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: Taking flight
U.S. Air Force Academy graduates are increasingly influencing the high-stakes world of taking companies public, bringing integrity and mission-driven leadership from Silicon Valley to Wall Street. Their backgrounds in high-pressure operations translate seamlessly into managing the complexity and risk of IPOs as founders, bankers and early-stage investors. Skills forged in the cockpit and on the Terrazzo now guide companies through one of capitalism’s most critical transitions.
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Checkpoints: Guardians at the gateway
Rockets launching over Vandenberg Space Force Base now serve as real-time inspiration and training for new guardians, reflecting the installation’s evolution from a Cold War missile site into a modern spaceport. U.S. Air Force Academy graduates are shaping this transformation as they prepare operators for a domain that has become contested and central to national defense.
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Checkpoints: Space is no longer a sanctuary
Russia and China are rapidly weaponizing space, forcing the U.S. Space Force to defend an increasingly dangerous warfighting domain. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, warns that attacks on satellites — vital to communications, navigation and modern life — could leave the nation blind and defenseless. Leading nearly 15,000 guardians, he urges a new mission focused on protecting the fragile space infrastructure that underpins everyday technology.
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Checkpoints: Mr. Jerome "Jerry" Bruni ’70, Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient
The U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation celebrates this year’s Distinguished Graduate Award winners who were recognized in late July during Long Blue Line Weekend.
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Checkpoints: Gen. (Ret.) William J. “Bill” Begert ’68, Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient
The U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation celebrates this year’s Distinguished Graduate Award winners who were recognized in late July during Long Blue Line Weekend.
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Checkpoints: Leadership Achievement Award Recipients
The U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation celebrates this year’s Leadership Achievement Award winners who were recognized in late July during Long Blue Line Weekend.
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Checkpoints: Young Alumni Excellence Award Recipients
The U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation celebrates this year’s Young Alumni Excellence Award winners who were recognized in late July during Long Blue Line Weekend.
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Checkpoints: Matt Lohmeier '06
On July 24, the United States Senate confirmed former lieutenant colonel Matthew Lohmeier as the 29th Undersecretary of the United States Air Force. A 2006 USAFA graduate, Lohmeier brings service experience spanning aviation, space operations, strategic planning and senior leadership. His appointment places him in a top civilian leadership role at a time when the Air Force and Space Force are evolving to meet modern defense challenges.
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Checkpoints: Future Planning
John ’63 and Sandy Fox’s $10 million gift to the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict ensures cadets are prepared to confront the world’s most urgent security threats on Day 1. Their support brings vital expertise while expanding other programs that develop future warfighters.
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Checkpoints: Game Changers
Five Air Force Academy graduates are changing the game — on playing fields, in boardrooms and beyond. From executive coaching to tech startups and elite sports medicine, they blend military precision with passion, redefining leadership in today’s sports world.
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Checkpoints: Embedded: The inception of enlisted leaders in cadet squadrons
Thirty years ago, enlisted leaders were imbedded in cadet squadrons, enhancing leadership development and how elisted personne and officers worked together.
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Checkpoints: From the Tilton Hilton to Bell CEO
Checkpoints sat down with Lisa Atherton '96, president and CEO of Bell Textron, an 8,500-employee aerospace company manufacturing and delivering helicopters and vertical lift aircraft to military and commercial customers around the world, to talk about her USAFA journey and leadership philosophy.
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