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
Lt. Gen. (Select) Paul Moga ’95 Confirmed to Lead U.S. Air Force Academy
The United States Senate yesterday confirmed Lt. Gen. (select) Paul D. Moga ’95 for a promotion and his next assignment: serving as the 23rd superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.
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Alamogordo Dedicates F-4 Gateway Freedom Monument
Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force Base leadership, residents, veterans and their supporters assembled July 2 to dedicate the city’s Gateway Freedom Monument, featuring a McDonnel Douglass F-4E Phantom II static display. The monument will stand as a visible reminder of the strong partnership between the city and base. It also honors the service and sacrifice of those who flew and maintained the iconic F-4, particularly in the Vietnam War.
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July 2026 Air Force Gradcast
The latest Air Force Gradcast takes you inside everything happening at the Association & Foundation and the Academy—including major July events, alumni recognition, graduate success stories, chapter highlights, donor impact and new ways graduates are helping their fellow Falcons.
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Long Blue Leadership: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kimberly Ford ’90
Leadership isn't about changing who you are; it's about becoming the fullest expression of who you were meant to be. What does quiet leadership look like? From military deployments to the flight deck at Alaska Airlines, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kimberly Ford ’90 explains how preparation, trust and listening can be just as powerful as command.
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Heritage Minute: HH-3E Jolly Green Giant
There’s only one helicopter on static display at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and it carries an extraordinary legacy. The HH-3E Jolly Green Giant stands just inside the Academy’s North Gate. Several Academy graduates flew the iconic rescue helicopter, including a Medal of Honor recipient.
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250 Years of Service. 250 Years of Freedom.
Just days before the Class of 2026 commissioned as second lieutenants into the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, Checkpoints asked then-first-degree cadets at the Association & Foundation-hosted Firstie Departure information fair what it means to enter service as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday.
Find essays sharing insights on the same topic in the June issue of Checkpoints.
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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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Checkpoints: National Security Matters
Some of Colorado’s foremost space researchers gathered in an unassuming conference room at the University of Colorado Boulder in early April to share their expertise with potential academic, industry and military partners. They highlighted their work in hypersonics, space situational awareness, space technologies for the International Space Station and more.
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Long Blue Leadership: Lt. Col. Joseph "Paveway" Bledsoe ’11
What builds trust when you don't have a title or position of authority? According to Lt. Col. Joe Bledsoe ’11, it's honesty, integrity, humility presence and action. Tune in as he shares practical leadership lessons learned from the Academy, combat aviation and years of mentoring others.
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Checkpoints: Red Hawk Revolution
The U.S. Air Force has relied on the T-38 Talon for six decades. That’s changing as grads at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph get the nascent T-7A program off the ground and share how the system will change pilot training.
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