News Listing

For nearly two decades, cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy have traveled to Connecticut to learn from some of the top minds in engineering at Pratt & Whitney.

Supporters of the U.S. Air Force Academy are invited to advance the Academy’s mission to develop leaders of character during the third annual 1Day1USAFA day of giving on May 8, 2024.

Four U.S. Air Force Academy graduates have joined the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors.

Sites included North Gate construction projects — Hotel Polaris and Hosmer Visitor Center — as well as on-campus projects, including the new east club at Falcon Stadium, the construction of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, and the ongoing renovation of the Chapel.

The Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation’s revamped class annual giving approach provides graduates with an additional dimension for class engagement and participation through philanthropy.

Since launching in November 2019, the IFC has leveraged a combination of federal funding and private philanthropy to assist the Academy in better preparing cadets for uncertain technological and battlefield challenges they are likely to face during their careers.

The Department of Management plans to create a new finance lab on the fifth floor of Fairchild Hall. The double-size classroom, if all funding is raised, will feature a Bloomberg lab in one half and a collaboration space in the other.

Donor support helps bring the USAFA community together to equip and challenge aspiring leaders of character.

For 1st Lt. Olga Budke-Mathis ’21, philanthropy is more than making a gift; it is one of her core values. 

The first in a series of Checkpoints stories focused on the Institute for Future Conflict and its mission of preparing cadets for the future fight.

Beginning in their junior year, each Stamps scholar receives a $22,000 grant to pursue individual research interests, internships and cultural immersion experiences in locations worldwide.

From new approaches to curricula to new construction, the Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign in support of the U.S. Air Force Academy is living up to its name.

The Forevermore Overlook is a $1.1 million class project designed to provide current and future generations of cadets with an outdoor space for contemplation, conversations and more.

Mark Hille ’97 takes over as CEO as Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Gould ’76 transitions into a new role. 

The story behind the TrueNorthCommons development, currently under construction just outside the U.S. Air Force Academy North Gate, is equal parts inspiration, aspiration and reciprocation.

A new administration building and plaza will help the Air Force Academy Foundation and Association of Graduates more effectively achieve their missions.

Construction of Wecker Hall and Yost Plaza is scheduled to begin in early 2024.

The Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation have been recognized for excellence in the annual “Best of District VI Awards” competition through the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Bill and Mary Linn Wecker of Jackson, Wyoming, are the lead donors for a new 25,800-square-foot headquarters building for the Air Force Academy Foundation to be named Wecker Hall.

The boards of the nonprofit Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation announced the naming of Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Gould, USAFA Class of 1976, as executive vice chair and Mark Hille, USAFA Class of 1997, as CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

The Air Force Academy Foundation and Association of Graduates today announced the fundraising goal for the Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign in support of the United States Air Force Academy has increased to $300 million.

The Academy conducted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the stadium modernization in January 2023. The project, including the Class of 1966 Legacy Walk, is currently expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.

Falcon Field was officially renamed Erdle Field in honor of Brig. Gen. Philip J. Erdle during a ceremony at the Air Force Academy Sept. 1.

Alex Gilbert '87 has been named chair of the board of the Air Force Academy Foundation, and Steve Dickson '79 will serve as vice chair. Elizabeth Ferrill ’98 and Jason Kim ’99 also joined the board.

More than 2,800 members of the U.S. Air Force Academy community contributed more than $2.4 million in support of the Academy’s leader of character mission.

Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy have access to the new and improved Leader Challenge Tower thanks to the generosity of the Class of 1963 and additional funding from the Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Foundation.

Supporters of the U.S. Air Force Academy are invited to advance the Academy mission to develop leaders of character during the second annual 1Day1USAFA day of giving May 8, 2024.

Should the official Founders Day of the U.S. Air Force Academy be 1 April 1954 or 11 July 1955?

Mark Brennan and Susan Malick Brennan graduated as part of the U.S. Air Force Academy “Second to None” Class of 1981, and now they are giving back.

The U.S. Air Force Academy celebrates new space for scholars in the Martinson Honors Program.

In honor of its 40th reunion, the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1979 supported the creation and placement of the Spirit 03 Memorial on the Air Force Academy’s Honor Court.

The Journal of Character and Leadership Development (JCLD) editorial staff have implemented several changes over the past year as the journal continues its path toward becoming the leading publication dedicated to character and leadership development.

Evan Dadosky of Chicago and David Strobel of Poway, California, have joined the board of directors, which is the governing body of the Air Force Academy Foundation.

Construction of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy is about one-third complete, and it is still on track to be ready for the fall 2024 academic semester.

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets learned from experts about the role of technology in future conflict at the donor-supported Strategy and Warfare Center Symposium Jan. 25-27, 2023.

Academy leaders, partners and donors celebrated the ceremonial groundbreaking for the modernization of the east side of Falcon Stadium Jan. 24, already excited for what is to come when this initial modernization phase debuts for the 2024 Falcon Football season.

Donors made 2022 a record year of philanthropic support for the United States Air Force Academy. More than 7,500 graduates, parents, families, foundations and corporations contributed $51.7 million through the Air Force Academy Foundation to support a wide range of Academy initiatives.

The newest researcher in the Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) is bringing expertise about China and Korea to the Academy and its cadets. The new Fox Fellow, named for John Fox ’63, was made possible through Fox’s $1 million gift to the Air Force Academy Foundation, in support of the Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign, earlier this year.

Standing on the edge of the 55-foot-high platform, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) William Ball ’63 briefly pauses to reflect on his class’s generosity that helped make this new Outdoor Leadership Complex cadet training facility possible.

A recent grant from El Pomar Foundation to help fund the modernization of the Air Force Academy’s iconic Falcon Stadium hearkens back to the organization’s support of the fledgling Academy in the 1950s and 1960s.

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets joined other undergraduate students and distinguished experts from across the country at the donor-supported Academy Assembly to explore issues surrounding the future of space policy.

The Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation communications team was recently notified by the Council for Advancement and Support Education (CASE) that it had received several awards in multiple categories.

Katie Willemarck, CPA, will join the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation as their first joint chief financial officer on Jan. 1. She will lead financial, accounting and human resources operations across the alumni association and foundation.

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s new visitor center near the North Gate was named for Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradley C. Hosmer ’59, a man of many firsts at the Academy, thanks to a generous gift to the Air Force Academy Foundation from Jerry ’70 and Pam Bruni of Colorado Springs.

A $2.5 million donation to the Air Force Academy Foundation and Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation in support of the Academy’s baseball program will help transform the fan experience at Falcon Field.

The Air Force Academy community rallied together on Aug. 3 to donate more than $1.3 million to support Academy programs as part of the first 1Day1USAFA day of giving.

The much-anticipated modernization of Falcon Stadium at the Air Force Academy will impact more than the athletes who play football and lacrosse there. Its impact will extend well beyond a passionate athletics fanbase and even beyond the annual celebration of 1,000 cadets graduating on the field.

Air Force's future team captains embarked on a trip to the Gettysburg National Battlefield in Pennsylvania as part of a leadership experience provided by the Air Force Academy Foundation through generous donations from Air Force Academy graduates.

Air Force Academy cadets enrolled in Astro 351 (Rocket Propulsion) learned about space deterrence, economics and policy from Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, May 6 (which also happens to be National Space Day in 2022).

The spring forum of the National Security Strategic Studies Partnership (N3SP) focused on national security-related research by cadets and students at three Colorado higher education institutions: U.S. Air Force Academy, University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The Air Force Academy community has been fortunate to have many charitable benefactors, all of them determined to help the Academy and provide the best possible educational experience for cadets.

In terms of their financial contributions, however, few approach the generosity of Col. Joseph and Dorothy Donnelley Moller.

John Martinson '70 turned this passion for university honors programs into the largest philanthropic gift supporting academics in Air Force Academy history.

Larry Romo ’78 found comfort and support with the Hispanic community at USAFA. Now he's giving back to ensure cadets of all backgrounds can find the same support.

The Air Force Academy Foundation has added three new board directors and named its first-ever honorary director.

What does transformation of the AOG look like? That question gets to the heart of much of the feedback shared recently in focus groups we held with Air Force Academy graduates. The eight focus groups brought rich, frank and informative discussions that are helping us plan the future of our Association of Graduates.

The nearly $1.4 million donor-funded Air Warrior Combat Memorial was made possible by the Class of ’71, with help in recent years from the classes of ’69 and ’63.

Since 1959, the donor-supported Academy Assembly has allowed prominent academics, business leaders, government officers, non-governmental organization members, cadets and visiting students to speak and lead round-table discussions.

The new Cadet Wing Leadership and Morale Fund aims to provide the Cadet Wing with financial resources to be used for morale-related events.

New saber program combines heritage, leadership lessons.

Jack ’78 and Vianne Kucera have once again stepped forward — and up — with the lead gift to advance the modernization of the east side of Falcon Stadium.

Donors contributed nearly $286,000 to the Air Force Academy Foundation, making it the largest outpouring of support on GivingTuesday in two years. 

Gen. David D. Thompson '85 wasted no time addressing a question circulating among friends and supporters of the Air Force Academy. Will there be a U.S. Space Force Academy?

Cadets and students heard from industry professionals and worked through hypothetical national security scenarios during the first National Security Strategic Studies Partnership workshop held at the Air Force Academy.

Mark Hille ’97 will serve as president of both the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation. He started his expanded role on Sept. 1.

The $7.1 million restoration of the USAFA Air Garden was officially dedicated on Oct. 23, 2021. The planning for the project began in 2015, and construction has been underway since 2020.

When Nate Dial and the Class of 2010 left the Air Force Academy over a decade ago, they wanted to make sure they left their mark on the Academy. As 22-year-olds, they weren’t sure what that mark would be, but they were confident their class could make a difference.

There is no shortage of statues and memorials at the Air Force Academy. Scattered throughout the 18,000 acres are some of the most notable icons in Air Force and Academy history, telling the story of those who honorably defended our nation.

With the creation of the Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) at the Academy, the institution will play a more active role in defining how future officers are trained to confront an uncertain future and uncertain adversaries.

The Air Force Academy Foundation and the Association of Graduates have embarked on a comprehensive fundraising and engagement campaign aimed at strengthening  the U.S. Air Force Academy and its graduate community.

Think of Wrigley Field. Madison Square Garden. Lambeau Field. Some of the most iconic and recognizable athletic venues in the country have evolved and stood the test of time to provide fans with more than an event to watch. They offer an experience to be remembered.

One of USAFA's newest initiatives all started with Dr. Paul Kaminski's "Big Idea."

In 2016, Kaminski ’64 — a stealth technology pioneer — authored a white paper and approached Academy leadership with a challenging question: How do we better prepare cadets for warfare of the future?

After more than a year and a half absence from visiting the Air Force Academy, Paul Madera ‘78 was just happy to be back. But this visit was different than most. The Air Force Academy and the Air Force Academy Foundation broke ground on the Madera Cyber Innovation Center on August 6, and Madera was happy to let the long-awaited moment soak in.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson ’79 has had an unprecedented first two years at the helm of U.S. aviation.

The history of the U.S. Air Force Academy is full of defining moments – for cadets, for graduates, for the Air Force and for the country. This fall, the Air Force Academy Foundation and Association of Graduates will add a significant defining moment to the list!

The high-pitched whine of drone propellers fills the confines of the Holaday Athletic Center (HAC) at least three times a week. The newly established Air Force Academy Drone Racing Team uses the expansive USAFA facility to hone its skills at flying small unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) through an obstacle course at great speeds.

Organizers of the Cadet Summer Research Program (CSRP) at the Air Force Academy faced a herculean task in 2020 when several other summer options for cadets were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Airmanship Next program, since it began at the Air Force Academy in the fall of 2019, has shown great innovation, promise and growth. It has become a mission enhancer for cadets who may be interested in flight, and it has created greater preparedness for pilot training.

It takes immense physical strength and discipline to thrive during a cadet’s time at the Air Force Academy. But when preparing the nation's future second lieutenants, the mental toughness is just as important as the physical toughness. Warrior’s Edge is a curriculum that aims to strengthen the mind while teaching high-performance mindset skills that create psychological flexibility and mental strength.

A new cadet-led rocketry club at the Air Force Academy has received overwhelming response from cadets and faculty interested in participating from multiple fields and has even gained attention from senior leadership.

Donations pour into the Coleman-Richardson endowed chair for computer science in honor of Bill Coleman ‘71.

It was another record-breaking year for the Air force Academy in the 2021 All Academy Challenge. USAFA graduates contributed $633,893.81 – over $100,000 more than last year’s total. More than 2,000 graduates made a donation during the five-day challenge among the five U.S. service academies.

Cadet 1st Class Julia Rochester has had a memorable and busy four years at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Between her role as wing character officer for development, involvement with the National Character and Leadership Symposium (NCLS) and studying humanities, she hasn’t had much time to digest what it means to be a USAFA graduate.

With a quick, 15-minute MyMajors assessment, four-degree cadets can receive a customized report of potential academic majors to choose from as well as a guided path linking Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC), future career pathways and the relevant resources at the Air Force Academy needed along the way.

A memorial cabinet honoring the late 2nd Lt. Travis Wilkie ‘18 now sits in Cadet Squadron 5. Supported by a crowdfunding campaign through the Air Force Academy Foundation, the memorial cabinet contains a story board of his life and accomplishments and memorabilia donated by squadron mates, friends and family.

Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster encouraged Air Force Academy cadets to set an example for bipartisanship during his keynote speech at the Academy Assembly October 13, 2020.

“One Book. One USAFA.” debuted in the summer of 2020 at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Everyone at the Academy was encouraged to read Station Eleven, a novel by Emily St. John Mandel, to create at least one shared experience among basic cadets, returning cadets, senior leaders, military trainers and more.

Air Force Academy cadets will soon be able to take their development to a higher level than ever before with the installation of the new Leader Challenge Tower centerpiece of the Outdoor Leadership Complex (OLC).

Paul ’78 and Joan Madera have committed one of the largest individual gifts in Academy history in support of a new Cyber Innovation Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The creation of the Air Force Academy’s new Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) took off earlier this year with the selection of its first IFC Fellow and a successful Summer Seminar Series.

A new scoreboard graces the rugby pitch at the U.S. Air Force Academy thanks to Kevin and Kathleen Lavery, P '20.

The USAFA Planetarium and STEM Center received an award of excellence in the Civil/Civic Restoration category of the Historic Preservation Alliance of Colorado Springs' 19th Annual Preservation Awards.

The Air Force Academy installed a new Southeast Asia interactive map in the Hall of Exemplars at Fairchild Hall. The Class of 1970 spearheaded the effort to bring to cadets information about the role and sacrifices of Academy graduates in the Southeast Asia conflict.

A preteen basketball connection, a fourth-year confidence course and meeting with a California physics professor each were stepping-stones in Fred Milanovich's development as a leader, a physicist and, ultimately, a philanthropist.

The Department of Biology added a high-tech virtual cadaver table to its two anatomy and physiology (A&P) courses.

On September 3, the Air Force Academy announced that the cadet wing had voted on the name for the new mascot. The winning moniker? Nova.

After five days of online fundraising in August, USAFA graduates set fundraising records as part of the annual All Academy Challenge.

We are thrilled to announce the coming 2020 All Academy Challenge: August 16-20. It’s 5 Teams. 5 Days. 1 Mission.

The Air Force Academy Foundation is recognized with a 2020 Educational Fundraising Award for its continued fundraising performance.

NASA invited the Air Force Academy’s observatory team to join its Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission in search of distant exoplanets, aided by the observatory’s new one-meter telescope.

As we embark on the newest chapter of Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation support to USAFA, I want to reset the baseline by bringing all grads to a common level of understanding so that we can unite in our love and support for our Academy, the cadets and all members of the Long Blue Line.

After four years of rigorous study at the Air Force Academy, a select number of cadets have an opportunity to pursue graduate degrees. The Air Force Educational Requirements Board limits the number of candidates to about 10% of each graduating class.

Air University Press has released the second volume of the Air Force Academy’s prestigious Harmon Memorial Lecture Series (1988-2017) online.

In only its second year, the Firstie Departure program offered by the Association of Graduates was forced to pivot and offer its programs to the Class of 2020 online only.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty, 150 donors generously gave $20,520 in support of the Air Force Academy Fund during #GivingTuesdayNow May 5.

Prior to leaving the Air Force Academy campus, the Class of 2020 had access to donor-funded exercise equipment while the cadet gymnasium was closed because of COVID-19.

The Air Force Academy’s Class of 2020 of nearly 1,000 cadets received an unexpected treat when gift baskets, cakes and cookies arrived.

The Air Force Academy Foundation and the Association of Graduates are pleased to announce Mike Gould '76 as the first-ever chief executive officer overseeing both organizations.

The new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been signed into law to help taxpayers, businesses and nonprofits facing economic hardship during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Cadets at the Air Force Academy are tapping into this expanding field of research through the Academy’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Center.

Mark Hille '97 will join the Air Force Academy Foundation April 1, 2020, as its new president and chief operating officer.

Amid these uncertain times, please know that our support and concern for you, as well as the cadets and the Academy, is unwavering.

Sabre Society donors make an investment in present, past and future generations of exceptional cadets and graduates.

The Air Force Academy Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to secure and install a static display of a Jolly Green Giant alongside the B-52 bomber and Air Warrior Combat Memorial near the Academy’s North Gate.

A decade ago, two professors in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Air Force Academy observed that although there existed abundant scholarship on the topic of leadership and emerging scholarship on character, there was little available on the interaction between the two.

The United States Air Force Academy Endowment announced today that it has changed its name to Air Force Academy Foundation, effective January 1, 2020.

Generous donors who contributed to the renovation and reopening of the Air Force Academy’s Planetarium and STEM Center and a new observatory telescope were honored April 6, 2019.

Academy faculty and staff are committed to helping cadets not only face and conquer academic challenges but also build upon existing strengths.

Forty cadet-athletes gathered in the Gettysburg National Cemetery for one final discussion as part of the 4th annual Gettysburg Leadership Summit.

Retired Lt. Gen. Marcus Anderson ’61, former commandant of cadets, included the Academy’s Peak Performance Center in a significant gift that targeted academics, professional development and cadet mental health.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dana Arbaugh ’70 recognizes that the rigorous training he received as a cadet not only prepared him to be a successful Air Force officer, but also affected every aspect of his life.

A highlight of the Air Force Academy’s 2019 National Character and Leadership Symposium was a panel discussion with 10 of the 2018 Outstanding Airmen of the Year recipients.

Kimbrough Bassett played an important role in the history of the Air Force Academy.

Following a 20-year tradition of community service, 92 Air Force Academy cadets traded the prospect of a relaxing spring break for a lot of hard work.

273 Air Force Academy cadets applied their knowledge and skills to help industry partners and Air Force operational units solve real-world problems.

Second Lt. Jack Allen ’19 fulfilled his high school dream of graduating from the Air Force Academy and competing with the Wings of Blue parachute team.

Approximately 10 percent of each Air Force Academy graduating class is able to attend graduate school immediately after their Academy experience.

The Cadet Wing Character Staff created the first-ever Wing book club in the fall of 2019, and the Class of ’63 helped supply its first book for all participants.

During the summer of 2019, 273 Air Force Academy cadets applied their knowledge and skills to help industry partners and Air Force operational units solve real-world problems.

The U.S. Air Force Academy Academic Success Center includes five centers of excellence that provide faculty-led instruction in all academic areas.

David and Elizabeth Allen were able to participate in their son’s Academy journey through their support of the Wings of Blue.

The Gettysburg Leadership Summit is an information-packed, history-filled, leadership experience for Air Force Academy athletic team captains and leaders.

Cyberspace is the newest frontier for today’s war fighter, and the cyber programs at the U.S. Air Force Academy help cadets prepare for its complex future.

Private support of the Air Force Academy provides so much more than a “margin of excellence”, a higher education phrase used to describe the role of private philanthropy. Your impact is, in fact, immeasurable.

The United States Air Force Center for Cyber Innovation will bring together disparate groups at the academic and operational Air Force levels.