This story originally appeared in the March 2025 Checkpoints magazine.

Over their 47 months at the U.S. Air Force Academy, cadets interact with donor-supported programs and initiatives almost daily. Academic research, upgraded technology, lab equipment, cadet clubs, symposia and guest speakers all are supported with gift funds from donors to the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation.

That support during the seven-year Defining Our Future campaign — $96 million for academics alone — offered cadets many chances to take advantage of expanded and improved opportunities to test and hone their leadership and teamwork skills, academic strength and analytical acumen.

“Defining Our Future opened doors by expanding the reach of existing gift-funded activities and allowing more cadet involvement,” says Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre ’96, dean of the faculty. “The world is only becoming more complex, and preparing for Great Power Competition means we need to exploit all opportunities now to send our graduates into the Air Force and Space Force equipped to succeed on Day 1.”

Perhaps the biggest transformation made possible by philanthropy during the campaign was the expansion of the Academy Scholars Program into the Martinson Honors Program.

“The Martinson Honors Program takes the already impressive success we’ve had with margin of excellence funding and then straps a rocket to it. The program has grown in both size and opportunity over the last three years,” Gen. Letendre says.

Made possible by a $10 million gift from John Martinson ’70, the largest philanthropic gift for academics in Academy history, the Martinson Honors Program has expanded the number of challenging academic opportunities for cadets who thrive on them. From doubling the number of cadets who can participate in the Stamps Scholar Program to proving the efficacy of new materials and pedagogical techniques for the broader curriculum, the honors program has strengthened the ways cadets are challenged and hone their critical thinking skills.

“This space is one of the best facilities countrywide for honors, where scholars can study, interact, network, conceive great ideas and learn to work together and create significant accomplishments in whatever careers they go into,” said Martinson, a 2008 Distinguished Graduate, during the May 2023 ribbon cutting for the Martinson Honors Program suite in McDermott Library.

Ninety-four cadets in the Class of 2028 were accepted into the Martinson Honors Program, bringing the four-year total of scholars to more than 350. Additionally, the program added seven new faculty capstone mentors and expanded its reach with a sociology course, the first scholars course in the social sciences.

The program’s leaders continue to explore best practices in honors education to inform future programming and attract service-minded students who also relish academic challenges.

Dr. Fred ’67 and Linda Milanovich earmarked their campaign support for both the Madera Cyber Innovation Center and an endowed chair within the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences. One of the largest gifts in support of academics at the Academy, the Milanoviches made their commitment with the future in mind.

“We really have to up the game here. I felt the next most important thing was to make sure this is a top-notch program,” Dr. Milanovich said. “The best way to do that is through endowed chairs. You really can attract top talent. I couldn’t be more excited about this cyber facility. The Academy will do things out of that facility that the country will recognize.”

Dr. Chris Inglis ’76, who served as the nation’s first cyber director, filled the endowed Milanovich position during the 2023-24 academic year. Michael Kloenne has been the deputy Milanovich Chair since September 2023.

The Academic Success Center tallies more than 11,000 cadet contacts during an academic year. Cadets use the center to learn strategies for academic success, better communication and quantitative reasoning, and to receive assistance with graduate school and post-graduate scholarship applications.

The dean has prioritized the center’s success for several years.

“The great thing about the ASC is that it provides a rising tide that lifts all boats. Cadets come to us from all walks of life and varying academic preparation. The Academic Success Center gives us the opportunity to lift up those who need additional help so they can contribute right alongside their classmates, and we can confidently present our Air and Space Forces with graduates who are ready for the challenge,” Letendre says.

Several of the part-time evening instructors within the center are funded by philanthropy. The number of cadets helped in the Academic Success Center has increased because of these donors. In addition, donor support allowed the Public Speaking Lab to be outfitted with teleprompters, a lectern, flags and furniture, making it more conducive for cadets to practice public speaking, record their speeches, fine-tune delivery and increase their public speaking confidence.

In the Writing Center, instructors developed specialized workshops tailored to the needs of academic departments such as Physics and Meteorology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. These workshops helped cadets improve their writing skills and analytical capabilities.

The Academic Success Center has many other stories of how cadets have improved their grades, deepened their understanding and mastery of concepts, overcome obstacles and remained resilient in challenging scenarios.

In 2019, donor funds helped upgrade the Wi-Fi capacity and reliability in Fairchild Hall, the main academic building at the Academy. The upgrade included training for faculty in effective use of Microsoft Teams.

“That was great, but little did we know that the latter investment literally saved our semester when the COVID shutdown sent the lower three classes home to finish the spring semester remotely,” Gen. Letendre says.

The updated capabilities allowed instructors to offer classes to remote and in-person cadets at the same time.

Cadet clubs help cadets put leadership lessons into practice. Across the Academy’s more than 100 cadet clubs, members work together toward common goals, plan logistics, train, learn and compete.

Many clubs received gifts from donors to pay for travel to academic and club sports competitions. Donors also paid for team uniforms and specialty equipment necessary to participate in each club. The Class of 1984 created an endowment for cadet clubs as its 40th reunion class giving project while the Class of 1968 supported the Cyber Competition Team as its 50th reunion giving project. With the class’s funding, the team can travel to more than 10 competitions annually and also pay for resources that help team members train.

The Air Force Academy mock trial team hosted the inaugural Service Academies Cup in the Washington, D.C., area, and invited many judges and attorneys, sitting judges on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, and trial judges. Donor funds helped pay for the tournament’s new trophy, which the Air Force Academy Team won.

The forensics team competed in more than 30 competitions during the campaign, including trips to Japan and France and to the U.S. and world championships. They also hosted a national tournament at the Academy.

“Excelling at this level simply wouldn’t be possible without help from our graduate community,” Gen. Letendre says.

During the Defining Our Future campaign, the National Character and Leadership Symposium celebrated 30 years of bringing speakers to the Academy to discuss their experiences with and perspectives on leadership and character. The cadet-led event has featured more than 1,000 speakers since it debuted in 1994. Individuals and class giving projects have continued to provide funding for NCLS to maintain its impact far into the future. In 2024, the event attracted more than 6,500 attendees. In addition to cadets and community members, students from 110 colleges and universities attended.

Over the past seven years, the symposium has added special sessions with the help of philanthropy. The Class of 1993 funded a panel discussion featuring the most recent enlisted personnel named as the 12 Outstanding Airmen of Year. The panelists offer a new perspective to the future officers in the audience as they work on developing their leadership skills.

After meeting an NCLS speaker flying in to present at the 2019 NCLS, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Earl Enix ’77 decided to attend the symposium, about an hour south of his home in the Denver metro area. The symposium's powerful narratives and perspectives deeply moved Col. Enix and his wife, Candy, compelling them to ensure similar knowledge, history and experiences would be available to future generations of cadets. The Enix family established the Enix Heritage keynote lecture to continue the legacy of inspiring cadets through stories that exemplify character and leadership. Their sponsored lectures joined several others, including the Class of ’73 Muse Family Foundation Keynote, generously supported since 2004 by the Class of 1973 and John Muse ’73.

In August 2023, the Academy dedicated the new Leader Challenge Tower at the Outdoor Leadership Complex. Funded by the Class of 1963 and the Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Foundation, the Leader Challenge Tower offers multiple at-height challenges, including a simulated free-fall station, and six physical challenges at 23 and 55 feet, as well as a climbing wall. The tower offers opportunities for cadets to work on character and team building.

“Character comes from adversity; this tower injects adversity,” Dr. Tom Torkelson ’92, deputy director for the Center for Character and Leadership Development, said at the dedication ceremony for the tower. Fittingly, the tower was dedicated in honor of one of the Academy’s all-time greats, retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogleman ’63.

“I’m honored to have my name associated with a facility that has leadership in its title, particularly since the mission of this Academy is to provide training that produces leaders of character with a competence and a compassion to lead our Air and Space Forces during the 21st century,” Gen. Fogleman, a 2001 Distinguished Graduate and the first Academy graduate to become chief of staff of the Air Force, said at the dedication.