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
Heritage Minute: USAFA Cemetery (1 of 4)
Tucked among pine trees just east of the Cadet Area, the 100-acre USAFA cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 2,000 individuals. It stands as a place of honor and reflection, with a history that reaches back to the Academy’s earliest days at its permanent location.
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Heritage Minute: Historic Ice Lake
Just west of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s service and supply area lies Ice Lake — a quiet spot with a surprisingly industrious past.
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Heritage Minute: Pioneer Cabin
Nestled in the wooded stretch of the Douglass Valley stands the oldest structure on the U.S. Air Force Academy grounds, and one of the oldest buildings in the entire Pikes Peak region.
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Heritage Minute: The Gallery of Great Airmen
The “Gallery of Great Airmen” is an artistic gem located in the Exemplar area of Fairchild Hall.
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Heritage Minute: The Bell of Neuville
A church bell near the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Community Center predates the Academy by more than 140 years.
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Heritage Minute: Lowry AFB
On July 11, 1955, 306 basic cadets arrived at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, to begin their journey at the United States Air Force Academy.
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Heritage Minute: USAFA's Defunct Ski Tow
In the early 1960s, some enterprising residents of Douglass Valley tried to build a neighborhood ski area in the west end of the valley.
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Heritage Minute: Falcon Stadium Heritage
Almost all of the Air Force Academy football games are televised, drawing large national audiences.
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Heritage Minute: Husted, CO
Before there was an Air Force Academy, the 18,500 acres that now host USAFA had a few settlements, most notably the small community called Husted.
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Heritage Minute: Cathedral Rock
Best known for the “Run to the Rock,” a key rite-of-passage milestone in Doolie-year training, Cathedral Rock, has an interesting history.
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Heritage Minute: The F-100 Super Sabre
One of the Academy’s best, and mostly unknown, historical artifacts is located on the campus of the Air Force Academy Preparatory School. The North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft on static display here has an amazing history.
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Heritage Minute: C-49-J Crash Site
The Academy is home to a large number of impressive static display aircraft. In addition to those in populated areas, there is one aircraft well off the beaten path, just to the west of the Academy, that predates the others by decades.
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