear Stearns & Co. until

the 2008 financial crisis, which saw the titanic investment company fail during the darkest days for the American economy since the Great Depression.

He continued working in finance and, in 2015, teamed up with some former Bear Stearns colleagues to start a business for Littlejohn & Co., a middle-market private equity firm. As managing director, McKay helped grow the business to about $6.5 billion in assets before Blue Owl Capital acquired the business in 2022. He now helps manage assets worth nearly $20 billion for Blue Owl.

“Wall Street, while it’s in the business of making money, it’s also in the business of serving clients,” McKay says. “You’re part of something bigger than yourself, handling your client relationships with integrity and excellence in all we do, right? Your reputation is the most important thing that you have.”

Looking to the future, McKay is bullish.

“I’m confident the U.S. economy will continue to grow, evolve and innovate,” he says. “We have phenomenal innovators, some of the greatest natural resources, the most diverse economy in the world, and the United States is still one of the most

MCKAY ’01

desirable places to live in the world.”

Blue Owl Capital recently started a veteran hiring program that McKay is involved in.

“I’m happy to be a resource to cadets or grads interested in the world of finance or Wall Street,” McKay says. “If you’re coming through the New York area, don’t be a stranger.”

When the so-called “New York Yankees of hedge funds” called up Kevin Conroy ’05, he came running.

“Citadel prides itself on being the most successful hedge fund in history per dollar in return,” Conroy says. “So, when the Yankees call, you go.”

He found himself in the intelligence business, not for national security this time, but for financial security for his public and private investors.

Conroy runs a team under the hedge fund commodity unit, focusing on macroeconomic events, like how tariffs, interest rates or currency changes impact various commodities.

Most of what he does is research and analysis behind a trade: talking to central banks, politicians or presidential candidates to get a feel for what’s coming.

“It’s gathering information at a quick pace, making a decision via a trade, and

risk managing that,” Conroy says.

He says the Air Force Academy prepared him well for his current job.

“The management program taught me to approach projects with analytical perfection and to minimize variables, so you’re prepared for anything,” Conroy says.

Conroy served five years, first with Air Force Space Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with the bulk of his time under the 412th Electronic Warfare Group at Edwards Air Force Base, California. At Edwards, he performed electronics, imagery and reconnaissance analysis.

“That’s where I really got my love of research and figuring out some of the hightech aspects of various industries and sectors,” Conroy says.

Along the way, he earned a master’s degree in finance from Indiana University and an MBA from New York University.

“While at NYU, I spent a lot of time networking at banks and on the trading floors,” he says. “A network of service academy grads took me in. There’s nothing like this network out there. ... It’s a very special network.”

After graduate school, Conroy worked at Citibank trading currencies, bonds and commodities before starting Orion Resource Partners, a commodity-focused hedge fund, in 2015.

“At one point we were one of the largest hedge funds of our sectors, which was metals and mining,” he says.

Now a partner portfolio manager at Citadel, Conroy often reflects on lessons learned at the Academy while helping his investors.

“The Academy always teaches you to act as if somebody’s watching, even when they’re not,” he says. “In finance, you have an obligation to people that you don’t even see on the other side of a trade. For me, it’s pension funds. It could be firemen in Missouri or a teacher in Texas. Every time I press a button, I’m holding myself, my team and other teams to the highest standard.”

Looking forward, Conroy is optimistic.

“I’m a perennial bull on the U.S. economy and its people,” he says. “We’re a group of hardworking, well-educated people. The U.S. is in a great place to have a strong 10- to 15-year run.”

Born into a military family at Travis Air Force Base, California, Ginny Galbraith ’13 grew up understanding the importance of service before self and excellence in all we do.

Her father served the United States as an Air Force pilot for 24 years, modeling those values and encouraging Galbraith to consider attending a service academy.

“I was interested in the challenging aspects of the Air Force Academy, how it’s not just a school, but it’s also focused on military training and comes with a guaranteed job at the end,” Galbraith says.

That doesn’t mean her first year was easy.

“I got into trouble a lot my four-degree year,” she admits. “I had a bit of an attitude, which I think I still have, but everything really clicked for me after my three-degree year, and I started excelling at academics, physical fitness and cadet military leadership positions.”

She developed lifelong friendships and mentors while at the Academy.

“One of the best parts was not just the camaraderie with my classmates but also getting support and mentorship from professors and alumni within the management department,” Galbraith says.

Galbraith is a vice president in the Industrials Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs — the top-ranked investment bank in the world — in New York

CONROY ’05

GALBRAITH ’13

City. Her work centers around mergers and acquisitions, capital-raising efforts, and other advisory services for companies in the industrial sectors.

“Integrity is important as an investment banker because we are helping C-suite executives with some of the most important transactions for their companies,” Galbraith says. “Having gone through the Academy, the whole integrity-first thing was really instilled into me; I can’t lie to my clients or recommend for them to do a deal that wouldn’t be in their best interest, even if it means the bank will generate millions of dollars in fees.”

Before Galbraith began her civilian career, she was a financial management and cost analysis officer for nearly seven years. During her time in uniform, Galbraith also earned two master’s degrees. The first is in cost analysis at the Air Force Institute of Technology and the second an MBA at Indiana University.

She separated from the Air Force and began a 12-week Veterans Associates Program through Bank of America in March 2020. The COVID pandemic largely shut down New York City, but Galbraith secured a full-time offer and joined the organization as an investment banking associate that summer. She stayed at Bank of America for nearly five years and also played a strong role in recruiting other service academy grads onto Wall Street by attending Service Academy Career Conferences across the country on behalf of the bank.

“Coming from the military and trying to get a job on Wall Street straight out of the service may seem impossible, but leveraging relationships with your fellow service academy graduates can make a huge difference,” Galbraith says.

She recalls cold-messaging a 2008 USAFA graduate on LinkedIn, who helped prepare Galbraith for Bank of America’s 12-week veteran program. She also did the same to get a SkillBridge internship lined up at a middle-market investment bank in Denver before she separated from the service.

Now working at Goldman Sachs since last September, Galbraith still enjoys helping fellow veterans.

“I spend hours each month helping transitioning service members who find

me on LinkedIn or through mutual acquaintances,” Galbraith says.

She’s also keeping an eye on the markets in the near-term.

“I think these next few years are going to see a lot of activity in [mergers and acquisitions] and capital markets, especially for defense tech, emerging space technologies

Loyd Bradley Jr. ’14 fell in love with the Rocky Mountains while visiting the Air Force Academy during a football recruiting visit.

The Texas native followed his father’s example and chose the military.

“I’m a big daddy’s boy, so I decided to follow in his footsteps and join the military,” Bradley says. “I had no idea what that meant, but it all worked out. I found a home there.”

He took full advantage of the airmanship programs, participating in the jump and powered flight programs.

“The Academy is a leadership laboratory, right? You get that experience of leading your peers at a very young age,” says Bradley, a 2022 recipient of the Young Alumni Excellence Award. “That type of leadership is the toughest, in my opinion. So, taking that from the Academy to my job in the Air Force and to the job that I’m in now

was 100% the most valuable thing that I took away from the Academy.”

Bradley is an associate in the Industrials Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs, a global investment banking, securities, and asset and wealth management firm. His work involves meeting with senior leaders within companies and producing financial solutions.

“There is a rank structure at Goldman Sachs. However, everyone has a voice,” Bradley says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re one month into or 25 years into your career; if you have an idea or see something that needs to be addressed, you speak up. That’s the expectation.”

He says the Academy’s core values translate well into the business world.

“Integrity, excellence and service go a long way to serving clients and helping be really good at your job,” Bradley says.

Bradley modeled those values for over seven years as a finance officer, earning a master’s degree along the way in cost analysis at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Post-military, Bradley earned a master’s degree in finance and management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

He gained experience interning at Lexington Partners the summer of 2022 and Goldman Sachs the following summer. He sees the benefits of internships and encourages the Air Force Academy to share Wall Street summer opportunities with cadets in the classroom.

“Some West Point cadets spend three weeks working on Wall Street,” he says. “They get an opportunity to see what’s out there and what is available to them, and that’s such a leg up once they leave military service, which all must do at some point.”

Looking ahead, Bradley is optimistic about the U.S. economy.

“I think this is going to be a very big year for businesses,” he says. “I think a lot of businesses are going to trade hands, and I think that it will be good for the economy. I’m hopeful that this activity in the market will trickle down to individuals and everyone reaps the benefits from that.”

BRADLEY ’14

Season 3 of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation’s premier podcast is underway. Subscribe now! Available at LONGBLUELEADERSHIP.ORG and on all your favorite podcast apps!

2025 EVENTS

APRIL

9 | LONG BLUE GRAY LINE SOCIAL

IVYWILD SCHOOL GYMNASIUM

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

JULY

24-27 | LONG BLUE LINE WEEKEND

25 | LONG BLUE LINE AWARDS

*NOW FEATURING DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES

USAFA, COLORADO

AUGUST

22 | USAFA MEMORIAL CEREMONY

USAFA, COLORADO

30 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. BUCKNELL

USAFA, COLORADO

SEPTEMBER

20 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. BOISE ST

USAFA, COLORADO

27 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. HAWAII

USAFA, COLORADO

OCTOBER

4 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF AT NAVY

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

18 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. WYOMING

USAFA, COLORADO

NOVEMBER

1 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. ARMY

USAFA, COLORADO

22 | FALCON NATION TAILGATE | AF VS. NEW MEXICO

USAFA, COLORADO

REUNIONS

Welcome back to USAFA!

This year, 11 classes will reconnect at USAFA. The Association and Foundation welcomes approximately 5,000 graduates and their guests for annual class reunions. It’s an exciting time to celebrate USAFA graduates as they catch up on the great things taking place at their alma mater. Watch for upcoming reunion details and make your plans to attend. We can’t wait to see you! FOR UPDATES, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT USAFA.ORG/ CONNECT/REUNIONS

Warfighters to Win

SCENES FROM THE 32ND NATIONAL CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM

Photos By Ryan Hall

Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind ’91 opens the 32nd annual National Character and Leadership Symposium

Col. (Ret.) Allison Black

The USAFA Cadet Chorale performs The Star-Spangled Banner

Cadets hear from speakers who embody the warrior ethos

The 32nd National Character and Leadership Symposium at the United States Air Force Academy, titled Warfighters to Win, focused on speakers embodying a strong warrior ethos.

USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91 opened the symposium, stating, “Our job here is to forge leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service and developed to lead our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our nation’s wars.”

Gen. Bauernfeind highlighted the Academy’s mission to cultivate warfighters capable of meeting modern challenges, stressing the critical need to adapt to shifting geopolitical threats from near-peer competition such as China and Russia.

“Our adversaries have learned our way of warfare,” he warned, “and we must develop new tactics and capabilities to keep them at bay.”

He went on to say that “leaders do the right thing, the right way, even when it’s hard.”

Gen. Bauernfeind outlined the Academy’s commitment to rigorous training and developing a team-first mentality.

“It’s not about me, it’s about we,” he said, urging attendees to reflect on their own warrior ethos and readiness for the future battlefield.

Col. Charles Fallon at Polaris Hall

TOP LEFT: Ambassador Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger ’73 speaks in the Arnold Hall Theater.

TOP RIGHT: Lt. Col. Alea Nadeem shares her experience of living in Iraq as a young girl.

ABOVE: From left: Gen. David Allvin ’86, chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. Stephen Whiting ’89, commander, U.S. Space Command; Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna, chief master sergeant of the Space Force; and Chief Master Sgt. David Flosi, chief master sergeant of the Air Force take the stage for the senior leaders panel.

ABOVE: Chief Master Sgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr. talks about being wounded while serving as a combat controller.

TOP RIGHT: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (Ret.) Ramón Colón-López flanked by cadets

BOTTOM RIGHT: Audience members ask the speakers questions.

NCLS presenters and panels included:

• Col. (Ret.) Allison Black, “The Angel of Death,” who trained as a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist and accumulated more than 3,400 flight hours, to include combat sorties in the Middle East. Col. Black commanded at multiple levels including the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

• Col. (Ret.) John Torres ’82, M.D., who discussed the “no excuses” approach he picked up while a cadet at the Academy and explained how he has used it over his many careers, including while dispensing medical advice during uncertain times to millions of viewers as an NBC News correspondent.

• Lt. Col. Alea Nadeem, who had been kidnapped as a child by her Iraqi father and held in the Middle East for four years. She was rescued by her American mother, with the help of the FBI. Col. Nadeem now serves as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force.

• The Senior Leader Discussion Panel, featuring Gen. David Allvin ’86, chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. Stephen Whiting ’89, commander, U.S. Space Command; Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna, chief master sergeant of the Space Force; and Chief Master Sgt. David Flosi, chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

• The Master Sgt. John Chapman Panel, featuring friends, family and those who served with Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2026 class exemplar, Master Sgt. John Chapman. Chapman, a combat controller, was killed in a firefight on Takur Ghar mountain, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002.

These speakers, and many more, provided insights into character and the warrior ethos, inspiring attendees to reflect on their roles as future leaders in the Air Force and Space Force amid Great Power Competition.

The symposium also stressed the need for leaders who make tough decisions and guide their teams through adversity. The event — a call to action — aimed to motivate participants to integrate resilience, courage, character and critical thinking into their daily lives and future careers as officers in the profession of arms.

TOP: Many of this year's NCLS speakers presented from the Arnold Hall Theater. ABOVE: Cadets interact with those experienced in combat.

SULLENBERGER AWARD FOR COURAGE

Grads honored during 32nd NCLS

TERRAZZO

The Hon. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger ’73 presented the Sullenberger Award for Courage during the Challenge Ceremony at the 2025 National Character and Leadership Symposium.

Capt. Logan Cowan ’18, Capt. Claire Eddins ’18, Capt. Carla Nava ’18 and Capt. Kyle Abraham ’19 received the rec ognition for their actions in response to the Oct. 6, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

Following the terrorist attacks that day, tensions in the Middle East escalated, leading to a deployment of the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Wing (the Panthers) to deter Iranian threats. In April 2024, following Israeli strikes on Syrian targets, Iran launched drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles toward Israel, a U.S. ally.

On April 13, 2024, Cowan, Eddins, Nava, Abraham and their teams were part of the Panthers’ response. The F-15E pilots and weapon systems officers were tasked with intercepting and destroying Iranian drones despite facing darkness, missile fire and limited fuel. Abraham destroyed four drones, while Nava coordinated refueling and successfully engaged five. Nava and Eddins made his tory that night, becoming the first female modern-day aces. And Cowan pursued a drone across an international border to prevent collateral damage.

According to their nomination packets, their exemplary bravery and skill ensured the destruction of nearly 99% of the inbound weapons, in what the U.S. Air Force called its “largest air-to-air engagement in over 50 years.” All four received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their pivotal roles in preserving regional stability and protecting civilian lives.

Scan the QR code to listen to a Long Blue Leadership podcast special episode with the 2025 recipients of the Sullenberger Award for Courage.

ABOVE:

LEFT: Ambassador Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger '73 presents this year's winners with the Sullenberger Award for Courage. Awardees, from left, are: Capt. Logan "Batman" Cowan '18, Capt. Kyle "Royal" Abraham '19, Capt. Claire "Atomic" Eddins '18 and Capt. Carla "Guns" Nava '18.

The Sullenberger Award for Courage winners appear on the Long Blue Leadership podcast with Bryan Grossman, Checkpoints managing editor.

HOTEL POLARIS ROOM SPONSORSHIPS NOW TAKING FLIGHT

Hotel Polaris was developed through a unique financing structure, which allows it to become a future asset of the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation.

YOUR LEGACY, THEIR FUTURE

• Your gift will be appropriately acknowledged within the hotel.

• Donations to the Hotel Polaris Fund are 100% tax-deductible.

• Corporate giving opportunities are also available.

• Once paid off, Hotel Polaris will support the Academy, its cadets and the Long Blue Line.

BE PART OF THIS EXCITING PROJECT BY SPONSORING A ROOM OR SUITE.

Learn more or reserve your place today by contacting hotelpolaris@usafa.org or scanning the QR code.

FALCON AEROLAB FOUNDER EMPOWERS the NEXT GENERATION of INNOVATORS, AVIATORS

By David Bitton

Helping U.S. Air Force Academy cadets become leaders of character proved more rewarding than Col. (Ret.) Mark Hyatt ’74 anticipated.

As USAFA vice commandant and then director of the then-Center for Character Development, Col. Hyatt enjoyed educating cadets and training them to be honorable people.

He followed a similar direction postmilitary, leading a K-12 public charter school and advocating for high-quality public school options throughout Colorado and now beyond.

After retiring for the second time at age 60 — this time from K-12 public education — Col. Hyatt quickly realized he couldn’t just sit around.

“What are old ladies and old men supposed to do?” Col. Hyatt remembers asking himself.

The answer came back that he should help young people for the rest of his life.

He founded Falcon AeroLab in 2017 to provide Colorado middle school and high school home-school students with hands-on STEM and aerospace learning opportunities to help them become career, college and community ready.

“Community is the character part,” Col. Hyatt says. “We want these kids to be the kind of neighbors that help an old man or old lady across the street. We’re trying to create good citizens.”

Col. Hyatt also wants to see Colorado’s youth benefit from local, high-paying aerospace jobs.

“Colorado is the No. 1 state in the nation, per capita, for aerospace jobs, but we import most of our labor,” he says. “What about Colorado kids? Why can’t our students get these incredibly lucrative jobs so that they can afford to buy houses around here?”

Col. (Ret.) Mark Hyatt ’74 and a Falcon AeroLab student prepare to take off for an orientation flight. (Courtesy photos)

‘ON FIRE’

At 12 years old, Ella Hurley was one of the program’s first 14 students. She loved airplanes and wanted to learn all she could about aviation. She sailed through the introductory flight training for gliders, soloing at age 14. Then, after she aced powered flight — soloing at 16 — she succeeded in advanced flight by attaining her commercial, instrument and instructor rating at 18.

At 20 years old, she’s a respected commercial pilot and flight instructor.

“To me, we’ve created an enrichment program that I wish all schools would have nationwide,” Col. Hyatt says. “There are plenty of 12- or 13-year-old Mark Hyatts and Ellas out there who want to check out aerospace/aviation.”

When Col. Hyatt thinks back to his 13-year-old self as a lower-middle-class kid from outside of Philadelphia, he remembers his dream of flying.

The Air Force Academy provided him with that chance.

Falcon AeroLab students display the radio-controlled airplanes they built with guidance from Lt. Col. (Ret.) Lee Cross ’75, left, and Col. (Ret.) John Herd ’77, right, at Pikes Peak RC Flyers Field near Falcon, Colorado.

Then-student Ella Hurley prepares for a powered flight as part of the Falcon AeroLab program.

“WE WANT THESE KIDS TO BE THE KIND OF NEIGHBORS THAT HELP AN OLD MAN OR OLD LADY ACROSS THE STREET.”

—Col. (Ret.) Mark Hyatt ’74

“The Academy gave me every opportunity and put me around thoroughbred racehorses. So guess what? I started acting like one,” he says.

Ella’s mother, Sara Hurley, homeschooled her four children near Las Animas, Colorado — where her husband farmed — and would drive the kids 2½ hours to Colorado Springs for hands-on learning through Falcon AeroLab.

She’s now the company’s chief operating officer, helping to grow the program.

“It’s really cool to see these kids engaged and just on fire about something,” Sara Hurley says. “The students are accomplishing big things that you don’t normally do at this young of an age. They’re getting licenses, certifications and credentials”

Hurley enjoys working alongside Col. Hyatt and helping all their students.

“Mark has such a heart and passion for this,” Hurley says. “When he says, ‘I want

to do what’s best for your kid,’ he really, truly means it. It’s incredible.”

ASTRONOMICAL GROWTH

The Falcon AeroLab now serves more than 1,200 students in Colorado at multiple locations throughout the state. Virtual programming is also offered in Idaho, Oregon and Utah.

“If you asked me, ‘Why has our program grown astronomically?’ I think it’s the attitude that we try to give the customer what they want,” Col. Hyatt says. “Moms and dads are the customers. My job is to figure out what parents want and give it to them. Let’s make the school fit the child rather than the child fit the school.”

Col. Hyatt has testified before the Colorado Senate, advocating for funding.

“When I was up in front of the Senate, one individual said, ‘Why should we give any of our money to homeschool kids?’ I said, ‘With all due respect, senator, it’s not your money, it’s their money. They are all Colorado children,’” Col. Hyatt says. “I don’t want to leave one of them behind, so let’s fund them all. They all deserve equal access and a thorough and uniform education the way their mom and dad want it. And they funded us.”

Roughly 95% of funding for the program comes from the state, according to Col. Hyatt, with fundraising making up the rest.

The program has also grown to include children as young as six years old, who learn about the history and future of aviation and space exploration.

GOING NATIONAL

As word spread about Falcon AeroLab and its offerings to private schools, it expanded to include Colorado Springs Christian School and St. Mary’s High School. But the growth hasn’t stopped there.

“A lot of public school districts started seeing what we are doing and so now we’re broadening beyond the home school community to include mainstream public school aerospace/aviation pathways,” Col. Hyatt says.

Col. Hyatt and his team partnered with the two largest school districts in the city — Air Academy School District 20 to help set up aviation curriculum and Colorado Springs School District 11 on several programs.

Word about Falcon AeroLab also spread within the USAFA graduate community. Grand Canyon University leaders Provost Randy Gibb ’86 and Paul Lambertson ’90, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, asked Col. Hyatt to bring the program to Arizona.

Last November, Falcon AeroLab ran about 10 students through its Intro to Aerospace Studies program over one week at Grand Canyon University.

LEFT: Col. (Ret.) Jeff Thompson ’81 assists a Falcon AeroLab student with a radio-controlled airplane build.

RIGHT: Col. (Ret.) Mark Hyatt ’74 and a Falcon AeroLab student prepare to take off for an orientation flight.

“THE ACADEMY GAVE ME EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND PUT ME AROUND THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSES. SO GUESS WHAT? I STARTED ACTING LIKE ONE.”

—Col.

(Ret.) Mark Hyatt ’74

Students built, flew, crashed and rebuilt drones. They experienced airplane and glider flights and free-falls in a vertical wind tunnel. They heard from and asked questions of pilots during a panel discussion, and a VIP tour of Luke Air Force Base offered time in an F-16 simulator, a look at an F-35 cockpit, a visit to the control tower and the chance to see military working dogs during attack training. They went up in an airplane again and got to sit in the right seat of a HondaJet.

“We’re talking 10- to 16-year-olds. I mean, who gets to do this stuff? It’s amazing,” Col. Hyatt says.

In January, Falcon AeroLab hosted a meeting with the Association of Graduates’ Phoenix Chapter, letting the chapter members know about their new relation-

FALCON PROMISE

If given a scholarship, the student signs a promise to consider giving back to Falcon AeroLab or the SOAR Foundation once they have more than needed. This can be time, talent or treasure.

ship with Grand Canyon University.

“We’ve got a lot of grads who are very, very successful,” Col. Hyatt says. “The friend-raiser was to ask for their time, talent and treasure.”

Arizona is Falcon AeroLab’s second state for in-person instruction and learning. Arkansas and Oklahoma are on deck.

“I’m working on networking with the Walton family [Walmart] in Bentonville to start there,” Col. Hyatt says. “We are going national and invite any AOG chapters interested to contact me.”

‘A NOBLE CALLING’

As founder/CEO of Falcon AeroLab, Col. Hyatt relies heavily on relationships built through the Long Blue Line to help the program thrive. He flew fighters, served as a fighter pilot squadron commander and was an adviser to the secretary of defense.

“I have an amazing network of retired astronauts, airline pilots, engineers and more,” he says. His classmate, Dr. Paul Sherry ’74, is a cardiologist. Sherry

teaches aerospace physiology so students understand what happens to a pilot’s body when climbing to a high altitude. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ron Furstenau ’78 is a chemist who teaches in a way even soft science majors would love chemistry. Gen. (Ret.) Steve Lorenz ’73 and Gen. (Ret.) Kevin Chilton ’76 share their rich experiences as senior leaders, and many other grads pitch in.

“When you’re hanging out with Falcon sisters and brothers, you learn a lot just by listening to them,” Col. Hyatt says.

“When I need help, I don’t go to Indeed. com; I just go to the AOG.”

Falcon AeroLab has about 85 employees and 40 volunteers. Many are Academy grads.

“This is a noble calling, and I want to do the best I can until I take my last breath,” Col. Hyatt says. “I feel like I should turn myself in for some rule violation because no 72-year-old should have this much fun.”

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ron Furstenau ’78 demonstrates chemistry principles to a classroom of Colorado Uplift students.

Live the Legacy

Designed and built for the U.S. Air Force Academy, Hotel Polaris is a resort-style, mid-century modern hotel located just outside the Academy’s North Gate.

AOG members save 25% on select dates.

Book online with the code 2024AOG or call (833) 311-5581.

Elegant rooms with mountain views

Six distinctive restaurants and bars

The only hotel in the U.S. offering flight simulator experiences

Resort style pool, spa and wellness center

Family-friendly offers and specials

TO SPAIN ~ ANDALUCIA IN A PARADOR

A checkered future

USAFA INTRODUCES ITS UNIQUE TARTAN

B y Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77

Look out, Terrazzo — new stripes have arrived at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The creation of a unique tartan for USAFA mirrors the recent relocation of saber production from Germany to Colorado (see the December 2024 issue of Checkpoints or view the complementary video at usafa.org). The tartan project is another effort spearheaded by the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation to foster pride across the Long Blue Line.

about five years ago. The pattern was developed by representatives of The Olde School Blazer Company, the same firm that designed the U.S. Naval Academy’s tartan. Creating the Air Force Academy’s pattern required extensive collaboration. Kayla Ladd, assistant director of merchandise and customer service at the Association and Foundation, and other staff worked closely with Keryth Hauch and Greer Mendelow, sisters-in-law and coowners of the family business.

In a statement, Hauch and Mendelow expressed their passion for creating custom items as a meaningful and enduring way to give back to institutions and bring joy to their graduates.

“As a military family, it is natural for us to want to include other military academies in this journey,” Mendelow says. “A few years ago, when my husband was accompanying our son on a cross-country move, they stopped at USAFA to talk with the alumni office about creating a tartan for USAFA.”

Ladd notes that the Association and Foundation began initial tartan design work with Olde School in early 2022, with efforts intensifying in October 2023.

GOING OLDE SCHOOL

A tartan is defined as a pattern of interlocking horizontal and vertical stripes. The Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center Inc.

reports that, “The earliest known tartan in Scotland can be dated to the third or fourth century AD. In other parts of the world, tartan cloth has been found dating to approximately 3000 B.C.”

Originally, tartan designs had no specific names or symbolic meanings. However, by the late 18th century, patterns and colors became associated with specific groups and towns. Eventually, a unique tartan became a symbol of membership and pride. According to the museum, “In the year 1800, there were perhaps 90 to 100 ‘named tartans.’ Today, there are over 7,000.”

Now, one of those tartans is linked to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“The Olde School Blazer Company development team composed five digital tartan designs and, working with a centuries-old mill in Scotland, dyed yarns specially to match the Air Force Academy’s colors,” Ladd says. “We discussed, viewed, shared and pondered the designs and chose a final pattern. Then, the color selections were established in keeping with the established USAFA brand guidelines. The approval process of the yarn dyes, color applications, design patterns and product selection filled the following months.”

The final tartan design is now registered with The Scottish Register of Tartans, the official government agency that records and certifies tartan designs.

The official registration states: “This tartan was created exclusively for United

Photo by Ryan Hall

States Air Force Academy Cadets and Graduates.”

It further explains: “This tartan was designed by The Olde School Blazer Company in collaboration with the United States Air Force Academy’s Association of Graduates. The tartan was created for those who will become officers of the United States Air Force and Space Force. The colours in the tartan are based on gold, blue, silver and red, which are colours that can be seen in campus architecture and are assigned to classes on a rotational basis; yellow, representing gold, is for the grassy plains; blue is for the ‘Wild Blue Yonder’; grey, representing silver, is for the stainless steel of aircrafts; and red is

intended to represent the sun.”

With the tartan officially registered, decisions about the product line followed.

“One year to the exact date we began the continued conversation surrounding development and completion of the USAFA tartan, we were selling it in Doolittle Outfitters at the AOG,” Ladd says. “On Oct. 17, 2024, Keryth Hauch and Greer Mendelow traveled to USAFA for a special-event weekend for the official launch of the USAFA tartan. The AOG and Foundation board weekend events and USAFA reunions were the same weekend

The Olde School Blazer Company was on site to take measurements and orders for the USAFA tartan bespoke blazer.”

USAFA TARTAN ITEMS

Available at Doolittle Outfitters (open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) and online at shop.usafa.org or oldeschoolblazer.com/schools/usafa.

• Wool tie — 100% wool, woven in Scotland by a centuries-old mill

• Class color-striped neckties (Gold, Blue, Silver, Red) — 100% silk, handmade in England

• Lambswool scarf — 100% wool, woven in Scotland

• Cashmere shawl — 100% cashmere, woven in Nepal

• Skinny scarf — 100% silk, handmade, printed, dyed, and hand-sewn in England

• Tartan Hanna hat — tartan cloth, woven in Scotland; hats handmade in Ireland

• Engraved flask and USAFA tartan pouch — lambswool tartan pouch, handsewn and edged in leather with a brass snap, made by a craftswoman on the Isle of Skye

Available exclusively at oldeschoolblazer.com:

• Men’s bespoke blazers and waistcoats with contrasting linings, custom buttons, and optional embellishments. Tartan cloth woven in Scotland. Custom linings and buttons designed by The Olde School Blazer Company

• Men’s standard-sizing blazers with contrasting linings, custom buttons, and optional embellishments. Tartan cloth woven in Scotland. Custom linings and buttons designed by The Olde School Blazer Company

• Double-sided pocket squares — 100% silk twill with hand-rolled delicate hem

• USAFA double-sided bowties — 100% silk twill, adjustable from neck size 14.5” to 18”

• USAFA silver bolt silk neckties — 100% woven silk Jacquard, made in England

• Wool solid gray Hanna hats — woven in Scotland

Special Order Items

• Women’s bespoke blazers with contrasting linings, custom buttons and optional additional embellishments. Tartan cloth, woven in Scotland. Custom linings and buttons designed by The Olde School Blazer Company. Available in single-breasted, double-breasted or hacking jacket designs.

In Development:

• A standard-sizing women’s blazer, available in single-breasted or doublebreasted styles. Customizable fabric, lining and buttons. Tailored to the wearer’s selected size.

Ready to support

We are committed to ensuring Air Force Academy graduates are remembered and surviving spouses remain part of the Lone Blue Line.

We need your help to make that happen. Submitting complete and accurate information at usafanextofkin.org after learning of a death helps us share the information with you faster.

Grads, if you aren’t a member of your Association of Graduates, we encourage you to join at no cost at membership4grads.usafa.org. This ensures your spouse will have surviving spouse benefits after you are gone.

Terri Davis

terri.davis@usafa.org

719-472-0300 ext. 135

To find out more, visit the USAFA page at USAFAnextofkin.org

From the Hill

ACADEMY INVESTIGATES CADET HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS

As of Checkpoints press time, the U.S. Air Force Academy is investigating potential violations of the Honor Code during a weekly knowledge test.

Nearly 100 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets have admitted to either cheating or tolerating cheating. The cadets who admitted to violating the Honor Code have received punitive sanctions and rehabilitation actions, and the Academy will hold accountable any other cadets identified during the investigation.

“The Honor Code is foundational to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the character necessary of warrior leaders,” said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent. “Everyone at our Academy must live and enforce the Honor Code.”

The Academy is investigating and identifying whether additional cadets cheated on the test or facilitated cheating.

“We will use the information discovered during the investigation to make changes that strengthen enforcement and com-

mitment to the Honor Code,” a USAFAissued news release said.

HUMAN PERFORMANCE LAB IMPROVES CADET STRENGTH AND DURABILITY

The Academy’s Human Performance Lab enhances the physical and mental performance of cadets through science-driven methods.

“We facilitate the development of future warfighters through the science and practice of high-performance approaches for building strength, durability and adaptability for mission dominance,” said Dr. Nicholas Dinan, assistant director of the lab.

The lab offers a range of services, including DEXA body composition testing, VO2 max measurement, and an altitude control chamber that simulates environments from sea level to 18,000 feet. The chamber helps cadets prepare for high-altitude conditions.

Additionally, the HPL features a vision performance lab to improve hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and cognitive abilities such as memory and focus.

Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu, a boxer, credits the lab for improving his performance.

“When I learned about VO2 testing and training heart zones, I used the data to adjust my practice and see where I could improve,” Lu said.

The lab supports cadets in three key performance areas: holistic optimization, sustainable peak performance and datadriven insights. Staff integrate nutrition, physiology and psychology principles to create individualized plans.

The lab also emphasizes sustainable performance by combining conditioning, nutrition and psychological hardiness.

Though the lab primarily supports intercollegiate athletes, it also assists all cadets, who must meet physical fitness standards and participate in sports. The lab aims to optimize performance across the entire Cadet Wing, improving areas like sleep quality and cognitive performance.

In recent years, the lab expanded its services by hiring experts in performance psychology, nutrition, science, data and optometry.

Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu, a USAFA boxer, has seen improvements due to the Human Performance Lab.

(Photo by Trevor Cokley/ USAFA)

C1C LUCA VALENTI HAS BEEN AWARDED A HOLADAY SCHOLARSHIP

Cadet 1st Class Luca Valenti has been selected for the prestigious Holaday Scholarship, a fully funded two-year postgraduate program in the United Kingdom. Valenti, an aeronautical engineering major, will graduate and be commissioned as a second lieutenant in May.

Valenti recently interned at the University of Oxford, researching bird mechanics and their potential application in extraterrestrial drone flight.

“Being selected as a Holaday scholar is an immense honor,” Valenti said. “It offers the chance to engage with an international academic community, working alongside leading experts in fields that spark my curiosity — particularly avian-inspired engineering research.”

While at the Academy, Valenti contributed to research on how slight longitudinal instability in fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles could increase payload capacity, a concept inspired by birds carrying prey heavier than themselves. He also published a student research paper and presented at the Saint Louis University and Astronaut Scholar Technical Conference 2024.

“Being named a Holaday scholar validates that hard work and perseverance truly pay off,” Valenti said. “The demands of my journey have been great, and this scholarship assures me that every sacrifice was worthwhile.”

The Rome, Italy, native will attend U.S. Air Force undergraduate pilot training after completing his studies in the U.K.

The Holaday Scholarship, created by Bart Holaday ’65 and his late wife, Lynn,

funds two years of master’s degree graduate study for a deserving Academy cadet, offering the same opportunity Holaday received as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford.

C1C MARGARET MEEHAN HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THE MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIP

Cadet 1st Class Margaret Meehan has been awarded the prestigious Marshall Scholarship, which fully funds two years of postgraduate study in the United Kingdom.

Meehan, from Western Springs, Illinois, is majoring in data science and operations research and will graduate and commission as a second lieutenant in May. She will focus her postgraduate studies on data science for public policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

At the Academy, Meehan’s projects included work with NASA’s International Space Station Antenna Management program, predicting communication outages, and a summer research program in Germany as a Stamps scholar, where she collaborated on computer vision programs with U.S. Special Operations Command Europe. She also participated in the American Service Academies Program in Poland, studying military ethics and the Holocaust.

“Being a Marshall scholar will give me the chance to engage with some of the brightest minds in the world, both academically and culturally, and to bring those insights back to the U.S. Air Force,” Meehan said. “I will study how data can inform policy, specifically through the lens of military recruitment and retention. I hope to return to the Air Force with new tools to address challenges in that area, fostering a supportive environ-

ment for servicemembers.”

Following her studies in the U.K., Meehan will enter Air Force undergraduate pilot training. She is the 25th cadet in Academy history to receive the Marshall Scholarship.

The Marshall Scholarship, established in 1953 to honor former U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall and the ideals of the Marshall Plan, provides recipients the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at top universities in the U.K., promoting academic and cultural exchange.

CADETS EARN A ‘SERIOUS’ PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets Michaela Kovalsky and Kieran McCauley earned the People’s Choice award at the 2024 Serious Games Showcase & Challenge, held last December at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The cadets created the Land Engagement Adjudication Platform game as part of a summer research project. LEAP is used in the Academy’s Multi-Domain Laboratory, allowing cadets to apply operational-level inputs to a capstone wargame. The game helps cadets analyze force-on-force engagements using operational design research, producing realistic results. LEAP also supports Distributed Interactive Simulation message traffic, enabling communication with other DOD modeling and simulation systems.

The Academy was one of 17 teams selected to compete at the 19th Serious Games Showcase & Challenge during I/ITSEC, the world’s largest modeling,

Cadet 1st Class Luca Valenti

Cadet 1st Class Margaret Meehan

Cadets 1st Class Michaela Kovalsky (left) and Kieran McCauley (Courtesy photo)

simulation and training event. This year’s conference, which promotes cooperation and innovation in training across government, industry and academia, drew 18,000 attendees from 55 countries.

The People’s Choice award is unique because it is decided by the popular vote of conference attendees who play the games during the event.

PINK PANTHERS TRIP CARRIES ON AN INAUGURATION TRADITION

Since President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second inauguration in 1957, USAFA cadets have participated in the nation’s transfer of power. Cadet Squadron 36, the Pink Panthers, was the latest group selected to march in the inauguration parade.

The cadets dedicated every military training time block to practice marching on the Terrazzo in preparation for the 47th president’s inauguration. However, the parade was canceled due to inclement weather. Despite this, the squadron followed its itinerary, visiting landmarks including the National Mall, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, and Arlington National Cemetery.

The cadets watched the changing of the guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a question-andanswer session with off-duty sentries who offered guidance and inspiration, said Cadet 3rd Class Natalie Gembicki, a geospatial science major.

The squadron flew from Colorado Springs to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, aboard a C-17 Globemaster III with a crew from the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. Upon arrival, the Joint Task Force informed them they would not be needed for the

inauguration parade or first honors.

The Pink Panthers were hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy, and spending time with midshipmen was another highlight of the trip. The cadets noted the chance to observe the similarities and differences between the two military service academies.

“On our flight back to the Academy, I thought a lot about how the Naval Academy runs things and how their culture compares to ours,” said Cadet 1st Class Landon Adkins, a meteorology major. “Although we are both training to be officers down the road, it was cool to see how we differ in trying to achieve the goal of becoming great leaders and warfighters.”

PREP SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: CAPT. EUGENE DENEZZA

Capt. Eugene DeNezza joined the Prep School’s Math Department in April 2021, quickly becoming a dedicated instructor, mentor and leader. His passion for teaching and mentoring preppies extended beyond the classroom, where he also served as a project officer and counselor. As his time at the Prep School comes to a close, the community celebrates his many contributions and looks forward to his future at Wright-Patterson AFB.

DeNezza found teaching rewarding, particularly in moments when students grasped complex concepts. He enjoyed the lighter moments with his students, appreciating their humor and enthusiasm. Outside the classroom, he supported students through challenges such as managing finances and adjusting to military life. He became a trusted guide, offering advice on everything from budgeting to navigating military training.

One of his most significant contributions was creating a financial literacy

course for preppies. Seeing a gap in their education, he designed a three-part class covering financial basics, the military retirement system, and investing and credit card management. The class quickly became popular, with students attending in large numbers and seeking follow-up advice. For DeNezza, it became one of the most rewarding parts of his role.

Reflecting on his growth, DeNezza highlighted his time as an associate Air Officer Commanding during Basic Military Training. Leading a squadron of candidates and advising cadet leaders taught him invaluable leadership skills. As he prepares for his next assignment in Dayton, Ohio, he looks forward to new challenges and opportunities, though he will miss the Prep School community.

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THE PREP SCHOOL'S Q&A WITH

Capt. Eugene DeNezza

CAPT. EUGENE DENEZZA.

Cadet Squadron 36 in front of the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington, Virginia, on Inauguration Day. (Photo by Cadet 1st Class Landon Adkins)

The Long Blue Line Portal, powered by PeopleGrove, is a hub and resource serving the Air Force Academy graduate community. YOUR NETWORK, YOUR CONNECTIONS NOW IN YOUR POCKET!

The Long Blue Line Portal, powered by PeopleGrove, is a hub and resource serving the Air Force Academy graduate community. Scan the QR code to download the PeopleGrove app and stay connected.

PORTAL SPONSOR THROUGH 2028

THE TRANSMISSION

USAFA news from around the globe ... and BEYOND

RIOLO HONORED

1st Lt. Manny Riolo ’21 presented his father, Drew Riolo ’72, with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award during a ceremony hosted by the Federal Aviation Administration. The award recognized Drew Riolo’s 50 years of exemplary aviation flight experience, distinguished professionalism and steadfast commitment to aviation safety.

FRULAND HONORED

The Morris Community High School Education Foundation’s Hall of Distinction recently inducted Col. (Ret.) William Fruland ’74. Col. Fruland worked in the space and satellite operations career field for 40 years.

COOPER GIVES BACK

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bob Cooper ’80 is the new director of missions for Winston Baptist Association. He has been involved with disaster relief ministry since 2013 and is a chaplain instructor for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

RUSCETTA HONORED

Col. Abigail Ruscetta ’97 earned the 2024 Oklahoma Aerospace and Aviation’s Woman of the Year distinction. Col. Ruscetta commands the 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker Air Force Base. She leads nearly 3,000 airmen and is responsible for $5.4 billion in resources and a $311 million operating budget.

GREEN APPOINTED

Jennifer-Ruth Green ’05 has been appointed as Indiana’s secretary of public safety. She was previously deputy commander of the 11th Operations Group at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. Green oversees law enforcement, emergency preparedness and public safety.

RYNKOWSKI NAMED VP

Don Rynkowski ’99 has been named vice president of intelligence at Stellar Solutions, a global aerospace engineering services company. He was previously program director at SAIC.

KENNEDY NAMED VP

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Kevin Kennedy ’90 has been named vice president of defense strategy and warfighting integration at ManTech, a provider of AI and mission-focused technology solutions. Prior to joining ManTech, Gen. Kennedy commanded the 16th Air Force.

CLARK JOINS BOARD

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Richard Clark ’86 has joined the defense advisory board at Reliable Robotics, a company focused on bringing dual-use aircraft autonomy to the U.S. military. Gen. Clark is the executive director of the College Football Playoff and previously served as superintendent at USAFA.

JONES

JOINS BOARD

William “BJ” Jones ’85 has been appointed to the board of directors at Annexon Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. Jones is the chief commercial officer of NewAmsterdam Pharma, leading all commercial functions.

ATOR NAMED TO VA

Col. (Ret.) Robert Ator II ’89 has been named secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veteran Affairs. He previously worked as director of military affairs for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission of the Arkansas Department of Commerce.

DONOVAN PROMOTED

Applied Research Associates has promoted Lt. Col. (Ret.) Phillip Donovan ’95, Ph.D., to director of research for pavement and geotechnical engineering. He is merging his California consulting group with ARA’s transportation research group to combine expertise and enhance both teams’ capabilities. The newly unified group is dedicated to advancing commercial pavement and geotechnical engineering projects while leading research initiatives that drive innovation and elevate industry practices through cutting-edge technologies.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Phillip Donovan ’95

Drew Riolo ’72, left, and son, 1st Lt. Manny Riolo ’21

DROWLEY TAKES COMMAND

Maj. Gen. Michael “Johnny Bravo” Drowley ’96 took command of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, in August. The center is the Air Force’s independent test agency responsible for testing and evaluating new capabilities in operationally realistic environments to inform warfighters and influence national resource decisions. Gen. Drowley previously directed joint training and exercises at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

MATISEK AWARDED GRANT

U.S. Naval War College faculty member Lt. Col. Jahara Matisek ’05 earned the first-ever Defense Security Corporation University grant for research spanning a wide array of security cooperation topics. The selection committee chose him as one of eight applicants based on his demonstrated ability to advance the knowledge and practice of security cooperation through the education, training and development of the U.S. security cooperation workforce and that of partner nations.

LAUGHREY HIRED

Wallis Laughrey ’98 has been named chief strategy officer at Voyager Space, a global leader in national security and space solutions. He previously worked with Anduril Industries. Laughrey will work to advance strategic defense technology efforts at Voyager Space.

HUHMANN TAKES COMMAND

Col. Gregory Huhmann ’00 took command of the 225th Air Defense Group during a change of command ceremony at the Western Air Defense Sector, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, in January. Col. Huhmann had previously been the operations and air component coordination adviser for the Washington Air National Guard.

ROBERTS PROMOTED

Col. Gregory Huhmann ’00, right, takes command of the 225th Air Defense Group as Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers hands him the guidon.

BRUGGEMAN TAKES

COMMAND

Col. Kurt Bruggeman ’01 with his family after taking command of the 44th Fighter Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida

Chuck Roberts ’94 is the new associate vice president of facilities operations at West Virginia University. He previously worked as the assistant vice president of facilities management.

CHRISTENSEN TAKES COMMAND

Col. David Christensen ’99 took command of the 142nd Wing, home of the Oregon Air National Guard Redhawks.

Col. Kurt Bruggeman ’01 took command of the 44th Fighter Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, in December. The unit’s mission involves the F-35A Lightning II. He transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2013 after 12 years of active-duty service. A previous assignment includes commanding the 307th Fighter Squadron.

MCKENNA HIRED

Kaly McKenna ’03 has been named vice president at Beacon Global Strategies, a strategic advisory firm specializing in global public policy, government procurement and geopolitical risk analysis. She contributes to the company’s national security technology practice.

MALLETTE APPOINTED

Jocelyn (Mitnaul) Mallette ’07 has been appointed to lead the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. Mallette serves on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and as chair of the advisory board of the Southeast Raleigh YMCA.

MARTIN PROMOTED

Andrew Martin ’04 has been promoted to vice president of growth at Apogee, where he has worked for 11 years. Apogee is committed to delivering U.S. defense and national security solutions.

SINGLETON, EAGLES WIN CHAMPIONSHIP

Jemal Singleton ’99, assistant head coach and running backs coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, helped propel his team to victory against the defending Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX by a score of 40-22. Singleton, a former Air Force running back, has coached with the Eagles for four seasons and has also helped lead the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and several university football teams.

WESTMORELAND’S FIRST KORN FERRY WIN

Kyle Westmoreland ’14 earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the Astara Golf Championship, shooting 1-under 70 in the final round in Bogotá, Colombia. Westmoreland earned his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned victory in his 61st start on tour.

Editor’s note: Send Transmission submissions to editor@usafa.org.

Kaly McKenna ’03

HERE’S A TOAST

AOG honors the Long Blue Line with new memorial publication

By David Bitton

The A ssociation of Graduates and the Air Force Academy Foundation is offering a new publication memorializing USAFA graduates and supporting their families.

Gone But Not Forgotten, which has for decades appeared in Checkpoints magazine, has transitioned to a dedicated, annual publication for all AOG members. Here’s A Toast: Gone But Not Forgotten will be available digitally at no cost to members. Individuals may also wish to purchase a printed copy; the fee supports providing one complimentary copy to families of those memorialized. Order at shop.usafa.org or by calling 719-472-0300.

As the Academy’s graduate population ages, Checkpoints has become increasingly

insufficient in accommodating the growing number of submitted memorial articles. Here’s A Toast honors the Long Blue Line by sharing the personal stories of graduates, Air Training Officers, cadets and AOG Honorary Members. It is similar to West Point’s TAPS.

The inaugural Here’s A Toast includes memorial articles published in Checkpoints in 2024, along with any additional 2024 memorial articles submitted by Jan. 29, 2025.

Memorial articles for 2025 deaths should be emailed when ready to ensure the Association posts the tribute on usafa. org/heritage/gbnf. Articles for 2025 deaths will be published around spring 2026. A major benefit of transitioning to an annual publication is that 2025 memorial articles

may run up to 800 words — double the current limit. Each memorial article will be presented on its own page.

Past memorial articles printed in Checkpoints are available as a commemorative keepsake. These keepsakes include the photo that ran with the tribute and are printed on sturdy paper, suitable for framing. Articles come enclosed in a blue linen folder and can be ordered at shop.usafa. org.

Death notices, including the name, class year and date of death, will continue to appear in Checkpoints magazine.

For more information on submitting a memorial article, visit usafanextofkin.org. Memorial articles can also be emailed to Next-of-Kin Support Specialist Terri Davis at deceasednotifications@usafa.org.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

This quarter, we learned of the following deaths.

Col. (Ret.) Donald B. Livingston, Class of 1959, who died Feb. 2, 2025, in Naples, Florida.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Norris O. Olson, Class of 1959, who died Feb. 14, 2025, in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Thomas P. Stack, Class of 1959, who died Dec. 6, 2024, in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

Col. (Ret.) Michael A. Clarke, Class of 1960, who died Jan. 14, 2025, in Midlothian, Virginia.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Stephen S. Ho, Class of 1961, who died Jan. 23, 2025, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Col. (Ret.) James L. McCleskey, Class of 1961, who died Dec. 27, 2024, in College Station, Texas.

Col. (Ret.) John M. Stover, Class of 1961, who died Oct. 21, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona.

Mr. Benjamin G. Willis Jr., Class of 1961, who died Dec. 28, 2024, in East Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Col. (Ret.) David C. Bockelman, Class of 1962, who died Nov. 14, 2024, in Sonoma, California.

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles M. Butler, Class of 1962, who died Dec. 12, 2024, in Germantown, Tennessee.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Philip R. Hepburn Jr., Class of 1962, who died Dec. 2, 2024, in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Mr. David J. Boeck, Class of 1963, who died Nov. 13, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Francis C. Porter, Class of 1963, who died Nov. 28, 2024,

Lt. Col. (Ret.) James R. Thyng, Class of 1963, who died Jan. 16, 2025,

Col. (Ret.) William P. Cioffi, Class of 1964, who died Jan. 14, 2025,

Col. (Ret.) William G. Flood, Class of 1964, who died Dec. 20, 2024,

Maj. (Ret.) Milton R. Sanders, Class of 1966, who died Oct. 26, 2024, in Orem, Utah.

Mr. Leonard P. Morris, Class of 1967, who died Dec. 20, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina.

Maj. (Ret.) Richard A. Rowan, Class of 1967, who died Jan. 21, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Maj. (Ret.) Charles R. Sikora, Class of 1967, who died Dec. 7, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles D. Jones, Class of 1968, who died Dec. 13, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mr. John C. Kurzdorfer, Class of 1968, who died Dec. 16, 2024, in West Seneca, New York.

Mr. John D. Fitzpatrick, Class of 1969, who died Dec. 12, 2024, in Magnolia, Texas.

Mr. Philip W. Keck, Class of 1969, who died Nov. 30, 2024, in Monument, Colorado.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jon L. Nelson, Class of 1969, who died Nov. 11, 2024, in Marietta, Georgia.

Mr. Johnny A. Stavely, Class of 1969, who died Jan. 16, 2025, in Branson, Missouri.

Mr. John R. McDonald, Class of 1972, who died Oct. 24, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dennis M. Sbach, Class of 1972, who died Nov. 14, 2024, in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Thomas R. Herbst, Class of 1964, who died Oct. 28, 2024, in Philpot,

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard D. Krobusek, Class of 1964, who died Nov. 8, 2024,

Col. (Ret.) Robert Y. Foerster, Class of 1965, who died Nov. 24, 2024,

Mr. Fletcher H. Wiley, Class of 1965, who died Feb. 7, 2025, in Chestnut

Rev. David L. Jareo, Class of 1976, who died Oct. 23, 2024, in Papillion,

Mr. Richard E. McNally, Class of 1976, who died Nov. 11, 2024, in Essex,

Mr. Donald R. Avery, Class of 1978, who died Jan. 23, 2025, in Dublin,

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joseph P. Calderon, Class of 1984, who died Feb. 2, 2025, in Riverside, California.

Mr. Steven A. Kelly, Class of 1985, who died Nov. 5, 2024, in Salt Lake City,

Mr. Alan B. Mackey, Class of 1985, who died Feb. 3, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Maj. (Ret.) Thomas B. Rice, Class of 1992, who died Nov. 16, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Col. (Ret.) Jeffrey M. Rengel, Class of 1994, who died Dec. 28, 2024, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

THE ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES AND AIR FORCE ACADEMY FOUNDATION’S ANNUAL MEMORIAL PUBLICATION IS NOW AVAILABLE.

This new membership benefit allows the Association and Foundation to better memorialize fallen graduates, Air Training Officers, cadets and AOG Honorary Members.

As the Academy graduate population grows and ages, the space allotted to memorials in Checkpoints is increasingly insufficient. This new publication — Here’s A Toast: Gone But Not Forgotten — honors and perpetuates the legacy of the Long Blue Line through memorial articles, and coincides with the AOG’s mission to support the Academy, serve graduates and preserve the heritage of the institution.

Find more information and answers to FAQs at usafa.org/heritage/gbnf.

1959 CLASS NEWS

Paul Lasen, USAFA’s oldest living grad, finished renovating his Bonanza and was doing a lot of flying nearing the end of 2024. He and his son, Michael, flew to Scottsdale to see family and to Destin to play golf. As he celebrates his 91st birthday, he looks forward to selling the plane and retiring from flying, which has been his life! Thus, the mantle of ’59ers still flying passes to Hank Canterbury and Dusty Trail

We lost four classmates in 2024: CV Miller, Kent Montavon, Tom Stack and Jim Chapman That leaves 81 of us entering 2025. We report that Jane Vosika has also left us; our condolences to Gene. Report from Fred Wynn. Continuing our traditional Christmas luncheon, on Dec. 2 the DCVirginia area ’59ers exchanged spirited conversation, told new and sometimes revised war stories, and enjoyed delicious cuisine at their favorite French restaurant in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

From left: Jack Howell with his daughter Laurie, Wayne and Bonnie Jefferson, John and Barbara Davey, Judy Jay and Fred Wynn, Jim Connally with Elizabeth Helm, Charlie and Bobbi May, Beverly and Robin Kozelka, and Ron and Judy Lanman.

A few more classmates are making the move to take it easy in independent or continuing care retirement communities. Some advice from Dick Goetze: Try to stay near your medical facilities. They used a senior moving service that laid out a floor plan for their new accommodation and showed them what would fit and what would not. When they walked into the new apartment, everything was in the agreed places, unpacked and all moving materials gone. The move showed them how unsuccessful they have been at downsizing! Dick and Vera agree that continuing care retirement community living is a great way to enjoy your final years.

Daughter Micki has reported that Mike Reardon is joining this list as he has moved to The Landing in Alexandria, Virginia. Dick and Ann Trail are waiting for their number to come up to move as well. President Max Miller has the new addresses if anyone would like them.

The “AFA SoCal 6” had their quarterly luncheon in December. Led by Gene Vosika, the tradition has been carried for nearly 20 years at the same Tavern at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano with same waiter. Kris McLain noted that the flying stories get “embellished” each year. It should be obvious that our memories are getting better and we are remembering more details of our past exploits, right? The highlight was when Gene spoke lovingly of Jane and how they met on the dance floor in Arnold Hall.

The group had coconut cake in her honor with a champagne toast!

From left: Charlie Zaleski, Craig Schaum, Bill McLain, Dave Phillips and Gene Vosika. Larry Thompson (#6) could not make it. Also in attendance were Kris McLain, Pat Zaleski, Phyllis Phillips, JoAnn Schaum, Garrie Rhodes and Cheryl (Vosika) Collins.

A more solemn gathering was for Tom Stack’s memorial service in Savannah, Georgia. The service was in a Catholic church near Tom’s home, with a reception following.

From left: Ann and Lou Kingsland, Jamie (son), Kay and Pete Winters, Ann (sister), and Stacie and Lorin Krueger

As I hope you know, we have two new projects that need ’59er support and hopefully can be finished July 11, 2025, around the 70th anniversary of the USAFA opening. They are being led by Don Brooks and Jim Reed, with the class officers providing an oversight management committee.

Don Brooks’ book, First Falcons, has been out for several years and many of you have read it. He would like to update and improve the book with a new edition. Don says there are many more stories that need to be included to really let the readers know what ALL of us experienced and were involved in. EVERYONE had things happen to them, pulled pranks of some sort, or know of a stunt that someone else tried. There are many stories to tell of these events — good, bad or funny — and they ought to be included in a revised version. You do not have to be eloquent; just send Don the basics of the story, and Don says he can work from there. Please do not miss this opportunity to have a more complete publication of how it REALLY was during our four years at the Blue Zoo.

Jim Reed is continuing with his compilation of stories about events in our lives, such as combat experience and other events from Vietnam, the

Cuban Missile Crisis, and other operations. Also planned for inclusion are stories from our families about such things as moves, spousal employment, adapting to the culture, etc. It will be a collection of brief individual stories, both serious and humorous (and usually just a few paragraphs long), to depict some of the things the U.S. gets with an Academy class — specifically from our class.

We all have stories, so we hope you have taken the time to share. These two efforts will help highlight to future generations the Class of 1959’s legacy. Further, we stress that these efforts are written by US and OUR FAMILIES, thus we need every member’s perspective for a complete picture!

Thought for the Quarter: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” — Albert Einstein

Dick Carr, 3612 San Sebastian Ct., Punta Gorda, FL 33950; H: 941-637-8272; C: 941-585-8280; dickc59@embarqmail.com; with Dusty Trail, dickt@swnebr.net; FB: USAFA Class of 1959

1960

Wayne Kendall and Barbara hosted 10 of their family the weekend before Christmas at the renowned, five-star Broadmoor resort hotel overlooking Colorado Springs. The hotel was established in 1916 by Cripple Creek gold and silver magnate Spencer Penrose and has continued its Western-influenced excellence ever since.

Members 93% Sabre Society Donors 14 Polaris Society Members 6

Barbara and Wayne

Betty and Gerry de la Cruz have been staying rather active this past year with senior pickleball and tennis (and Betty’s softball). The only trip they took this year was to Massanutten, Virginia, for the state senior games. They both won pickleball medals, which qualifies them for the National Senior Games this coming fall.

Mike J. Clarke and Emma are still at their flyin home in Baker, Florida, where Mike parks his acrobatic Steen Sky Bolt (experimental aircraft) and Varga Cachina (certified aircraft). Mike grows his own fruit and vegetables and enjoys driving his rare Mercedes–Benz SL Class 550 car in the northwest Florida countryside. In Vietnam, Mike flew the renowned C123K “Patches” spray aircraft, which now resides in the Wright-Patterson air museum.

RG Head reports that he finally finished two yearlong projects. The smallest was a cubic-meter dollhouse for their two great granddaughters.

RG’s dollhouse

The second was the completion and two presentations for the 9-foot AD-3 Skyraider (pictured in the December 2024 issue). During the last month of building, he discovered that one of the heroes who flew it in the Korean War had a family living in Coronado, California. RG contacted the granddaughter, and he dedicated a presentation at the Coronado Historical Association to the family. The second presentation was to the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where the aircraft now flies in the Korean War exhibit.

Bill Hockenberry provided a recent update and noted that he finally retired from active service as a nationally recognized labor arbitrator, mediator and legal consultant after 41 years. In his newfound free time, he continues to pursue his interest in competitive pistol marksmanship and added that he recently completed a two-day tactical emergency casualty care certification class at his range, which focused on classroom and hands-on scenarios involving mass casualty trauma incidents such as those caused by active shooters, deliberate vehicle accidents and bomb explosions in public locations. His assessment is that such training, while physically and mentally challenging, is invaluable in saving lives in that critical period before emergency services arrive.

In Redmond, Washington, Denny O’Keefe is planning to reside with his new wife, Joy, in a local full-care facility. Denny is convinced that a balanced

exercise program is the key to longevity, and he has embarked on a vigorous self-administered routine to achieve his goals.

Charlie Liggett claims to have traveled more extensively than any classmate. His wife, Kathy, has also been with him to all but a few countries and territories. All seven of the continents have been visited: North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia/Oceania and Europe. The seven wonders of the modern world have been visited: Petra, the Great Wall of China, Chichén Itzá, Machu Pichu, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal and the one remaining from the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza. More than 100 countries and territories have been visited.

Ralph Lalime’s son, Jay, recently bought a Tesla to take advantage of the tax breaks currently available, and he decided his mother and Ralph needed one as well. Ralph bought the Tesla and found that it was smarter than either of them. He finds it fun to look at folks looking at him parking with his hands in the air using the “hands-off” parking feature, but he is not as comfortable with the auto drive feature. While neither Darlene nor Ralph understand how to use all the apps in the car, they are truly enjoying the machine, which Darlene has named “Tessy.”

JT Smith checked in with an account of his Christmas visit with his stepdaughter Patti and her family in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Highlights included a Christmas Eve dinner and family gathering at the home of step-grandson Steven’s in-laws and Christmas Day with just Patti and Steven’s family (wife Shannon and sons Hunter and Hayden) for opening presents and more good food. Speaking of food, an excessive quantity and variety was consumed and resulted in a three-day hospital stay over the new year that prevented his making his 48th New Year’s Day motorcycle ride, a tradition that began back in 1977.

Jim Glaza similarly laments that all of their holiday plans got canceled due to COVID, which he got from his sister, who needed hospitalization and after care, and which he gave to Jenny. Lesson learned: Celebrate holidays early! Optional lesson #2: You really save money when you don’t go anywhere! I received several nice pictures without comments. They may be viewed on the class website as a NOTAM, referenced in this issue found in the class news archives.

Ken Alnwick, 20550 Falcons Landing Cir., Apt. 5204, Sterling, VA 20165-3587; 703-509-7191; kjalnwick1@gmail.com; Class website: usafaclasses.org/ 1960/afa60.html

J.T. Smith, jtsmcrider@aol.com

1961Our ranks were diminished by the passing of John “Smokey” Stover on Oct. 21, Leroy McCleskey on Dec. 27, and B.G. Willis on Dec. 28. Terry Storm said that our 65th reunion is scheduled for May 1115, 2026, at the Holiday Inn on the River Walk in San Antonio. Approximately 30 classmates expect to attend.

Susan and Tom Conley, Jan and Randy Cubero, Anne and Tom Eller, Theda and Bill Foster, Jo and Dean Jones, Erna Haring, Maxine and Mert Hull, Charlie Neal, Ruth and Mike Quinlan, Carly and Terry Storm, and Claire Willis met for a Christmas brunch at the very beautiful new Hotel Polaris at the USAFA North Gate. The meal and fellowship were great, and the hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Dale Tabor’s wife, Kay, has been hospitalized for some time now but appears to be convalescing.

As Bob Best previously reported in September, he was diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer. A large tumor was removed from his bladder. The Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville urology surgeon performed two surgical procedures to scrape the bladder lining and take biopsies. After the second set of biopsies, they felt confident that his cancer was not invasive but was completely contained in only the inner lining of the bladder. As a result, Bob is able to forgo chemo and radiation treatments and began medication treatment for six weeks beginning on Jan. 15. He feels very confident that he will beat this, but he wouldn’t mind being mentioned in a few prayers! Prayers work!

Pat and Marilyn Buckley went off to Jolly Olde England for a long, bucolic weekend at Littlestone-onsea with Marilyn’s daughter Sharon and her husband, Ned. Then another venturous trip with British Railroad to Northumberland and Scotland. One of their dear friends from their Albanian years, Sharon Hanson-Cooper, hosted their visit with excursions to see Hadrian’s Wall and Castle Lindisfarne (also known as the Holy Island) and the first victim of the Viking raids. A fun visit.

Anne and Tom Eller had Christmas company in their new digs. Daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Steve, came from Atlanta for Christmas, and son Robert ’96 and family came from Greenville, South Carolina, after the new year for visiting and skiing.

All three of Terry Jorris’ children and their families visited him at the same time in Orange County, California, in October. It had been a while since all of the family had gotten together, and it was particularly fun to see the granddaughters interact.

Jerry and Jo (Sucherman) Mason enjoyed Thanksgiving back in California with his son Dave and family, and Christmas in Austin with her son Todd and family. They also brought two old Arizona friends to the pals’ first Styx concert, during which keyboardist Lawrence Gowan asked the audience if anyone had brought their mother. Todd (drummer) jumped up shouting “Me, me!” and the spotlight turned on the proud Mom, Jo. In other news, Jerry continues his obsession with bridge, which he first learned from Jim Jardine and Norm Campbell at USAFA. During this quarter he won a big bridge tournament in Tucson, along with many smaller local duplicate games.

Three Montgomery Graytags celebrated an early Christmas dinner together. Doug and Bonnie Cairns, Susan and Jimmy Poole, and Gwen and Neal Westbrook had a grand time at a local Montgomery restaurant, a tradition started in 1988. The Hourins and Gills used to join with the group.

Dinner with friends

Bill Sanzenbacher had a wonderful trip down memory lane this fall when his friend Judy and he visited the Academy. They got a tour, inside and outside, from one of the retiring academic staff. Bill was amazed by all the changes. They also toured the old Lowry Air Force Base site. The air museum is awesome. They even have a small section devoted to the First Air Academy.

Visiting the Academy

Bob Smith has started going on cruises again, having taken two in the past couple of months and projecting every three months in the future. Although he has been going mostly to Mexico, he is also exploring other destinations.

Bob and Winnie Wagner spent Christmas week in St. Augustine, Florida, with their entire family. Several watched the Jags beat the dreaded Titans in the rain. They are enjoying life and seasonal changes near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Gwen and Neal Westbrook attended Dan Bates’ funeral in Eugene, Oregon. Clarise and granddaughters were not aware of Dan’s exploits on the ski slopes and in car rallies. Neither were they aware of the Dan and Bob Bull visits to Neal and Gwen’s on Sundays “just in time for lunch” and afternoon card games. By the way, Oregon was Neal’s 50th state to visit.

Twy Williams said that he and Nancy are still living in their home of 28 years near Callao, Virginia. Since COVID became widespread, they have been hunkered down to avoid respiratory problems. Just as they began to think they might soon be able to become more mobile and active, he fell outside in early December. That resulted in lacerations on the left side of his head and face as well as deep lacerations on his left arm/elbow, which required frequent dressing changes until Feb. 10. He has been blessed to have Nancy as his personal caretaker and wound-care-giver, as well as household manager and communicator.

Thanks to all who shared their lives with us this quarter.

Nelson O’Rear, 50582 Stonington Dr., Granger, IN 46530-8243; 574-273-2597; enoandtjo@gmail.com

1962

Several of you have asked if I have heard anything from John Brothers, so I gave him a call. John still has the same great sense of humor. When I called, he answered the phone saying, without prelude, not “Hello,” but “What the hell do you want?”

John had a stroke a couple of years ago, which has left him with minor speech difficulties, but otherwise he seems to be doing well. He recalled his appreciation for the way Pete Robinson had treated him when he was working as a vice president at SAIC in the role of support contractor for AFOTEC, which Pete commanded.

Got a nice note from Willie Gray It seems a small group of RTBs gathered in Melbourne, Florida, to watch the USAFA-Navy game. See picture below. Understandably, they decided that dinner might have been the better choice and left before the final whistle. Willie and his wife, Nancy, recently completed a Bucket List trip to Australia. As the trip

ended, they got aboard an ocean liner for a 33-day cruise back to Seattle. Willie says 33 days on a cruiser is “a long time to be on a boat.” Aren’t you glad we did not attend the Naval Academy?

and Nancy and Willie Gray watch USAFA-Navy.

I continue to look for that quarter when we don’t lose another Redtag. This was not that quarter. We lost two recently: Dave Bockelman and Mike Butler. I remind you that the AOG decided to cease publishing the quarterly Gone But Not Forgotten in December 2024. Henceforth the plan is to publish memorial articles annually. The first such publication is expected around March 2025. As I said in my last column, I will try to give a brief nod here (within the limits of the space I am allocated) to our classmates as they pass.

Dave Bockelman passed on Nov. 14. I had not known Dave well as cadets, but he was assigned to the A-10 System Program Office at the same time that I was at Wright-Patt in another SPO, and he and I saw each other fairly often there. I always found Dave a friendly and supportive face as we both learned the ropes in the world of systems acquisition. Careerwise, Dave had the knack of getting into what appeared to be less than desirable assignments and then emerging into what seemed to be a much more desirable end. He started off in B-47s but then was assigned as an O-1 FAC at Bien Hoa, SVN. From there he went to F-100s in England, after which he managed to get into FB-111s. Then there was the A-10 SPO, followed by an assignment to OV-10s in Europe. After retirement, Dave worked for Hughes Aircraft. When he retired from Hughes, Dave immersed himself in building and flying experimental aircraft. Dave was an interesting guy with a diverse aviation background. In one of the Graduate Registers, he listed his occupation as “experimental aircraft builder.” A fitting end to a career in aviation.

And we lost Mike Butler on Dec. 12. I am not much of a believer in coincidence; however, Mike’s four-degree roommate was Don Shepperd. Don, of course, later became the director of the Air National Guard at Headquarters USAF, and Mike became a major general in the Tennessee Air National Guard. There must have been something special in that room. Was it a coincidence that brought these two, each of whom would become a leader in the ANG, together as roommates? Or was it fate that brought them together just as they entered the Air Force and saw them both emerge as leaders in the Guard at the end of their active careers? Mike started his career as a B-52 pilot, but, like a number of our class assigned

Members 92% Sabre Society Donors 11 Polaris Society Members 4

Loyal USAFA fans Hal Rhodes, Chuck Cheeseman,

to SAC, he left active duty and joined the Tennessee ANG flying a number of airlift planes (C-130s, C-141s and C-5s, to mention a few). Interspersed with his Guard work, Mike also flew as a commercial airline pilot. He went on to be selected as the ANG representative at Air Materiel Command. Mike later worked for FEMA, where he managed the response to both the 9/11 and the space shuttle Columbia disasters. His career was a varied one filled with challenges, all of which he met and overcame.

Saw a note from Erv Rokke saying he has moved into a senior community (Liberty Heights) in C Springs. I personally think it takes guts to look at yourself and decide that the time has come to make that move. Godspeed, Erv! And, while we are on that topic, Shep sent a note saying that he and Rose were contemplating a similar move, albeit in Arizona and under the tutelage of Jack Swonson and his wife, Polly Ann (see below).

On a sad note, as I was drafting this column to submit for publishing, I got a call from Rick Perlotto informing me that he lost his wife on Jan. 10. Join me in wishing strength and peace for Rick during what is unquestionably a difficult time.

Bob Lightsey, 3105 Cunningham Dr., Alexandria, VA 22309; H: 703-360-5320; C: 703-772-2061; bob.lightsey@gmail.com

Welcome back to the Class News. I want to express our thanks for the holiday cards and wishes. We had a very nice family holiday in Pagosa Springs, including a white Christmas. I was reminded more than once that the skiing at Wolf Creek was superb. Today, Jan. 15, here in southern Arizona is sunny and mild. The early morning temps have been down around

freezing, but as the sun rises over the mountains it starts warming up our back patio and I can see the golfers are out and about their morning rounds. The AOG has notified us of the passing of six of our classmates. Tom Burns (CS-10) passed away on Sept. 2, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. Grady Gaulke (CS-07) died on Aug. 17, 2024. A celebration of life took place on Sept. 28, 2024, at First Baptist Church of La Vernia. Inurnment will take place at the USAFA Cemetery later. Bill Ebert (CS-17) passed on Sept. 8 in Virginia. A celebration of life was held at the Virginia Oaks Clubhouse in Gainesville, Virginia, on Feb. 17. Bill was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Feb. 26. Gary Pfeifer passed away on Oct. 27, 2024, in Chesapeake, Virginia. A funeral service was held Nov. 7, 2024, at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, Chesapeake, Virginia. David Boeck (CS22) passed away on Nov. 13, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A funeral service was held Dec. 11, 2024, at the USAFA Cemetery. Frank Porter (CS-16) passed away on Nov. 28, 2024, in Neptune Beach, Florida. A funeral service was held on Dec. 18, 2024, at the USAFA Cemetery.

Notification of a classmate’s passing is important, not only to his classmates but also to the AOG and Mortuary Affairs at the Academy. Even if the burial and memorial ceremonies are not planned for the USAFA Cemetery, it is important to notify the AOG. The best way you can handle this is to include contacting the AOG in your death instructions: The Next-of-Kin Support Specialist for the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy, at 719.472.0300 ext.355 or usafaanextofkin.org.

Vic Thacker reports: “In a few weeks, we will meet with the AOG’s director of projects and facilities and the director of Arnold Hall activities. At this meeting we will discuss the feasibility of changing from the kiosks in Arnold Hall to a larger touch-screen computer closer to the cup display. That proposed change should attract more people to the cups, make it easier for Gil to maintain the class histories website, and give easier access to information about the class and the cups.”

Jim Kuhn is working on a handbook for the Cup Turning Ceremony and reunions, getting the procedures in writing for others to follow — an important task.

Planning for our next class reunion is being worked on for June 2026 (63 Years)!

The AOG recently announced they would be restructuring the way GBNF is reported to. Gone But Not Forgotten, which has appeared in Checkpoints magazine for decades, will transition to a dedicated annual publication. The inaugural edition of Here’s A Toast: Gone But Not Forgotten will be published around March 20. A complimentary copy will be provided to a loved one of the deceased memorialized in the publication. Additional printed copies will be available for a nominal fee. A digital version will be available to all AOG members.

I received some news from Randy Reynolds, who talked about his new book to be published by Amazon in a few weeks. The title is “The Laser, The Lion and Love.” It is a story about what may be just beginning — a near-earth orbit space war. Most of

the story is about the Space Force and its interface with a laser research lab at Lawrence Livermore. He said he had fun with it using the current time, mostly 2024. He took the liberty of forecasting the end of peaceful uses of space.

Joe Hans Wilson made an appearance on Ed Pickens’ email. There was a memory shared, but I haven’t been able to break the code to read it. Nevertheless, it was good to hear from our resident Norwegian.

Ev Vaughn sent a summary of Frank Porter’s internment at the Academy Cemetery.

Ken and Kay Broman wrote about a cruise they scheduled in November when they flew to Dubai, then Malaysia where their flights to Indonesia were canceled due to ash clouds from a volcano. After three days they caught up with the ship in Darwin, Australia. Their cruise was along the north and east coasts of that down under continent, ending up in Sydney. They flew home to Washington via Fiji, thus circumnavigating the globe. Neil Sorenson wrote he and Ilene are enjoying the Pacific Northwest, specifically Whidbey Island. One item he covered was a storm of rain and wind out of the northwest with 65 mph gusts and power outages lasting 10 hours. I think fondly of our 16 years in Seattle, but Tucson is a much sunnier place!

Ed and Caroline Pickens reported on their vacation by rail from London to Paris and then on to Strasbourg in Alsace. The next stop was in Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland. From there they took the Glacier Express — said to be “the slowest express train in the world” — to Brig, where one can view the Matterhorn. Quite the trip! Happy 60th wedding anniversary to the happy couple.

That’s it for this time. Look for Vic’s mailings out in February covering plans for the class in the coming summer and next year for our 63rd class reunion.

Norman I. “Skip” Lee, 63119 E. Cat Claw Ln., Tucson, AZ 85739-2058; H: 520-825-7980; C: 520-241-3498; 54wrs63@gmail.com; Class website: usafa63.org

1964 News From Around

the

Country: Matt Feiertag sent a holiday missive detailing a very busy year. Matt and Kathy volunteer at their church, the Food Bank and the VA in Reno, and Matt is still the president of the High Sierra Chapter of the USAFA AOG. I guess they decided they needed some vacation time, so they did some traveling. In March, they

Swonsons and Shepperds – House Thinking

CLASS NEWS

went to Death Valley for several days. In June they drove to Crater Lake in Oregon. Matt said, “It was magnificent. We thought that by going in June the snow would have melted. Unfortunately, it had not been warm enough, so we were unable to get all the way down to the shoreline. Nevertheless, the views were breathtaking.”

In August, they flew to Minnesota to visit family. Then they drove to the reunion. This was followed by the three-day U.S. Navy Tailhook Convention, where Matt represented the Red River Valley Association (River Rats) and tried to recruit new members for the association.

In September, they went to Elko to visit family. Later in the month, they went to Dayton for Fred Gregory ’s enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. In October, they attended the Reno Air Show, which was put on in place of the Reno Air Races, which had been moved to Roswell, New Mexico, starting in 2025. October ended with a five-day trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks in southern Utah.

In December, [Are you getting tired yet?] they drove to Phoenix to watch their granddaughters in their cheerleading competition and dance recital. Matt ends with, “We even squeezed in a half-day visit to John Mikels in Sahuarita, Arizona. Great to see him after a few years.”

More Trips: I also received an update from Paul Belmont “We are pleased to share that we are both doing well — adapting to our advancing age — having given up on resisting the inevitable progression. Still dealing with ‘age-appropriate’ issues being supported by the outstanding Winchester area medical community. To support orthopedic employment in the area, both Peggy and I separately managed to stumble and damage a wrist and forearm. In my case in July while on our river cruise, and Peggy recently at our community Christmas party. We have learned a lot about the intimate support needs that accompany being one-armed!”

Paul continued: “We have enjoyed a number of delightful trips and excursions and events with friends over this past year:

“Drove to Mobile, Alabama, in January to join family in the celebration of Peggy’s Aunt Neva’s 90th birthday.

“Extended our trip into Florida to visit friends and Daytona and New Smyrna Beach, and returned home by AutoTrain.

“In July we did a fabulous two-week river cruise from St. Louis to Pittsburgh via the Mississippi and (mostly) Ohio rivers.

“In August we attended my class reunion commemorating the 60th year since graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“In September we were delighted by a visit from dear Canadian friends we have known and traveled with since 1973.

“For our Christmas event this year, we went to downtown D.C. for four days. We stayed at the historic Willard Intercontinental Hotel near the White House. A real treat was attending the fascinating Hip Hop Nutcracker at the National Theater — a very fun and energetic adaption of the classic — which actually followed the original

music score. On Sunday, we went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Mass. We enjoyed the celestial choir and saw the beautiful decorations in anticipation of masses on Christmas Day. Really impressive and awe inspiring.” Another Trip: Jay Kelley also traveled — to Hawaii for a week. Jay said that Sook wanted to move to Hawaii, but it “ain’t gonna happen!” They also got in a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons. Then, after the ’64 reunion, they traveled to Vandenberg SFB for a missileer reunion. [SFB?? Missileer??? Times have changed!] Finally, Sook traded in one of their SUVs for a bright yellow 2014 Corvette for Jay.

One Last Travel Story: Sandy and I managed two cruises this past year. The first was on the Snake and Columbia rivers. By the way, if you ever get near Hood River, Oregon, you need to visit the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum. I’ve never seen so many antique cars and planes in one place before.

We also took a cruise on the Great Lakes. We were having a great time — up until Sandy fell and broke the top of her humerus bone. Not so funny! I guess she didn’t want the Belmonts to feel alone in the one-arm department.

Gone But Not Forgotten: It’s been a bad quarter for ’64. I’ve received notices that the following have passed. William Flood (CS-13) died in December in Deltona, Florida. Philip Hepburn (CS-06) died in December in Hampton, New Hampshire. Tom Herbst (CS-15) passed in October in Philpot, Kentucky. Dick Krobusek (CS-22) passed in November in Plano, Texas. And Doorman Reed (CS-09) passed in July in Port St. Joe, Florida. Also, Don Graham sent news that his wife, Marilyn, passed in January.

Take it easy out there! We still have reunions to attend!

Bob Hovde, 206 Walker Ave., Huntsville, AL 35801; H: 256-532-3923; C: 256-348-9794; bob@hovde.us

1965

William Morrison (aka Jake Flat): Jim and Sharon Swallow hosted a mini reunion of ’65ers from First Squadron on the central California coast. Big Sur lunch for Neireiter, Morrison, Bowers, Sellers, Swallow, Lynch and Berkman. Working on plans for all-inclusive 60th reunion next year. Bowers will do the cooking.

Tom Owens: “Maria and I, during a recent road trip down 95 to South Carolina from Virginia, decided to jink left and proceed to Charleston for a touch-and-go with the Ryans. We spent several hours with them while enjoying a superb lunch prepared by Jane. It was not only a great visit with them but also with three of their four children — Katie, Sean and Colleen — all very successful in their own endeavors. Great to see Mike and Jane in good spirits and staying busy with family affairs.”

John Blackmar: “Nothing new here in Baldwin City, Kansas, except below-0 weather and lots of snow — 1 to 3 feet of snow on the deck and the Kansas roads have been down at times and things closed most of this week. Not getting my Meals on Wheels delivered.”

Victor Grazier: “A group from our base chapel and Bible study went to the local VA hospital to go caroling on Dec. 7 for the first time since COVID. The picture is of my wife, Marsha, and me, along with our daughter, Claire, and son-in-law, Bob Bolha ’87 and two of our 12 grandchildren.”

Jay Kelly with his yellow Corvette

Mini reunion

Tom and Maria Owens visit with Mike and Jane Ryan

Bill Roberts, 9870 E. Golden Currant Dr., Tucson, AZ 85748-7897; 520-342-8002; scribe@usafa1965.org; usafa-1965.org; FB: USAFA '65 Best Alive

1966

Greetings, Redtags! Despite our advancing years, it seems that a lot of our classmates continue to travel or find other active ways to spend our retirement years (and money). In 2024, my wife, Connie, and I managed to see some of the Grand Canyon and all of the Antelope Canyon in Arizona in March. Then we saw the solar eclipse in April, survived the great Midwest “Cicada Double Brood” in May, and spent three weeks exploring Spain in September. We probably would have traveled more, but most of our grandkids live in the area, so we don’t need to. Based on the emails and Christmas letters from classmates over the past few months, many of you have been even more active — traveling all over the world (mostly to see grandkids). I think that Dick Oliver summed it up nicely for all of us in his Christmas letter, where he said, “Through God’s many blessings, we were able to adroitly blend medical issues with travel plans to produce an adventurous, wholesome year.”

Mike Parmentier, who passed away in 2023, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in November 2024. Gary Palmer, along with several other classmates, attended the ceremony and said that “it was a beautiful day, overlayed with the sounds of aircraft flying in and out of Reagan National airport.” The ceremony was at a site about 200 yards from the final resting place and only the family was allowed to go there after the ceremony, so this photo did not include Mike’s family. A reception was held afterward at the Patton Club on Fort Myer. Jim Tilley, Mike Connors and Gary attended, and they were able to spend some time with Gail (Mike’s

widow) and family. Also attending the ceremony and reception was Christine Florea, our classmate Fred Hess’s daughter. Fred was shot down over Vietnam in 1969, when Christine was only a year old, and she has asked to be included in our ’66 events so she can learn more about her father.

of Fred Hess); Bill Hohwiesner was at the event but had to leave before the photo.

Gary Palmer has been trying to keep an updated email list for all of our classmates who live in the D.C. area or who want to be notified of class gatherings in that area so they can attend if able. So, if you have not been getting any emails from Gary and want to, let him know at gtdbpalmer@ verizon.net. Gary has also been compiling a list of ’66 classmates interred or memorialized in Arlington National Cemetery. We’ll figure out a good place to publish that list — probably on our class website, classof66.usafagroups.org.

Meanwhile, at the Academy Cemetery, the annual wreath-laying ceremony was conducted on Dec. 14. It was a bit chilly (45°), but some 300-plus folks, including Vic Andrews and Dick Oliver, who were warmed by the Christmas spirit in honoring our fallen classmates and friends. There was a good inch of snow over most grave sites, but the headstones had been swept clear. Wreaths Across America conducts this nationwide patriotic event. This year it was held at more than 4,200 cemeteries all across America. For those who would like to sponsor a wreath ($17) next year or participate in your locale, here’s their link: wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Rusty Gideon was passing through the St. Louis area in November, and we were able to get together for a fun lunch with a mutual friend from our USAFA days, CeCe Luecking. CeCe was a friend of mine from high school who went to Loretto Heights in Denver while we were imprisoned at the Academy. Between us, we were able to arrange many blind dates between the two schools — some resulting in long-lasting relationships. Rusty moved from Idaho to Beavercreek, Ohio, last year to be closer to kids and grandkids — always a good reason to move!

Keep those emails and pictures coming from your

Ryan Denny, 1635 Mary Todd Ln., O'Fallon, IL 62269; 618-670-2298; ryanden@aol.com

1967

Hola, amigos — As I compose this, temps are single digits in Minnesota, where we spent the holidays with family/grandkids, and much of the country is stuck in a winter storm. We are traveling back to New Mexico and missed the bad weather by a day. I hope you all are warm and dry. To begin — a day brightener:

to all.

Caroling

Redtags at Arlington for Mike Parmentier’s interment. From left: Jim Roberts, Gary Palmer, Rusty Gideon, Mike Connors, Jim Tilley and Christine Florea (daughter

Vic Andrews and Dick Oliver place wreaths on ’66 graves at the USAFA Cemetery.

Old friends rendezvous in St. Louis. From left: Connie and Ryan Denny, Rusty Gideon and CeCe Luecking (longtime friend from Loretto Heights)

latest adventures. Until next time…Happy Landings!

Members 85% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Jim McDermott sends 2025 greetings

CLASS NEWS

Bob Muldrow during football season sent out a message including some of his memories of the fall of ’63, when the Wing was transported by rail to Albuquerque for the UNM football game. His message evoked some long-dormant memories for me, and I shared them with Jim McDermott, who sent me this recollection of his blind date after that game: “How well do I remember? It’s been a recurring nightmare. I was stuck in the backseat with a very amorous … girl, who outweighed me by more than 20 pounds. I fought her off all night, but my buddies deserted me on the summit of Sandia Peak, leaving me alone with (the young lady) while they escorted their dates for a romantic stroll to the overlook. The grinning bastards clearly enjoyed the set-up joke. But regardless of their intentions, I maintained cadet decorum throughout the evening, even up to the train station platform, where I opted for a gentlemanly peck on her cheek while avoiding romantic embraces of the other couples.” No doubt we all have “fun” memories of blind dates from those days.

Another memory: tea dances — remember them? I believe they began the fall of our four-degree year, when busloads of freshmen from CWC & LoHi were transported to the AFA on Sunday afternoons. Before that, during the summer, Mrs. Mac, the AFA social hostess in that era, conducted dance lessons in Arnold Hall for all four-degrees. Again from McDermott: “Oh yeah, learning to dance with your roommate as your partner set back my interest and ability in ballroom dancing by decades (thank you, Mrs. McComish). (Sic) … about that ZI visit to Clovis, I remember staying in (ENMU dorms in) … Portales. Those scary encounters with our dates for the evening were arranged by lining us and the girls on either side of a partition where we stood in line by order of height on each side. We met our dates for the evening by stepping out from behind the partition to face whomever most closely matched our height. Being over six feet tall had some disadvantages. … Ah, memory lane.”

On a contemporary note, I (and likely some you) recently saw the movie A Complete Unknown, about some of Bob Dylan’s early musical days. From Pete Milne: “Tom Griesser, John Holstein and I were at the Newport Jazz Festival where Dillon (sic) first played his … concert electric guitar.”

A brief note from Scott Jackson, clarifying the pic in the previous Checkpoints where he and Lloyd Duncan were receiving a trophy from the chief of staff and the supt.: “We were the first team to beat Army in 1965 in Soldier Field in Chicago and then first team to beat Navy at home in 1966. We were playing Army and Navy on alternating years back then. Picture was taken early in 1967 in honor of those wins.”

Roger Carleton and a few other grads and wives others recently tried out the new Hotel Polaris.

Pumfrey, Paul

Gerry

This next bit, describing Bill Powley’s life after the Academy and RVN and the USAF, is from The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia, where it is available in its entirety: “A decorated Vietnam veteran, Lt. Col. Bill Powley happily continues his lifelong mission. The endeavor started when he retired from the U.S. Air Force in January 1991 and was hired by Unicoi County High School. ‘I made the comment, let’s take them flying, to get them excited about something, and I guess that worked pretty well, because six years later we were a distinguished unit and were for the rest of my time there,’ Powley explained to the Business Journal. ‘The flying program was kind of like a magnet to keep kids in the program and get kids to join. It was magnificent. That’s why we’ve been recognized three times as the top program in the nation, which is pretty nice.’ In 2010, Powley won the top aerospace science instructor in the nation (A. Scott Crossfield Award) and was the first recipient of the Tennessee Aviation Person of the Year Award. In 2011, he earned the Tennessee Career Contributions to Aviation Award, and in 2013, he was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame for leading this program. ‘I do not claim to be the best flight instructor in the nation,’ Powley said. ‘But I do claim to have the best program in the nation, and that’s the reason I think I was inducted as leader of that program.’ Indeed, his programs have been selected as tops in the country several times.”

That’s about it for my word count allotment. Adios, amigos. Vaya con Dios. God bless the troops and their families, and God bless the USA.

Larry Wilson, 13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111; 505-291-8949; Lwilsn628@aol.com

1968

HELLO ’68! Happy 2025! Based on the cards, letters and emails I received during the holiday season, it appears that many of you are fulfilling your Bucket List adventures, while others are dealing with health issues and working out with new body parts. Enjoy your “Golden Years!”

Searching for roots

’68ER JOINS NEW TRIBE: In 2023, during our 55-year reunion, our classmate Barima Yaw Ababio, a.k.a. Jim Thompson, was accepted into the Asanti Tribe in Ghana. When I asked Jim what his name means, he wrote: “Barima means ‘wise.’ Yaw means ‘born on Thursday.’ Ababio may be a tribe surname.” To our wise classmate who was born on Thursday, Happy New Year!

HOLIDAY MAILBAG: My thanks to so many of you who sent Christmas and New Year wellwishes. Your annual news goes a long way in sustaining inputs to my quarterly column. Notable stories from around the class are as follows:

Gene and Jan Rose did a lot of traveling within the U.S. to visit family. They also got in a one-week trip to Budapest. Their next adventure, to go on a Danube River cruise, was scuttled when the Danube flooded, but they were able to recover from their disappointment by visiting friends in Cape Cod, with ample good weather, breathtaking scenery and plenty of shopping.

Starting from lower left and going clockwise (guys only): Skip

Henry,

Corwin, Patrick Finnegan, Pete Knepell, me, Ed Folz (who arranged the luncheon) and Jack Fry

Here’s Abner Haynes, inspiring us all to do good in 2025.

In February 2024, Rhip and Judy Worrell were joined by Tex and Char Burgamy and Doug Barnard and his wife on a trip to Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Rhip noted that the moals (the giant stone heads) weighed up to 25 tons, and the technology used to move them miles to their final resting places was fascinating.

Ken and Khaki Bowers began 2024 with Ken recovering from an accident he experienced in September 2023, when he shattered his upper arm and ended up with a “reverse” shoulder replacement. They were able to travel to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary in the spring, and Ken is back to guiding fishing trips with the local Wounded Warriors group. To avoid the mundane, as Khaki puts it, he continues to teach weird courses for the Texas Christian University Senior Learning Group — like the plague or Dracula.

Last call. From left: Tony Eden, Tom Dreier, John “Sully” Sullivan, Dana Drenkowski, Ed Stadjuhar ’67, Bob Lutter, Andy Ferris, Bill Sasz, Rich Bristow, Jim Lozito, Charlie Holland, Dick Racette, Tim Davidson, Bob Johnston, Tom Olsen, Bill Drennan, George Hoffman, Rhip Worrell and Ed Welliver

END OF AN ERA: The Reese AFB UPT Class of 70-01 held its 11th and final planned reunion in Pensacola Beach, Florida, in October 2024, with visits to Pensacola NAS, a memorial service for deceased classmates and instructor pilots at the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel, a tour of the Naval Aviation Museum, a tour of the robotics and artificial intelligence lab, and a consortium in downtown Pensacola, and a luau banquet at the Pensacola Beach Hilton. The photo was taken following the banquet at an open bar that was provided in memory of our classmate Marty Cole, who funded a wish for the class to have a drink on him at our last reunion.

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: Benny Veteto sent his Christmas greetings from the epicenter of the Hurricane Helene disaster. After moving to Burnsville, North Carolina, Benny thought he would be entering a new phase of his life in a safe, serene and secure location inside the Toe River Campground. As Helene approached, the camp host instructed Benny and Jeanne to move to the main store where they would be “safe.” Benny writes: “I stood on the bank beside the camp store looking down at a wildly raging river about two feet below my toes. We fled to higher ground. An hour or two afterward, the entire campground, including the store, was swept away.” Benny is currently serving as the treasurer for the Appalachian Institute for

Mountain Studies and is seeking donations to assist in the recovery of the region. If you wish to help, please contact Benny at 60 Suspense Drive, Burnsville, NC 28714.

and Bill Wood

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: We were saddened by the loss of two of our classmates. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles D. “Chuck” Jones passed away from lung cancer on Dec. 13, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He loved riding his horses at the Air Force Academy stables with his wife, Joy, as well as studying history, skiing, hunting, fishing and camping with his children and grandchildren.

John C. Kurzdorfer passed away in Buffalo, New York, on Dec. 16, 2024. He was a member of CS-09 and CS-17 as a cadet.

Prayers are also requested for those affected by personal health issues and the many fellow countrymen and women who are still dealing with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and the wildfires in California. Finally, we pray for our nation that the new administration will chart a course to provide us with the blessings of hope, peace and prosperity.

THAT’S A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep ’em flying, and keep those cards, letters, emails and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Ciao for now. Tim

Tim Davidson, 9712 Hidden Valley Rd., Vienna, VA 22181-6094; H: 703-255-5313; C: 703-772-6052; timd1968@gmail.com; usafa68.org

1969

Greetings, brother ’69ers. Our three days’ worth of 55th reunioning rolls on with great memories still, even if saddened with further losses of beloved classmates.

Checkpoints first-timer Earl Roberts, “guardedly busy” lately, is home-based in Dallas and surges beyond to spend time for his business in the process. He and family clock at least two cruises a year and hang out in Winter Park in summer and some three to four weeks during winter. He helped kick off the list of octogenarian ’69ers in April, joining brother Wayne Warren, who followed in November. Jim Hewitt may be another to join the 80s team? Earl and Larry Brieschke were senior grads at the AF/Navy watch party — better to be there than not! Perhaps Earl’s gallivanting support helped spark USAFA’s late-season, four-game football sweep, including a shutout of Oregon State! So, wait’ll next year, and keep Earl suited up nearby! Seven ’69ers attended what might be the finalever FAC reunion in Fort Walton Beach. Attending were Darrel Whitcomb, Wally Berg, Tom Fleming, John Young, Bob Troy, Elton Humphreys and Tom McGrain. Darrel notes that more ’69ers served in the 23rd TASS than any other combat unit in SEA. The ’69 contingent accumulated one Silver Star, 13 DFCs and 72 Air Medals. They were all glad to have made it home. We’re so glad to have them.

And, back to the FAC past again was Darrel, with Chris, who attended and led the last (or maybe second-to-last) reunion of the Raven FACs, noteworthy for flying in civilian attire while piloting vulnerable O-1s, U-17s and T-28s in covert missions over Laos during the Vietnam War. ’69 is honored to recall Darrel and fellow Ravens John Davidson, Burton McKenzie, Doug Mitchell, Terry Murphy, H. Ownby, Earnest Skinner, Niles Smith, Mike Stearns and George Tousley (KIA). The yearly Raven celebratory gathering at Randolph’s O-Club — amazing as most of you will recall from one or more trips to this well-known AF watering hole — brought back memories, those of combat and those at NKP with its “games of chance” at the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron “Nail Hole” hooch bar and repeated recordings of You’re So Vain These men, fully aware they would experience some

Celebration of life for Chuck Jones. Group on left: Gene Rose, Doug Wilson, Mark Torreano, Roger Moseley and Vince Rusinak. Group on right: Garry Dudley, Denny Chrismer, Ben Stevens, Gary Hoffman, Dale Oderman

Members 84% Sabre Society

Darrel Whitcomb, Wally Berg, Tom Fleming, John Young and Bob Troy. Not pictured: Elton Humphreys and Tom McGrain

CLASS NEWS

of the heaviest casualty rates of the Indo-China War, were integral to the overall effort, working with allied ground forces and interdicting North Vietnamese supplies and units. The ’69ers proved themselves integral to the overall war effort and directed airstrikes that dropped massive tonnage in Laos, comparable in volume to that dropped during all of WWII.

Craig Collins, Jean and I, recalling our own duties at NKP and SEA, were honored to have been invited to this memorable reunion, and especially to join the Ravens’ ritual glass-breaking ceremony deep in the evening. Sharp salute to Darrel and his ’69er Raven mates — high risk, high stress, highly vulnerable, integral to the war. Duty beyond the call, each and every one.

Following on the last quarter’s sad losses of esteemed classmates, recall that we lost ’69er Curt Andrus last June. Marrying the love of his life, Joan, 10 days after graduation, he began his pursuit of flying, and his proud USAFA pedigree found welcome usage during his years training other pilots. Next up in his several versatile careers was acquiring and managing a successful string of C-Springsarea Western Sizzlin’ steakhouses! Ever devoured a C-Springs Sizzler?? It was probably courtesy of good-looking, ever-smiling Curt! Eventually, he and Joan sold the restaurant string, turned to real estate, and worked as Re/Max professionals for several years. Throughout and foremost, he nurtured his five children (one male and four female prodigies) and loving wife. Also surviving him are his sister, brother and eight grandchildren. Curt’s extensive leisure activities and easy laughter anchored his sterling career in and out of the USAF. He believed in Jesus Christ as his Savior — and we are all blessed to honor him now.

Finally, out of the blue was the surprising and crushing sad news regarding the redoubtable, “everyone loves him” Flip Keck. Tom Keck said he had never seen anyone — until he met Flip — who was always spring-loaded to help anybody with anything. Brian Nelson, longtime best buds with Flip, nods his cap to him for his unselfishness and

excellence, especially on the high school basketball courts they shared — and for anything and everything else, including Flip’s varsity baseball talent and national championship in handball doubles! Even on the golf course he was a pleasure who put joy at the center, even for error-prone types (like myself). Team “Flip and Jan” graciously hosted fine cuisine and drink at their home to help ’69 kick off all of our class reunions — perfect for breaking the ice of longtime absences among great friends — and for reveling in the marvelous Pikes Peak views that symbolize the tightly knit appreciation of our time together at the Zoo and after. Friends forged in fellowship as brothers. Always the smile, always the humor, athletic excellence, piloting perfection, antics and stories, kind words, sheer joy and rock-solid friendship. He brought it all for all of us. Salute, then, Flip Keck — we miss you.

Thirty-Eight ’69ers honor Flip Keck. Godspeed. Finally, thanks to Ken Stevenson we learned late of losing another ’69er — Doug Fitzpatrick. His stalwart, positive attitude in light of unexpected challenges has been as admirable as it gets. As always, hug the ones you love every day — tomorrow is not promised.  Salute, all! — Lindsey

Lindsey Parris, 9 Tilbury Ln., San Antonio, TX 78230; 703-869-0642; howardparris@comcast.net

Greetings classmates! It is Jan. 18, and we are currently enduring an artic blast. Should be around 6 degrees this weekend. I shouldn’t complain, as Mike and Caryn Kelley went on an expedition to Antarctica over the holidays. Mike, heavily fortified by adult beverages, didn’t get seasick despite 10-15 foot waves and 90 mph winds. He indicated, as many of you have, that it was an awesome trip.

Appears Oker and Monnica O’Connor took a similar trip to Patagonia and Magdalena Island. I would flunk a geography test locating some of the places they visited. Their pictures on Facebook are awesome.

Chip Terrill took his three children to Luxembourg and the Hurtegan Forest to honor his dad, who was a platoon sergeant during many WWII battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded twice and earned the Bronze Star. See Band of Brothers

Dave and Kim Hallman took the trip of trips. They visited many places from South Africa to the UAE. I thoroughly enjoyed the many pictures and Kim’s accounts on Facebook. Craig and Karen Northrup visited Panama. Mick and Jan Davey visited family and took in sites in California and New York.

On a personal note, I spent three weeks in Germany with Kristen, Andy and grandson, Colt. We had an awesome time and visited several WWII historical sites in Cologne and Belgium. Attending a soccer game and visiting the famous Christmas markets were also highlights. Kudos to Troy Calhoun and staff. Boys closed out the season with four straight wins to finish 5-7. Hardly what we expected. Seeing major improvements at quarterback and on both sides of the line were a big plus. Next year will be interesting with a realigned conference with several new teams. Navy will be heavily favored to win the CIC trophy as it returns its outstanding quarterback and much of its offense. We are losing a few key players (four sophomores so far) to the transfer portal. The face of college sports has changed forever.

Mega kudos to our classmates. Perhaps you saw articles about John Martinson and Jerry Bruni in the last Checkpoints. Both men continue to go above and beyond in making the Academy experience better for graduates and today’s cadets. The Martinson Honors Program is challenging our smartest cadets with advanced courses. Jerry has contributed $4M to start the Class of 1970 Endowment for Reunions. The program benefits classes celebrating their 10th, 20th, 25th or 30th reunions. Earnings from the endowment will assist in reducing registration fees to make it easier for younger classes to maintain their Academy connections and foster engagement across the class. Great idea and neat it is named after our class! Once

Burton Curtis Andrus III. Salute, Curt — fly high, you will be missed.

Intrepid Kelly’s tackle the elements in Antarctica

again, ’70 finished first in giving philanthropy for the last fiscal year. Thirty-two percent of our class donated. Hope we can get over 40 percent next year. We still have costs associated with the SEA Memorial Pavilion, Plaza of Heroes and the SEA Project in Fairchild Hall. Am reaching out for more stories to post prior to the reunion. Haven’t heard from any potential golfers. Email any cadet stories you have to Mark Ewig or me. Hopefully, you will have a reunion update from Rich Downing before reading this. Before the Downings headed for Florida, Rich set up a luncheon for the Seventy men in Colorado. It was the usual crowd. But it was good to see Efrain Gonzalez, who I haven’t seen since graduation. Dave Gaw, Vic Bradford and Larry Bush recently attended the AOG Rampart Chapter meeting. I see Larry, Frank Heming, Gary Dahlen, and Tooey Emery at basketball games. The team doesn’t have a great record, but we have some good young players, Hope they stick around!

For you lawyers out there, Don Rushing has written a book: Complex Litigation: A Practical Guide to Case Management and Decision Making. Don makes heavy use of lessons learned at USAFA and in the Air Force in chapters dealing with leadership principles and effective case management techniques. Bob Welbaum’s third book — No Limits: Traveling the World One Mile at a Time — highlights Bob’s many achievements running marathons on all seven continents (a rare achievement) plus other life lessons. Mike Torreano’s book, Fireflies at Dusk, has been longlisted for the Historical Fiction Company’s Book of the Year Awards.

I checked out the new Hotel Polaris. It really is first class. Mike Torreano, Mike Lambert, Tooey Emery, Jerry Bruni and significant others recently spent a night or two there and gave it very high marks. Rumor has it they all crashed the F-16 simulator in one of the bars. So much for 12 hours between bottle and throttle. Pat Collins hosted Bob Baskett when Bob lost his home in the recent

hurricanes. Speedy Martin got a small motorhome to do some traveling around the country.

On a sad note Larry Vaughn’s wife, Jo Anne, passed away and BJ Bjorklund’s wife, Cathy, also passed. I always enjoyed accounts and pictures of the Vaughn’s many cruises over the years. Marilyn and I got to know Cathy very well. She was a wonderful friend and very devoted to her family and BJ. Our condolences to both men.

Seventy Men Honor Cathy Bjorklund

As spring approaches, work on your golf game and prepare for our 55th reunion! It’s a screw job Seventy!

Members 82% Sabre Society Donors 58 Polaris Society Members 30

Dick Rauschkolb, 719-310-6928; AOG70@comcast.net 1971

Greetings from the Front Range, where the winter Falcon teams are doing what winter Falcon teams do. The football team finally got into a winning groove, which should bode well for the 2025 season. So far, only a couple of sophs have declared for the transfer portal; the spring season might tell us more about the composition of the team.

As this column goes to press, the nominations for the Association of Graduates’ board of directors has been released. Four nominees are from the time we attended, including our own Dan Bohlin! Voting is open from Feb. 3 to March 3. When all is said and done, there will be four new directors and up to two changes to the AOG governing documents.

Hotel Polaris is open, and reviews are mixed, with the view from the various restaurants and bars as the biggest positives. Your scribe should be able to give a firsthand report for the next column.

Some of you are already talking about a 55th reunion in 2026, and now is as good a time as any to start spit-balling location, lodging, activities and other aspects of herding this particular passel of cats.

Frank Morgan, as it turns out, has already been gathering information on this very topic. Frank passed along the following:

“While our 50th was a great success, classmates have suggested that we don’t need all the frills, e.g., a football game, briefings from the commandant/ superintendent, lunch at Mitch's, tours of the dorm, etc. We just want to hang out with our buddies and our brides (not necessarily in that order). And we don’t even need to do that in Colorado Springs, as beautiful as it is.

“The survey below (which the AOG has kindly volunteered to conduct) aims to determine who really wants to do this. And after speaking to a few folks, I propose the following: We gather for our 55th in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 19-22 (or 23), 2026. I did not pick San Antonio because I live here — although that will help me from a planning perspective — but rather because of the weather and number of available activities. And by doing it in SA, we don’t have to compete with other class reunions — which are getting more numerous each year — or worry about the weather.

“Possible activities include a rodeo dinner with a live band; a tour of the San Antonio missions and the Alamo; golf; and plenty of time to meander along the River Walk, which features tons of restaurants, shops and bars. We could even take in a Spurs game. There are also some great spas for those needing a good rub down! You can do as much (or as little) as you’d like, and we’ll plan to stay at a downtown hotel, so a lot of this would be within walking distance.

“I have no idea what this is going to cost, but it will be cheaper than New York City! We’ll work out expenses once we get a firm count. And BTW, we are not the first class to pick SA as a reunion destination: ’59 did one here a few years ago, and ’61 is doing its 65th here in May 2026.

“So, let me know what you think.” Here is the link to the survey that Frank mentioned: t.e2ma.net/ click/1rrbbi/9dyx4ccb/9d2cnz

I had mentioned last time that several of our authors were in the process of publishing new books. They came out in both fiction and non-fiction; all of you can make your arguments cogently, whether advancing a point of view or telling a rip-roaring story.

GBA

Paul D. Knott, 5565 Lantana Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80915; 719-570-9162; pk71knott@gmail.com

Many thanks to Jerry and Pam Bruni

CLASS NEWS

1972

Once more the time has come for a class news report to kick-start the 2025 New Year, one in which we are presented with fresh hope and the potential opportunity for positive change in our nation after several years of challenges and difficulty. The reunion committee met on December 3, at Doolies in the Hotel Polaris to work on plans for our 2025 off-year reunion. It will be held October 2-5 at the newly completed Hotel Polaris. Further meetings with the AOG will take place with “Ski” Wagasky, “Mush” Brower and Harvey LeCato, scheduled for early in the New Year. Stay tuned for more and smile at this Merry Christmas photo from these “Dudes at Doolies.” Yes, Mush, it does kind of have a ring to it!

Keep an eye out for further class and Academy informational updates from the up-to-date emails that are frequently sent to us by our CAS Rep “Ski” Wagasky. A lot is happening, and we can count on Ski to get it out to us whenever he can. Thanks to Jim Stone for providing some details on the service and interment of our classmate and dear friend Rod McDonald. You will recall that Rod passed away on Oct. 24, 2024, after a motorcycle accident. Jim represented us well at the Nov. 25 funeral events in Nashville, Tennessee. Rod’s memorial was well attended at the Franklin First United Methodist Church by a large group of family and friends who obviously thought the world of Rod.

A very moving experience, the service was taped and is available for viewing with a link. Rod’s wife, Kathleen, requested Jim to be the point of contact if anyone would like the link. He did his best to pass along condolences from our class and spoke profusely about what a great classmate and friend Rod was to all of us. Both the Air Force and the Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery did a nice job with the military ceremony in a beautiful setting in the rolling Tennessee hills. Again, thank you, Jim, for your efforts in this special personal family event, for which all our condolences go out to Kathleen and the entire McDonald family.

Tim Whitlock and Bob Schnick notified Ski Wagasky that another dear friend and classmate, Dennis Sbach, passed away unexpectedly at home on Nov. 14 in Houston, Texas. He had been preparing for a trip, collapsed and never recovered. Many of us will remember that Dennis had a lifelong

passion for running, from his high school and Air Force Academy track teams to being named an All-American cross country honoree, even recently running a 5K charity race in November.

Dennis flew the F-4, Viper and F-16 in the Air Force. After retirement from the Air Force, he joined Southwest Airlines and flew for them until retirement in 2014. Dennis and his first love, Alma, married in 1978 and they shared “the good life” with son, Zachary, until her passing in 2016. A few years later brought happiness with Kathleen. They married in 2023.

The funeral service for Dennis took place on Dec. 7, 2024, at House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. A final internment service will take place at the Air Force Academy Cemetery at a 2025 date to be determined. Our class sends its sincere condolences to Kathleen, Zachary and the entire Sbach family.

This completes the news for our first edition of 2025. If you have news to pass on, do not hesitate to send it for inclusion next time. FPA

Bob Bell, 13 Pacific Ave., Sinking Spring, PA 19608; 302-399-3240; reservist777@ yahoo.com

1973

Illustrious classmates, Tom Butler (CS-10) reports he is still flying the Hawker bizjet for a charter company, Jet The World. Last year he was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Safety Award for 50 years of accident-free aviation experience. Quite an illustrious achievement! Tom enjoyed a proud moment in November when his son, Lt. Col. Brian Butler, celebrated his retirement from the Air Force after 29 years of service. His last assignment was as a C-17 IP at the NATO Heavy Airlift Wing based at Papa, Hungary. Who’d a-thunk in 1973 we’d ever have a base in Hungary?

At the other end of the career spectrum, John Eisenhart’s (CS-01) daughter Isabella, USAFA ’28, celebrated her 18th birthday in November. Pix in the online version at usafa73.org.

Half a dozen Thirsty Third members and several of their wives got together in Kentucky Oct. 20-24 for a Bourbon Trail experience. A great time was had by all, visiting six distilleries over three days. They reported they left plenty of bourbon behind for future visitors, but I have no independent confirmation.

Thanks to Rob Horton (CS-03) for forwarding the picture below of Steve Anderson, also CS-03, in front of a display case about Air Force Hockey at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Wild. The plaque in the upper left is a tribute to the Army–Air Force Hockey rivalry. The one in the center mentions illustrious classmate and Rob and Steve’s squadronmate Dave Skalko: “An early [USAFA] star was Gilbert, Minnesota, native Dave Skalko, who led the nation in scoring in 1971-72.” Illustrious, indeed. But “early” star? We’re getting old. Pix of the display are at usafa73.org.

John Rabins (CS-34) has published his third book, Spiritual Musings from the Headlines of a Newspaper: A Biblical Compass for Christians Navigating a Culture of Lies Spiritual Musings is dedicated to one of John’s — and many others of our class — most impactful life mentors, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Orwyn “O” Sampson. Gen. Sampson recruited John, Steve Hoit (CS-25) and other classmates for the Academy gymnastics team 57 years ago. He continued to mentor John until his (Gen. Sampson’s) passing on Dec. 27 of last year. Remarkably, the book was published just two weeks before he died. There is more about the book at usafa73.org.

Tom Kennedy’s 31st Squadron quarterly update had some good pix. Unfortunately, due to space limitations here, you’ll have to view them at the class website: Charlie and Pam Meyer in festive Christmas

Ollie Olson, Sandy Lewis, Greg Anderson, Harvey LeCato, Doug Hill, Randy “Fitz” Fitzhugh, Andy Gessner, Skip Morgan, “Ski” Wagasky and “Mush” Brower

Members 72% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Thirsty Third on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. From left: Rob Horton, Jim Buckley, Bob Linnell, Jim Lemons, Rob Haylock and Fran Love

Steve Anderson at AFA Hockey “shrine” at Excel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota

attire; Tom Kennedy enjoying Christmas Eve with his grandchildren, Braden and Samantha LaRocca; Mitch and son Howie Mitchell marking the completion of their 52-month quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks; and Richard and Connie Hayes enjoying another cooking vacation, this time in the Basque country of Spain. That’s some Halloween costume, Rich!

Steve and Kimberly Dalrymple (CS-02) made it to the Army game in November.

Steve and Kimberly Dalrymple at Army Game Nov. 2, 2024

Don Rightmyer (CS-02) sent me an email recounting some of the interesting things he got to do as the cadet chairman of the USAFA Heritage Committee when he was a firstie. I include them here for a behind-the-scenes look at some stuff that happened — or didn’t happen — while we were cadets.

As the Heritage Committee chairman, Don spent a lot of time with the commandant, Brig. Gen. Galligan. Gen. Galligan was trying to get a Convair B-58 Hustler brought from Davis-Monthan AFB to USAFA and bent Don’s ear endlessly on the topic. The general was finally notified that due to the way the B-58 was constructed, it could not be carried on a MAC aircraft. Too bad! It would have been something to have a B-58 on the Terrazzo!

Don was present when the Gimbel Collection — more than 20,000 items tracing the history of human flight from Babylonian cuneiform seals to the Wright brothers’ aviation developments and beyond — was presented to the Cadet Library. Charles Lindbergh was supposed to have been there but unfortunately had to cancel. If you haven’t been to the Clark Special Collections (named after our superintendent, Lt. Gen. Alfred P. Clark) at the library, I highly recommend it next time you’re out. Don was the Cadet Wing representative when the Minuteman III was dedicated at the Field House. He gave a few scripted comments to receive the missile on behalf of the Cadet Wing. It was winter and he “like to froze to death” during the dedication. USAFA Public Affairs asked if his dedication comments motivated him to go into missiles. “NOT!” (He became an F-4 WSO.) Unfortunately, the Minuteman III has been

removed because it was rusting and in danger of falling over. [Or so the official story goes. Stuff doesn’t rust much here in Colorado.]

As a two-degree, Don accompanied the Doolittle Raiders display case and goblets to Los Angeles for the annual Doolittle Raiders reunion in April 1972. He and a firstie carried the display case in a white box — “looked like they were toting a coffin.” Being among the Doolittle Raiders for that weekend was an unforgettable experience.

“Here’s a toast … to the host … of the men we boast!”

Mike Arnett, 5285 Copper Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918; 719-310-8100; class. scribe.73@gmail.com; usafa73.org; FB: The Illustrious Class of 1973

1974

Greetings and best wishes for your hopes to be realized this year! A few notes from this summer and reunion conversations to pass on. Amusing to hear a lot of us share “getting older” challenges. Getting older causes one to match our physical abilities with desires to “do good.” One outreach idea, make doggie biscuits for the domicile-challenged folks’ pets. The folks often sacrifice their own meager food to give to their comfort bosom buddies. Thank you, Tony Brozena, for the idea!

One classmate still driving forward — in writing — is Francis E. McIntire. This is how Frank’s introduction appears on the jacket of more than 20 different sets or series. I’ve enjoyed several of them. A superintendent, commandant and dean have enjoyed at least one of them as well (at least as printed in Amazing Leaders, Volume 11). No, I don’t have their names, just paraphrase quoting from Frank’s acknowledgements page. Frank further explains these are works of fiction. The geographic landmarks and historical dates are real. Any character who resembles a real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The reading easily activates one’s mind to recollect similar challenges, humor, mitigating techniques, plausible workable solutions and sufferable end results.

To celebrate another author, an article on page 17 of the December 2024 edition of Checkpoints includes Doug Dildy, with Doug in a cockpit picture on the next page. The article provides a few stories of F-15 pilots. You may know a few of them. While you are in that issue, there is a picture of Glen and Sandi Chinn showing the Checkpoints cover in Puerto Ayora. As a reminder, in whatever unique

place you may be, send in a picture of yourself holding the Checkpoints to possibly get posted! As for pictures, the scribe offers a correction to the September 2024 issue, page 112: Phil Inscoe should read Phil Irish. Pardon, please.

On known authors, another is Dr. Charles R Justiz. Charlie wrote Specific Impulse, released in 2010. The novel received a five-star Clarion Review from Foreword Reviews and was named a finalist in the Thriller & Suspense category for 2011. Charlie is the focus in Episode 15 of the Inter Astra podcast on May 28, 2024, titled Risk In Air & Space. The easiest way to find it is to google Charles R Justiz.

1974 Parachute team — Nine of 12 members from ’74

Reliving a moment! Sent in by Tom Henricks Reunion picture of the Parachute team. Standing: Tom Henricks, Chip Wilde, Mike Giese, Ken Pether and Don Hoffman. Seated: Jack Smith, Jim Hayhurst, Mike Sumida and Jim Canitz. Missing: Steve Boyce, Kip Stangl and Manuel MontejoMadriz. Also reliving yesteryear with thrilling stories is another 2024 picture from Tom: John Reinschmidt (l) and Tom Henricks with their cadet ’73 Corvettes in front of The Antlers hotel. [Send pics of you and your Vette to the scribe!]

Here are two legends still running.

Notes from Jim Boone, the second youngest of our class. Even he is trying to forget birthdays. Seems that for doing stuff, the mind is willing but the body leads the resistance! Jim says he met with Rick Cline, who moved to the Dallas area. Jim also met with Tom and Becky Henricks a couple of months ago at a dinner in Blanco, Texas. Tom received an award from the FAA, the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Safety Award, for 50 years of flying without an accident! We’re sure that includes his test pilot, astronaut and his own Cirrus plane flying! Congrats for that, indeed! Ed Feeny and his wife have moved to the East Coast to be close to their grandkids. Also, Chris Lanzit, who missed the 50th reunion due to an illness, said he and his wife are enjoying life in Finland.

A note on a “not quite shovel ready” program. Russ and Candy Patterson decided to move to Denver after our 50th reunion. Russ writes that two of the reasons were hurricane fatigue and wanting to live in a walkable city. “When we left Florida,

Members 81% Sabre Society Donors 31 Polaris Society Members 19

we mapped out a route we could take with our EV. Unfortunately, the apps did not take into account out-of-order chargers. At a little over 1,000 miles, in Tyler, Texas, we cried uncle and traded our EV for a 4WD Jeep. It took us longer to transfer our stuff between cars than it did to buy the Jeep. Glad we did the trade-in, as west Texas is also bad for gas stations.” They finally made it to their new apartment in Denver, a block from Union Station. Legacy commissioning. After May 2024, there were two more ceremonies. Phil Irish presented lieutenant bars and the Legacy Commissioning Encouragement Speech because Rich Bowman was unable to be at USAFA. Phil relayed the comments from the Academy leadership staff, that our ’74 Legacy Program certainly sets the bar high for future Legacy Programs — for the four years and the capstone commissioning ceremonies. Rich presented lieutenant bars at the final ’74 Legacy Commissioning event on Dec. 19 for the seven late grads from the Class of 2024. The superintendent presented a few nice remarks about the Legacy Program and the Long Blue Line. With high gratitude to classmates over the four years — thank you for our sterling reputation for USAFA ’74. Please, those who have a USAFA son(s) and/or daughter(s), would you send in their name/year to our scribe? May you live long and prosper.

Joe Brezovic, 228 Senior Cir., Lompoc, CA 93436; 832-285-4179; launchops74@gmail.com

The Dark Ages: Remember the Dark Ages that would visit us every year during our time at Camp USAFA? The summer solstice would already be six weeks behind us when we returned from our summer excursions to start our daily routine of classes, marching to meals, intramurals, homework and tours/confinements. Ergo, the periods from sunup to sundown were continually getting shorter, and the darkness would be closing in on us from both sides of the day. It didn’t help that the Rampart Range rose up out of nowhere to blot out the sun on the Terrazzo much earlier than it did for the lucky people living on the windy, desolate plains far to the east of the Academy. Then, out of nowhere, moving from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time seemed to surprise us every year. One day we’d be walking back from Mitch’s in a twilight glow and the next day the same walk at the same time would be in pitch darkness. And if we listened

closely, we could hear the winds from the hills whispering, “Welcome to the Dark Ages.” Naturally, the chill in those winds would force us to pull out the black parkas with the pointed hoods, which helped to match our uniforms to our mental outlook while also making the tourists on the Chapel wall wonder if their taxes were funding an order of druids. By the time you read this in Checkpoints, we’ll already be back in DST, the spring equinox will be knocking at the door, and the Dark Ages of 2024/2025 will have evaporated. But when the call for inputs for this issue went out, the Ghost of the Dark Ages was upon you, which is probably why there weren’t a lot of responses this quarter. The positive side of that is that you won’t have to muddle through an entire 900 words of scribe drivel this time around, and there are a couple of inputs from classmates we haven’t heard from in almost 50 years.

Dave and Sharon Myers have been living in Littleton, Colorado, for the past 33+ years, and in July they were initiated into the great-grandparents club. Their great-grandson lives in Virginia Beach, which means their future will include regular trips to southern Virginia. Dave retired from a long career in aerospace two years ago and is “loving retirement.” (The quotation marks were added for those holdouts who continue to sneer at the notion of retiring because the workforce will crumble if they aren’t in it.)

Paul Kent reported in to say (although gloat is a more appropriate term) he played all five courses and the two par-3 courses at Bandon Dunes in October. His cousin is in the golf business and set it up. Yes, it was expensive, but it just means his kids are getting a little less inheritance. Paul added, “It’s hard to describe unless you’ve witnessed it. The closest similarity is playing golf in a national park. It’s walking only; pull carts or a walking caddy are the norm; and in fact, they encourage you to pull them (the carts, not the caddies) across the green.” There was more to his input, but if you read it all here you won’t have any reason to talk to him at the reunion. He did note that he’s planning on going again in March, which is golf-speak for “I left a substantial amount of my self-respect on the course, and I’m going to make a futile effort to recover it.”

Dennis Brooks chimed in that he’s putting his “war stories” in order and writing an autobiography of his years as a helicopter pilot. He was likely the first ’75’er to get his military wings because helicopter school was shorter than fixed wing, and he gave up leave to be in the first helicopter training class after our graduation. Dennis may also have been the first classmate to be retired. At 12 years, three months and two days, he was administratively retired for medical reasons after breaking his neck two times. However, prior to his retirement, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force found some of his artificial intelligence programming and held him on duty for over a year at the Pentagon. There was a lot more meat on the bones of Dennis’ input, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise when you approach him at the reunion and nonchalantly say, “So, what’ve you been up to?” But here’s a factoid to set the stage: He’s had more broken bones than most of us have teeth without crowns.

Wild Bill and Marge Hickcox have been spending a lot of time not cleaning house this year. They went to Costa Rica with his son and grandchildren, the Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale for Marge’s big birthday, and Ecuador and Peru just before Thanksgiving.

Jeff Chappell and Paul Kent dropped in on Mike “Goody” Gudmundson on his birthday last December. Goody transferred from the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Denver to the Seattle VA Medical Center last fall and is continuing to recover from an aircraft accident he was involved in over a year ago. He’s getting around well in a powered wheelchair and is still wearing the life’s-too-short-to-worry Goody smile.

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Wild Bill and Marge Hickcox at Machu Picchu

Paul Kent, Jeff Chappell and Mike Gudmundson in Seattle

Fellow ’76er’s, Martha and I hope your holidays were safe and memorable and that the New Year brings good things to you all.

Sad news: Scott Wayne Koppang died on Oct. 23 in McMinneville, Oregon. Dirk Werhane and Dan Norman both sent notes saying they, Dave Jackson, Shawn Simpson, Neil Calhoun and Dave Anderson attended Scott’s service at Willamette National Cemetery. Thank you, classmates, for showing THE SPIRIT. David L. Jareo also died on Oct. 23 in Papillion, Nebraska; his service was on Nov. 11. Richard E. McNally died Nov. 11 in Essex, Maryland. Dexter Hermstad, a classmate who did not graduate due to a medical discharge, died on Nov. 1 in California. Dexter was a senior software engineer at Universities Space Research Association NASA Academic Mission Services. Thanks to Dave Srulowitz for the notification. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Classmates, if you are not aware, you and your spouse can be interred at USAFA; contact me for information.

General class stuff: In my last article, I incorrectly noted Marc Felman’s (I published Marc Frith) old roomie Bill Franklin visited. My sincere apologies, classmate! I’ll blame it on completing yet another circuit of the sun. My kids would say “senior moment,” but they fail to recognize superior intellectual processes at work! Chris Inglis was elected to the MITRE Board of Trustees. The Air Force Historical Foundation awarded its inaugural Lifetime Achievement for Space Award to Kevin Chilton. Bill Clifford has been elected to represent State Senate District 39 in Kansas. Jim Rooney’s applied doctorate in strategic intelligence was conferred on Oct. 1; he retired from Boeing in November and began his third career as a university professor in intelligence and counterintelligence studies. Bill Brundage retired from DHS in December and plans to stay in Arlington, Virginia, for now. Congrats, classmates! THE SPIRIT continues to excel! Rob Fisher and Steve Hogan both sent email contact updates. Phil Houser requested contact info for being interred at USAFA, and I was able to pass that on to him. Don Henager sent a note (possibly his first Checkpoints note) about how he was relieved that mandatory chapel was deleted while we cadets, then tells me he is now a Christian missionary building houses in Nicaragua. Says he and son Anthony and 34 others built three houses.

Dave Berg reports his sixth grandkiddo, grandson Peregrin, arrived in December. Charlie Vono volunteers at the Hill Aerospace Museum these days. John Budelier sent a good suggestion for some of the wording in my articles and notams — thanks, John! Mike Renner and son Greg ’13 did a 100-mile backpacking hike in September; his younger son hiked the first 40 miles.

In honor of its 50th reunion, the Class of 1976 is raising $3 million to create The Spirit of ’76 Echelon ... A Tribute to the Long Blue Line on the Heritage Trail at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The project will provide propeller blades and bronze plaques representing each graduating class with their class crest, a brief narrative, and a digital kiosk with the names of graduates.

Our Class of 1976 class gift support will also help endow next-of-kin needs in perpetuity.

View the project status at usafa.org/1976-50th.

Mike and son, Greg

Steve and Leigh Stout, Mike and Debbie Fricano, and Mike and Georgiana Kelly will do a 16-day cruise across the Atlantic to the U.K., France and Spain later this year. Mike “Yama” Hoyes sent a photo of 59th Squadron, so called because squadrons 29 and 30 did so many things together.

59th Squadron

Joe Wysocki had successful ablation surgery in August and is doing well. He and Julie spent five weeks in Australia recently — all fun, no work — and some Hawaii time in January.

NSTR: None this time.

Legacy Events: Tom Bowie, John Mashl, Mike Lee, Roger Widholm, Don Olynick, Scott Gough and I helped the Class of ’26 by facilitating and answering questions, and demonstrating their personal interest while second-class cadets ordered their class rings Jan. 7-8. A reminder that we are invited to the Class of ’26 Ring Dance on May 23.

50th Reunion: We’re still making good progress, especially with the Class Gift project. Go to usafa. org/76-reunion for more.

Classmates, it’s again time to stick a fork in it. If you haven’t received an email from me in the past three to six months, I don’t have your current email address. Please send me an update. Plan to attend and participate in Legacy events and our 50th reunion to the best of your abilities. Get your medical checkups. Be careful, and stay well and healthy. If you are headed to the Springs, let me and the other locals know. Keep flying your flags, and keep our deployed troops in your thoughts and prayers.

THE SPIRIT LIVES!

Until next time..................

Beatty

Don and Anthony in Nicaragua

CLASS NEWS

Dan Beatty, 12196 Stanley Canyon Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80921; H: 719-488-1962; C: 719-338-0276; whrlybrd76@aol.com

Greetings and salutations from the cold and windy Front Range. Although by the time you folks get this, spring should be springing, with more temperate days and more variety in outdoor activities. Right now in Denver it’s tough to do anything without multiple layers. At least that makes everyone look overweight. Not all of us can afford Ozempic.

Opening bell: Mike Ruggiero (Lisa) wrote me from Cincinnati to provide an update from Ali Baba’s fall trip through the mid-South. I have to credit Rugger and the rest of the Thieves — they are a together group. This is their eighth squadron trip since the 40th reunion. Plus, they have their own website. This excursion started in Nashville with the requisite bar hopping, the Grand Ole Opry and other tourist stuff, then went up to Bardstown for some time on the Bourbon Trail, which I believe I wrote about for these people some years ago. I guess they like bourbon. Purloiners on this trip included Rugger, Bob Mongillo (Teresa ), Steve Osborne (Jeaneen), Don Turos (Jacqueline), Bob Bartolone, Phil Smith and John Makuta (Sue). As all good correspondents to your humble scribe know to do, Rugger included photographic evidence of the event.

Terrific account, Rugger; many thanks. I also got a marvelous letter from Dave Kissinger, who has moved back to Colorado from Sacramento, where he had been in private medical practice for some time. The last time I wrote about Dave, he was recovering from massive insect bites honestly incurred while hiking in Alaska. He’s hardly been a stay-at-home kind of guy here in Colorado; he was

in San Antonio for the eclipse in April 2024, turning it into a mini-reunion of his doctor buddies that worked at Wilford Hall in general surgery, trauma and critical care. Among this crowd was Rick Karulf (Deb). Rick started as a missile guy but transitioned to med school and ended up as a colorectal surgeon. There’s a joke in there somewhere, but your humble scribe isn’t going in that direction. Rick now heads up a large surgical practice in Minneapolis. Peripatetic as ever, Dave then spent the summer with his son on a 31-day, 8,000-mile road trip across the country from California to the East Coast and back. Highlights on this jaunt included the Tuskegee Airmen Museum as well as some creepy clown motel in Tonopah, Nevada. On the rare occasions when he’s home, Dave bums around with Randy Schaefer, who also lives west of Denver. Again, quality correspondents know that pictures are worth 1,000 words. Or, in the case of your humble scribe, about 78,000 words.

If you’re around for more than a couple of days, Dave, let’s get together. We can trade doctor and lawyer jokes.

I also got a nice, albeit brief, note from Paul Pirog (Mary), who spent a few days with Rob Veale (Chris) touring Angel Fire and Taos. Paul included the requisite scenic selfie from the Rio Grande bridge outside of Taos.

See what I did there? Gorge? Get it? It’s been a long day.

I want to close with some words on a project being set up and run by our classmate Mark Gray. Mark started a veteran’s oral history project using remote

interviews over Zoom or something comparable to produce editable transcripts that can be supplemented with pictures from the subject. But this is not some disorganized collection of accounts from a bunch of old guys rambling on about the good old days. Mark works to solicit the memorable stories that most if not all veterans seem to have from their time in service. To quote him, “I want to capture the vet’s compelling stories that he or she loves to tell or wants the audience of family, friends and descendants to know about. I’ll include those favorite and or complicated stories that shape the vet’s experience and personality. I’ll print that book for the vet’s coffee table. I will not print the authorized account of the vet’s military career … the VA can do that. I’ll print just those stories that he wants his family and friends to know; stories that will allow those special people to know and understand him or her better. I’ll not write a comprehensive assignment-by-assignment biography, although that could be a chapter in the personalized veteran’s military service storybook.”

In addition to producing the coffee table books, Mark is also producing individual chapters based on particular war stories that a veteran wants memorialized.

I know that many of us have toyed with the idea of writing a book about our service experiences. Many of us had careers that contained events, interactions, accidents and near-death experiences that we think should be recorded or memorialized in some way. Mark’s process seems to offer a relatively painless way of producing such a record. If you’re interested, I encourage you to reach out to Mark through his website, tellmeyourstoryvet.com.

Closing bell: And that is all from my correspondence collection this quarter. I hope that everyone has fully recovered from the holidays and the associated bacchanalia. Depending on when this hits your mailbox, don’t eat too many chocolate rabbits. Be seeing you.

1978 Greetings ’78ers…

I have the very sad duty to report the passing of Don Avery a couple of days ago on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Dublin, Georgia. Although at the time I’m writing this on Jan. 27, the AOG hasn’t sent the notice out yet but I’m sure it’ll be out by March when this is published.

Good times and bad advice on the Bourbon Trail

Randy and Dave near Pelican, Alaska

Paul and Rob with a gorgeous view

John “Lou” Michels Jr., 621 Jasmine St., Denver, CO 80220; loumichels55@gmail.com

I was given the news by both Kip Warton and Bob McMahon. Don was having shoulder surgery when he unexpectedly passed, which was a supreme shock to those of us who knew him. He had been the CEO of Fairview Park Hospital for 17 years and had just announced his retirement in July of this year. Don had totally rejuvenated the hospital culture as well as volunteer in the community. I did a search on his obit and saw stories from the local TV stations and several local publications. Don was very well loved and respected. He’ll be truly missed. Just after the December issue of Checkpoints, I received a great update from Art Harrison. After retiring from Delta Airlines, he and Polly settled in Lake Lanier, Georgia. He’s a proud member of a local ski group called The ROMEOS (Retired Old Men Eating Out), while learning to wake surf, hunting, fishing and traveling with his bride. He had a close call on the first day of the 45th reunion when he rolled his truck at night (four to five revolutions) down a hill en route. Polly had already flown out and was picked up at COS by RD Johnson, getting to Art later. Thankfully he emerged OK but said it was quite the experience and he is most happy to still be around. The photo shows how successful his elk hunt was before his accident. Thanks for the great news, Art, and sure glad you’re OK.

Also heard from Duce Rice who bought a place in the Yosemite mountains in California. He retired a couple years back after being a prosecutor in Fresno for 31 years. Duce shared a great shot of the proud dad at his son Jack’s USAF BMT graduation (after Jack’s Sonoma State University graduation) as the honor grad and currently is an A1C at Shepperd air patch for tech training. Duce has three other kids (two are lawyers in D.C. and the youngest is a college sophomore) and a 6-year-old granddaughter. He agrees that being a grandpa is a most special privilege. Great info, Duce … many thanks.

Jack Anthony who has been a tremendous contributor over the years and has become a renown (if not the most renown) historian specializing in “USAFA before it was USAFA.” He has an incredibly in-depth knowledge of the area picked for USAFA through the years. He was also quite the space ops officer and made some lasting contributions. He shared some about that last October when he and Margo were special guests of Space Delta 9's 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever SFB east of Peterson SFB (it’ll always be Pete Field to me personally). As Jack describes it: “They dedicated their state-of-the-art orbital warfare training room in honor of me in a very special ceremony. We were so honored and touched by these space patriots, who serve our nation as guardians in the Space Force. Seven years ago, I was fortunate to have an amazing team develop a space simulator prototype that helped teach the skills and develop intuitive know-how to do spacecraft maneuvering. The capability underwent constant improvements thanks to great and caring guardians and contractors who kept it improving. This effort and others are underway to give these guardians the simulator and training tools to learn and hone their skills.”

Jack has also taken his aforementioned and outstanding “USAFA before it was USAFA” program to the class of ’75’s website. This link takes you to Jack’s outstanding work: 75bestalive.org/history%20

pages/history_beforeusafa/history_beforeusafa.html

He’s working on getting it on our website. I will let everyone know when it’s complete. Well done, Jack, and thanks for being an example of ’78 being great! Finally, please note that my address has changed. If anyone desires to send something via snail mail, or if you’re in the Oklahoma City area, please let me know! We escaped California right in the middle of the raging and tragic wildfires of early January. Thankfully, they weren’t a threat in lovely Palmdale this time, although we were packed to evacuate in the past for a fire. Our primary relocation reason was to be near three of our 13 grandkids. It’s been a tremendous experience so far. Secondary of course, was to get away from the California craziness! I do have to admit that we lost the moving edge that we had in our Air Force days by staying in the same house for 21 years. My email and cell stay the same of course.

My sincere thanks to the contributors this quarter and my annual reminder (maybe a bit more than that) to please send stuff letting us know how you are and what you and your family have been up to.

God Bless ’78 is Great!

Members 64% Sabre Society Donors 39 Polaris Society Members 17

Bob Kay, 3040 Drake Crest Dr., Edmond, OK 73034; 661-974-1417; robert.kay78@gmail.com

1979

Here we are, launching into 2025! Fifty years ago this June we showed up at USAFA, some with long hair, some with short hair, some with no hair and some with mohawks (you know who you are … Joel).

This year our class is the Legacy Class for the incoming Class of 2029. Activities will start in June (’cause they can’t start before they get here), but the planning starts now. Our committee — Thom McCarthy, Randy Fullhart, Rich Peters and Randy Helms were all “draft-terred.” As the Legacy Class, we will build support for the new class of cadets throughout their four years at the Academy. If you would like to help our Legacy Committee with brainstorming, contact one of the folks above. Information about the Legacy Class will be at aoglegacyclass.usafagroups.org. Speaking of Randy, he is “retiring” from the Colorado Springs City Council in April after leading the council for four years. Also retiring, John Salvador wrote to say he finished up as the chief operating officer for Civil Air Patrol (the Air Force Auxiliary) and moved to

The hunter

Proud dad

Jack Anthony cuts the ribbon to an orbital warfare training room named in his honor.

CLASS NEWS

Nashville, while Dale Swanson said that he hasn’t retired and instead has jumped into the political fray and was elected to a two-year term as a New Hampshire state representative and is working on the House Committee for Science, Technology and Energy. I heard that Jim Mandziara was inducted into the DLA Energy Hall of Fame on Jan. 8, and Dave Rhodes is serving on the Senior Intelligence Advisory Board for Coastal Carolina University.

In December, Tru and Debbie Eyre hosted a wonderful Christmas party for those of us fortunate enough to be in Colorado. About 20 couples showed up and had a great time.

Christmas party fun

Steve Barnes wrote to say that he, Joe Hackbarth, John Piribek and Chip Taylor all gathered in Baudette, Minnesota, in 15-below weather to catch some walleye and read Checkpoints!

fisherman

In October, Ted Needham married Janet at their home in Sandia, New Mexico. The ceremony was officiated by Patrick Tisdale and witnessed by Mike Mullady and a host of others.

Patrick is in the poncho; Ted is in the fringe coat.

We had some world travelers this year. Mike Fox and Linda went to Germany to visit their daughter and spent Christmas in Stuttgart; Tom Fernandez and Patty enjoyed a trip to Romania; and Ken McKay said that he loves taking his grandchildren to Casa Bonita (yeah, it is back open, the food is better and the cliff divers are back). Scott Grunwald said that he and his daughter tripped through Wisconsin and Maine, and Denny Hugo said that

Fred Jacobsen dropped in and that he and Fred took a three-day golf class (should have been three weeks), but they are still not as good as Mike Watson. Bud Vasquez also visited Denny during his Cross Fit competition (is that like the PFT — 7 Hop, 7 Drop, 30, 50, 2 and Stop; if the min was good enough it would be a min)!

And speaking of fitness, Matt Dunbar, Ray Sands, Brian Kelly and Frank DeFalco are playing in a lacrosse tournament in Florida as the Grateful Undead. Next year they are adding Gordy Ross, Burt Waibel and Rod McAlear to the lacrosse champions without borders.

Two last things … our vacation home-sharing site, inspired by Denny Hugo and built by me, is up and running, but so far we only have three homes listed: Denny’s and Robin’s in Cabo, Omar Bradley’s in Breck and my timeshare in Williamsburg. Let’s continue with adding more homes. If you have a place, you can put it up for rental or trade at vrb79. com. It’s free!

And … important dates for the Legacy Class are June 24-25: Ice Cream Social; June 26: Swearingin; July 25-31: March Back and Long Blue Line activities; and Aug. 6: Acceptance Day. There will be events throughout their four years, culminating in graduation and commissioning.

That’s it. I’m off to do something … or at least figure out where I put my keys.

Next up for Checkpoints is Denny Hugo (DENNYHUGO@msn.com).

Geoff Mulligan, 2175 Cloverdale Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80920; 719-593-2992; geoff@mulligan.com

1980

Welcome back from another battle with the Dark Ages! A recent highlight for me during this period was spending a couple of days over New Year’s with my 93-year-young father and brother, Dan. Dad lives outside Boston. Dan, who lives north of C-Springs, and I flew in for the occasion. (For our USAFA graduation, Dan came from Ohio and never left — so who’s the smart one in the family?) The backdrop for the visit was to transition our father to his new, Windows 11 computer; a gift from his kids. My brother is “Mr. IT,” so I mostly watched — although I did go out to buy an extension cord. Oh, since my brother went to OSU, there might have been a little football viewing as well.

Ties that bind. John Green asked me to put him in touch with the CS-26 point of contact in order to then get in touch with Steve Rainey. “Steve and I were four-degree roommates in CS-39. At our last reunion, I shared how three of my children were also grads. He said if they ever got out to Edward’s, he would love to meet them. My youngest daughter is now at Edward’s frequently, and I would love to connect them.” Done and done.

Rob Tremaine shared, “John Cherniga, my fourdegree roommate, and I got together during his trip to Las Vegas to see the Eagles at the Sphere, along with his amazing wife, Joan. Denise and I had a blast reminiscing and catching up with them. Seriously, 48 years ago?! Too hard to believe. It’s amazing how something like four-degree year roommate experiences (not to mention our upperclass roommate/classmate experiences as well) forge lifelong friendships like no other.”

Long-ago roomies

From Mark Reidinger: “CS-31 Grim Reapers squadronmates and USAFA ’80 best buds Kent Johnson and Tim Morrisroe traveled from California to my place in C-Springs for the Air Force–Navy game. Everything was great, including the weather, as you can see. Overall, we had a great visit. We capped off the weekend with Tim and Kent attending Sunday mass at the cathedral to hear our great choir, in which I sing bass, followed by brunch and fond farewells as Tim and Kent headed up to Denver to catch flights home.”

Three not-so-Grim Reapers

Another connection. Our Christmas letter outlined some travels for last year. I mentioned we’d enjoyed the beautiful Glacier National Park. Dean Eisberg responded, “Carla and I got married

The

at Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park.” I asked how all that happened, and Dean said, “I was stationed at Malmstrom. Carla’s mom was in my Sunday School class. Carla came home for the summer … we were married in 1983.”

And that was my segue into sharing some of the Eisberg’s “Things heard around our house in 2024” from their annual missive.

Dean: “My dog was well-behaved until you came outside.” Neighbor: “We’re dog-sitting, so we have two dogs now.” Dean: “So now all three dogs are going wild.” Neighbor: “Three Dog Night.”

Dean: “Carla and I saw them in concert two years ago.” Neighbor: “How did they look?” Dean: “Like 70-year-olds playing ’70s music.”

Carla: “Dean eats anything.” Dean: “I like my Brussels sprouts cold; they go farther with my 9-iron.”

There’s $500 on the table to pay the firewood delivery guy. Dean and the plumber are in the basement working on the boiler. Daughter Kim: “Why do you have $500 in cash lying around when there are strange people in your house?” Carla to Kim: “It’s OK Kim, we trust you.”

New contact: “Where can I meet you?” Dean: “At the gym, 4 p.m.” New contact: “How will I recognize you?” Dean: “I’m the only person in the gym without a cell phone and earbuds.”

Something tells me cadets no longer search 3 x 5 cards on the mail room B-board for spring break rides home. Regardless, it is that time of year when, as the weather gets warmer, you might be thinking of “spreading your wings.” Be safe on the roads — I’d like to see you at our upcoming reunion. God bless. Don

Don Myers, P.O. Box 153, Tyrone, GA 30290-0153; dmyers80@hotmail.com; FB: USAFA '80

Hello ’81ers! Drafting this “spring” article on a subzero day with plenty of snow! Am I one of the few classmates that loves winter, snow and cold? Our AF Falcons had a tough football season, but finished strong winning four straight — the future looks bright. Hockey looks great, but both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are struggling in conference. We did checkout the new Hotel Polaris at the North Gate — beautiful. We’ll go again, soon. It is still very odd to see it and the new Visitors Center there. Progress? I am sure it will be in high demand for reunions, Parent’s Weekend, new class day, etc. Lots of snow so

far here in Colorado, and always fun to see our ’81 Southerners with their one day 1- to 2-inch snowfalls that shut down everything. I plan to be at AF women’s basketball this weekend, and we expect 5 to 6 inches. You need to join me in my weekly shoveling regimen — or maybe not. I could be the moron in the class.

Class news: Scott Land is still doing the 1-hour drive to Whiteman AFB for work, but is planning an off-ramp into the wonderful world of retirement like the rest of us. Through Ancestry.com, Scott has enjoyed finding and connecting with long-lost family members. Join us, Scott, in the retired, good life. My two Eglin AFB buddies, John Marlin and Kelvin Manning, are doing well. Kelvin can’t believe some of the snow pictures I send, and John pondered how I survived Eglin AFB for two years without my beloved snow. John was headed to Austin for his grandchild’s first birthday. Kelvin had a second knee replacement, so he should be as fast as ever! Hope your recovery goes smoothly. Gene Stitt retired from Delta and is still living in Indiana, but he’s planning to live part of the year in Bozeman. He, Dave Smith, Rich Ronnestad, Jeff Thompson and Tom Couch got together in Honolulu in January. They were all in CS-10 and try to get together more often than just reunions. Excellent. Tom Maloof survived the hurricane and, like millions of other Floridians, is making house repairs. Thankfully, no flooding. Tom’s son, Michael, is a vice president at a consumer research firm in NYC. Tom and Michael recently took a fun trip to Italy to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Italy at Monza.

In response to my picture of 30 inches of snow in early November, Mike Cox responded: “Makes me cringe and feel cold! Too early, stay warm.” And Marv Fisher said, “And that’s why I live in Texas — 11:30 tee time and 70 degrees.” Jeff Harrell was thinking of me with regard to snow, but he only got 12 to 14 inches in New Mexico, and his back was aching from shoveling. Jeff is still keeping fit walking, lifting and teaching fly fishing. Shirley (Hilsgen) Kring is blessed with two granddaughters and a grandson.

She treasures having both of her emergency room physician sons nearby. Great family picture!

Don Ford, like some of us (Dan Bell, Bloomer, Dennis Ward), is enjoying the Detroit Lions surprising success and did say he was out raking leaves in shorts in warm Maryland while I was shoveling. He does like snow in the winter, though, and misses it. I miss seeing Gary Yale at AF hockey this year. He did not renew but suggested I ask for a suite with a shower and bed with all the time I spend at the Field House — funny! Drew Grant, my fellow Aroostook County, Maine, buddy, is loving life in Arizona. He enjoys golf (duh) and volunteering for the city of Scottsdale. He and Laure enjoy hiking in Arizona’s moderate weather. They were in Dallas last year marrying off their son. One down, daughter yet to go. I do chat with AFA roommate Alex Baggett a couple times a month. His Tampa Buccaneers fizzled in the first round of the playoffs, unfortunately for him. Alex enjoys the Orlando weather. Ryan Orian really loves the retired life and got back from a Japan trip and went to Hawaii to visit his mother-in-law.

Ryan Orian and his wife

Dennis Ward is doing well in Tennessee and questions my judgment when it comes to snow removal. He told me, “A man of your affluent circumstances and advanced coronary age has no business shoveling his own snow.” Why the worry, Dennis? You can very easily take back the scribe duties. Words of wisdom, Dennis. I did hire a guy when we got 30 inches in November, but we have only received a series of 4- to 8-inch minor snowfalls

Michael and Tom Maloof at the Italian Grand Prix

The Kring family

CLASS NEWS

since — shoveling keeps me fit. We’ll see what March and April bring. I was very surprised to have AF Athletic Director Nate Pine present me a football for my 200th AF football game. I treasure it!

Thanks to all for the witty emails and great pictures! You make this quarterly task a breeze. Enjoy your springtime weather as you read this — I’ll more than likely be enjoying feet of snow. Can you believe next year will be our 45th? Wow! Go AF, beat Navy!

Rich Trentman, 719-640-9586; rtrentman81@ comcast.net; FB: USAFA Class of 1981 1982

Hey Redtags, Let’s start out with something fun and nostalgic. Neil Fossum wrote with some news about Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in Denver. You’ll likely remember this place from our cadet days. You didn’t go for the food (except maybe the sopapillas), you went for the experience. Cliff divers, waterfalls, specially themed rooms and even a mineshaft. The owner sold out to an overseas conglomerate in the 1980s and the place went downhill. The pandemic was the death knell, and bankruptcy followed. Enter the boys of South Park — one who grew up in the Denver area and loved going to Casa Bonita as a kid. They bought the property and rebuilt it to its former glory. Neil says they’ve succeeded magnificently. The experience is better than ever, and even the food is now awesome. It’s worth checking out next time you’re in the area.

Now for a different kind of nostalgia! Col. (Ret.) Dave Pistilli wrote to tell me that he and Lisa went to southern France last year to visit with Col. (Ret.) Willy Brücker, Dave’s French counterpart from when they both served as their countries’ air attaches in Morrocco. The trip coincided with the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in Provence that were the companion to Operation Overlord. Dave participated alongside Col. Brücker in a half-dozen ceremonies commemorating the liberation of the large and small communities in the vicinity of Nice. Dave said every township there vigorously celebrates their German independence year upon year, and Col. Brücker presides over the Franco-American Remembrance Society of his town, Draguignan. The organization is noteworthy. It’s a nonprofit consisting almost entirely of French citizens, and it exists solely to keep alive the memory of the American participation in the liberation of their locale. They invite a descendant of an American

buried in the American cemetery there to visit at the society’s expense every Memorial Day. Dave says they do a better job of celebrating the true meaning of Memorial Day than we do, and that societies like this exist all over France. Truly remarkable.

Dave was also able to visit with Serge Duval, his roommate from when Dave was an exchange cadet at the École de l’air in France during the fall semester of our firstie year. Serge dug up this picture, which I’m sure brought back a lot of good memories for both. I heard from Tim Rorick in November, and he had some great news. He and Bonnye celebrated their 40th anniversary last summer with a South American trip, highlighted by visiting Iguazu Falls and Patagonia. In October, Tim retired as an A330 captain with Delta after 34 years with the airline. He had quite the fini trip, visiting New York, London, Madrid and Milan. But what made it extra special was that he was able to fly the trips with his son Daniel, an A330 first officer with Delta. Tim said it took a lot of schedule juggling, trip trading and gracious cooperation from as many as eight other pilots to make it happen. Incredibly, this trip was the first time that the two of them had ever flown together!

The picture above is from the last leg of the trip, when it became a family affair. Son David, Tim’s wife, Bonnye, and Daniel’s girlfriend, Christina, were able to join the fun. What a great celebration! Tim said that during his last month with Delta he also bumped into John Morrison (who retired in September), Kevin Beatty (also on the A330) and Roger Sharadin

I received a Christmas letter from Dave and Julia (Scheffelin) Graves, and they’ve been busy traveling! They’ve taken cruises to Hawaii (with family), from Hong Kong to Shanghai along the coast of China, and to Australia. The last cruise was supposed to include Bali and Indonesia, but there were volcanic eruptions near Bali; flights were cancelled, and they missed the ship. Unable to rendezvous in Indonesia, they flew to Darwin, Australia, and hung out for a few days until the ship arrived. They snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, sailed down to Sydney and visited Uluru (Ayers Rock). Julia said she’s purposely slowing down her quilting business, focusing more on local projects, and helping with planning for the upcoming celebration of 50 years of women at the Air Force Academy in 2026. Dave is still enjoying pastoring at Crum’s Church in Berryville, Virginia, and singing with a barbershop quartet.

I also heard from Trish (Riley) ’83 and Jon “Doc” Kimminau around Christmastime. They’ve been busy as well, welcoming a new grandchild, traveling around the country visiting friends and family, and working at their church. Jon is a deacon, and Trish serves on the women’s leadership team. Sadly, Jon’s dad, PK, passed away in April. Jon and Trish have a lot of travel planned for 2025 too, including a trip with his family to Argentina, as well as a 28-day “Arctic Crossing” cruise for their 40th anniversary. That adventure will take them to Holland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the U.K. Ellen and I are hanging in there. She’s cognitively challenged but remains happy and cheerful and relatively free of cancer symptoms. Every day is a gift! Until next time! Ratman

2860 Arbor Pointe Dr., Middletown, OH 45042; 937-760-2333; rattijm@mindspring.com

1983

Greetings again, classmates, As unbelievable as it seems, 2025 has arrived and this summer will mark 42 years since we threw our collective hats skyward, with the elation of a released wrongly convicted felon. Abandoning the convict metaphor for the time being, most of us do try to return every five years to reconnect with old friends and attempt to accurately recount the fading stories from days gone by. Beth and I have made every reunion (for ’83 and ’84) thus far and will try to continue that streak for as long as fate allows. We attended 1984’s 40th reunion last October, and it was a lot of fun. USAFA hosted Navy that weekend, so the

Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Cadets Serge Duval and Dave Pistilli, circa 1981

Christina (Daniel’s girlfriend), Daniel and David Rorick (Tim’s sons), Tim and Bonnye

Members 65% Sabre Society Donors 23

Polaris Society Members 6

Jim Ratti,

associated crowds and traffic are just as you might imagine. We got to see Jack and Cindy Polo, who have relocated to Monument. Jack is an A350 captain with Delta. I also saw Bebe (Cronin) O’Neil, who is retired from United. We had intended to jump down to Dallas to see Benny and Cynthia McCuistion, but our schedule didn’t allow for it. Benny retired from Southwest in 2023 but is keeping busy. He is a mentor (insert shocked face here) for new Southwest pilots and has recently taken a job flying the Challenger 350 for Dr. Pepper out of Addison, Texas.

Speaking of retirees, my brother-in-law and classmate Mitch Packett will be retired off the 767 for UPS by the time you read this article. He and Anne still live in Wake Forest, but they’ll soon adopt the nomadic post-retirement lifestyle in their RV. Mitch sent me this picture of him and Billy Walker Billy retired from his position as athletic director at American University last year and moved back to his hometown of Hartland, Wisconsin.

the Oceana NAS Officers’ Club. Responding to a bartender’s challenge to bring in college stickers, Sue, with some help from Wade Wheeler, was able to adorn the Oceana keg with a USAFA 1983 sticker, which will live on in perpetuity. Great job, Sue, and thanks for the assist, Wade!

I am sure most of you are aware of the planned ’83 “Reunion at Sea,” an eight-day Celebrity Cruise excursion leaving on Feb. 7, 2026. Departing from and returning to Fort Lauderdale, the ports of call include Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao. It promises to be a great time, especially considering the February weather at those locations. For questions or to make reservations, call 202-320-3373 or email dawn.androsky@ cruiseplanners.com for the best available pricing.

Sad news regarding my old Prep School classmate Dave Geuting losing his wife, Janice, in December. We all send prayers and best wishes to Dave and his family in this very difficult time. Also, toasts to Zane Mitchell and Rich Dublin, both of whom left us in 2024 since I last wrote this column.

I am due to retire from Delta in November, barring some intervention by Congress to extend the pilot retirement age. The pros and cons of that is a discussion for another time, but I will be ready for the next chapter, whatever it may hold. I hope you all have a healthy, happy and successful 2025. Until next time… Chris

Dave Ruffley forwarded this picture of Sue

. Sue is married to ’82

and they were recently at

1984

Welcome to 2025! As members of the 26th graduating class, we are all well aware that there is a governmental policy that allows our United States Air Force Academy to produce about 1,000 lieutenants every year. Although these new lieutenants may not be as completely awesome as our Class of 1984, they seem to be doing a magnificent job for our country. However, what makes it truly unbelievable is that this policy has been used 40 times since May 30, 1984, and I feel like it was just yesterday since we departed Falcon Stadium!

Updates: Native New Yorker Herman “Big Gun” Baker is back in the Big Apple working for Hitachi as the environmental, health and safety manager for North America. While living in Manhattan at the South Street Seaport, he keeps watch over Pier 17! When he is not manning the NYC subways keeping NYC workers safe on the A train, he hangs around with the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Neil deGrasse Tyson. You can also see him performing standup comedy on Broadway. So, if you’re ever in NYC, make sure you contact him for a comedy show, or just to hang out at a Broadway show. He’ll even waive the celebrity honorariums for most classmates. I can confirm his generosity. When we were stationed together, Herman frequently allowed me to attend his weekend parties and let me provide the food and also cook it to his exact specifications.

Who do you think got the better of this conversation, Stephen A. Smith and Herman Baker?

Carl Dieudonne checked in as well. He and his wife, Marie, are preparing for his retirement early next year from UPS. They have been married for 35 years, with 30 of those while Carl has been with UPS. They have six wonderful children strategically placed in Washington, Montana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, with even one in the state department working in Western Africa. If that wasn’t dispersed enough to keep them moving, they also split their time between Bellaire, Michigan, and Cape Coral, Florida.

Benny and Cynthia McCuistion

Billy Walker and Mitch Packett

(German) Hunter

Naval Academy grad Mark,

Sue (German) Hunter on a recent Spirit Mission

Members 68% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Chris Austin, 603 Embassy Ct., Peachtree City, GA 30269; 678-416-2890; ccaustin83@ gmail.com

CLASS NEWS

In honor of its 40th reunion, the Class of 1984 is raising funds to endow perpetual support for cadet clubs focused on the USAFA pillars of academic excellence, athletic development and military training. The class will impact most cadets; enrich the Academy experience; and build well-rounded, strong future leaders.

The class is over 50% of the way to its $1 million goal. Give cadets “wings to soar” when you support cadet clubs and help fund the remaining 50% of the goal.

Contact the class giving committee: usafa1984@gmail.com

Join the class efforts at: usafa.org/1984-40th

At first, I thought this next one was a prank, a UFO or some divine intervention: John Owens, living up America’s hat (Montreal), let me know that he and his wife, Lina, have three grown children and he is working for CAE as a global flight instructor/ examiner. Johnny still sounds fantastic, and I am forever in his debt by spending countless hours trying to teach me some rhythm.

Sam Cox, Joe Calderon, Vic Haynes ’85 and Carl Dieudonne

I want to publicly thank Monica (Schweitz) Smith and our awesome ladies for sending me the pin they had made for their group. Our class is full of so many wonderful, dedicated and exciting people. I also want to thank David Norton and Eden (Alt) Murrie for their dedicated leadership on our class gift. Also to Cheryl (DeVita) Roberson, Jeff Lofgren, Mark Novak, Lorrie (Hayward) Novak, Arnie Bunch, Doi Heckler, Karl Alvarez, Marybeth

(Peterson) Ulrich, and Joe Calderon for giving their time and donations as part of the committee.

Mike “Moses” Malone will be celebrating 38 years of marriage to Roz, and like Carl and Marie, they get to travel to see their kids. With one daughter on each coast, they also welcomed a new daughter-in-law. While Moses retired from the Reserve in 2014, Maj. Morgan Malone ’15, is still carrying the torch. This is where I usually grovel to get some updates, or beg for everyone to become free members of the AOG, and I still would like that to happen. More importantly, I am asking that you please make sure you take care of yourselves, get your checkups, dump some bad habits, and reach out to someone when you wonder what they are doing. Technology makes it easy to do. We’re not getting any younger and we still can become even better. Thanks, JENS

Mike Jensen, 6547 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918; 719-338-3570; usafa1984@gmail.com; usafa84.com; FB: USAF Academy 1984; Twitter: @USAFA84

1985

Greetings ’85ers!! Is it really springtime already? My how the time does fly. Nancy and I are excited about our trip to Croatia and Slovenia later this month. Hopefully, when we return from our trip, winter here in Maine will finally be over. I really don’t know how you pilots do it. Those long-haul flights are brutal, and we only do it a few times a year. I can’t imagine doing it every day.

Tish (Dierlam) Norman will once again be spearheading the planning for our 40th class reunion. Joyce Washington, Debbie Harris and Lynn Steer are also part of the Reunion Committee. The committee has requested the first home game following Parent’s Weekend (NOT Parent’s Weekend) in September. They have also asked for the Hotel Polaris, with rooms at the Courtyard and Drury Inn (across I-25 from the stadium). The dates cannot be finalized until the fall football schedule is released, which is typically somewhere between February and April. Once the dates are finalized, Tish will get the word out right away on the class Facebook page. Please share the information with classmates not on Facebook.

Frank Quintel “Q” Williams attended the Space Resiliency Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, Dec. 4-5, 2024. The moderator for the first day was our own “DT” Thompson, who recently retired as a four-star general and first vice chief of space operations, U.S. Space Force. Jim Cooper and Eric Gunzelman also attended.

I hope everyone starts looking at blocking time in September to attend the reunion. It would be great to have a large number of attendees. The Cadet Chapel will still be covered up for renovations, so the class photo will have to be taken elsewhere. Have a great summer. Drop me a note and share your stories with the class.

As always, ’85 Best Alive

Scott

W. Scott Carney, P.O. Box 5, Pembroke, ME 04666; 207-214-4836; usafaclassof1985@ gmail.com

Huzzah, classmates!

I was at a formal event recently, and the seating was limited. I was with my “usual” crowd sitting at the head of a long table, kind of like a table commandant, but all the seats were spoken for. Suddenly, one of the new folks (let’s just call him a three-degree) came bee-bopping up and asked if there were any seats left. I felt a flash of light from the far reaches of my amygdala as I shouted out: “Nope, looks like you get to float.” The imprinting is real … just ask the waiter who touched the top third of my class the other day at lunch. But enough about me. Recently, in my very own personal email inbox, I heard from Vinnie Savino, who has been off the net since May 28, 1986, but wanted to check in and report on the adventures he was having with 29th Squadron classmates Adrian Belinne and Pat Jameson, as well as 40th Squadron classmate Gary Tew. Vinnie writes: “Hey Bob, you awesome scribe! “Long time since the old Wing Staff days!! All good over this way. Currently living in San Vito dei Normani, Italy. Met my wife here in 1993

Members 68% Sabre Society Donors 43 Polaris Society Members 4

From left: Eric Gunzelman, Jim Cooper, Q Williams and Dave “DT” Thompson

while doing 90-day SOF rotations from RAF Alconbury to San Vito Air Station. On a personal note [Scribe note: Vinnie, this whole narrative is a personal note.], we’ve been married for 31 years — three boys and seven grandsons!!

“After retiring in 2010, I had a short gig at Target as a senior exec, but it wasn’t for me, so I resigned after two years. I took a year and a half off to assess life and decompress a little, as I went right from my last year commanding an EASOG and MNCI-ALO at Camp Victory, Iraq, right into the Target gig while on terminal.

“During the year and half hiatus, we decided to move to Italy, and I left shortly after to go work in Abu Dhabi as a senior military adviser, helping them put together a search and rescue capability and writing strategic doctrine.

“I returned home to sunny San Vito in 2019 and run my own career and executive coaching business, Resolute Career Coaching, remotely as well as teach three to four times a year at different AF bases with Intrepid Leadership Group, Kurt Buller’s (a USAFA ’91 bud) company.

“I had some ’86 visitors this past fall — Gary Tew (CS-40) along with his wife, Mikki, followed by two of my squadmates, fellow CS-29ers Pat Jameson and Adrian Belinne. I’ve attached a few photos if you’d like to use them, as I am not on FB.

“If you’d like to check out my website, it’s resolutecareercoaching.com.”

I also heard from Frank “Boom Boom” Rossi over Christmas. He shared a quick family update and some photos, but they were imbedded in a PDF, and I couldn’t wrestle those out any better than I was able to crop out that photo bomber in the second photo of Vinnie and Cadet X above.

Boom Boom wrote to share about all things Rossi from 2024. Here are some highlights:

Frank’s two boys, Frank Jr. (Pow Pow) and Peter (Bang Bang), are both in the USAF. Frank Jr. was married this past spring and went off to Air Force undergraduate cyberspace officer training. Peter graduated from Notre Dame, commissioned in the Air Force and reported to Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, for pilot training, then was promptly dispatched to Mesa (west of Phoenix), Arizona, because the Air Force is experimenting with contracting out the primary portion of pilot training. Frank isn’t too keen on that idea, but many of us will know the civilian flight school he is going to as our beloved Willie, or what is now Williams Gateway. Frank reports Shannon is busy working as a nanny as she waits for her four slacker kids to produce some grandchildren, and for Frank it was a second year of injuries — self-inflicted and otherwise — as 2023 was a broken collar bone, while 2024 was the year of the hernia. It made its appearance in the spring, about the same time both his parents came down with COVID. He reports that if you’ve heard doctors say hernias get worse and not better, they’re correct. So in December he got another surgical early Christmas present. Boom Boom says, “My New Year’s resolution is ‘No surgeries in 2025!’”

Please note that I make the same resolution each year and fail.

On the Colella news front, we don’t have much to report — also waiting for grandchildren, but in the meantime working on any project that comes along that involves Band-Aids and hearing protection. That is it for now. Keep in touch and join us on our Class of 1986 Facebook page. It would be nice to have some requests to join from actual members of the class instead of the many, many, many folks who aren’t but do ask; however, they can’t answer the membership question: “Who was the Cadet Wing Hostess during your time as a Cadet?” Yes … still carrying a torch for Louise R. Brown.

Gotta float!

Bob Colella

Bob Colella, 9247 Northedge Dr., Springfield, VA 22153; 571-422-0367; robert.colella.86@gmail.com

1987

Happy New Year, ’87! Thank you for the great inputs for this edition. I got so many we will include them in the next edition. Bruce O’Cain (CS-20) wrote that he retired from SAF/IA in October 2008, where he was branch chief for space and C4ISR in the Foreign Disclosure and Technology Transfer Division and Regional Policy in the European Division. He worked at CACI, then in the office of Undersecretary of (USDI) with Booz Allen Hamilton until December 2009. From December 2009 until May 2023 he worked at the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA), starting in regional policy, then night vision export policy, and the last eight years in export licensing. Bruce took an early retirement from DTSA in May 2023 and opened his own consulting company helping companies navigate U.S. government export control regulations and export licensing. He’s been living in Virginia since July 2005. He’s been married to Chiquita (Hodges) O’Cain ’88 (CS-11) for 28 years and just celebrated their anniversary two days ago. They have three boys, 25, 22 and 20. All three are currently in college or grad school. Fly, fight and win, Bruce!

Chris Palmer (CS-19) wrote that he took a job with Ochsner Health System as one of their orthopedic and sports medicine physicians down on the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast two years ago. In August, he spent some time at a little mini reunion, catching up and playing a few rounds of golf in COS and USAFA with guys from the classes of ’84 through ’90, including Cary Herrera, Scott Krause, Steve Cooper and the guys in the picture below!

I received a great update from Dave Amin: “Tim Beavers is upgrading to captain on the 777 out of SFO. His wife, Marie, is in her last year teaching homeschoolers the finer points of writing and composition. First son Jared is an Army lieutenant based at Fort Riley, Kansas. Second son Conner is a recent engineering grad now working at Eaton Corp. Alena just entered college and is pursuing a degree in physical therapy. Tim and Marie started playing pickleball in their spare time. I keep up with Will Hallier, who is now running his own orthopedic group in Kingman, Arizona, and steadily building his own small air force … . I lost track of how many planes he now owns! Murf Clark is still with United,

Adrian, Vinnie and Pat

Vinnie, Maria, and Mikki and Gary Tew [the guy on the far right is the notorious U.S. Post Office package/cookie thief/Cadet X, now in hiding in Italy — cover BLOWN]

’87 USAFA golf tournament attendees include, from left, Joe Aldrian, Chris Palmer, Jeff Cliatt and Eric Oistad

CLASS NEWS

at least I think he is. Every time I contact him, he is either playing golf or laying by the pool. I guess that is the new United Airlines tiered compensation plan, which he seems to be at the top of! I stay in touch with Randy Zuehlke, who retired once from the FBI and is now finally and fully retired from his cybersecurity business and residing between Jacksonville, Florida, and Detroit, Michigan. Chuck Ciuzio and I stay in touch, and he is still flying for NetJets and enjoying his family and 8-year-old son, Leo. Every time I miss a connection and get stuck in an airport, I text him to come pick me up, but he always asks for my NetJets card; apparently, they’re not allowed to hook a brother up! Stephen DaSilva is still with Alaska Airlines. He remains witty and quick with a joke; my wife says we are eternal teenagers, which feels true until I look in a mirror. As for me, my wife, Kris, and I stay busy working and traveling. We recently made trips to the Antarctic and Galapagos — both dramatically beautiful places! I recently opened a medical clinic in Sarasota, Florida, which is sucking up a lot of time (and money); I also stay busy upgrading our boat, Nauti Girl, which also sucks up a lot of time and money. Our “retirement” (a never event) home is finally built and someday I hope to see it — I hear it’s beautiful! Lastly, we recently spent two weeks in Uganda working with my business partner’s nonprofit, helping to create sustainable farming and trade school programs for several villages. It was a tremendous experience and resulted in my bonding with a local physician and helping to fund care for children with congenital orthopedic conditions like club feet. Anyone interested in knowing more about this effort, please email me at aminfamily4@ gmail.com. I guess the Academy did a good job of grooming me for the 28-hour day; as Kris says, ‘We can sleep when we’re dead!’”

Preston Plous wrote, “It’s been a busy end of 2024 and start of 2025. I’m getting my feet under me in the new job at Draper, my better half is still herding cats at NASA, and our son is moving toward his second-degree black belt.” Check out Mike Russel’s website at russelfineart.com. He’s just finished a commission for us, a beautiful portrait of Karen and her horse. Heard from Ken and Lisa Theriot. They are back in California, a short distance from his home when we were still in school.

Karen and Preston Plous at Ed Monarez’s ’89 holiday party. I don’t know if the hat really works for me. Happy New Year, ’87!

Bill Page just relocated from California back to Parker, Colorado, and is looking forward to the slopes! To success, ’87! Till next time. Anne and Bill

Bill Page, nextpage87@yahoo.com; 562-209-1158 and Anne Benovil-Murphy, benovilmurphy@gmail.com; 703-599-6235

1988 Hello ’88ers! Each quarter I’m getting a few more inputs, so keep spreading the word! My Tiger 10 squadmate Johnny Quintas reached out after taking in a Capitals game. Maybe they will meet the Golden Knights to vie for the Stanley Cup? He and his wife, Susan, have three amazing daughters (ages 1118). They reside in northern Virginia. Q has been an executive at Amazon the past seven years after retiring as a major general. By the way, he’s “Q” because that’s what “W” called him when we worked at the White House (2003-05), and “Q” carried “the football” for “W.” An impressive guy who had an impressive career, and what a beautiful family!

John Quintas, daughters Caroline, Ava and Elisabeth, and wife, Susan

Tom Corcoran (CS-10) and his wife, Amanda, are thrilled to see their oldest son, Brice, start with United Airlines. He used to fly KC-135s out of Beale and had some time with CalFire. In an ironic twist, Brice’s United interview was with our fellow Tiger 10er Cleve Turk. The Corcoran’s other son, Brady, is in finance in San Francisco and has a side gig with a band called Sun Casino. Those are two things I like a lot combined in a name, so I’m inherently biased, but I checked them out and they are very good! Speaking of Cleve, I recently texted him happy birthday because he turned 60, which of course is older than just about anyone I know. I thought he might need a pick me up. My secret plan was to wait until he thanked me for the birthday wish, then pounce and ask him for a quick update for this edition. But alas, he was too wily for me and just didn’t reply, so now I must call him out publicly in this edition in hopes he reaches out for the next quarterly update. You see, people, the inputs have picked up, but we can do better. Just because you haven’t sent me an update doesn’t mean you are not going to make Checkpoints. It’s best if you send me a note and have a chance to control the content!

Michael Miller, a guy who always makes me smile when I see him, sent me a note. He recently joined X-Bow Systems (pronounced Cross Bow), an emerging company in the additive manufacturing world for solid rocket motor technology, where he is working ethics, compliance and government practices. Michael and his wife, Brenda, spend as much time as possible with their 1-year-old grandson, Cohen, in

Superman and Superwoman, Dave Amin and Kris, in the Antarctic sporting their finest AFA attire!

From left: Bill Cole and his wife, Carol Ann; Lt. Col. (Ret.) Matthew “DH” Evans and his wife, Stephanie; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Plehn and his wife, Diana; Bob Welgan and his wife, Stephanie; Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Yoo and his wife, Joanne; Col. (Ret.) Cy Bartlett and his wife, Amy; and Mark Gilson

Sparks, Nevada, snowshoeing and helping ensure that pickleball takes over the world.

I heard from Ralph Galetti, who sent some kind comments about my efforts as class scribe and filled me in on his burgeoning music career. Although still a side gig, he’s getting serious about releasing all the songs he’s ever written and new ones he’s writing now so they will be publicly captured for posterity.

Along with his original music, he’s also in a cover band in Albuquerque called the Disclaimers, along with his friend (Brian) Max Dubroff ’89. Go to DisclaimersRock.us and check out his demo tape. Find Ralph’s original work, including his first fivesong LP titled “Hear the Sunshine,” on all the usual sites by searching “Old Man Galetti.” (I wonder if he’s as old as Cleve?)

I must say I’m excited for Ralph because I’d like to be doing more of what he’s doing. I blame it on my day job, which is a pretty good excuse, but it’s probably mostly the fear of putting it out there. I recently wrote and produced a song myself, and it was a wildly rewarding experience, but I haven’t taken it further. Good on you, Ralph.

Hoops alum-turned Dallas Stars hockey fan Paul “PM” Meyer decided to go on a seven-game road trip to see professional events in seven cities in 10 days. The Montreal Canadiens easily win craziest, most rabid fans award. Why did he do this? Well, he’s an airline pilot and we all know they barely work, so he can do this stuff as if it’s normal. But also, he and his wife, Penny, are having a blast sharing the adventure with their kids, Payden and Paxdon. Sounds fun … I wonder if it’s too late for me to learn to fly on autopilot 11 days a month?

Paul “PM” Meyer, Payden Meyer and Penny Meyer

Folks, please write to me and tell me what you are up to. It doesn’t have to be long, just check in so we can all stay connected. It’s not hard. For example, here’s mine: “I had the flu pretty bad, so I decided to drink water to surprise my liver. Now I’m feeling better.” That took a half minute if I add the time to open my email and send. For those who sent me a note and pictures, thank you! I can only include three pics per issue, but keep them coming. I do expect to hear from you!

Brian “Radz” Raduenz, 858-705-0252; brian@radz.com; FB: USAFA Class of 1988

1989

Greetings, classmates! I hope 2025 has been good to you and your families thus far!

Christy Kayser-Cook had a busy and fun 2024! With husband Gary, they spent a lot of time on the road. Highlights include a month-long trip exploring parts of South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, a six-week Europe adventure through the Alps, and a 26-day Europe holiday experience to see the European Christmas markets. Daughter Haley (23) is living in Athens, Greece, while studying abroad at The American College of Greece for a full school year. She continues to work on her double major in chemistry and history along with a minor in the classics. Daughter Emily still lives in Paso Robles, California, and is working for Summerland Winery as a key account manager. Christy continues to enjoy semi-retirement, working several hours a week as the church’s finance secretary, many hours in the yard, and volunteering one afternoon a week at the information desk at their local VA clinic. Thanks, Christy!

After recovering from open heart valve repair surgery in 2022, Tim Traub started a Project HeroRide 2 Recovery Hub just outside of Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Their mission is to save injured vets’ and first responders’ lives by restoring hope, recovery and resilience via group bicycling. This season their 10 members rode more than 5,500 combined miles on 60 rides. Local Air Force Cycling teammate Jack Hudson ’73 has been a huge role model for the group, riding 10,000 miles in 2024 and mentoring their startup. Tim passes on wishes for good health and fitness in 2025 for all Fine ’89 classmates!

Jeff Louie is completing his sixth year as a federal government civilian with the Secretary of the Air Force International Airmen Program Office managing the Air Force Foreign Area Officer career field. Wife Dana has a new job with Roman Space Telescope, attending the Exoplanets 5 conference in the Netherlands. Outside of the AF, Jeff and Dana made trips to the Texas solar eclipse, Ohio Swiss Festival, New Orleans, Williamsburg and the Bahamas. Thanks, guys!

CS-39 Campus Rads squadronmate Doug Malone is enjoying retired life and his ski patrol gig. He and wife Jacqui live a couple hours east of Seattle, and they both really enjoy their beautiful surroundings! Jacqui continues to teach 9th graders. Son Tom had emergency surgery last fall and was diagnosed with colon cancer. He is undergoing chemotherapy, and the family is hopeful for a good prognosis. Son Will married Kelly in October, right before Will left for OTS. Second Lieutenant Malone is in Texas for a year of training while Kelly wrangles two children under three in Florida. Thanks, Doug — we’ll keep your son Tom in our thoughts and prayers.

Chris Kulas says he’s keeping a pretty full dance card! He is still living in Flower Mound, Texas. Wife Nicole recently marked seven years running AgeWell Care Management, helping family members and loved ones navigate the aging journey. Chris provides the back-office support for the company. Chris also works for the Small Business Consulting Corporation as an analyst and team lead. He recently joined Victory Strategies as an executive leadership coach. Our classmate Dave “Trashman” Hicks is a fellow member of the VS team. Chris’s oldest son, Andrew, got engaged; wedding bells are planned for October. Drew is an aerospace engineer for Boeing, working the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program. Son Sam is studying biology at Texas A&M and will graduate in May, and son Jack is a product manager for Capital One in NYC. Thanks, Chris!

Members 67% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Jack Hudson ‘73 and Tim Traub recently attended the AFA – Wright State basketball game and wore their A-jackets in support.

Doug, Jacqui (holding Benjamin), Tom, Kelly (holding daughter Alessandra) and Will enjoy time together in Lily Hall, Pensacola, Florida.

CLASS NEWS

Chris, Drew, Sam, Jack and Nicole enjoy a family vacation to Japan!

That’s a wrap for this quarter. Keep those cards and letters coming. Take care and God bless!

Members 68% Sabre Society Donors 23 Polaris Society Members 2

Paul W. Tibbets IV, 5422 Cypress Point Ln., Gonzales, LA 70737; 225-289-2000; p2a2tibbets@gmail.com; FB: USAFA Class of 1989

1990

Greetings, Redtag Class of 90! It is a new year and new adventures for our class. Let’s get started! Let me start out with a correction — let’s say a resolution — to set the record straight. I put this in my “save it for next issue” file last year and just realized I did not post it. John Hall sent me a note from the North American Airline Ski Federation meet at Keystone from Jan. 21-25, 2024. “Fortunate to have the Mighty 90 grads on the FedEx Ski & Snowboard team. In the photo is John Hall, George Kochis, John Keagle, Mark Baudendistel and Bob Hagstrom.” I never did get the results, but I’m certain since some time has passed it is fair to claim they set some records and all medaled in their events!

FedEx Ski & Snowboard team takes on the slopes!

Garth Terlizzi sent an update in from the Zoo, where he had run into Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind. “[Met] the supt at the Hotel Polaris grand opening. He was a four-degree in CS-13 when we were three-degrees. Notice he is starting to sweat!!” Garth’s son Tucker is in the Class of 2025, with plans to go to UPT following graduation, and recently exchanged to the Japanese Defense Academy.

Garth and Stephanie Terlizzi in the land of the rising sun with son Tucker

Jay Updegraff is always the best in finding news on our class. “Mighty ’90 salute to my four-degree BCT and Skyraider classmate Vince Reyna, who is the newest member of the Academy Foundation Board of Directors!! Well done, Vince! Another member of the Class of ’90 leading the way! Huya!!!” That gives our class two board members: Vince on the Foundation board and Cathy (Beddow) Almand serving as the vice chairman of the AOG board. Besides keeping me primed on the latest goingson, Jay sent a quick note on his winter break (if you can call it that from his home in St. Augustine, Florida). Jay and Becky were decked out in green celebrating Notre Dame’s victory over Penn State (I’m not taking sides in that one, but glad they had a great time!). The couple then hit Everglades National Park two days later.

In honor of its 30th reunion, the Class of 1990 raised funds for a Tuskegee Airmen memorial at Davis Airfield. The project will include full-scale models of a P-51 Red Tail and a T-7 Red Hawk, currently being built, at the airfield entrance. It will embody and reflect all that the Department of the Air Force holds dear and expects of all airmen, guardians and cadets — integrity, service and excellence.

Redtags of 1990, THANK YOU for your generous support of character development, military and academic excellence, and true airmanship. View our project status at usafa.org/1990-30th.

Some quick updates from Christmas texts and the old fashion snail mail Christmas cards (which I absolutely treasure — please send me your address if you want to exchange cards!).

Bob Watwood: “Not sunny in Virginia. We’re cloudy at 35-40 degrees and a misty rain. But we are headed up to New York to do some skiing at Lake Placid.” Dan Daetz is a budding author and has drafted three sci-fi novels (scifipilot.com). He and Esme enjoyed a nine-country Baltic cruise in June and then returned home to adopt a new Aussie. Marcus Schulthess changed jobs to a small technical support company for the Space Development Agency in a coveted work from home position. Marcus appeared as an extra in a short film his son wrote and directed while attending CU Denver, and I’m sure he was signing autographs at the campus film festival! John Shaw and bride Tonia have spent the first few months of retirement traveling to Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Portugal and the Cook

Jay and Becky Updegraff touring the Everglades

Islands, and recently became grandparents! Paul Nichols and Cheryl celebrated the engagement of their son. Paul reached his 25-year anniversary with United and is currently flying the 737 out of San Francisco while living in Austin, Texas.

Overall the year looks to be off to a great start! It is our 35th reunion year, and we are penciling in a gathering in the fall once the football schedule is released. Keep flying high, and Mighty ’90! Members

Mike Shepherd, 3801 Derby Cir., Quartz Hill, CA 93536; michael.j.shepherd@hotmail.com

1991

Thank you Jerome Osurman for leading the Hawaii reunion celebrating Bold Gold’s 33rd anniversary! YOU made this reunion LEGENDARY!!! There was a lot of fun at the luau, golf tournament, catamaran sunset dinner cruise with two fireworks shows, and a Hawaiian breakfast buffet football watch party. We honored our very own class president, Dr. Chris Howard, with the inaugural Leadership Achievement Award during halftime. Quite a few families traveled from around the globe and even ventured out to the other islands to check off bucket lists. We proved that “AOG Reunions: Destination Hawaii” is not just a myth or wish but a dream come true, and Bold Gold ’91 was first to make it happen.

Francis “Frank” Doiron resides in Monument, Colorado. He retired in 2011 and became a government civilian working at Space Command. Frank is a plank holder for the stand up of the USSF, helping create the framework for the new service. He is the chief of training, readiness and standardization at Space Operations Command. He met and married his wife, Chris, after they literally bumped into each other at his first assignment at Buckley ANGB. They have three grown children: Joseph, who works for Amazon; Celeste, who is an Army first lieutenant in Germany; and Katie, who works for the FDIC.

For those that remember, he’s still into fixing up old things and has a few cars and motorcycles he keeps running. Frank and Chris were on a river cruise in Germany when, on the last day, they sat down with another couple for dinner, and, lo and behold, it was Greg Scott from CS-36. They didn’t recognize each other but soon figured out they were BG classmates. Greg flies for Southwest and lives in Orlando. What are the odds?

Victor Wright is currently vice president, global labor and employment law, at Baker Hughes, in Houston, Texas. After graduation, Victor served as an executive officer and foreign disclosure policy officer at the Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron, Randolph AFB. He was then competitively selected for the Air Force’s Funded Legal Education Program and attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center. Victor served seven years on active duty as an Air Force Judge Advocate. In 2005, he transferred to the Air Force Reserve. He retired in 2012. On the personal front, he is married to his wife of 30 years, Dr. Lynell Tippen Wright. They have two children, Jasmine and Justin. Jasmine recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and was not quite ready to leave Austin, so she is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism and media studies. Justin is a senior in high school at St. John’s School in Houston and will be attending Yale College in the fall. As such, Victor is eternally grateful for having stayed in long enough to receive his transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and retirement pay when he reaches the age of 60!

Brad Hamby and his wife stayed in Spokane following their last assignment at Fairchild in 2012, where Brad works as a KC-135 IP in the flight simulator. They have two daughters, Rachael and Jax. Rachael is a biology professor at Sierra College in Sacramento, while Jax flies F-16s! This winter the family went to Korea to visit Jax at Osan AB. Earl Scott retired as a colonel in August 2017 after serving 26 years in aircraft maintenance, logistics and program management. He deployed many times to the Middle East, had a Pentagon assignment and commanded multiple times. His last two assignments were the maintenance group commander at RAF Mildenhall and Travis AFB. After retiring he built

a home in San Antonio and joined Boeing as the director of AF services. Five years later he transferred to Palantir Technologies as director of logistics software sales to the AF A4 community. After almost two years, he was recruited and hired as the VP of maintenance and engineering for Horizon Airlines. This required a solo move to Seattle, which didn’t last — he missed the family. In 2024 he joined Lockheed Martin as director, global fleet support. His team’s focus is sustainment engineering support. His portfolio includes the F-35, F-22, F-16, U-2, C-5, C-130 and P-3. Melissa and Earl met during their sophomore year and have been going strong for 26 years! They have two sons, Braeden (23, a commercial pilot) and Caimin (20, a sophomore in college majoring in computer science).

Matt Lasley and his wife, Shawn, finished their fifth year in their Woodmoor home above 7,400’ in the Palmer Divide! Matt occasionally annoys classmate neighbors Francis Dorian, Christy (Leader) Holliday and Colleen McCrary. Matt supports the USSF as a technical weenie, while Shawn trains her bank on how to use their mortgage management software. Newly empty nesters, they are trying their hand at raising their new kittens, Parker and Petey. Here’s some info on their grown children: Alexa is a molecular biologists; Tessa works in retail food and helps mom at a mountain destination resort; Matthew Jr. is an electrician working semiconductor fabrication while populating the Earth with Matt’s grandchildren (#4, Matthew Aaron Lasley III!); and Shania loves being a mom of two; Caleb feeds the Broncos as their prime caterer! Matt ended 2024 with a trip to Chicago to enjoy the St. Louis Blues’ embarrassment of the Blackhawks for the NHL’s winter classic!

Hawaii reunion photo

From left: Victor, Lynell, Jasmine and Justin

From left: Braeden, Nettie (his girlfriend), Melissa, Earl and Caimin

CLASS NEWS

1992

True Blue 1992! Once again, I hope this column finds you healthy, happy and enjoying life.

I’m always amazed at the cool things you are all doing and the people we have become. We are authors, politicians, business leaders, nonprofit directors, professors, parents, community leaders, entrepreneurs, liaison officers, coaches and so much more. And, of course, we all have the shared experience of serving our country. You are all definitely an impressive group of classmates! DMV locals. No, not that DMV. Here, the metropolitan areas of D.C., Maryland and Virginia are collectively called the DMV. Mark Slocum and I met up for one of the last opportunities to spend an evening outside before the cold weather made it impossible. We took an evening ride on the Potomac River with our wives and another friend. It was a nice Friday evening catching up and taking a leisurely cruise up past Georgetown. Mark is the Deputy J-5 at the Pentagon and contemplating his future choices as he and Xavi raise their three kids.

Over the holidays, Dave “Kumo” Kumashiro helped his brother and sister-in-law host their annual Christmas party. I got to catch up with Kumo and hear about his latest plans. Those of you on Facebook with Kumo know he got a puppy last year, and I think that’s taken much of his time. Lance Landrum was also at the party and enjoying his post-USAF time. Lance retired as a lieutenant general and is consulting locally. He told me he knew of my company, mentioning where he crossed paths with some of my colleagues. Shortly before the party, I was talking to a new business contact and he mentioned knowing Lance after asking me what year I graduated. Of course, the “Do you know Lance Landrum” questions are always followed by high praise and respect.

Steve Genung reached out to me a month or so ago and shared that he and Billy Starkey and Kyri Tsircou have a new commercial space and national security startup. Kragon Space Inc. closed on its first acquisition of a DOD-leading EMP effects and directed energy engineering firm. They will focus on the defense needs of vulnerable critical infrastructure in space, hoping to leverage the expected growth of the space economy, which is projected to be $1.8 trillion by 2035. If you want to learn more about Kragon, reach out to any of these three. Sounds cool! 1992 making history! If you haven’t seen the news, Stephen Mounts was selected as the newest USAF deputy surgeon general. It is the first time that a civilian has been selected for the role in the Air Force Medical Service’s 75-year history! Stephen has served the AFMS both in uniform and as a civilian after 30 years active duty. In 2022, he became the first SES in AFMS and will retain this position as chief of the Medical Civilian Corps along with his new role. Stephen will be only the third non-physician to serve in the deputy role. Congratulations, Stephen!

The INBOX. I got an email from Jonathan Arnett, a CS-22 Tarantula squadronmate. Jonathan is in his second year as a professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, surprising even himself as he never pictured himself ending up teaching at an academy. He also taught at West Point the year before USMMA. He says his midshipmen are fascinated by AF Academy lore, so he talks with them about the “old days.” He shared that USMMA now has the highest attrition of all the academies, as the school crams four years of college into three years and requires a year at sea for the fourth year.

The next email was from Mark Hersant. He also joined the class WhatsApp group, so if you’re not on there, what are you waiting for? Mark and I last connected back in 2012, when he and Bob Seifert attended my squadron change of command in Germany. Mark retired at Scott AFB, Illinois, in 2015 and stayed there working for seven years in AMC’s A3 Operations Training and Joint Exercise divisions; he also spent two years at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, producing DOD instrument procedures. Last fall he started work as operations safety manager/air carrier evaluator in AMC A3’s Commercial Airlift Division. Mark got the opportunity to work with Johnny Lamontagne when he was AMC deputy A3 and is thrilled Johnny is back as AMC/CC. Mark often sees Lee Smith and Jay Copher in the halls, where they are both working in AMC A5/8 Strategic Plans and Requirements after retiring. Mark and his wife, Lisa, are empty nesters and enjoy fishing, boating, country dancing and visiting their two children, who are becoming productive adults in Los Angeles and the Boston area. Thanks for the update, Mark!

Last year I had dinner with Rob Atkins, who was in town on business from Buffalo, New York. I had the opportunity to catch up with him again last week on another trip. With his large family, it’s not surprising that I can share that another of his kids got married and that he’s expecting another grandchild. It’s hard to keep pace with him. All good things must come to an end. That wraps up another 1992 class column. Continue to do great things and always exceed (Sempre Excelsior) in everything you do as a member of the True Blue class. Take care and God bless. James.

James S. Mehta, 2813 Davis Ave., Alexandria, VA 22302; 571-830-7095;

Proud to be 1993 and wishing you the best springtime in the Northern Hemisphere! I hope everyone is well and moving out of winter into the great spring weather.

Dave Benson checked in with what can only be described as one of the best Christmas updates ever! Thanks, Dave! Dave and his lovely wife, Anne, currently reside outside of Atlanta in Newnan, Georgia. He says 2024 has been a crazy year, with “graduations, moves, trips, state championships, furry additions and MORE!” His oldest son, Andrew, Andrew’s wife, Abby, and their dog, Shiloh, spent all of 2024 in pilot training flying the T-1. As of the writing of this letter, Andrew should already know his next assignment. Abby is a nurse at a local cancer hospital.

Dave and Anne’s oldest daughter, Grace, graduated from the University of Georgia (GO DAWGs) and attained her dream job as an assistant buyer for a major department store. The Benson’s accomplished a 3,000-mile U-Haul journey across the U.S. to move Grace to Phoenix. Jacob, their middle son, is a junior at Georgia and had an amazing semester abroad in Rome, Italy. He’s currently working on his resume and beginning the internship interview process for this summer. Their youngest son, Nathan, is a junior in high school, where his golf team won the state championship in May 2024, and he is currently in the top 10 of his class. Finally, congrats to Dave on his upgrade to the left seat in the Boeing 737. Needless to say, Dave and Anne are doing great, as are the rest of the Bensons.

Two quick check-ins from Zach Barber and Lynn Berry. Zach checks in from Nellis AFB, Nevada, where he retired as a lieutenant colonel in November 2018. He currently works on the Nevada Test and Training Range and is the government program manager on the Range Support Services II Program. Lynn lives in Austin and retired from the Air Force back in 2018. She’s married with two children and working to complete VA compensation exams two days a week.

I received an update from way across the Pacific Ocean at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, from Nate Drummond and Hank Buck. Nate and Hank are DOD civil service coworkers at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), Huntsville, Alabama, overseeing the U.S. Army’s cybersecurity of the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Reagan Test Site is the DOD’s primary test range supporting the impact scoring of the Minuteman III ICBMs launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base and the nation’s missile defense technology. The photo of Hank and Nate shows them standing in front of the 150-foot-wide dish of the world’s largest steerable acquisition radar, named “ALTAIR,” based on the island of Roi-Namur in the Kwajalein Atoll.

Hank Buck and Nate Drummond, classmates and coworkers on Kwajalein Atoll

Let’s give a shout-out to Lt. Gen. Luke Ahmann, who took command of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region – 1st Air Force, at Tyndall AFB. His previous assignment was special assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau. First-time writer Kevin Loucks proudly sent an update on Luke’s special event. On Oct. 2, Luke was promoted to lieutenant general at Tyndall AFB. The promotion ceremony and subsequent change-of-command was presided over by Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus ’89, chief of the National Guard Bureau. The ceremonies were attended by Luke’s wife (Kate), kids (Jack, Wyatt and Nora), sisters (Carolyn and Nora), in-laws (Tom and Suzanne), Ed Carter (representing CS-39 Campus Radicals) and Kevin (representing CS-23 Barnstormer freshmen and ski trip pals). Emotions ran high this day. Kate and the kids had packed up and moved from D.C. into a “spacious” Airbnb months earlier, betting the Air Force would eventually come through on this promotion. Luke’s dad, Lt. Gen. James Ahmann (West Point ’54, USAF commission), had received his promotion to lieutenant general 43 years earlier, on Nov. 1, 1981. Luke’s nephew, Maguire Craddock ’25, is following in his uncle’s baseball and pilot aspiration footprints. For those that have spent time with Luke and Kate, following Jim Morrison’s wisdom — “No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn” — we are all hoping that Luke’s next promotion provides ample notice, allowing the many friends and colleagues who have supported and celebrated this special family the opportunity to attend. Also in October, the Lobo 5 “Wolfpack!” (Bill Bicksler, George Joyce, Al Rosabal, Kieran Smith and Chris Wolfe) and adopted wolves Brian Murphy and Kevin spent a few days in balmy (110 F) Phoenix. We came together to celebrate Chris Wolfe being cancer-free and others just lucky to be alive by going on a four-day golfing bender. Chris asked Kevin to share a special thank you to Darran Britton, Dan Jones, Debbie Torkelson, John Bauer, Matt Greene and the whole PTB’93 family for the

“PROUD TO BE WOLFESTRONG” shirt idea and logistics as well as the love and prayers everyone shared with him and his family.

Mike and Damara Rice updates us on the great news of their son, Camden, who recently enlisted in the Navy and will specialize in IT and enter the submarine community. He’s currently at Naval Submarine Groton, Connecticut, where he graduated from sub school and is attending IT school. Camden steps in the Navy Blue Line after his grandpa, who retired as a Navy captain! Congrats!

Mike, Camden and Damara Rice celebrate Camden’s Navy training success. Peace and PTB93 - Mike

Michael D. Sundsted, 5805 Bent Creek Trl., Dallas, TX 75252; 703-307-0903; mdsundsted@gmail.com

Mike at the reunion hotel with a couple lacrosse bros, Gary Smagorinsky and Duke Pope.

’94 LAX guys, Smags, Mike and Duke

Mike also sent this pic with Jeff Payne and Cris “Oz” Smith. I flew with Oz way back in the 1900s in the Black Widows, 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill. Looking good fellas.

Mike, Jeff and Oz at cocktail hour

I also texted my freshman roommate, Jeff “JD” Dalrymple, asking for some pictures. He was at Breckenridge at the time and said it was minus 5 degrees outside, so he took a break in the lodge and sent me the below pic with Mike Black and Mike “Thick” Traw. Good looking crew. Thanks for the pics JD and Mike!

Hey you, Red Hots! Happy springtime. I hope everyone has thawed out from winter. Let me know about your spring break update. First off, I hit up a couple contacts for some content from the 30-year reunion. Mike Miller sent me some quality snapshots. Pictured below is

JD, Mike and Thick

I heard from James Samuel, who recently had another ’94 visitor at his corporate headquarters in Virginia. Victor Moncrieffe stopped by James’ Pluribus

Bill Bicksler, Kevin Loucks, Chris Wolfe, Al Rosabal, Brian Murphy, Kieran Smith and George Joyce golf bender

CLASS NEWS

offices. James has had a steady number of Redhots stop by his company there. Thanks for all the updates.

We end with some very sad news. Jeff Rengel passed away on Dec. 28, 2024. I first heard about this from Mike Cranston, who texted me the following information that Matt Glover put together for the CS-21 Blackjacks WhatsApp group: “Jeff Rengel passed away suddenly during the early morning hours on Dec. 28. Jeff wanted to attend our recent 30th reunion but had just taken a new job in Williamsburg, Virginia, and moved there from Duluth in October and was unable to join us. To say that he will be sorely missed is an understatement. Tammi is currently surrounded by Jeff’s brother and his parents. Their daughter, Aleksie, is there (1LT, U.S. Army), and their son, Payton (Capt., U.S. Army), is on his way home from Korea. Please keep Jeff and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

The AOG subsequently sent out a Gone But Not Forgotten email that has a link to Jeff’s obituary. Here’s a toast...

Take care ’94. Keep in touch, and please send me your news -- Kegger

The Class of 1994 30th reunion gift will enshrine the Red Hot ’94 legacy, benefiting future leaders and graduates, at Hotel Polaris at the Air Force Academy North Gate.

1994 is the only class focused on the hotel, and it is over 50% of the way to the gift committee’s ambitious goal of $1 million.

Keep on going, and don’t bring it weak! Please support the project or find out more at usafa.org/1994-30th.

Craig Allen, 660-864-5374; craig.d.allen94@ gmail.com 1995

Happy New Year! I truly hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and that you are in the thralls of seeing all of your New Year’s resolutions come to fruition.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Jason Bailey over lunch a couple of months back. He and I both retired this past summer and are working through the transition to what’s next for us and our families … it’s been exciting and fun!

I heard from Bill Barrington, who shared that the Air Force Academy was a great big reunion. He had lunch with Jeff Kronwitter, who just retired and moved to Connecticut. He also ran into Trevor Benitone at the Service Academy Global Entrepreneur Summit in D.C. Trevor is the EVP and chief revenue officer at Adams Keegan. Bill relayed that it was a great gathering of entrepreneurs from all the service academies. Air Force is on tap to host the next event at the new Hotel Polaris in the summer of 2026.

I can’t believe our 30-year reunion will be this fall. I look forward to seeing you and catching up! If you have ideas or want to volunteer to be on our 30th Reunion Committee, please post on our USAFA Class of ’95 Facebook page.

The holidays are always stressful, and I know it has already been a hectic start to the year. Stay safe out there and continue to take care of each other! As always, please keep sharing updates via email to me at marksotallaro@gmail.com or Amanda Steffey at amanda.j.steffey@gmail.com. KTP!

Amanda Steffey, amanda.j.steffey@gmail.com

Mark Sotallaro, marksotallaro@gmail.com

1996

Greetings, Bricks! First, I want to extend heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out to check on Shayna and me and our family. As many of you know, we live in the community devastated by the California wildfires. Thankfully, we were not personally impacted, but many dear friends have lost everything. The road to recovery will be long, taking years to rebuild what has been destroyed. Shayna and I are both in professional roles where we are actively contributing to the community’s recovery. As president of the largest business advocacy organization in Southern California, I’m working closely with state and local policymakers on legislation to support small business and housing recovery and rebuilding. Shayna, as a senior political adviser at the California Community Foundation, is collaborating with state and local leaders to support recovery efforts across a variety of fronts. Your support means the world to us, and it’s a testament to the strength of our Tough As Bricks family.

Here are the latest updates from our fellow classmates:

Sam Ransom proudly shared that his first book, a Christian fiction novel titled “Digging Deep,” was published in 2023. It’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Congratulations, Sam, on this amazing accomplishment!

Rodney Bullard was recently named one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Georgia. Way to represent, Rodney!

John and Crissy Lodmell are living in Denver and celebrating a major milestone: all four of their kids are officially 18! However, the “empty nest” is still full, as their adult children are staying home while working and attending school. This has allowed John and Crissy to take frequent weekend trips, exploring one new city a month. John has returned to Nordstrom Credit as their CFO, and Crissy is wrapping up her career as an online high school math teacher while considering a career shift to project management. They continue to sponsor cadets and enjoy hitting the slopes during snowy weekends.

David “Lurch” Lercher shared his journey since retiring from the Air Force in 2016. He’s been flying for Southwest Airlines, where he upgraded to captain in 2023. David and his wife, Laine, recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Their son,

Bill Barrington and Trevor Benitone

Brooke (holding dog Macy), David “Lurch” Lercher, Laine and Chase

Chase, graduated with a nursing degree from Grand Canyon University, and their daughter, Brooke, is a sophomore at Northern Arizona University. Cheers to you and your family, Lurch!

Michael Thomas started his new role as the city manager of Centralia, Washington, on Dec. 2, 2024. He invites classmates traveling along I-5 or via Amtrak between Portland and Seattle to stop by and visit the Hub City. Congratulations on this exciting new chapter, Michael!

Shawn Fitzgerald retired as the wing commander of the 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski AFB on Nov. 1, 2024. A group of classmates and KTPs, including Matt Linell, Matt Weissert, Chris Ratigan, Curt Green ’95 and Benji Glazer ’95, attended the change of command ceremony. Congratulations on this milestone, Shawn!

Matt Linell, Matt Weissert, Shawn Fitzgerald, Chris Ratigan, Curt Green ’95 and Benji Glazer ’95 celebrated Shawn’s retirement in November.

Radoslaw Rusek shared an update on his medical retirement journey. After navigating the VA and various medical appointments, he is taking time in Loudoun County, Virginia, with his family to determine his next steps. He plans to relocate to northwest West Virginia once his kids finish school. Best of luck, Rad, as you transition into this new phase.

Dan Marine got together with his old rugby buddies in Iowa in November 2024. The group has met up several times over the years. This time, Dan took them to a high school football game to cheer on the Wilton Beavers. Go Beavers!

As reported in the last edition, Ted Roberts and his wife, Ruth, became grandparents to Ezra Walker Harver in October 2024. The parents, Ted’s daughter, Nyla, and son-in-law, Gray Harver, are doing well. Meanwhile, their other daughter, Alina, is on track to graduate from beauty school in May, and their son, Blake, just celebrated his 13th

birthday. Congratulations on all the wonderful family milestones, Ted!

As always, thank you for sharing your updates and stories. Keep them coming, and stay Tough As Bricks!

--

David (English) Englin

In honor of its 25th reunion, the Class of 1996 is raising money for a Tuskegee Airmen memorial at Davis Airfield. The project will include full-scale models of a P-51 Red Tail and a T-7 Red Hawk, currently being built, at the airfield entrance. It will embody and reflect all that the Department of the Air Force holds dear and expects of all airmen, guardians and cadets — integrity, service and excellence.

’96 classmates, please join us to reach our $250,000 goal — we are 53% there! — in support of Tough as Bricks character development, military and academic excellence and true airmanship.

Give at usafa.org/1996-25th.

(English) Englin, david.englin@gmail.com

1997 Hello and Happy New Year classmates. I hope everyone is doing well and thriving in the new year. This episode will be short and sweet as I did not hear from many people. In fact, there was only one submission this go around.

Thank you to Wil Pointer for sending me an update and picture. Wil is in Northern Virginia along with Brian Nowinski and Jay Hutzell. They retired from the same squadron at Andrews AFB back in 2017. All three

are flying for United Airlines. Wil, you are the man for sending me an update and a picture. Thank you very much, gentlemen. Fly tough!

I should also point out that in a previous episode, I used some poor grammar. In the portion I wrote about Aurelia Smith, I used the phrase, “her and her husband” and clearly, I should have used “she and her husband.” I would like to thank the nice lady who emailed me to raise my awareness to the issue. Thank you, ma’am. It is refreshing to know at least one person reads my entry. In all fairness, I did put a disclaimer on my first Checkpoints attempt that I did indeed struggle in English class while a student at the Academy. I will do better.

As I do not have much else to write about, I will spare you from reading anymore. I am tempted to fill in the remainder of this episode with the word “very” 600 times to meet the maximum of 900 words. Oh, please send me some pictures and updates, clearly I need them. You can even drop by. It is kidding season and we could use an extra hand or two. I do provide adult beverages and a home-cooked meal.

USAFA rugby buddies Dan Marine, Nate Downing and Grailing Jones reconnected in Iowa in November.

Members 78%

Sabre Society Donors 17 Polaris Society Members 0

David

From left: Jay Hutzell, Brian Nowinski and Wil Pointer

Noah Oviedo patiently awaiting your pictures and email updates

CLASS NEWS

Noah Oviedo, 132 Walnut Grove Rd., Boerne, TX 78006; 210.502.1238; noah.oviedo1997@ gmail.com

1998 Happy 2025, Dominators! We are three months into it, but hopefully it is still happy for all. I received a couple of great responses for my call out to classmates, so a lot of these updates are going to be thanks to cyberstalking and other means of getting the scoop on Dominance around the globe — and orbiting around the globe for Nick Hague, of course. His Expedition 72 mission on the International Space Station is ending this spring, with him bringing back a couple of space hitchhikers who AAA could not support with their Boeing Starliner issues. Guess the Tiger Ten Hotline works from space as well. Good to know.

A big thank you to Craig Fitzpatrick for sharing the following: “My team at SanboxAQ worked with Travis AFB and Charleston AFBs to test fly a quantum navigation prototype that won Time magazine’s best inventions of 2024. That was a neat accolade. Derek Salmi, James Reaves and Will Wade all provided assistance in getting permission for the initial test flights.” More big things from our Dominators, both with cool company names to attach their big brains to and simply getting major accolades. Major huah there!

Next I received a legendary photo of Dominators from Jamie Rhone of him with Steve Pipes and Frank Stain-Pyne from the holidays. A holy triad of Dominance of not aging (those salt-and-pepper beards are not throwing us off, gentlemen). All of them are in Colorado living the dream.

Some more news from Colorado is a Joseph Markusfeld sighting at Clune Arena watching the Falcons on ice with what seems to be a Paul Ferguson self-reporting of attendance at the game. Sko Falcs! To keep with the wintery theme, it turns out Ed Grundel was able to attain ski parking for his skis in Breckenridge using the #98 SkiMountThingaMaBob. Labeled with a red placard in fact!

Other news out there is Philip Mallory was named the deputy adjutant general for Hawaii! Congratulations, Brig. Gen. Mallory! More word on the strips is Dan Fowler pinned on BG (that’s one star for those who are not keeping up with their K-Bowl knowledge routine) and is the director of the Nuclear Enterprise Directorate at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Wallis Laughrey joined Voyager Space as their chief strategy officer.

In more attempts of extending this Checkpoints entry, we do have a large group of us hitting the 50-years-old milestone. But, to be safe, I am only posting those who pimped themselves out. Our rock star of rock stars Brian Liebenow did a great job of not only celebrating his 50th but also provided a great photo of our class reunion bourbon as he mixed it with his egg nog. Excellent IP demo as expected of Brian. Joshua Eaton did a great job accumulating 98 points in the Rollier’s Hardware Rewards Program — we wish him well with getting to 1,998 total reward points. We also found that the Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium had Louis Ruscetta and Michelle Artolachipe in attendance. Definitely a great sign for our future in maintenance across the DOD!

As promised (or maybe threatened), here is an assessment of a mostly Dominator Yahoo! Fantasy Football League, led by Commissioner Francis Garrison “Trey” Hall III. There was lots of great action in the league as the various teams fought week in and week out. Louis Ruscetta led most of the regular season with his team, but playoffs were another story for him as he fell to eighth place. Karl Falk came in with a third place finish after the playoffs, while Chris Rosati took the championship with a huge beatdown on a team managed by some Divers guy. To round out the league, we had Josh Eaton, Antony DaCosta, Greg Meis, Phil Vallie and Tate Hagland It was an epic time! Thankfully all survived, and all donations went to a great cause (please don’t ask for documentation or start an audit).

A bit shorter on the news and a lot more cyberstalking than normal, but I hope you all keep on doing those great things that you all do! Remember to reach out to fellow classmates through your travels, and let me know with some photo evidence so we can see all your great-looking faces and give out a bit of Huah! Until next time, Dominators!

Kevin Divers, 615-681-2539; kevindivers@ gmail.com

1999 Hey, Shiners! It was great to see you all at the reunion in the fall. Let’s all pass along a special thank you to everyone who helped with the planning committee, starting with James Busch, Paul Ferguson and Naviere (Hall) Walkewicz Paul Ferguson organized the commemorative bourbon and Frank Layo sponsored the commemorative cigars. Even Bobby Farina got into the event planning business with “the best” happy hour of the event at the football stadium just before our classmates were inducted into the USAFA Hall of Fame. Congrats to all for a wonderful event ... see you all in five years!

From left: Jamie Rhone, Steve Pipes and Frank Stain-Pyne, home for the holidays in Colorado

Joseph Markusfeld taking in a Falcons hockey game with The Bird at Clune Arena

From left: Michelle Artolachipe and Louis Ruscetta at the Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium held in Salt Lake City, Utah

Members 82% Sabre Society Donors 17 Polaris Society Members 1

Even the Preppies showed up!

Speaking of football, the Philadelphia Eagles just beat the Washington Commanders, which means Jemal Singleton will be coaching in the Super Bowl!

Thanks!

Bobby

Bobby Wolfe, 984-664-1999; robert.wolfe. usafa@gmail.com

2000

Short news this time around, as I only heard from one classmate! Paul Schwennesen notes that at the end of 2024, he established a global consulting firm, Global Strategy Decisions Group, that specializes in brokering information flow between Ukraine frontlines and our DoD, and hence the stop at Army Command and General Staff College.

Paul notes to call him if you want to join as a consulting subject matter expert, or if you need an expert on Ukraine and Russian tactics. Meanwhile, his and Sarah (McGuane) Schwennesen’s daughter, Katherine, recently was accepted to West Point Class of 2029, but she’s holding out for Yale, so there’s still hope, Paul notes!

I’m writing this in January, and in February I should have chaired the Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium for the last time. I’ll still oversee other aspects in the future. Lauren (Maher) Courchaine was a scheduled speaker and several classmates were signed up as attendees. I hope we got together for a nice, class picture.

As noted, short this time, so please shoot me your update now because later never comes. Thanks!

Two Grand United We Stand, Jason “Cueball” Simmons

Jason "JW" Simmons, 5756 Range Rider Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80923; usafa2000@ outlook.com

2001 Hello

’01ers,

Here are the updates I have gotten and a little download from our Facebook page.

This past October, Jackie (De Grood) Space and Tara Copas participated in the 2024 Rebelle Rally. The Rebelle Rally is an all-female offroad navigation rally held annually in the United States. It spans over 2,000 kilometers across varied terrain. Participants rely solely on map and compass navigation without the use of GPS or electronic devices. Based on a conversation with the Rebelle organizers, Jackie and Tara are the first grads of any service academy to participate ... and were former roommates at the Prep School and both ’01 grads! Jackie even ended up earning rookie of the year for her class! Way to go, ladies. Way to represent!!

Melanie (Bates) Presuto sent an update on her and her husband, Dax ’99. They retired out of London in August 2023 and tried the Italian lifestyle for retirement. Ultimately, they decided it was a better place to visit than to live and decided to prioritize nature, peace and hobbies and bought a homestead in north Idaho on Priest Lake. They are moving there in early 2025. They are excited to reconnect with classmates living in the Pacific Northwest and coming back to Colorado for Air Force games!

Lauren Palagi retired from the A3 at the Pentagon on Nov. 1, 2023. Angela Ochoa was her retirement officer. In an amazing circle of life moment, Angela and Lauren were in the same pilot training class at Laughlin in Del Rio, Texas, way back in the day!

Other updates from our Facebook page: JD Foy got to watch TJ Huxel give up command of the 514 AMOS in December

Tony Mariapain continues to run into people in his travels with the latest meet-up being with Dan Daehler at SFO

Rich Ganske and Mark Lennon had a random run-in on Waikiki Beach in November; Rich also ran into Garrett Fischer and Paul Davidson at PACAF on that same trip

There have been a lot of fun photos of random ’01 meet-ups in airports, conferences, training events and football games. Check out our Class of 2001 Facebook page to keep up with them all!

We hope this finds everyone well and remember to send me updates on what you are up to!

Thanks!

Faith.

(Hitchcock) Dunn, faithd03@hotmail. com; FB: USAFA Class of

Society Donors

Society

Paul Schwennesen

Members 76% Sabre Society Donors 25 Polaris Society Members 1

Tara Copas and Jackie (De Grood) Space at the 2024 Rebelle Rally

’01ers at Lauren Palagi’s retirement ceremony included Angela (Feldman) Ochoa, Brian Delvaux, Steph Soltis, Lauren Palagi, DJ Palagi and Lee Sandusky

Tony Mariapain and Dan Daehler fired up at SFO!

CLASS NEWS

2002

Class of 2002! I hope everyone is having an epic Spring Break, enjoying the beautiful weather and getting a chance to spend some time outdoors with friends and family creating memories. I know everyone is extremely busy this time of year, so I didn’t get many updates to submit for this article — this is probably the shortest recap I have ever written. Please continue to update me with pictures and job or family updates whenever you want to share good news. The AOG created a mobile app that you can download to your phone if you want to keep in touch with USAFA happenings.

Alan Van’t Land and Michelle Poeckes with Lance Sijan’s sister at the documentary release party, which told the life story of our class exemplar

Class Sightings: John Kopecky, Michelle Poeckes, Alan Van’t Land and Katie (Boxmeyer) Franzmeyer met up in Colorado Springs in November to watch a documentary about our class exemplar, Captain Lance P. Sijan. Sijan’s sister attended the event and shared stories of her brother’s life.

Luke Sauter, Miranda (Baldwin) Lashinski and Meredith Beavers celebrating Matt Horner’s investiture as the permanent professor in the Center for Character and Leadership Development

Mini Reunions: A few 2002 classmates met up at the Academy for Col. Matt Horner’s investiture as the permanent professor for character and leadership development. Our classmates are making an impact — 2002 grads now comprise about 10% of the permanent professors at USAFA, which now include Luke Sauter and Matt mentoring the next generation of Air Force leaders. Meredith Beavers and Miranda (Baldwin) Lashinski were also in attendance at the event. Meredith currently serves

as the commander of Cadet Group Two, and Miranda is the director of business operations in the Air Force Academy contracting department. Check in with Checkpoints: As always, please continue to update me with your latest job moves and family updates anytime something cool happens! Keep taking photos and posting them to Facebook, or email me anytime so I can keep our classmates updated on what’s new! We now have a Facebook page and a class page on LinkedIn, so come join the party!

Eric Ballew, 850.543.9936; ericballew86@ yahoo.com; FB: USAFA Class of 2002

2003

Hey, Bongers, I hope 2025 is off to a great start! Updates continue to roll in — thank you!

Justin Chandler shares: I retired on the beach in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on June 15, 2024. I was retired by Col. (Ret.) Lee Rosen ’88 and in attendance were David Kluttz, Gabe Arrington, Matt Carducci, Rok Dedic ’04 and Steve Azab ’10. I am now working for Lee at ThinkOrbital as the vice president of government relations and strategic partnerships.

Jesse Stubbs also checked in from the Acropolis. Sweet pic, Jesse! He shares that he’s put down roots in New Jersey and started a new position as the Global Vision 6000 captain for Executive Jet Management, with heavy international flying.

Please keep the updates coming and send to our class Gmail account (usafa2003@gmail.com). Thanks again and take care, Susan

In honor of its 20th reunion, the class is supporting an endowment for the Cadet Summer Research Program. The class has raised 22% toward its goal. Let’s finish this project Strong and Mighty with maximum participation. Please consider a gift as part of your end-of-year giving plans. usafa.org/2003-20th

Susan (Doyle) Maly, usafa2003@gmail.com; FB: Usafa Zerothree; LinkedIn: USAFA 03

2004

Thank you, Breezy, for your support carrying the torch and our class. I am excited to take over serving as our class president. With Jeff as our steadfast vice president, we’ll focus on continued service and classmates transitioning to the private sector. To do so, we will expand class leadership to serve as conduits and connectors on a larger scale.

Members 77% Sabre Society Donors 6 Polaris Society Members 0

Col. (Ret.) Lee Rosen ’88 and Justin Chandler at his retirement ceremony

Justin Chandler, family and friends celebrating his retirement on Hilton Head Island

Jesse Stubbs in Greece

Like many shared with me, I cannot express how exhilarating it was to see all of you in Colorado. I wanted to summarize my email and reiterate my focus on serving our class. Aiming for impact, I will support our class to convene, collaborate and contribute.

Convene:

With 1,000 friends and families in attendance, we celebrated friendships and honored those we lost. I wanted to say thank you again to Jaina, Jeff, Mulligan, Jon and Breezy for your efforts. For me, I left recharged and rejuvenated and motivated to serve our Academy in a larger capacity.

Collaborate:

By the request of many, we will consolidate initiatives and communicate initially on Facebook  (Jaina/Jeff) and via quarterly emails. For now, email Checkpoints updates to dyangibbens@me.com. We’ll likely start with Google Forms.

Contribute:

Let’s support our classmates and our Academy’s future. Hearing feedback on giving, we’ll focus on tax-deductible donations for intentional impact. Since presenting our 2019-25 check with Jon, Alex, Jeff and Jaina, we further increased our cumulative tax-deductible donations. We’ll share quarterly updates on giving and how ’04 can make an intentional impact. As able, let’s contribute time and effort to each other and our Academy.

Retirements, sightings and children:

Nikki Polidor, recently retired, served as a SkillBridge fellow at Northrop Grumman, where she took a leadership role in strategy and growth as a senior manager. In Washington, D.C., with Nikki, Mike is starting as a corporate fellow with SEMPRE. Congrats, Polidors!

Wes Spurlock and Rok Dedic just retired and now work together at Metis Endeavor. Wes is a senior managing director and principal, and Rok serves as chief of staff, policy adviser and senior fellow. Dynamic duo!

Sarah (Pauza) Helms and husband, Nick Helms ’03, both retired and moved to their forever home. Congrats, Helmses!

Delavane and Joe welcomed their baby girl shortly after our reunion. We are excited for your new arrival and wish you the best.

Kristin Huitt and her husband both fly for FedEx in Memphis.

Alex Granados continues to grow Prescient AI and support the Air Force Academy Foundation.

Chris McCarney is a partner at KPMG in Chicago, with ’04 energetic boys!

Ala’a Abu-Soud, a regional executive at Northrop Grumman in the UAE, flew in for our reunion.

Laura (Frank) Easton could not attend our reunion due to school in Washington, D.C., where she still serves with her husband and three adorable gymnast daughters.

Jeff Gould serves as an ops group commander in Salt Lake City.

In December I saw Nick Crowley in New York at a DARPA-BENS tabletop exercise. Nick just welcomed their second child and leads industrials at Goldman Sachs.

Katie (Dildy) Goosen and Luke Goossen welcomed their second child, Alexander “Alex” Luke Goossen, in September. Another adorable bundle of joy!

In addition to newborns, we are also at that time when our children may attend our Academy. If so, please share those updates — I’d love to include them.

In Your Dreams…

Thank you to the many who shared your unique and, at times, bizarre cadet dreams before, during and after the reunion. Whether missing class for three weeks then having to take a final to graduate or returning to the Academy as a captain but having to go through all ’04 years again or another “where is my class” scenario, I laughed and cried.

After writing this update, I had a thermodynamics final dream and woke up with relief! In all, I’d like to

share those at the end of our updates, so please keep sharing. To me, it is cathartic, relatable and often hysterical to share (and perhaps important to shed) those memorable dreams.

Appreciatively, Dyan (Medina) Gibbens

In honor of its 20th reunion, the Class of 2004 is proud to establish an endowment to enhance programmatic support for the National Character and Leadership Symposium at the U.S. Air Force Academy. We aim to raise $250,000 to ensure cadets gain the skills and knowledge necessary to lead with integrity in an increasingly complex world.

Make your donation and take advantage of classmate matching gifts at usafa.org/2004-20th. Be sure to tap into your employer’s matching gift program as well! Contact Dyan Gibbens at 2004usafa@gmail.com with your questions.

Gibbens, dyangibbens@ me.com, 719-229-1171

2005

Class of 2005: We received an update from Jennifer-Ruth Green. JG was named Indiana’s inaugural secretary of public safety. She will serve on the governor’s cabinet and oversee law enforcement, emergency preparedness and public safety policy development.

Delavane Diaz, Brookes Delavane (named after her great-grandmother) and Joe Rohrer

From left: Stewart Thomason, Ala’a Abu-Soud, Matt Terry, Mike Pena, Chris McCarney, Mike Siefert, Alex Granados and Adam Larson

Luke Goossen and Katie (Dildy) Goossen with their children

She will be in a dual hat role as the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Congrats, JG!

Jennifer-Ruth Green

Our 20-year reunion planning is fully underway. You can get updates through the class Facebook page and on our new LinkedIn page (just search USAFA Class of 2005 Reunion if you are not a member yet). We have also started a class website for the reunion. You can find it at the following address: classof2005. usafagroups.org. If you are interested in being a part of the planning team, please send me a direct message on Facebook or email me at jgtamasitis@ gmail.com.

Take care, John Tamasitis

John Tamasitis, 803-360-2970; jgtamasitis@ gmail.com; FB: USAFA Class of 2005

2006Hello, 2006. I hope this message finds you well. My apologies to the fans who saw no update last quarter. My plate was full and I missed the deadline. I’m trying to make up for it now! Best news ever is that AWC is complete!

I’m starting with a shoutout to Denny Poland, who helped support an important cause. Hope you all saw the post on the Facebook page concerning donations for Robbie McMenomy’s daughters. We all know how life presents challenges, and school ain’t cheap. Another big classmate making news is Matthew Lohmeier, poised to become the Under for our Air Force. Way to go brother … you

got my vote! Great shoutout Laura Chighizola and Jacque Torson about Matthew. It’s not too often I hear from Justin Hauffe, so I am glad to share an update from him. “I just finished up with four years of working at [the] U.S. Embassy [in] Paraguay and am now in D.C. to study western hemisphere defense at the Inter-American Defense College. After over a decade of OCONUS tours between the two of us, my long-lost roommate CJ Deignan and I were finally able to get back together for a few beers in D.C.!” Well gents, I am here too, and see CJ. When is the next beer gathering?

Classmates enjoying a get-together

I saw a post of Ross Hobbs taking a plunge into the Pacific recently, what a stud, but he sent me this last time around to share with you all. “Currently doing a SDE Fellowship at RAND in Santa Monica, CA.” Taking a much-needed BONE break, I bet, passing that Sq CC torch too, right? Speaking of command, got this amazing update from Sarah Clapp. “My husband, Dave Gribbin ’07, and I got out of active duty a few years ago, moved back to my hometown of Blue Hill, ME, with our three children, Vera (9), Genevieve (7) and Roark (4) and joined the Maine ANG. Dave is the 132 ARS commander here and I just promoted to Col last month and became the deputy wing commander for the MAINEiacs.” Sarah, so great to hear from you, colonel!!!

I got an update from my favorite AC-130 pilot, Marc Catalano. Looks like he is out enjoying the world, and sent in a quick update. “I had a chance to go to Bangkok and meet up with Apiluk “Tiktok” Jobsucksry. We had a great time adventuring around together for a week.” Very cool, thanks for the invite, gents! Haha. I also received an update from a few classmates: Thanks, Anthony Stinton, for reaching out. “We got together for AF-Navy football in October. While we lost at football, the five of us won at tolerating hangovers in the hot sun.” This is what life and dreams are made of, Go Falcon brothers!

Looking good, gents.

Being stationed in D.C. has some benefits, as I walk The Building. 2006 represents … most trying to make that bird! Big shouts to classy classmates who already made it and/or are waiting for that pin-on date! You all know who you are. Special shout to Bryony Slaughter, a very impressive young lady! Joe Bisson, waiting for you out here. I know Kim Templar helped maintain an email thread with all of us, it’s impressive to see 30 to 40 names of folks doing amazing things in our Air Force and Space Force. Speaking of Space Force, I’d like to shout out one more person who had a silly connection with me back at USAFA. As life continues, it appears that my son, Anthony, has aspirations to follow in daddy’s footsteps and has thrown his name in the ring with the admissions team. As we await the results of selections, I want to send a huge shoutout to Robert “Lerner Airfield” Lerner for conducting the fitness assessment for my son. You all remember that dang basketball throw … geez! As I watched my young man pump out pull-ups, squeeze out crunches, and pound them push-ups, I want you all to know that Robert was a true friend who stepped up to help see my son’s application go final. My son and I had been working prep for several weeks, and Rob was the icing on the cake to help us cross home plate. Big, big thanks, brother!

Finally, I want to point out names from some updates on the AFA Checkpoints 2006 Facebook page. Have a look. Thanks for posting, Timothy Cox, Stacy Eskridge, Alison Freiman, Michael Lebovitz, Tiffany Johnson and David Bullock — I would have given you $0.06 for that garment bag! Ryan Baker, Robert Smalley should reach out to Matt [see above]. Rosa Krauss, Sean D. G. Camacho, Nicholas Skordas, Holly (Sammons) Chernushin, Julia Cramer is with FedEx too … The World On Time (circa 2000 movie “Cast Away”),

Col. Sarah Clapp with her family

Mark Gourley, Spencer Wartman, Brian Nagle, Anthony Stinton, and Bryan Flietstra at the Air Force vs. Navy football game

Patty (Rodriguez) Bowen, Robert Hutsell, Thea Alli, Bryan Kloepper retired, Ashley Housley still being modest, Amy (Gilliland) Justus, Kezziah (Lloret) Dale about Colleen (Smith) Hake and Alicia (Tompkins) Carey

That’s all from me this go … hope to hear from more of y'all next time. Let me know if you are in the D.C. area, maybe we can meet up if you are passing thru! As for me (ShawnSchuuuuulz), I will continue to support each of you any way I can.

Shawn “The Schulz” Schulz, 3603 Lakota Rd., Alexandria, VA 22303; 915-309-5612; usafacad@hotmail.com; FB: AFA Checkpoints 2006

2007

’007, I hope everyone had a joyous holiday season and New Year! I received a few updates, so I definitely owe some beverages to everyone who helped out by sending in some material. Mike “Mayhem” May sent in a great picture of our class’s space weapons officers gathering at Nellis AFB, Nevada, to celebrate WIC Class 24B’s graduation on Dec. 14, 2024. Mayhem, Scott “Noggin” Nakatani, Michelle “Sass” (Derringer) Hernandez and Shawn “Happy” Green are all representing ’007 well in the Space Force and at the Space WIC.

Mike “Mayhem” May, Scott “Noggin” Nakatani, Michelle “Sass” (Derringer) Hernandez and Shawn “Happy” Green

Andrew Mickles and Brian Eddy attended the Air Force vs. Army game this past November, with Brian still rocking the old A-jacket. Brian brought his son (and Andrew’s godson) Brian II, who is torturing his father and godfather with dreams of wanting to ... join the Navy one day, AAAAHHHHH!!!! The three

had a great time, even if Air Force didn’t pull off the upset. Maybe next year the team brings the CINC trophy home again. Go Air Force!

Lt. Col. Nate King is currently deployed with the New York Air National Guard to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE. Operation DEEP FREEZE is the logistical support that the military provides to the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. Nate flies the LC-130H to sites on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Siple Dome Camp, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and smaller stations across Antarctica. Also in Herk Nation, Lt. Col. Jason Walker recently finished his command tour of the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. After relinquishing command, Jason moved on to be the deputy commander of the 19th Operations Group, also at Little Rock AFB.

Lt. Col. Michelle (Kolcun) Williams and her husband, Lt. Col. Jeremy Williams, recently welcomed their first child, Nolan Don, in October in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

Personally, I also bumped into Ryan Wade at the Centurion Lounge in CLT and Mike Scott at TSA Pre-Check in BWI. Ryan and Mike are both squadron commanders: Ryan at Eglin AFB, Florida, and Mike at Ft. Meade, Maryland. I spend quite

of bit of time in airports, so if anyone sees me, I promise to give an appropriate T-zo greeting, and I expect to get flow controlled to my next gate. It was definitely great to see Ryan and Mike, who I haven’t seen since May 2007. Those guys definitely aged better than I have!

Cheers again and best wishes, Chris

Chris Donohoe, cdonohoe07@gmaill.com

There was no submission by the Class of 2008 this quarter. Please submit content to checkpoints2008@yahoo.com

Erin Loesch, 325-721-7141; checkpoints2008@ yahoo.com; FB: USAFA 2008 Checkpoints Updates

2009

Hello, fellow HUBsters! It’s Angélica (Plazas) Bergoo here. I hope you all have had a fabulous 2025 so far.

Thank you to everyone who sent updates via Facebook and email. If you would like to share updates for future editions, feel free to send me an email at angelicabergoo84@gmail.com or comment in the USAFA Class of 2009 Facebook group.

Here are some updates from our fellow ’09ers: Scott Balcao left the Air Force in 2018 after nine years as a 13S. He is currently working for Lockheed Martin as a technical trainer at ADF-C at Buckley SFB, Colorado. His role includes planning, developing and implementing technical product training programs for customers, employees and field support personnel. Scott is also an instructor for the

Members 82% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Mickles, Brian Eddy II and Brian Eddy Sr.

Lieutenant colonels Jeremy and Michelle (Kolcun) Williams, with son, Nolan Don.

CLASS NEWS

fundamental and advanced courses, teaching 201 personnel from across the community, including 19 executive-level personnel. He is a subject matter expert in space domain awareness, space control, space weather, applied orbital mechanics, orbital engagement maneuvers and response options. Outside of work, Scott enjoys running and mountaineering and has climbed 35 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado.

’09 Hot Pot Reunion in Seattle: Brian Dunn and Brian Nichols ’08 took their G-5 to Seattle for an off-station trainer and met up with Adam Bergoo and me. Congratulations, Ashley Nicole Alexander had her promotion ceremony on Feb. 28 at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. Eric Miller was promoted to O-5 in December — congratulations!

’09 Formation Time: Adam Bergoo and Justin Borgerding flew together in a C-17 exercise at McChord AFB in January. There were ’09 HUB C-17s flying in formation. Madison Gilbert recently returned from her deployment. Mitch Fossum assumed command of the 336th F-15E Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB in November.

Brian Dunn, Adam Bergoo, Angélica (Plazas) Bergoo and Brian Nichols

’09 Baby Time: Dave Simon and his wife, Laurel, welcomed their third child, Peregrine “Perry” Andrew Simon, in December. They also recently moved to Germany — congratulations!

Robert Gaiser started United Airlines training in early January. He is still in the reserves as a traditional reservist and hopes to catch up with his AD classmates as an O-5 in 2025. Daniel Montilla achieved a lifelong goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:04:38. Emily (Schaffer) Allen and Casey Allen: If you’re in northern Colorado, check out the new Ultimate Ninjas

Academy Loveland. Emily and Casey will be opening their new business this spring. Congratulations and best of luck on this exciting adventure! ’09, OUR Time!

HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Angélica (Plazas) Bergoo, angelicabergoo84@gmail.com; FB: USAFA Class of 2009

2010

Hello, Class of Luke! I am sure with the excitement of the holidays and life changes, everyone forgot to email their class scribe this quarter so I could report on those life changes. Don’t hesitate to send a quick email/text/message anytime. We all love flipping to the back of Checkpoints and seeing what everyone else is up to!

I did get a lovely update from Cristina (Richter) Kellenbence. She and Nick ’08 are stationed at Cannon AFB in New Mexico.

He took command of the 33rd Special Operations Squadron, while she pinned on lieutenant colonel and was selected to be the operations officer of the 3rd Special Operations Squadron in May!

Becky Gleason flies for Atlas Air and is moving to Milwaukee after she wraps up her 747 type rating. She and her husband, Michael Gaspar, did a swim trek in Mexico and swam 30 kilometers in the Sea of Cortez over the course of a week.

I also heard we have some “Majors 4 Life” out there and want to congratulate Doug Zschoche on finally starting ACSC and Tyler Russon on being 2010/04 days from retirement.

As always, I hope you all are well and look forward to hearing from more of you soon. Erin.

Erin (Keane) Killion, 2010checkpoints@ gmail.com

Scott Balcao in Colorado

Members 64% Sabre Society Donors

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The Kellenbence family at Nick’s change of command

The Kellenbence family at Cristina’s promotion

Becky in Mexico

Members

Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

2011

Happy New Year, OLDS!

Another year passed and more movements for some classmates, who both invite you to visit!

Brandon Hough welcomed his second child, Lark, in March 2024. His wife, Dr. Ashley Hough, was selected for the USAF’s Engineering and Science Exchange Program and was sent to Salisbury, England! Brandon left his job to be a full-time father for a few years while Ashley works for the Ministry of Defense. Brandon and Ashley have a guest room and would love to host visitors who would like to see Stonehenge (15-minute drive), the Salisbury Cathedral or England in general. Brandon is also still running and recently set a personal best at the 50th Berlin Marathon in 2:32:06!

The Hough family: Brandon, Ashley, Hunter and Lark

On a side note, I went to Stonehenge in 2023 with my husband, Tyler, on a VERY belated honeymoon after 12 years of marriage. It is in fact NOT just a big pile of rocks as I pessimistically assumed — probably the highlight of our U.K. trip! Definitely recommend seeing it!

The Watsons at Stonehenge in 2023

Tom Buenger left Seattle and settled back into Ventura County in Southern California, and welcomes you to visit their beautiful area! Tom is now at Raytheon in Goleta managing operations and supply chain within the EWS portfolio and has a couple albums out on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon (or wherever you get your streaming music) with more music in the works! Life is bliss with his wife, Antoinette, and baby Everly who just turned one recently.

Buenger family: Tom, Everly and Antoinette are back in California!

As always, please send your life updates to USAFA2011updates@gmail.com.

Jocelyn (Cravens) Watson

Jocelyn (Cravens) Watson, 513-320-6234; usafa2011updates@gmail.com

2012

Greetings, Class of 2012 (HAP)! First and most importantly, keep crushing it! It is extraordinarily empowering to see the spectrum of skills and talents from our class living their dreams — living THE dream, as some may say. Keep it up, I salute you.

Wielding wife, knives, cat and kid, Travis Seaver has one of the best updates I can recall. Not necessarily for the content, but he gets an egregious amount of bonus points for presentation. I’d be remiss to edit the sentiments too much: Travis and his wife, Natalie, welcomed their first baby girl, Sawyer, in November 2024. She is happy and healthy, weighs as much as a sack of taters, and farts like a pack mule. Obviously, she takes after Travis. They also added a kitty to their family unit; Travis named him Roadkill. Natalie didn’t much appreciate that, and now Roadkill’s alias is Tumble. The namesake is rich in highway history, predating the Eisenhower administration, as he fell out of a truck in front of the family while going 60 (probably) down the interstate. Finally, Travis also found the time to chase his passion in the knife forging industry and launched T-Code Hand-Forged Knives. Snag some swag and switchblades at @tcodemfg on Instagram.

Travis, Natalie and baby Sawyer standing outside to avoid any collateral damage from Sawyer’s farts

Brian Higgins has much to be thankful for. He was the first to celebrate the massive win for the Academy faithful — one of our own is the newest Chick-fil-A operator at the North Carefree location. Katie (Morgan) Higgins was recently selected to take over the critical location. Seizing the initiative, she opened her arms to the Long Blue Line. I know we won’t let her down. Congratulations, Katie and Brian, on the opportunity to bring so many memories and deliciousness back to the Springs. Ryan Roulette continues to tear up tarmacs and racetracks in the ARCA Menards Series. You can learn more about how to help fuel his passion through his official Facebook page and associated racing news sources. Seeing Gamble’s passion turn into a sweet side gig has been so much fun. He is Superman in uniform, in a racing suit and wearing his favorite hats, “Dad” and “husband.” Good luck! We are proud to present another of Alex Wright’s extreme accomplishments. Over the summer, Alex took some time away from his civil engineering duties at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, to casually climb Denali in Alaska. The 20,310-foot peak marks his second of the continental high points! Next up, after some needed leave accrual, he plans to conquer Aconcagua in the Andes.

The

Alex, right, slippin’ surlies in his extreme-everything way while standing atop Denali, the highest point in North America

CLASS NEWS

Rob Drye and his wife, Madison, had an epic holiday adventure, traveling to Antarctica. Since completing Advanced Studies of Air Mobility last summer, Rob has continued to fuel his big brains and biceps at the School of Advanced Military Studies, an Army-hosted advanced study group at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. We hope they will soon be heading back to JBMDL for the CRW. We wish Rob and Madison the best of luck.

Finally, we strongly encourage all grads passing through Fredericksburg, Texas, to stop by Morale Patch Wine Co. Proudly owned by Josh White, he brings the same energy, enthusiasm and wingman attitude that made him a fantastic drinking partner at Haps. Though his palate may be more refined, he shares the culture and camaraderie collected over decades of service with society. Take a detour and see Josh. He’d love to see you.

As always, keep in touch. I encourage everyone to join the Facebook group. If you don’t have Facebook, email me, and I’ll send you screenshots of all the juicy memes.

Haps ’til Taps, LeRoi

LeRoi Edwards, leroi.edwards@gmail.com; FB: USAFA Class of 2012

Hope you all are having a great winter and enjoyed the holiday season! It’s been a bit of a chaotic start to 2025 for all of us here, but we hope you are enjoying the time and getting used to writing a five at the end of the year instead of a four.

Ian Pryce was recently hired by UPS to fly 747s out of Anchorage, Alaska! He’s starting training in the middle of February and will begin flying the line in early summer. So if any of

your packages are late this year, y’all know who to blame now. Congrats, Ian! Good luck with training!

Ian Pryce, center, starts flying for UPS this spring.

In other news, Addie (Frankovic) Gallinatti had her first baby, Archie, in January. He’s a super happy, healthy little boy and recently enjoyed his first outing with his parents to the zoo! Congratulations to the Gallinattis!

Addie, Joe and Archie at the zoo

Hope to hear from the rest of you soon — we love catching up and hearing how everyone is doing and where you’re at as we come up on LeMay -1 year since graduation. Keep in touch!

Karen and Dymo

In honor of its 10th reunion, the Best to be Seen Class of 2013 is supporting cadets and the whole airman concept through the Peak Performance Center.

The class encourages maximum participation to wrap up this worthy cause.

Support your class project at usafa.org/2013-10th.

Karen Johnson and Dymond James, usafa2013news@gmail.com

Hey there, Class of 2014! I have some awesome updates from a few members of our class.

Brandon Maxson was selected as the newest Air Force Thunderbird for the 2025-27 show seasons. Brandon will serve as the Thunderbirds’ advanced pilot and narrator (Thunderbird #8) for the 2025 season, then transition into one of the demonstration pilot slots for the 2026-27 show seasons. Prior to his selection, he was the director of staff for the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona. Congratulations, Brandon! Way to represent the Class of 2014!

Maxson’s

David and Lisa (Halbach) McCarthy are currently stationed at Joint Base Langley-Fort Eustis, where they have been since 2019. Their first half a decade was spent living apart as David traveled through grad school (Boston), pilot training (Mississippi) and the F-22 B-course (Florida), with a slight detour for a hurricane evacuation in 2018. Lisa spent her time at Little Rock AFB as a logistics readiness officer, rotating around the squadron and wing, and taking a fun six-month vacation to Jordan. They were finally joined in 2019 in southern Virginia, where David flew for the 27th Fighter Squadron until 2023 and moved over to the 71st Fighter Squadron as an instructor and now evaluator, to help bring the formal training unit up from Florida. In that time, Lisa made her way around

Rob and Madison flexing some AFA swag in Antarctica

Sabre

Brandon

official Air Force Thunderbird selection picture

the peninsula working a logistics career-broadening opportunity at Defense Logistics Agency Aviation in Richmond, then as director of operations at the 441st Vehicle Support Chain Operations Squadron in 2021 post-COVID, followed by a year on the Air Combat Command A4R staff. She recently landed a sweet gig down the street working on homeland defense and Defense Security Cooperation Agency efforts with Joint Task Force Civil Support.

In 2020, they were blessed in welcoming home their first baby, Madeline Rose, followed by her brother, Samuel Mark, in 2023. They also recently added a yellow lab named Buddy and a beta fish named Rainbow Sprinkle to the mix this year. They continue to navigate the joint-spouse dynamics but are so grateful to have been close to home these past five years, living just a few hours from family, while enjoying their occasional trips back to USAFA to visit more family and friends.

Keep up the incredible work, McCarthy family!

Erin Grindstaff, erinrost1317@gmail.com

Bros,

Apologies for missing the last edition of Checkpoints — I will try to be better! This time around, I am excited to share the good news that Matt Spretnjak has tied the knot! In October, Matt married Savannah (Rosenberg) Spretnjak with plenty of fellow Bros in attendance. Mitch Dobson, Jake Hoekstra and Kip DiEugenio had the honor of being Matt’s groomsmen.

Savannah is a flight nurse in the 60th AES and a graduate of Texas Women’s University in Dallas. Congratulations, you two!

While I have you all here, I’d like to take a minute to let you know that Cameron Potts and I are teaming up with the AOG as our class’s Gift Committee representatives. Information will come out in a more official manner, but I will use this forum to help get the word out that we have set a goal of raising $40,000 to give directly back to the Cadet Wing. We hope to meet our goal by reunion weekend, so we can commit $1,000 directly to each Cadet Squadron to be used as they see fit to better cadets’ lives and morale. The funds can be used to improve their squadron’s tailgate experience, upgrade the squadron activity room or for any other squadron need. I hope you’ll consider joining us in this opportunity to directly give back to the Long Blue Line.

Lastly, please reach out to me if you or anyone you know has anything at all you’d like to share for the next edition. I would LOVE to hear from you, whether it’s with big updates or you just feel like catching up. Shoot me an email at Mullins. Timothy.J@gmail.com or shoot me a text at 404-281-9284. I hope to hear from you!

TJ

Welcome to 2025! I hope the new year has brought great things to all you Kleptos! We have some really incredible updates, so let’s get to them!

We have an Ironman in our class: Brooke (Wheeler) Cecil! On Nov. 2, she completed the Florida IM in 11:04. She placed ninth in her age group and is currently ranked 57th in the U.S. in her age group. What an incredible accomplishment! Brooke and Chris Cecil are currently at Little Rock AFB, where Chris is a C-130 pilot and Brooke homeschools their four girls and is a reservist on weekends.

David and Lisa McCarthy and their two beautiful children

Thanks to Matt for sharing this picture of our class president, Andrew Dane, showing off his skills on the dance floor.

Dancing skills

Brooke (Wheeler) Cecil finishing the Florida Ironman Race

Matt Spretnjak married Savannah (Rosenberg) Spretnjak, with several Bros in attendance.

CLASS NEWS

Maggie (Sherrill) Nicklas and her husband, Tom Nicklas ’15 recently graduated in the 24A Weapons Instructor Course class. Both Maggie and Tom are F-16 pilots, and they are headed to Aviano AB, Italy. Maggie will be the tier 1 at the 555th and Tom will be the tier 1 at the 510th. Great work to both Maggie and Tom!

Although John Stark and Ellie Banahan got married a few years ago, they had their ceremony on Nov. 3 at the Birdsong Chapel in Rosewood, North Carolina. John was stationed at RAF Lakenheath flying the F-15E when he met Ellie. Now they are back in America instructing at the FTU at Seymour Johnson AFB for the F-15E. Congratulations to John and Ellie!

Grayson Gist earned his MBA at the University of Central Missouri, earning a 4.0 and scoring in the 88th percentile on the national MBA exit exam. Grayson and his wife, Danielle, are currently at Whiteman AFB. Grayson is in B-2 instructor school. However, he spends the majority of his free time flipping houses with Danielle and spending all the time he can with his daughter, Florence. Great work, Grayson!

Tyler Hudson recently won the Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year award and traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive it. In August 2023, Tyler and his crew were sitting alert in the Horn of Africa. He was notified of a large casualty of partner force soldiers that had been struck by a vehicleborne improvised explosive device. The package that went to the rescue consisted of three HH-60Ws, one HC-130 and six pararescuemen. Tyler was the formation flight lead for the mission, which was also the first use of a three-ship HH-60W in combat. They launched within 20 minutes of notification and began the 1.5 hour transit. Despite having no radio communication with the injured forces and a dislocated ground force commander, Tyler and his formation located the injured team and established armed overhead security. They landed in reduced visibility and exfiltrated all 12 patients within 11 minutes of the formation’s initial visual contact of the team. Tyler and his team refueled with the HC-130 with patients onboard. While onboard,

the PJs conducted a tracheotomy and thoracotomy on a critical patient. They delivered the patients to follow-on lifesaving care, resulting in all 12 lives saved. Including Tyler there were six USAFA grads in the package. The bravery and professionalism shown by Tyler and all of his teammates were incredible and more than worthy of this award! Congratulations! Tyler and his wife, Melanie, are currently stationed at Moody AFB. They have two sweet daughters, Everly and Rylee, who love dance. We have loved being stationed with the Hudsons across two duty assignments, but our paths are diverging as they are set to PCS this summer to San Diego for an exchange program with the Marines.

Tyler Hudson and crew member Justin Frawley posing with the mighty HH-60W in the Horn of Africa (I am assured there was a shaving waiver due to the poor water quality).

Devin Bell has been impressively busy these past couple of months. On Nov. 4 he married Jaqueline Baro Diaz in Austin, Texas. He is scheduled to graduate from Keesler AFB General Surety residency program in May 2025 and matched into the University of California San Diego Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program. Congratulations, Devin and Jaqueline!

Chloe (Hurst) Burress recently earned her MBA from UNC. Chloe, Josh Burress ’15 and their daughter, Sutton, have moved to Las Vegas following Josh’s selection as Thunderbird #2. Now that’s what I call a power couple!

My personal editor of these updates (Drew Rosenthal) is fearlessly leading his deployment as the home station flight commander, deployed DO and formation flight lead in the mighty HH-60W. What a man, y’all! I’m a lucky woman to be married to the 41st RQS CGO of the year. I could continue bragging on my stud of a husband, but I’ll save that for another time. The kids and I are looking forward to welcoming him home in the spring. Continue to make us proud Drew-bear! (He usually takes all this out.)

Although my writing may be a bit more clunky than you’re used to, I hope you enjoyed reading the update for this quarter. As always, it’s a pleasure to get to chat with each of you, and I look forward to talking to more of you next time! Don’t forget to send me those updates! Members

Charli (Kemp) Rosenthal, rosenthal.charli@ gmail.com

2017

Xin

chào, class, and greetings from an undisclosed location in Ukraine! It’s me again, and here’s what the best class in YOUR United States Air Force Academy’s history has been up to!

James “Goody” Goljan and his very-longtime-girlfriend-not-yetfiancé have moved back to Boston to continue his Air Force career doing acquisitions/ engineering 42F things. He also wanted everyone to know he has a security clearance and is working hard to make sure we can sleep soundly at night!

Lots of love making has been happening. Joshua Greere got married. Marcus “Nails” Ward FINALLY got married to his sweetheart girlfriend. They are loving the Alaska Bush. Patrick King got married. As pilots do, we rode in style to his wedding on a plane. Pilots love to let people know they are pilots! Anthony Mountain, to much of our surprise, has found a lovely WOMAN to take him up on his offer of marginal love and a small personality! They had a beautiful wedding in the snow-capped mountains. He is also loving being out of the CAF (combat Air Force) and teaching the next generation in T-38s how to scare the Chinese J-20s away. We are all proud of your sacrifice, Anthony! Kyle Post also got married to one of his enlisted troops! Harrumph to that!

Maggie and Tom at WIC graduation

Sabre Society Donors

Anthony Mountain and his beautiful bride, Julia, celebrating their nuptials in Idaho.

Zach Campbell left the Air Force, deciding controlling the RPAs was not enough and is now working at Northrop Grumman in Salt Lake City to better improve the warfighting machine! With Elon Musk in charge, I’m sure he will be busy the next four years!

Joey “GodBody” Teeds and Kenton McGuire are killing it in maintaining the cadet physique. Joey just crushed an Ironman at the Leadville 100. He finished 17th (Buuuddddd Daaaaayyyyyy) and wants to brag about it as all iron men do. Also, he’s getting married to his girlfriend, Bailey. Kenton has an entire facility dedicated to athletic recovery in Chandler, Arizona, called Rise Modern Wellness. It looks awesome; however, I know cryotherapy is expensive. Mention this column and he’s willing to provide a free consolation. Respect all to that!

Attention in the facility. We have frat! Rio (Sarmiento) Roberts and Jarod Roberts have tied the knot in a luxurious French ceremony. Also, Zach Johnson and Jocelle Rudico, after falling in the Seine river, have had their gorgeous baby! Austin and Rhea’s 30s pack is still TBD. Maybe next issue!

Terrance Willams and Naomi have gotten engaged. She, by the way, is killing it in the body building business. Next year’s Mrs. Olympia, for sure!

Tucker Axhoj wants everyone to know he is crazy and had his Christmas tree up mid-October. Very un-American! Cameron Dooley killed his first female deer. Congrats!

Howlett Cohick killed a wild pig in Texas as well. STS!

Calvin “FNG” Borewinkle is stationed at Kunsan AB ROK again. He wants everyone to know he is doing well. Korea is not “that bad”; however, care packages are welcome. Please message me for his P.O. Box, as he does not want the Chinese to know his exact location!

Calvin Boerwinkle is a Juvat once again! Push it up!

Amirah Majied was honored and made our class proud being named the John Lee Levitow award winner! The Levitow Award is named after the first enlisted recipient of the Medal of Honor for his

heroic acts during the Vietnam War. It’s the highest form of recognition bestowed to a graduate of Enlisted Professional Military Education. Eligibility for the award is reserved for those graduates who rank in the top 1% of their class. Way to go, Amirah! Maddie “Darty” Gloss is killing it as the cobra commander. Her and Chris “Luigi” Newman, a Viper driver, are thriving in Korea with me and want any of our classmates to know THEY have three open bedrooms in THEIR house for anyone visiting. Please message me, and I will put you in contact with them if you plan on visiting Korea! Kevin Kim also somehow lives out here and extends the same invite. If you can’t play spades at this point, just quit. Why does the eye machine fart in our eyes? If you eat your steak well done, you cause a 4.0 earthquake cutting that meat. And lastly, understanding and calculating a Hohmann’s transfer was vital in you becoming such a great person today! Stay frosty, class. Love y’all always — well, some of y’all. It’s always a pleasure! Follow me on the socials. If you don’t know, then ask! #RespectAllFearNone … except Nathan R. Bradka. I still fear that man!

v/r, Austin Anderson

Austin Anderson, austin.anderson13@ yahoo.com

Happy March, Zamps! I hope everyone’s 2025 is off to a good start. This edition of the Class News is coming to you live from Altus AFB, Oklahoma, where I am currently TDY upgrading to instructor pilot in the KC-46. Here is the latest news from our classmates all over the world:

Our fearless leader and forever class president, Ryan Connors, popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, Jenna, with an obvious yes as the answer. Ryan and Jenna met in San Antonio 4½ years ago, when he was there for instructor training for his assignment as a T-6 FAIP and Jenna worked as a nurse. They are now in North Carolina as of August 2023, where Ryan is an F-15E pilot stationed at Seymour Johnson.

Another engagement comes from Nick Oakley. Nick is an F-16 Viper driver and met his now fiancé, Tina, while on TDY with fellow ’18er Evan Howe to Hickam AFB in Hawaii in 2021. Evan had a friend from high school who happened to be living out there, so he introduced Nick to her one night and the rest is history. Their relationship has been primarily long distance, but in his words, “When

you meet someone that special, you make it work!” Nick is now at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, as an instructor for new Viper pilots. Shortly after his proposal, Nick and Tina headed to Vietnam, where her family is from, for a Tea Ceremony (see picture). This is a formal party where you offer tea to the family elders to ask for their blessing for marriage. So happy for Nick and Tina, both for their love and for his sunglasses empire as it expands to Vietnam.

Chloe Roze also traveled internationally recently — for her destination wedding! She and Alex Bakuta tied the knot in Cabo, Mexico, on the beach on Nov. 11, 2024. The couple is currently stationed at different bases (he’s at Ramstein in Germany, and she’s at Hanscom, Massachusetts), so they felt that Mexico was the coolest spot and a perfect middle ground for friends and family. And they had quite the international guestlist too, with people from nine countries and 12 states that all came together to celebrate with them! Chloe and Alex are projected to move together next summer, location TBD.

Moving on to the new babies born to our classmates: Ann Marie (Acevedo) and Matt Evans welcomed their first child, Sofia, in December. The couple is thrilled to start their family and has

Nick Oakley and Tina at the Tea Ceremony in Vietnam

Chloe Roze and husband Alex at their wedding

CLASS NEWS

already started the Academy application for Sofia for the class of 2047. Ann Marie and Matt are both stationed at Travis AFB, California, as of last summer, where Ann Marie flies the C-5 and Matt flies the C-17.

Some other first-time parents include Rob Wood, Ben Hook, Josh Radjenovich, Trey Van de Grift, and Jenna (Gustafson) and Colton Ervin all welcoming healthy and happy babies within the past few months.

That’s a wrap for this edition! Stay well, and let me know of any news to share in the next edition.

In service, Liza Matson is; num ad C. Catam inte, nerendium huistuscere.

Matson, Lkmatson18@gmail.com

Hello, Class of 2019, and happy spring! I’ve had a very busy winter with some moves and working over the holidays, so please forgive me for the very short-and-sweet update. First of all, congratulations to Joe Kloc on completing his aircraft commander upgrade. He will be joining Hayden Molitor at Laughlin as a T-6 instructor later this year.

Also, here’s a huge congratulations to Isaac Perez, who proposed to Grace Reinhardt during the holiday season!

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing and/or contacting a few people in the Tampa Bay area these past few months. Marcus Bennett and Brynn Skinner ’18 enjoyed a cruise over the holidays with several

friends, to include Rob Bullard and some other Academy graduates. Also in the Tampa area, Reid Blair has been working at MacDill before he heads to Europe this spring. He said it was a competitive job, and it took him three years of grit and grind to land this awesome job. Heck yeah, Reid! Like I said, this update is short and sweet. I will try to make the Facebook edition longer as I see more events pop up or hear from more people. In the meantime, I hope everyone had an incredible holiday season and a safe and healthy start to 2025! I know James Schwerner and I did as we watched Ric Flair do a three-minute-long plank at a local bar in Tampa on new year’s day. All the best! Mike.

Michael Grindle, 419-215-3067; mcgriddle96@ gmail.com

2020Folks, let me make something very clear here: I pray for peace in the Middle East just as much as the next guy. However, when major regional crises drive overseas deployments for a large number of our classmates, I must guiltily admit that it makes for a far easier collation of Checkpoints content.

On that note, this quarter’s issue begins with a note of congratulations to F-15E driver Sydney Rickert, who recently notched our class’s first aerial victory against an adversary UAV in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. Joining in, fellow Strike Eagle pilot Pat Moso would get his first kill the same night, and the two would achieve nine in total over the course of that single evening. Keep an eye on your drones around these two. No flying lawnmower is safe when they’re in the air.

Throughout the CENTCOM AOR, many more members of our class were found diligently at work. Being deployed myself, I ran into or heard from a total of thirteen ’20ers just in my handful of weeks in theater. Across a variety of career fields, our class was hard at work; a good number were flying jets, but plenty more were working as ALOs, doing intelligence things and Space Forcing. Across the AOR, we were taking care of business in many different ways. And it does drive pause as well; is it merely coincidence that the region’s recent stabilization has come after the first large-scale deployment of graduates from USAFA’s Class of 2020? Future historians will likely ask themselves this very question. Excellent work to all of you who have recently been deployed to the region.

In another reminder that time is flying by, we are fast approaching our five-year anniversary of graduating from the Academy. As crazy as that sounds, that also means that we’ll have folks beginning to take their talents to the private sector pretty soon after this issue is published. With that being said, if you (or one of your friends) were one of those folks who was always planning on the five-and-dive and then “totally making bank on Wall Street,” I want to hear about it. Write into Checkpoints and give me the rundown of what you’ll be up to as a free agent.

To close on an unapologetically positive note, let it be known that the “Prince of Pakistan” has returned! Yes, Rao Abdul Hannan himself is back in the U.S. to complete a master’s degree in data science at Carnegie Mellon University. The next time you find yourself in Pittsburgh, look him up. Welcome back to the USA, Hannan!

It was refreshing to actually have real news to share with you guys this quarter. As always, please pass along any personal or professional life updates that you’d like shared with the class to bobnews2020@ gmail.com. Until next time!

Curtis G. Smith, bobnews2020@gmail.com

Greetings 2021!! I am Angelica (Schumacher) McGillick, your new class scribe. Wow, I can’t believe it’s been almost four years now! Just a few updates for you all since I was late to take on this role before the deadline.

Members 58% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Liza

Hayden Molitor celebrating New Year’s Eve

Members 54% Sabre Society Donors

Polaris Society Members

Curtis Smith, Sam Wright (Ole Miss ROTC 2020), Ben Martin and Bobby Sood with Old Glory in the CENTCOM AOR

Giles McGillick ’19 and I welcomed a second baby girl into the world this past November.

Magdalene Rose McGillick was born in November, weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces.

Brianna Norris graduated as a WSO and is moving on to F-15s at Seymour Johnson. She also got engaged in December!

Congratulations to Brianna and Zane on their engagement!

We have several ’21ers who are currently deployed so be sure to reach out to your friends whose loved ones are overseas, it’s a tough time. I know you all are doing amazing things out there and would love to hear about it! Send me any updates, tips, or good news by April 15, for the next issue.

Angelica (Schumacher) McGillick, 423-313-4206; angelicaschumacher7@ gmail.com

A short update here for the Class of 2022. Isabella Horning helped to spearhead the Bring Us Women podcast, which focuses on telling the stories of influential women in the military. The podcast’s current focus is women from service academies who have made lasting impacts in the military and beyond. Isabella saved us from another text of pilot poetry.

Please send more updates to me!

Jacob Ellison, jacob.ellison623@gmail.com

There was no submission by the Class of 2023 this quarter. Please submit content to usafa23news@ gmail.com.

Eva Damon, usafa23news@gmail.com

2024

Happy 2025, everyone! What have you all been up to these days? The answer is basically two things, apparently: running or getting engaged … or both! There has been an uptick of running among us ’24ers now that we don’t have to train at altitude. Hannah Kim ran the Nashville Half Marathon last October. Allie Clark, Kate Hall and I ran the Dallas BMW Marathon,

and Dasha Macmillan and Carol Reinkensmeyer ran the Dallas BMW Half Marathon in December! Let me just say, Texas is definitely not flat. There have also been lots of engagements in the past few months. Elena Castenada and Matthew Hamilton got engaged in November. KaiLee Johnson and Zach Holder, Olivia Gilbert and Connor Cary, and Kate Hall and Mike Santiago got engaged in December. And last but not least, Allie Clark got engaged and married to Harold Fotso in December.

Congrats on all the races, engagements and marriages (in case others tied the knot but didn’t let me know!). I hope you are all off to an awesome start to 2025!

Holly Boudreau, hboudreau.usafa@gmail.com

Elizabeth

Members

Sabre Society Donors

'RING' IN THE NEW YEAR

The Class of 2026 browsed a selection of class rings in McDermott Library Jan. 7-8. Cadets placed orders for more than 500 rings on the first day, and many members from the Legacy Class of 1976 volunteered, sharing stories and tips while cadets looked over the keepsakes.

Class rings are created by Jostens, the same supplier of the NFL’s Super Bowl championship rings. Cadets will receive their rings during the spring’s Ring Dance. Cadets are given many design options, to include a variety of golds and genuine or synthetic stones. Each class ring features the official class-designed crest and elements from the inaugural Class of 1959’s crest. Rings also include the class number, class year, Polaris star and an eagle. (Photos by Ryan Hall)