The U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors held its second and final meeting of 2025 on Dec. 8. The board is charged with reviewing USAFA curriculum, military training, athletics and admissions.

Board Chairman U.S. Rep. August Pfluger ’00 led off the meeting saying the board remains focused on ensuring the Academy produces “disciplined, innovative and service-minded” officers for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Rep. Pfluger also honored Charlie Kirk, a board member assassinated in September, praising Kirk’s dedication to the Academy and message to cadets about American exceptionalism.

Academy leadership then updated the board on several priorities.

Brig. Gen. Pat Miller, commander, Air Force civil engineer center, said streamlined contracting and Air Force leadership involvement aim to move the Cadet Chapel’s completion date forward, though no specific date was provided. Water testing on a full exterior section was scheduled to begin before year’s end.

Board members also discussed the $90 million Hosmer Visitor Center, scheduled to open May 15, 2026. Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind ’91, USAFA superintendent, said the project remains on track despite federal funding gaps, with alumni and private donors helping complete the second floor as an event space.

Gen. Bauernfeind also told the BoV that, since the last BoV meeting, USAFA has established three task forces “to make sure we were compliant with secretary of war and POTUS guidance on retraining America's fighting force.”

Gen. Bauernfeind said areas reviewed included curriculum inside of the dean of faculty, overarching Academy curriculum and facilities.

“We have since added a fourth task force,” Gen. Bauernfeind said, adding that group’s charge is to review all surveys that occur at USAFA to ensure that they are compliant. “Our confidence is high that we are reviewing this appropriately and making the appropriate changes, but we also know that we are going to find new things we need to address.”

Col. Steve Hasstedt ’92, acting dean of the faculty, briefed the board on ongoing curriculum and faculty reviews. Core curriculum reforms — the first in 15 years — aim to strengthen warfighting preparation, integrate AI literacy and align programs with Pentagon directives, he said. Civilian faculty have decreased 5.5%, but Gen. Bauernfeind said all majors through the Class of 2027 remain intact, with cadet-to-faculty ratios better than national averages.

Gen. Bauernfeind acknowledged concerns over replacing departing civilian faculty, noting that developing Ph.D.-qualified military instructors is a long-term process requiring department-wide planning. Rep. Pfluger urged the Academy to present specific resource requests at the board’s next session, noting members’ congressional roles could help secure support.

A review of admissions showed a shift to fully merit-based selection following the removal of prior diversity considerations. Current admission offers sustain a 4,000-cadet wing, reduced from 4,400 due to 2018 sequestration cuts, Col. Hasstedt reported. Academy officials said facilities could support expansion, but restoring faculty and other manpower would be essential.

A cross-functional task force at USAFA completed a base-wide facilities review to ensure compliance with newly issued executive orders, according to Col. (Ret.) Jennifer Block ’92, the executive director of athletics who led the effort. Col. Block said the team — which included active-duty personnel, attorneys and representatives from every major unit — examined bulletin boards, common spaces, murals and office areas across the installation “to ensure strict compliance with all the executive orders,” she said.

The review produced only a short list of needed corrections because “all the commanders had done a really good job of getting out there,” she said. Additional items that raised questions were sent through legal channels for clarification. Block said that “within probably a week of the executive orders, USAFA was in compliance with the executive order.”

Additionally, the Pentagon’s personnel office has found the Academy in compliance with federal executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion following a multi-day review last summer. Brian Scarlett, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and Reserve affairs, led the assessment team and said the group conducted a detailed examination of admissions procedures, internal documents and cadet feedback during a visit in August.

Scarlett said the Academy has been quick to identify and correct minor compliance issues and has shown “proactive” oversight. He added that the updated admissions system appears to be merit-based and free of DEI-related factors that previous administrations had emphasized. The team spent about a day and a half reviewing admissions lists and processes and plans to return in the spring to observe committee deliberations firsthand.

Scarlett said Academy leaders are working to improve communication, especially as cadets increasingly seek explanations for policy decisions.

Scarlett said the Pentagon remains confident in the Academy’s direction but will continue monitoring admissions and campus climate during follow-up visits.

Col. Cory Cooper ’00, professor of mechanical engineering and the Academy’s liaison to the Higher Learning Commission, provided an update regarding the Academy’s ongoing institutional and program-level accreditation efforts.

Col. Cooper said USAFA has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since its founding and undergoes review on a 10-year cycle. The HLC evaluates colleges and universities on mission effectiveness, ethical conduct, teaching and learning quality, and sustainability.

The Academy is currently participating in the HLC’s Open Pathways process, reserved for what the accreditor considers mature institutions. The cycle includes a mid-term review and a quality-improvement initiative ahead of the next comprehensive evaluation in 2028.

In addition to institutional accreditation, several academic programs undergo discipline-specific reviews. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredits all engineering and computer science majors, for instance, while the American Chemical Society reviews the chemistry program on a six-year cycle. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredits the management major.

Cooper said accreditation is a statutory and mission requirement under Title 10 of the U.S. Code and ensures the Academy continues to deliver a high-quality Bachelor of Science program that prepares leaders for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

Dr. Paul Schwennesen ’00, a military affairs analyst, warned Academy leaders that the rapid evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine underscores an urgent need to rethink how the United States prepares future officers. Dr. Schwennesen said the conflict has “democratized violence” and exposed vulnerabilities in traditional, high-cost weapons systems.

Citing Ukraine’s deep-strike “Operation Spiderweb” and Russia’s heavy losses to inexpensive first-person-view drones, he compared the moment to a modern Pearl Harbor, saying it is not inconceivable that similar attacks could overwhelm U.S. assets. He urged the Academy to adopt a “wartime footing” and embrace faster, bottom-up innovation.

Dr. Schwennesen, who has made multiple trips to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, said multimillion-dollar platforms are being destroyed by drones costing a few hundred dollars. He called on the Air Force to revive its heritage of innovative thinkers, shorten procurement cycles and encourage cadets to experiment with emerging technology.

Dr. Schwennesen recommended expanding cadet involvement in drone competitions, operational travel, immersive training and partnerships with research organizations such as AFRL, DARPA, NATO and RAND. He urged the Academy to prepare officers capable of shaping doctrine, not just following it, in rapidly evolving conflict environments.

Tradition matters, he said, but preparing for future conflict requires “institutionalizing a renegade attitude” and learning quickly from the Eastern European battlefield.

Public comments addressed cadet discipline and academic appeals. The board committed to written responses and promised to review disciplinary systems in its next report.

Action items included updates on the Space Education Center, faculty copyright legislation, prevention strategies for harmful behaviors and infrastructure oversight. Recommendations to close or maintain items were approved by vote.

Board members also highlighted facility issues, including dorm maintenance and mold concerns, specifically in Sijan Hall.

Rep. Pfluger concluded the public session by stressing the board’s role in oversight and advocacy and announced the next in-person meeting in Washington, D.C., in February 2026. A private administrative session for board members and staff followed.

Up to six Board of Visitors members are appointed by the president of the United States, three appointed by the vice president of the United States, four appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one designated by the Senate Armed Services Committee and one designated by the House Armed Services Committee.

Established under Title 10 U.S. Code 9455, the Board of Visitors inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the Academy which the Board decides to consider. 

For more information about the USAFA Board of Visitors, including its charter and bylaws, click here to visit its webpage.