After experiencing 9/11 as a high school student, Lt. Col. Steven Mount ’08 came to the U.S. Air Force Academy to pursue his love of flying and an aspiration to serve his country.

“It [9/11] changed everything: how we saw ourselves, how we saw the rest of the world, how we viewed safety and security — all the above,” says Col. Mount.  “The decision to serve was much easier than I thought it would be.”

His father’s military service also inspired him. Col. Mount’s father enlisted in the Marines during the Vietnam War. After two years, he left the Marines and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served for over 30 years.

“Get off my bus”

When then-cadet Steven Mount arrived at the Academy, he quickly felt the weight and pressure of his surroundings. He remembers the awe and wonder he felt as he saw the mountains and the iconic Cadet Chapel. “When you're in an environment that just strives for excellence, there's no way you don’t want to rise to the occasion to meet that,” says Col. Mount.

One of his defining memories from the Academy is sitting on the bus, listening to the cadre. They challenged the appointees to choose whether they would stay on the bus and go home or rise to the occasion and “get off my bus.” He recalls that being one of the first moments of doubt he experienced, but that it was a test he ultimately passed. Years later, Col. Mount’s Academy experience came full circle when he became a cadre member and delivered the same speech that challenged and inspired him.

Another defining experience was with USAFA athletics. Col. Mount played football for the Falcons throughout his freshmen year. However, after struggling with academics, he made the difficult decision to step away from the team during his sophomore year. At the time, the decision felt like a hit to his ego, but the support of coaches and mentors reassured him as he re-focused on his academic and military training. Col. Mount went on to play club rugby and built many enduring bonds with his teammates. 

His experience at the Academy, though challenging, shaped him into the accomplished officer, leader and teacher he is today. “I attribute a lot of my success to what the Academy taught me and the mentors it provided for me from basic through my senior year,” he says. After graduating from the Academy in 2008, he went to Laughlin Air Force Base to fulfill his dream to become a pilot.

From Cadet to Commander

Col. Mount’s experience as a cadet taught him flexibility, patience and resilience — qualities that served him well in pilot school and beyond. Though he aspired to fly an A-10, he quickly discovered that he would need to pivot to complete his training. After completing pilot school in 2010, Col. Mount was assigned to fly an EC-130H, an aircraft he had little knowledge of at the time. The subsequent missions he flew in Afghanistan lined up with his love of flying and his desire to serve his country in response to 9/11. In addition to flying combat missions, Col. Mount served as an evaluator pilot for the EC-130H. Next, he served at Beale Air Force Base, where he flew the U-2, another aircraft he never expected to fly. Col. Mount’s mastery of the U-2 led him to become an evaluator pilot on that airframe as well.

As he advanced in his career, he began to assume greater responsibilities. As a major stationed with Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field in Florida, Col. Mount began to travel internationally to advise global partners on special operations missions. He credits his Academy experience for his ability to adapt to an international context. “That was something that the Academy did a good job of passing on to me — training me to go anywhere in the world and open my eyes, open my ears, and learn different customs, courtesies and cultures,” says Col. Mount.

He distinguished himself as an accomplished leader, mentor and teacher for younger airmen and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2023. Currently, he serves as the chief of group standardizations and evaluations for the 14th Operations Group and as a T-6A evaluator pilot at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.

Giving Back

In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is grateful for the personal impact USAFA had on him. “I can finally look back and say this: The Academy did a good job shaping me into the man, officer, husband and father that I am today,” says Col. Mount.

After reflecting on his journey as a cadet and an officer, Col. Mount felt compelled to provide future cadets with the same opportunities that impacted him. “It just made sense to me to invest in producing the next generation of amazing officers,” he says. Mount and his spouse, Jordan, have three children, with another child due in the coming months. He hopes to instill the same values of selfless service and generosity.

As a Sabre Society member, he has made a leadership-level commitment to support the Academy’s strategic needs and priorities. “That’s kind of the way I looked at it — the Academy gave me this; the least I can do is try to give back,” he says.