The U.S. Air Force Academy and the Association of Graduates proudly announce W. William “Bill” Boisture, Class of 1967; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Susan J. Helms, Class of 1980; and Gen. (Ret.) Tod D. Wolters, Class of 1982, as members of the newest Class of Distinguished Graduates. 

Mr. Boisture, Lt. Gen. Helms and Gen. Wolters will be honored during this summer’s Distinguished Graduate Dinner as part of USAFA’s Long Blue Line Weekend. 

The Distinguished Graduate distinction honors exceptional USAFA graduates who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation, the Academy and their communities throughout their lifetimes. Distinguished Graduates are nominated by fellow graduates, evaluated and recommended by a committee of graduates, approved by vote of the AOG board of directors and approved by the Air Force Academy superintendent. The DG distinction is among the highest honors a USAFA graduate can receive. 

Mr. Bill Boisture ’67 has demonstrated exceptional leadership in both military service and the aerospace industry for more than five decades. Boisture currently serves as a senior adviser and partner with AE Industrial Partners. A longtime trustee of the Falcon Foundation and former AOG board member, he has mentored countless cadets and candidates and remains a dedicated supporter of the Academy’s mission. 

As a cadet, he served as second-detail Basic Cadet Training squadron commander for D Squadron, which earned Honor Squadron distinction, and later commanded the 23rd Squadron. 

Graduating first in his pilot training class (UPT 69-01), Boisture flew 230 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom during the Vietnam War. An outstanding graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, he also attended the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School — known as Top Gun — and served in the Navy’s VX-4 Air Test Squadron. Promoted to major three years below the zone, he later served as aide to the commander of Tactical Air Command. His decorations include three Distinguished Flying Crosses and 13 Air Medals. 

Following active duty, Boisture built a 40-year career leading some of the aerospace industry’s most prominent organizations. As president and COO of Gulfstream Aerospace, he led a successful turnaround, public offering and eventual sale to General Dynamics. In 1997, he piloted the record-setting Gulfstream V nonstop flight from Tokyo to New York, earning the prestigious Collier Trophy for the team’s achievement in developing the world’s first ultra-long-range business jet. 

As president of NetJets, he stabilized operations, negotiated long-term labor agreements and positioned the company for sustained growth. Later, as chairman and CEO of Hawker Beechcraft during the post-2008 economic downturn, he led financial restructuring, preserved thousands of jobs and guided the company to merger with Textron Aviation.  

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Susan Helms ’80 has built a career defined by service in air, space and national security. Commissioned as part of USAFA’s first coeducational class, she served nearly 34 years in the U.S. Air Force. 

Today, Gen. Helms serves as chair of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and continues to advise national security and aerospace organizations. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, she remains a powerful role model for cadets pursuing careers in air and space. 

An accomplished flight test engineer and distinguished graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School, Gen. Helms flew in 30 types of U.S. and Canadian military aircraft and served as an F-15 and F-16 weapons separation engineer. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990, she became the first U.S. military woman in space in 1993 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. 

A veteran of five spaceflights, Gen. Helms logged 211 days in space and conducted a then-record spacewalk lasting 8 hours and 56 minutes during Expedition-2 aboard the International Space Station. Her service earned her the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. 

In her final Air Force assignments, Gen. Helms commanded the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral and later led 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) and the Joint Functional Component Command for Space under U.S. Strategic Command. She oversaw more than 20,000 personnel delivering missile warning, space superiority, satellite operations and launch capabilities worldwide.  

Gen. (Ret.) Tod Wolters ’82 concluded a 40-year Air Force career as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. 

In addition to the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and numerous other honors, Gen. Wolters has received the Air Force’s Hap Arnold Award for strategic leadership. In retirement, he continues to mentor senior military leaders, advise national security institutions and support the Academy. 

A three-year varsity football letterman at the Academy, Gen. Wolters went on to log more than 5,000 tactical flying hours, primarily in the F-15C and F-22. An outstanding graduate of every formal fighter training program he attended, he served as a Fighter Weapons School instructor and earned the Tactical Air Command’s Instructor Pilot of the Year recognition. 

Throughout his career, Gen. Wolters commanded at every level, leading forces in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He ultimately commanded 100,000 U.S. service members and more than 1 million NATO personnel, guiding allied forces through a pivotal period in European security and deterrence.