Checkpoints magazine is the Association of Graduates' signature communications piece. From its humble beginnings as a black and white news print in 1965 to the award-winning publication you are reading today, the magazine has evolved into a visual showcase of USAFA. Yet despite its evolutionary track across the decades, this publication still seeks the same objective that it did at the time of its inception: to tell the Academy and graduate stories.

Click here for information about our new annual memorial publication, launching in 2025.

June 2025

If you’re expecting a printed copy of Checkpoints, it’s on its way. In the meantime, check out these stories now.

The June edition includes:

• Spanning several days in March, the U.S. Air Force Academy transformed into an Indo-Pacific island teetering on the brink of conflict. The scenario — part of the spring Culminating Exercise — tested the entire Cadet Wing, from its physical fitness to its critical thinking skills… and beyond.
• Dr. Paul Kaminski ’64 has helped shape the future of U.S. defense through innovations in stealth technology and space-based radar. Now he’s investing in the next generation; his new endowment aims to equip cadets with cutting-edge skills in augmented intelligence to meet tomorrow’s battlefield challenges.
• Checkpoints checks in with Lisa Atherton ’96, president and CEO of Bell, and a member of Textron’s Corporate Leadership Team. Atherton talks about adapting through adversity, being present when duty calls and facing challenges head on.
• Super Bowl-winning coach Jemal Singleton ’99 shares his experiences growing up in a military family, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and how the Academy prepared him to lead on and off the fields of friendly strife.
• Thirty years ago, enlisted mentors embedded in cadet squadrons, transforming how future officers learn the true meaning of leadership.
• Four Air Force Academy grads are reshaping modern medicine with military precision. Discover how their service-honed skills are driving breakthroughs in everything from personalized health tech to synthetic immune therapies.
• Supporters of the U.S. Air Force Academy broke records, retained bragging rights and shattered goals on May 7, 2025, the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation coordinated annual day of giving, 1Day1USAFA.
• Celebrate graduation with the Class of 2025 — and more!

Access Current Issue of Checkpoints Online