September 2026 Checkpoints
In this issue:
- The 23rd superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Lt. Gen. Paul “Max” Moga ’95, assumes command.
- Celebrate a lifetime of service with Checkpoints’ Distinguished Graduate Award, Leadership Achievement Award and Young Alumni Excellence Award honoree profiles.
- A quarter century has passed since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Read about the grads who have fought in the Global War on Terrorism and how their time at USAFA prepared them.
- Learn about the Institute for Future Conflict’s new economic warfare fellow.
- Take a deep dive into the results from the Association & Foundation’s recent all-graduate survey.
- Check out photo essays of the Class of 2030 and significant ribbon cuttings from around the Academy.
- The Academy is honoring legendary coach Fisher DeBerry with a bronze statue at Falcon Stadium and endowment in his name.
- Association & Foundation CEO Mark Hille ’97 writes about the commitment to service before self that binds all USAFA grads.
- AOG board chair Cathy Almand ’90 reflects on the USAFA people and events who recently impacted her and reinforced her pride in the institution.
- Learn about those who designed USAFA’s interiors — and so much more!
Newsroom and stories
Checkpoints: High Stakes
What does “failure isn’t an option” really mean? For Scott Kirby ’89, it means embracing calculated risk. For John Raduenz ’94, it means never losing sight of the people you support. For Christine Nicklas ’87, it means rigorous preparation because lives depend on it. Three U.S. Air Force Academy graduates. Three careers. Three perspectives shaped by service, leadership and accountability.
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Checkpoints: Still On Watch
U.S. Air Force Academy graduates who served on the front lines of the Global War on Terrorism reflect on the day that changed everything, the lessons learned, the sacrifices made and the challenges that remain.
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Checkpoints: The Financial Fight
As the inaugural Dick and Rosalie Bush Fellow of Economic Warfare, Motoyuki Yoshihara is helping U.S. Air Force Academy cadets understand how sanctions, tariffs, and other economic instruments can be used to advance national objectives. The Institute for Future Conflict course will prepare future officers to think strategically in an increasingly complex global environment.
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By Design: Other Experts
Duane Boyle, an honorary Association of Graduates member who served as U.S. Air Force Academy architect for decades until his December 2024 retirement, says the use of architectural industry leaders Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago and the New York industrial design firm Walter Dorwin Teague Associates were only two examples of how Air Force officials sought out the best subject matter experts at every step in the planning and designing of the Academy.
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Checkpoints: Exemplifying Excellence - The Distinguished Graduate Award
Each year, the United States Air Force Academy and the Association of Graduates together select and honor those whose achievements exemplify the enduring values of the Long Blue Line: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. The Distinguished Graduate Award, first presented in 2001, is the Academy’s highest alumni honor, recognizing graduates whose lifetime achievements and extraordinary service have brought distinction to the nation, their communities and the Academy.
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Checkpoints: Exemplifying Excellence - Young Alumni Excellence Award
Each year, the United States Air Force Academy and the Association of Graduates together select and honor those whose achievements exemplify the enduring values of the Long Blue Line: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. The Young Alumni Excellence Award recognizes graduates within 15 years of graduation whose professional accomplishments, innovation and commitment to service distinguish them as rising leaders in their fields and communities.
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Checkpoints: Exemplifying Excellence - Leadership Achievement Award
Each year, the United States Air Force Academy and the Association of Graduates together select and honor those whose achievements exemplify the enduring values of the Long Blue Line: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. Now in its third year, the Leadership Achievement Award celebrates graduates 16 to 39 years postgraduation who have reached significant milestones in their military, public service or civilian careers. These recipients embody exceptional leadership and demonstrate meaningful impact while remaining steadfast to the values learned at the Academy.
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Checkpoints: Change of Command
The U.S. Air Force Academy marked a historic transition of leadership Aug. 7 as Lt. Gen. Paul “Max” Moga ’95 assumed command as the institution’s 23rd superintendent and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Tony Bauernfeind ’91 concluded an Air Force career spanning 35 years.
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Checkpoints: Inside the New U.S. Air Force Academy Visitor Center
The new Hosmer Visitor Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy opened to the public on May 16, 2026. The Checkpoints team covered the center's ribbon-cutting ceremony and captured video of the first visitors to go through seven galleries before the public grand opening.
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Checkpoints: Built to Serve
How six USAFA graduates keep serving long after graduation, turning firsthand problems into businesses with purpose — from military scheduling and tactical tech to wellness programs and cadet fundraising.
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Checkpoints: In Service to Something Larger
Mark Michalek ’99 is a senior leader in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, currently serving as human capital director. In this capacity, Michalek leads enterprise policy and strategy for human resources, security, internal affairs, compliance and training across the Bureau’s 38,000-person global workforce.
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Checkpoints: A New Day
The years of preparation and months of intense activity led to one momentous day — June 28, 1976, when 157 female cadets took their place at the base of the battle ramp alongside their 1,436 male classmates as members of the U. S. Air Force Academy Class of 1980. What followed was the most unique and closely observed year since the Academy opened its doors at Denver’s Lowry Air Force Base in 1955 to greet the Class of 1959.
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