Checkpoints - December 2012 by USAFA Association of Graduates

checkpoints DECEMBER 2012

USAFA Alumni Magazine

TOP SHOT ON THE RANGE WITH CADET ARCHERY

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FOOD FACTOR THE MITCHELL HALL STORY CLICK HERE to watch video There’s always more to the story. Find out what it takes. . .

Going Inside the Kitchens of the Air of the Air Force Academy’s Force Academy’s Dining Facility Video Dining Facility Video Interviews Interviews of the Staff Who Dedicate of the Staff Who Dedicate the the Careers to the Cadet Wing Careers to the Cadet Wing Investigate Discover Explore the Inside Investigate Discover Explore the World of the Academy Like You’ve Inside World of the Academy Never Seen Before Food Factor the Like You’ve Never Seen Before Mitchell Hall Story Going Inside the Food Factor the Mitchell Hall Kitchens of the Air Force Academy’s Story Going Inside the Kitchens Dining Facility Video Interviews of the of the Air Force Academy’s Staff Who Dedicate the Careers to Dining Facility Video Interviews the Cadet Wing Investigate Discover of the Staff Who Dedicate the Explore the Inside World of the Careers to the Cadet Wing Academy Like You’ve Never Seen Investigate Discover Explore the Before Food Factor the Mitchell Hall Inside World of the Academy Story Going Inside the Kitchens of the Like You’ve Never Seen Before Air Force Academy’s Dining Facility Food Factor the Mitchell Hall Video Interviews of the Staff Who Story Going Inside the Kitchens Dedicate the Careers to the Cadet of the Air Force Academy’s Wing Investigate Discover Explore Dining Facility Video Interviews the Inside World of the Academy of the Staff Who Dedicate the Like You’ve Never Seen Before Food Careers to the Cadet Wing Factor the Mitchell Hall Story Going Investigate Discover Explore the Inside the Kitchens of the Air Force Inside World of the Academy Academy’s Dining Facility Video Like You’ve Never Seen Before Interviews of the Staff Who Dedicate Food Factor the Mitchell Hall the Careers to the Cadet Wing Story Going Inside the Kitchens Investigate Discover Explore the Inside of the Air Force Academy’s World of the Academy Like You’ve Dining Facility Video Interviews Never Seen Before Food Factor the of the Staff Who Dedicate the Mitchell Hall Story Going Inside the Careers to the Cadet Wing Kitchens of the Air Force Academy’s Investigate Discover Explore the Dining Facility Video Interviews of the Inside World of the Academy Staff Who Dedicate the Careers to Like You’ve Never Seen Before the Cadet Wing Investigate Discover Food Factor the Mitchell Hall Explore the Inside World of the

CHECKPOINTS

10 5

TOP SHOT

contents December 2012

COLUMNS

features

4 CEO UPDATE

Top Shot 16

8 CHAIRMAN’S JOURNAL 10 Superintendent 12 state of mind 14

the transmission

15 staff directory

on the cover C3C Rachael Trafford takes aim at the USAFA Archery Range. Photo by Lewis Carlyle.

Members of the USAFA Archery Club blend incredible concentration with physical grit and a flare for the dramatic in this sport that’s a lot more difficult than it looks in the movies.

The Olympics through falcon eyes

At the 2012 London Summer Games men’s individual epee fencer Seth Kelsey ’03 posted the best finish by an American in the event for over half a century. This is his firsthand account of the Olympic experience.

The food factor

Every day, the hard working staff of Mitchell Hall takes on the pressure cooking task of providing breakfast, lunch and dinner to 4,000 hungry cadets.

How to start a small business in Liberia, Africa

Peter Gbelia ‘93 spent time in his father’s native Liberia as a child. Then civil war came and destabalized the country for decades. Now Gbelia has returned to help its people with his business.

Volume 41, number 3 Checkpoints (ISSN 0274-7391) USPS 898-080 is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy. (Phone: 719-472-0300, DSN: 333-2067. FAX: 719-333-4194, E-mail: editor@aogusafa.org.) A portion of your dues pays for your magazine subscription. Additional copies may be purchased for $2.50 each, plus $4.60 for shipping. Periodicals postage paid at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Checkpoints, Association of Graduates, Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475. The Editorial Board serves the Checkpoints mission by providing a top quality magazine to the Air Force Academy’s broader community. Together, the editor, VP of Communications, Executive VP and the AOG CEO collaborate to ensure that all articles meet the standards of excellence readers have come to expect of Checkpoints. The AOG reserves the right to publish or omit submissions at its discretion. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy or attitude of the AOG, its officers or the editorial staff. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the AOG of the products or services advertised. Copyright, Association of Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy, December. 2012.

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24 30 THE ENDOWMENT 44 Mission Milestones 46

Young Leaders Giving Back

64 giving by the numbers

FROM THE TERRAZZO 74 Honoring Remembering Educating

GRADUATE PROFILE

80 worth 1000 words

52 school of rock

84 waldo

56 long blue ladle: holiday recipes 60 Strategic Interests in Northeast Asia

82 Fall Back—Spring Ahead 86 chorus of years

66 aog board election info

HERITAGE

CADET LIFE

90 destination air force: Las vegas

48 fighting the next fire 62 synthethic turf tops grass 68 iron will 72 fun with forensics

94 Bells at Our Cemetery 96 A Bracelet is a Link 98 50th class reunion award winner for ‘60 98 chapter presidents conference

BACK OF THE BOOK 99 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

106 CLASS NEWS 152 FINAL THOUGHT

CHECKPOINTS ONLINE BONUS CONTENT top shot photo gallery the food factor film the food factor photo gallery the history and evolution of the ccld POSITION REPORT AT FIFTY YEARS THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP

Checkpoints

December 2012

COLUMNS

THE “BUSINESS”OF SUPPORTING THE ACADEMY AND OUR GRADS BY WILLIAM “T” THOMPSON ’73, AOG PRESIDENT AND CEO FOUR YEARS! In some respects, it’s a long time. For the majority of us, it was the amount of time we spent as cadets at USAFA. Of course for most of us older grads, time seems to fly by and the older we get the faster time seems to go and so our perspective of four years is probably a bit different. It is also the amount of time that I have now “had the stick” as your President and CEO and it seems to be an appropriate time to pause and reflect on some of what your AOG has achieved over these past four years. It’s fair to say that there were significant “opportunities” facing the AOG as an organization, and some major challenges for the broader graduate community upon my arrival in August of 2008. The economy had fallen off the cliff, the Great Recession was well under way, your AOG had suffered a significant financial hit (as had the entire country—check that—the entire world) and there was no savings account or what the financial guys call “designated reserves” to get us through the tough times. Over the years, your AOG had grown to be a major nonprofit organization yet had never adopted a recognized formal governance system as many major nonprofits had. As a result, the velocity of decision making was a snail’s pace and the operational aspects of moving the organization forward suffered. Perhaps the most significant issue was a “split” in our graduate community with strongly held feelings in both camps about who was to blame. Without writing a treatise on the history or issuing a verdict on who was right or wrong, it suffices to say that the situation was “dysfunctional” at best, the term I used to describe the state of affairs during my interview with the AOG CEO Search Committee. I was given the privilege of serving the graduate community and, together with our dedicated, professional AOG staff, began to address these challenges in a methodical fashion. Applying a business approach to our situation, we needed to answer four questions: what are the things that we are doing, why are we doing those things, are we doing the things that need to be done in the best way possible, and are there other things that we should be doing that we currently aren’t? As an entrepreneur, this is an approach that has served me well in my business ventures over the years and, quite

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frankly, it was time to bring this approach to the management of the AOG. Early in my tenure, Gary Howe ’69, a 15 year AOG veteran and our trusted number two in charge, noted that the AOG was an evolving organization that had served 24,000 graduates in 1991 but was now serving 41,000 grads in 2008. These questions had never been asked from an entrepreneurial standpoint before. He reminded me that I was not a military retiree and the first grad with a business background to have this job. While acknowledging that the AOG was a part (and a very important part) of a military organization, the reality was that, at its core, it was also a business. Yes, it was a nonprofit business, but a business nonetheless. The fundamental difference was that profits went back to further the mission rather than being distributed to an owner or to shareholders. From an operational perspective, we first needed to address our fiscal challenges. After a thorough review of the “business” with the above four questions as our guide, we determined that it was necessary to eliminate ten of our, then, almost 50 staff positions. We used attrition as best we could and treated our remaining departing employees in a fair and equitable manner. We also began to build an “entrepreneurial” culture in the organization by encouraging new and innovative ideas, looking for enhanced revenue opportunities, keeping a close eye on expenses while considering the effect on the “bottom line.” Our overall goal was to more effectively and efficiently accomplish our mission of supporting the Academy and serving the graduate and membership community and to do so in a professional business manner. Concurrently, we worked with our AOG Board of Directors to establish a formal governance system and to institute best practices in the administrative arena. Interchangeably called ‘Policy Governance’ or “Strategic Governance,” it is the recognized worldwide standard for nonprofit governance and is used by such organizations as the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and the United Way. Additionally, Policy Governance has been strongly endorsed by The Center for Excellence in Corporate Governance. Although dealing with our internal organizational structures presented significant trials, they were at least under our direct con-

trol. The most difficult and important challenge was addressing the split in our graduate community which had, in part, resulted in the creation of another organization, the USAFA Endowment. Though relatively new and small in size, its Board of Directors included some of our most illustrious and accomplished graduates who had provided significant Academy support over the years. To be sure, there were players on both sides who were less than enthused about mending the breach but as one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, so eloquently stated: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Fortunately, the Board authorized me to enter into discussions with the Endowment Chairman. With the able facilitation of Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Randy Cubero ’61, then President of the Falcon Foundation, Bart Holaday ’65, the Endowment’s Chairman, and I began to have talks on a way forward. Our initial discussions eventually evolved into full negotiation teams for both sides. After lengthy, sometimes difficult, and often passionate sessions, we finally reached a cooperate agreement which took effect on January 1st, 2010, that brought the two sides together in support of the Academy and the graduate community. With our financial situation stabilized and the graduate community working to reunite, your AOG was now able to focus on “growing the business” to provide more and better service to our Academy and our members. We began by creating a detailed business plan or what we call our Operations Strategic Plan which would become the road map for what we intended to accomplish over the next five years. Very detailed and encompassing all aspects of our operation, it is the plan by which we evaluate our efforts and hold ourselves accountable to you as we work to fundamentally change the organization. The plan is on our web site and we invite you to monitor our progress as we continue to move your AOG forward. And how are we doing? We’ll let you be the judge but I’ll highlight some of our major accomplishments for your consideration: 1. The Alumni Affairs Department, led by Corrie Grubbs, established a new comprehensive Chapter Development Program

and we hired two service academy grads, Stella Grayson ’99 and Natalie Ryan, USMA ’08, to run it. The results have been stupendous. In two and a half years we have grown our chapters from 31 to 74 chapters worldwide and we are working with four other groups to establish chapters in the near future. Our aim was to have 80 chapters by 2015 and I’m confident we’ll exceed our goal. We also established a Distinguished Chapter program and a new Chapter Presidents’ Conference as a part of our focus on connecting grads with the Academy and each other. We held our second annual conference this past fall and certified eight AOG chapters as Distinguished Chapter award winners. The Alumni Affairs Department has instituted a series of nationwide golf tournaments to bring our grads, members and friends together to socialize, network and build stronger connections to the Academy. To date we have had outings in Southern California, Las Vegas, Dayton, Chicago and Washington, DC. Atlanta and San Antonio are currently in the line-up with more to follow after those. Colorado Springs has become the location with the second highest number of graduates in its metropolitan area-about 3,500, second only to DC with approximately 3,600. As a result we have focused on providing many more opportunities to connect, engage, and entertain our “hometown” grads. A sampling of the events that the AOG has hosted locally include; the Annual Single Malt Scotch Tasting and Cigar hosting, the AOG Wine Tasting event, the Moonlight On the Mountain Families at the Zoo, Ladies Night Out, at Painting With a Twist, for our female grads and spouses, Alumni Day at the Rockies (baseball), Grads and Gourds Halloween outing, and big game AOG Watch Parties; Notre Dame, Armed Forces and Military Bowls, and Army. The increased activities have also resulted in positive growth in our membership. With new and innovative marketing efforts instituted by Alumni Affairs, combined with the generosity of donor Jerry Bruni ’70, who has shown a strong interest in seeing membership growth in the AOG, we have increased total membership by over 3,800 or almost 15%. We signed a major credit card/sponsorship agreement with USAA. You can be proud that this concept was developed by your AOG, and was a “first of its kind” business arrangement for USAA, who has since used this business model with 41 other military based nonprofit organizations. We upgraded our merchandise product lines, rebuilt the online store to make it easier to shop, just completed a renovation of our gift shop in Doolittle Hall and changed the way we display products at both In-processing and during reunions. Under the leadership of Michele Cowan and with the initiatives of Sherry Jayne in our Customer Service Department, our sales have increased dramatically with reunion sales, for example, increasing from an average of $2,800 per reunion weekend to $13,000 this year. We are presently running over $80,000 ahead of budget for this current fiscal year. We focused on greater utilization of Doolittle Hall and increased revenue growth by enhancing the building’s Checkpoints

December 2012

appearance, increasing our marketing efforts and hiring a top flight Director of Events, Ashlee Peterson (daughter of a grad). Our utilization has increased from 58 events in 2008 to over 220 events this past year and revenue growth of almost $70,000. 9. Your Board tasked the CEO with building a $1 million AOG reserve fund by 2015 so as not to repeat the circumstances of 2008-09. Because of our stronger financial position and efforts by our CFO, Alton Parrish in recognizing favorable market conditions, we were able to realize investment gains and complete the funding of our reserve account as directed by 2012. 10. While successfully focused on friendraising, we have continued to support the Endowment’s fundraising efforts by providing administrative, communications and marketing support as outlined in our operating agreement. Through the AOG’s Moller Foundation Trust, we were pleased to contribute $5 million toward the Holaday Athletic Center and recently presented Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76, the Academy’s Superintendent, a check for approximately $2.5 million in support of the construction of the Center for Character and Leadership Development. 11. One of our top priorities was to establish new and better ways to communicate with the graduate community. Led by Bob McAllister, Senior Vice President for Communications, we developed a strategic plan for Checkpoints magazine, established an Editorial Board, built a new AOG web site, revamped our online e-zine, ZoomiEnews and established a new e-zine called 7258’. Additionally, we developed a new video capability and put Checkpoints on line. I’m proud that our efforts have been greatly appreciated by the graduate community based on the many positive comments we have received. Additionally, for our communications excellence, we recently won ten awards, the most ever, from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in several categories including; Best College and University Alumni Magazine, Photographer of the Year-Lewis Carlyle, Best Video, Best Use of Social Media, Best Web Site and five other categories, as well. 12. We were pleased to cut the ribbon on the recently completed AOG Falcon Center Heritage Displays in Fairchild Hall which highlights the accomplishments of our graduates. The displays include a diverse group of our graduates, both young and older, and in and out of the service. Meant to inspire our cadets to attain great heights in their personal and professional lives, the displays are the first to recognize our living grads prominently in the Cadet Area. 13. Your AOG has also had the privilege of working with several graduated classes who have sponsored significant heritage projects over the past four years. The Class of ’59 funded the Harmon Memorial next to the Cadet Chapel. The Class of ’60 completed the layout of the Heritage Trail at Doolittle Hall. The Class of ’61 presented the Wings and Airman display at the Academy Cemetery. The Class of ’64 funded the Mall of Heroes in the Cadet Area and the Class of ’67

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donated the Carillon Bells at the Cemetery. The Class of ’70 anchored the Heritage Trail with the Southeast Asia Pavilion and the Class of ’89 honored their fallen classmate Lt. Col Kevin Shea with a Valor theme on the Trail. While I have noted some of the more visible accomplishments, there have been a slew of others, all brought to you by your dedicated AOG professional staff. Examples; taking Web Guy from 35,000 photos and videos to over 260,000 photos and videos this past summer, establishing the Alumni Badge for Academy entrance, developing the Long Blue Line Wines program, reestablishment of the LMAG membership program for cadets, the new Board of Directors displays in Doolittle Hall, and the list literally goes on and on. And while these examples represent some of the new things that have been accomplished, your AOG continues to do the traditional tasks that our graduates have come to expect in a most professional manner. Here are just a few of the many comments received from reunion classes this past season about Emma Ross and Leigh Frigm, our Alumni Reunion Event Coordinators: “Emma rocked!!! Things would not have gone as smoothly as they had without Emma’s help.” –Lt. Col. Martha Stevenson-Jones, Class of ’82 “On behalf of the USAFA Class of 1987, I would like to extend my warmest appreciation to Leigh Frigm […] organized, knowledgeable […] a pleasure to work with. [...]it resulted in a reunion many are calling our best to date.” –Patti Michalcik, Reunion Chair, Class of ’87 “A special thanks to Emma Ross and […] all our friends at the AOG. You guys have managed so many moving parts and you do it so well.” –Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, Class of ’76 “The Class of ’67 just completed a very successful 45th Reunion and Leigh Frigm gets most of the credit. She’s a gem […] outgoing, smart and proactive in heading off potential problems.” –Paul Henry, Reunion Chair, Class of ’67 “I am deeply appreciative and very proud of my AOG. I also want to single out Emma Ross—she was superb.” –Lt. Col. Phillip Hamilton, Class of ’91 In closing, while vision and leadership are requirements for organizational accomplishment, true success can only be achieved through a talented and dedicated team that does the day to day work on your behalf. Folks like Gary Howe ’69, Executive Vice President; Alton Parrish, Senior Vice President for Finance and CFO; Marty Marcolongo ’88, Senior Vice President for Business Development; Bob McAllister, Senior Vice President for Communications and Corrie Grubbs, Vice President for Alumni Affairs. This is your AOG Senior Management team. They do a tremendous job supporting the Academy and the membership community. You and I are both lucky to have them! Happy Holidays and Go Falcons!

columns

Chairman’s

Journal

ow so very fortunate those of us who live near Colorado Springs are! The multitude of events available at USAFA provide those of us who take advantage of attending them with a continuing relationship with our school, its cadets and staff, and the graduates who live here or travel back to visit. The annual events like the Character and Leadership

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by Terry Storm ’61

Symposium, Founders’ Day, where we honor two Distinguished Graduates, the Memorial Ceremony, where we recognize our fellow graduates who have passed away during the year, graduation, parades, reunions and many more (not to mention the numerous athletic contests) keep us connected. I have been honored to participate in many of them, representing our Association of Graduates (AOG), by presenting the awards at Founders’ Day, laying the commemorative wreath at the Memorial Ceremony and manning a shovel at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Holaday Athletic Center and the Center for Character and Leadership Development. I was privileged to attend Fisher DeBerry’s induction into the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame in New York City and General Norty Schwartz’ ’73 retirement functions in Washington. By attending our AOG Rampart Chapter functions, I interact monthly with their members. While I usually only attend football, basketball and hockey games here, I often am able to attend away games, especially at Army, Navy, Colorado State, New Mexico and Wyoming. I am fortunate to also attend special games against such teams as Hawaii, Michigan, Notre Dame, and San Diego State, plus the football bowl games and basketball and hockey tournament games. I am always pleased to see the many graduates who also attend those games and their tailgates; I would hope that all graduates make every effort to attend USAFA events in their areas. The AOG and our Chapters work very hard to promote these events. For the past three years plus that I have been our AOG Chairman of the Board, I have been graciously invited to events at the Superintendent’s quarters and functions of the USAFA Endowment. The board members of the Endowment, like our AOG board members, are outstanding representatives of our graduate community who constantly display their support and regard for our entire USAFA community. The Endowment leadership of Chairman Paul Madera ’78 and President and CEO General Steve Lorenz ’73 and the AOG’s President and CEO, “T” Thompson ’73 have joined me and our outstanding staff and other board members in continuing to dedicate our efforts to integrate our fundraising and friendraising missions to provide transparency and efficiency in all we do. “T” and I participate in the Endowment’s quarterly board meetings, and Chairman Madera invited our AOG Directors to their reception and dinner in October. General Lorenz participates in the AOG’s quarterly board meetings as well. Our graduates can look forward to continued synergy, allaying the fears and distrust that some still may hold about our two organizations. The kickoff this year of our joint endeavor to establish The Long Blue Line Endowment was a major step in maintaining the sustainability and relevance of our AOG; please consider contributing, as our AOG and Endowment Directors have done. We look forward to the New Year. GO FALCONS!

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From the Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76 graduates! The past few months at the Academy have been remarkable! Graduates should be proud of what our Academy has achieved. I continue to be impressed with the dedication of our cadets, faculty, and staff. The Cadet Wing flew out of the starting blocks at the beginning of the semester and jumped right into academics.

Over 45% of our cadets are on the Dean’s List, and academic probations are down 34% compared to recent years. I am also proud of the commitment our cadets have to the local community. The Waldo Canyon Fire devastated our community, and cadets were among the first to help. Cadets spearheaded several fund-raising events for fire victims, and several athletic teams assisted with a carnival for families the fire affected. Over 500 cadets helped in the clean up and fire mitigation in the hardest hit area of Mountain Shadows. The work cadets do within our community pays USAFA back in spades and ensures the Academy remains an integral member of the local community.

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Even with all they do, our cadets and staff still find time to excel nationally in airmanship and athletics. Our Wings of Blue Parachuting Team and Sailplane Racing Team once again dominated the competition and are reigning national collegiate champions for the 34th and 13th time, respectively. Also for the 25th consecutive year, the Academy’s Competitive Flying Team won at regionals. Closer to the ground, cross country had a program-best eight all-conference selections, and many of our teams are on track for an amazing winning season. For the first time ever, our rifle team won the President’s Cup, beating heavily favored Army. The talents of our cadets and those that work with them are boundless! We also just finished up a busy reunion season and had a great time welcoming over 1900 graduates back to their alma mater. The institutional pride the graduates bring always leads to a great buzz around the Cadet Area. Reunions do more than give grads a chance to relive their cadet days, they re-energize our Cadet Wing and give cadets access to one of the Academy’s greatest resources, the experience and knowledge of our graduate community. Our graduate community’s generosity is also something for which I am grateful. Because of this generosity we were able to break ground and begin construction on the Center for Character and Leadership Development building (CCLD) on 19 October. The building will house all four divisions of the Academy’s character and leadership development program in a single facility for the first time in history. Our character and leadership development programs are cornerstones to our mission of producing leaders of character and should be housed together in an iconic building where these programs can be further integrated into the Academy experience. Currently, these programs are scattered throughout the Cadet Area wherever space is available. It’s going to be noisy around here for the next 22 months, but it will be well worth it. When all the construction dust settles, the Academy will have a building whose design reflects USAFA’s goal to be the nation’s nexus for leadership

and character development and research. The CCLD project would never have been possible if it had not been for the astounding generosity of donors who funded $12 million of the project’s cost. I cannot thank the donors enough. They did not just help fund construction of a building; they helped the Academy ensure the nation of its commitment to excellence in character and leadership. We are committed to ensuring all of our cadets’ emotional and religious needs are met and are constantly looking at ways to strengthen the culture of respect at USAFA. We are extremely grateful for Chaplain (Col.) Robert Bruno’s leadership and thank the more than 20 national religious, cultural, and military leaders who participated in the Religious Respect Conference the Academy hosted in the fall. The conference attendees serve as counsel to our Religious Respect Training Program (RRTP) and provided great ideas and useful feedback that we will use to improve RRTP. The U.S. is now the most religiously pluralistic nation in the world, and the Academy’s successes in the area of respect have many looking to USAFA’s RRTP as a model for a national program. Anyone who has volunteered their service to our nation and taken the oath to protect and uphold the Constitution has the right to feel accepted and included no matter his/her religious views. I want to thank the local and graduate communities and team USAFA for their unwavering support. GO FALCONS!

state of mind Feedback, insight and fun from Falcon Nation.

Another Grad Helped Reimagine Lowry The September article “Lowry Reimagined” AFB has several errors of omission. The Lowry Redevelopment Authority (LRA), formed by Denver and Aurora, was put together by myself—a 1966 USAFA graduate—its first executive director, who headed the Authority from 1994 through 1997. In 1998 I went on to head the redevelopment of the Presidio of San Francisco, a newly formed Federal Agency and the Association of Defense Communities, an organization that facilitates communication TweetBack between DoD and communities. “@AirForceGrads The decisions to make Lowry a unique new Congrats on community where residents could “Live, Learn, Work and Play,” to make it a Traditional Neighall the awards! borhood Design (TND) community and to It’s great to be Adaptively Reuse existing buildings were decisions affiliated with made in the first four years by the Lowry team such a high-flying with strong public input by surrounding neighorganization borhoods and city officials. (see what we did Tom Markham, whom I hired, has done an outstanding job executing the plans put there?).” AOG True Blue Business together by the Lowry team from 1994 through sponsor @kumandgo, via 1997. Lowry is, perhaps, the best ever example Twitter, on the AOG winning of a military base conversion. However, the ten CASE District VI 2012/13 initial staffing of Lowry, major planning and Institutional Awards this past operational decisions, sales and marketing, and November for excellence in communications practices. master developer roles from inception through 1997 were accomplished by a team headed by myself with Markham’s invaluable assistance. Which Air Force gridiron The Lowry story warrants this article about victory brings you more its successes. It has accomplished many Firsts satisfaction? in Reuse: TND, Green Development and IncluBeating Army 19% sive Development. Many key team members Sinking Navy 81% rightly share this success story. Jim Meadows, Class of 1966

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Solar Array Savings? In regards to the Academy’s 6-megawatt solar array project, I believe it is a little premature to state that the project has saved the taxpayers $802,000 in its first year, since taxpayers—and our creditors—shelled out $18.3 million for the project already. In fact, if you assume the same power-generating performance for the array throughout its lifetime as already demonstrated, and no maintenance costs, then it will be at least 22.8 years before the project breaks even, leaving 7.2 years to operate in the black. Of course, there will be unspecified upkeep costs for labor, parts, disposal, etc., so “net zero energy,” if ever realized, may not be “net zero cost.” That being said, if you are going to use solar power, I can’t imagine a much better location than the Front Range! Barney Beuker, Class of 1981 Chairman Storm Was Right on Proselytization The curriculum in my junior high civics class was apparently different than that of the two Checkpoints writers who took such issue with outgoing Chairman Terry Storm rightly questioning the religious proselytizing of former Academy leaders. I learned that your freedom of speech stops at my ear. Neither of you have any Constitutional right to share your news (good, bad or otherwise), in my home or my place of work. In fact, I find it particularly offensive that you seem so sanctimoniously compelled to impose your particular brand of salvation on my own Christian beliefs. I also learned that our Constitution guarantees my right to live in a country where my government and their hired representatives cannot foist their own religious beliefs on me. If you wish to proselytize to all we unwashed masses, then you need to trade in your secular military uniform for clerical garb. John Gunyou, Class of 1970

Feeling Green? Do you enjoy the enriched experience of Checkpoints online and want to save a tree? Email editor@ aogusafa.org and you can defer shipment of the print edition of the magazine.

Long Blue Ladle Was Comfort Food I’m currently deployed and writing from Bagram, Afghanistan. I just wanted Checkpoints to know that I was really excited to see my recipe brought to life in the September 2012 article “Long Blue Ladle.” Those kebabs looked even better than the ones my wife and I make ... sorry Laura. But seriously, can’t wait to get home and grill them again myself, so thank you for the reminder of home and please keep up the great work representing the class of ‘05. Jason Scalzitti, Class of 2005

Correction The September article “A Falcon in Office” states that Chuck Reed ’70 graduated “number one in his class.” To clarify: Mayor Reed graduated first militarily, but second in order of merit. Steven Berta graduated first in order of merit for the Class of 1970. Letters Submission Guidelines Checkpoints welcomes letters from its readers. Please limit your submission to 250 words. For your letter to be considered, you must include your name and graduating year, if you are an Academy graduate. Letters should be e-mailed to editor@aogusafa.org. Checkpoints reserves the right to edit all submissions.

USAFA AOG Communications Department Wins Ten CASE Awards In October, the Association of Graduates learned that the Communications Department has won ten District VI CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Awards for excellence in Communications Practices. The awards will be presented to the Communications team at the CASE Conference in Chicago this December. Look for a feature article about the awards and the ceremony in the March issue of Checkpoints! CASE District VI Awards College and University General Interest (Alumni) Magazine....................Gold Best Use of Social Media.....................................Gold Photographer of the Year.....................................Gold Video General Information Features ...................Gold Best Articles of the Year: Higher Education.........Silver Best Institutional Website....................................Silver Electronic Web-Based Periodical.........................Silver Periodical Staff Writing for External Audiences ..Silver Web-Based Periodicals for External Audiences.....Silver Best Articles of the Year: Higher Education.........Bronze

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The Transmission USAFA news from around the globe … and beyond.

Luttrell ’07 Presented Silver Star Captain Blake Luttrell ’07 was presented the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest combat military decoration, for gallantry in action against an enemy of the U.S. in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, in January 2012. When his clearing operation team came under intense fire from insurgents in a cave compound, two Afghan commandos were shot. Luttrell recovered the casualties while directing air power against the enemy. After a medical evacuation, the team medic was critically wounded while protecting his teammates and women and children near the enemy stronghold. Luttrell responded by throwing a smoke grenade into the caves the enemy was firing from. He then moved in front of the cave to pull the medic to a location where another medevac helicopter landed to extract the medic from the fight.(Rachel Arroyo/Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs) Grads Named to Boards Three grads have been selected to serve on high profile boards of directors in the past quarter. General (Ret.) Ralph “Ed” Eberhart ’68 has been elected to the Jacobs Engineering Group

Inc. board of directors. USAFA graduate, Major General (Ret.) Robert H. McMahon ’78, has been elected to become a member of the State Bank Financial Corporation. And finally, R. David Yost ’69 has been appointed to the Bank of America board of directors. Yost and Eberhart also serve on the USAFA Endowment board of directors. USAFA Finishes First in Cyber Competition The Air Force Academy’s Cyber Competition Team placed first of 331 undergraduate teams from the United States and Canada in the New York Polytechnic Cyber Security Awareness Week Capture the Flag competition held Sept. 28-30. Counting teams of graduate students and industry professionals, a total of 1,212 teams competed from around the world. From those 1,212 teams, the Air Force Academy finished eighth overall. The NYU Poly Capture the Flag competition is a “challenge-based competition centered around solving technical security challenges to find flags and submit them for points. The competition consists of different kinds of challenges in many different categories from all areas of computer security.” The Air Force Academy team solved all 32 of the challenges. (USAFA Public Affairs) USAFA Dean of Faculty to Retire Air Force Academy Dean of the Faculty Brig. Gen. Dana Born ’83 plans to retire during the summer of 2013. Born has served as the Academy’s ninth dean of the faculty since Oct. 1, 2004. As dean, Born has served as the Academy’s chief architect for the groundbreaking Officer Development System. She was the Academy’s point person during the sexual assault and sexual harassment challenges in 2003. She led the Academy’s educational and research programs to top national rankings, bolstered the institution’s learning culture and guided the Academy’s 10-year accreditation effort, resulting in 16 accolades by the Higher Learning Commission. (USAFA Public Affairs) Joe Bleymaier ’65 Receives 2012 Pat Tillman Award Joe Bleymaier ’65 has been inducted into San Pedro, California’s Sports Walk to the Waterfront Hall of Fame as the recipient of the 2012 Pat Tillman Award. The award is presented to athletes that have courageously defended our nation during war. Bleymaier was a star halfback on the Mary Star High School football team, which was memorialized in the book Thin Ice on the Gridiron. Bleymaier started on the Air Force Freshman team before a knee injury ended his career. After graduating from the Academy, Bleymaier served in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller flying 310 missions and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.

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ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Staff Directory 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475, (719) 472-0300 THE ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES To email a staff member, use the first and last name. Example: Gary Howe | gary.howe@aogusafa.org AOG Executive office President & CEO William “T” Thompson ’73, Ext. 101 (t.thompson@aogusafa.org) Executive Vice President Gary Howe ’69, Ext. 107 Senior Vice President for Business Development Marty Marcolongo ’88, Ext. 146 Senior Vice President for Finance & Chief Financial Officer Alton Parrish, Ext. 123 EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Hadassa Muñoz, Ext. 106 Finance Accountant Joyce Love, Ext. 110 SENIOR Accounting Clerk Janice Baca, Ext. 111 Sr. Data integrity Specialist Kim Wilson, Ext. 127 Communications SR. Vice President for Communications Bob McAllister, Ext. 142 SENIOR EDITOR David Bergeman, Ext. 143 Editor/Photographer Lewis Carlyle, Ext. 140 Senior Designer Sarah Larrabee, Ext. 144 Class News & Obituary Editor Tom Kroboth, Ext. 133

SR. Data integrity Specialist John Rice, Ext. 132 Data integrity Specialist Murlea Vance, Ext. 130

director of web communications Troy Surratt, Ext. 125 Systems Administrator Jason Finkle, Ext. 124 Programmer/Systems Analyst Gayatri Parepalli, Ext. 118 Web Developer Toby Lortz, Ext. 141 Director of Information Systems Jack Mueller ’70, Ext. 122

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Beth Wade, Ext. 134 Alumni Affairs Vice President for Alumni affairs Corrie Grubbs, Ext. 105 Membership Services Specialist Don McCarthy, Ext. 139 Director of Programs Wayne Taylor, Ext. 150 Graduate and Cadet Support Specialist Natalie Ryan, USMA ’09, Ext .108 Director of Constituent Relations Stella Grayson ’99, Ext. 121 Alumni affairs event Coordinator Emma Ross, Ext. 136 Alumni affairs event Coordinator Leigh Frigm, Ext. 138 Doolittle Hall Events/Special Functions Director of Event Planning Ashlee Peterson, Ext. 147 Special Functions Coordinator Jean Bickford, Ext. 148 Customer Service and Facility Management Customer Service supervisor Michele Cowan, Ext. 151 Customer Service Representative Sara Dozier, Ext. 152 Customer Service Representative Jan Howard, Ext. 153 Facilities Superintendent Dave Pfeil, Ext. 155 Customer Service Representative Sherry Jayne, Ext. 154 Maintenance Specialist Jake Jacobs, Ext. 155 The Association of Graduates BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board Chair Terry Storm ’61 Rip Blaisdell ’62 Kevin Chilton ’76 Secretary Bob Munson ’73 Vic Andrews ’66 Bebe O’Neil ’83 Treasurer Jack Fry ’67 Roger Carleton ’67 Frank Schmuck ’88 Bruce Wright ’73 Steve Beasley ’93

Kathleen Rock ’98 Mark Rosenow ’03

The USAFA Endowment To email a staff member, use the first and last name. Example: Mark Hille | mark.hille@usafaendowment.org President & CEO Gen. (Ret.) Stephen R. Lorenz ’73 (steve.lorenz@usafaendowment.org) Vice President, Development Mark Hille ’97, Ext. 202 Executive Assistant Ruth Reichert Ext. 206 Controller Dennis Scruggs, Ext. 203 Associate Vice President for Development Greg Knedler, Ext. 224 DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING Patricia O’Connor, Ext. 221 associate vp of leadership giving Jimmy Martello ’00, 719.229.4202 director, gift planning Dale Zschoche, 719.238.7510

Major gift officer Troy Danno ‘12, 304.579.7999 Class Giving Officer Razelle Doherty, Ext. 222 development Coordinator Amanda Brown, Ext. 223 Development associate Gina Simler, Ext. 200 development communication officer Ahn Tillery, Ext. 240 Stewardship Coordinator Allison Biereichel, Ext. 220 Staff Accountant Patricia DeSimone, Ext. 204

Checkpoints

December 2012

Three time archery world champion C3C Rachael Trafford trains with the Cadet Archery Club.

10 5

TOP SHOT

ON THE RANGE WITH THE CADET ARCHERY CLUB

The last of the falling leaves shudder restlessly across the open range, their bright orange and yellow patterns slowly dropping to the earth with each new gust of wind. The air is calm and unusually warm for late October. It’s perfect weather for archery. C3C Rachael Trafford secures her grip on the re-curve bow in her right hand and unsheathes an arrow from her belt quiver. She nocks the carbon fiber shaft securely to the string and peers down range at her objective. The rustling of leaves and chatter of birds begin to disappear as the cadet clears her mind for the shot, blocking out all distractions until there is nothing but the target. She raises the bow and draws, bracing her left hand behind her jaw, just as she has done thousands of times before. Her head tilts forward until the familiar texture of the bow string touches her nose. Her sight-pins aligned, she releases, sending the arrow streaking down range where it impacts the center of the target with a satisfying thwack! “A little off,” Trafford sighs, a trace of disappointment in her voice. It’s a shot that any archer would be perfectly proud of but, in the world of competitive shooting, “a little off” means the arrow is a few centimeters left of bulls eye. Trafford unsheathes a new arrow for the next shot. “Learning to shoot takes patience,” she admits, “and teaching others to shoot takes even more. Archery doesn’t come easy. I’ve been competing for 16 years of my life and the first time I tried to shoot a bow I held it upside down! I’ve missed targets—but that’s okay. You have to practice in order to be perfect.”

All around, the Academy archery range is bustling with activity as everyone from hunters to competitive target shooters mill about, sighting in their bows and flinging arrows down range. The grounds are set amid a large open space just east of the Academy’s Community Center. Complete with a 60 yard static range with night lights, a 3D target shoot and four walking courses, the facility offers the full gamut of shooting situations. All USAFA cadets enjoy a free annual membership, complete with training instructors and

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEWIS CARLYLE

TOP SHOT

equipment check out. Additionally, the range is open to civilians for a modest membership fee. Visit on any given Saturday and you are likely to encounter cadets and civilians alike enjoying a cookout at the range clubhouse. People lounge around the many picnic tables which adorn the elevated deck, chatting happily while hamburgers and hot dogs sizzle on the grill. For cadets, the range offers a great place to escape from the daily grind of life on the Terrazzo. C1C Nick Santoro is the Cadet-in-Charge (CIC) of the Academy’s Archery Club. On select weekends throughout the semester, he and the club’s other senior shooters introduce new cadets to the sport. Like most of the training which takes place at the Academy, the Archery Club is a cadet-run program, in which upperclassmen serve as mentors for the younger students. After indulging themselves with a few rounds on the target range, Santoro and Trafford greet a large group of cadets who have just arrived to try their hands at archery. None of the new cadets has ever held a bow, making them ideal students who can be shaped from scratch with proper technique. Both of the experienced shooters help the cadets with stance, draw and sight picture. Arrows fling haphazardly down range, some of them impacting the outskirts of the target, others landing more respectably in the center. Either way, the experience of shooting brings broad smiles to the cadets’ faces.

Nick Santoro recalls his own introduction to archery four years ago. “It was my freshman year just after Recognition when a bunch of us were having lunch together. One of my squadron mates asked if anyone wanted to go down to the archery range to shoot. I said, ‘Sure, that sounds like fun.’ I’ve been shooting ever since.” Santoro, like many of the cadets in the club, frequents the range whenever he can. “Down at the range,” he explains, “we have a gentleman named Al Duhon who is the president of the civilian side of the Archery Club. Al is a highly experienced archer and a certified instructor. He personally taught me how to shoot, and he can pretty much be found down at the range teaching every weekend.” For anyone who loves the great outdoors, archery can be one of the most rewarding sports there is. It requires discipline, determination and focus, three attributes which come naturally to many cadets. C2C Derek Richardson will be taking over as cadet in charge for next year. At the range, he displays stoic poise as he draws his bow and sights his target. “I love being able to get outdoors,” Richardson says. “Here, I can enjoy myself without even having to leave base or spend money. It is truly therapeutic for me. As Al will tell you, archery is a martial art. As such, it requires a relaxed mind and a trained body. I enjoy the challenge of working on both of those.” 

C1C Nick Santoro practices at the 3D target area.

C3C Rachael Trafford and C1C Nick Santoro practice at the 3D target area.

Cadet Santoro teaches introduction to archery at the range.

From left: C3C Rachael Trafford, C1C Nick Santoro, C2C Derek Richardson.

Checkpoints | December 2012

C2C Derek Richardson hones his aim at the range.

As many of the senior cadet shooters will attest, archery has many training attributes which cross over to the military challenges cadets will face at the Academy and also later in their careers. Pilots, navigators and ground troops alike require focus, confidence and coolness under pressure—all required elements for sinking a bulls eye at 40 yards on a windy day. Santoro explains, “One of the things I love most about archery is the focus it takes. When you’re out there on the range, it’s just you and the bow and the target. That kind of solidarity is a great way to remove yourself from any kind of stressful environment,” Santoro pauses thoughtfully, “especially during finals at the Academy.” Every cadet has his or her own reasons for finding sanctuary at the range. For Rachael Trafford, archery has simply always been a part of her life. “I started shooting at the age of three,” Trafford recalls. “My 20

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father was an Eagle Scout and I learned from him. Both of my parents and my three siblings shoot.” Collectively, Trafford’s family has won 17 World Archery Championships. “My first World Championship was in South Africa,” Trafford continues. “I remember coming up to a target and there were baboons and king cobras everywhere!” During her career, Trafford has won three International Field Archery Association (IFAA) championships in the under 12 age division. She also held three world records in the cub division for bare bow re-curve—two of which have been broken by her sisters Heather and Miriam. Trafford also spent time on the U.S. Junior Olympic Team from 2008-2010. Between Trafford and her family, it could easily be said that archery is in her blood. She says, “I started Olympic target archery at age 15 and trained under Coach KiSik Lee, who is the national head coach of the U.S. Olympic Archery

“

Archery is very complimentary to the training we do here at the Academy. You need discipline, determination and focus in order to be successful.

” TOP SHOT Training Program. I would say that I have a friendly competition with my sisters. We used to train with hundreds of arrows every day. I’d also say that archery is very complimentary to the training we do here at the Academy. You need discipline, determination and focus in order to be successful.” Like Trafford, Cadet Richardson has big plans for the future of the Archery Club. “As next year’s CIC,” Richardson says, “I think my greatest challenge will be getting approval to upgrade the archery facility and put together a team with the supervision and coaching of Trafford to go to the World Bare Bow championship.” Rachael Trafford is looking forward to raising the Academy’s status in the world of archery. “Before I came to the Academy I had aspirations of competing in the 2012 Olympics in London,” she recounts. “However, my Olympic priorities came second to the Academy and serving my country. I do hope to some

day bring home a gold medal though. My sister is currently attending the Naval Academy where they have just created a competitive archery team. I hope the Air Force Academy will do the same so that I can represent USAFA and compete against her in the 2013 World University Games in Russia.” As of now, the club does not compete in regional archery events. But Richardson and Trafford aim to change all that. Fortunately there is no shortage of experienced teachers to take on new cadets who are eager to learn. There is still a long way to go, and the road to competitive shooting will be a long and difficult challenge—but then again, at the Air Force Academy, challenge is a way of life.

Click here to see more exciting photos of the Cadet Archery Club in action! Checkpoints | December 2012

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Checkpoints

June 2012

The Olympics Through Falcon Eyes A Firsthand Account of the 2012 London Games from Epee Fencer Seth Kelsey â&#x20AC;&#x2122;03

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Written by David Bergeman

This summer,

three-time Olympian Seth Kelsey ’03 made a historic run through the Men’s Individual Epee fencing competition to finish fourth at the 2012 London games. It was the best performance by an American in the event since the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Kelsey’s performance at the London games provided him with a measure of redemption and cemented his fencing legacy. Kelsey’s competition draws were very star-crossed during his first two Olympics. Kelsey came in to the 2004 games in Athens very green and a bit nervous about performing on the big stage. He was eliminated in the round of 32 but, even if he had he won his opening bout, he would have had one of the greatest fencers of all time waiting for him. At the 2008 Beijing games, Kelsey drew the eventual silver medalist, France’s Fabrice Jeannet. Kelsey and Jeannet had been fencing each other for ten years with Kelsey going winless. Their Olympic bout was close but ultimately he fell once again to the Frenchmen. After completing the London games, Kelsey is still haunted, metaphorically speaking, by missing the medal podium by a matter of inches. During his tear to the bronze medal match, Kelsey defeated world No. 1 seed Nikolai Novosjolov of Estonia in the round of 16. His quarterfinal bout pitted him against his archrival, Venezuela’s Silvio Fernandez. Fernandez had proven to be one of Kelsey’s most difficult opponents through the years, giving him fits on the strip. The bad blood between the two was amplified before the Olympics when Fernandez snubbed the American fencing team by not showing up in France (where the Americans were training) for scheduled pre-Olympics sparring sessions with the Yanks. Before the bout, Kelsey knew he had to lay it all on the line and fence his best to defeat Fernandez. He did, winning the bout 15-9 while securing the proverbial last laugh. Kelsey would lose an extremely competitive semifinal match by a touch, 5-4 in overtime. The bronze medal match was a back and forth affair that went down to the wire, and a final touch. Kelsey would lose when the Republic of Korea’s Jung Jinsun nipped the front of his shoe to secure a 12-11 victory and the bronze medal. The atmosphere during the daylong event was intense; the crowd was loud and Kelsey’s 16-person tie-die clad cheering section lead the way. After the heartbreak of losing the bronze medal match, Kelsey can stand tall as one of the greatest Air Force Olympians ever and one of the best American fencers of the past half-century. w

In his third Olympics, Team U.S.A. Men’s Epee fencer Seth Kelsey ’03 finished fourth in the competition. It was the best finish by an American in the event since 1956.

Checkpoints

December 2012

London Calling Captain Seth Kelsey is currently the Commander of the 310 FSV flight at Buckley Air Force Base. He moved to the reserves in 2007 and currently lives in Colorado Springs. These are some of his Olympic experiences. No Time for “Work” I’m gone about 110 days a year [fencing]. When I’m in town we train twice a day, five days a week. It’s a mixture of bouting, footwork, lessons and strength, conditioning, or agility training. There’s really no time to do anything else as far as a job. Free Goodies at the Village Team USA gets fitted by Nike and Ralph Lauren. On team processing day you basically get to pick out a bunch of clothes. In the end, I came out with three large bags of shoes, shirts, and shorts, all of my footwear. You get to pick out your Olympic ring and watch. You get shampoo and stuff from Proctor and Gamble. That’s a fun day. Opening Ceremony Makes it Real The day you qualify is exciting, but I feel like the Opening Ceremonies are the moments where you think, “Oh, yeah, I’m actually at the Olympic Games!” It begins to really dawn on you. It’s a pretty exhaustive event. You have to line up three or four hours before. You walk several miles from the Village to the stadium. You don’t get to see much of what goes on because you miss the first two hours or so. People ask me, “Oh, did you see so-and-so?” And my reply is, “I haven’t seen an Opening Ceremony in 12 years!”

From top: Kelsey celebrates after defeating world No. 1 seed Nikolai Novosjolov of Estonia in the round of 16; Kelsey and other Olympians were greeted by President Obama after being invited to the White House after competing in the London games (courtesy photos).

Coach Speak

Village Food and McDonalds The food in the Athletes’ Village was good. They had food from every corner of the world. Everyday you could eat food from a new continent. I don’t eat at McDonalds in general, but I tried the Village’s McDonald’s. It was a huge tent. It was probably double the size of Mitchell Hall. It was very, very big. It was one of the nicer tents I’ve been in. The McDonald’s at the Athletes’ Village could seat 1,500 diners simultaneously and serve up to 14,000 people in 24 hours.

Sebastien Dos Santos served as the U.S. Men’s Epee national coach from August 2009 to September 2012 working with Kelsey through the London Olympics. This is what Dos Santos had to say about his star pupil. Special Features Seth knows himself very well so his preparation for major events is thoughtfully planned. On the strip, I would give him two exceptional attributes: his unique tactical intuition in critical moments and his ability to raise his performance level in high-pressure situations. Falcon Focus Right before Seth entered in the Olympic arena [at the London games] to compete in the top eight, behind the curtain the tension was very high and we could feel how focused

every athlete was. Seth and I were laughing, talking about things that had nothing to do with fencing. A minute later, when Seth reached the strip, he put his mask on, adjusted his gloves, and he was a warrior. It demonstrates to me his unique capacity to be fully in the moment. Return to Rio Every event is unique and men’s epee is probably one of the toughest sports to show consistency in. With that said, if Seth decides to commit for another four years and prepares for Rio, he can definitely medal there.

Spaniard and Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Pau Gasol is 7’0” tall and weighs 250 lbs. Spain’s men’s basketball team lost to Team USA in the gold medal game.

No Big Deal I had a chat with Ryan Lochte [Team USA swimmer]. He seemed like a nice guy. While exploring the Village I was walking next to Pau Gasol. I didn’t understand how big that individual was—and he’s a quick walker. Very long legs, very quick walker. Epee Powers The traditional powerhouses would be Russia, Italy, France and Korea. It’s pretty tight. The top seven teams are very close skill wise. The Olympics Melt Time In the past I’ve had very short events. In Beijing, I drew the world champion and lost in the first round. I was done in ten minutes. This time I was fortunate to win some bouts. The event may only take twelve hours, but it feels like forever. So Close to a Medal, Yet so Far On one hand, those moments will haunt me for the rest of my life. You second-guess your choices. You’re driving your car and you start thinking about it and “Oooh!” Suddenly your heart is pounding, and you’re thinking “Whoa, I better calm down here!” I’ve had some sleepless nights. At the end of the day I was elated, but tempered with the fact that I was so close to winning a medal. Your life becomes very different when you win a medal. There’s money and endorsements. Everyone asks you how you did at the games. Everyone wants to hear you won a medal. MAKE A RUN AT RIO? Fencers tend to peak in their early 30s [Kelsey turned 31 in August]. I definitely have one more games in me. That’s the plan for now. However, at this point in my career there aren’t too many boxes left to check. I would love to win an Olympic medal, but we’ve won World Championships and Pan Am Games. I’ve won World Cups. I feel pretty satisfied that I’ve done the things I’ve wanted to do in this sport.

From top: Kelsey’s parents, Susan and Morton, cheer on Seth with their “Team Kelsey” shirts during his competition; Kelsey and his girlfriend, Paige Fox, were guests of the Denver Broncos during a celebration of local athletes who competed in the London games.

Last March in Kiev, Kelsey was a member of the first U.S. men’s epee team to win gold at the World Championships.

authors corner

Lessons in Honor – A novel of character, courage and leadership by Dr. Lin Bothwell It is 1960, and Pete Sutton is thrilled to be a cadet at the new U.S. Air Force Academy. The Academy rewards discipline, loyalty, and honor, values he first learned from his beloved father. Pete learns to be a principled leader both on the football team and among the cadets, his band of brothers. His idealism is challenged by the looming Vietnam War, the assassination of President Kennedy, and a threat to the Honor Code and the Academy itself. For Pete and his unbending personal code of honor, there is only one path forward—to confront the system head on. What readers say: “I loved this book. It is a treasure…a talented novelist, Dr. Bothwell has written a most entertaining and educational story of life, love, deceit and personal triumph at a major United States military academy … I will recommend Lessons In Honor to fellow grads AND to the staff of the Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD) at the Academy … it strongly reinforced my feelings of respect for the USAFA Institution and the Honor Code.” Available at www.linbothwell.com and www.amazon.com ISBN: 978-0-615-64754-8 Adrenaline Nation: Chronic Stress Is Ruining Our Health And Bankrupting Our Economy–Discover What YOU Can Do About It–NOW! by Peter M. McCarthy ‘72

Peter McCarthy’s landmark new book, Adrenaline Nation, released by Smart Publications (www.smart-publications.com) on August 1, 2012, is destined to spark debates about the effects of chronic stress. Drawing from his broad experience as a military officer, commercial pilot, traditional naturopath and grass roots political activist, Peter McCarthy, ND weaves a compelling narrative that is sure to begin an ongoing national dialogue in the boardroom, by the water fountain, in the classroom, and in the halls of government about a subject we all experience but barely understand: the effects of chronic stress. McCarthy offers innovative and achievable solutions for conquering both the personal and institutional aspects of stress, in the process demonstrating why Adrenaline Nation is sure to be the most talked-about book of the year. Available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. What readers say: “You need this book! ... Peter McCarthy has performed a great service for us all ... well researched book ... a must read for every thinking American ... offers incisive analysis.”

The Great Muckrock and Rosie by Ross Detwiler “It’s amazing, Rosie, but I could unplug several names in your book, plug in my buddies and have the same great story. I miss them just like you miss your guys”. At and after the Academy, special friendships developed between myself, some of my classmates, and non-grads. Those friendships had nothing whatsoever to do with where we went to school or the type of plane we flew. They were about talking to, shouting at, teasing, and caring for and about people with whom we were preparing to go to war. This story concentrates on flying fighters because that is what I did. Nevertheless it is a tale of friendships and relationships, deep love of family and overnight attractions. It’s been called “almost spiritual” in its seeking of answers to questions of why good men die, how love endures and how the chaos of war imparts a “special” lifelong closeness to one’s comrades, alive or dead. Available for purchase at www.abbottpress.com/bookstore or amazon.com in hardcover, softcover, or e-book. Hardcover ISBN 978-1-4582-0310-6

NOW AVAILABLE WITH YOUR CLASS CREST! Did you know that USAA has a credit card that gives back to AOG? Better yet, it’s now available with your class crest! Go to: www.usaa.com/aog to learn more and apply for the AOG USAA Rewards™ World MasterCard ®.

Integrity. Service. Excellence.

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FOOD FACTOR

the daunting task of FEEDING 4,000 hungry cadets

The epic vaulted ceiling towers over the crowd of cadets as they flood through the front doors of the Air Force Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining facility. In mere moments, 4,000 hungry cadets are seated at their tables, waiting patiently for the lunch time announcements to conclude so that they may make their assault on todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu of grilled chicken, whole grain rice and fresh salad. The Cadet Wing Commander signs off from the Staff Tower and the food servers take to their stations with the efficiency of a well oiled NASCAR pit crew swapping out race car tires. The family style dining is served to each table in piping hot metal pans. Cadets load generous portions onto their plates and devour their way through the meal like turbo charged vacuum cleaners. A mere 20 minutes after the first plate was served, the students are out of their chairs and heading for their afternoon classes. By 12:30 p.m., the facility is devoid of diners and the only

sounds left are the metal clink of silverware being collected by the cleanup crews. The cadets, now happily fed, have no idea of the colossal effort it has taken to bring their latest meal to life, or that the hard-working staff of Mitchell Hall began their day in the hot kitchens at 3 a.m. that morning. Tommie Jones is the Kitchen Supervisor for the day shift at the Academy dining facility. A good natured chef who loves food almost as much as he loves to laugh, Jones has been at Mitchell Hall for over 27 years. His culinary creations include the last decade of 12-foot-tall specialty cakes for the Cadet Ring Dance, along with an assortment of other baked goods, to include school mascots of opposing football teams (the Navy goat was recently decapitated by a cadet saber at the pep rally). Tommie runs a delicate balance of food preparation and employee

W RITTEN AND P HOTOGRA P HED B Y L E W IS CAR L Y L E 30

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“WING TAKE SEATS” politics in Mitchell Hall’s over-sized kitchens. It’s 7 a.m. and the staff is already busy preparing lunch for the cadets. Today’s menu is Kung-Pao beef with rice and mixed vegetables. Three 100 gallon stainless steel vats simmer a scrumptious mixture of beef and seasonings while rice and vegetables cook in additional 100 gallon vats. “We have 4,000 people depending on us,” says Tommie as he checks the temperature of the nearest vat. “We take care of our cadets. This service has been going on before this staff started working here and it will continue to go on long after we’re gone. Our staff are very dedicated to their jobs.” Tommie explains that all of the lunch menu items have to be staggered during prep time. If everything were to finish cooking at the exact same time there are not enough staff to transition the meals into the temperature controlled serving carts. Food would be sitting out at room temperature, which is a serious health code violation. Fortunately for the cadets, Tommie runs an

extremely well organized kitchen. The lunch prep goes smoothly, finally wrapping up just as the cadets are finishing breakfast. With Tommie and his staff running the kitchens, the task of administration and menu planning falls to yet another set of dedicated employees. Edward Fitzhenry—known as “Fitz” by his coworkers—is the Director of Cadet Food Services at USAFA and he has the unenviable task of keeping the entire logistical operation of Mitchell Hall running on time and on budget. “As with every aspect of Air Force operations,” Fitz begins, “Mitchell Hall isn’t immune to the budget cuts we expect over the next several years. Despite reductions in personnel and lower operating budgets, we have the best staff who make sure Mitch’s never misses a meal nor forgets our mission of helping produce leaders of character for our Air Force.” In addition to the day-to-day operations, the Mitchell Hall administration also places a great deal of importance on the dietary needs of the Cadet Wing.  Checkpoints | December 2012

FOOD FACTOR Shelly Morales is a registered dietitian and serves as the Nutrition Program Director at the Academy. “I have a lot of different functions here at Mitchell Hall,” Shelly says through a bright smile. “One of my primary duties entails the menu management and menu planning for all of the meals for the cadets. Additionally, if we have any special functions such as tailgates or the Holiday Meal, I plan the menus for those as well.” Shelly explains that the Academy has specific nutrition guidelines which must be followed to ensure that campus meals meet the recommended military intake levels. “We balance each meal to make sure that all of our nutritional components are being met,” Shelly says. In addition to her duties as the primary meal planner, Shelly also takes time to personally counsel cadets on nutrition and healthy eating. “We get a lot of athletes who are interested in improving their sports performance and I provide individual nutrition counseling for them. Weight loss is another big topic. If any of the cadets are struggling with being over the weight stan-

dards for the Air Force then I will create an individualized meal plan for them. Contrary to that, if cadets are under weight, we also provide additional calories to help them get up to the standards.” At a glance, it would be easy to assume that Mitchell Hall is a gigantic monotone food factory, systematically cranking out identical meals in mass proportion. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Given the diverse crosssection of specific dietary needs at the Academy, the dining facility actually produces a large variety of menu items every day. “We do dental soft diets for cadets who get their wisdom teeth removed,” says Shelly, “and we provide special meals for vegetarians. One of our biggest challenges is balancing the menu between what the cadets want and what is good for them. For instance, one of their favorite meals is chicken strips and mac and cheese. We know that’s not always the healthiest meal, so I try to counter balance that with whole grain rice or pasta at a different meal. While they may have a high fatty meal for lunch one day, we try to offset that with a lighter option the next day. I like to think that

Top left: Timing is everything. Lunch vegetables are transferred to the warming tins at 7 a.m. in the morning. Top right: Cadets enjoy a large cross section of fruits to choose from for each meal. Left: Kung-Pao beef is prepared in three 100 gallon vats.

we are offering cadets the opportunity to broaden their tastes by providing different foods that they may not have experienced on their own.” Back in the kitchens, Tommie Jones heads for the freight elevator which leads to the vast labyrinth of storage warehouses and loading docks beneath Mitchell Hall. He enters a walk-in freezer and pulls out a rack of his latest batch of “Mitch’s Mountains” for an upcoming special event. A thing of legend at the Academy, the towering dish boasts lavish, multi-flavored portions of ice cream and cake. A baker at heart, Tommie cannot hold back the smile which spreads over his face at the sight of the dessert. “We make these for the Cadet for a Day program,” he says. “As a cancer survivor myself, I have a special place in my heart for the kids who come here to eat with the cadets at the Staff Tower.” A long standing program at the Academy, Cadet for a Day offers young children who are suffering from serious illness the chance to tour the campus with an entourage of cadets and experience life at USAFA

first hand. Mitchell Hall has traditionally provided a special lunch since the program’s inception. Cadet for a Day is not the only special event the dining facility caters. The Exemplar Dinner, 100th Night, the Ring Dance and cadet tailgates for every home football game are just a few of the occasions Mitchell Hall serves. In addition to providing food, the dining staff are also committed to fostering nutrition education around campus. Shelly explains, “I like to be able to get out and talk to the cadets about nutrition and how it can improve their lives both here at USAFA and also after they graduate and go out on their own. We give presentations to the biology department and I also do a lot of sports nutrition briefings down at the Athletic Department. By being here for the students and giving them the food they need to perform— whether they are athletes or are trying to pass their physical fitness tests—our primary purpose is to support the cadets so that they will go on to be successful in their Air Force careers.” 

Click here to see bonus photos of Mitchell Hall’s mind blowing culinary operation then check out the Food Factor Film.

Top: Kitchen supervisor Tommie Jones stirs a 100 gallon vat of whole kernel corn for the evening meal. Right: Registered Dietitian Shelly Morales serves as the Nutrition Program Director at the Academy.

FOOD FACTOR MITCHELL HALL annual STATS • • • • • • • •

More than 3 million meals served 120,000 gallons of milk consumed 786,000 pounds of fresh fruits & vegetables cleaned and consumed 126,000 Clif Bars consumed 402,000 pounds of chicken eaten 281,000 pounds of beef eaten 107,000 pounds of seafood eaten 20,000 pounds of peanut butter consumed

NUTRITION PROGRAM DIRECTOR SHELLY MORALES DISPELS THE RUMORS We do not use powdered eggs, we use shelled eggs, meaning that we receive our eggs in a bulk bag, in liquid form (already cracked, shelled). It would be too time consuming to have to crack 12,000 eggs in the morning to make scrambled eggs for all 4,200 cadets. Why don’t we serve whole milk? There is actually an Air Force initiative stating that whole milk cannot be served to anyone over the age of two in any Air Force dining facility due to the fat content. A study was conducted to compare the difference in the amount of fat between 1% and 2% milk. It was found that based on the amount of milk the average cadet drinks over the course of the school year, the difference in fat would equal 40 sticks of butter and the difference in cholesterol would equal 72 sticks of butter. So, the healthier choice would obviously be 1% or skim milk. There is no such thing as Grade D meat. And we do not get prison-grade meat. The three highest qualities of meats are “prime,” then comes “choice,” then “select.” We are only allowed to order meats that are prime, choice or select. Meats which are prepared in advance and kept warm in the hot carts until lunch is served may not always taste ‘fresh off the grill.’ It is thought that Mitchell Hall workers are part of the “Witness Protection Program” I tell cadets that if it’s a good program ... we’ll never know! I do reiterate that all of our workers are government employees who passed a background investigation before being hired.

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service academy

Career ConferenCe

February 28 - March 1, 2013 Savannah, Ga. What is SACC? The SACC is the Service Academy Career Conference supported by the Associations of Graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy, and Alumni Associations from the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Previous conferences have been attended by hundreds of companies and thousands of alumni. Go to www.sacc-jobfair.com for a list of companies attending, the complete schedule, and the online registration form. Where will the SACC be held? The next SACC will be held at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, Two West Bay Street, Savannah, Ga. Call (912) 238-1234 for reservations and ask for the SACC rate. SACC Schedule of Events Thursday, February 28 How to Work the SACC Job Fair .........5:00 p.m. - 5:20 p.m. Refreshments and Snacks ....................5:20 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Candidate Career Seminar ..................5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Friday, March 1 Registration .......................................... 9:15 a.m. SACC .................................................... 9:30 a.m. Lunch ..................................................12:15 p.m. SACC .................................................... 1:30 p.m.

All day 12:15 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 Interviews only if directly scheduled between company recruiters and candidates; Companies will contact you directly regarding any on-site interviews during the SACC. Registration The SACC candidate registration fee is $40. Register online and upload your resume at www.sacc-jobfair.com. Online resumes must be one page/one sided. Do not fax your resume. Registration deadline is February 15, 2013. Walk-in registrations will also be accepted on the day of the conference. Walk-in registration fee is $45 and may be paid by check or cash. Next Scheduled SACC Washington D.C., May 23-24, 2013 For more information, contact Wayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300 or go online at www.sacc-jobfair.com.

The AOG Gift Shop

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Official outfitter of Kris Kringle!

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feature

How to Start a Small Business in

Liberia, Africa Peter Gbelia ’93 lived in Liberia as a child. His father died in exile because of the country’s politics. Now Gbelia has returned to Liberia on a mission—to help its people with his clean cookstove business. It’s a mission funded by determination … and a credit card. Written by David Bergeman

Peter Gbelia ‘93 with a group of children in Nimba County, Liberia, his father’s ancestral homeland.

veryday in the coastal West African nation of Liberia, women venture down dusty roads and through jungle passes to gather firewood and purchase coal. They leave the safety of their homes and walk for miles to procure fuel. They return to a modest hut and commence with the day’s cooking preparations. Many, especially in rural areas, start fires between three stones that are placed on the floor of their dwelling. A pot is set over an open flame and smoke and toxins fill the air. Rice boils, cane rat cooks, all the while the fire that helps nourish their families silently attacks their health.

Beginnings Liberia was a pleasant land before the wars. It wasn’t perfect, to be sure, but for Peter Gbelia ’93 living there was dream come true for a rambunctious eight-year-old boy. “It was an innocent place,” remembers Gbelia. “It was an awesome place to grow up. School was very easy for me and my brother. All you did was play all day. There was no adult supervision. It was kind of like Lord of the Flies. You were playing in jungles, going on excursions, whatever you wanted to do. No gang violence. No drugs. It was just kids being kids.” Gbelia’s upbringing was forged by the great American melting pot. His mother Sheila’s family came from Idaho; they were big, tall, Protestant and Scandinavian. His father, Peter Sr., came from the Dahn tribe of Nimba County, Liberia. His family was short and stocky with very dark complexions. His parents met in Spokane, Washington where they both attended college. They married, had Peter and his older brother Dwayne, and divorced soon after Peter’s birth. From there on Peter Sr. would be absent for most of his boys’ lives.

“My father went back to Africa. He was interested in Liberian politics and trying to prevent some of the things that ended up happening there,” says Gbelia. Peter, Dwayne and Sheila moved to Idaho to be near Sheila’s family. Growing up, Dwayne always had a fascination with airplanes, which rubbed off on his younger brother. Peter excelled in school and applied to the Military Academy and USAFA. He was accepted to both. Dwayne joined the Army after high school and some of the stories he shared of his experiences convinced Peter that Air Force would be a better fit.

Clean Cookstoves 101 Gbelia’s business, SJEDI Green Energy, is based out of the “Market Place,” an office complex in the middle of Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia. SJEDI is a dealer of clean cookstoves. Gbelia has been working for two years to bring this evolving technology to the country and sustain his small business. According to a study by the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution from “primitive household cooking fires” contributes to nearly two million deaths annually—more deaths than are caused by malaria. There is also belief that these fires, which are typically fueled by biomass, release a substantial amount of carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change. Then there is the disproportionate burden women bear when they risk their personal safety to collect fuel in some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. Proponents of clean cookstoves, who have been buoyed by the creation of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC), note the positive impacts these devices can have on the lives of impoverished masses around the globe. The GACC asserts that the stoves can help empower women (who are essential

From left: A traditional three-stone cook; a child sells coal on the Nimba Highway; a cheap, primitive stove that is used in many Liberian homes.

to adopting the technology), alleviate poverty (the stoves can reduce fuel costs), and save up to two tons of carbon dioxide each year. There are also detractors to the GACC mission. Last April a Washington Post article caused a stir when it questioned the viability of clean cookstoves in solving many of the problems the GACC hopes to alleviate. The study the article examined followed the use of cookstoves in Indian villages under “real world” conditions and found that many of the stoves were not measurably more efficient in saving money, improving health or helping the environment than the pre-study methods. In a response to the Post story, GACC noted that certain types of stoves from the study performed well and, with proper training for users, the benefits of the stoves are substantial. With so much money on the line, the debate over clean cookstoves will continue. For Gbelia and the manufacturer of his stoves, Envirofit, the benefits have already been borne out in the lab and in the field.

Turbulent History Liberia has a long, byzantine relationship with the United States. In the 1820s the American Colonization Society acquired land in Africa for use by freed U.S. slaves, founding a colony at Cape Mesurado. That territory would become known as Liberia and declare its independence in 1847. In the early 1900s Liberia received financial support from the U.S. and military assistance that helped stabilize the country. In 1926 Firestone Tire and Rubber Company established a rubber plantation in the country through a controversial agreement that many believe exploited the Liberians. That rubber would become essential to the Allies during World War II and prompt the U.S. to build strategic roads, an airport, and a harbor in Monrovia.

After the war the United States and Liberia signed an agreement to transfer the harbor to Liberia’s control. The subsequent 30 years, until the end of the Cold War, saw the U.S. provide Liberia with hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. But, after the Cold War ended, support from the U.S. declined precipitously. In 1980, Liberian President William Tolbert was killed in a military coup led by Samuel Doe. It was a seismic moment that would destabilize the country for decades and change Peter Gbelia’s life forever. At the time of the coup, Peter and his brother were in country with their father. As the climate grew increasingly violent the kids were sent back to the States. Peter wouldn’t see his father again until his high school graduation six years later. Peace was fleeting over the next two-and-a-half decades as rebel factions fought for control of the country; thousands were killed and thousands more were displaced, including Gbelia’s father. Drifting from country to country through the years, Peter Sr. used his legal and political background—he was formerly a Liberian deputy minister of justice—to help a political faction called the NPFL overthrow the Doe regime. When Doe was deposed in 1996 the infamous Charles Taylor rose to power and Peter Sr.’s fate was sealed after supporting a political opponent of Taylor’s during the 1997 presidential campaign. Taylor’s forces attempted to assassinate Peter Sr. and he fled to Nigeria. He would die of a stroke in 2001. After his high school graduation, Gbelia never saw his father again.

Internet Connection In 2003 a cousin of Gbelia’s, whom he had met when he was in Liberia as a child, found him online and contacted him. The cousin was living in a refugee camp in Ghana. Life was brutal there and Gbelia was compelled to help.

From Left: Gbelia meeting with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; an SJEDI stove being demonstrated at a workshop in Monrovia.

“We created a non-profit organization at the camp. I would send money so people could get training in electronics, plumbing, whatever they could get so when the war ended they would have some technical skills.” After several deployments overseas, Gbelia relocated to Phoenix and got into the green scene. “I never knew the term sustainability until I moved to Arizona,” Gbelia says. He began attending weekly lectures on sustainability and he enrolled at Arizona State University which had started the first School of Sustainability in the country. His thesis introduced him to clean cookstoves, which led him back to Liberia.

“There are literally billions of dollars committed to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. So you have people like me and Envirofit, the manufacturer of my cookstoves, asking this organization if we can get some funding or support for our project. The answer we’ve received: ‘No, no, we’re in the research and development phase.’ It’s been over two years now. They have this money, you call, you email, and you hear nothing. There are no requests for proposals, no way to request funding. Hillary Clinton is out there saying that she loves clean cookstoves, I’d like to meet her and ask her, ‘Ok, so who is funding them?’ I’m funding a project in a developing country, by myself, with a credit card! It’s frustrating.”

Julia, Hillary, and Cookstoves

Jedi Mentality

“Clean cookstoves change lives,” says Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts. “We can clean indoor air, reduce pollution and harmful emissions and enable women and their children to live better lives […] I strongly believe that cooking shouldn’t kill—don’t you?” asks the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Ambassador in a YouTube video. In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has pounded the drum for the virtues of clean cookstoves, announced the formation of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. GACC partners the United Nations Foundation with the governments of many industrialized nations and multinational corporations like Dow Corning and Morgan Stanley. Their goal: to get clean cookstoves and fuels in 100 million homes by 2020. The United States has committed up to $105 million to the endeavor over the first five years of the Alliance. Over two years after GACC’s formation, SJEDI has been left wondering: what is the impact?

SJEDI (Sustainability Jedi—as in Star Wars) is the name of Gbelia’s fledgling business venture. The Jedi temperament is one he’s had to maintain since his competitiveness drove him to prove that the business model of his thesis was viable. Upon his first return visit to Liberia since his youth, Gbelia and a fixer traveled throughout the country demonstrating his cookstoves and the reaction was very positive. Energized, Gbelia returned home and pursued grant money, researched the carbon offset market and tapped into his credit card. In the spring of 2011 he flew back to Liberia to begin his SJEDI dream. With the help of a cousin, SJEDI was able to sell over 1000 stoves in a month and a half. By targeting the more affluent citizens of Monrovia, the price point of around $50 was a reasonable fee. “I was slinging stoves,” says Gbelia “I became a base of the pyramid stove salesman in Africa!” In a country where the GDP per capita was estimated to be $500 U.S. in 2011, $50 is a sizable chunk of change. Moving forward Gbelia has had to be creative in

trying to match the costs of getting the stoves in country with helping those who may not be able to afford $50 while still running a going concern. “We’re trying to introduce the concept of return on investment.” Gbelia explains. “The typical family in Monrovia pays about $20 U.S. in fuel costs per month for a family of five. Using our stove you can cut that cost in half.” SJEDI has offered micro leases, which have proven to be difficult to enforce. They have sold the stoves at or below cost (it costs SJEDI around $40 to get a cookstove into Liberia after duties and taxes—that’s before all of the overhead of running the business) to help out the less affluent citizens.

Empowerment and Corruption

From top, left to right: Selling stoves out of a car on the streets of Monrovia; a boy in Nimba County shows off his machete skills; morning in Liberia’s Congo Town; a billboard in Monrovia; delivery of SJEDI stoves to storage in Monrovia.

Gbelia has met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to introduce himself and SJEDI. He has met with the mayor of Monrovia, also a female, hoping to get some backing from the government and support from those who are most directly impacted by the issue—women. The results have been middling.

“This is a women empowerment program,” Gbelia explains, “because it improves health, and brings money back into the family which brings prestige. We figured that we would partner with the Ministry of Gender and Development. For a year we’ve tried and can’t get in the door—we don’t know why. We gave one to the mayor of Monrovia, she loved it and 65 of her employees bought one. Sometimes it goes smoothly but the people making decisions and allocating money have made this a very tough time.” The layers of bureaucracy involved with generating national support for a cookstove project has confounded Gbelia. Yet, he remains undeterred. “Corruption in Liberia is ever present because, for the last twenty years, it’s been a mentality of survive by any means necessary,” he continues. “They have this mentality of, ‘We could go to war tomorrow maybe, I better get mine now.’ Everyone is trying to get theirs now. There is very little patriotism. It’s about taking care of yourself and your family right now. Whenever you tell anyone about a national project, the first thing in their mind is, ‘What can I get out of this. I might help you if you give me this or that.’ Every step of the ladder, every door, there is always corruption, back slapping, it slows you down. Even when you get to the people at the very top— they want something and if they don’t get it they

won’t help you. In fact, they’ll go out of their way to make things more difficult for you! The level of corruption is just shocking.”

Never Falter. If You Fail Keep Fighting It’s been a while since Gbelia has been back to Liberia as he has been on mobilization orders at Nellis AFB since June of 2011. In the interim he has entrusted SJEDI to his stepbrother, Royston, who has done a trustworthy job of running the day-to-day business in his stead. Gbelia plans on returning to Liberia soon to continue his mission. Once he gets there, he’ll continue pounding the Liberian pavement for a cause, and a business, he believes in. “This cookstove really does work,” says Gbelia. “To me, it’s a key to other development issues. The business is working, very slowly. We see with our determination, how we’re pounding everyone, everyday, we’re forcing our way into meetings. We’re not giving in to corruption. People know we’re not there to give them something. We’re wearing people down and we’re starting to see a turnaround. Once that happens, it will be really positive.” Positive for Gbelia and positive for the thousands of Liberians who will have a better quality of life because of his Falcon spirit.

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Checkpoints

December 2012

The Endowment

Mission Milestones: Academy Breaks Ground for the New Center for Character and Leadership Development

n October 19, 2012, over 150 guests gathered at the U.S. Air Force Academy to witness a pivotal moment in the institution’s mission of developing leaders of character—the groundbreaking ceremony for the Center for Character and Leadership. The Center is slated for completion in late 2014. Graduates, family and friends of the Academy joined Academy senior staff and leadership to celebrate this historic advancement for cadet character education. The ceremony commenced with General (Retired) Stephen R. Lorenz ’73, President and CEO of the USAFA Endowment, welcoming those in attendance. “We have all been looking forward to this day for quite some time,” said General Lorenz. “The only moment I can imagine that will surpass today’s excitement is when we meet again at this site for the ribbon cutting ceremony, opening up this amazing facility’s doors to our Academy’s cadets.” 44

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Then, Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76, Superintendent of the Academy, thanked the many individuals, staff, and organizations whose expertise and support made the construction of the new Center possible. “In two years, the cadet wing will enter the Center for Character and Leadership Development for the first time,” he said. “After combining appropriated MILCON funds for the basic building with donor funds to enhance the interior and exterior of the structure, we are now moving forward to construct this iconic facility completely devoted to our core mission: developing leaders of character for our Air Force and nation.” Above: Mr. Terry Storm ’61, Board Chair of the Association of Graduates; Mr. William “T” Thompson ’73, President and CEO of the Association of Graduates; Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76, Superintendent; Gen. (Ret.) Stephen Lorenz ’73, President and CEO of the USAFA Endowment; Mr. Paul Madera ’78, Board Chairman of the USAFA Endowment; Mr. Roger Duffy, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

General Gould presented an engraved shovel to Ms. Linda McKay and Colonel Joe Mazzola, Vice President of the Character Education Partnership, who received the gift on behalf of the McDonnell family. During the ceremony, the Endowment recognized some of the key contributors to the new Center: Sandy and Pris McDonnell, for whom the Center’s McDonnell Forum is named; the Moller Family for their support of the architectural design; Dr. Paul and Julie Kaminski ’64 for their gift of the facility’s main entrance; Max James ’64 and Bill and Mary Linn Wecker ’63 for the gift of the air terraces surrounding the facility; Dave and Jean Yost ’69 and John and Mari Ann Martin ’69 for their individual support for this project and their leadership of the Class of ’69; John and Marci Fox ’63 for their steadfast guidance and generosity to the Center and its scholarship; and the Classes of ’62, ’63, ’64, ’66, ’69, ’71, ’76, ’86, ’90, and ’91, and corporate leaders—the Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin— for generously lending their support. In total, donors have committed more than $16 million to the new Center. The transformative private support of graduates, parents and friends of the Academy helped make this project a reality, benefiting the future generations of leaders that will pass through its halls. We look forward to seeing you at the dedication ceremony in 2014! For more information on how you can help support the Academy, please contact the Endowment at (719) 472-0300, ext 200.

From top, left: Harmon Hall Honor Court readied for the groundbreaking; Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76, Superintendent; Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76 presents the shovel to Ms. Linda McKay and Colonel Joe Mazzola, Vice President of the Character Education Partnership; C1C Nicholas Espinoza, Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76, Ms. Linda McKay, Colonel Joseph Sanders, Permanent Professor and Director of the CCLD; Mr. William Wecker ’63, Mr. Max James ’64, Lieutenant General Mike Gould ’76, Mr. John Fox ’63, Dr. Paul Kaminski ’64, Mr. Dave Yost ’69.

THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

ENDOWMENT

Checkpoints

December 2012

The Endowment

Reconnecting with the Academy:

Young Leaders Giving Back Interview by Ahn Tillery

ieutenant Colonel Cathy Barrington ’97 is currently the 319th Missile Squadron commander at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Barrington, Jr. ’95, is the 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron commander at F.E. Warren. As graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Barringtons recently made a generous five-year commitment in support of the Air Force Academy Fund and the new Center for Character and Leadership Development. They took a moment to share their thoughts on the importance of contributing to a culture of support at their alma mater. Please tell us a little about your background, and what inspired you to attend the Academy? Cathy: Bill and I were both drawn to the Academy by our shared childhood dream of becoming astronauts. We come from modest backgrounds—I was raised in a very small town called Barnesville, Georgia, and Bill grew up in Glen Burnie, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Bill and I were determined to go to college, but we lacked the funds and weren’t sure how to make it happen. Both of my parents were in the Air Force, and Bill’s family has a long tradition of Army service, so applying to the Air Force Academy was a natural next step. While we will probably never be astronauts, the Academy provided us with a valuable, much-needed opportunity to receive a top-notch education. How did your experiences at the Academy shape you? Cathy: First and foremost, the Academy is where Bill and I met, through Drum and Bugle Corps. Our participation in Drum and Bugle Corps let us travel and see different Air Force bases, which was

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amazing. Also, being from the East Coast, we really enjoyed hiking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. We had so many good experiences at the Academy while pursuing our studies: Bill majored in Space Operations, while I majored in English. Of course, graduating from the Academy propelled us directly into our careers and many exciting opportunities. Bill graduated in 1995 and was stationed at Cape Canaveral where he launched Atlas rockets. We were married after I graduated in 1997, and then I went to Vandenberg for a year for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile training. Bill and I were finally stationed together at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, and we’ve been in the ICBM business ever since. Fortunately, we have compatible career fields and had the support of many leaders over the years that helped ensure we were stationed together. We greatly appreciate being able to serve our nation, while staying together and growing as a family. Bill: Speaking of those opportunities, we have been able to train and work throughout the country, at one point returning to Colorado when we were stationed at Peterson Air Force Base. While at Peterson, I was selected to be an AOC at the Air Force Academy— serving as Stalag 17’s AOC for two years. Cathy continued to work in a space control program at Peterson, moving into the commander’s action group at HQ Air Force Space Command. Then, we both returned to F.E. Warren where I took command of the 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron, and Cathy took command of the 319th Missile Squadron this year. What inspired you to decide to commit to supporting the Academy? Bill: My time as an AOC at the Academy was a turning point for us—being back around the Academy, having season football tickets, and interacting with the

cadets just re-blued and energized us to give back. It drove home an appreciation for everything the Academy has given me; I am where I am today because of what I learned in my four years at the Academy. Cathy: Bill and I realized that everything we have— our two sons, the opportunities that we’ve had in the Air Force, the wonderful things we’ve been able to do—is because of everything that started with day one at the Academy. We are very passionate about the school, passionate about the opportunities it provides, and we are so grateful to have been able to experience it all and to graduate into even more opportunities. Also, practically speaking, we see the Academy experience from a different perspective than when we were cadets. We are deeply committed to the Academy due to our personal experiences, and we are committed as professionals and leaders. We are both squadron commanders now, which makes us graduates and customers of the Academy. Brand new, freshly-graduated lieutenants enter as part of the Air Force nuclear enterprise, and we heap a ton of responsibility on their shoulders. We need them ready to hit the ground running as soon as they start their commissions; we expect perfection at all times. We trust that they graduate from the Academy with every critical tenet and principle for leadership in place—to do what is hard but necessary, to do the right thing when no one is looking. We see giving to the Academy as an ongoing investment that we get to work with and help develop. Bill: Actually, we wish we had started giving earlier in our careers. It was one of those situations where we always said, “We’ll get around to it,” without realizing how rewarding the whole experience is. It opens up more avenues for us to be actively connected to our Academy and Air Force community. We feel that we are joining others in making a positive impact. Speaking of impact, are there areas of support that you feel are especially important at the Academy? Bill: I am very passionate about the Center for Character and Leadership Development, as I worked with them extensively while I was an AOC. Seeing the effect of its programs firsthand, I believe that it’s a great mission that goes a long way to build the leaders of character that we need as a nation. The CCLD has received tremendous support this year, and I would like to see that continue. Cathy: The more I advance in my career, the more understanding and appreciation I gain for the daily challenges that the Superintendent faces in ensuring a good education for the cadets at the Academy. So, the Superintendent’s Fund—which allows

the Superintendent discretion to allocate funds as needed—is very important. Back in our cadet days, we received a lot of our funding for Drum and Bugle Corps from the Superintendent’s Fund, and I imagine the same still applies for many other cadet activities and programs. We have great leaders at the Academy, and we like the direction that we are going. Our family is committed to giving back, to help provide wonderful opportunities for future generations of cadets, and we hope our sons will be Academy cadets someday, too. It will be their choice but, speaking from experience, we know it will be amazing if they do!

Graduate Participation: Your Gift Matters Every gift from graduates to the Air Force Academy Fund is important to the Academy. Graduate giving has a powerful impact on the mission of the Academy, providing support for “margin of excellence” programs for cadets such as: international immersion, cadet clubs and intramurals, undergraduate research, character development programs and seminars, and distinguished speaker’s series. These gifts also provide important graduate services, like: the class legacy program, chapter programs, career services, class ring maintenance, and Checkpoints magazine. Additionally, graduate participation rates in giving back to the Academy are significant for many other important reasons: Graduate giving participation rates factor into national rankings like the U.S. News & World Report: Participation raises the Academy’s national ranking—a key criterion in most higher education ranking methodologies. Therefore, these gifts, regardless of size, actually increase the value of your degree. Graduate giving participation rates are used for peer benchmarking: Rates are measured by all colleges, universities, and service academies and are often viewed as a primary benchmark of institutional pride. Compared to our sister academies, Air Force Academy participation is modest at 11%, with Navy participation rates at 24% and Army rates at 29%. Graduate giving participation rates can help attract other important forms of funding: Participation is a measure by which many corporations and foundations rate graduate involvement, which is a key consideration when making major gifts and grants to the Academy. A gift of any size to the Academy elevates the overall graduate giving participation rate. No gift is too small to make a difference.

Visit usafa.org/push for more information on making a gift.

Checkpoints

December 2012

cadet life

Fightingthe Next

Fire The USAFA and Colorado Springs Communities Join in Fire Mitigation Efforts

Written and Photographed by Col. Martin France ’81

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Cutting, gathering, hauling, and stacking tons of dead and burned Gambel oak and pine may not seem like a fun weekend past-time, but for nearly 500 cadets who chose to spend a day or more in areas affected by the Waldo Canyon Fire, helping neighbors recover from the devastation of June 2012 meant an opportunity to make a lasting difference in the community—and contribute to recovery for hundreds of residents and the city of Colorado Springs. Large-scale assistance began on 26 August when over 250 cadets joined members of the Academy faculty and staff, local Boy Scout Troops, and volunteers from Academy School District 20 in the Mountain Shadows subdivision that lost 347 homes to the fire. On that day, volunteers helped individual residents prepare for the neighborhood’s semi-annual “Chipper Event” by clearing burned vegetation from residences and performing fire mitigation work on unburned parts of the foothills area. The event was organized by Mountain Shadows residents in coordination with the Colorado Springs Fire and Parks Departments who were responsible to turning the tons of gathered limbs and branches to mulch that would be used for erosion control efforts in badly burned areas of the forest and other open spaces. Teams representing cadet squadrons, athletic teams, extracurricular clubs, and academic departments gathered early on the morning at the effort’s operations

center—actually the driveway of a Mountain Shadows resident—and were assigned to homes and streets after being issued tools donated by local businesses and charity organizations. The three-foot by five-foot “War Map” showed affected homes and those requesting assistance, with stickers applied to each indicating the team assigned to help. A constant flow of cadets, other volunteers, media, and pizza delivery kept the ops center busy throughout the day as the sound of chain saws hummed in the background. In a typical year, 25-40 homes participate in the Mountain Shadows Chipper Event, which in the past had centered on wildfire mitigation. The August 2012 event involved nearly 200 homes with volunteers assisting at over half of the homes. In all, the piles of brush and debris cut and assembled by the volunteers kept city chippers busy for nearly two weeks and required additional assistance from private companies. The final tally came to 721 cubic yards of mulch, nearly 100 tons. Many USAFA grads were among those helped by cadets on 26 August, further strengthening the bond among those in the Long Blue Line. City of Colorado Springs Councilman Scott Hente ’75 was among those and said, “It is no exaggeration

to say that the amount of plant removal and fire mitigation performed by the cadets and staff in one day would have taken all of us months to perform otherwise. I am in awe of the service that our alma mater has shown to the community.” The cadets repeated their performance, albeit with a different focus on 30 September, when they were turned loose on three open spaces in Mountain Shadows and above the Peregrine neighborhood in the City’s Blodgett Peak Open Space and trail system. That day 225 cadets again joined volunteers from the USAFA faculty and staff as they cleared burned trees and shrubs from dozens of acres of undeveloped hillsides in Mountain Shadows, armed mostly with hand tools. Master Sgt. Chris Saberniak, Academy Military Trainer (AMT) for Cadet Squadron 3, organized a group of fellow AMTs and ATV owners to help cut and haul material from one open space, while other cadet squadron teams were clearing burned oak from steeper hillsides inaccessible to motor vehicles—and hauling cut trees to the curbside 50 to 100 vertical feet above them! In the Blodgett Peak Open Space, teams of cadets mostly from the Class of 2016 (who reported for in-processing just two days after the worst of the fires Checkpoints

Previous page: From L to R: C4Cs Alexander Dials, Caitlin Sullivan, Feyisade Adeoba, and Kara Hovseth (all of CS-20) participated in the Mountain Shadows Chipper Event, helping residents clear burnt trees and other material from the neighborhood to be processed into mulch. Left, top: Cadets and other volunteers cut down burnt Gambel oak in one of several Mountain Shadows Open Spaces. Bottom: Cadets clear burnt Gambel oak from a hillside in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. Right: Cadets complete an erosion control barrier using landscape fabric, handhewn stakes and burnt Ponderosa pine logs.

December 2012

ravaged the foothills just south and west of USAFA) joined city foresters and fire recovery experts in the most technical part of the operation. Following a bus ride from USAFA, the cadets hiked over a mile up-hill into the forest to a series of ravines blackened by the fire. In the preceding days, city workers had felled hundreds of charred Ponderosa pines and pre-marked the terrain for erosion barriers. Over the course of the day, and under guidance from forestry experts, the cadets dug trenches, moved huge logs into place, and staked them into the ground with landscaping fabric, in many cases using stakes they had fashioned themselves from limbs and branches. City officials were again thrilled by the energy and productivity of the cadets. “They are young, energetic, and strong—that’s what we need,” said Becky Lamphear of the City Forestry Office. “Some of these logs weigh a lot and upper body strength is needed to deal with them.” “We’re used to digging trenches from basic (training),” said C4C Andrea Perea. “At least no one’s yelling at us this time!” C4C Boubacar Kane, an international cadet from Senegal, worked all day but said he didn’t mind. Like most of the doolies, he was brand new to the city when the fire hit, but in his case, he saw the fire up close having arrived before the fires began on 23 June

for a week of orientation. He was staying with his sponsor family in Mountain Shadows and had to evacuate as the fires tore through that neighborhood, moving between two other temporary sponsor homes before reporting for BCT on 28 June. Seeing the fire’s effects, both during and after, has made a lasting impact on him. In all, the cadets were able to place 113 of the barriers in one day—the equivalent of over one month’s work compared to the previous rate of recovery work. Weather canceled a third effort in late October, but cadets and staff are already looking forward to the spring when more work is planned, including more fire mitigation and recovery, plus tree planting and seeding throughout the Mountain Shadows and Blodgett Peak areas.

Village

AIR FORCE

“Golf, cycling, camaraderie with quality people of similar backgrounds … you’ll feel right at home at Air Force Village.” – Col Donald Hallager, USAF (ret), USAFA Class of ‘62

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Every officer a retirement this. Andeserves Exceptional Retirement like Community.

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5100 John D. Ryan Blvd. • San Antonio, Texas 78245 • (800) 891-6029 • www.airforcevillages.com Inviting all retired officers or former officers who served their nation honorably. Open to retired servedspouses officers,and their widows/widowers, parents grandparents. Weand alsohonorably welcome widowed the spouses, parents and grandparents of active duty and personnel.

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Experience the Doolittle hall Difference

Conferences Business Meetings Banquets Wedding Receptions Holiday Parties Celebrations Reunions Doolittle Hall UniteD StateS air Force acaDemy

Let us do the walking for you! Job searches designed exclusively for service academy alumni SACC

A Service Academy Career Conference hosted four times annually and designed to match our alumni with employers interested in hiring service academy alumni.

JSAJE

JSAJE for Alumni - Joint Service Academy Jobs Electronically is an exclusive Web site designed to allow you to browse through job listings and contact employers. It contains a resume repository for graduates who are in an active transition mode, and a job retriever for those who prefer to remain in a passive mode. JSAJE For the Employers - JSAJE is also an exclusive job Web site designed for companies in corporate America to advertise their career opportunities directly to service academy alumni. Companies may also purchase access to a repository of resumes of graduates in an active transition mode.

iSABRD

An online Service Academy Business Resource Directory with over 48,300 active profiles from USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, and USNA. An excellent resource for advertising, career networking, and building business connections.

Visit usafa.org for more information

graduate profile

School of Rock Meet Some Academy Grads Who are Making Music

Musician Fred Wagner ’64 band Placentia Symphonic Band instrument Saxophone (but can play several others). while at USAFA Wagner was a founding member of the Blue Bards theater group. cool venue The band often plays at the Nixon Presidential Library. on family, service and music “Music, as well as military service, runs in the family. My dad was an AAF navigator in the South and West Pacific in World War II (New Guinea through Korea). He had his metal clarinet with him and played it for fun while he was over there. He taught me how to play on that same clarinet.” find showtimes at placentiaband.org

Musician Gregory N. Shuey ’68 talent conductor and composer musical career Among other musical endeavors, Shuey was the founder, director and conductor of the Yongsan International Master Chorale and Orchestra (South Korea)—a 65-voice choir and 45-piece orchestra made up of musicians from the embassies of 25 countries. while at the Academy Shuey performed with the Cadet Chorale on the Ed Sullivan Show. on the music “During the 40th reunion of my class, the Cadet Chorale performed my choral piece, ‘High Flight,’ which I wrote in dedication to my class and the Academy.”

Musician Edgar M. Knouse ’84 band KTOWN talent singer/songwriter his first single “The Goodbye” is a patriotic song with a reverent country feel and military undertones. It’s a tribute from the victims of, to the survivors of, the tragic events of 9/11 including those from the Pentagon. on cutting his first single “I wrote ‘The Goodbye’ several months after the events of 9/11 when I was playing my guitar one evening while stationed at Beale AFB, California. The song gathered dust in my guitar case, rarely seeing the light of day for nearly 11 years, until my wife surprised me with a very special gift for my upcoming 50th birthday—she paid for a professional music producer to record ‘The Goodbye,’ one of my biggest dreams since I wrote the song!” watch the music video online youtube.com/user/ktown0691 w

Checkpoints

December 2012

Musician Brian Max Dubroff ’89 band FauxKISS hometown Oklahoma City genre rock tribute how they rock FauxKISS is unadulterated entertainment. The band puts the music first and works to emulate the original sound of KISS. They put on an authentic butt-kicking show. on music’s impact while at USAFA “Music was my escape and my identity. It helped me navigate the awesome but challenging lessons of those four years. My greatest memories were playing for the Wing from the balcony of Mitch’s twice: in 1987 as a member of Voices and in 1988 as a member of Omni.” Dubroff as Paul Stanley

Visit FauxKISS rock city at fauxkissokc.com

Musician Randy Ludwig ’96 band Tren Selva hometown Los Angeles, California genre indie melodic pop rock latest album Dizzy Blue Reflection sounds like Tren Selva blends jangly guitars, catchy hooks, insightful lyrics, and pop-melodies to create instantly appealing and memorable songs. On music’s role at USAFA “Music really helped me get through some tough times at the Academy. I remember as a freshman, we couldn’t listen to music, but we could play guitar. So we’d play and sing and write songs! It’d help get through the tough times! There’s a lot of imagination, creativity, and a sense of contribution that goes into songwriting and creating music. That’s something that has always been appealing to me.” hear it at trenselva.com

Musician William T. Jones ’04 talent Composer hometown Lincoln, Nebraska what’s the genre neo-romantic (similar to film/video game scores) what’s it sound like Jones focuses on arranging hymns and composing pieces based on names or words. Generally, he scores for large ensembles with strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and percussion. Jones strives to incorporate non-traditional techniques and instruments in melodious ways. on why music matters “Music, for me, was an escape from my marginally successful Academy career. I was a member of the Cadet Chorale and, while it was a challenging environment, I was able to relax and succeed.” listen to the music here soundcloud.com/digitalexegete

A SEASON OF GRATITUDE As parents your gift makes a difference. Whether your cadet is a “doolie,” a “firstie,” or somewhere in between, the Air Force Academy Fund supports “margin of excellence” programs which greatly enrich your cadet’s experience. In this season of gratitude, we are thankful for your generosity. If you’ve already given, we hope you will consider making another gift before year-end. If you’ve not yet given, we hope you will be inspired to make a gift today. Sabre Society level gifts ($1,000 or more annually) to the Air Force Academy Fund are used to support cadet programs, AOG programs and services, provide assistance with capital projects, and help meet the Academy’s immediate strategic needs. Please act now and give a tax deductible gift by December 31. Visit our online end-of-year gift guide at www.usafa.org.eoy for more information. We are grateful for your support! Give online at: giveafaf.org

Give by phone: 719.472.0300.

Give by mail: Checks payable to USAFA Endowment 3116 Academy Dr, Ste 200 USAF Academy, CO 80840

The Air Force Academy Fund

PREPARED BY DAVID BERGEMAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEWIS CARLYLE

Mouth Watering Recipes by Grads, for Grads. Checkpoints asked the graduate community for their favorite holiday recipes and they delivered with some great tasting festive fare! Enjoy these delicious recipes and have a safe and happy holiday season!

Herb Crusted Pork Loin (Serves 4-6) Chef Nikole Poupart, Class of 2016 Ingredients for the Pork Loin • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne • Salt • 1 to 1.5 pounds pork loin • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil Ingredients for the Crust • 1 sweet onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, smashed • 2 tablespoons grated ginger • 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves • 1 lime, zested • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs • Salt • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 2. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. 3. Rub the mixture all over the pork. 3. Heat oil over medium-high heat and brown the pork roast on all sides until golden. 4. Remove the pork to a sheet tray. For the Crust 1. Combine the onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and lime zest in a food processer. 2. In the pan that the pork was browned in, add the olive oil and the onion mixture and cook until softened. 3. Stir in bread crumbs and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. 4. Spread the mustard on top of the pork and then press the herb crust into it. 5. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. 6. Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.

’tis the season

graduate recipes Cranberries, cranberries everywhere! This juicy drunken cranberry sauce recipe is a great side dish to set off the flavor of your holiday turkey or a tender pork loin. The ruby cocktail recipes are a perfectly balanced blend of sweet and tart sure to warm up a cold winter night!

Ruby Champagne Cocktail (Serves 1) Mixologists Mr. and Mrs. Jim Glaza, Class of 1960 Ingredients • 2 tablespoons cranberry juice • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur • 1 teaspoon grenadine • 1/2 cup dry champagne Directions 1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a champagne flute. 2. Pour champagne into flute.

Mock Ruby Cocktail (Serves 1) Drunken Cranberry Sauce (Serves 3-5) Chef Dick Schehr, Class of 1960

Ingredients • 1 12-ounce bag cranberries • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 cup sugar • Dash nutmeg • 1/8 cup bourbon Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Combine cranberries, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in an 8-inch square pan. 3. Cover with foil. 4. Bake 50 minutes to 60 minutes or until the cranberries have softened and become juicy. 5. Remove foil and mix in bourbon. The alcohol will evaporate leaving just the liquor’s warm, smoky essence. 6. Refrigerate the sauce, covering until you are ready to serve.

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Ingredients • 1 tablespoon orange juice • 1 tablespoon grenadine • 3/4 full champagne flute of crushed ice • 1/4 cup cranberry juice • 1/4 cup ginger ale Directions 1. Combine orange juice and grenadine in a flute or other festive glass. 2. Add crushed ice filling three-fourths full. 3. Pour cranberry juice over the ice. 4. Add ginger ale.

FOod LovErs Unite Recipes for Your New Year’s Resolution!

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions and, if your resolution involves shedding a few pounds, send us some recipes that you use to get in shape without sacrificing taste. Submit your favorite foods to editor@aogusafa.org

EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH US!â&#x20AC;¨ Do you long for sandy beaches, historic landmarks and exotic locales? Leave the itinerary (and headaches) of travel planning behind! Book your next ticket with AOG Travel today! Experience the romance of Monte Carlo, Florence and Rome! Explore the wonder of Asia in Hong Kong, Saigon, Bangkok and Singapore. Adventure awaits with a trip to the Tahitian Islands and the Galapagos. Or go down under to hang with the roos in Australia and the penguins in Antarctica-the choice is yours! If you would rather tour the grand old USA we also have you covered! Relax on a Mississippi riverboat cruise or enjoy one of countless other destination options! Withw the click of a mouse these vacations and many other itineraries are available through AOG Travel. Visit http://www.usafa.org/Membership/Travel and secure your next vacation with the click of a mouse!

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graduate profile

Studying Strategic Interests in Northeast Asia

Seven USAFA Grads Travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea to Examine U.S. Foreign Policy By Colonel Jay Updegraff ’90 In September of 2012 Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta completed a trip to China and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent ten days in Asia meeting with foreign leaders. These visits, as well as the recent protests in China against Japanese businesses in response to Japan’s claims of sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands (or Diaoyu, as China calls them), highlight the challenges to regional security that the United States will continue to face in Northeast Asia. In March of 2012, seven USAFA graduates had the opportunity to take part in a comprehensive, strategic level visit to the region, with stops in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan. These Academy graduates were students in the USAF Air War College’s Northeast Asia Regional Studies class, which focuses on China, Taiwan, Japan, and North and South Korea. The four-month course, which is part of the Master’s of Strategic Studies degree program at AWC, culminated with the aforementioned eleven-day field study in Japan and the Republic of Korea. The students were accompanied by Dr. Lawrence Grinter, a professor and Northeast Asia expert at the Air War College. The class had the opportunity to meet with the U.S. Ambassador in Tokyo, as well as the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Seoul. Both visits provided the

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opportunity to discuss strategic level issues including economic, social and political challenges to the U.S. relationship with its allies and security in the region. The U.S. “pivot to Asia” strategy, which had just recently been announced prior to the class’s trip, was also a topic that generated many frank questions and answers between the Air War College students and U.S. Embassy personnel. One of the key takeaways during our discussions with both U.S., Japanese, and South Korean experts was the continued strength of the current alliances, but also the changing nature of these relationships, due in part to the influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While in South Korea, the group visited the headquarters of the Samsung Corporation, as well as the De-militarized Zone, Osan Air Base, the ROK Air Force Headquarters and ROK Air War College. Discussions at these locations invariably focused on the dynamic nature of the U.S./ROK alliance, and the rising influence of China in Northeast Asia. China has become South Korea’s number one trading partner, accounting for 21.8 percent of all foreign trade in the country, according to a 2010 European Union report. While in Japan, the students visited the Japanese Self Defense

L to R: Academy graduates Scott Arbogast ’95, Dave Kincaid ’92, Andy Foltz ’91, Karen Rolirad ’93, Mark Brown ’90, Jay Updegraff ’90 and Erik Bowman ’91 in the lobby of the New Sanno Hotel before attending the Air War College Regional Studies class reception at the U.S. Defense Attaché’s residence in Tokyo, Japan.

Force Air Ministry and Yokota Air Base, for an office call with then U.S. Forces Japan Commander, Lt. Gen. Burton Field ’79. Lt. Gen. Field was very frank in his discussions with the group, emphasizing the evolving nature of the alliance. One example is the Japanese Air Self Defense Force relocating its Air Operations Center onto Yokota AB, in order to better synchronize the air defense of Japan with U.S. air operations. The class also made a cultural visit to Hiroshima, via the Shinkansen, Japan’s famous bullet train. The group toured the A-Bomb Dome, and the Peace Memorial Museum, located in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park. As the only nation to suffer an atomic attack, the museum provided the graduates with a unique perspective on nuclear warfare. Despite the steadfast U.S./Japanese alliance, nuclear policy and nuclear energy remain a divisive issue in Japanese domestic politics, which, in turn, affects the alliance. A notable stop on the trip was the two-hour meeting with Dr. Andrei Lankov, a Russian scholar specializing in Korean studies, who in 1985 attended Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung University in North Korea. Dr. Lankov gave the Regional Studies class a fascinating look at life in North Korea and provided some interesting predictions about the future of the North Korean regime. Specifically, Dr. Lankov impressed upon the graduates that the North Korean regime is not “irrational” by any measure. Rather, it is extremely rational in its attempt to maintain control and extend the regime’s longevity. Additionally, Dr. Lankov noted South Korea’s willingness to take limited unilateral action against North Korea if necessary. He cited South Korea’s return fire after the North Korean artillery bombardment of Yeonpyeong in 2010 as an example of an expanded South Korean desire to lead defensive efforts on the peninsula. Six of the USAFA graduates who made the trip were members of the Air War College Class of 2012. They included Scott Arbogast ‘95, Operations Officer for the 121st Fighter Squadron (DCANG), Dave Kincaid ‘92, NORAD/ USNORTHCOM Air Domain Chief, Andy Foltz ‘91, Chief, Military Justice and Administrative Law at HQ/AETC, Karen Rolirad ’93, Deputy Chief of Current Ops/Chief of Weapons and Tactics at the AF ISR Agency in San

Antonio, Jay Updegraff ’90, ViceCommander of Civil Air Patrol USAF at Maxwell AFB, and Erik Bowman ‘91, currently serving as Chief, Space Control and Advanced Technology Division in the Pentagon. A seventh graduate, Mark Brown ’90 is currently a member of the Air War College Faculty and served as the military representative for the field study. All seven USAF graduates came away from the eleven-day experience with a much greater appreciation and deeper understanding of the U.S. relationships with our allies in Northeast Asia. The dynamic nature of the political, social and economic environments in this region was acutely evident. The necessity for a coherent national strategy to maintain stability and manage peaceful change in this critical part of the globe will be of utmost importance moving forward.

Checkpoints

December 2012

Synthetic Turf Tops Grass with Air Force Brass

The Academy’s New Sailplane Landing Area is a Gargantuan Sea of Synthetic Green WRITTEN BY DAVID BERGEMAN image by lewis carlyle Twenty-three football fields. Last March the installation of 1.4 million sq. ft. of synthetic aviation turf was completed at the Academy Airfield. That’s enough synthetic turf to cover 23 football fields. After six years of planning, the Academy’s new sailplane landing area became a reality. Officials believe it is the largest single installation of synthetic turf in the world, which in the future may be confirmed with the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2011, USAFA purchased 19 new TG-16 gliders at a cost of $5.4 million for use by the highly decorated USAFA soaring program. To protect the investment on these fiberglass gliders, which are more expensive to repair than their metal TG-10 cousins, securing a new landing surface at the airfield became imperative. There were multiple drawbacks with the former landing surface. The unstable nature of native grasses generated clumps of soil that caused rough landings. Birds, snakes and coyotes would often wander onto

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the airfield searching for food. Spotting FOD (Foreign Object Debris) and wildlife was difficult and BASH (Bird Airstrike Hazard) was a constant concern. Furthermore, the lack of markings made it more difficult for unseasoned student pilots to land their aircraft. “Before this synthetic surface instructor pilots would have to instruct by saying, ‘Do you see that object on the horizon?’ They might have said yes even though they may not have understood what the instructor was referring to,” says Lt. Col. Brad Roller ’92, commander of the 94th Flying Training Squadron at the Academy Airfield. “The numbered lanes and centerlines allow instructor pilots to teach the younger, more inexperienced people how to align their aircraft and give them a target to navigate to.” The sod landing surface was replaced multiple times in the past decade because wear and tear and an ineffective irrigation system caused it to deteriorate. Although the initial installation costs for sod or synthetic turf were comparable, synthetic turf is significantly cheaper in the long run due to substantially lower maintenance

Cadets prepare their sail planes for takeoff along the Academy’s new turf runway.

Quick Facts and sustainability efforts (mowing, irrigation, aeration, weed control and re-seeding). By contrast, the synthetic turf landing area has a low long term maintenance upkeep and was completed at a cost of $3.6 million. The installation process took five months. Existing vegetation was removed. Native topsoil was added and compacted. Then 15-foot-wide panels of the turf, which ranged from 60 to 220 feet long, were sewn together and laid out across the base. After this was done, 5,000 tons of masonry sand was groomed into the turf creating a nearly concrete like base that still allows for water to drain into the subsurface. “From a construction planning standpoint, I think we did a good job of stabilizing the subsurface,” says deputy airfield manager Courtney Davis. “Everyday we learn something new about this surface. By the end of the year we will know more about things like spraying for weeds and how the turf handles snow and heavy downpours.” Reviews from the pilots who use the surface have been very positive and the advantages of the turf are

The Academy Airfield’s Sailplane Landing Area • Cost: $3.6 million • Dimensions: 430 feet wide by 3,000 feet long • Expected turf lifespan: At least 15 years (product has an 8-year warranty) • Advantages: Increased flight safety, green benefits, less wear and tear on the Academy’s aircraft • Airfield Operations: 17,000 annually, the majority of which use the synthetic landing area

already identifiable. It will increase the long-term sustainability of the fleet. It has increased safety and the quality of instruction and, without the need to mow, downtime has been decreased. “This is great for the soaring programs at the Air Force Academy,” says Lt. Col. Roller. “It puts us on the map as the soaring mecca of the universe—which it should be!”

Checkpoints | December 2012

graduate profile

Looking forward, giving back

Giving By The Numbers New donorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;those who have never before made a philanthropic gift to the Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;play an important role in graduate participation rates. They join the ranks of the many loyal supporters who have built a foundation of support for the Academy with their donations, year after year. We are pleased to welcome those who have given back to the Academy for the first time this year, and ask that you encourage your classmates to participate in giving, also. Graduate participation rates increase the value of your degree through nationally publicized rankings. If you have not made your contribution this year, please do so by December 31! Top Five classes Current Sabre Society Donors Class Number 1970............................................ 50 1964............................................ 43 1976............................................ 43 1971............................................ 42 1968............................................ 41

Top Five classes New Donors (2012) Class Number 2006............................................ 25 2003............................................ 24 2011............................................ 24 2009............................................ 22 2001............................................ 19

* The 2011 participation rates listed here (calculated as: total graduate donors in 2011/total living graduates) represent gifts and commitments to the Academy through the USAFA Endowment or the Association of Graduates. **As of November 8, 2012

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Class

2011 Participation Rate*

First-time Donors (2012)**

Current Sabre Society Donors **

Overall Cumulative Giving**

1959.................24.42%................. 0........................26.............$1,628,111 1960.................30.43%................. 0........................18.............$1,220,454 1961.................51.37%................. 0........................14.............$1,914,305 1962.................35.80%................. 2........................16.............$1,044,567 1963.................27.97%................. 2........................30.............$6,779,741 1964.................22.88%................. 0........................43.............$8,101,519 1965.................19.13%................. 0........................23.............$8,943,733 1966.................37.85%................. 0........................34.............$5,251,529 1967.................29.26%................. 7........................26.............$5,682,014 1968.................22.10%................. 0........................41.............$2,166,938 1969.................16.59%................. 3........................38.............$5,829,333 1970.................23.88%................. 1........................50.............$7,123,064 1971.................17.00%................. 1........................42.............$1,835,242 1972.................14.25%................. 4........................38.............$932,578 1973.................19.38%................. 0........................35.............$2,162,563 1974.................16.73%................. 0........................32.............$1,157,493 1975.................15.78%................. 0........................23.............$1,893,952 1976.................24.66%................. 3........................43.............$1,618,007 1977.................14.52%................. 1........................24.............$892,772 1978.................23.92%................. 1........................30.............$4,660,555 1979.................18.83%................. 0........................19.............$2,941,081 1980.................16.36%................. 0........................33.............$1,852,611 1981.................15.02%................. 5........................25.............$1,450,591 1982.................11.23%................. 5........................17.............$584,874 1983.................11.97%................. 1........................24.............$929,993 1984.................9.07%................... 1........................16.............$642,467 1985.................9.10%................... 1........................17.............$493,136 1986.................9.34%................... 6........................14.............$401,774 1987.................11.17%................. 0........................18.............$867,446 1988.................11.72%................. 2........................17.............$496,842 1989.................7.56%................... 2........................13.............$848,382 1990.................8.26%................... 3........................8...............$229,016 1991.................7.55%................... 5........................11.............$540,077 1992.................5.88%................... 2........................14.............$347,262 1993.................7.56%................... 2........................18.............$295,394 1994.................6.23%................... 4........................5...............$303,167 1995.................5.59%................... 5........................12.............$298,419 1996.................4.35%................... 8........................7...............$144,740 1997.................5.42%................... 7........................15.............$172,455 1998.................4.19%................... 10......................5...............$343,797 1999.................4.75%................... 7........................9...............$173,595 2000.................5.30%................... 13......................9...............$175,849 2001.................3.97%................... 19......................5...............$101,510 2002.................3.22%................... 18......................5...............$70,772 2003.................3.51%................... 24......................11.............$61,253 2004.................2.50%................... 16......................5...............$41,630 2005.................2.18%................... 13......................3...............$34,541 2006.................1.99%................... 25......................10.............$88,194 2007.................1.47%................... 20......................6...............$39,271 2008.................1.74%................... 16......................2...............$23,013 2009.................1.11%................... 22......................0...............$13,226 2010.................13.10%................. 15......................0...............$98,885 2011.................0.47%................... 24......................0...............$17,534

ThE hOLIDAY SPIrIT IS ThE SPIrIT OF GIVInG. As we come to the end of another successful year, we want to thank those who have contributed to the Air Force Academy Fund. In the spirit of the season, now is the perfect time to give once again, or, if you’ve not yet given, please consider a year-end gift. Your gift supports vital cadet “margin of excellence”programs and AOG programs and services. Air Force Academy Fund gifts support Cadet Clubs and Intramurals, Character Development Programs, International Immersion, Graduate Chapter Programs, Class Legacy Program, and many others. No gift is too small – every gift of every size matters! Gifts are 100% tax deductible and are needed by December 31. Visit our online end-of year gift guide at www.usafa.org/eoy. We are counting on you to act now! Give online at: giveafaf.org. Give by phone: 719.472.0300. Give by mail: Checks payable to USAFA Endowment, 3116 Academy Dr, Ste 200, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475.

THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY FuND

graduate profile

2013 AOG Board of Directors Election Information and Candidates

he Board of Directors of the Association of Graduates is pleased to present the following candidates for election to the Board. There are five vacancies on the Board and in accordance with the AOG Bylaws, the Nominating Committee must present at least twice as many candidates as there are vacancies. The Nominating Committee actively sought candidates who could offer diverse viewpoints to the Board based on class year, gender, geographic location, ethnicity, and military service status. The Nominating Committee has put forward 11 candidates. The election will be conducted from February 1, 2013−March 3, 2013. The electronic polls will close at noon, Mountain Standard Time on March 3, 2013. As with the 2011 election, all graduate, life graduate and associate members in good standing as of December 1, 2012 will receive instructions by email on how to cast their ballots. Please ensure that your current email address is on file with the AOG. Members who do not have an email address on file will receive the information by letter. Members who wish to receive a printed ballot may do so, upon receiving an email or letter containing your unique password and instructions, on or after February 1, 2012, by contacting Survey and Ballot Systems, Inc. through the information provided on the materials received. Complete information about the candidates including photograph, biography, candidacy statement and the candidate’s answers to six standard questions, is available on-line at www.usafa.org. Each candidate has provided an email address so that you may contact them. The AOG will publish an “Election Update” on January 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th and on February 1st, 8th,

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Vic Andrews Class of 1966

Ted Haddad Class of 1986

Roger Carleton Class of 1967

Robert Fabian Class of 1988

Larry Fariss Class of 1975

Drew Miller Class of 1980

Chad Polumbo Class of 2006

Marc Robinson Class of 1990

C Visit usafa.org to learn more about each Board of Directors candidate. Mike Torreano Class of 1970

Casey Weinstein Class of 2004

Robert Wolfe Class of 1999

15th and 22nd. The “Update” will contain any new information that a candidate chooses to make available. The “Update” will eliminate the need for candidates to send mass emails to the voting membership. If, by February 8, 2013, you have not received an email or letter containing your unique password and instructions on how to vote, please check your junk mail and deleted files. If you have still not found it, contact Survey and Ballot Systems Inc at (866) 909-3549 or online at support@directvote.net. When contacting SBS concerning voting in the election you must give your full name, class year, preferred email address and AOG ID number. Failure to provide this information in the body of the email may preclude receipt of the voting information. Questions concerning the election should be referred to AOG Executive Vice President Gary Howe ’69 at Gary.Howe@AOGUSAFA.org or by telephone at (719) 472-0300, ext. 107.

Supporting His Twin Loves Glenn Coleman ‘64 n

Air Force Service career included fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, Vietnam tours and T-38 IP Taught Aerospace Engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy for five years

Retired as a Lieutenant Colonel

Lives in McKinney, Texas

Enjoyed a 14-year career at Texas Instruments, much of which as an Ethics Officer

Married to Helen since 1964

Author of Return to Stanley Canyon

Sabre Society member

Polaris Society member–his legacy gift will help future Academy priorities

Although a charitable bequest in a will is the most common way to leave a legacy for future generations of cadets, Glenn has utilized another option—establishing a charitable trust to support him and and his wife, Helen, for the rest of their lives, with the remaining trust principal then benefiting the Academy. Says Glenn, “I thank the Academy dearly for the success it brought me. The twin loves in my life, Helen and USAFA, are deserving of my support. I share my story as an example and encourage other graduates to do their part to help future cadets.” For more information on how you can arrange for a future gift to the Academy contact Dale Zschoche at 719.238.7510 or dale. zschoche@usafaendowment.org. THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

ENDOWMENT

cadet life

USAFA Preparatory School Cadet William Roe Has Risen Above the Fray in Pursuit of His Dreams Written by Amber Baillie U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs

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ome has never been where 18-year old William Roe’s heart is. A cadet candidate at the Academy’s Preparatory School, Roe hopes to one day be an officer in the Air Force and has found his key strength through his education to get where he is today: from being hungry and living out of his mother’s car at age six to being a step away from attending one of the most prestigious institutions in the nation, the Air Force Academy. Originally from Robinson, Texas, Roe grew up in a low-income household amid continual drug abuse and hardship. “Over the course of my life, my family hadn’t done a whole lot to contribute to society in a positive way,” Roe said. “My dad went to prison, my mom tried to overdose a handful of times, and my brothers got in a lot of trouble.” When Roe was just an infant, his father manufactured methamphetamine in their home. The house was eventually raided, and his father was sent to jail, leaving Roe, his mother and siblings on their own. “My mom had a really hard time supporting us,” Roe said. “I can remember times when she would put us in the car and tell us we were going somewhere, drive until we fell asleep and then we’d wake up in the car the next morning. I guess she just didn’t have the heart to tell us that we didn’t have anywhere to go.” At age 12, Roe began work for a local landscaping company to help pay the family’s bills and set aside money for when he wanted to purchase things such as school pictures, yearbooks or field trips. “I’m not going to say it was an enjoyable experience but, now that I’m older and not doing it anymore, I’m pretty proud of it,” Roe said. “If I hadn’t gone through some of things I went through as a kid, I don’t think I would have the level of maturity and mental toughness that I have today.”

Roe said he doesn’t remember a time when his family wasn’t on food stamps, welfare or unemployment. He said there were several occasions where he and his brothers were separated from their mother and sent to live with distant relatives because they didn’t have a place to sleep. By age 15, Roe decided to no longer live at home, often times sleeping in the locker room at his high school, staying with friends or sleeping in the car he purchased after working a full-time job for eight months. “A lot of people when they think homeless, they think of standing on the street corner with a cardboard sign, and that wasn’t the situation at all,” Roe said. “I was always welcome to come home, but it wasn’t an environment where I could focus on my studies and not get into trouble.” Roe’s brothers had all dropped out of school and became addicted to drugs. “I saw my brothers get in trouble with drugs, dealing and fighting,” Roe said. “I love my brothers but, as I got older, I realized that I wanted to be better and didn’t want to follow in their footsteps.” Roe said he didn’t always eat, especially the nights he slept in the locker room. He would skip dinner and wait until the next morning for his free breakfast at school. “Kids would anonymously leave me food. I never felt bad accepting it because it’s nice to know whether you talk about your life or not, people are willing to look after you,” Roe said. At age 16, Roe lived with his grandmother for a short period of time and faced further hardship when she was instantly killed in a car accident he witnessed on his way to her house. w

Will

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“After the accident, I happened to be driving on the highway and recognized her truck,” Roe said. “Being the one who lived with her and being close to the accident, I had to inform everyone what had happened. It’s hard when you have to tell your mother that her mother had passed away over something so spontaneous.” Despite not always having a home, food or family members who cared about him, Roe said he always looked toward the future and found motivation and support through individuals and activities at school. “School was the one place I was really comfortable,” Roe said. “I had a great network of friends. I couldn’t imagine being in this position if I hadn’t gone to Robinson High School. The staff members went above and beyond to make sure I was successful and a lot of them gave me a place to stay.” Roe was the vice president of his senior class, a leader in National Honor Society, and homecoming king. He volunteered regularly to help tutor kids. “I made an effort to become best friends with the people that I wanted to model my life after,” Roe said. “I’ve aimed high in everything that I do so that one day, when I have my own family, I can provide for them and my kids will never have to go through the same things I went through.” Roe also participated in sports: football, powerlifting, cross-country, track and soccer. “I actually got recognized for doing the most sports in high school,” Roe said. “It was constructive, a huge stress reliever and helped me get my mind off my family.” Upon high school graduation, Roe received a full-ride scholarship from Texas A&M as well as a $20,000 scholarship from the Horatio Alger Scholar Foundation. Through the foundation, Roe took a trip to Washington, D.C., and met influential figures such as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and actor Rob Lowe. “I was one of 104 selected from 50,000 applicants,” Roe said. “I met these incredible people and we had a formal induction ceremony inside the Supreme Court building. When the scholars walked down the aisle among all of these successful people who came from similar backgrounds as us and were successful, had respect for us and shook our hands when we walked passed them, that was the most incredible moment of my entire life. So far nothing has compared to that.” Roe said he applied to the Academy because he appreciates the structure of the military and thinks he could use his leadership potential if he became a second lieutenant. “The more I looked into it, the more I wanted to be a part of the Air Force,” Roe said. “I’m attracted 70

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to the wingman concept and appreciate that everyone is held to a higher standard and responsible for their actions. If they act out, they’ll be punished for it. I love that aspect.” Although Roe wasn’t accepted into the Academy, he said he chose to spend a year at the Prep School because he knew he would receive solid preparation to lead men and women if he were to become an officer. “There were thousands of people who competed just for a spot in the Prep School and only 240 people got in,” Roe said. “I wasn’t a recruit, my ACT scores weren’t very high but I got here on my ability to overcome adversity. I now have my own bed, get to shower every night and I don’t have to worry about my clothes not looking as nice as everyone else’s because we’re all in uniform. Every day I wake up and think about how awesome this opportunity is and I’m extremely grateful to be here.” Roe came to Colorado Springs not knowing a single person until he stepped off the plane and was approached by a complete stranger at the airport. “This woman approached me and started to ask me questions,” Roe said. “I didn’t want to tell her much because I didn’t know her but she proceeded to tell me that she was a sponsor for two cadets at the Academy.” Roe said she offered him a place to stay for the night but he initially declined. He said it wasn’t until she mentioned what she was cooking for dinner that evening that made him change his mind. “I was extremely hungry and I honestly knew I probably wouldn’t be able to eat that night because I didn’t have enough money,” Roe said. “I went home with her and the steak fajitas turned out to be terrific.” It was then when Roe found his sponsor family: Col. Rob Widmann ’90, retired Lt. Col. Ida Widmann ’91 and their two sons, Robert and Alex. “Not only was I able to eat that night but I was blessed enough to have met her and now I have people who are willing to look out for me,” Roe said. Roe plays on the Prep School’s soccer team and said as much as he would love to play for the Academy someday, only time will tell. “I wanted to play soccer my whole life and can recall being seven, eight and nine years old asking if I could join the team and my parents would never let me,” Roe said. “That’s why I only played in high school. I would definitely like to join the track team at the Academy and would probably participate in long jump, high jump or triple jump.” Roe said it will be the hardest yet most fantastic decision of his life when he is forced to choose whether to pursue the Academy or attend Texas A&M at the end of the year.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS The Board of Directors of the Association of Graduates is pleased to once again offer Graduate Dependent Scholarships. These scholarships are annual awards and range from $500-$2000 and are intended to directly support postsecondary education for the children of AOG graduate members. To be eligible, the applicant must be the biological or legally adopted child of a graduate of the U. S. Air Force Academy. However the applicant does not have to be financially dependent upon the graduate or his/her surviving spouse. For complete eligibility requirements and an application, visit www.usafa.org/memberships/scholarships. The application deadline is March 7, 2013.

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Visit the career center at www.usafa.org click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Career Center.â&#x20AC;?

cadet life

Fun with Forensics The 50th Academy Forensics Classic By Capt. Kate Schifani ’07 and 2nd Lt. Patrick Joseph ’12

n September the United States Air Force Academy hosted its 50th annual Forensics Classic. This tournament incorporated 279 competitors participating in all eleven American Forensics Association individual events, the heavily research-driven parliamentary team debate, the World University Debate Championship team debate, and the National Forensics Association Lincoln-Douglas debate. This year’s event reached participation levels never before seen at the USAFA Forensics Classic and allowed 29 colleges from 18 states to compete for national qualification. The scale and diversity of the Forensics tournament places USAFA on the leading edge of the collegiate forensics’ circuit. As one of the few remaining collegiate debate tournaments in the nation to feature both team and individual events at the same venue, the tournament featured the prestigious Worlds competition for the second year. This type of debate pits four teams of two against one another with no external research or coaching allowed in the planning stage. Judges then score the quality and strength of a team’s argument and the team’s ability to rebut. In celebration of the Classic’s 50th anniversary, the current team hosted USAFA Forensics Team alumni, many of whom judged rounds of the tournament and were participating for the first time since their respective graduations. Headlining the cadre of forensics alumni was Major General (Ret.) Harold W. Todd ’59, the first captain of the USAFA Forensics team and the first Academy graduate to attain the rank of general officer. Reflecting on how debate and speech affect the Air Force and the DoD today, Gen. Todd commented, “[I] developed skills in analytical thinking, expression and confidence that served me well throughout my career.” The competition centered on real world issues such as the efficacy of no-fly zones as a mechanism to enforce international security. Though most seasoned debaters do not participate in the tournament they host, many fourth class cadets experienced their first taste of debate as competitors in the novice levels of individual and team events. The weekend concluded with a formal awards banquet held at the Falcon Club that recognized over

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fifty of the top competitors in their respective events and crowned Rice University the overall champion in the Individual and Team Sweepstakes and Texas Tech University the champion in the Debate Sweepstakes. The tournament’s logistics required an immense effort from more than 80 cadet volunteers, 12 prep school cadet candidate volunteers, 29 faculty judges, and 17 faculty organizers who ensured that over 500 competitive rounds ran on-time, all while exceeding transportation, meal, and security requirements for more than three hundred people. Many of the par-

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Harold W. Todd ’59 and USAFA Dean of Faculty, Brig. Gen. Dana Born ’83 (second and third from right) mingle with current cadets at the 50th Annual Forensics Classic.

ticipating schools lauded the 50th USAFA Forensics Classic as the best-run tournament in the region and vowed to return next year. For the cadets, this and other forensics tournaments amplify the DoD-wide focus on critical thinking and communication, while engaging the cadets in real time problem solving, interpersonal relationship building, and leadership. Gen. Todd spoke to members of the forensics teams, noting that the “critical skills” they gain from forensics “will bear fruit in their personal and professional lives far into the future.”

In 2011, the AOG and Blanchard Family Wines created the Long Blue Line Wines to pay tribute to the Academy and provide our graduates a product they can be proud to share with their family and friends. The wine’s inaugural release was a great success having been served at the USAFA Founders Day dinner, Air Force Balls, Parent’s Club events, and numerous classmate gatherings. Sold all across the country, including the USAFA Class VI store, the first vintage sold out in 9 months and we are now happy to release our second offering of collector bottles. These top quality wines make great gifts for your graduation, promotion, retirement, or other celebration and once these custom labels are sold out, they will not be used again.

About Blanchard Family Wines Winery owner James Blanchard is a 1998 graduate of the Air Force Academy. After a career flying both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, James returned to USAFA to teach in the Department of Management and serve as Air Officer Commanding of Cadet Squadron 15. After starting his winery it was one of his desires to create a series of military tribute wines to give back, if even in a small way. This is the third military creation by Blanchard Family Wines, following the Red Scarf Blend and the Air Commando Association wines with a portion of sales going to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Air Commando Association respectively. 20% of the sales of the Long Blue Line wines will be paid back to the Association of Graduates.

james@blanchardfamilywines.com www.blanchardfamilywines.com/USAFA

Heritage

Honoring Remembering Educating The Homecoming Memorial Ceremony and the Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit Dedication provide poignant reminders of what is important. Photos courtesy of DenMar Services Inc.

Homecoming Memorial Ceremony It can sometimes be very easy for graduates of any institution of higher learning to be skeptical about the initiatives of an alumni association, the relevance of a fundraising effort or the intentions behind a magazine article. However, this fall two AOG-supported events would cause even the most cynical alumnus to pause and reflect. The Homecoming Memorial Ceremony and the dedication of the Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit underscored the impact and import of the AOG as it works to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serve the Long Blue Lineâ&#x20AC;? and the Academy. These events affected supporters of the Academy at a truly visceral level. If you ever have the opportunity to attend the Homecoming Memorial Ceremony or visit the Heritage Exhibit, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll understand why.

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Below, from top: The Cadet Deputy Wing Commander and AOG Board Chair Terry Storm ’61 await the wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial on the north end of the Air Gardens. USAFA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76 (left), AOG President and CEO William “T” Thompson ’73 (center), and the Cadet Wing Commander approach the Official Party seating area before the start of the Homecoming Memorial Ceremony.

Each year the Memorial Ceremony honors those graduates and cadets who have “slipped the surly bonds.” The Homecoming Memorial Ceremony has evolved from a memorial that was held by the Class of 1964 in the Cadet Chapel to the awe-inspiring event that now unfolds on the Terrazzo each fall. The ceremony honors the memories of those graduates and cadets who have passed on in the preceding year. In 2012, on a beautiful sunny October day, the entire Cadet Wing lined the Terrazzo. The Official Party, composed of the Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76, AOG President and CEO William “T” Thompson ’73, and the Cadet Wing Commander, assembled in front of the Class Wall and an estimated crowd of 1,000 people packed the Chapel terrace to pay their respects and hear the calling of the names and squadrons of the more than 50 people who were being remembered that day. w

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A brief, solemn silence followed the calling of each name before the squadron commander from the fallen’s squadron responded, “Absent, sir.” There is profound beauty and significance to this scene that is palpable to anyone in attendance. One can imagine the emotions the friends and loved ones of the deceased must feel when the name they have come to hear echoes across the Terrazzo. When the final name was read, the Cadet Deputy Wing Commander and AOG Board Chair Terry Storm ’61 solemnly laid a wreath at the War Memorial in special remembrance of those who have perished in service to the country. A 21-gun salute sounded off from a firing party on Spirit Hill and echo “Taps” was played. Finally, spectators took in the humbling sight of a missing man flyover of four F-16s soaring over the Cadet Area. By the time the “National Anthem” was played and the Retreat Ceremony was completed, the gravity of the ritual had been cemented in the minds of all in attendance. “To me, it’s the most significant half-hour of the year at the Air Force Academy. It condenses everything we’re about, everything we do, into one ceremony,” says USAFA Graduate/Donor Liaison, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77. “You have the cadets, the graduates, the guests, the Academy senior staff—it’s the one time each year when everybody pauses and remembers those we have lost.”

Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit Dedication Ceremony The AOG’s newest outreach project educates cadets and honors members of the Long Blue Line. This October marked the dedication ceremony of the Falcon Center and the Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit. The Heritage Exhibit honors 28 Air Force Academy graduates, each of whom have excelled in one of seven categories (four honorees per category) and stand as examples of excellence that the Cadet Wing and the graduate community can emulate. The ceremony, hosted by the Association of Graduates and the Academy, brought ten honorees from across the country back to USAFA. Those involved were moved and humbled by the exhibit and the message it can help deliver to the Cadet Wing. Thoughts on the Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit AOG President and CEO William “T” Thompson ’73 “One day while I was visiting the Falcon Center, which has become very popular with cadets and is frequently used by the Dean and the faculty for events, I noticed that there were no graduates highlighted in the area. Our goal with the Heritage Exhibit is to honor our graduates who are leading our nation at every level of society and to inspire cadets to aspire to great things.” Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76 “I have believed all along that, if we’re doing our jobs right at the Academy, it doesn’t take until the 20th reunion to feel that fanatical pride in this institution. It’s displays like we are seeing here [the Heritage Exhibit] that are going to help our cadets. They can reach out and touch the former Chief of Staff and say, ‘That could be me someday.’” Dean of the Faculty, Brig. Gen. Dana Born ’83 “I’d like to thank the Association of Graduates for their support and for serving the Long Blue Line. They serve our Long Blue Line of graduates and those of us who are currently here see the benefits of their support. They are also serving our future Long Blue Line by what they are doing to inspire those who are going to graduate and go on to serve.” 76

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Honorees Academic Excellence

Ervin Rokke ’62 “I’m honored to be a part of this. There are any number of individuals who could be standing in the same place I’m in. What this exhibit means to me is that the Academy is beginning to better understand its heritage. When you look at people like Brad Hosmer ’59 [Academic Excellence honoree], General Michael Ryan ’65 [Air Force Chiefs of Staff honoree], Dick Schlosberg ’65 [Excellence in Business honoree] from early classes, they are people who could have slipped away without our realizing it. The Academy is now maturing and it’s beginning to look at itself in a more critical, interesting way. Part of that involves examining our heritage. Something like this that looks at people like General Schwartz ’73, General Ryan, General Welsh ’76 and so on, who are obviously people of quality—there is an important message there for cadets. I think when they recognize the heritage of

Heritage Exhibit: Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit honorees who attended the dedication ceremony pose with USAFA AOG President and CEO William “T” Thompson ’73. From left to right: Paul Kaminski ’64, Ed Mechenbier ’64, Bradley Hosmer ’59, Richard Schlosberg ’65, Fred Gregory ’64, William “T” Thompson ’73, Heather Wilson ’82, Norton Schwartz ’73, Michael Ryan ’65, Richard Lewis ’89, and Ervin Rokke ’62.

those kinds of individuals the cadets feel better about themselves and when they feel better about themselves this becomes a better experience for them. I’m grateful to the AOG for coming up with this concept.”

Excellence in Business

Richard Schlosberg ’65 “Being an honoree of the Academy is one of the most humbling and exciting things that’s happened to me. I was really taken by it. I was inspired by the others on the exhibit as well. I think the Academy was a transformational experience for me, as I think it was for all of us who went through. The values, character, discipline and can-do spirit one gets at the Academy transfers to every part of my life. I tell people that I went to grad school to learn a skill; I learned how to be a professional at the Academy.” Richard Lewis ’89 “I looked up to the people who were put in front of us. Lance Sijan ’65 and his story, General Harmon. The Academy was very difficult for me. I wasn’t an A student. I struggled. Honestly, I looked up to people who had graduated and made it through. It gave me a sense that if they could do it, so could I. I was blown away by this honor. The Academy was very tough for me in a lot of ways. Not in a million years

could someone have convinced me that my name would be on the wall here at the Academy.”

Heroes

Ed Mechenbier ’64 “Many graduates were put in my path while I was at the Academy, people who led me and guided me. My first squadron commander was Ron O’Rear from the Class of 1961. Another one of the people who takes credit for all the success I’ve had, and justifiably so, is R.D. Smith ’61. To be recognized for what you did—you could have honored any number of other graduates—it just means that other people really made you work. Everything I did at the Academy helped me in my career. You learn discipline. You learn the value of wingmen. You learn the value of teamwork. You learn the value of integrity and you learn that people expect things of you and you expect things of people around you because you had a common background. For four of the six years I spent as a P.O.W. I lived with one of my classmates: Ron Bliss ’64. When we got someone else in our room it was another classmate: Kevin McManus ’64. You find out that if you just give people a chance to be a hero, or good, or successful, they can be.”

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heritage

Help Preserve History

Vietnam Memories wanted The Class of 1970 completed Phase I of its gift of the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion in October 2010 and is now ready to complete Phase II: graduate memories of their involvement in the conflict. They need the help of all graduate Vietnam veterans. Phase II will consist of an interactive computer presentation of the history of the war, the role of air operations, and the memories of graduates. If you served in, or have memories of the war in Southeast Asia, IN ANY CAPACITY, please provide your stories in written or recorded form. The Pavilion has already become a major point of interest on the Academy and the computer displays will highlight the significance of the conflict and graduate contributions in its execution. The Class of 1970 needs your help! The goal is to collect stories, memories, photos and videos capturing graduate involvement in the war itself and from all graduates who served during the Vietnam era (1959-1975). Over time, more and more of this information will be added as the graduate community responds. Eventually, a separate website will be created that will hold even more detailed information. The Class and the AOG have engaged the services of Post Modern Company, an acclaimed video and storytelling firm that has received numerous awards, including an Emmy, for its ability to transform information into stories that explain complex situations while educating and entertaining viewers.

C PLEASE TELL US YOUR STORIES. Visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for detailed information concerning the project and how to submit.

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WORTH

1000

WORDS

As the winter days grow shorter, each new evening concludes with a magical crescendo of extraordinary color and composition. This fire storm took shape above the campus just as the daily playing of the National Anthem echoed across the Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loud speakers.

from the terrazzo

Fall Back—Spring Ahead: Autumn 2012 Semester in Review By Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born ’83

he end of the calendar year is the perfect time to reflect upon the many accomplishments of USAFA cadets, faculty, and staff since the graduation of the Class of 2012. As in years past, the Academy has much to be proud of as 2012 draws to a close. Following May’s graduation festivities, many cadets and faculty took a much-needed break, but activities at USAFA quickly resumed and have since sustained a steady pace. Many of the new second lieutenants began their Air Force careers by immediately attending graduate school, with the Class of 2012 sending a record number of graduates into prominent programs across the globe. Upon graduation, all will move into their core Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) as pilots, intelligence officers, acquisition professionals, engineers, and so forth. Among the 117 lieutenants entering graduate school, 26 began medical school, one entered law school (USAFA’s first-ever direct appointment into post-grad legal studies), and four will pursue their studies at prestigious schools overseas. The Academy’s 37th Rhodes Scholar, 2nd Lt. Zach Crippen, is attending the University of Oxford in the UK, while USAFA’s 12th and 13th Marshall Scholars (2nd Lts. Frederic Feigel and Peter Lind) are studying at Oxford and St. Andrews University (Scotland), respectively. Likewise, the Academy’s 10th Holaday Scholar, 2nd Lt. John Nickerson, is attending Oxford’s Exeter College. I expect these and all of our 2012 grads to have a profound effect on the Air Force. After graduation, our current classes of cadets immediately launched into a myriad of summer programs ranging from International Cultural Immersions and Summer Research Programs to Cyber Warfare exercises. This 82

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summer alone, nearly 350 cadets traveled to countries as diverse as China, France, Israel, Rwanda, and Spain to participate in language and cultural immersions and foreign academy visits. Generous financial contributions from the USAFA Endowment and the Olmsted Foundation have made such robust programs possible. Managed through the Department of Foreign Languages and the Office of International Programs, these opportunities provide our future officers direct experience with other cultures and help them develop lasting relationships with individuals across the globe. With 26 cadets currently participating in semester exchange programs at foreign service academies, 34 studying abroad at civilian institutions, and 55 international students attending USAFA, these programs underscore the Academy’s ongoing commitment to forge relationships with other nations by making cadets more culturally aware, a sine qua non trait among our future officer corps when creating mutually beneficial operations in the future. On the domestic front, one of the fastest emerging threats to our nation and our military resides in the cyber domain. The Department of Computer Science is offering

more cyber courses than ever before, and our cadets have excelled when given the opportunity to demonstrate their well-honed cyber skills. This year, our cadet Cyber Competition Team earned first place at the National Security Agency’s Cyber Defense Exercise, second place honors at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and, most recently, first place among 331 undergraduate teams from the United States and Canada in a competition held at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. Our cadets earned eighth place honors among all 1,212 teams, comprised of graduate students and industry professionals! Cadets involved in these programs will substantially impact our national security in ways unpredictable a generation ago. Like our cadets, our faculty has also been afforded opportunities to explore developing facets of our profession. Through the generosity of the John Martinson ’70 gift fund, our Director of Education has offered numerous fora for faculty to improve upon their teaching, particularly through its Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) office. For example, a visit from bestselling author John Medina initiated a new reading group on best teaching practices. In addition, our Center for Educational Excellence and the Director of Academic Assessment have treated the faculty to open discussions on methods to improve teaching practices and enhance cadet learning. Backed by recent research, such circulation of ideas is enhancing our faculty’s classroom effectiveness, ultimately leading to cadets who are better equipped to think critically and retain hard-won skills and knowledge. With faculty of this caliber, it is no surprise that an Academy instructor has been named the Colorado Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Professor of the Year for nine of the past eleven years. Our faculty and cadets have helped cement the Academy’s exceptional academic reputation, which others are noticing. US News & World Report recently recognized USAFA as the No. 3 “Top Public National Liberal Arts

University,” and our Business Management program as the No. 1 undergraduate-only program nationally. Our Engineering programs continue to be recognized as well, with the Academy’s Engineering program (Aerospace, Aeronautics, Astronautics, and Electrical) being highlighted among the Top 5 of America’s undergraduate-only institutions. Additionally, Forbes named USAFA the No. 2 “Best Value College” in 2012, the Princeton Review recognized our faculty as one of the “Most Accessible” in the nation, and Leadership Excellence acknowledged the Academy as having the No. 3 “Leadership Development Program” among government and military institutions. Such rankings are never an ultimate aim; nonetheless, it is encouraging to see our institution recognized by others simply for conducting business as usual and focusing on our mission. In the years ahead, we can set our aspirations even higher. Although we are always looking towards and preparing for the future, we also recognize the value in revisiting our past. In August we were honored to host 22 former Permanent Professors to our biennial “Heritage to Horizons” (H2H) celebration. A major objective of this event was to honor the former Permanent Professors’ dedicated service, hard work, and visionary leadership that laid the foundation for much of today’s curriculum and programs. After having given much of their personal and professional lives to USAFA, attendees were interested in learning about current USAFA initiatives and programs. As the Air Force mission has evolved in the past few decades, our curriculum and cadet programs have changed, too. Our cyber and Unmanned Aerial Systems and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (UAS-RPA) programs are two of the most visible examples of our response to the changing needs of our Air Force. After convening with cadets and faculty alike, one H2H attendee remarked that he was, “impressed [and often overwhelmed] by it all,” while another described the agenda as “enlightening.” His words bring me to reflect on what the Academy will look like in 20 more years. An exciting thought, indeed! Lastly, this year, the retired attendees represented 331 combined years of service to USAFA. With such experience comes great insight. This event thus provided current faculty the opportunity to leverage the former Permanent Professors’ experience and wisdom on approaching current challenges and opportunities. Today, as the Fall semester draws to a close, I feel a deep sense of pride for the Air Force Academy’s cadets, faculty, and staff. Our institution enjoys a long tradition of excellence, one of which you can be proud. As a part of the “Long Blue Line,” you have left an indelible imprint on the Academy and the larger Air Force. We are grateful that you set your own personal standards very high as signposts for us along the way. “Fly, Fight, and Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace.” Aim High … then Aim Higher! Checkpoints

December 2012

Save

The DaTe Waldo F. Dumbsquat The Secret Life of

by Don Hall ’76

4th annual aog

scotch ta st i n g March 8

founders day april 5

Jabara airmanship award dinner May 3

Visit usafa.org to be a part of these exciting eVents! ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Cadet

Fourth Class Waldo F. Dumbsquat entered his dorm room with a frightened look on his face. His roommates, “Regs” Buch and Warren Heels, looked up from their studies to survey the dismayed doolie. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Waldo!” exclaimed Warren. “More like the Ghost of Christmas Future!” announced Waldo. “So what gives?” asked Regs. “Finals week is here and I’ve got to start cramming a whole semester of Chemistry.” “Yeah, and I’m leavin’ on a jet plane after my last final. Christmas break here I come!” chortled Warren. “Okay, here goes … ” Waldo hesitated before the depressing announcement, “I’ve got eleventh and twelfth period finals!” “Ouch, Waldo. Two final exams on the last day before leave starts—that’s tough.” “Academic Probation here I come,” groaned Waldo. Warren stood up from his desk. “Relax, Waldo. We just need to get your mind right.” “How?” “When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feelin’ sad, I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don’t feel so bad,” replied Warren. Regs looked bewildered. “Are you trying out for the Blue Bards production of The Sound of Music?” “I’m as serious as Julie Andrews or Mary Martin,” said Warren indignantly. “When I get depressed, I think about the things that make me happy.” “Like raindrops on roses?” “No, things like taking a nap during a free period on the fifth floor of the Cadet Library and waking up in time to go to class.” “Well, that is a classic,” Regs acknowledged. “I like using my gray leather gloves as a pillow,” said Waldo thoughtfully. “That’s the spirit. Now you try it, Regs!” “Hitching a ride from Cadet Corner all the way to the Old Dorm—in a ’vette is one of my happy memories,” noted Regs. “I like Smoker Night on Thursdays during football season,” said Waldo. “Cigar smoke and Mitch’s Mountain for dessert … heavenly!” “Don’t forget entertaining the Table Commandant just to sit a rest!” “By George, I think he’s got it!” exclaimed Warren. “Don’t mix your musicals,” warned Regs. “How about cattle calls?” “Or amnesty from the Board of Visitors?” “Definitely a few of my favorite things,” smiled Warren. “Wow, I’m feeling a lot better now!” exclaimed Waldo. “Great! What are you thinking about now?” “Care packages from home,” whispered Waldo. The doolies all sighed together.

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from the terrazzo

Chorus of Years USAFA Music Director Dr. Joe Galema Reflects on Thirty Years at the Academy Written by Don Branum, Air Force Academy Public Affairs Photo by Lewis Carlyle

he Academy’s music director is almost as much of a fixture at USAFA as the organ in the Cadet Chapel’s Protestant worship area that he plays every Sunday morning. He has played the organ, which turned 50 years old in September, at weddings, funerals and worship services. He’s instructed Cadet Chorale members whose sons and daughters later joined the Chorale. Dr. Joe Galema grew up in West Lafayette, Ind. He graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a bachelor’s degree in organ performance and received a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. From there, he said, he came straight to the Air Force Academy. “I was finishing my doctorate ... and I was interviewing and auditioning for different jobs around the country,” Galema explained. Galema applied for a job with the Academy as an assistant for administration and music in 1982 after seeing the job listed in a College Music Society newsletter. He spoke with Roger Boyd, the Academy’s first music director, who flew to Michigan from Colorado Springs to interview him. A few days later, Galema received a phone call. “My teacher had always told me, ‘If anyone ever calls you about a job, just ask them for 24 hours to think about it and that you’ll call them back,’” Galema said. “So I dutifully said, ‘Can you give me 24 hours?’ and [Boyd] said, ‘No, I need an answer right now.’ So I said, ‘OK, yes, I’ll take the position.’” The main draw for Galema was the organ in the Cadet Chapel. The organ comprises more than 4,300 pipes, varying from the size of a pencil to more than 30 feet tall.

“I also knew that there would be the administrative side of it because that was in the [job] title,” he said. “I had not ever been in the military before, so I didn’t really know anything about the military end of it. The first year, especially, was a real learning year for me.” Administratively, Galema planned and organized choir trips, which required him to familiarize himself with a schedule and lifestyle unlike what he had undergone as a college student. “The training part of it was completely different and, back then, it was more intense: a lot of yelling—as we say, sounding off,” he said. “We didn’t have intramurals: We had [physical education] classes but no intramurals, so I had to get used to that. Weekends for freshmen were ... one overnight pass and one or two day passes per semester back then, so they hardly got off base, where in college I could go off-campus anytime.” Galema officially started his job on Sept. 13, 1982, but he first sat down in front of the keyboard at the chapel a day earlier. “Roger wanted me right away that first day. I’d gotten here the Friday before, so I’d had a day to practice and get something ready,” he said. “The

organ is pretty famous because of the architectural design and because at the time it was built ... a lot of people hadn’t seen pipes in the open before, so just coming here and playing it was really thrilling.” Congregations were larger in those years, and so were the choirs, Galema said. Singers would come four-abreast down the center aisle, split at the front, then walk down the side aisles into the balcony when they processed, moving in step with the hymn. Congregations and choirs are smaller today, but that doesn’t take away from the magic. “The building and the instrument have always been exciting for me,” Galema continued. “Some days when I’m up there practicing, I think, ‘Here I am with this wonderful instrument all the time.’ It’s kind of like driving into the Academy every day: If you don’t see these every day, it’s pretty impressive, and the Academy grounds are impressive.” Galema led the freshman Protestant choir in January 1983. After Boyd retired, Galema took over the upperclass Protestant choir. He assumed the leadership mantle for the Cadet Chorale in 1989 after Ed Ladouceur, the Academy’s second music director, retired.

In that time, Galema’s played for the funeral of former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Curtis LeMay and the memorial service for the astronauts killed when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in January 1986. The Chorale has sung at the White House, at national championship football games and at the 1990 Country Music Awards. And while the Chorale is smaller today than it was 20 years ago, its cadets are no less talented. “The ones who really want to sing ... more difficult music and the better sight readers will still join the Chorale,” Galema said. “Besides numbers, there’s still the commitment level: They’re still committed to the organization and the performances. As far as the caliber goes, it’s stayed the same and maybe even risen a little bit.” The ratio of women to men has increased as well: Women comprise about 40 percent of the Chorale today, compared to 33 percent in previous years. That mix—a smaller ratio of women to men than is found in most church or school choirs, gives the Chorale a unique sound, Galema said. The smaller congregation sizes stem at least in part from post-9/11 security measures, Galema said. For a few months after the terrorist attacks, the Academy was closed to anyone without a military ID. However, while church attendance declined after Sept. 11, attendance at the Chorale’s performance of Handel’s Messiah has remained steady. “It’s always been a pretty full chapel,” Galema said. “I think it’s just the fact that it’s a quality performance that’s free and open to the public.” Galema said working with the cadets is the single most rewarding part of his job. “There’s turnover every year,” he said. “We have the cadets graduate, but we have a new class coming in. It’s not a challenge in a bad way, but it’s a challenge in a good way to get the new cadets up to speed with the music and still keep the interest with the cadets who are returning to the groups. “It’s the energy of the people this age. You go to another university, and you have all ages of people attending,” he added. “Here, it’s just a specific age. That and all the different concerts we’ve [done] over the years, different experiences with national television ... every school year, there seems to be some new thing that we do, so that keeps me from getting stale.” And after 30 years, Galema doesn’t seem ready to close the sheet music book on his career here. “Ed [Ladouceur] always used to tell me, ‘You won’t feel old until someone comes in and says his dad was in your group,” Galema said. “That happened. I don’t know whether I felt old, but I thought, ‘OK, here it comes.’ It was a 1985 grad’s daughter who came into my office and said, ‘My dad was in your Chorale.’ “Right now there’s a senior in the Chorale whose mother was in the Protestant choir,” he said. “So now in a few more years, we’ll see if there’s a superintendent who was a Chorale graduate.”

Checkpoints

December 2012

trueblue Dream Lake Designs

T H E

A S S O C I A T I O N

O F

G R A D U A T E S

Dream Lake Designs

Kristin Martinez, Owner | www.dreamlakedesigns.com | 719.357.8790 Dream Lake Designs was founded in 2010 by Kristin Martinez, wife of Dan Martinez ’85, whose love for sewing, embroidery and other crafts soon developed from being just a hobby into a Promotional and Personalized Products full-time career. “I started Dream Lake Designs with a single needle embroidery machine but in less than one year outgrew it with my first large job. Now, Dream Lake Designs uses a 16-needle embroidery machine that allows us to create and produce products of the highest quality that our customers not only require but deserve. The success of Dream Lake Designs has been fulfilling but at many times overwhelming. It was with great relief that I met a neighbor, Cindy Lewis, who shares my love for sewing and soon became a valuable member of Dream Lake Designs. Finding a great teammate, and with the speed and ability of our new embroidery machine, has allowed us to expand our product line and incorporate a process known as Sublimation/Digital Imaging to our skills and expertise. Sublimation not only can enhance our embroidery designs but gives us flexibility in the superior products we can provide to our customers. Although Dream Lake Designs is growing day by day we are still a small, family owned business that believes exceptional products and customer service sets us apart.”

P.B. and Jellies New York Deli

Art Romero ’91, Owner | www.pbandjellies.com | 106 E. Kiowa St., Colorado Springs 719.465.2686 P.B. and Jellies is a Colorado Springs-based eatery, specializing in house-blended peanut butter and employee, Lisa Johnson’s, unique and award-winning jellies. After only being open 9 months, I expanded the deli to include a nearby retail store, as well. This was a necessary addition in order to keep up with large-volume mail orders and the newly-introduced “P.B. and J of the Month Club” I created just for USAFA Cadets. As a grad, I am excited to be working with the AOG to deliver our unique products to cadets, parents, and my classmates. Check out our online store for one-of-a-kind items and gift baskets that can be delivered around the country, or to your military service members around the world. With flavors like White Chocolate Peanut Butter, Carrot Cake Jelly, and the popular Young Elvis sandwich made with peanut butter, bacon, and bananas – you are sure to have a special and delicious meal, whether you eat in our fun, family-friendly restaurant or have it shipped right to your door!

Furnace World

Lisa and Jeff Coffy, Owners | www.furnaceworldco.com | 719.473.9276 The yellow ribbon in the Furnace World logo represents our appreciation of the military members who so valiantly serve and protect our country. Jeff Coffy, owner of Furnace World, served in the United States Air Force as a heating systems specialist for four years before starting Climate Technology, his first HVAC Company. “Not only are my wife Lisa and I proud parents, but I am also proud to be a veteran,” Jeff says. “We know and understand the unique challenges faced by military families, and we are proud to do our part to make sure that these deserving families have one less thing to worry about.” For every new furnace or air conditioner our customers buy, we will adopt a family whose spouse is deployed. Sponsored families receive annual maintenance on the mechanical equipment of their home comfort system. Furnace World creates a customer experience that is very different from what people normally find in the heating & cooling marketplace. Our uniqueness lies in the company philosophy of “being of service” and working to “WOW” our customers. We are about so much more than fixing heaters. It’s about doing it with heart and making the buyers’ experience “simple and worry-free.”

Hanson HotSpring Spas

Andy Rusk, Owner | www.hansonspa.com | 719.593.7727 Hanson HotSpring Spas has been providing quality products and service to southern Colorado since 1978. As a multiple winner of the Hot Spring “Territory Dealer of the Year” award, we pride ourselves in our ability to understand and exceed our customers’ needs and expectations. We carry only the finest hot tubs and saunas in the market. Whether it is relaxing in a Hot Spring hot tub or enjoying a soothing Finnleo sauna, Hanson HotSpring Spas can help make your family time more enjoyable. We are the hot tub and sauna experts. For quality products that are unsurpassed, come see us at our spacious showroom located on the southeast corner of Dublin and Academy in Colorado Springs, visit our web page at www.hansonspa.com, or find our long-standing tailgate at Falcon Stadium during the football season. 88

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trueblue B

T H E

A S S O C I A T I O N

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Checkpoints

December 2012

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Known around the world as city of entertainment, Las Vegas is a place where imagination blurs with reality. Experience the high flying aerial majesty of a Cirque du Soleil show or find out what it feels like to shoot a real machine gun from World War II. This townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross section of fun, food and fantasy is broader than the Hoover Dam. If you ever find yourself in the city of lights, here are a few things you simply should not miss.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEWIS CARLYLE

usafa.org

eating right

Sensi | Bellagio If you like good sushi this is the place to be. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all, because this Asian fusion restaurant also serves an elegant blend of juicy steaks, fresh produce and Italian dishes that will make your mouth water. Eiffel Tower Restaurant | Paris Looking for some of the best views in town? Take up a seat overlooking the world-famous Bellagio fountains and sink your teeth into some sensual French cuisine. The pork chops and steaks will melt in your mouth and the slow roasted filet of Atlantic salmon in a Pinot Noir sauce will transport your taste buds to culinary nirvana. The Buffet at Luxor Okay, we had to throw at least one buffet in here, it is Vegas after all. This one features an Indiana Jones theme of ancient Egyptian ruins and a great cross section of international dishes to choose from. As buffets go, all the major hotels are pretty on point, but the Luxor delivers the best combination of quality eats and price.

Checkpoints | December 2012

FREE ENTERTAINMENT Bellagio Fountains Colossal torrents of water soar more than 100 feet into the air as these precision controlled fountains roar to the tempo of a new song every 15 minutes. This free show takes place in a giant lake in front of the elegant Bellagio hotel. If you can only see one thing in Vegas, make sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this show. Sirens of Ti | Treasure Island This live acrobatic show takes place across the two full-scale pirate ships which adorn the lagoon in front of Treasure Island. Scurvy pirates face off against sultry sirens in a tense aerial battle as fiery explosions rock the night sky (seriously, you will feel the heat on your face!). Fremont Street Experience Not far from the strip, the old Vegas of the 1960s has been revitalized and brought into the 21st century by a gigantic half-dome TV screen which spans the entire length of Fremont Street. A new show plays every 15 minutes and the addition of a zip-line course make this a must see.

SHOWTIME KA | Cirque du Soleil | MGM Grand Of the six Cirque shows currently playing on the Las Vegas strip, KA is the crowning achievement of them all. Combining an unbelievable display of martial arts and acrobatics, the show takes place in a dream-like, three dimensional environment engineered to make you believe that gravity no longer exists. Le Reve | Wynn Las Vegas This water show depicts acrobats turning, flipping and diving from impossible heights. The stage magically appears and disappears from the pool below, allowing the cast to dive deep, or walk on water. The small circular auditorium guarantees that every seat in the house will bring you up close and personal to the action.

THE ART SCENE Peter Lik Fine Art Photography See the world through the eyes of Master Photographer Peter Lik in any one of his three galleries located across the Las Vegas strip. Astonishing landscapes glow beneath unbelievable sunsets to create a Zen-like experience that will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Bellagio Conservatory The Bellagio hotel could easily be considered a work of art itself, as it contains an elegant string of jaw dropping features. Enter the main lobby to find yourself under an installation of stain-glass flowers which glow from the ceiling. A few steps farther and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve entered the conservatory, an interactive floral sculpture garden which changes with the seasons.

Checkpoints | December 2012

Heritage

Bells

at Our Cemetery

The Class of 1967’s Gift Brings Music and Beauty to the Academy’s Most Hallowed Ground Written by Bob Muldrow ’67

usafa.org

he American Legion Memorial has overlooked the USAFA Cemetery for the past ten years. However, its journey to that peaceful knoll on the west side of the cemetery grounds has been decades in the making. The memorial initially resided high on the hillside to the west of the Chapel. The distinctive structure, which is crowned by a Polaris, has been known by a multitude of names—some more irreverent than others. It has been called the Tower of Peace, the Tuning Fork and the Roach Clip. Now, through the efforts of the Class of 1967, this beautifully renovated memorial, which has been adorned with 25 cast bronze bells, will peacefully serenade those at the Academy Cemetery serving as a reminder of sacrifice, service and peace. The history of this project and memorial began with the dedication of the Schulmerich “Carillon Americana” bells instrument which was held at the Academy on September 12, 1961. In 1969 the Chief of Staff of the Air Force approved the Academy’s cemetery master plan, which included installing a tower in the cemetery with wiring running back to the carillon in Arnold Hall. The plans for this tower varied over time as the American Legion tried to raise the necessary funds for its completion. After examining the expense of having a carillon in Arnold Hall and a tower in the cemetery, plans were revised to place the tower next to the Chapel. Varying designs for the tower were completed through the years, with the memorial’s size ranging from 40 feet to 100 feet in height. Architect Pierre Bezy devised a plan to add three speakers at the top of what he called the tuning fork. However, this addition, along with a lighting system and an accompanying memorial walk, never came to fruition. Throughout the 1970s, the price tag for the tower hovered around $100,000, which was more than the local Colorado Auxiliary of the American Legion could raise on its own. Several nationwide fund raising initiatives were attempted to mixed results and plans were revised again and again. By 1980, funds had been raised to a level where the tower project was finally ready to be launched. C. Clay Davis was selected to be the architect for the final design. The cost was in the $40,000 range with an additional $5,600 spent on the Polaris star located high between the twin towers of the carillon frame. Wiring from Arnold Hall to the Chapel and tower was eliminated from the design and the

memorial was not connected with the carillon as originally planned. In May 1981, then-Superintendent General Kenneth Tallman and then-C3C Albert Feliu accepted the tower in front of one hundred and fifty distinguished visitors. Most prominent was Mr. Vincent Gay, who had worked tirelessly as Chairman of the Legion Tower Committee from the early days to the present state of this lengthy saga. In 2002 the American Legion Memorial was moved to the cemetery, where it resides today next to the Cemetery kiosk where visitors can look up information on their loved ones. The Class of 1967, with support from Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould ’76 and the Memorials Board, decided that having a carillon at our cemetery would be a welcome and reverent addition to the ceremonies and funerals conducted on the Cemetery’s sacred grounds. During our 40th Class Reunion the project was identified and the class began to work on the project with great enthusiasm and hard work. The class went on to raise over $295,000 to bring the project to fruition. The Verdin Company, the preeminent cast bronze bell producer in the world, was selected to provide the cast bronze bell architecture for the carillon. Verdin has been producing bells since 1842 and has over 35,000 clients worldwide including the Smithsonian Institute and Walt Disney World. Before the bells could be added to the memorial, major structural engineering work had to be completed to accommodate the 3,800 pound weight of the bells and power had to be added to the structure. The tower can now withstand 100 mile per hour winds, which is not too much of a stretch if you remember your days on the Terrazzo. Over 500 pieces of music can be played by this carillon, including an original piece entitled “We Will Remember them” written by our classmate Bruce McDonald ’67. On a gray October day this fall, 300 guests came to the cemetery to hear the joyous sounds of the carillon bells ringing atop the American Legion Memorial. The Class of 1967 would like to thank Vice Superintendent Colonel Tamra Rank ’83 for accepting the memorial on behalf of the Academy. Our goal has been to deliver cadets and graduates a meaningful gift during our 45th reunion, and we hope that with its dedication this fall the carillon will serve as a source of comfort and pride to the USAFA community for many years to come.

Checkpoints

December 2012

LINK

A BRACELET IS A WRITTEN BY DAVID BERGEMAN

A heroic graduate, an MIA bracelet, a B-52 bomber and a cadet show us just how small our world is An OV-10 on a forward air control mission is struck by hostile fire and is catastrophically damaged somewhere over Laos. A 23-year-old First Lieutenant named Arthur Hardy ’70 radios that he’s been hit. It is presumed that he bailed out of the aircraft very near the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail—the bloodline of hostile North Vietnamese and Viet Cong territory. The young husband and father of a 3-week-old daughter is thought to be unharmed, but search and rescue efforts come up empty and he is nowhere to be found. The Vietnam War is raging and, like so many other brave American service members before him, Arthur Hardy is declared missing in action.

NEVER FALTER NEVER FAIL A world away in peaceful Longwood, Florida, a mother gives her four-year-old daughter a shiny aluminum bracelet. It has an inscription reading: 1LT. Arthur Hardy 3-14-72. In 1972 these bracelets are powerful symbols of solidarity and support for American troops fighting a divisive war. This particular little girl’s father is also in Vietnam and he too is an OV-10 pilot. In fact, Colonel (Ret.) John Peeke had been in the same squadron as Arthur Hardy, the man whose name his daughter carried. Years later, when she asks, her dad tells her of Captain Hardy, “He was a good officer and a good forward air controller.” During his second tour in Vietnam, Colonel Peeke transitioned to flying B-52s. After the war, one particular flight brought him to Peterson Air Field, where the B-52 he was flying was disassembled. That plane is the bomber on static display near the North Gate of the United States Air Force Academy—a link to the Academy that the family would realize years later. For decades Linda Barnes cared after Arthur Hardy’s MIA bracelet with unwavering fidelity, never knowing what became of the man whose name she held on her wrist and near her heart. Several years ago Barnes visited the Vietnam War Memorial and located Captain Hardy’s name among the over 58,000 listed on the black marble of that somber monument. While taking an introspective moment, a woman roaming the area told Barnes that she should leave the bracelet that she has held dear for decades on the sidewalk to be collected. Barnes couldn’t bear the thought. Now more than ever, she was determined to learn the story of Captain Arthur Hardy. In November 1976, four years after the date of his crash, Arthur Hardy was declared killed in action. His remains were found and repatriated in 1983. Through her research Barnes discovers this. She makes contacts around the country in search of someone or somewhere

that the bracelet can find its final resting place and Captain Hardy can continue to be honored. Unable to finish her research alone, Barnes turns to the Association of Graduates for help. With Captain Hardy’s next of kin unreachable, the AOG arranges for the bracelet to be displayed in the library of Doolittle Hall. Arrangements are made. As it happens, Barnes will be visiting the Academy—to spend Parents’ Weekend with her son C2C Austin Barnes. Austin, inspired by the service of his father and grandfather, is attending the Academy, continuing a family tradition of military service. On August 31, 2012, Linda Barnes arrives at Doolittle Hall with her two sons. She is greeted by the AOG and Captain Hardy’s classmates, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Curt Emery ’70 and Col. (Ret.) Gary Dahlen ’70. Hardy’s classmates walk Barnes down the Heritage Trail showing her the Memorial Wall that honors those graduates who have made the ultimate sacrifice. They visited the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion where Barnes lays a flower on a bench that is dedicated to Captain Hardy: a bench that appropriately faces the Academy where this chain of Air Force history began. “This is where the bracelet belongs,” says Barnes. “If I’m not wearing it and if it’s not with his family, it belongs here at USAFA. This is where he is laid to rest and this is where his bracelet will always be.” Later in the day Barnes’ son takes her to the USAFA Cemetery so that she can pay Captain Hardy her respects at his memorial. Her bracelet, Hardy’s bracelet, is now displayed in a glass case in Doolittle Hall with dozens of others. Next time you visit the alumni house, stop to look at this humble piece of aluminum and reflect on how it has forever linked generations of strangers, telling a story of heroic sacrifice and service to our country. Then consider its companions—what stories do those metals of valor have to tell?

Heritage

Col. (Ret.) Andrew “Andi” Biancur Receives Class of 1960 50th Class Reunion Award

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AOG Executive Vice President Gary Howe ‘69 (far left) and Class of 1960 Vice President Jim Waddle (far right) present Andi Biancur with the 50th Class Reunion Award.

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On October 5, 2012, the Class of 1960 bestowed its 50th Class Reunion Award—A Lifetime of Commitment to Core Values—on Colonel (Ret.) Andrew W. “Andi” Biancur. The award honors the classmate who, in the view of other classmates, has set himself apart through extraordinarily significant contributions to the class, to classmates, to his community and to the graduate community as a whole over the last half-century. It is awarded to the one classmate whose spirit of camaraderie stands out above all other classmates. Given jointly by the class and the Association of Graduates, the award recipient exemplifies the durability and importance of friendships forged as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy.

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2012 Chapter Presidents Conference

Strengthening the Long Blue Line

Homecoming weekend

was the setting for our Second Annual Chapter Presidents Conference. There were 23 Chapter Representatives ranging from the Class of 1964 to the Class of 2011 and each one had valuable insight to share. During the two-day conference the attendees shared best practices and brainstormed on how to better serve their local graduate communities. In addition to the numerous internal discussions, the Director of Admissions and representatives from Cadet Activities came to speak with the attendees about how local grads can support the Long Blue Line and assist the Cadet Wing. The Representatives also heard from AOG President and CEO William “T” Thompson ’73 and received a tour of the newly appointed Falcon Center Heritage Exhibit in Fairchild Hall. The conference closed with the presentation of banners to the 2012 Distinguished Chapters. A Chapter earns this distinction by meeting certain criteria aimed at identifying a well-rounded Chapter that successfully serves their local graduates. All of the 2011 Distinguished Chapters were eligible for the award again. This year, the Twin Cities, North Carolina, and Alamo Chapters joined New England, Washington D.C., North Texas, Las Vegas, and Rampart as Distinguished Chapters. Your Association of Graduates really enjoyed hosting this Conference, and has already started planning for next year!

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Visit chapters.usafa.org to learn more about your local chapter and how you can get involved.

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The History and Evolution of the Center for Character and Leadership Development 2005-2009

Written by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John F. Regni â&#x20AC;&#x2122;73

he Air Force Academy has broken ground for construction of the Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD); accordingly it is an appropriate time to document the events leading to building this new facility. While the ensuing paragraphs will do that, I cannot record the CCLD history without recognizing that the more significant story is what preceded the decision to design the CCLD building.

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In short, the expanded programs and facility construction involved a collaborative effort of more than 25 years of thinking, research and, ultimately in 2007, the crafting of the strategic plan for character and leadership development. This effort was begun in the early 1990s by then-Superintendent, Lt. General Brad Hosmer ’59 and continued through the stewardships of the current Superintendent, Lt. General Mike Gould ’76 and myself ’73. Following that 2007 foundational strategic planning effort, our focus shifted to implementation—including the facility requirement—then designing a facility that was most worthy to house the core mission of the United States Air Force Academy: developing leaders of character for the Air Force and the Nation. So this paper is much more than a story about the brick and mortar of the CCLD; it is more importantly about the institutional emphasis toward more professionally accomplishing the Academy’s core mission and how that evolved to the need for a new “iconic” facility on par with the Cadet Chapel.

Initial Assessments

In 2005, I had the benefit of assuming command in an era when the Secretary of the Air Force had agreed to temporarily assign a brigadier general as Vice Superintendent. For the first 60 days, then-Brigadier General Irv Halter ’77, in a sense, minded the Academy store while I immersed into every aspect of cadet life, academics, training, fitness and all things supporting the mission. That included attending classes with cadets. The character and leadership instruction set in front of the cadets was most enlightening. While it did rest on a solid foundation of understanding character, honor and integrity, it also appeared deficient in two significant areas. *First, the degree of instruction and the curriculum were somewhat general, cursory and appeared to not be the product of deep academic research and study. Yes, it touched all the high points cadets needed to know but it also lacked serious discussion and introspection on what character is, how these mandatory classes and lessons were setting or reinforcing the cadet’s “moral compass,” and could alter a cadet’s thinking, behavior and future actions. *Second, unlike academic instruction or athletics and fitness instruction, our character and leadership classes were being accomplished literally all over the map. The doolies had large seminar-like class in the back of Arnold Hall (the cadet social “student union” facility) inside a partitioned room ... and somewhat appropriately for this venue, pizza was served. At the other end of the spectrum, I had to go off base to a hotel conference room to participate in the classes for the first class cadets. It became obvious the core mission of the Academy

was being accomplished on the cheap ... both in the depth and degree of academic instruction a university president would expect of a fully accredited institution, and being accomplished in informal, make-shift locations. This resulted in a self-critical discussion in early 2006 across the staff. The usual culprits surfaced: manpower reductions, budget cuts, the Academy had not had a Major Construction Program approved in a decade, etc. When discussing the lack of a dedicated facility, Col. (Ret.) Jim Shaw ’67, CEO and President of the Association of Graduates, volunteered the facility is already designed and sitting on the shelf, and all he needed was the Superintendent to take it to the graduates and build momentum and funding. Jim had earlier begun a dialogue with three graduates who had indicated a keen interest moving the Academy forward here, and he asked me to join him in those endeavors.

The Need for Strategic Planning

Jim showed me the facility plan, and as I recall, it was sited on top of the Honor Court on the Upper Terrazzo. My first reaction was if we are ever going to tear up the Terrazzo and plant a building between the Chapel and Arnold Hall for all to see, it better be incredible (note, the initial drawings fell a bit short in that regard). My next reaction was it lacked the hard details of what was to actually occur in that facility; in essence it was an outward shell of thousands of square footage with no definition of rationale and need. Still, I agreed to meet with the graduates Jim had been having a dialogue with: I’ll affectionately call “the three Johns”.... John Martin ’69, John Fox ’63, and my classmate John Muse ’73. All three had several important things in common. They were quite successful businessmen, they were passionate about integrity and character, each said they owed much of their post-military successes to what they had learned at the Academy, and they wanted to continue to give back in an area the Nation needed most: leaders of character. The themes from these independent meetings also had common denominators, to wit: character and leadership development at the Academy is the core mission, the Academy needed a larger and more professionally focused emphasis on character development, and while the AOG had been pitching effectively the building to potential donors, we needed a more crisp and compelling definition of purpose to stimulate the level of support required for the bricks and mortar. John Muse spent an evening outlining his world of venture capital, and what level of thinking and planning was required of a project to become a winning proposal. It became evident what was needed foremost was a strategic plan for character and leadership development. For a variety of reasons, the Academy did not have many active, living strategic planning documents. Much to staff’s chagrin because strategic planning is indeed hard work, 2006 through 2008 became our planning years—and the incredible Academy staff outdid itself by developing professional and well conceived strategic plans. The first was the Air Force Academy Checkpoints

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Strategic Plan 2008-2013 ... this preceded all others because it would set the stage for subsequent plans including Character and Leadership, Institutional Outcomes, Diversity, Energy and others. The Academy Strategic Plan had seven strategic goals supported by 21 objectives. The number one and overriding strategic goal for the Academy became “focus on character and leadership development” whereby all cadet activities and institutional assessments will elevate character and leadership development; everything done at the Academy will be with character and leadership in mind. We cemented character and leadership as our core mission. At the same time the Academy Strategic Plan was in work, armed with insights from the Academy staff and from the AOG-hosted meetings, I decided to initiate the Character and Leadership Plan myself. I sketched a framework of what the plan should entail, and estimated it needed a dedicated leader and a year or more of hard work to properly conceive and build it. I also had the AOG involved and importantly, they secured funding from John Fox and John Martin for me to hire a full-time Superintendent’s Endowed Chair for Character and Leadership. The Vice Superintendent, Colonel Paul Ackerman ’82, and I began to brainstorm who might be the best individual to lead that effort. We decided to turn to one of the most respected leaders from our cadet days: Dr. (Brigadier General) Mal Wakin, Professor Emeritus and former Permanent Professor from the Philosophy Department. I met with Mal and reviewed the outline and way forward. Of course, he improved upon it, and “foot stomped” the need for this effort to be grounded in hard research, and led by the right person. Naturally, I

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asked Dr. Wakin if he would do it. His answer was laced with modesty but also he was into his young 80s and felt to do it right would detract from precious time with his lovely wife Lynn (and from beating former Dean Randy Cubero ’61 on the golf course). Mal gave me a name, however ... Dr. Erv Rokke ’62 who had just retired for a second time and was now in the Colorado Springs area.

Endowed Chair for Character and Leadership and the Resulting CCLD Plans

I had known of Lt. General Rokke since my 1980 days of working in Colonel Assignments when we somewhat infamously moved him from Permanent Professorship in Political Science (and later Dean of the Faculty) back to the Line of the Air Force to serve as attaché in the United Kingdom (and later as defense attaché to the USSR). I invited Erv to the Carlton House for a two-and-a-half hour lunch where I laid out the task, the critical importance, the sequential events of building a plan, securing the manpower and dollars, leading to a new facility, and more. I think General Rokke will tell you he accepted the luncheon out of courtesy to the Supt with no intention of taking on additional work. He left with a very sore left arm from all the twisting, but also with a strong degree of excitement about the project. He agreed to come on board as a full-time consultant and our professional relationship over the next couple of years could not have been better. My bottom line is simple: without Erv Rokke’s tremendous work, the Academy would not have been in the position it was in 2009 to have this award-winning CCLD building design selected, approved and funded. Dr. Rokke’s task was to write both a strategic and implementation plan for character and leadership development … from scratch. The framework he began from was twofold: it would tangibly support and implement the first goal of the Academy Strategic Plan, and the planning effort would also be from an unconstrained resource mindset. The Academy deserved an unconstrained statement of what its core mission required— and to avoid that common occurrence in budget lean years whereby “budget drives policy.” The Implementation Plan for Character and Leadership Development that emerged with strong support from all Academy Mission Elements was comprehensive and impressive. The supporting requirements for the juridical elements of the Cadet Honor System were recognized, to include the Academy’s first truly dedicated Honor Board Room. At its heart, however, was the notion that character and leadership were inseparable and that their development would be most enhanced by providing cadets with opportunities to experience leadership challenges and the need for making decisions with ethical dimensions in their daily lives. Provisions were made for in depth research into the imperatives of the changing profession of arms for character and leadership. The plan also specified the need for a nationally recognized senior scholar who could push the boundaries of such scholarship. In preparing this plan, Erv and his colleagues reviewed leadership development programs at other institutions and were helped and encouraged in particular by the staff of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School (former Superintendent Lt. General Tad Oelstrom ’65 of the JFK School helped arrange those meetings and briefings). Its success in attracting students to substantive leadership-related experiences in the Kennedy center served as a model for both programs and, subsequently, architectural design of the Academy’s Center. In sum, the Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD) was to become a catalyst for promoting a coherent and productive series of character and leadership development experiences across all Academy mission elements for all cadets. The plan Erv crafted and the Academy subsequently approved contained these main objectives: establish the CCLD as the primary agent for organizational integration of developing leaders of character, conduct basic research on character and leadership imperatives and cutting-edge research on inculcating those traits into cadets, responsible for the Cadet Checkpoints

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Honor System, create and maintain the character and leadership curriculum, create a developmental learning environment for character and leadership, and more. The plan also demanded developmental interactions between cadets and faculty/staff, pushing the boundaries with research including diversity and cultural integration, preparing the faculty and staff for their critically important roles, and continual assessment. On the personnel and resourcing sides of the ledger, we envisioned a permanent professor to head and lead the CCLD, a nationally renowned Director of Research, a staffing increase from 19 fulltime and 5 reservists to 34 fulltime and 10 reservists, an increase of annual budgets from $346K to $595K … and a dedicated facility to house all entities (including moving the Cadet Honor Staff and Honor Board Room out of Vandenberg Hall) estimated between $28-35M. The Character and Leadership Development plan became our formal statement of the requirement. The plan importantly received high praise and strong support from the Academy Board of Visitors. I used it to justify a change to Title 10 to authorize two more permanent professor positions (one as the Vice Dean and the other as the CCLD leader). This plan also made the next steps exponentially easier—as securing manpower and funding, and senior-level support for the actual facility.

The Next “Iconic” Building at the Academy

After reading that long preamble, you might be thinking, “finally, how did this iconic design evolve and emerge”? It should not surprise the reader to know this too was the result of a collaborative effort spanning two years. I already mentioned that a certain level of thinking had been going on for a need for a dedicated facility for character and leadership, including an initial artist’s rendition of a design effort and several attempts by the AOG to fund it. I will add it also included seeds that were planted to me by a former Superintendent, by the Academy staff and in particular the Honor Division under the Commandant, the civil engineer, the cadet wing and the Cadet in Charge of Honor, the USAF Academy Endowment, the AOG, the eventual Jury and Advisors to judge the competition, and maybe most importantly the vision and spirit of Mr. Walter Netsch, the original architect of the USAF Academy in the 1950s. Let me comment on some evolving inputs. At an away New Mexico football game, I invited former Superintendent Lt. General Brad Hosmer on the field to watch the game with me, and we talked about a variety of Academy issues between first downs. We talked about the lack of a dedicated civil engineer, and people who really understood the Cadet Area, and he gave me a name to look up: Mr. Duane Boyle an architect in the CE staff of the Air Base Wing. I met Duane and he provided invaluable insights on the history of the Cadet Area. I decided to do something extraordinary and detailed Duane to me to work on the CCLD project. As you will see, he did superb work indeed from start all the way through working with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the original architectural firm charged to design and build the Academy. I asked many on the Academy their views on where to site the CCLD. The Honor Division folks preferred the northeast corner of the Cadet Area (which I objected to adding another BUB possibility at such a prominent and visible location—more on the BUB later). The AOG liked the Terrazzo area above the Honor Court (I hesitated tearing up the Terrazzo unless it was truly the best venue). Others suggested behind the Chapel on the knoll (I again hesitated, putting something so close to the Chapel whereby it could detract). Others had ideas outside the immediate Cadet Area (but it had to be central and accessible to cadets on foot). To search for other alternatives to the Honor Court option, I took time during Spring Break of 2008 to walk the entire Cadet Area, to see if there might be viable alternatives. I came up with only one, albeit it lacked sufficient footprint whereby we would have to go underground for much of the structure. That location was at the west end of Vandenberg Hall, in the open space between that and the Arnold Hall wall. I asked Duane to explore the footprint and if it could work, to design a notional concept of how the CCLD might fit. He, with input from the Honor Division folks did just that, producing an artist’s rendition of what and how it might be. It was perfect for my use in the next steps: generating a conversation and an excitement, and beginning the push for funding. This is a key point. At no time was Duane’s rendition intended to be the CCLD design. It was a notional concept, one used to illustrate what a building could look like to house all the elements of Erv’s strategic plan. I made it a point whenever I briefed the strategic plan and the CCLD building requirement—to every audience including the Academy Endowment and potential donors—to say this is NOT what it will look like; it is just to illustrate the concept ... and once we secured funding, it would be professionally designed. As we continued to brainstorm the site of the CCLD, and what it might look like, it became more evident that this building and what it will represent deserved to be “the next iconic structure after the Chapel”. Two members of the USAFA Endowment Board, Max James ’64 and General Ron Yates ’60 independently and emphatically made this point to Erv, who agreed. I too agreed—not to compete with the Chapel but to have a second iconic building to house our primary mission. If we could achieve that in a design, then we (Erv, Paul Ackerman the Vice Supt, and Duane) made the mental leap that we could site it usafa.org

over the Honor Court, near Harmon Hall and Arnold Hall and yes, on a line with the Chapel. If we could achieve that in a design… Duane then delivered some sad news and advised Walter was ill. We talked about his work, his vision, and it became obvious whom better than Walter to design the next iconic structure? And failing Walter, could Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) do it the justice it deserved? That thinking included the following: SOM and Walter’s work was so inspirational and ahead of his time, the Cadet Area is now designated a National Historic Landmark. As such, it is important for temporary stewards of the Academy, like me, to understand the derivation and thinking of the Cadet Area architecture, and to not impulsively or otherwise impose personal tastes. If you read the history of the design, and the work and labor Walter put into it, one appreciates how it all “fits.” There is a specific reason why there is an open space between “the tower” of Vandenberg Hall and the next area of floors above the Terrazzo. No, it was not to create “the Tour Pad.” There are other reasons why the Cadet Area is laid out on a 7 by 7 grid, and reasons the outer perimeter of the Cadet Area are critical to the overall architecture. To learn not what to do, all you have to do is look at the southeast corner of the Cadet Area and what we affectionately and sarcastically called the BUB (big ugly building) ... someone allowed that construction to happen that deviated and disrupted from Walter’s grand scheme, and left a blemish for all to see, everyday. So we knew what not to do; what we had to do was design a new building grounded in the architectural principles Walter laid down, it had to complement the Cadet Area ... it also had to “fit.” And SOM—and no one else—had conceived, developed, lived and knew those architectural tenets. We concluded that meeting tasking Duane to explore how we might legally and also quickly engage SOM. I also asked Duane to advise us on the established process industry might use in architectural design decisions of this magnitude and importance, and whether we should have a Jury. (I will give a tip of my hat to my brother Robert, a product of the Pratt Institute Architectural School, who earlier when I told him what we were doing, had one instructive input: “you’ll need to include prominent people on your Jury,” and he explained the Jury concept.) Duane returned with great news advising SOM was already under contract with the Academy via an indefinite delivery order contract, so legally, we could turn to them for this formal design competition. Duane also explained the Jury process and a supporting Advisory group involving prominent architects ... and we readily grasped that as the way ahead. I gave Duane the green light to contact each of SOM’s offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco and see if they were interested.

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

Well, interested is not the right term: instead, each jumped at the opportunity to continue SOM and Walter’s work at the Academy. We decided to open a friendly competition, pitting each office against each other to independently develop their own design. While friendly from our eyes, it became evident that pride and bragging rights were also at stake. SOM also wanted to do this so badly they absorbed some of their costs to meet our limited budget. I then invited each office to visit the Academy for orientation on the plans, our thinking, and the requirements. These visits were essential to clearly communicate our intention. We hosted each office independently. But we were also very careful to provide the same information and context to each team, so one did not have undue advantage over the other SOM partner offices. We gave them the “OK” to look at every piece of the Cadet Area, including the Honor Court, for their proposed location. They walked the grounds day and night, watched cadet walking patterns across the Cadet Area, considered all the angles and grids and more. Following their mission briefings and orientations with the Academy and the strategic objectives we were aiming for, I along with Erv and Paul Ackerman the Vice Supt, met with each team leader and covered four points. First, I reinforced the critical importance of this facility and when complete, it should be applauded as iconic. I repeated they could consider any location in and around the Cadet Area, including digging up the Honor Court. I challenged them to design a LEED Platinum facility. The last point was about symbolism and heraldry—I took the time to especially show them the Academy flag in my office, and explained the historical and heraldic meaning of the shield and markings ... how prescient the Air Force was in the 1950s to design such an enduring and meaningful symbol, how the Polaris Star holds extreme importance to the Academy, how it represents the unwavering light of character we expect from our cadets. As it turns out, one office in particular took considerable notes... We also advised we would visit each SOM office midway through the design phase to listen to their initial concepts and provide a vector check. Dr. Rokke, Colonel (Ret.) Tom Berry ’71, Col. Ackerman, Duane wand I made those visits. And we advised we would be convening a Jury of professionals to independently judge each proposal. They were quite comfortable with our plan, a bit concerned about the short timelines, but readily charged off to their offices to begin the design. Let me digress out of sequence and discuss the important feature of funding the CCLD design and construction. This too evolved over time from a purely donor-funded project to a government approved appropriated Checkpoints

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funding to a hybrid of both sources. To frame this in context, in the preceding decades, the Academy had not competed well for facility maintenance projects, and slowly but steadily, the Academy infrastructure was critically eroding. Yes, it still looked impressive on the outside but inside we had 50-year old dormitories and dining hall, a crumbling Terrazzo, a leaking chapel, and outdated and failing utilities especially below ground. What was needed was a comprehensive Fix USAFA plan, and it took more than a year of crafting and explaining before it was approved and funded by the Air Force (General Duncan McNabb ’74 overseeing the Air Force Council and particularly Major General T.C. Jones ’77 of the Air Staff Board in the Pentagon were key to this extraordinary level of funding). The entire plan required a whopping $900 Million, and the Air Force funded $400M over the next 7 years with a promise of $50M a year thereafter until complete. The Air Force Civil Engineer also committed to one Major Construction Project per year. I understandably hesitated going back to the Air Force for another $28M the very next year, especially since those Fix USAFA monies came at the expense of other Major Commands who would now be doing without. So we first explored private donor funding. The newly formed USAF Academy Endowment (UE) with Bart Holaday ’65 as its Chairman was the perfect audience, especially as its Board included a former Chief of Staff, MAJCOM Commanders and officers experienced in major construction projects. I presented the CCLD concept at two meetings, and during the second, we had a very good discussion on sources of funding. Major General Gene Lupia ’67 directly asked why I wasn’t seeking appropriated funding for the CCLD. Gee, how am I to tell the former Air Force Civil Engineer that CE processes and working with the Corps of Engineers and the Civil Engineering Agency were sometimes cumbersome, sometimes painful, and not very timely? I didn’t have to when General Mike Ryan ’65 said because this way is more flexible. So we left that meeting planting a $28M requirement into their thinking caps. I do not know if Gene Lupia was behind this but shortly thereafter I received a call from Major General Del Eulberg ’78, the Air Force Civil Engineer. We then provided him the plans, requirement, need and timing for his review and consideration, and he subsequently advised this project both qualifies for appropriated dollars and would compete...especially if we took the FY11 MCP project and moved it to the right for future funding consideration, and then inserted the CCLD project in FY11 which had sufficient funding. We also discussed the interior designs, and our vision for furnishings that exceeded anything we would ever expect the taxpayer to fund. I advised Del we would take an approach whereby the Air Force funded the design, site preparation, construction of the facility ... but we would turn to donors to furnish the inside with anything above government standards. For example, our vision for the Honor Board room where cadets accused of violating the cadet honor code would be judged would be as inspiring and solemn as the Supreme Court chambers. Donors, and not taxpayers, could and should handle those furnishings. So that hybrid approach took shape, a blend of appropriated dollars for the actual building but any plush décor by donors with naming opportunities for each room. Now, back to the discussion of our interactions with SOM: Our independent meetings at the SOM New York, Chicago and San Francisco offices were time well spent. Each introduced us to their dedicated team of architects and their initial design concepts, including their supporting rationale for the emerging design. Each office selected the Terrazzo on or adjacent to the Honor Court for the site. Each was confident they would meet our LEED requirement. What struck us was how different each design was, yet how each also was on track to meet our need. We were sensitive to any of our comments not limiting their creative juices, and not offer any insights on approaches the other offices were taking, yet we also wanted to give them a solid vector check of constructive comments. We did just that including pressing on the symbolism of their design and how it would relate and resonate with the Academy. Trying to keep our enthusiasm in check was also in order, especially when we met with Roger Duffy in New York. He personally walked us through their favored design, which played heavily on the meaning of the Polaris Star. Roger and his team designed what he called the “moral compass,” for lack of a better description a gun-like barrel pointing 39 degrees to the Polaris Star ... and permitting the actual beams of light from the Polaris Star to shine down through the Moral Compass, focusing on the spot a cadet would be standing as he or she was being judged in the Honor Board room. A chill went down my spine and I looked over at Erv, and he at me, and our eyes told each other’s Roger had just hit a grand slam homerun— he and his team nailed it with a modern, unique structure that met all our needs, and with symbolism that strikes to the core of the Academy. Of course, we could not tell him that; we did advise he was on course and to keep refining it. I did offer two points for Roger’s benefit. First, cadets are prone to spirit missions and they should consider how to isolate the Moral Compass so it did not become a ski jump for cadets. Next, and somewhat sensitively, I offered what the then-all male cadets had done to the ICBM planted in front of the Field House in the 1970s, and to examine the shape and structure of the moral compass so a twisted mind would not construe it as a phallic symbol. Later after the Jury deliberations, Roger showed us usafa.org

over 30 different designs for the Moral Compass, and the rationale for the one they selected. It was now time to assemble the Jury and Advisors, and receive the formal presentation of the designs by SOM Chicago, New York and San Francisco. We brought together a broad range of experiences both in and outside the Academy, of prominent architects, as well as interested Colorado and federal officials, and oriented them on the Academy and the task at hand. The Jury was comprised of: Lt. Gen. John F. Regni, Superintendent, and Jury Chair Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dr. Ervin J. Rokke, Superintendent’s Endowed Chair for Character and Leadership, and Jury Vice Chair Major General Del Eulberg, Air Force Civil Engineer Mr. Max James, USAFA Endowment Board Member Ms. Joan Ockman, Architectural Historian, Columbia University Mr. Kent Kleinman, Dean, School of Architecture, Cornell University Cadet Second Class Tyler Keener, 2009 Honor Committee Chair The Advisory Panel was comprised of: Mr. Tom Keohan, National Park Service Mr. Joseph Saldibar, Colorado Historical Society Dr. Robert Nauman, Architectural Historian, University of Colorado-Boulder Mr. William “T” Thompson, Esq. ’73, President and CEO, Association of Graduates Colonel (Ret.) Terry Isaacson ’64, USAFA Board of Visitors and Chair, BOV Character and Leadership Committee Colonel (Ret.) Tom Berry ’71, USAFA Center for Character Development I met with each of the SOM partners when they arrived—their first question was the batting order of the design presentations. I offered we use the time-tested method of tossing a golf tee and to whom it pointed Checkpoints

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went first, and so on. They agreed and I tossed an Eisenhower Golf Course tee. They marched off to finalize their presentation into separate rooms where their competitors could not see their design. The Jury’s responsibility was to critically review each of the designs, examine their models, and pose questions to the SOM architects so every aspect of their design was fully understood, receive input from the Advisory Panel, engage in a discussion, and ultimately decide on the best design for the CCLD. The Advisory Panel played an important role of also reviewing each of the design proposals and offering their respective insights to the Jury. Following the presentation of the last SOM proposal, the Jury Chair again called upon the Advisory Panel members to comment, and they participated in the discussion of the proposals with the Jury. The Advisory Panel and all other attendees were then dismissed, and the Jury deliberated in private prior to their vote. While all three designs were exceptional and met every parameter we had set including LEED Platinum, we selected the New York design of the Moral Compass. My last involvement before my retirement in 2009 was to invite Roger Duffy to present the winning design to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff in the Pentagon. While that session turned out well, there was also a discussion on the iconic nature of the design and whether there would be criticism for that expenditure of monies. I pointed out the Chapel had received incredible criticism including members of congress lobbying to legislate against it and it turned out exceptionally well, and that we were not asking the taxpayer to pay for anything beyond the basic building. The CSAF General Norty Schwartz ’73 pointed out to the Secretary the overall cost of this building was akin to an enlisted dormitory, it was acceptable. I took that as a green light, and we pressed full steam ahead.

In Conclusion

The Center for Character and Leadership Development will be the new home of the core mission of the Academy. This new building stands to be an iconic and award-winning structure, one whose architecture and design are steeped in symbolism and meaning that strikes to the core of why the Academy exists as an institution. It will serve the Academy for this century and beyond. My thanks to the many people involved in this collaborative process—both at the Academy, by graduates, in Washington DC, and at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill-- a team that never lost sight of the important end product we demanded, and delivered this winning concept and design. They did exceptional work! Footnote on the USAFA Endowment first projects: It was my sense the UE had two camps ... one dedicated to funding mission projects like the CCLD and another leading the charge on athletic facilities. Two projects were at their forefront: the CCLD and the Indoor Practice Facility. In my mind I was a little concerned if the first UE gift to the Academy would be an athletic facility, the UE might be considered a group more interested in athletics over core missions—that was clearly not the case. The Academy Endowment has been and remains passionate about the CCLD from the start—it just took longer for the CCLD effort to secure approval through the often complex military construction program and legal reviews. The Holaday Athletic Center (HAC), as a donor project, was merely ready for execution and construction earlier.

A Brief History of the HAC

When we were finalizing the Fix USAFA Plan and the Donor Projects list priorities, Coach Calhoun ’89 asked to meet with me about his top need, a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility. Quite frankly, no one had ever mentioned that to me as a need but after listening to him, and especially how it would be used by football, soccer, lacrosse, golf and other varsity teams, we added that to the Donor List. At first, Coach felt a “bubble” would be ideal, and during the Armed Forces Bowl festivities I toured the Dallas Cowboy facility with Chad Hennings ’88 as tour guide. But later when Arizona State’s bubble got flattened with a violent downburst, we began looking at hardened facilities, including TCU’s. After the tragic collapse of the Dallas Cowboy facility, we scrapped the bubble and went with a hardened facility, at considerable more cost for the UE to source. Coach Calhoun did a remarkable job marketing, and it proudly stands tall due to Coach’s vision, the UE’s staunch support and especially Bart and Lynn Holaday’s gift.

usafa.org

Bonus content

Position Report at Fifty Years

By D. K. Vaughan ’62

Written on the occasion of the 50th Class Reunion of the Class of 1962, the original Red Tag Bastards, held at the U. S. Air Force Academy, 4-7 October 2012.

One When we had completed our training We departed home base, turning to our outbound headings, Synchronized in sequence, radiating from the departure point, Excited to try our competencies and navigation skills, Wings shining in the early morning sunlight. We departed singly or in small groups, Aiming for the destinations we had selected, Distant and imperfectly realized in our minds, But marked with precision and boldness on our maps. All we had to do was hold our course, maintain our speed, Keep careful track of our pre-planned turning points. The flight of which I was a part flew together in loose formation. We looked across at one another, waved, confident in our craft And the courses we had set for ourselves. I checked my map At regular intervals, marking my progress along my designated route. We checked in on the communication channel, loud and clear, On course at our assigned altitudes. When the weather worsened and the dark clouds grew, We did not worry, for we had been told that our Careful airmanship would take us through. We separated As we sought to penetrate the clouds, but they rose higher And thickened, forming nearly impassable barriers, towering Over us. Their darkness was filled with lightning flashes that blinded And disoriented us. We heard thunder like the sound of guns. It was hard to hold a steady course in such turbulence. When we came into clearer skies, some of us were missing. On the radio I heard reports of losses, call signs I would never hear again. Some reported in, unable to maintain altitude, Their engines failing, heading for their alternates, Revising flight plans, descending to unexpected destinations. Those with whom I had been keeping pace Had long ago disappeared, and I was flying through a sky

Without a reference point. When I checked my map, I found that I had missed a turning point. The ground below Was unfamiliar and difficult to see, but I checked My instruments and held the heading I thought best.

Two Now I rarely hear a voice over the radio, and when I do It is garbled, unclear, static-filled. I have missed My original destination, passed it when I was distracted By some minor cockpit task, some vacant thought. I continue As originally directed, holding my course in these indefinite skies. I know that other flights have departed after mine, In faster aircraft, equipped with instruments Far more accurate than those which guide me, And have passed me by, at speeds and altitudes I cannot imagine, Unseen and unheard in this ever-silent sky. Some of my equipment is starting to fail, the OFF flags Showing at the edges of the instruments. My fuel gauges are low; I’m ignoring their blinking warnings. I don’t trust the automatic pilot. I’m holding course by the magnetic compass, but it seems to wander, As if it no longer knew where North was. Straight and level flight used to be much easier to maintain. The skies are growing darker, too, and if it weren’t for my training, I might despair. But I remember what my instructors said, assured me often, That up ahead, growing ever closer, is that bright and steady beacon, Flashing through the troubled air, a signal of those green fields Of the final destination, where I will enter the landing pattern Of a sun-filled sky and see my fellow airmen once again, Orbiting in perfect order, wings high As they turn final one last time.

Bonus content

The Right Leadership Foundations at the Right Level Written by U.S. Army CPT(P) Kelly K. Sunderland ’02

eadership and, in particular, leadership education, is a fundamental building block for the development of military leaders. The Air Force teaches their junior officers the principles of organizational leadership similar to what Army field grade officers are taught while the Army imparts the fundamentals of direct leadership to their young officers. The differences in style have made me question if our institutions are teaching the right leadership at the right levels? It is my belief that we are. The level of leadership required by junior Air Force officers is closer to the organizational leadership required by senior Army and Air Force officers, while junior Army officers require direct leadership development. Currently I am serving as a captain in the Army and finishing leadership courses from the Army Command and Staff College, which focus on the organizational leader. These courses were comparable to my initial leadership development as a cadet at the Air Force Academy in the class of 2002, and lieutenant development with Air and Space Basic Course. In learning the leadership principles and techniques imparted to junior Army officers once I crossed from blue to green in 2006, I have had a unique opportunity to see how two different branches of the military approach developing our younger military leaders. As a cadet attending the leadership development courses at the Air Force Academy, I, and many of my classmates, were asking each other the same questions. Why am I being taught this corporate leadership? Why are we being taught how to manage large teams? Why are we being trained to be wing commanders instead of an element leader or flight leader? Even through Air and Space Basic Course, we felt the development was pushing us to be a joint force air component commander or wing commander. Where was the basic level, direct leadership training we would need as lieutenants and junior captains to be successful element or flight leaders? Course after course seemed focused on this organizational level leadership: ethics in an organization, setting a vision, building high performance teams through the forming, storming, norming, performing model developed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965. This methodology, I have recently come to realize, was vital for me as a lieutenant. Organizational leadership foundations help to create leaders with the ability to influence people and teams not usafa.org

just directly under their command but beyond the scope of the entire organization they work within. As a lieutenant in a communications squadron, I had very few actual airmen that worked for me, but I had to work with many peers, civilians, superiors and counterparts in other squadrons and organizations to accomplish my missions. Many of the same methods and traits are continued to be developed at the highest levels of military leadership. As an Army staff captain I had to utilize these same techniques to inform and influence my superiors, my counterparts at the brigade level and the leadership of the companies in my battalion. As a company commander with direct responsibility over 70 soldiers I had to use organizational leadership in dealing with my superiors and other companies, but more so I needed direct leadership styles where you have more personal interface and control over your subordinates. Within my company my lieutenants and their platoons also relied on this direct leadership. Army leadership at that level is structured around troop leading procedures (TLPs): receive the mission, issue the warning order, make a tentative plan, start necessary movement, reconnoiter, complete the plan, issue the complete order, and supervise. The difference in responsibilities formed the necessary changes of leadership styles. TLPs require the direct supervision and influence of the leader that that level. The junior Army officer will often have command over anywhere from 60 to 300 soldiers within their first four years in the service, while the junior Air Force officer will be responsible for the interaction and influence of people and teams they do not have direct command over. The impacts of each officer can have huge effects across an organization, but at different levels. Direct leadership impacts can affect the platoons and companies, and direct a mission success or failure, while organizational leadership impacts can affect the missions of not just the leader’s organization, but that of any organization that interacts with them. Each is vitally important but given the nature of their leadership roles, each service has a different requirement of their junior officers and it is my opinion that current leader development programs are indeed focused at the levels they need to be at even if as junior officers we may not see that. __________________________________________ Editor’s note: the views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Gone But Not Forgotten Gary D. Sheets, ’60 Gary D. Sheets, ’60, lost his battle against an ailing heart on Sept. 18, 2012 in Plano, Texas. Born on Dec. 4, 1937 on the family farm near Smith Center, Kansas, Gary graduated from Riverdale High School, attended the University of North Dakota for a year, and reported to Lowry AFB on July 9, 1956, as a member of the Class of 1960. He served his country with honor, courage, and dignity for more than 24 years and retired as a Colonel in August 1984. He then worked for 10 years at Lockheed in Houston before joining Calladium Company, his family business in Richardson, Texas. Gary retired to a full life with Sylvia, his bride for 50 years, their four children, 19 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Gary’s love for Christ was openly displayed in his devotion to his family and his service at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano as a Deacon, choir member, Sunday school teacher, and cast member of a children’s video that teaches Christian values through comedy. Gary loved the outdoors where he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and golf, a sport where his work ethics and devotion to detail honed his skills to where he was known as a worthy competitor. Shortly before Gary’s passing, he Gary Sheets wrote a speech to be presented at a Great American Heritage Breakfast on September 22. Examples extracted from this speech reveal more about this man than we might otherwise know. While at North Dakota University, he wrote: “I lived in the Frat House and I soon became disillusioned with the fraternity lifestyle. One night in October I returned late from a mandatory beer bust. I felt empty and that my life was becoming meaningless and it had to change.” He consequently applied to the USAFA and was selected as one of two out of 60 nominees from North Dakota. He wrote: “It was at the Academy that I began to appreciate what a wonderful country we live in and I was thrilled with the prospects before me. The Academy was molding our minds to prepare us to serve our country.” Gary especially praised our requirement as Doolies to memorize the Code of Conduct as many of us faced the challenges and dangers of Vietnam. Gary started his Air Force career flying F-102s, and later flew 80 missions over North Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller in 0-1Es against heavily defended targets, In an intended speech, Gary wrote about one known as the “Hornet’s Nest.” He said: “I was in my tent hoping to get some sleep before my 3 a.m. take-off. It was already 10:30 p.m. and I grabbed a Bible that had just arrived from Sylvia. As I thumbed through the scriptures, I stopped at Romans 5, which she had underlined. As an exercise like counting sheep, I read the verses over and over again, hoping to get sleepy. Instead, the depth of meaning of the scriptures came alive and spoke to my spirit, deep within my heart.”

For more current information about graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org. If you know of a graduate’s death, please notify the AOG as soon as possible. There have been cases in which the association was not informed in a timely manner.

Romans 5 clearly validates Gary’s strength in living with his protracted illness and describes his love for God, his country, and the family that continues life as his legacy. The Brad Baker poem, “I Flew,” in part says “God was extremely good to me and let me touch His face. He saw my crew through war and peace and blessed us with His grace. So when I stand at Saint Peter’s Gate and tell Him that I’m new, I know He’ll smile and welcome me, because He knows I flew!” Godspeed Gary. (Sylvia Sheets and David Sweigart)

John F. Flanagan, ’62 John F. Flanagan, Jr. passed away on Oct. 21, 2012 after a valiant battle against lung cancer. John packed more heroics, made more friends, positively impacted more people, had more laughs and contributed more to his country during his 73-year lifespan than most even dream about. John was born and raised in White Plains, N.Y. where he graduated from Archbishop Stepinac High School. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania for one year before receiving an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in 1958. While at the Academy, John was a member of the Academy’s undefeated football team that was ranked 6th nationally and played in the Cotton Bowl. John majored in political science and graduated in 1962 as a Second Lieutenant. He immediately entered pilot training, and, upon graduation, flew EC-121s at Otis AFB in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In 1965, John was among the first to answer the call to combat, volunteering for duty as a Forward Air Controller supporting elite Army units in close combat. John flew over 300 combat missions and, in recognition of his heroism and gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star, two DistinJohn Flanagan guished Flying Crosses, 12 Air Medals and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He chronicled his adventures in the Military Book Club main selection “Vietnam above the Tree Tops.” In it, he brings his readers into the cockpit while supporting special operations forces in combat. John left the active Air Force in 1968 but continued his military career in the New York Air National Guard in a succession of key command positions in flying operations. In January 1986, he was appointed the Deputy Commander of the 6,000 member New York Air National Guard and was promoted to Brigadier General in March 1989. John retired from the military in 1995 after 33 years of active, Reserve and standby Reserve service. John was equally distinguished and accomplished in his parallel business career where he held a series of demanding jobs in the transportation industry. He played an essential role in the introduction of the 747 airliner into commercial service with American Airlines; served as CFO of a Hertz trucking company in Europe; as Vice President and Treasurer of Holland America Lines; and in liquidating, as a Trustee, a failed common carrier. Upon “retiring” John moved back to Cape Cod where he served as a Professor of Transportation and Logistics at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He reveled in this job because it allowed him to share the importance of duty, integrity and commitment with the midshipmen he was instructing. John always emphasized the importance of community service and involvement as well as the virtue of giving back to society. These were the most important lessons he taught me. As a cadet, I was always hum99

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN bled thinking that 35 years before he had run across the same terrazzo that I was on. I always enjoyed his interest in my years at the academy – even when he had his football teammate (who happened to be the dean) check on my grades. I can remember how honored I was when he gave me his first set of pilot wings at my UPT graduation. John loved playing with his grandchildren, and I know that he saw another generation of USAFA graduates in the making. I will always remember the many hours that we spent comparing war stories, talking about how the Air Force had changed, or just enjoying a good Falcon football victory. John truly was larger than life and he was loved by many and will be sorely missed. (Lt. Col. Nathan Scopac, ’97)

John M. Quigley, ’64 In memory: John Quigley, Cal leader, inspirational mentor: John M. Quigley, leading scholar of housing markets, local public finance, energy efficient buildings, homelessness, and racial discrimination in housing, passed away in Berkeley on May 12, 2012. He was 70. Quigley, the I. Donald Terner Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Business, and Economics at UC Berkeley, was a campus leader, an inspirational mentor, and a pioneering figure in urban economics and housing policy. During his career he produced 14 books and more than 150 scholarly articles. Quigley excelled at finding clever ways to use empirical data about housing and urban areas to answer important public policy questions such as the macro-economic impact of rising housing prices on consumption behavior, the impact of segregation on African Americans’ opportunities to accumulate wealth through investment in housing, the effect of governmental John Quigley and voluntary energy standards on energy efficiency and the value of buildings, and the relationship between housing markets and homelessness. He combined boundless energy with an infectious laugh, which he often followed with a sharp intellectual insight. He was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in 2006, and he received an honorary degree from Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology in 2007. Quigley’s wide-ranging and prolific scholarship was matched by his generous teaching and mentoring. He served as a committee member for over 100 PhD dissertations during his career, chairing 26 since 1990. His was noted for his devotion to his students, his exceptionally high standards and expectations, his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, his availability, his quick-turn-around of manuscripts and papers, his generosity and humor, and his ability to get graduate students to perform at levels beyond what they thought possible by treating them as peers and partners. His students have positions in universities, research institutes, and governmental agencies around the world. Quigley was editor-in-chief of Regional Science and Urban Economics from 1986 to 2003, and he served on more than two dozen editorial boards for scholarly journals during his career. He advised over 20 research and governmental agencies including the World Bank, General Accounting Office, Urban Institute, Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and institutions in Indonesia, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, and China. He was elected a fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute in 1992 and the Regional Science Association in 2004. He was president of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association from 1996 to 1998, President of the Western Regional Science Association from 1998 to 2000, and President of the North American Regional Science Council from 2009 to 2010. Quigley was born in New York, N.Y. in 1942. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with distinction in 1964, and he worked as an econometrician at the Pentagon from 1964 to 1968, leaving the Air Force with the rank of Captain and an Air Force Commendation Medal in 1968. He earned his doctorate from Harvard University in 1971 and taught at Yale University from 1972 until he joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley in 1979. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Mary Curran, and his four 100

children: Sam of San Francisco, Jane-Claire of New York, and Johanna and Benjamin of Stockholm, Sweden. Gifts and contributions should be made to the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. (This obituary was written by John Quigley’s UC Berkeley colleagues, primarily Henry Brady, dean of Cal’s Goldman School of Public Policy.)

Terry L. Nicholas, ’65 Terry Nicholas, longtime resident of Leavenworth and Olympia, Wash., beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and true friend to so many, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep on July 10th. A native Mississippian and true gracious Southerner, born in Clarksdale, Miss. on Jan. 12, 1940 to Allen Thurmond and Letty Faye Nicholas, Terry was the fourth son of five children. He attended Mississippi State University, American University, and ultimately studied at the United States Air Force Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in International Affairs. He met and fell in love with Sylvia, his wife of 46 years, in Colorado Springs, and they married in 1965. Terry then served in the United States Air Force, stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, where Terry and Sylvia’s two daughters were born. After serving in the Air Force, Terry resided with his family in Tampa, Fla., but his adventurous spirit led him to move west across the country to cenTerry Nicholas tral Washington state, where he owned and operated the Post Office Tavern in Leavenworth, Wash. During this time, he also began his service for the State of Washington at the Office of Support Enforcement. Eventually his work with the State of Washington led him to work in the capital in Olympia. Terry loved celebrating people and life and was an avid golfer, traveler and energetic community volunteer. Terry loved the outdoors, especially when he could be outside barbecuing his famous ribs for family, friends and neighbors. He had a way of bringing people together and setting them at ease and was a great story-teller, keen-witted and wickedly funny. He was a great soul, a wise counselor, a devoted husband and father and a most generous friend; generous with his time, treasure, attention, wisdom, passions, laughter and love. He leaves behind: devoted wife, Sylvia Nicholas; two loving daughters and their partners, Lisa Nicholas-Ritscher (Michael Ritscher) and Leslie Nicholas (David Hamilton); adoring grandchildren Teresa and David; devoted and adoring sister Maggie Sherard; affectionate nieces and nephew, Toni Brown, Carol Briolet and Ned Sabbatini, and numerous other loving relatives and countless dear friends. An open house memorial was held at Terry and Sylvia’s home in Olympia on July 28. All friends and family were welcome. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Terry’s name to the following causes: Cancer & Multiple Sclerosis research of your preference, or Veterans Advocacy group of your choice. (Lisa Nicholas Ritscher, Terry’s daughter)

Joseph E. Ryan, ’67 Joseph E. Ryan, ’67, passed peacefully in the loving embrace of his family in Fairfax, Va. on Aug. 24, 2012. He died from complications of surgery. His beloved wife, Carol, remained constantly by his side during his hospitalization and was joined by their three children and spouses when it became apparent Joe was not going to recover. His family meant the world to Joe. He and Carol were married for 45 years, making the many moves required by Joe’s Air Force career, and then settling for good in Northern Virginia when he retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in 1995. They had three children, Leigh Ann of Danville, Calif.; Peter of San Jose, Calif.; and David of Fairfax, Va. Their offspring gave them five wonderful grandchildren, including two they were eagerly expecting to be born this fall. Those who served with Joe during his Air Force career knew him to be a consummate professional – dedicated to his service to the nation, and guided by a strong moral compass. It would be no surprise to anyone who knew Joe, either on active duty or in his second career in the

defense industry, that his classmates in CS-18 had selected him as their squadron’s Honor Representative. Joe’s remarkable Air Force career was roughly equal parts skilled combat rescue pilot and operator, superb educator, and a leader in the military attaché community. After earning his pilot’s wings at Moody AFB, he went to Vietnam to fly the HC-130, the rescue and recovery version of the venerable “Herc.”There, he helped direct the air effort required to pull downed air crew members from the jungles of Southeast Asia. He helped save 30 lives and amassed over 1,000 combat hours during this initial tour. On one particularly memorable mission, he and his crew were chased out of North Vietnam by a MIG but not before they successfully directed the effort to rescue the downed airman. Joe earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on that mission. Years later the Ryan’s would find themselves next door neighbors with the rescued pilot and the two families got to know each other well. Joe’s operational career in the HCJoe Ryan 130 included assignments in Hawaii, on the MAC IG team at Scott, and the rescue training center at Kirtland. He commanded a Technical Training Squadron and the USAF Pararescue School. His exceptional skill as an instructor led to teaching assignments at the Academy and the Air War College. He graduated with honors from every level of professional military education. After selection to Colonel, he served as Air Attaché to Mexico, and later became Dean of the Joint Military Attaché School in Washington. After his Air Force retirement, Joe joined SRA International as a project manager developing specialized training and management solutions for DoD agencies. He pursued this endeavor with his characteristic dedication and professionalism. He was still working with SRA when his world turned upside down this summer. Joe’s legacy lies in the wonderful family he nurtured, and in his dedicated and professional service to his country, his church and his community. He loved the outdoors – hiking, fly fishing and diving. He shared this joy with his family, and also with his extended family in the Boy Scouts. He was a Scoutmaster and district executive for three different BSA councils. He won many awards for his years in Scouting, but his greatest joy was seeing his two sons become Eagle Scouts as he helped so many other youngsters grow and develop. Joe Ryan – classmate, friend and role model. He will be sorely missed by us all. (Buddy Sams, ’67)

James J. Gonzales, ’69 J. J. Gonzales, ’69, Colonel USAF (Retired), passed away at age 65 in Centennial, Colo. on Sept. 9, 2012. Though his brain surgeon predicted a year-plus to live, Jim battled the glioblastoma (GBM) for over four years. A native of Mobile, Ala., Jim is preceded by his parents, E. J. “Gunny” Gonzales and Anne B. Gonzales. He is survived by his devoted wife, Julia, four adult married children, four grandchildren and two siblings. He met Julie Chase in 1968, a Loretto Heights junior, while attending a joint LoHi/USAFA Weekend of Christian Living retreat at the Y-Camp in Estes Park. That first connection laid the groundwork for Jim and Julie’s lifelong faith-based journey with their family. J.J. graduated from McGill High School in Mobile in 1965, USAFA in ’69. The Academy selected Jim for Vanderbilt University Law School. Completing J.J. Gonzales his degree in ’72, Jim moved to Charleston AFB as Area Defense Counsel. In 1977 with a Master of Laws degree from George Washington University Law School, Jim specialized in labor law at Wright-Patterson AFB. Jim later completed studies for Master’s degree in Theology from Denver’s St. Thomas Theological Seminary.

Once settled in Denver in 1980, J.J. continued JAG service in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years. His law practice began with the Federal Labor Relations Authority. In 1985 he joined Holland & Hart Law Firm for the rest of his professional career serving clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region before federal and state courts. He was admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, US Courts of Appeals, US District Courts, US Court of Military Appeals, and Supreme Courts of Colorado and Tennessee. He retired from the USAF in 1999 with decorations including the Presidential Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, USAF Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal, and Army Airborne Badge. A teacher at heart, Jim instructed graduate courses and periodically lectured at the USAF Academy. He published scholarly articles in the Colorado Lawyer and Corporate Legal Times. J.J. was an award-winning author of biographical and historical books, including GUNNY: Memoirs of Mobile’s South Side (2007) and USAFA’s Cadet Zoo (2009). Over the years Jim and Julie actively participated in Catholic Church ministries, including Marriage Encounter and Godparents, as well as Jim’s work with Canonical marriage annulments. The Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated on Sept. 12, 2012 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, Denver. Jim was laid to rest in Fort Logan National Cemetery with military burial honors. “J.J, and virtually all cadets of the time, enjoyed rack time and a good nap. The best naps seemed to be between classes when the Colorado sun streamed through the Vandenberg Hall windows. It was often humorous to see this Alabama boy luxuriating on top of a bunk in uniform with bare feet exposed in a spot of sun on a gray class blanket like a patch of private beach. It bears mentioning here as it defined Jim’s ability to channel Alabama whenever needed. He knew when to kick back!” (Classmate James “Robbie” Robinson) “Jim had an infectious gift for verbal engagement, meaning he could talk for hours about anything, often taking a position opposite of what he really believed, or even on subjects he knew little about, just for the pure enjoyment of intellectual jousting. Jim lived his life well and finished well. His last four years reminded all of us what it means to treasure each day that you have, never looking back except to remember great times shared, and being truly thankful for the blessing of family and friends.” (Classmate Ronald Hindmarsh)

Paul Hamilton, ’71 Paul Hamilton – faithful and devoted husband, father, friend and patriot – reached out and “touched the face of God” on Sept. 21, 2012. After the toll of six heart attacks over many years, he couldn’t fight the staph infection that weakened him and took his life. Paul was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 1, 1948. He graduated from Wagner High School on Clark AB. He enlisted in the Air Force and was accepted to the Prep School in 1966, then on to the Academy in the Class of 1971. Paul married Charlotte Lindberg after graduating. They shared life for 41 years and have two sons, Christopher and Patrick. Following pilot training at Vance AFB, Paul was assigned to Pope AFB for six years, flying and instructing in the C-130 Hercules. He was offered an AFIT slot, and the family moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1978. Paul finished with two master’s Paul Hamilton degrees with a follow-on assignment to Scott AFB in the rated supplement. After two years at Scott he went to the Pentagon, spending three years

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN on the Air Staff before attending Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk – then back to the Pentagon in the Joint Staff for four years. Paul attended Air War College at Maxwell AFB, followed by commanding the communications squadron at Lajes Field in the Azores. Paul’s final assignment was four years at the Defense Information Systems Agency. Colonel Hamilton retired in 1996. For the last 16 years Paul worked for Booz Allen Hamilton as the computer security consultant for the Marines. Paul will be missed by so many. He was a gentle soul with a heart of gold, always willing to help anyone. He leaves behind his wife, sons, his mother, Ruth; brother David (Class of ’69), and sisters Joan, Susan, and Marilyn. (On behalf of the Hamilton family)

Andrew Matarese , ’71 “The mission of the USAFA is to educate, train and inspire men and women to become officers of character motivated to lead the USAF in service to our nation.” The Air Force Academy hit a “home run” with Col. (Ret) Andy Matarese who passed from this life on Sept. 25, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas after a sudden illness. Character, leadership and a passion for flying defined Andy as evidenced by his distinguished career spanning 28 years. Only the best return to the Academy to serve as cadet aviation instructors. It stands to reason that Andy’s initial assignment following pilot training was back to the Air Force Academy as an instructor/evaluator T-41 pilot. Andy’s character and leadership abilities were recognized and rewarded early in his career. Following a staff job in civil engineering, Andy, as a Captain, was designated as an Air Defense Squadron Commander. From there he asked for and received an assignment as a C-141 pilot. He loved the venerable Starlifter and it showed as he completed assignments as an Andy Matarese aircraft commander, instructor pilot, flight examiner, tactics pilot at 22nd Air Force, operations officer and squadron commander of the 76th Military Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C. Andy’s contributions came at the highest levels. He was selected for two very responsible staff-broadening positions. At the Air Force Military Personnel Center, he was Chief of the Officer Procurement Branch and later Assistant Chief of the critically important Air Force Selection Board Secretariat. Later in his career, he was assigned as Chief of the Security Assistance Division, HQ European Command (EUCOM), Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany. Because of his deep seated knowledge of air mobility operations, Andy was assigned as Director of Operations, Air Mobility Warfare Center (AMWC), Fort Dix, N.J. in 1995 following his EUCOM tour (later re-designated as the USAF Joint Expeditionary Center). In 1996 he was elevated to the Vice Commander position. His leadership and character touched the lives of thousands of students attending the AMWC annually. In recognition of these qualities, he was assigned to Andrews AFB, Md. as Vice Commander, 89th Air Mobility Wing in 1997 where he was instrumental in the successful accomplishment of the Presidential and Congressional support mission. He retired in 1999. Andy’s love of flying led to a second career in aviation with Atlas Air where he was a current and qualified 747 Captain. And, interestingly, he continued his active participation in Air Force activities as a spouse. His wife, Col. Peggy Matarese is the current Air Education and Training Command Surgeon General, retiring later this year. He is also survived by his daughter Dawn, son Michael and two brothers, Vinnie and Kenny. Andy never forgot his Air Force beginning at the AF Academy. He and Peggy are members of the USAFA Polaris Society for those graduates who have made a charitable bequest or a life income gift to the Academy. We can only hope that their generosity will produce another officer of Andy’s “character.” (R.C. “Buck” Marr, Maj. Gen., USAF (Ret), Andy and Peggy’s friend and USAF colleague) 102

Mark L. Shope, ’75 Mark Leslie Shope passed peacefully to Heaven on Oct. 9, 2012, at home in Tacoma, Wash. with his wife, Kelley, and close friend and Partner, Dr. Bob Bigler, by his side. Mark was born on Jan. 11, 1951, in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended Ruskin High School, graduating in 1969, before enlisting in the Air Force. Following training at Sheppard AFB in Texas, he served a tour in Vietnam and then earned an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he graduated with honors in 1975. He was then selected to attend the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine in Columbia, Missouri. Mark completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Travis AFB in California, then served at Yokota AFB in Japan. He went on to Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. While there, Mark began a lifelong love of flying, earning his private pilot’s license and buying his first of many airplanes. In 1989, he moved to Auburn, Wash. and entered private practice at Valley Women’s Healthcare. Mark was a well-respected physician and he had a real passion for his work and found great joy in developing wonderful relationships with his staff, his patients and their families. Mark was an intrepid traveler and an Mark Shope avid outdoorsman. His quest for adventure had no bounds. We traveled extensively with our friends and family all over the world! Of all the places we travelled, I think he loved Africa the most. He went three different times and brought back a myriad of “souvenirs” and some crazy stories, which we loved to hear, again and again. Between his work and his travel, Mark found much joy and solitude at his cabin in Alaska, and thought of it as his “home away from home.” The cabin was a great place to eat, drink and be merry, and to enjoy plenty of fishing adventures with family members and friends. Mark also had a passion for the game of golf and counted among his greatest thrills the opportunity to play at Pebble Beach, Calif., and later, with his friend and Partner, Bob Bigler, at the famous birthplace of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. Mark was well loved and respected by all who were fortunate enough to know him. He touched so many lives and left an exceptionally rare legacy of respected professionalism, love of family and God, unfaltering friendships and boundless generosity to so many. We will never forget the lessons he taught by the example he set. He appreciated and lived each day to its fullest, he cherished his family and friends; he had fun and lived well. Mark excelled at that, and was a man of character, integrity and grace. Despite the very difficult battle he faced early on, Mark made a decision to move forward with his life with a sense of optimism and courage. He demonstrated incredible bravery with each passing day, knowing that ultimately his time on earth would end. We count ourselves very fortunate to have known him, to have spent time with him, to have basked in the warmth of his great smile, and to have loved him so dearly. We will treasure our memories and our love for you forever, in our hearts, our minds and our souls. Services with full military honors were held on Oct. 24, 2012, at the Air Force Academy Chapel with interment at the USAF Academy Cemetery. Donations in Mark’s memory may be made online, to the Melanoma Research Foundation. (Kelley Shope, wife of Mark Shope)

Lothar W. Deil, ’76 Major (USAF, Ret) Lothar (Lo) William Deil passed away Aug. 1, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas after a short battle with cancer. He was born June 15, 1952 in Caracas, Venezuela to V. Walter and Ingeborg Deil. The family moved to Toronto, Canada in 1957 and then California in 1960. They settled in Santa Rosa where Lo became a U.S. citizen and graduated from Montgomery High School in 1970. We met our 3rd Class Year at a function in Harmon Hall as our dates knew each other from high school. Although I was a dirt major (Civil Engineering) and he was the “original space cadet” (Astronautical Engineering), we hit it off well. I even scored a spot in his wedding party when he married Carol Stroup, his date on that first night we met.

Pilot training at Vance AFB, Enid, Okla. followed graduation and then B-52s at Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Wash. where his daughter, Leslie, was born. That is also where he was diagnosed with a condition which grounded him. That gave him the opportunity to use his degree as a project manager at SAC Headquarters, Offutt AFB, Bellevue, Neb. where his son, Adam, was born. He retired in 1993. This brought on a new opportunity as Carol got a job in Seattle as manager of the Aquarium Gift Shop and he got a job as CIO at ProWest, a medical billing company. He was always being asked by his fellow employees to solve computer problems with their home computers. He’d suggest a solution and magically on Monday there would be a plate of cookies or cupcakes as “payment.” Lo was deeply affected by the events of 9/11 and decided to return to serving his adopted country. By December 2001, he was working for the 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. In 2005, he applied for a job as a GS-14, but did not get it. He contacted the POC to find out why and was told it was because he didn’t have a four-year degree. To which Lo Deil he stated “He certainly did!” The POC stated that his records showed that he had earned some credits at “The Community College of the Air Force” but had no degree. He said that he had a degree and the POC then asked for a copy of his diploma. Of course we all know how unwieldy that thing is and impossible to copy; but bring it in he did. And of course the POC couldn’t make a copy, but they did get his records updated. He was the recipient of numerous awards: among them, the USAF Meritorious Service Medal, which he received twice, Civilian of the Year-Senior Level 2005, Association of Old Crows Distinguished Service Award 2012 and USAF Outstanding Engineer Senior Civilian 2007 award, which was his children’s favorite. They knew he had once flown airplanes and dreamt of a “Top Gun” type career, so they relished in the fact that he had now earned the “Top Geek” award! He is survived by his loving wife, Carol (Stroup) Deil; daughter Leslie (Deil) Beale; her husband, Joseph Beale, and son Adam Deil; granddaughter Caroline Beale; his parents, V. Walter Deil and Ingeborg (Gerlach) Deil; sister Angelica (Deil) Franklin; and brother Richard Deil. Lo had the opportunity to plan his farewell services. He planned a memorial, which was held at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in San Antonio. He also planned his funeral, which was held at the Academy on August 17 on a warm and clear Colorado morning, just the way he had planned it. (John “Cat” Stevens, CS-06, Class of 1976)

Gregory L. Short, ’79 On July 21, 2012, Gregory L. “Shorty” Short passed away leaving behind his wonderful wife of 33 years, Yvonne (Petty), his sons Skylar and Danan, and a host of family and friends that will miss him and think of him every day of their lives. A loving and devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend, Shorty died at home, in his family’s arms after a 10-month battle with Gliosarcoma. Greg was born to Ethelyn Jean Fox and Richard Alvin Short at Itazuke Air Base, Kyushu, Japan on April 3, 1957. Due to his father’s occupation, Greg and his family moved frequently, never living in one place longer than four years. Growing up and around the Air Force, Greg decided to seek, and won, an appointment to the Air Force Academy from where he graduated with the Class of 1979. Shortly after graduation, Greg and Greg Short Yvonne were married and they soon reported to Vance AFB for pilot training. After earning his wings Greg served as a T-38 “FAIP” at Vance. From there he transitioned into RF-4s and flew out of Shaw AFB. He then transitioned into the F-16 which he

flew until his retirement from the Air Force in 2000. While stationed at Torrejon AB, Spain, Shorty distinguished himself as a great combat pilot in Operation DESERT STORM earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After DESERT STORM and a staff job at Ramstein AB, Germany, Shorty returned to the States and the cockpit. He did instructor duty as an F-16 RTU instructor at Luke AFB, Ariz. and ended his career as the Regular Air Force Advisor (RAF SOB) to the Air National Guard at Buckley AFB. Greg was a great pilot and a great officer. Next to his wife and children, the Air Force and flying were the other loves of his life. He used to say, “Yep – they PAY me to do this job!” After retirement from the Air Force, Shorty worked at Ultra Petroleum as an Operations Technician. Like every challenge he met, Shorty took it on with a sense of humor. At Ultra, Greg would say how much he liked being a lieutenant again! Besides his wife and sons, Greg is survived by his mother, Ethelyn “Jean” Short; mother-in-law, Vetha Cormier; brother Mitchell Short, and many in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Short, and his father-in-law, Norman Petty. For those of us privileged to know Shorty, the world is a little less fun now that he’s gone. (Mario Buda and Vance Skarstedt, classmates and friends)

Karen A. (O’Hair) Fox, ’80 The summer of 1976 saw the celebration of the bicentennial throughout the United States as well as the first women entering the military service academies. Karen A. O’Hair was one of those chosen few and she served her country honorably for 26 years in the U.S. Air Force. She was a 1980 graduate of the Air Force Academy where she was an All-American swimmer and majored in biology. Karen graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1984, and served as a Flight Surgeon in the Air Force where she flew in the F-15 and F-16 aircraft. She was responsible for establishing the first military medical clinic in Baghdad in May 2003. Her military decorations included the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. After her military retirement, she served as the Medical Director for Eagle Applied Sciences in San Antonio, Texas. Karen was elected a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association. She was a former President of the Lily Langtry Society. She served God as a member of Karen Fox First Baptist Church of San Antonio. Dr. Karen A. Fox, Col. USAF (Ret), age 56, succumbed to pancreatic cancer after a courageous and inspirational four-year battle on October 9, 2012 in San Antonio. She was born in San Antonio on August 21, 1956 and resided there since 1993. She was preceded in death by her father, Edgar A. O’Hair, Jr. (USMA 1953). Karen is survived by her husband, Lt. Col. William E. Fox, Jr., USAF (Ret) (USAFA 1973) of San Antonio; Bill’s sons, Jeff Fox (Shealeen) of Fort Mill, S.C. and Michael Fox (Stephanie) of Charlestown, Mass.; mother, Marilyn O’Hair of Cody, Wyo.; brothers Mark O’Hair (USAFA 1981) of Destin, Fla. and John O’Hair (Marcelley) (USAFA 1984) of New Carlisle, Ohio; sister-in-law Linda White of Clinton, Tenn.; grandchildren Ansley Fox and Parrish Fox; and numerous nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family. A memorial service was held in the Wilson Chapel of First Baptist Church in San Antonio on Oct. 15, 2012. Inurnment was at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery on Oct. 17, 2012, with full military honors. (Bill Fox, ’73, Karen’s husband)

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Erling Scot German, ’80 On Saturday morning, Aug. 4th, 2012, we lost our dear friend and classmate in an aircraft accident on the German family cattle ranch near Imperial, Nebraska. Scot was solo in his Citabria that early morning, checking waters and cattle on the large family ranch (a routine chore that he’d accomplished hundreds of times before) when his aircraft impacted rising terrain. As a testament to Scot’s life, more than 700 family, friends and community members attended his memorial service held the following Tuesday at the Imperial Bible Church. We first met Scot and became good friends at USAFA, where the three of us were teammates on the “Wings of Blue” parachute team. Scot later went on to serve his country as an Air Force fighter pilot, graduating at the top of his class and receiving as his reward the newest fighter of the day, the F-16. After “Viper” training at Hill AFB, he then served three consecutive operational flying tours: Hahn AB, Germany; Misawa AB, Japan; and finally, an F-16 flying exchange tour with our Belgian allies. Scot was an impeccable role model every day he spent Scot German serving our nation and he left active duty in 1991 to serve the family business, German Land and Cattle, in his home town of Imperial. While in Japan, Scot met the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and the love of his life, Linda Veenstra, whom he married on July 18, 1987. Over the years, he and Linda would grow their family by five wonderful children. Scot’s family was the cherished center of his life, and his strong faith and devotion has prepared them well to carry on his legacy. For those of us who knew and loved Scot, there was no doubt about the foundation of his life: he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at a young age and was devoted to better knowing, serving and sharing Him from that point on. To quote his oldest daughter, Sara, “Scot loved flying, athletics, and conservative talk show programs, but he was devoted to his family and, most of all, to his God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” We all can (and did) learn a lot from Scot – this world is a lesser place without him and he is certainly missed by family, friends and loved ones alike – but, as was mentioned at his memorial service, we’re confident that he has now heard the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant!...” (Matt 25:21) Scot leaves behind his loving wife, Linda; their five children: Sara, Jilanne, Shane (in his 2nd year at USAFA), Kevin and Cindy; his father, Cal; brothers Eric and David; and sisters Andrea and SueLyn. (Derek Hess and Ted Osowski, Class of ’80)

Steven W. Legrand, ’87 Col. Steven W. Legrand, USAF, 48, died at Belleville Memorial Hospital on Oct. 3, 2012, following complications post-surgery. His last position was Chief, Inspections Division, Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. Steve was born to Mary Legrand and the late Charles “Don” Legrand, a former Marine and WW II survivor of the battles of Tarawa and Okinawa, on Sept. 17 1964, in Orange, Calif. He graduated from El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif. in 1983, and graduated from the US Air Force Academy in May 1987. Steve was the first USAFA graduate with a Bachelor of Science in English. Steve attended pilot training at Laughlin AFB, Texas and after graduation in May 1988, was stationed at Norton AFB, CA flying C-141s. While at Norton, he married the love of his life, Miette Phillips, on Feb. 24 1990. Steve and Miette’s three amazing children, Steve Legrand twins Sara and Alison, and Zachary, were also born in California during this time. In August 1993, Steve began his master’s program at the California 104

State University, Long Beach. After two extremely difficult years of preparation at this prestigious institution, Steve was ready to become an English Instructor at USAFA. Steve enjoyed his assignment to USAFA from May 1995 - Jun 1998, especially his duties as Assistant Director of the English Major Program and the English department’s honor liaison officer. He also flew the T-3 Firefly, preparing cadets for their future in the cockpit. All good things must end and Steve was ready to get back to flying heavies. He received an assignment to McChord AFB, Wash. to fly the C-17. Steve was part of the C-17 initial cadre at McChord and rapidly advanced to Instructor Pilot and Assistant Chief of Current Ops. Steve was rewarded for his hard work with a selection to ACSC at Maxwell AFB Ala. In June 2002, the family moved to Altus AFB, Okla. where Steve once more became a C-17 instructor. In February 2004, Steve realized the dreams of many when he received command of the 97th Training Squadron. I know this is the position he enjoyed most. It was a demanding job, but he had the chance to make a real impact in the lives and careers of the airman under him. In May 2007, the Legrands moved to Scott AFB, Ill. and Steve became part of USTRANSCOM. He served as Global Infrastructure Team Chief until his promotion to Colonel Jan 2009 and then became Chief, Deployment and Distribution Operations Center. In July 2010 he moved to HQAMC and his current position. Col. Steve Legrand was a Command Pilot with over 4,000 hours flying in the T-37, T-38, T-3A, C-141B and C-17A aircraft. He served in multiple combat operations including DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, JUST CAUSE, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM In addition to his wife and children, Steve is survived by his mother, Mary; his parents-in-law, David and Jeanette Phillips; sister and brother-in-law Donna and Jim Hunt; and sisters Patti and Debi. As we gathered in O’ Fallon, Ill. to celebrate Steve’s life, we began telling stories of a true original. Everyone spoke of his devotion to his family, his dedication to his country and his loyalty to his friends. Steve’s dynamic, caring, and slightly unconventional spirit will live on through the friends and service members around the world whose lives Steve and the Legrand family touched throughout their 25 years of service. He will be sorely missed. Zach Legrand will continue the family tradition of service when he reports to basic training at Lackland AFB in February 2013. (Tom Borowiec, friend and classmate)

Michael V. Waggle, ’92 Colonel Michael V. Waggle died at his home at Andrews AFB with his family by his side on Sept. 23, 2012 following a courageous battle with cancer. Michael was 42 years old and is survived by his wife, Sandra; son Harlen; mother, Emily; and brother Douglas. Michael was a great guy. He was a loving husband, fantastic father, wonderful son and an all-around caring and good person. As a brother, one could not ask for more – both as a brother and a friend. He cared about everyone he encountered and lived life to the fullest. We all loved Michael dearly and were proud of all he accomplished. I can say I was most proud of the 20 years he served his country as an Air Force officer. Michael set his sights on attending the Air Force Academy in the 8th grade and like every goal he achieved his objective. He graduated in the Class of 1992 and began his distinguished Air Force career as a contracting officer. His Michael Waggle accomplishments were many, like being awarded the Bronze Star for his distinguished service in Iraq. Michael ended his Air Force career at Andrews AFB with a below-the-zone promotion to O-6 and was blessed to have pinned on the rank just before his passing. He faced death as he lived life, honorably and fearlessly. A memorial mass was held at Sacred Heart of Mary in Weirton, W.V. on Oct. 5, 2012. Michael will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 7, 2013. Although his life was cut short, he lived a happy and full life. We were all blessed to know him, and the world was a better place because of him. Godspeed Michael – see you soon. (Douglas Waggle, Michael’s brother)

Sean M. Judge, ’93 Sean Michael Judge died on July 14, 2012 in Dublin, Ohio following a courageous battle with sarcoma cancer. Born on Sept. 28, 1971 in Methuen, Mass., Sean grew up in nearby Lawrence, and by age six, he was already interested in military history and determined to serve his country as a pilot in the Air Force. In pursuit of his dream, he transferred to Central Catholic High School and earned the nomination of Senator Robert Smith (NH) which ultimately led to his early acceptance to the Air Force Academy. Assigned to Cadet Squadrons 14 and 35, “Judger” was a great friend to many, and he excelled at the Academy, earning recognition as a Distinguished Graduate and securing a slot for pilot training. Lieutenant Judge attended training at Columbus AFB, Miss. and chose to be a C130 pilot upon graduation. In the course of 19 years of service, Sean flew over 3,000 hours into 32 countries including missions in support of Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and other domestic and international deployments. Captain Judge also served as a T-34 instructor pilot at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, sharing his airmanship and wisdom with the next Sean Judge generation of military aviators. Recognized for his leadership potential, Major Judge was selected for Air Command and Staff College and the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Sean was a devoted family man. On his first assignment at Pope AFB, Sean drove to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to visit a high school friend, and he had the good fortune of meeting his future wife, Miss Carmen Smith of Charlotte, N.C. Sean and Carmen married on June 28, 1997, and they have three beautiful children: Ryan (11), Seth (9), and Amelia (7). Sean was a wonderful husband and father, and he walked the walk to love and care for his family. His children were the light of his

C3C Peter Quick Dies in Auto Accident Peter Thomas Quick was born to my brother Brad Quick and his wife, Cassie, on Aug. 29, 1990. He has a younger brother, Josh, and a younger sister, Leslie. Peter stayed with the Vernon family much of his life, and considered Trey Vernon a big brother and Amber Vernon Woody a big sister. Trey and Peter were the best of friends and they were inseparable. They often talked about their future plans of building homes next door to each other. Peter loved to play guitar, dance, play video games, watch comedy shows, attend family get-togethers, and worshipping GOD. He was an active member of the youth group at First Assembly of God in Dyersburg, Tenn. Peter did not like to play football, but regularly played because Trey insisted this was a male bonding time. Peter was one of those kids that everyone knew and loved. He was a friend to all. People always had a funny story to tell about Peter, but no one could tell those funny stories better than Peter himPeter Quick self. He had lots of friends, never held a grudge, trusted folks at their word, and had the most forgiving spirit. It broke my heart when Peter joined the Air Force. I wondered who would take care of him. We all missed him terribly and prayed for him regularly. Just knowing we were not going to be able to talk with him daily was tough stuff. Pete’s letters and calls were always a joy, and usually very humorous. The Air Force took good care of Peter, and treated him like family. Thank you for remembering Peter. He is smiling that beautiful, crazy, contagious smile of his as he is looking down from heaven. I am so very proud of my “SWEET PETE” and excited to know he had so many friends at the Academy. Love in Christ. (Aunt Margo, Aka GiGi) (Editor’s note: C3C Peter T. Quick died as a result of injuries from an automobile accident near Clifton, Colo. on April 7, 2012.)

life, and he was a role model to them and the community, sharing life and serving as their soccer coach and Boy Scout Leader. When asked how he balanced a demanding career with his family, he replied, “When you’re with the right person, it all works out. It’s worth it, so you make it work.” In 2008, Sean was selected to pursue his PhD and study military history at Ohio State University. A thoughtful man with a great sense of humor, Sean had a remarkable ability to make friends with anyone in the department, military or civilian, military historian or any historian. Lieutenant Colonel Judge met his own ambitious goal to complete his degree in three years, and in August 2011, he received his PhD. At almost the same time, Sean was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and he showed great strength while facing chemotherapy, radiation and sickness over the next 10 months. At the prime age of 40, “Judger” fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith, and, once again, inspired us all. Sean is survived by his wife and children; his father, Daniel Judge, and step-mother Cathy of Dracut, Mass.; his mother, Mary (Sayrs) Conant ,and step-father David of Beverly Hills, Fla.; his sisters Brehan McCarthy and her husband, Michael, of Andover, Mass. and Dannah Foresta and her husband, Paul, of Dracut, Mass.; and his paternal grandparents, James and Rita Judge of Lawrence, Mass. On Oct. 18, 2012, Sean was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors, and his family and friends celebrated his life as a father, husband, son, friend, officer, aviator, scholar and American patriot. (Bryan Wolford, classmate and friend) (Editor’s note: The AOG does not always have all the information concerning the death of a graduate. We only publish the information we have available on each deceased graduate.) At press time we learned of the deaths of the following graduates: Lt. Col. (Ret) Lawrence J. Karnowski, Class of 1961, who died on Oct. 8, 2012 in Farmersville, Ohio. Mr. James L. Nichols, Esq., Class of 1962, who died on Oct. 2, 2012 in Gainesville, Fla. Mr. Charles V. Bush, Class of 1963, who died on Nov. 5, 2012 in Lolo, Mont. Maj. (Ret) Bobby Beverly, Class of 1964, who died on Nov. 7, 2012. Mr. James J. Lydon, Class of 1964, who died on Jan. 19, 2011 in New Jersey. Col. (Ret) Daniel J. Barker, Class of 1968, who died on Nov. 7, 2012 in Florida. Col. (Ret) Donald M. Dessert, Class of 1969, who died on Sept. 9, 2012 in Florida. Mr. Timothy A. Karnowski, Class of 1970, who died on Oct. 7, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska 1st Lt. (Ret) Gregory C. O’Kelly, Class of 1970, who died on Oct. 6, 2012 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Lt. Col. (ANG) Richard K. Prewitt, Class of 1971, who died on Nov. 5, 2012 in Upland, Calif. Maj. (Ret) David B. Weber, Class of 1971, who died on Oct. 22, 2012 in Boerne, Texas Mr. James N. “Tad” Corgill, III, Class of 1972, who died on Nov. 6, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. Lt. Col. (Ret) Gregory E. Durio, Class of 1974, who died on Oct. 17, 2012 in Marietta, Ga. Mr. Emory W. Lockette, Class of 1974, who died on Sept. 18, 2012 in Boulder City, Nev. Maj. (Ret) Leland G. “Greg” Lane, Class of 1978, who died on Aug. 2, 2012 in Newport News, Va. Lt. Col. Kenneth M. Gladfelter, Class of 1980, who died on Sept. 22, 2012 in Stafford County, Va. Lt. Col. (Ret) Andrew H. LaMar, Class of 1982, who died on Oct. 13, 2012 in Yorktown, Va. Lt. Col. (Ret) Harris L. Brisbon, Class of 1983, who died on Dec. 11, 2011. Lt. Col. Stanley T. Masters, Class of 1983, who died on Oct. 28, 2012 in Henderson, Nev. Ms. Colleen A. Collins, Class of 1985, who died on March 3, 2010 in Georgia. Mr. Michael T. “Tim” Sewell, Class of 1988, who died on July 3, 2012 in Grand Junction, Colo. Col. Michael P. Stapleton, Class of 1988, who died on Aug. 16, 2012 in Bethesda, Md. Mr. Kelley A. Chase, Class of 1996, who died on Oct. 13, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Maj. Garrett W. Knowlan, Class of 2002, who died on Oct. 11, 2012 in Pensacola, Fla. C1C Matthew J. Patrick, Class of 2013, who died on Sept. 28, 2012 at the Air Force Academy, Colo. Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of these graduates.

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Class News Pete Todd 1250 Big Valley Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80919-1015 H: (719) 531-5874 E-mail: petetodd59@comcast.net

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) In August, President-For-Life Joe DeSantis got the bright idea that a bunch of us should go visit my old roomie, RL Penn, and Eugenia for a sailing holiday. The crew, including Joe, Dave Groark, Don Livingston, and YFS (Your Faithful Scribe), duly made travel arrangements. The host, however, said essentially, “Y’all come, but BENO sailing.” Smoothly exhibiting the inherent flexibility of airpower, the crew refragged the mission to “Marathon Eating and All-Night Poker.” Sabre Society Don drove to Newark airport and picked up the rest Donors of the crew as each arrived. After refreshing our memories about the creative pricing of airport beer, we set off for RL’s, following an evasive (but brilliantly scenic) route just in case we were being followed. Upon arrival, we began executing all phases of the mission and, five days later, waddled off back to Newark.

The Poker Masters. Clockwise from left: Groark, Todd, Livingston, DeSantis, Penn. Not shown (because she was taking the picture), the long-suffering hostess, Eugenia Penn. Ed Lankenau sent me a brief travelogue of a combined trip and exercise in wishful thinking. “We were ‘doing’ Maine (sailing on tall ships in Camden) and some New England: we have kids in Connecticut. Late one day, we were driving by Lime Rock in the northwest corner of Connecti-

“So near and yet so far!”

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cut, a HUGE sports car race facility, and we went in to have a look. It was closed for the day, but the security guard said that we could look around. I was tempted to do a few laps in my rental car, but Pat said something about bail money! Besides, we had kids along. “About this time, a Skip Barber Driving School IP came into the pit area to fuel up the Ferrari. I was about to snap him in the car and he said, ‘Hop in!’ I wasn’t sure if the limit on my credit card would cover a few laps, but he couldn’t take VISA anyway. I found that the two-day driving course is ONLY $2500!” A couple of items of local interest: First, the Cadet Forensics Association invited me to attend their 50th USAFA Forensics Classic (a competition involving dozens of colleges and universities in a wide variety of speaking events) because someone found some musty document that listed me as the first president of the association. I found that intercollegiate debate has changed enormously since the ’50s, but the young cadets participating in these forensics activities continue to develop thinking and expression skills that will stand them in good stead in their Air Force careers.

The Cadet Forensics Association and several mentors and supporters following the 50th USAFA Forensics Classic awards banquet in October. Like every other activity at the Academy, Cadet Forensics is under heavy financial pressure, especially insofar as their travel budget is concerned. The AOG and the USAFA Endowment provide significant support and contributions can be earmarked for specific activities. There aren’t many better places for an individual contributor to leverage his or her donations. Second, some interesting things are happening at our Challenge Bridge. You may recall that the Class of 2016 didn’t get the opportunity to receive the Class of 1959’s welcome and challenge because of the Waldo Canyon fire in June. The Class in-processed at the Field House and there was no convenient way to replicate the Challenge Bridge experience en masse. Nonetheless, seniors in four separate squadrons have contacted me in the past few weeks (October) asking if they could bring their fourth classmen to the Bridge to receive the challenge from a member of our Class. I live close and work cheap, so it’s been my privilege to greet these youngsters (who have run there from the Cadet Area!), explain the significance of the Challenge, and invite them to cross the Bridge. The word is spreading and I expect more such “ad hoc” requests to local ’59ers. Incidentally, one of the upperclassmen in the first squadron I met was C2C Schmidt, daughter of our deceased classmate, Walter Schmidt. (His elder daughter, Fanita, graduated in May.) Speaking of lineage, Jim Reed advises that his grandson, Brian Reed, is a member of the Class of 2016, making him 3rd generation USAFA. Jim’s son Scott (Brian’s uncle) is Deputy Director for Plans at HQ Air Combat Command and graduated in the USAFA Class of 1984. Anybody match that? Also incidentally, I note that we’ve been talking about a possible 55th Class Reunion here in the Springs. What a kick it would be if the Reunion were to overlap the arrival of the Class of 2018 and we had LOTS of ’59ers on hand to welcome them at the Challenge Bridge! Something to consider. Speaking of reunions, Wayne Pittman asked me to pass on an invitation. “Karen and I would like to invite classmates holding a unit reunion to come to Dayton. It’s an under-appreciated destination, high in entertainment and history, low in cost. And if they haven’t been to the Air Force Museum lately, they won’t recognize the place. Karen and I have been working with reunions–strictly as volunteers; no money involved–and if the reunion organizer gets in touch with us early enough in the process, we can make the chore a lot easier.” I can personally vouch for value of Wayne’s invitation. The 307th Bomb Wing Association, which I’m privileged to lead, has had two reunions in Dayton and we consider it an ideal location. In both cases, we were able to arrange for a stunning “Dinner Under the Wings” at the Museum and for the most recent one, Wayne and Karen personally arranged and guided us through the displays. I don’t think there’s a better place for airmen to gather. The Jim and Hannah Brown saga continues; they have boarded their flight in Chicago and think they’re “home free.” “We finally loaded on time and then sat there until about 30 minutes past departure time when the Captain came on and advised us the aircraft

hadn’t been fueled up yet and it seemed the auto refueling valves wouldn’t open. They finally tried opening the valves manually, but only the right one could be opened, so they filled the right wing then the left via the cross manifold. We finally left three and one-half hours late. We had our butts strapped to those seats for almost twelve hours. “On arrival at Frankfurt we were again parked in the “boonies” so it was down the stairs lugging our carry-ons. At least they had a bus to take us to the terminal, straphanger fashion. Then it was up the stairs into the main terminal, Passport Control, Baggage pick-up, Customs and on to the parking garage with Hannah’s relatives who had met us at customs. It was about a mile and a half walk both up and down stairs, lugging everything before we reached the car. Then more fun – out onto the Autobahn where there was no speed limit south of Frankfurt to Stuttgart (about two hours) and it was like a ‘Flying Circus’” (To be continued). Thought for the Quarter: We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public. (Anon)

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A.J. (Rosie) Cler, Jr. Members 5423 Myrtle Wood Sarasota, FL 34235-4624 Phone: (941) 371-4843 E-mail: RCtherose@aol.com Class Web Site: www.usafa.net/1960

Fred Porter, Bill Hodson, Andi & Carole Biancur, Dave & Camille Sweigart, and Dean Vikan (Dean’s daughter Wende is married to Gary’s son Jeff). The photo was taken at graveside in the cemetery. Sylvia hosted a reception following the service at the Eisenhower Golf Course, which allowed us to further ensure our support to the family. (Photo, below, front row, from left: Dean Vikan, Carole, Sylvia, Caryl Mosier, Mary Waddle, Camille, Dave Sweigart.; Back row: Biancur, Glaza, Waddle, Kendall, Mosier, Sexton, Walsh. Hodson and Porter did not make the photo.) An explanatory note: the reason Sylvia looks so joyful has to do with the way the family has approached Gary’s death. They see it as a joyful ending to a wonderful life. There was very little grief shown, but more a celebration of his life.” On October 4th, Sylvia Sheets sent me (Rosie) the following message: “I just learned yesterday that Gary has been chosen from Texas’ Third Congressional District for an award called the Congressional Veteran Commendation, a nominations-based program designed to recognize the wartime sacrifice and peacetime community involvement of residents of Sam Johnson’s District. I called Sam Johnson’s office to tell them that Gary had died, and ask if he were still eligible, and they told me that out of sixty nominations, they chose ten recipients and Gary was # 1. I’ll receive Gary’s award for him10/20/12.”

(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) “The Gang of Six met at Chandlers Crab House in Seattle on 19 September for some great food and better conversation,” wrote Chuck Diver. “Willy Zersen from Southern California was with us. We solved the problems facing the US, and nobody got crabs at the Crab House. Next meeting is 25 October at the Museum of Flight in Seattle to inspect retired Air Force One.” (Photo, below, from left are Nels Delisanti, Vic Yoakum, Jim O’Rourke, Dennis O’Keefe, Chuck Diver, Bill Zersen, and George Luck.)

Andi Biancur: “The Colorado Group met at CHAMPPS Sports Bar on Wednesday, 19 Sept for lunch. Commandant BGen Greg Lengyel joined us. Greg is an Air Force brat who graduated from Texas A&M and served as a helicopter pilot. He informed us that his core mission is to return more discipline to the Wing. To sum up our thoughts -- it is OK to bring more A&Ms to USAFA. General Lengyel seems to have the right approach, since early impressions expressed by the cadets are that he is ‘A Hard Ass.’ (I enclose TWO photos documenting that Ron Yates, Tony Bilello, Jim Glaza, Wayne Kendall, John McCullough, Bruce Mosier, Fred Porter, Dick Schehr, Dick Sexton, Jim Waddle, Denis Walsh, and Andi Biancur--all made it to the trough. (Photo #1, above left, from left: Waddle, Lengyel, Kendall, Yates, Sabre Society Walsh (behind Yates), Glaza, McCullough. Photo #2, Donors above right, from left: Sexton, Mosier, Bilello, Schehr, McCullough, and Porter. Missing were Brush, Bujalski, Hodson, Roe, Savage, Schwank, and Pupich). “The ceremony for Gary Sheets was very nice. It took place in the Cadet Protestant Chapel,” wrote Andi Biancur. “Gary’s extended family all attended, which consisted of Sylvia, four children and spouses, 19 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and four of his five surviving sisters. They were accompanied by his local pastor, Reverend Jarrett Stephens. Classmates in attendance: Denis Walsh, Dick Sexton, Jim Glaza, Jim & Mary Waddle, Bruce & Caryl Mosier, Wayne Kendall,

“The ceremony for Bill Goodyear took place in the Academy Cemetery at 1030 hours on 28 Sept 2012,” wrote Andi Biancur. “Bill was cremated, and a portion of his remains were committed at the Academy Cemetery today, where he was accorded full military honors. The family group consisted of his widow, Linda, and her daughter’s family; Linda’s brother, Bill’s daughters Lorelei and Angelee, also Bill’s grandchildren. Classmates attending: Denis Walsh, Dick Sexton, Jim Glaza, Jim Waddle, Bruce Mosier, Wayne Kendall, Pete Roe, Jim Bujalski, Bill Hodson, Andi Biancur. The family remained for the Homecoming Memorial Service later in the day for graduates who had passed away over the last year.” (Photo, above, seated, from left: Linda Goodyear, Bill’s daughter Angelee. Standing: Wayne Kendall, Dick Sexton, Bill Hodson, Bruce Mosier, Andi Biancur, Jim Waddle, Denis Walsh, Jim Glaza, Jim Bujalski (Pete Roe missed the photo.)

“I didn’t get any of the ‘old guys with drinks’ photos, but there seemed to be plenty taken at Andi’s dinner,” says Gordy Flygare, referring to the

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Class News AFA-Navy game weekend October 5-7. “It was a really great night. The game weather was not too nice, and we lost to Navy; but the tailgate and get-together at TGI Friday’s were both great!” (Photo, below, from left, standing: Luck, Schwank, Savage, Hope Schwank, Schehr’s forehead behind Hope, Sharon Schehr, Boyington, Carol Kaley, Kaley, June Colgan, Biancur, Waddle, Deke Johnson, Sexton, Kendall, Sue Woodward, Van Inwegen, Pat Van Inwegen, Fries, Bujalski, Judy Bronson, Mosier, Carole Bilello, Bronson, Becke Fries, Flygare, Bilello, Haney, Liz Haney, Yates, Glaza, Sweigart; from left, seated: Carolyn Luck, Mary Waddle, Carole Biancur, Barbara Kendall, Connie Yates, Camille Sweigart—more pics on Web: “MiniReunions.”) Tony Burshnick: “Another great DC-60 luncheon, thanks to Tom Burke. Twelve stalwarts showed up. We sent GJC Fries and Mike Loh to USAFA to win the AF/Navy game, but, they blew that! Ralph Lalime is stuck on Okinawa trying to get a Space-A flight to Virginia. Norm Haller is taking care of his daughter, who is fighting a bout with soft tissue sarcoma. Doug Rekenthaler and Jack Schira didn’t make it. “Bill Carnegie is fine, but had problems getting here. Ken Alnwick watched the AFA lacrosse team play in the local area this weekend. Leon Goodson accompanied his granddaughter and her choir on a tour through England, then played tourist in Italy and Paris. Al Johnson is ‘iffy’ on MiniSki 2013, having hurt his back by lifting too much. Bob Badger’s latest book is coming along. Les Querry and Marty are wrapped up in elder care for Marty’s mom and dad. Bob Fischer is still involved with the air museum his friends and neighbors are running at the old Willow Grove Naval Station. Bill Hockenberry is busy working with the unions and industry in the aviation world. Mike A. Clarke is doing pretty well, and he sold two of his houses. Jerry de la Cruz is taking a fused glass class with Ken Alnwick. Tom Burke has another company he spends time with.” (Photo, front, from left: Badger, Burshnick, Mike A. Clarke, Querry. Back: Hockenberry, Goodson, Burke, de la Cruz, Carnegie, Fischer, Alnwick, Al Johnson. ) POTPOURRI: Jim Bujalski’s e-mail: jimbu@q.com...Fred Morton, Minister, younger brother of Eddie Morton, sent his book on Eddie in Vietnam. E-mail: fmorton5862@gmail.com... The autobiographical “Pacific Cockpit” is now in “final draft mode.” Contact George Lester at geotlester@hotmail.com... Class of 1960 has 174 living classmates, following burial of Gary Sheets. “My grandson, Nicholas Kornitzer, was commissioned 2nd LT in May from ROTC at the University of Connecticut, and is at Del Rio, Texas (Laughlin) in pilot training. His Dad, Steven, is a Colonel on the PACAF staff,” wrote Bill Kornitzer. “Linda and I had a super trip this past year to Vietnam and Cambodia, touring Angkor Wat and then a Viking cruise down the Mekong for seven days into Saigon. We left for Rome in October to tour Umbria, Rome and Venice.”

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Earl N. “Nelson” O’Rear Members 50582 Stonington Drive Granger, IN 46530-8243 H: (574) 273-2597 E-mail: enoandtjo@gmail.com Class Web Site: www.usafa1961.org (Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Larry Karnowski passed away on 8 October. Dick and Trel Coppock, and Jerry and Sue Lefton represented our class at his “Polish Pond” service on 20 October. Larry’s three sons/spouses, his sister, and loved ones and friends welcomed them. Following special words from his family and friends, some of Larry’s ashes were scattered in his beloved pond, an Air Force honor guard folded the flag, Taps was played, and volleys fired to honor our good friend and class leader. With the family’s permission, Jerry and Dick sang the chorus of the Air Force Song in the tradition of our class. It was a moving occasion and a joyous celebration of his very special life. Sheila Stephen, Paul’s wife of 51 years, passed away on 9 October. Her funeral Mass was Saturday, 13 October. Paul truly appreciated the numerous messages of condolence from ’61 and expresses his sincerest thanks. The Class flowers were beautiful. His entire family being there helped him obtain closure. Both he and Sheila will eventually be buried at USAFA. Mark and Ginger Anderson enjoyed their September trip across the Canadian Rockies from Vancouver to Calgary. It offered beautiful scenery and a nice temperature change from south Texas. Bob and Winnie Wagner stopped through their area in late September, and their locals wined and dined them. Larry and Kathy Freeman, John and Casey Goodley, Jack Bright with date (Nancy), Richard and Carolyn Smith, Jim and Jeanne Ulm, and the Andersons attended.

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Howard Bodenhamer had his right hip replaced on 15 August. Two months later, he was about 80 percent back to normal activity and delighted with the results to date. He encourages anyone contemplating a similar operation to do their due diligence and have it done while Medicare/Tricare still have funds available for the significant cost. Pat Buckley and he shared experiences and their due diligence with good results, using different solutions. Bob and Jan Brickey’s granddaughter, MiaBella Brickey, is doing very well. Her new heart passed it’s year-old date on 11 June, and she is enjoying school, Children’s Dance Theater (modern dance classes), Tae Kwon Do martial arts (but no actual sparring), and playing bass guitar in the school band. She is a very happy and thankful young lady—and so is her family! Bob and Jan are so thankful for the Class of 1961. Jack Bright has recovered well from his surgery and is now receiving daily radiation therapy to his upper left chest until some time in December. He is golfing again but only 9 holes at an outing. He played with John and Casey Goodley in mid-October. Jack thanks the Class for all their support over the last two months. In his words, “You are the Greatest!” In July Pat and Marilyn Buckley visited their Spanish home in Velez-Malaga, Andalucía, for relaxation, as well as some work to prepare it for prospective renters. They spent Labor Day weekend in the Washington DC area visiting family and two nights with Bill and Theda Foster. In September they also attended the Pilot Training Class 63B 50th Reunion at Moody AFB, GA. Other USAFA Classmates included Richard Fairlamb and Carol, Tom and Bonnie Williams, Bill Stackhouse, Charley Dixon, and Paul Dean. Dick Fairlamb did a great job of planning and organizing. The support at Moody AFB was terrific. Class 63B also enjoyed a dinner with the local MOAA chapter. “The older we get, the better we were!” On 15 October the Buckleys drove to Columbia, SC, to get Pat’s right hip joint resurfaced, driving home on 20 October. Sabre Society Trel and Dick Coppock thank all who expressed conDonors cern and offered assistance after they lost their home/ possessions in the Colorado Springs Wildfire in June. They evacuated with only a few trash bags of clothing, important papers, very few mementos, and—most importantly—themselves and their dog, Charlie. They immediately purchased a condo in Dick’s hometown of Salem, OH—courtesy of two of his married high school classmates who occupied the dwelling for only two-three weeks a year while visiting family, attending reunions, etc. The Coppocks arrived on 18 July and closed on 20 July. They wish that all of their evacuated neighbors could have been so fortunate. Their daughter and family, including three of their four children, plus a great granddaughter now live within five minutes of them. They are so grateful to Jim and Nancy Wilhelm for handling so many of their communications as they tried to “get it together.” They are safe, happy, and well on their way to complete recovery. In September, Gene and Judy Davis unexpectedly ran into Corky and Pat Cochrane in Paris. Both couples were celebrating their fiftieth anniversaries with a boat tour down the Seine River. A tour highlight was seeing the installations and beaches at Normandy. They also visited Monet’s Estate, several small French villages, and the sights of Paris. Tom Eller said Hanson Scott, Byron Theurer, Phil Lane, Paul Hinton and he attended their UPT Class Reunion in San Antonio the last weekend in September. The special guest for Friday night’s dinner was 2nd Lt. Barrett Schake, Tom’s grandson (USAFA ’11), a student pilot at Del Rio and a reminder of what they looked like 50 years earlier. Pat and Don Grant continue to enjoy life and good health. Since his heart attack and aortal surgery, all seems to be going well. Since their priority is with their kids and grandchildren, they probably will move to Utah to be closer to them. Don feels the emptiness left in his heart as we lose members of our unique class and is very proud to be a part of this group. Bill and Linda Griffis recently traveled to northern Georgia to visit an old friend from Airborne Command Post days at Offutt AFB. They had a great time, also stopping along the way at St. Augustine, FL, Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC. Their oldest son returns to California from his assignment with a Special Ops outfit in Germany. After Labor Day, Lowell and Sandy Jones enjoyed their annual six weeks on the ocean at Myrtle Beach, SC, and one week on the road to Montgomery, AL, to visit friends before returning home 21 October. Wayne and Mary Jones enjoyed a month-long driving trip to the Northwest US, to Yellowstone National Park, and down I-15 in August and September. They saw many friends, relatives, and beautiful countryside along the way, including a fun rendezvous with ’61ers (Kerrs, Cochranes, G. Hopp, and Taylors) in Seattle, as well as the Brickeys in Salt Lake City and Theurers in St. George. Wayne and Mary also spent three wonderful days on Orcas Island in the San Juans with family. They saw the Grand Coulee Dam and had not returned to Yellowstone—just as amazing and beautiful as they remembered it—since their honeymoon 51 years ago. Everyone is invited to stay with them any time. Bob Kellock flew his repaired aircraft to its home base at Nogales International Airport. Retirement is a continuous series of reunions—about nine in three years. They are getting into their scheme of three weeks in Patagonia, three weeks in Long Beach, and three weeks on the road with

their plane and dog—subject to alterations to meet holidays, birthdays, obligations, and Samantha’s test dates for her Health Information Technology degree program. They are always ready to respond to classmate activities. John Moore experienced the thrill of sitting with 114,000 fans watching OUR team do themselves proud at the AF-Michigan game. The patriotism shown by the folks at Michigan before the game and at half time impressed him. The highlight came during the National Anthem, which all were singing. In the middle of the anthem, a B-2 loomed over the south rim of the stadium, beginning its flyover. Between the ramparts and the rockets’ red glare, the singing abruptly changed to an audible gasp, followed by numerous exclamations, ranging from astonishment to reverence. The combined spectacle of air power and patriotism took John’s breath away. Hector and Joan Negroni’s sons left Wall Street major investment banks to pursue brighter horizons. Important to Hector and Joan is that they are good husbands, good parents and are fully engaged in all family activities. Hector summarized our DC Group’s August luncheon at the Springfield Country Club. Lowell and Sandy Jones, John and Joan Kohout, Charley Dixon, Bill and Rhoda Stackhouse, John and Diane McDonough, Twy Williams, Bill Foster, Cathy Muller, and Hector attended. Lowell updated everyone with class news, and all thanked Charley the use of his Country Club. Twy was unanimously elevated to the prestigious position of DC ’61 Group Chaplain. He led them in praying for the health of our classmates facing severe health issues, particularly Terry Norris and Larry Karnowski. John and Mary Payne are enjoying retirement in Oxford, MS, although he agreed to serve as president of his subdivision’s homeowners association. It has been like going back to work. John monitors the builders, handles complaints from homeowners, etc., which is really cutting into his loafing and traveling. Neal Westbrook said that UPT Class 63B, Craig AFB, held an October reunion at the Hilton SanDestin Hotel in Destin, FL, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its graduation. Eight of 15 from our USAFA Class attended: Doug Cairns plus Dee, Bobbie Grace plus Anne, Sam Hardage, Dave Hmiel, Worth McCue plus Joan, Jimmy Poole plus Susan, Neal plus Gwen, and Tom Wilson plus Judy. Charlie Neel and Linda also joined the festivities. They ate lots of seafood, told of exploits, made some appropriate toasts, and enjoyed each other’s company. Wayne Whalen, chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, presented the traveling Lincoln Trophy to Eureka College, winners of the Lincoln Bowl, on 1 September at Knox College in Galesburg, IL. The schools have competed in football for over 110 years. Knox and Eureka were two of the three colleges Lincoln visited during his life. (The third was Coopers Union in New York.) Charlie and Sarah Stebbins’ visit to Colorado Springs required a ’61 football weekend party, which the Wilhelms hosted on Thursday before the New Mexico game. Those also having a great time included the Ellers, Conleys, Cuberos, Harings, McCues, Willis, Hulls, and Terry Storm. Jim gave Terry a model of General Goodpaster’s European command aircraft—which Larry Karnowski piloted—to display in the ’61 area of the AOG lounge. The model had been General Goodpaster’s departing gift to Larry. Jim also showed off his beautifully restored 1963 Thunderbird, something grand to replace the ’61 bus all of us enjoyed at past tailgates. Thanks to all who contributed. Next time, we particularly want to hear from those who have not shared recently.

Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Hi Redtags! What a great reunion. It was great seeing so many classmates after so many years. Let’s start off with comments from Dick Klass. “The RTB 50th Reunion would not have been possible without the efforts of Jan and George Larson and the Reunion Committee. And the class gift goal could not have been achieved without the work of PK Robinson and his fund-raising committee. But we must also thank several individual RTBs for their contributions to the event. “Don Shepperd and Ed Martinelli compiled, edited, and produced two classics that will provide comfort and laughs as long as RTBs are remembered. Shep’s ‘Those Red Tag Bastards’ will keep our memories alive and give us laughs as we fade into old age. The cover design for Shep’s magnificent book was done by none other than Emily Cheeseman, daughter of Cheezie and 2012 graduate from Olivet University with a BS in Marketing and Graphic Design. Ed’s ‘Collection’ of biographies enriches our appreciation of our classmates’ paths to USAFA. They both deserve kudos and Ed deserves a special place in our hearts for the loss of Bonnie and his consequent absence from our festivities. Rip and Jean Blaisdell conducted a three-hour Friday morning walking tour through the Garden of the Gods. It was a beautiful and crisp morning exercise for those with sufficient sleep and breath. “Lanny Lancaster contributed seemingly bottomless amounts of wine to fuel our dinners and the tailgate. We owe him kudos as soon as the hangover ends. “Tom Rausch provided every attendee a beautiful and majestic commemorative coin of the Redtags 50th Reunion. “Gary Baughman gave an entertaining rendition of acronyms from the military to Twitter. But his presentation of the history and iconography of the class crest and the selection of Jostens for the ring was a masterpiece. You can get a copy of his briefing notes by emailing Gary at gjbman@bellsouth.net. “Tim Gilmartin again organized the superb Memorial Service. John Fer gave a moving invocation. Bo Ohman’s homily evoked humor and history to paint a memorable picture of our departed classmates. And Jack Swanson had the sorrowful duty to call the roll of the fallen. Again, this sad remembrance was a highlight of the Reunion.

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John W. “Jack” Jamba Members 4 Judy Court Satellite Beach, FL 32937 H: (321) 777-5520 O: (321) 861-6279 Cell: (321) 432-1370 E-Mail: jwjamba@aol.com

(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the

1962 Redtags honored its three Vietnam POWs. From left are Jerry Singleton, John Fer and Paul K. Robinson. “The RTB “Ripchords” a capella group, conducted by Mike Williams included George Thompson, Phil Merkel, Dick Smull and Jim Gallagher and provided great music on Thursday night, a great rendition of the National Anthem on Friday night and moving hallway farewells on Saturday night. The total barbershop singing experience of the group exceeds 130 years. (See photo at the top of the next column.)

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Class News ready read my postings in the two books. The grandkids were particularly shocked that ‘Gramps’ wasn’t always the saintly altar boy they imagined. A special thanks to Shep and Ed for all that hard work! And Ed, know that Peggy and I both have you and Bonnie in our prayers. Finally, for the first time in the 50+ years I’ve known Tuck I actually understood him! Must have had too much of that great wine served up by Lanny.” Jack Jamba: “The final outcome of the football game against Navy was a disappointment. Our team played valiantly but unfortunately they did not sink Navy. My wife and I and many others shivered in the 25-degree Sabre Society wind thru to the bitter end but to no avail. One thing Donors I always admire about our team is that they never give up; they keep on fighting. All I can say is ‘Wait till next year’.” Tom Young to Tom Rausch: “I for one appreciate the coins, more then you’ll know even though I was a non-attendee at the festivities. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and for the time and money you spent in getting them done. Your kindness is much appreciated.” Dick Klass got a note from the USAFA Dean, B/G Borne to wit: “DickThank you so much for returning to USAFA for your reunion and for the fabulous book Those Red Tag Bastards. I think you all set a positive example for our cadets and future AF officers. Thank you. Warmly, Dana.” Hesh Altman: “It was truly a great reunion, only increasing our wishes for more contact with the original RTBs. Thanks to those who made it happen, with special appreciation to Bob Felts and Ed Martinelli.”

The RTB Ripchords “Don Shepperd hosted the Friday night dinner with his usual blend of insight and dry humor. John Fer gave the invocation. And, if Lanny’s wine has not blotted my memory, Beau Daugherty gave another beautiful rendition of “Danny Boy” hallway farewells on Saturday night.

Don Shepperd presides over Friday night reunion dinner festivities. “Butch Viccellio hosted the Saturday evening event. Apparently “Saturday Night Live” has offered him a slot based on his after-dinner stand-up comedy routine. Fred Fiedler and Jack Swonson put on a hilarious “Huntley – Brinkley” news segment with humorous vignettes of imagined RTB news. Not to be outdone, Chuck Cheeseman ably aided by Hal Rhodes, presented a swami routine where Cheezie provided questions to submitted answers. One example, not used, was: Answer: Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chavez and Dick Klass. Question: Name three people likely to be president for life. The open mike session was highlighted by Tuck McAtee’s monologue that had Demosthenes turning in his grave.

Butch Viccellio as Master of Ceremonies at Saturday night benquet and entertainment. “Finally, Emma Ross and the AOG deserve kudos for helping the Reunion Committee arrange the lunch with selected cadets and briefings by the Supt, Comm and Dean as well as other staff members.” Thank you, Dick. That encapsulated the highlights of the 50th Reunion Redtag events. Bob Keighery:”Just want to add my kudos to all for a great reunion. The tour of the Garden of the Gods was super and the coins will take an honored place in my collection. Most of my kids and grandkids have al110

Graduating Redtags from the Class of 1962 doff their hats adorned fittingly with red cap covers. Jan Larson has suggested how welcome it would be to hold “mini-reunions” in the interim years between 50 and 55? There are cities where there are enough folks to handle it and provide a chance to get together. Note: Many Redtags agree with that. Ed Martinell: “In my attempt to mail out bio books to reunion non-attendees I called Larry Nichols’ law firm number and received a message that said ‘Mr. Jim Larry Nichols passed away on October 2nd after a short battle with cancer. The office will be closed temporarily.’ Sorry to be the bearer of the sad news.” Ed passed the info to Erv Rokke who notified the AOG. Larry’s info is now on the Gone But Not Forgotten page. He passed away at Shands Healthcare Hospital associated with the University of Florida Health Science Center in Gainesville, Fla. from complications associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Bob Staib: “Larry and I were roommates on BCT detail in 1960. I spoke with Larry in January of this year, trying to persuade him to come to our 50th. It was good to touch base one last time. He said he was still very busy in his law practice, and didn’t think he could get away. I didn’t know that Larry’s wife, Jean, had died just 6 weeks before. They were married after graduation, before Larry started UPT at Webb. My first wife, Marianne, whom I met at a New Year’s Eve party in ’61 given by Larry and Jean, attended high school with them in Midland, TX. Small world, made better by this RTB’s journey we all shared.” After the reunion we received heartbreaking news that John Flanagan had passed away from the complications he had been fighting for the past several months. MaryJo said she was by his side till the end. She expressed her thanks for the warm support that the Redtags provided throughout the ordeal. John is on the Gone But Not Forgotten site. Don Shepperd: “We are just terribly saddened -- John was a class icon -- I will ask our small church group to pray for him and Mari Jo and to tell the Lord He is getting one of the best. I will re-read his stories in Those Red Tag Bastards tonight -- may God be with John until we meet again” George Lyddane: “I first met Johnny at age 14 at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York-another great institution. He will be missed.”

Bob Staib:” John signed my copy of the book he wrote about FACs and Vietnam: ‘Be a Warrior.’ Indeed, John Flanagan lived out this challenge, as a cadet, as a teammate, heroically as a Special Ops FAC, and, perhaps, most heroically is his final fight that ended today.” Reunion merchandise will be available for order on the AOG reunion site through November. They will post pictures of the sterling/gold crest and offer it, the crest necklace for ladies, the Red Tag Babe bling pin, wine glasses and other leftovers. For grads, widows, or dependents who want to order additional reunion commemorative coins, the price is only $3 per coin. Send an e-mail to Tom Rausch and Dick Klass specifying the amount and type of coins you want. Price is the same for ‘gold’ and ‘silver’. Include your snail mail address where you want them sent. Once Tom ships the coins, he will send the total bill. You then send your check to Dick Klass. (Sounds like a Dick Klass ponzi scheme.) That’s it for now. There were many wonderful things at the Reunion. You should have been there. See you at the 55th and… the 100th. Go Redtags! Norman I. (Skip) Lee 63119 E. Cat Claw Lane Tucson, AZ 85739-2058 Home: (520) 825-7980 Cell: (520) 241-3498 54wrs63@gmail.com Class Web Site: www.usafa63.org

students at St. Michael’s College in Burlington and he says he loves every minute of it. Jack and Carleen were visiting Vermont on a ‘leaf peeping’ vacation in parts of New England. Besides the beautiful scenery, they also had an extended visit with Bill and Mary in the Mountains of Vermont.

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) The mini-reunion was a great success if you discount the final score of the football game. The Falcons played fearlessly but Navy ended up victorious in overtime. Good Navy weather too; with a game time temperature of 31F and fog! Did feel some raucous vibes from USNA 40 (my Dad’s class). Because of the early morning kick-off the usual pre-game get-together was held on Friday at the Eisenhower Golf Course club house. An appetizing Italian buffet was served and the event was well attended. After the game on Saturday Sabre Society we gathered in Arnold Hall in front of the Class Cups for Donors the traditional cup turning ceremony. This year cups were turned for four of our Classmates: Lynn Gulick, Lloyd (Milt) McKnight, Bill Simpson and Jim McKean. The cup turning was truly poignant. Afterwards we enjoyed good friends, good food and fellowship. Tons of thanks and our utmost appreciation go out to Bob and Charlie Anne Hayes for their superb efforts to pull this event together.

From left in the bottom row are Steinbrink, Yee, Verdier, Hayes, Merkle, Bredvik, Davis, Odefy, Donovan. Second Row: Ball, Winzell, Vaughn, McLaughlin, Borling, Fullerton, Harley, Denend, Fryer, and Ott. Stairwell: Helinski, Nuss, Lee, DeBerry, Butler, Reisdorf, Fain, Hall, Reynolds, Browning, Fox, Horner, Matjasko, Gibbons, and Juister. Thanks to Carole Davis (Pres) for taking the photograph using her IPhone. Just before press time I received an e-mail from Jack Kochanski. Jack e-mailed the photo of he and Bill Wilson taken in Bill and Mary’s back yard not all that far from Burlington, VT. Bill is still guiding young college

Gorgeous colors! There are many new uploads in the USAFA Class Histories (UCH). Go to the Class Web Page at www.usafa63.org and click on USAFA Class Histories to check them out. The stories are honestly interesting. Neil Sorenson, local video producer for the Great Northwest, wrote he had about ten of our classmates to his place on Whidbey Island for conversations, food and videos. Most of the folks made it there by auto and a ferry ride from Mukilteo, WA, but Geoff McCarthy flew his plane up from Portland and Bob Parlette flew his plane from Wenatchee. Lucky guys. Neil has been watching the email traffic on thoughts about doing the videos and said “I agree -- it has been fun listening to stories from our classmates about life after the Academy.” It is a great opportunity. Lou Matjasko, Class Historian, asks that classmates participate and give the courtesy of a quick response to their volunteer local classmate video producer when contacted about doing videos. To keep you informed, updates for video kit movements will continue via Sq Reps. Bill Ball provided an update for the 50th Reunion planning. First, this will be an event you don’t want to miss (23-27 Oct 2013). We’re still looking for pictures and stories for our Thursday and Friday evening events. Please send them sooner than later. Saturday will be football against Notre Dame. To take the weather factor out of the picture a bit we’re planning the tailgate at Doolittle Hall. We’re going one step further by having a television screen set up for the game in case you’d like to stay for the duration. For those who attend the game we plan to bus everyone to the stadium. After victory over the Fighting Irish everyone will be on their own for the rest of the evening. Squadron dinners/socials will be scheduled throughout the town for those that haven’t happened earlier. Obviously, virtually everything is in the works at this stage. Expect more information about the 50th in the mail in the near future. To kick off our 50th celebrations and in keeping with the AOG Class Legacy program, our class will present 2LT bars to the class of 2013 during Graduation Week (May 27-29, 2013). If you would like to be involved, now is the time to let Bob Hayes (bcahayes@comcast.net) know. Prior to leaving on a long European vacation Diff sent the following report: A huge thank you to our classmates who served on the Class 50th Reunion Gift Committee. The committee has completed its mission. We are now in the implementation phase—fund-raising for our class endowment and completing the UCH project. The UCH Team (John Borling, Lou Matjasko, & Gil Merkle) carry the bulk of UCH project execution. I have created an Oversight Committee (Marv Odefey, Jim Gaston, & Bob Hayes) to review UCH expenses and to monitor the project for the class. To help me with the overall execution of our reunion and gift, I have also named an Implementation Team (Mick Roth, Bill Ball, & Les Denend). More News. Pat Caruana wrote: they are relocating from Redondo Beach, CA to San Antonio, TX. Ed Reisdorf reported on Bob Mazet and there is not much change in his condition although he was to be moved to a rehab/nursing facility. Ed also says he is headed for South America this Spring for a hunting adventure in Argentina with a good friend and USAFA graduate Tim Furst. We were recently advised that Gordon Bredvik underwent a heart by-

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL (719) 472-0300 X200. 111

Class News pass operation due to severe blockage in his arteries. The last report has Gordon doing well and on the road to recovery. One other report received about a classmate undergoing severe medical conditions involved Chuck Bush. Chuck is in good spirits spending a lot of time surrounded by family. In every case our thoughts go out to these guys and their families and wish them all the best. Next is a continuation of our feature on those eighteen fallen. Many thanks to Jimmie Butler for the picture.

and Todd Palin are long-time fishing buddies. Actually, Joe is somewhat prominent in Anchorage and a known/recognized name around town. Best of all, Joe assured me he intends to attend our 50th. Peggy and I had a wonderful visit with family, went to Denali, saw Mt. McKinley, and lots of bears gorging themselves on salmon. Great trip!” Another Alaska Reunion: Don Graham reported that the 16th Sqdn also traveled to Alaska this summer. Don said, “We had hoped for seven attendees but Howie Cohen & Jack Sweeney had to drop out so we ended up with 5 of us. From left are Don Graham, Jim McIntyre, Tony Covais, Rich Bennett & Bob Christopher. In this photo we all are holding the ingenious Watizit (What is it?) developed & produced by Bob Kern as a present to us. Bob was unable to join us, as he is caring for his wife. In his instructions to us, Sabre Society Bob said to use our imaginations but its use as a BS Donors Detector has been well documented! It certainly was in use on our cruise! Not clearly shown in the photo is the little red light, which constantly flashes (must be plenty of BS in the area!). “We all had a great time & saw some gorgeous scenery. Four of us (Christopher, Covais, Bennett & Graham) had all been stationed at Wright- Pat in the mid-1970s so it was special for the wives to reminisce also. We had open seating at dinner, but since there was only one table in the back that could seat ten, we took it over. After the first night, the Maître ‘D said, ‘This is your table – just tell me what time you will be here!’ There were quite a few nights that we were the last ones to leave the dining room.”

First Lieutenant Lee A. Adams was killed in North Vietnam on the 19 April 1966 as an F-105 pilot when his aircraft crashed while strafing a truck 40 miles north of the DMZ. He was a member of the 33 TFS, 355 TFW, Takhli, AB Thailand. Captain Robert F. Rex was killed in on 9 March 1969 when the O-2A he was piloting crashed while supporting a MACVSOG Team on the ground. The aircraft was shot down about 10 miles west of the DMZ. Bob was a NAIL FAC from the 23 TASS at NKP AB, Thailand 1st Lieutenant Patrick E. Wynne was reported missing on 8 August 1966 while on an armed reconnaissance mission in an F-4C over North Vietnam. He was posthumously promoted to Major effective 1 April 1974. His status was upgraded to KIA on 28 May 1974. That’s it for this time. Linda and I would like to wish everyone a joyful and safe holiday season. Many thanks to all of you who have supported this column. Bob Hovde 206 Walker Ave. Huntsville, AL 35801 (H) (256) 532-3923 (M) (256) 348-9794 bob@hovde.us

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Reunions, Travel, and Other Reasons to Reminisce: It must be summer time, because lots of people are having reunions, traveling around the world, and otherwise acting like retired people. Paul Belmont recently visited Alaska and wrote: “I had the pleasure of spending a couple of very delightful hours with Joe Griffith in Anchorage, AK, while visiting with my sister and her family a couple of weeks ago. We both thoroughly enjoyed remembering old times and catching up on what is happening in our respective lives. You will be pleased to know that Joe is still very much the Joe we all knew as a Cadet many years ago. Joe is still very much ‘in command’ of his life, still quite driven and still achieving important goals as the CEO of a vital power network in Alaska. And, YES! Joe does know Sarah. Joe

Joe Griffith and Paul Belmont in Anchorage, Alaska.

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Don Graham, Jim McIntyre, Tony Covais, Rich Bennett and Bob Christopher in Alaska. The Not-In-Alaska Reunion: Claude Billings reported on the 7th Sqdn reunion, “As you may know, Seagrams 7 has been having an annual reunion since our 25th. I do not think any other squadron has such a record and certainly not with such robust attendance! We have held reunions in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mexico, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, St. Croix, and Texas. This year, the Sudmalis and Billings hosted the event in Santa Fe (mostly done by the strong support of our wives, Diane Sudmalis and Sarah Billings). We had 14 squadron mates plus wives, including our adopted brother, Pat Durick (5th) and his wife, Mary Ann, attend the 4-day event. On Friday evening, two local classmates and spouses, Shirley and John Denko (8th) and Ginger and Angelo Cappuccio (10th) joined us for dinner. Needless to say we had a great time visiting with one another, touring Santa Fe, financially improving the local economy and we even managed to change some of the endings to previous “twice told tales” about the good old days. Kathy and Jeff Wildonger definitely won the “travel the farthest” trophy since they came from St. Croix. Also, Ruth and John Shriner and Helene and JJ Williams get the “longevity ribbon” for having attended all of the annual 7th Squadron reunions. In addition to those mentioned above, the rest of the group included Candi and Jerry Budinoff, Linda and Lou Comadena, Linda and Tom Eggers, Linda and Tim O’Keefe, Susan and Harry Pearce, Carolyn and Jock Rosenberger, Martha and Nat Self and Jan and Dan Trial. Next year the event will be held at Harry Pearce’s place in Michigan. “Attached is a composite of those who participated in our fun time in Santa Fe. Bob, I recognize that you may have many stories and pictures that could take up copy space in Checkpoints, but I trust that you can find space for our group. If having your picture in the composite will influence your decision, feel free to replace the 7th Squadron Unicorn in the center with your smiling face!” (See photo at the top of the next column.) [Scribe Note: Claude, next time, if you need a recorder with publishing influence, why not just invite him along?] Another Not-In-Alaska Reunion: Dave Neal wrote that in September, the Northern California AOG Chapter had a picnic. He included a photo of himself and Bill White [Sorry, no room.] – and noted that attendees ranged from Bo Bobko ’59 to Dan Taylor ’07. Does a Monthly Luncheon Count as a Not-In-Alaska Reunion? – The

of 47 years, Jini, daughter in law, Brooke, son and new Wing Commander, Chris, Class of 1989 and our daughter Jennifer, Lt Col and Commander of the 358th Fighter Squadron (A-10s) at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ. Think we might be the only family in which dad, son and daughter all flew the A-10. Jini and I are pretty proud parents. Daughter Jennifer is married and is Jennifer Evens, but kept her Air Force “name” as Jennifer Short. Take care, Mike.”

The Smiling Faces of Seagrams 7. 3rd Sqdn Old Trolls continue to meet in Colorado monthly. Doug Jenkins always sends along a picture and any scuttlebutt of true and lasting value. Late But Still Sad News: The Association of Graduates sent a notice that they recently learned of the death of James J. Lydon, CS-07 Class of 1964. He passed away last year on 19 Jan 2011 in New Jersey and was interred in BGen William C. Doyle Cemetery in Wrightstown, New Jersey. News of the Zoo: Fred Malmstrom sent a message (with photos to prove it) about a display above the Arnold Hall ballroom. The display has plaques for each class with the names of all the prior-enlisted graduates – 62 names on ours. [This isn’t listed on the AOG site as a “Heritage Project,” so maybe the Academy put it up. (?)] Fred noted that they even spelled his name correctly for once. Reunion 2014: I know, it’s still two years away. I know, it’s only two years away! If you feel strongly about some aspect of past reunions, now is the time to voice your opinions. Things like dates, venues, etc., will get locked in soon. For once, I had more information, pictures, etc., than I had room to include. This is good, because it means ’64 is still very active! Keep up the good work! Bruce Wood 7610 Sonatta Court Lincoln, NE 68516 Home and Cell: (402) 470-7152 brucewood1965@gmail.com http://usafa1965.org (official) https://usafa-1965.org (auxiliary)

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Hello Silvertags! Since the last issue, Terry Nicholas passed away. I received a well-written, heartfelt obituary from Dennis Murphy. You will find it in the “Gone But Not Forgotten” Section of this Checkpoints.

Tom Pilsch sent this request: “I may have missed this if it was mentioned in some Academy communication, but I came across this video tribute to Lance Sijan on the Web. Please pass to the class if it has not been publicized elsewhere. The Lance P. Sijan Story – Into The Mouth Of The Cat (1998) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuZ-eisQyWU.” Mike Phillips sent: “In September, my younger daughter, Amber, and I went on a fishing trip to the Amazon basin in Brazil. Actually, we fished a tributary of the upper Rio Negro. We flew into Manaus, Brazil where the Amazon meets the Rio Negro. In Manaus, we got on a float plane and flew about 200 miles north of Manaus into the jungle and stayed on a large houseboat for a week of fishing for Peacock Bass. Several folks from my Bass Club were also on the trip. The houseboat was air conditioned and quite adequate where the staff provided great food, service, and anything that you needed. A Sat Phone was their only comm with the outside world. I can only describe this trip as a lifetime event of major proportions. The fishing was done out of 18-foot alumiSabre Society num boats with 60horse outboards and electric trolling Donors motors. The fishing was really great – the group caught Peacocks that were over 20 lbs. These fish give your tackle a real workout – leave your spinning rods at home. I had two fish straighten out 4/0 treble hooks and get off – both were likely over 20 lbs. The fishing guides were native Brazilian Indians and if you put a feathered headdress on them, they would pass for extras in Mel Gibson’s movie ‘Apocalypto.’ The area where we fished is a vast flood plain and during the rainy season the rivers rise about 20 feet and flood most of the northern part of Amazonas. In this area, there are no roads, villages, and only a few natives that fish the river from their boats. I expected the weather to be oppressively hot and humid – in reality I’ve had worse days in the Washington, DC area in the summer. While I was there, I had my 70th birthday and we had a great party on the beach with a cake provided by the staff along with a super cookout – fresh turtles and fish heads – just kidding about the fish heads – they were fed to the Piranhas. I’ve included a picture of a Peacock Bass that I caught – this fish was right at 18 lbs and typical of the large ones that were caught. If anyone is interested in details of the trip – costs, outfitter, etc – e-mail me at michael.a.phillips@saic.com”

Terry Nicholas Mike Short sent the following: “Bruce – attached photo was taken at our son’s Change of Command at Mountain Home AFB as he took command of the 366th Fighter Wing – us old folks will remember that the 366th was the Gunfighters at Danang RVN. From left: your old classmate, my wife 113

Class News I received the following from a Ms Tracy Renee (beingthyself@yahoo. com): “Hello...I am trying to connect anyone who served alongside my late father-in-law, Steven Bernard Melnick. He served from November 1969 until he passed away on August 17 1970 in what was either a collision or an encounter with hostile antiaircraft fire. If you knew him, however casual or brief the acquaintance, could you please reply to this email. I am trying to help my husband David to piece together a huge part of his history. Thank you so much for your time...Tracy. efax: 504-324-0330” That’s “30” for this issue. I have begun “Friending” all classmates I can find on Facebook and, since Facebookers put stuff out there for all to see, I’ll use those items when I need more input! I also play “Words with Friends” on my Iphone with classmates – I’m wbruce1965 on Ww/F. Sorry, but due to excellent voluminous input, I had no room for quotes this issue! Bruce. ’65 – Best Alive. Ryan Denny 1635 Mary Todd Lane O’Fallon, IL 62269 H: (618) 624-4255 E-mail: ryanden@aol.com

Dick also sent a picture and some words about the tailgate before (and after) the AFA - CSU football game. Several of our classmates enjoyed the 42-21 victory and the beautiful fall day. The picture captured those who hung around for the “after” tailgate party. The weather was quite a bit different from a few months before when the sky was filled with smoke from the forest fires that had surrounded the Colorado Springs area. The fires closely missed the Academy, but destroyed the Flying W Ranch—where we had some good times and great food as cadets—and much of Dick’s neighborhood. His house survived, but most of his neighbors’ houses did not. Dick put together a 20 minute video of the fire and the tremendous efforts of the Colorado Springs community (fire-fighters, Air Force crews and cadets, and neighbors) to fight the fire and support each other after the fire. He says it was a great catharsis for him to create the video (today we call that rehab from PTSD). You can see it on You Tube at “Waldo Canyon Fire – One Blessed Story Among Many”.

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Greetings, Redtags! I have just joined the ranks of no kidding retired and I’m checking out some of those retirement clichés that you all have been telling me about. The first one that is absolutely true is “I don’t know how I found time for work.” We are busier now than we have ever been— without all that time at the office. This article almost missed the final deadline because we were baby-sitting 3 grandkids for a week while their parents were vacationing in Hawaii and Singapore. Does that picture seem out of focus? I thought we were the ones who were supposed to be travelling to fun places. Dick Oliver writes that some of our classmates recently took part in a new tradition at the Academy. Sabre Society The event took place in August, at the Acceptance PaDonors rade, where the new Class of 2016 was accepted into the Cadet Wing, marking the end of their basic cadet summer. The newly accepted Doolies took the oath to abide by the Honor Code, and following the pass-in-review, they received their prized cadet shoulder boards. Up to this point, it sounds like pretty much what I remember from our cadet days (we were in Colorado—right?). The “new tradition” was that ten of our classmates presented Contrails to the outstanding basic cadets from the ten basic cadet squadrons. This was the first formal event marking our class’ 50-year legacy mentorship role with the class of 2016. Just to put this in perspective, if this tradition had been in place when we were cadets, our “mentoring” class would have been the class of 1916 (all those young men getting ready to fight WW I) If that doesn’t make you feel ancient, I don’t know what will. Dick also said that, prior to the Contrails presentation, Vic Andrews provided a brief motivational speech to the new class of 2016 (OK, that would also make me feel ancient).

Redtags tailgating. From left standing are Tom Guenther, John McBroome, Ron Schillereff (who flew in from Virginia), Art Suro, Vic Andrews, Dick Oliver, Bill Riley and Ross Gubser. Sitting: Judy Guenther, Sue Gubser, Sue Andrews, Bonnie Bagley, Barb Riley, (Barb’s friend), and Pam Oliver, plus Rick Parsons, Larry Bagley, and Marty Daack. Rusty Gideon and a gang of semi-avid fishermen (half are avid fishermen, the other half like to party) attacked Cooke City, MT, for a week of fly fishing and fine dining in Yellowstone. From the email traffic, it looks like Marty Daack is the organizer, chief cook, and head fly-tier. They didn’t have any fish stories this year, but there was one about a bear that was watching them fish, hoping for a free meal. Rusty says that they would be pleased to welcome any Redtags to join them next year, 10-16 Aug 2013. Just get in touch with Marty and tell him what you want for breakfast.

Redtags roughing it in Yellowstone, with hot tubs and WiFi. From left are Tip Galer, Tom Brandon, Vic Andrews, Marty Daack, Rusty Gideon and Art Suro. That’s all the news for now. Send me some Christmas cards with updates on your retirement activities. What are you doing that beats the heck out of working? Until next time… Happy Landings!

Larry Wilson 13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 H: (505) 291-8949 E-mail: Lwilsn628@aol.com The Class of 1966 at the Acceptance Parade for the Class of 2016. From left are Bob Gravelle, Dick Oliver, Bill Riley, Larry Bagley, Dan Cecil, BG Hans Mueh, Vic Andrews, Mike Heenan, Ray Milberg, and Phil Dibb. Hans is “out of uniform” because, as the Athletic Director, he was in the official party reviewing the parade.

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What a strange quarter we are having. As I look out at the Front Range, I can see much of the autumn gold of the aspens is fading. The scars on Blodgett Peak caused by the fires are already healing. Pikes Peak has been dusted with snow several times, and the bummer of all bummers is that we lost to Navy in overtime which leads me to our reunion update. We owe Paul Henry and his team a debt of gratitude for a very memorable reunion. Chuck Heffron’s guidelines to Paul were to provide for some quality conversation time among classmates. Built around that general set of guidance was some serious work like the dedication of the carillon, a moving memorial service in the chapel, a brisk day on the Silver Course, and a cold morning at the stadium. Let me begin by walking through some of the reunion events for the benefit of you who were not able to make it. We had an excellent showing with 210 grads plus 171 spouses, guests, and one daughter who attended. This Checkpoints input will include as many names and Sabre Society pictures as space will allow. I have purposely not menDonors tioned all the wives or lady friends by name to conserve space. However, we sincerely appreciate those who hosted parties in their lovely homes on Thursday and Saturday nights. On Wednesday, Tom Griesser and Jack Fry arranged for a tune-up golf outing at the Tom Weiskoff-designed Flying Horse Golf Course. Everyone had a great time, so Jack is already planning to repeat the foray in 2017. That evening once again the early arrivals got to enjoy the warm hospitality of Pat Nesbitt’s Embassy Suites. On Thursday morning, several options were available. The Remotely Piloted Vehicle briefing and tour were very interesting, but the lunch at Mitchell Hall had much to be desired, if edible food was a criteria. A majority of the class got to play the tricky Silver Course on Thursday afternoon. When I passed by the longest-drive flag on the fourth hole, I was not surprised to see Stadjuhar’s name topping the list, but I was shocked to hear that it was Karen not Ed’s name on the flag. Ron Marquette proved to be the bully to take the honors away from her. While some played golf, others went to the senior staff briefings and a tour of the prep school. The senior staff briefings were informative as always, although it is rumored that the Commandant may wish that he had worded his answer to one question a little differently. Thursday evening saw plenty of activity. Jeff Schofield organized a reunion for the crew who went to North Carolina State University on the program to get their master’s degrees within months of graduation. We graduated on Wednesday, but they had to jump right back into academics at NC State on Monday. Chuck Denham, Jeff Schofield, Pete Knepell, Ray Leopold and Billy Lowe got their pictures taken, Jack Fry, John Cerak, Gerry Corwin, Mike Willett and Paul Dimmick must have been hidden from view.

where: Arrington Dixon, Clint Adcock, and Jim Barto. It is great to see that these three wished to be a part of our 45th with us. Can you recognize most from this group? Mike Bloom, Marty Chambless, George Gibson, Hank Jordan, Gene Lupia, Rich McGill, Dave Pfeifle, Al Schmitt, Fred Williams, and Chuck Heflebower.

As usual, Seagram’s Seven had the largest contingent (16) who made it back for the reunion. I was told photos were in the mail, but you may have to wait until spring to see them. Tom Griesser arranged for a super evening at the Marigold Bakery on Thursday night and Bruce and Stormy McDonald hosted their Saturday night festivities up in Denver. Gayle Bebee provided Fractured Tacos to complement contributions from many others. Tom reminded me that that 11 from Seventh Squadron bravely showed up for the post game tailgate. Frank Chuba provided some much appreciated brats, but he ran off to get warmed by the fire in some more cozy environs. Playboy 19 came in second with 12 in attendance. Pete Knepell opened up his home for their squadron gathering, which was very reckless, as there was no guarantee that Frank Chuba and Cash Jaszczak would behave. Chuck Heffron, Bill Locke, Jack Zajac, Frank Shaw, Jim Kreer, Bob Stuart, Gerry Corwin, Frank Chuba, John Wright, Cash Jaszczak, Richard Croft, and Pete must have kept them in line.

Eighteenth squadron was ably represented by Woody Cox, Terry Carroll, Rich Midkiff, Tim Comin, Paul Larsen, Stevie Hoekstra, Dave Siever, and Doc Halliday. One highlight of their Open House visit was the discovery that Woody was not listed on the ’67 grad plaque in the squadron area. I am sure that will be corrected forthwith. Jeff and Ann Schofield hosted Twentieth Squadron at their “no longer smoky home” on Saturday evening. The Waldo Canyon fire was way too close for comfort just a month or so back. Bill Mulcahy, John Wingfield, Len Cerny, Roy Miller, Dick Tebay, Eric Thorson, Peyt Cole, John Jackson, and Jeff Schofield. Skip Torresson, who did not graduate with us also came to the party. Welcome back, Skip. And then there was the infamous Class 67G with the Office of Special Investigations shown here: Lex Page, Em Monda, Gary Green, Larry Wilson, and Rich McGill.

As I go down through the squadrons, First Squadron stands out, because they invited three guys who entered with us, but graduated else-

The contingent from Evil Eight was small, but a good time was had by all. Gary and Jan Scheimer were exquisite hosts on Saturday night after the game. Jim Bannwart visited for a while, but he was in high demand and had to leave before the picture was taken. Larry Beck has retired in Alamogordo, and he is reveling in retirement by enjoying traveling to faraway places and more time with the family. Woody Wooddell has settled in Tucson, where he has retired from his post-retirement stint as an F-16 simulator instructor—most recently in Poland. Gary remains busy as ever in Colorado Springs with business, ranching, and family consuming most of his time. Greg Freix is still in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he remains

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Class News on the faculty in the Kansas University School of Business and is involved in almost everything military- or veterans-related on campus. Jim Hagey, Roger Hill, and Vic Williams were unable to join us this year, but they are looking forward to the 50th.

Finally, Dale and I hosted the Blackjacks of 21st Squadron. No pictures, but we had Deane Burbank, Mike Giles, Ralph Femrite, Ed Stadjuhar, Tom Tilden, Jempy Neyman, Steve Landers, Billy Lowe, and Paul Schlichter to keep our two dogs company. Jempy was in rare form with his stories from our cadet days and his time with Enron. I invited Jim Murphy, ’66 and four Blackjacks from ’68 to our Thursday affair, but when ’68 heard Stadj and Neyman were going to be there, they gracefully bowed out. Actually Charlie, I don’t think a four-star snake eater would be intimidated by two seventy year olds, but I had to toss in a tease. Friday was a jammed packed day. It began with our business meeting. We are happy to report that the carillon is all but paid for. We are about to poll the class for ideas for a 50th reunion gift, but regardless there was a unanimous vote to maintain the 25-bell carillon in perpetuity for the Academy. Following the business meeting, we, the Academy staff, and representatives from the American Legion were there to dedicate the carillon for the Academy. It was a chilly event for the 300 plus in attendance, but Bruce McDonald’s recitation of We Will Remember Them was beautifully done and was a highlight of the morning. Lunch at Doolittle Hall gave many the opportunity to visit the Southeast Asia pavilion that the Class of ’70 gave the Academy. It is located on a truly beautiful spot looking to the northwest over the golf course, up through Mitchell and Sijan Halls with the Front Range as a backdrop. After a short break, we convened at the Warrior Wall for our private ceremony, followed by a retreat on the terrazzo. The cadet choir and Dr. Galema added much to the reading of our lost brethren (83 in all) at the memorial ceremony. Dinner at the Embassy Suites provided time for more in-depth conversations and dancing to songs from long ago that we all remember so well, like—We Gotta Get Out of This Place. For the strong of spirit and those suitably dressed, there was a tailgate that started at zero seven hundred on Saturday morning. The forecast was for a high of 39 with snow or rain showers possible. Actually two hours before the game and for three-quarters of the game, it was decent football weather. The temperature, wind, dampness, etc. all seemed to be worse after Navy scored in overtime, and our guys came up short. Oh well. That evening found us all scattered to the wind for private retreats and for more intimate recollections. Sunday morning we all said our good byes over breakfast at the Embassy. For we locals, it gave us a chance to take our combat naps after all that entertaining. I turn this back over to our faithful scribe with one last thought. Please keep Tom Boettcher and Ralph Femrite in your thoughts and prayers. They are fighting the battle of their lives against the big C. Tim Davidson 9712 Hidden Valley Road Vienna, VA 22181-6094 Phone: (703) 255-5313 Mobile: (703) 772-6052 E-mail: timdav1968@verizon.net Class Website: www.usafa68.org

other contact information you wish to share with your classmates. Many have changed service providers or are no longer affiliated with former employers. The outdated addresses and phone numbers make the job of communicating with you much more difficult. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated!

40 Years of Wedded Bliss and Still Counting! AIN’T LOVE GRAND!—PART DEUX: In the summer 2012 column, I featured our newest newlyweds, Bill and Crys Hoge. For our fall column, I am sending you greetings (and a great photo) from Barney and Sandy Mills, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2011. Barney retired from the Air Force as a colonel in Los Angeles on April Fools’ Day in 1996 and moved to Colorado Springs. During the next 13 years, he worked as a defense contractor for ANSER Corporation supporting Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB and then for SPARTA supporting the Missile Defense Agency at Schriever AFB. As Barney says, “I retired for good on April Fools’ Day of 2009 and haven’t looked back!” So, how do the Mills’ spend their golden years? Barney writes, “After retirement, Sandy and I have been playing while we can: little golf, little fishing, elk hunting, etc. And, we bought a used 40-foot Class A diesel pusher RV and have traveled to Pennsylvania several times to see our 3 grandkids -- also to Ocean Sabre Society Donors City, Alaska, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Cape Canaveral to see the last launch of the space shuttle Endeavor (missed it due to delays in launch), Buck and Linda McCants in South Carolina, etc. We’ve been on a cruise every year since retirement – including a 2-week one to Italy and surrounding areas with Neal and Sharon Starkey. In addition, we rented a vacation beach home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and done some off-shore fishing. We go out to dinner about once a month with the Starkeys and talk about how good we were. (The older we get, the better we were!) Anyway, life is too short not to have some fun.” Thanks for sharing your experiences from the “good life” with us, Barney! FIRST CONTACT UPDATE RECEIVED FOR 45TH REUNION: A special thanks goes out to Russ Burnham who checked in with my first ’68er contact update. Russ now lives in Kansas City, MO and works for Butler Manufacturing Company as a computer software engineer. His daughter was recently promoted to captain in the Air Force, is a pilot and computer web designer, and flies UAVs.

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) HELLO ’68! Sir! This is “Fourth Call” for ’68’s 45th Reunion in 2013! Uniform of the day is whatever you are wearing. We have not established our reunion dates yet, but you should plan to link-up with us sometime between mid-September and the end of October. Security Flight Out! CONTACT INFO STILL NEEDED (SECOND NOTICE): To assist in communicating with you, please send me your current e-mail address and any

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Hall of Famers from the Buckeye State. From left: Carl McPherson and Chuck Yoos. ’68ERS INDUCTED INTO LISBON’S HALL OF FAME: One of the most rewarding aspects of being your Class Scribe is the ability to share in the

many accomplishments and recognition received by so many of you for the positive impact you have had on our society. In April 2012, two of our classmates, Carl McPherson and Chuck “CJ” Yoos, were inducted into Lisbon, Ohio’s Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame. Carl writes, “CJ and I were both raised and attended schools in the small 3,500+ person town of Lisbon, OH. CJ was a few high school graduating classes behind me. I enlisted in the AF immediately after graduating in 1960, and he entered USAFA immediately after high school. When I was turned back to the Class of 1968, we ended up in the same graduating class -- the awesome “68 We’re Great” class. As you will recall, I was the spring semester wing commander and CJ was the 5th Group Commander. At that time, we made the local newspapers when our parents were presented with awards from the local Rotary Club and citizenry, which in turn led to CJ and I being presented with plaques by the Vice Commandant of Cadets in recognition of our leadership positions. Now, fast-forward to April 2012. CJ and I were honored, again, by our hometown, but this time to be inducted into their Hall of Fame.” To Carl and CJ, please accept your classmates’ very heartiest congratulations!

Lindsey Parris 616 King’s Cloister Circle Alexandria, VA 22302 Home: (703) 836-3604 102177.1033@compuserve.com

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) The Christmas holidays approach, and with it blessedness, gratitude, good cheer, and warm memories, many of which we owe to the brotherhood we cemented in the 1960s. Hoping this finds you set for all, and spring-loaded to indulge and appreciate. I have two pictures covering past narratives, both of which will have to wait until the next issue, due out in March. Tim Mason, part-time owner and operator of the best brew pub and restaurant in Colorado’s Glenwood Springs, but logging impressive results in his avocational love this year. In Henderson, Nevada (where most of us play golf), Tim endured 100-degree heat to finish in 4th place in our year group and qualify for the 70.3 Triathlon World Championships. In keeping with the high standards of our Group One track crowd back in the day, Tim posted the fastest age-group time in the run. He also won the age group title in Boise, and ran 4th in Boulder in August. Says he weighs 8 pounds more now than he Sabre Society Donors did back in the day…if only USAFA had known, we could have booked a couple national championships. Great stuff, Tim! Good luck from us all at the Worlds. In this month’s Good Samaritan category is Roy Coppinger. After joining Portland’s Pumpkin Ridge Country Club in 2002, he took the initiative to start an annual Veteran’s Day Golf Tournament. The tournament has grown in size, and now raises about $3000 per year for Oregon and Washington State Veterans. Kudos to Roy for continuing to make a difference for the men and women who served, and continue to serve in these difficult times. Passing the torch in the wild blue yonder is P.K. Carlton (Jr) shown here with PK Carlton IV, in our PK’s Experimental Cozy Mark IV. This was the grandson’s first time in the front seat of the airplane with “Papa,” an event so documented in his flight log. The momentous occasion took place in February, while PK III was deployed to close out Iraq, so his sister summed up the event as follows: “Paul, Jr. passing on the flying tradition to Paul 4 -love it! Paul 3 started the training by teaching him ‘targets’ from fighters.” How apropos. Though DC is abuzz (appropriately) with RGIII, I’ll take Team Carlton—pick a number, I though IV—anytime.

Class President Wishes You the Best for the Holidays! From left in the front row: Phil and Martha Pignataro. Back Row: Greg and Taylor Pignataro. CLASS PRESIDENT SENDS GREETINGS: As 2012 comes to a close, our Class President, Phil Pignataro, sends best wishes to one and all for a blessed holiday season. As Phil notes, the boys are still in soccer, Martha is still bolstering our healthcare system with her nursing skills, and Phil is keeping the coffee freshly brewed and hot in his hometown. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays, please take a few moments to think about and pray for classmates who are dealing with a range of serious issues. Based on recent news from Neal Starkey, I ask you to re-double your prayers for Bill Markham. Bill has been in the hospital undergoing a series of chemo and radiation treatments and blood transfusions for months to combat cancer of the esophagus. If able, please give him a call to say hello. His phone number is: 253-222-1396 and his e-mail address is sbmarkham@gmail.com. Prayers are also requested for H.T. Johnson’s wife, Fair, who has an aggressive and debilitating form of Parkinson’s disease that has sapped her strength and spirit. H.T. is thankful for the excellent care received from the doctors at Duke University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but feels that he runs out of hours in the day to juggle all the things that have to get done for her care and to meet his own needs, as well. Vic Bonfiglio found himself on the operating table in 2012 when his left knee locked up and caused him intense pain. The MRI revealed that the cartilage had worn away and the meniscus (pad between the bones) was torn. Medical procedures, thus far, have included three shots of an artificial synovial fluid called “Supartz” inserted directly into his knee; many hours on the stationary bike and Nordic elliptical; and lots of weight training and swimming. In June, he went in for arthroscopic surgery and the doctor gave him a 50/50 chance of being able to walk again without canes or crutches. In addition to these recent additions, I ask for your continued prayers for Bob Daley, Abe Abramson, Dan Barker, Dale Oderman, and Rhip Worrell. THAT’S A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep ’em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Please go to our Class Website to see photos included in this column in full size by clicking on Scribe’s Page. Ciao for now. Tim

Visit the AOG Web Site. Gone But Not Forgotten, Merchandise and more! www.usafa.org

Once a pilot, always a pilot. PK II and PK IV with the stick. Steve Stowe, he of the fabulous and still-capable 31st Street Exit, is relocating to Portland, OR at the direct verbal orders of his roommate Linda, who gave notice that with three grandchildren on the ramp in Portland, and one in the hangar, priorities beckoned. What’s a guy to do? And what a grand city in which to do it. Steve served 15 years as a Delta Captain before becoming Chief Test Pilot for Boeing’s KC-767 International Tanker (not the KC-46 version, but an earlier version sold to the Japanese and Italian Air Forces). After flight testing the KC-767, he has been training the 8th Gruppos ITAF tanker squadron based a few miles south of Rome. He said

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Class News that, on a pitch black night trying to demo a contact, one Heavy KC-767 behind another, to an Italian Captain who had never done boom aerial refueling that he asked himself “what the XQ#!* are you doing?” But, better in a flight suit than behind a computer all day, so all the studies say. He celebrated his entrance to Medicare back in September, somewhere over the Pacific, working the International Dateline for full advantage. And, in Portland, he just may be able to reconnect with band mate Ron Nelson, who lives nearby.

JJ and Julie Gonzales visit Mike and Vivian Rose in February 2012. emy and beyond, and a link to blue suiters past, present and future, to the extent personal circumstance and inclination permit. Please call or write David Wagner or me, or any of the Class officers, with questions. Esse Non Videri. Lindsey

Steve Stowe after demo-ing night refueling in the KC-767. Also with a hand in flying is Larry Stellmon, still in Aurora, CO, who stays current by pushing a Challenger 300 business jet around the skies. He flies for a company owned in part by our own John Martin. Many have asked about Les Dyer, because he has been so long absent from these pages. Well, sad story, but having already collected his bag of doughnuts from Dunkin’ before heading to the fire house one morning, he was stuck in one of those long Starbucks lines, the ones people require two minutes to place their orders (cinnamon from the Barbary coast, lemons from the Gulf of Aqaba, skimmed milk from free-range cows, etc.) However, he was caught in line between sports analysts Steven A. Smith and Mel Kiper, Jr. Even though he towered above them both, the acoustic beating his eardrums received in the many-minute wait to order was sufficiently brutal to create disequilibrium in the middle ear, and our Les hasn’t been the same since. Good news is twofold: first, his grandson, now all of 4 years old, has made an oral commitment to playing football at the AFA and is in preliminary talks with Nike and the NFL’s Falcons; second, Les is indeed on the mend, and should be back to the man we know by the time you read this. Son Todd’s early selection to lieutenant colonel a while back did wonders for his recovery. Sadly, as most of you are aware, we lost two ’69ers on the same Sunday in early September. Jim Gonzales (see photo at the top of the next page) and Don “Gobi” Dessert passed on that day, Jim from a bout with cancer and Don during a diving certification. These were two grand friends, brothers and classmates, with towering accomplishments in and out of uniform; each of them made each of us better and stand taller. Both now rest in peace, and the outpouring of e-mails for both and the superb turnout of some two dozen ’69ers to honor Don on the occasion of his interment serve as testament to these Class stalwarts. Class hand salutes to them both. Godspeed.

Class of 1969 offers final honors to Don Dessert. The “Gone But Not Forgotten” section of Checkpoints carries comments on JJ; Don’s will appear in the issue due out in March. The groundbreaking for the Center for Character and Leadership Development took place on October 19. The need to finalize our fundraising for the Cadet Wing Honor Board Room, our Class Gift, looms large. We are still short of our goal, but contributions continue to come in. Please support this worthy project, which is truly our Class legacy to the Acad-

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Dick Rauschkolb 130 Luxur y Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80921 H: (719) 761-5764 Cell: (719) 310-6928 Email: AOG70@comcast.net Richard Rauschkolb@usafa.edu

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Holy Falcon feathers! The world has come to an end—we lost to a lousy Navy team after leading by eight points in the fourth quarter. I can’t believe it—my wrists are just starting to heal. On a positive note, the Falcons upset Nevada last night (Oct 27) and we should be on our way to be a bowl game by the time you read this. Rich and Nanci Downing provided some solace after the Navy game by hosting another great mini-reunion party. Attendees included lots of Seventy men and their significant others: Bob Baskett, Keith Bennett, Larry Bush, Russ Carparelli, Mick Davey, Chris Dunbar, Sabre Society Curt Emery, Mark Ewig, Gary Finley, John Gallagher, Donors Dave Gaw, Bill Hamill, Rick Harrington, Roger Hill, Rick Humke, Craig Johnson, Speedy Martin, Henry Mitchell, Ray Oakshott, Mike Paddock, John (where have you been) Penny, George and Tom Rayl, Gerry Shaw, Brian Spitzer, Ashby Taylor, Larry Vaughn, Tome Walters, Phil Whitehead, Pat Collins, and Bob Hilb. Everyone also enjoyed seeing Barbara Bang at the party. Former CS-15 classmates and spouses gathered at Wood Woodhead’s house in Delaware for some Ripple and Boonesberry Apple Farm beverages while watching the Falcons in action and sharing Sledge Montgomery stories.

From left are Chuck Gray, Wood Woodhead, Doug Norton, and Ken Greene. Have seen the usual gang and some visiting classmates at football games this year. Dave Gaw (headed to Curacao for a flying gig), Cook Villareal, Bob McKinney (now a grandpa to a future Falcon halfback), John Gallagher, Roger Hill, Mick Davey, Gino Quist, Russ Carparelli, Tome

Walters, Jim Mulford, George and Tom Rayl, and Pat Collins to name those I can remember. Marilyn and I were also extremely glad to host a visit from another former roommate and spouse, Mike and Melissa Huber (Mike was the roommate). Mike (The Phantom) and I consumed some adult beverages and had a great time reliving war stories from our senior year while Marilyn and Melissa checked out the local and Denver shopping malls. The alcohol helped with the sticker shock on our credit cards! It was also great to see Major Charles Huber, ’97 who led a four ship of F-16s on a flyover of USAFA. Melissa, willing to do anything to get away from Mike, took a solo trip to—get this—Bhutan. She sent some beautiful pictures of a place few people know exists. Bob Baskett recently had his fini flight with UPS. He was surprised when classmates Barry Thompson, Charlie Bobbish, Pat Collins, and Roger Hill snuck into Louisville to help celebrate his distinguished flying career.

Seventy Men Celebrate Bob Baskett’s Retirement. From left are Barry Thompson, Pat Collins, Bob Baskett, Charlie Bobbish, and Roger Hill. I had the chance to spend a day with Roger Radcliff who with wife, Susie, has been traveling around the country in his RV for the last two years. Roger was most impressed with the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion and made a generous donation to its future development. Dave Hallman, Larry Bush, Jim Kauppila, and John Mitchel took in the Michigan game at The Big House—we could have won that one! Ken White sent me some material/memories for the SEA Pavilion. Ken has a good book out—Evolution of a Spirit—One Man’s Journey. Check it out. Phil and Ginny Kolbe moved to St. George Island. He is still teaching online classes for UTEP and working on a mystery novel. Good luck to Gregg Popovich in the NBA season. Lakers and OKC are going to be tough. Mike Torreano is throwing his hat into the ring and running for the AOG Board. Having attended several Board meetings the last few years, it sorely needs Mike’s expertise and dedication. We need to make a concerted effort to get him elected! More to follow. I heard Tooey and Carole Emery and Yogi and Robbie Royce went to the UK and saw some Olympic events. A few stiff scotches at “The Falcon” Pub capped off a great trip.

Dusty Swanson and I commiserated on our lousy golf games and agreed playing it “forward” is a great concept. Wild Bill Stealey won his senior course championship for the second year in a row. Of course, he is the youngest resident by twenty years in the retirement community he lives in. Way to go WB! Wild Bill is still making flying games. He is working on an F-35 Lightning II online game. His has put his plan on www.Kickstarter.com to raise $250,000 from gamers and others interested in Air Force Aviation. Promote the F-35 Lightning II Kickstarter program to all your friends and Facebook/Twitter buddies. Good luck WB! The toughest man many of us knew, Wayne Baughman, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in October. He was an Olympic wrestler, legendary Academy wrestling coach, and part of a team that attempted to scale Mt. Everest. Plus he molded us Prep Schoolers into awesome physical specimens (well—some of us) with his tough PE classes. Ken Greene retired from his High School ROTC position this year. He was probably our last classmate to take off the uniform. He and Patti are planning a move to Texas. Patti -- see notes above about a trip to Bhutan. Research for the development of the interior of the SEA Pavilion is moving along. The Class Gift Committee still hopes classmates will donate to the Class Fund. The Supt would like to see a rest room and a storage (for chairs and audio-visual equipment) facility at the site in order to hold meeting, functions, and cadet classes there. Keep those donations coming! The last few months saw the passing of some great men. Don Dessert, ’69, Terry’s wonderful brother passed in September. I saw Rick Lesch, Don Westbrook, Rich Mandas, and John Gannon at the funeral. We just learned that Tim Karnowski and Greg O’Kelley recently passed away. I knew Greg from BCT days. He was a tough and dedicated man who was our only classmate to be commissioned in the USMC. Tragically, as a lieutenant, he was hurt in a training accident and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Don, Tim, and Greg. Marilyn and I want to wish all of you a very enjoyable Holiday Season and Healthy New Year. Please keep our troops in your prayers.

Paul D. Knott 5565 Lantana Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80915 H: (719) 570-9162 E-mail: pk71knott@gmail.com

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(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) As 2012 comes to a close, a big “Thank you!” to all of you who take the time to let me know about yourselves, our classmates and loved ones, and their accomplishments. It is an honor to be part of this group and to chronicle in my small way all that you’ve done and meant. You should see elsewhere in the book that Paul Hamilton and Andy Matarese have passed on. I hope that you’ve had the chance to take a good look at our Class Gift concept that Frank Morgan and his team presented to the AOG. To summarize, we would like to furnish a couple of rooms at the Center for Character & Leadership Development as well as an Air Warrior Combat Memorial on the Heritage Trail. By Sabre Society the time this goes to press, the Heritage Committee Donors should have ruled on the project. Then comes the part where the AOG asks us to pay the bill. Those of you who still are in the work force may be able to solicit matching funds in return for some sort of mention, either on the Trail or at CCLD. As I understand, ’70 raised about 80% of the cost of their SEA memorial by use of naming rights. If you lost—or never got—the proposal, let Frank, any of the Steering Committee members, or myself know. Speaking of CCLD, groundbreaking was October 19th. The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owens & Merrill, as you may remember, did the

Gearing up for the 4x400 Relay. From left are Tooey and Carol Emery and Robbie and Yogi Royce. It’s official! William C. Weir has finally retired from his civilian job! He is now tuning up his sorry golf game at Coronado golf course in San Diego while trying to avoid the heat in Scottsdale. Barb is “thrilled” to have WC around 24/7. She said it has given a whole “new meaning” to their marriage. Rumor has it she called Melissa Huber about travel arrangements to Bhutan for an extended stay. Speaking of happy wives, Mick Davey “treated” Jan to a trip to Dubai for their wedding anniversary. Jan said it was a balmy 120 in the shade and she had a “great” time. Seems Mick is now a camel herder in the Arab Emirates.

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL (719) 472-0300 X200. 119

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News

design, winning five awards so far for their efforts. The actual building will be done by ECC Corporation, represented by GH Phipps. The senior project manager will be our own Tom Rackley.

The Jones and the Bartels A couple of columns ago, I mentioned that Vance’s UPT class 73-01 had a reunion scheduled here in the Springs. I’d just like to thank Dick Reynolds for inviting 72-09 to join them for the festivities. A couple of us, including Mike Smith, were able to accept. It was great seeing folks like Rod & Pam Jones, Rick & Liz Rossa, and Darrell & Libby Singleton. Bob Drowley, Buzz & Dotty Bartel, Dave & Karen Strawn, Steve & Ann Smitherman and Laury & Cindy West were also scheduled to be there, but I didn’t get to chat with them. Sam Clovis sent his regrets. (More on him later.) Anyhow, it was great to catch-up with folks that we hadn’t seen in decades and share war stories. Rick now lives in Sheridan, WY, and the life evidently agrees with him, because he doesn’t look a day over forty. Mike has put down roots in Florida. Although not a doctor, he is now working at FSU’s College of Medicine as the program director of the Center for Strategic Public Health Preparedness, whose charter is to help the state coordinate its efforts to find cures for deadly diseases and attract researchers and business to do just that. The Cheyenne Mountain Resort did an outstanding job in providing what they billed as “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” but fit the description of “supper” for everybody. We all have our memories of the late Neil Armstrong. Keith Barrett mentioned on Facebook that he had met Professor Armstrong. From the accompanying photo I’d guess that it was a recent event. Steve DeHaven recently got married, and some of our classmates attended the wedding/reception/party at Doolittle Hall. Wishing Jan & Steve well were Libby and Darrell Singleton, Joanne and Steve Mott, Jackie and Tom Berry, Suzanne and Larry Smith, Janie and John Blind, and Linda and John Bugner.

the last column. This effort is another stretch for Gene into the contemporary realm, with one man’s reaction to almost unspeakable horrors in his life. It is truly a modern tragedy, with all due recognition to Gene’s ancestors who invented the term. Speaking of family, daughter Stefanie is now head coach of Minnesota’s women’s soccer team. So far, their record is good overall, with conference tournament play just starting. As of now, the Falcons will need lots of help to keep the CommanderIn-Chief’s trophy in Colorado for a second year. The rest of the schedule? About the same. Lots of folks headed for the Big House to watch Air Force make Michigan sweat. Paul Mccay let me know that he, Rick Miller, Cass Casada, Jerry Lundquist, Rick Barton, Tom McKiernan, and Fred Strauss were up in the nosebleed seats. Carl Vanderveen and his bride flew in to, as he puts it, “close the loop.” “I was at the AFA-Michigan game in 1964. I was a freshman in high school, and it was the annual U of M Band Day. Very colorful, as I recall -- 130+ bands from all over the state. I dropped out of band to play football my last three years... That day, the seed was planted which later festered into all that I am today. Coincidentally, we sat with John Vanderpoel, ‘70, and his bride, Mary Jo, at the tailgate party. Very nice people! John was also at the game in 1964 as a football recruit. So, two of us ‘closed the loop’! What are the odds? We’re planning to be at the next AFA-Michigan game, slated for about 2060.” If anybody has photos with faces in them, I’ll run ’em. As an example, Tom Callen sent a photo from last year, showing Tom & Brenda with Jon & Gale Stevens enjoying the Army game from Cabo San Lucas.

The Callens and the Stevens dressed for the Army game. Mark Zablotny boasts that he lives closer to Navy-Marine Corps Stadium than any of us locals do to Falcon Stadium, and he has already extended an open invitation for next year to the class to meet on his acreage for an after-game celebration. It seems that we’ve arrived at the stage where we’re settling in for the long haul. Recently, Jim Demetrio and his bride moved to Reno, NV to their retirement home. To all of you and yours, have a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas/ Hannukah and may 2013 include more of what makes you happy and less of what doesn’t. GBA

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Bob Bell 13 Pacific Ave. Sinking Spring, PA 19608 (610) 678-3182/Fax: 678-4513 E-mail: rabell767@aol.com

Members

(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) The newlyweds and their party. John Grueser recently announced that he is engaged to the lovely Katharine. Details will follow in good time, I’m sure. Sam Clovis has added another entry to his resume -- internet radio host. He recently debuted his Serious Civics with Dr. Sam Clovis on LATalkRadio.com. As with most things on the ‘Net, one can listen live from 3-5 pm PST, or catch up via Podcast. On the literary front, Darryl Wimberley recently found out that one of his books, The King of Colored Town, is being published in the UK. I’d mentioned Gene Kraay’s latest novel, Dying While Intoxicated, in

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Received prior to this 40th Class Reunion ‘72 Checkpoints edition, a note by Mike Dunn referenced the previous edition of Checkpoints where he found the classic photo of Frank Pulis and Larry Sharrar, triggering some memories of the “good old days” with CS-19. Mike also mentions the final position he held as CEO of the Air Force Association, which turned out to be the longest time (five years) he ever held a job in either his Air Force or civilian careers. Thank you Mike! The 40th Class Reunion was launched under the most beautiful weather conditions that could have been wished for -- clear blue skies and warm temps for almost the entire weekend. Even Game Day weather was magnificent, not requiring the use of any of the winter gear that past reunion games were often known for. Each facet of the schedule seemed to be

planned and accomplished with minimal difficulty or at least with need of only behind-the-scenes corrections by our phenomenal class reunion committee who once again excelled at the task.

CS-29 Grads and Spouses: From left in the back row are Ed & Kate Waitte, Suzi & Jerry Martin, Ted Searles, Mush Brower, Will Dieterich, Ken Stone, and Rich Pennington. Mid-Row: Terry Schiessler, Bob & Cheryl Chapman, Dave Prahler, Cheryl Brower, Jim Gormley, and Phil Hudson. Front Row: Rita Schiessler, Pete Holm & Dee, Diane Searles, Maureen Dieterich, Kay Stone, and Georgiana Gormley. (Photo by Jerry Martin) Thursday brought us to Mitchell Hall for Lunch with the Cadet Wing. There was no marching in that day so we were treated to the casual yet easily remembered routine of Mitch’s fine dining with some awfully younglooking kids. There may have been a shortage of Doolies at some tables, as many of the squadron upperclassmen joined us. Announcements from the Tower of course instantly brought any grad back to those times long ago. Seemingly within mere minutes of arriving at the table, cadets had gone on to their next activity while grads and guests alike were left to ponder some of the changes that had occurred in only about 40 years. Many changes would be noticed over the course of the next few days, yet even with those changes, there still remained a lot that was the same, seemingly frozen in Sabre Society time as the flashbacks came to us in those moments. Donors Later that evening the Marriott Grand Ballroom became the focal point as the Welcome Reception took place, with plenty of light culinary fare (“finger” foods) to accompany the adult beverages and conversation. Long-ago friends began retelling old stories with their myriad revisions aided by the passage of time, while catching each other up on the latest things in their lives. Long lines at the bars provided time for more conversation with old friends while making drink choices.

Friday afternoon was highlighted by the Paver Memorial Ceremony, a truly moving experience individually remembering all 39 classmates we have lost so far, with a red rose (and one bunch of grapes for Stan Clarke) placed on each of their respective pavers. This year we were honored by the dignified presence of five of our classmates’ widows accompanied by family members and friends during this solemn remembrance. Joining us for this event were Carol (Stan) Clarke, Sheila (Charlie) Harrington, Charlene (Mike) Nelson, MaryBeth (Rich) Storer and Sharon (Joost) VanBastelaar. Special recognition goes to the CS-40 classmates whose purchase and presentation of the full complement of 754 Polaris Star plates (which inevitably get affixed to each of our departed classmates’ pavers in recognition of their passing) will serve as a permanent marker for every one of us as we move on from this life. Fortieth squadron participants in this venture include Chip Townsley, John Buchanan, Doug Goodman, Mark Kuno, Jim Livingston, Rich Borenstein, Gary Bowman, Okie Hargrave, Steve Demel and Scott Sturman. Thanks to all of you on behalf of the entire class of ’72. As another magnificent Colorado sunset radiates through the skies behind the peaks of the Front Range, the Friday evening Social & Dinner begins in earnest at the Marriott Ballroom. The DJ provided timeless sounds we could all recognize (yeah guys, even April Stevens’ “Touch Me Tiger”) as the beverages of choice flowed while M.C. Harvey LeCato lent his incredible oratory skills to a full agenda of evening’s remarks and entertainment. While indulging in a great buffet-style dinner, old memories were improved upon as newer ones were created, all the better with the telling and re-telling. Friends from many years past re-kindled their never-ending connection as if just yesterday they were last together.

CS-24 Reunion at the Friday Night Soiree: From left are Buck Buchanan, Alan Hunter, Bob Rakitis, Bob Bell, Ross Wilhite, Dave Henderson, and Ed Quinn. (Photo by Alan Hunter) Wrapping up the “official” Reception, guests meandered toward the hospitality suite which became the center of activity presenting a cozy setting with more to eat and drink. Sound levels occurring in the hospitality suite that first night may have been a bit much for the 8th floor. The next two nights found revelers using a second-floor hospitality suite, spilling out into the hallway and Lobby Bar directly below. Needless to say, there were still plenty of folks staying up late at each end-of-night wrap-up! Friday began with Brunch at Doolittle Hall in conjunction with the Cadet Area walk-through tours as well as the Senior Leaders presentations on the current state of affairs at USAFA. The Reunion nametag provided free-roaming access to some of our favorite places after shuttle bus delivery between Doolittle Hall and Cadet Chapel drop-off points.

“Trolls & Friends” at Sharrar’s Sat Lunch: From left in the back row are Timo Sullivan, Bob Cook, Doug Hill, Ken Jones, Larry Sharrar, Terry Slawinski, Warren Hansen, and Rick Sabo. Seated: Ed Ruff, Steve Clark, and Frank Pulis. (Photo by Timo Sullivan via Facebook) A unique group of distinguished guests warrants a special welcome to our reunion as even though they did not graduate with us. Each of these six gentlemen shared some part of our experience as cadet members of the class of 1972. Joining us for this weekend were Tad Diesel, Jim (Susan) Danielik, Bob (Patsy) Moser, Ed Ruff, Rick Schlaefer and Joe Sullivan. If anyone else attended who was not included here, please pass on the details to me. Several of the above-listed folks were attending their second and even third reunion with us! Here’s hoping you all know that you are warmly welcomed back by all who knew you way back when! First-time attendees after 40 years away are likewise worthy of particular notice, as they reconnect with the larger group of previous attendees. This undoubtedly became one of the most enjoyable pieces of this reunion for me as “your Scribe” while I attempted to track down each and every one of these thirteen guys for mention here! When able, I made my plea to them not to let it be so long until they return as we already look ahead to the 45th and (yikes!) 50th reunions. It was just so heart-warming to see each firsttimer mixing in with the rest of us after so long! These folks included Bob (Susan) Berg, “Buck” (Sharon) Buchanan, Larry Crain, Bob Doerr,”Okie” Hargrave, Jerry (Toni) Helmen, Al Herklotz, John Humphries, John Kancilia, Gary Markowski, Jim Robertson, Dan Scace and Bob Youngquist. As an unofficial list, there may be a few missing names, so if you know of or are one of this select group, please pass it on to me so you can be recognized. Someone once said, better late than never! The Pre-Game Tailgate kicked off early Saturday afternoon in front of Falcon Stadium where great food, drink and company was shared under the Big White Tent. Cheerleading and rally yells which began there were joined in by the reunion classes of ‘72 and ‘82 in direct competition for the greatest noise levels. It appears the ’72 group with cheering led by “Yogi” Barr did win that particular contest. The football game against the long-time rival New Mexico Lobos happily provided a successful outcome for the USAFA Falcons, whose onfield moves still caused some in the stands to have passing moments of

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40th Reunion Cog Railway Group: “Fun being had by all -- up (and down) the mountain.” Names not listed (Photo by Chuck & Katie Simpson via Facebook). tension, but after all was said and done, the final score (28-23) reflected what we’ve all come to expect from “our” football team – Victory! Once the stands were virtually emptied, a few post-game tailgate debriefs took place while traffic cleared out. One of these debriefs included Mike and Melba McNabb with Alan Hunter and Gloria, joined shortly after my arrival by Brett Berlin. Stadium lots finally cleared, folks made their way back to the Marriott hospitality suite where the celebration continued on as late-night partiers eventually retired sometime past midnight. Sunday morning of course brought the farewells of brunch buffets and the inevitable checking out from a great weekend stay that ended far too quickly. Hopes are that many more will be present next time as only about 235 classmates were listed as attending this 40th. A great showing nonetheless; but how about all the rest of us if at all possible and you can start planning now! Next issue, I hope to continue reporting on this fabulous reunion event. As always, your inputs continue to be welcome. Finally, be sure to check out the Facebook site “72 Best in Blue” for more news from and about your class! F.P.A.

Joe Kahoe 4140 Saddle Rock Road Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Cell: (719) 210-5568 joekahoe@gmail.com http://73.texascomputerhelp.com

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your support. Also, in order for 100% of our gifts to go to their target this is a no-cost peer-to-peer fundraiser; we can use even more classmate help on the Gift Committee. Roll up your sleeves and join us! “Work on the 40th reunion also started a year ago, and with a year to go we’re already getting questions on the date. Except for the Army game (4 Nov) and Notre Dame (26 Oct) the other football dates won’t be announced until this Spring. Notre Dame could be our only sell-out game of the season and could be our only nationally-ranked opponent. Can you spell ‘upset’? Because of the lead time required to block hotel space we’re already looking into this possibility. Regards, Bob Munson” Jim Mateos: On July 1st, 2012, I retired from American Airlines after more than 33 years of service with the company. My last position was as a Boeing 777 International Captain flying to Europe and the Far East. Natalie and I continue to receive God’s blessings in enjoying life serving in our church and community. We eagerly await the birth of our first grandchild in December. Life is great! Look forward to seeing you at the big 40 reunion next year. This year’s 37 Smiler mini-reunion was in Lost Wages, NV, with the added bonus of adopted Smiler Mason Brooks from Fightin’ 4th. In addition to the football game, most of us went to the Jersey Boys show and it brought back some great memories.

From left are Mason Brooks, Dee Bromberek, Geoff Michael, Kathleen & Ed Heisey, Eric Hearnsberger, Chris & Nina Young, and Ron & Susan Hoskins.

Members

(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) All stories are severely clipped and many great photos could not be printed. For full stories and super photos, go to our class web site at: http://usafa73.org vr/Joe Kahoe, CS-07 Class News from our ’73 President Bob Munson: Your class officers are very busy working multiple issues on behalf of all of us: 40th reunion, Class history, Legacy Class 2013, Legacy Class 2023, National Character and Leadership Symposium (NCLS) 2013, as well as the next ’73 Class Gift. With the latter four, I can say that our class continues to be “the” standard for class support of “the number one and overriding strategic goal for the Academy: ‘characSabre Society ter and leadership development.’” Donors “The monies our class raised in 2003 and 2008 have, for the last eight years, helped add such a significant ‘margin of excellence’ that the Supe is on record as saying “Apart from graduation, NCLS is the Academy’s premier annual single event...” NCLS inspires as much passion in graduates as it does cadets: I invite each of you (and wives...they love it) to attend the upcoming NCLS 21-22 Feb 2013...contact our faithful Scribe Joe Kahoe or sign up on the Academy’s NCLS 2013 website. For ’73: no charge. “Our donations will run out in 2016, so 60 of our classmates have reformed the ’73 Gift Committee headed by an action group and co-chaired by Sully Sullenberger and Norty Schwartz. The Gift Committee has been working over a year and has an audacious goal: endow NCLS in perpetuity. By the time you read this, we hope (expect) to already have a third of that goal in pledges (check out http://gift.usafa73.org). Between NCLS 2013 and the reunion, the committee will reach out to the entire class for 122

From left are Chris Young, Ron Hoskins, Geoff Michael, Dee Bromberek, Erik Hearnsberger, Ed Heisey, and Mason Brooks. Chuck Ambrose: After leaving active duty, I became a federal prosecutor. I’m now starting my third career (as a novelist). My first book, “Capital Kill,” written under the pen name of “Marc Rainer”, is out in both paperback and kindle versions on Amazon, and is now ranked very highly in the courtroom thriller and crime drama categories. The sequel, “Horns of the Devil,” was due out in late November. Our class web site looks great! I’m in a suburb of Kansas City. My web site is www.marcrainer.com. I have two grown daughters and 4 grandkids, with one more on the way. Thanks, Chuck CS-24 Mark and Bonnie Coffman (CS-07): We now have a granddaughter, Caroline, who is one year old and getting cuter by the day. We were with her a week ago and thoroughly enjoyed the time. Looking forward to our 40th reunion. Ed and Debbie Whitt (CS-07): Newest granddaughter was born in September and is a delight! Charlie Stallworth: My new email address is charlesstallworthhii@ gmail.com. It was great to many of you at Norty’s retirement. From Class Historian, Don Rightmyer: Read Steve Lorenz’ book published by Air University Press at http://aupress.au.af.mil/digital/pdf/ book/b_0130_Lorenz_Lorenz_on_Leadership.pdf.

Tom & Betty Kennedy: 31st SQ / Grim Reapers news -- Norty Schwartz’s retirement party at the Willard in DC was the highlight of events for the Grim Reapers over the past few months. Howard “Mitch” Mitchell, Bud Gammon and Tom and Betty Kennedy represented 31st SQ at this great celebration of Norty’s career and the retirement of the Class of ’73 from active duty. Mitch and his wife, Tammy, had gotten some silver/grey (class color or course) T-shirts with our class crest on them. He presented one to Norty as well; they were great. Go to our website for great photos, especially of Howard “Mitch” Mitchell with his newborn son, Howard Lee Mitchell, born on 20 Sep 2012. Finally, Dan Connelly continues to make remarkable progress in his recovery from cancer having made it through 3 rounds of leukine treatments. He and his lovely wife, Robin, were able to travel from Kansas City to attend the wedding of their son, Sean “Seano” to Katie earlier in October in Cumberland, MD. Tim Cooper -- CS 40: On 9/17/2012, we had a class of ’73, CS 40 minireunion. Mike Nishimuta was here in Orlando from Aviano, Italy to attend a meeting of the worldwide Embry-Riddle staff. Unfortunately, his wife, Catherine, could not come with him. When I learned the dates he would be here, I contacted Don McMillan, who still flies for USAir and splits time between Jupiter, FL and Charlotte, NC. He was able to meet us here in Orlando. His wife, Grace, who also works for USAir couldn’t make it either. Mike went back to Italy when his meeting was over, and Don (with Grace) left for a vacation to Austria. We had a good time reliving ‘good ole days’ as we had lunch at Seasons 52 restaurant. My wife, Wasana, was there and is the photographer. (Go to our website for eight photos of CS40 mini-reunion.) From: Dale Birch (USA) (Dale.Birch@biblica.com) Website for photo of Elliott Rattley (Class of ’73 non-graduate), Paul (Skip) Evans (73, CS 39) and Skip’s girlfriend at the restaurant Ray’s the Classics, in Silver Spring, MD.

Lunch with John Barry, Superintendent of Aurora Public Schools in Colorado. From left are Dale Birch, Bob Marsh, Ron & Mary Scott, John Barry, Bob & Pam Munson, Joe Kahoe, and Mike “Farmer” Edwards. Go to our website for great photo of Kirk Samelson, Bob Munson, and Bruce Meyer celebrating successful (read: injury-free) bike ride 220 miles from Prague to Vienna in October.

Joe Brezovic 1209 Bayou Oaks Drive Friendswood, TX 77546 H: (281) 482-6860 E-mail: jbrezovic@comcast.net

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started working in the National Guard there in Arlington, VA in 1993 as the Chief of Combat Plans. From there he moved upwards! Now, he and Kathleen will be able to spend more time together -- whether in Arlington, or elsewhere. Other retiree updates come from Larry and Terry Strang! They are living in Maryland after retiring from the AF in 2000. Terry retired from Target in 2006 and sold her HR consulting business earlier this year. That’s the good news; the bad is she’s busier than ever with her new start-up doing national and international mediation training. Although Larry retired from Northrop Grumman as their corporate cyber strategist in 2009, he rejoined the working class by supporting the White House and the National IntelSabre Society ligence Manager for Cyber as the Senior Portfolio ManDonors ager for the Comprehensive National Cyber Initiative (CNCI). Their two sons remain unmarried, with Bryan still in college (he calls it the 7-year plan) and Bart, who graduated two years ago, now represents Vans Apparel (big skateboard-culture oriented company). Their mobile home plans are still active, and will become more transient (?) after the house is sold. Oh, the stern end of the mobile home shows home port AF towards, Colorado Springs, CO. They originally had Air Force Academy CO as their home port (instead of Colorado Springs) but, “since our cruise plans include South America, the security folks recommended against making it too obvious that we are prior military.” They sent a pic of their mobile home, but to show it, they would be teeny on the pic. I hope the AOG can work with this cropped version because I thought you’d like to know “what do they look like now”! They plan to look up the Dale Burchby family in San Diego when they make that port!

Larry and Terry on the bridge. Other travel news includes Paul Gilliam visiting Bob Morrow at Bob’s Indiana home in August to relive some old times. Cadets Paul and Bob toiled for many nights in the USAFA observatory trying to perform the impossible task of photographing over a hundred deep space objects for an astronomy class project. Now, thirty-nine years later, we set up Bob’s telescope and peered at some of the star clusters and nebulae that once mocked our feeble attempts to capture them on film. Here is a picture from a paparazzi (?).

Members

(Editor’s note: The Class of 1970 is searching for any stories, memories, photos and videos of graduate involvement in the Vietman War for the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion. Please visit usafa.org/Heritage/SEA2 for more information.) Hello Classmates! This seems to be a quicker turn-around for me than most quarterly reports. Perhaps y’all have had a busy late summer too? What news I have received or can glean from the bit bucket I pass on to you to share in the joy or in the hurts of those we know! According to all known records and proceedings and archived information available to David Daley and myself, the very last active duty, Reserve, and National Guard duty has retired 21 June 2012. Major General Donald E. Fick retired amidst pomp and ceremony, with a band, from being the Director, Programs, Analysis & Evaluation, J-8, National Guard Bureau. He started in that position in November, 2010. From what I could tell, Donald

Stargazers of yesteryear Paul and Bob. As for working together bonding yesteryears with the today’s…the Legacy folks had a dinner in August. Rich Bowman sent a note “We had our usual turnout for the Commitment Dinner (about 12 folks and dates). The dinner was held in Mitchell Hall and a good time was had by

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Class News all.” Rich also wanted to start an early advertisement for the next event will be the Ring Dining Out in late May. The AOG has already sent out a “Save the Date” email so we hope we can get a good turnout. The Ring Dining Out is scheduled for 24 May. It’s not too early to be thinking about reservations for the area because of the high demand during graduation week. Jim Donaldson and Rich have already made our reservations. Still working the Long Blue Line: I understand that Rod Bishop is ‘sponsoring’ 3 cadets from his home outside North Gate of USAFA. Go Rod! No one else has responded to a request to let us know of other classmates on active duty. Best I can muster from the news is that two of us still wear the Air Force blue daily. William E. Pailes, Colonel (Retired) serves as the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor in Junior ROTC in Temple. Joe Brezovic, LtCol (Retired) also serves in the same position in Junior ROTC in Houston, Texas. I have met other grads from USAFA, a few of my former students from USAFA. [As the world turns, we will be undergoing an inspection from a ’73 grad! Just no way to get away from upperclass inspections!] We are doing our best to prepare the high school students to be better citizens for our country. I know that I had said in the last article that there were three of us still wearing the Air Force blue. That was while Don Fick was still serving. The other person I knew who served in the Civil Air Patrol was a classmate we had as 4th and 3rd classmen at USAFA. Some of the CS-23 members or choir members may remember David W. Galvin from Pittsburgh, Pa. In looking him up to chat and update, I learned that he passed away in May 2010, and is at rest there. A recent passage note on yesteryear from Chris (Kathy) Kelly. The AOC in CS 06 our First Class year was Capt Jim Graham (James D. Graham). Chris knew him a little bit at the Zoo, but he writes their paths would cross professionally MANY more times over the following 38 years. Jim retired in the St Louis area and was very involved in helping people who faced illnesses at the hospitals. On Sept 9 the doctors found that Jim had Stage 4 cancer of the pancreas. Chris learned from Jim’s wife, Carol, that Jim never got well enough to undergo chemo and passed away in September. Emory W. Lockette, from CS-36, passed away on 18 Sept 2012 in Boulder City, NV. Emory passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family and friends. Emory served as a Captain in the USAF and then as an entrepreneur. He is survived by his wife, Marina Bernie, three daughters and their families to include six grandsons and two granddaughters. His resting place is in Boulder City, NV. Also from our Association of Graduates, Lt Col (Ret) Gregory E. Durio, from CS-19 passed away on 17 Oct 2012 in Marietta, GA as the result of a heart attack. Greg is survived by his wife, Nan, and children Jenny and Jamie. His resting place is in Washington, LA. For those who wish to read more his life of flying A-10s, support in the Middle East, and career, I recommend you look up Gregory Eugene Durio in the The Times-Picayune, LA. They have a very nice review May you each make an opportunity to renew friendships and I hope you each live long and prosper.

Jeff Chappell 14729 Birken St. Herriman, UT 84096 (801) 878-HOWDY jtmjbda@sbcglobal.net

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Members

duty, retired 17 November. Which begs the question, who is ’75’s Last Man Standing? Marty Stytz posted the question on ZN and Mark Wells claimed the honor for the Continuous Active Duty category; there are others in the Voluntary Retired Recall program, and we’re wondering about Harry Mathis’ status as well. Mark continues to serve as Chairman of the History Department at dear old USAFA and could be the AF’s senior O-6, with potential to continue another five years. I think we should all plan to attend his retirement ceremony! Mark, please keep us posted on your plans, ok? We could make quite a bash out of that event... Mini-Reunions: Several classmates attended the AF-Michigan game, including John Charlton, Terry Young, Dave Schmitz, Jack Huffman, Larry Fariss, Dick Webber, Mike Gaughan (Mike was AFROTC PAS at U of M and has numerous friends still on staff/faculty there). The Football Alumni Club put on a golf tournament preceding the Navy game. Larry Fariss, Terry Young, Russ Trinter and Wayne Willis played a round at Eisenhower. Says Wayne, We weren’t the worst team, but we sure weren’t the best. We finished at 1 over par and the winners were 15 under, but nobody looked as good as we did!”

Jack Huffman and The Bird From Scribe Emeritus Paul Kent: “I noticed from Delta’s latest early retirement program that three classmates took advantage: Jack Storer, Bruce Correll, and Bill Schuessler. ”Sheri and I visited our daughter Victoria in Edinburgh, Scotland. Victoria is with three college mates while they travel and visit Europe, while taking a semester break from school. Kind of like we did, right? We went to historic Saint Andrews and walked the Old Course on a Sunday, when the course is closed and all are invited to stroll through golf’s history. Victoria and I played the St Andrew’s Balgove Course (a family course) on a crispy cool, slightly windy, but mostly sunny day. I’ve attached a picture of us in front of the Jigger Inn (with the Old Course visible in the background). I note with great sadness that Mark Shope is recently GBNF. I remember conversing with him at our 35th and he was touch and go with some medical, but seemed to be fine at the reunion.”

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Paul and Victoria Kent at St Andrews. Dave and Nancy Clough are 3 for 3 on marrying off our college-graduated, employed sons. “No daughters, but weddings are still expensive as the traditional marriage expense rules have gone out the window. Youngest son Dan just graduated (U of Nebraska) and married his long-time girlfriend this May. Our oldest, Mike (named for Mike Mark), married his long-time girlfriend in September – Nancy was so happy for them that she danced the “Party Rock” at the reception. She is quite a talented dancer, though I have been warned not to post the video without her approval at risk of damage to certain vital organs which cannot be repaired or replaced. Middle son Philip (named for Phil Jones) and his long-time girlfriend tied the knot in 2006 after his graduation. We hardly have an

empty nest as Mike and his family live close by and the others are only a few hours away in Missouri. We look forward to the next Class of ’75 reunion, and the kids have announced that they are kidnapping Nancy and me for an Alaska cruise next summer. The last time I bought movie tickets, the cashier sold them to us at 2/3 the posted price. When I asked (The Honor Code runs deep), she said ‘Oh, you get the senior discount!’ Gee, thanks…” From the Sunshine State, Bill Caskey notes, “Somehow my colleagues here think I look like Mitt Romney, so that’s just one more reason to vote for him! Would love to have his bank account but am really happy to have only two sons – can you imagine what it would be like to have five sons? Oh wait, you can!” It’s a Small World: YHS ran into Barnstormer squadron mate Mike Banker at Narita and Dave and Sally Young in NYC – as always, it’s great to see classmates unexpectedly and find them healthy and happy, and I wish we had more time than just in passing on the bus or elevator! Beating the odds: Bill Murray reports that his post-prostate cancer battle is going well, with a low PSA, the first one after a hormone shot and 37 radiation treatments. “I’m not cured: At this point we will be measuring the rate of increase of the PSA. Thanks for your prayers–I’m feeling great!” Barely beating the deadline: Dean and Sandra Cox, Rudy and Virginia Roth, Ric and Alice Lewallen, and Don Byers (stealth mode, behind the camera) got together at Lewallen’s home in Waynesville, NC, for a weekend in late October.

Coxes, Roths, and Lewallens Until next time, live long and prosper!

Dan Beatty 12196 Stanley Canyon Road Colorado Springs, CO 80921 H: (719) 488-1962 C: (719) 338-0276 E-Mail: whrlybrd76@aol.com

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Fellow ’76ers, The first snows have hit the region. By the time you get this, the Wing will be close to Thanksgiving break. I hope you all have a bountiful Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas season. Sad News: Ron , with us for our first two years, recently diagnosed with a serious/aggressive form of brain cancer. Has had surgery to remove the tumor and now working through chemo and radiation. Please keep Ron and family in your thoughts and prayers. (Thanks to ’75ers Dick Webber and Jeff Chappell for sending the info on Ron.) MGen (Ret) Stanton Musser, Deputy Comm when we were Firsties, 08 Oct 12. Many of us had an opportunity to know him and benefit from his mentorship. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Moving up/moving on: Mark Welsh sworn in as 20th CSAF. Several classmates attended the ceremony. Jack Catton said there were other classmates attending but did not make the photo, including Roger Yauchzy, who lent his flag to the festivities.

Willie Shelton, Jack & Jan Catton, Mark & Betty Welsh, Mike & Paula Gould and Tom & Robin Fronk at Mark’s CSAF change of command. (’76 flag courtesy of Roger Yauchzy) Richey Felder forwarded a website (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=44X5b7iL2Bw) with Mark’s acceptance comments and Doug Fry forwarded an article with a letter from Mark to all USAF Airmen. If you haven’t seen it, let me know. Lee Cueavs retired from UPS after 24 years. Congrats Lee! General Class Stuff: John Inglis was the keynote speaker at the 3rd Annual Billington Cybersecurity fall summit. Attendance is double last year’s and 80% of attendees are Director-level and above. John is the NSA’s senior civilian leader and chief operating officer. Bob Bucher checked in wanting to confirm some address info. Greg Boomgaard spent 2 weeks riding with nephew to deliver trucks and buses across the US. No specifics, but I look forward to his stories. Jeff Larsen asked for some help with contact info for Chili Chilton. Jeff is editing a book, “On Limited Nuclear War in the 21st Century.” John Dunstan asked for some follow up info on Lothar Deil’s passing. Jose Santiago requested assistance to contact old roomie Ed Morley. Ed said he will contact Jose. Hope they have a good tome catching up. Jose’s son is applying to USNA and USAFA. Good luck to him Jose! Ed also sent a lengthy note about “I can’t believe I’m still doing this for a living” and asked that I forwarded to a few of you. He also mentioned Steve Krikorian. Patrick O’Brien requested contact info for our new CSAF. Rich Mintz (an old BCT H Sq and 30th Sq mate) requested contact info for Gary Scoggins. Steve Hogan sent a contact update; thanks Steve! Jim Dolan says FIGHTS ON! He reports that 25% of the $16K donated on “Giving Day” for his Heros on the Water program came from the USAFA Class of ’76, and he challenges any other group, including ,USNA, USMA etc, to beat our record. Thanks Jim for what you do for our Wounded Warriors! I saw “Papa Joe” Marchino at the Daedalians Flight Captain’s meeting in San Antonio in September and he is doing well at the Personnel Center. Joe & Becky took a New England vacation in early October. Daughter got married 27 October. Congrats Joe! Jim Boma reports nothing to report, Scott Gough reports “SS, DD.” Larry Austin made the USAFA/UNLV game, said he saw Mike Gould but didn’t have a chance to link up. Larry & Jackie welcoming 3rd grandkid in December. Fred & Vickie DeArmond sent an invite to any classmates attending the USAFA/Wyoming (Vickie is a Wyoming alumn) game to hook up while there. Hope some you made it. Greg Whaley reports his and Steve Heinz’s companies appeared on the INC 500/5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the US for 2012, and contends they are the only roomies to achieve this entrepreneurial honor. Doug Fry is changing companies, his 9th move since retiring from the USAF. Daughter (00 grad) will present them with #5 grandson in Jan. Youngest son still a T6 IP at Vance. Cal Allen corrected John Rivera’s last input; it was him and not Cal Simmons that john saw in Buenos Aries. Cal still flying Delta B-767ER’s.

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Class News John Hazen ran his first marathon in Erie, PA in 3:53 and was accepted to the April 13 Boston Marathon. Good luck John! Randy Schavrien recently dined with old roomie Brad Jones. Brad is doing well in Salt Lake area. Randy also says Dave Searcey and John Andrichak are on AETC staff at Randolph AFB. Son Scott is deployed for 2nd time and daughter Nicole just had 1st kiddo (4th grandkid for Randy & Gail). Joe Shirey sent a short note with some kind words. Mike Ponz appreciates all the support for his Pelotonia 12 ride; says he pedaled 77 miles, and the Peletonia raised over $13M. Mike, Andy & Sue Probert, Reggie (Wally) Cannon (with us for our first 2 years), Joe Wysocki, Jack Catton, Jay Johnston, and Mike Scott attended the USAFA/Michigan game. Steve & Beth Stout saw Mike Fricano, Bill & and Barb Troegner in Hawaii. Bill is in the safety business, Barb retires from USO in December; they have 4 grandkids. Stout’s daughter Stephanie gets her Aerospace Engineering Master’s from GA Tech in December. Fricano’s son got married 6 Oct. Congrats Mike! Joe Drew sent a photo from the USAFA/USNA game. Larry Weaver, Jack Catton, Monty Lee, John Andrew, Tom Mallory, and Scott Gough also attended but didn’t make the pic (I was on day duty and couldn’t attend).

John “Lou” Michels, Jr. 4107 Harvey Ave. Western Springs, IL 60558 (312) 463-3412 jmichels@lbbslaw.com loumichels55@gmail.com

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Greetings from the pre-election Windy City, where Illinois residents vote early and often. As one of my Chicago friends noted yesterday, “My father voted Republican until the day he died. Now he votes Democrat.” I’m still recovering from the overwhelming, positive feeling that follows a class reunion. For the 200 or so of you (and your spouses/significant others) who made it out to the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, my thanks for your time and effort in attending, and I sincerely hope it was worth it. Based on the comments I’ve heard, people enjoyed themselves tremendously. Tee Shots: Probably because people were getting Sabre Society ready for the reunion, I don’t have a lot of mail this Donors time around. Bill Brandt (Susan) sent me two messages. The first contained a picture of Steve Runer (Christina) winning the FedEx Five Star award. The Five Star award is FedEx’s highest internal honor – Steve won the award for his efforts as manager of the MD-11 standards and training program. Congratulations on the award, and your return to the cockpit, Steve. Bill’s second message was not quite so pleasant – he dislocated his shoulder the week before the reunion and could not make the trip. That’s too bad, because he figured prominently in the after-dinner festivities. Several of us previously warned Bill that he was a little too old for those trapeze tricks. Get better soon. The other input that I got -- courtesy of Wired -- mentions Bill Lord (Cynthia) in the same breath as one of my all-time favorite Contrails aircraft: the B-57 Canberra. Ever the wordsmith, Bill said that the aircraft is used to integrate and translate the “dog’s breakfast of different data links” so that everyone on the battlefield can understand each other. As a retired electronic warfare officer, I resent Bill’s association of vomit with my former profession. Vomit is much more properly associated with my current profession-the law. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not note that Teresa and Bob Batchelor’s daughter Katherine won an AOG Scholarship, which will support her at the University of Florida. Well done, all. Fairways: And now on to the reunion. One of the great things about getting everyone together is that everyone gets together. So I’ll start with a group shot of the festivities featuring, from left are Carol and Bruce Billig, Ron and Carol Stevens, Art and Lorrae Wachdorf, and Dale Olinger.

Tony Prbyzyslawski, Rico Rackowski, Mark Welsh, Joe Drew & Charlie Morgan at the Navy game. Class Project Update: As of 4 October we have raised over $685,000 with only 21% class participation. CCLD groundbreaking was 19 Oct with several classmates attending.

John Andrew, Greg Seely, Mick Erdle, Jeff Larsen, Dan Beatty, Mike Gould, Joe Wysocki, Joe Drew, Mike Lee, Tony Prbyzyslawski at CCLD ground breaking. If you haven’t already and would like to participate in the project, let me know. Would be great if we could hit $760.000. Finally, I’m a slug and have not yet recaptured the photos from Howard “Dallas” Thompson’s retirement. No excuse Sir! I will continue to track them down. Well classmates, again time to stick a fork in it. Lots of requests for contact info this go. If you haven’t updated your contact info with me or the AOG, please do so! If you have not received an email from me in the past 3-6 months, I do not have a current email address for you. Please send home and work email addresses to me at whrlybrd76@aol.com. Send me your notes, inputs, address updates, suggestion, junk mail, etc and I will do my best to keep all of you in the loop. As always, if you are headed to the Springs, let me and the other locals know. Keep flying your flags and let our deployed troops know you have them in your thoughts and prayers. The Spirit of 76 is STILL alive and well! Until next time… Beatty.

Visit the AOG Web Site. Gone But Not Forgotten, Merchandise and more! www.usafa.org 126

The fun stuff began on Thursday night with a social and buffet that basically left everybody hoarse, tired, and totally up for the next meeting. The class memorial service started Friday morning - I want to convey everyone’s appreciation to Rex Williams (Linda), one of our two active duty chaplains, and Pat Burke (Denise), both of whom provided meaningful and memorable remarks during a solemn occasion. Then it was on to Mitchell Hall for dining with the cadets. Every single person I spoke to had exactly the same reaction to the meal -- it was lousy. I dine at the Zoo at least once a year, and the food has steadily become worse over the last decade. I could only imagine what the Wing would do if it had a chance to see the food we dined on routinely – ice cream, steaks, lobster, burgers, and plenty of vegetables. There would probably be a revolt. Although the food is revolting enough, as it is. Reunion chair Dan Jarka (Pam) and John Buckley (Melinda) hosted the USAFA presentations and the class meetings that took place on Saturday morning. More on that later. First, there was a football game. The USAFA weather gods had initially ordered a snow storm during the

Friday night contest with Nevada, but relented at the last minute. Instead, it was just bitterly cold, with kickoff temperatures and wind in the low 20s. A few diehards -- John Mol (Deborah) was one -- stuck it out to the bitter end. Your humble scribe and spouse, along with Randy and Jennifer Martinez, finagled places in the press box, where we spent the entire game drinking hot chocolate and telling ourselves how glad we were that we weren’t outside. John Mol had the best line describing the game, which was won by the Falcons: “I think I saw us score more points in this single game than we scored in the entire four years that we attended games as cadets.” Victory put the cap on a great day and gave us a nice intro to the next day’s activities. Dan and John Buckley led the class meeting the following morning. You should be seeing more on this from various sources, but let me summarize: Next year the Class of 2017 will enter the academy at the start of July. This will be the Legacy Class for 1977; it will graduate 40 years after we finished up. Accordingly, we need a class contingent to meet these kids as they start their Academy journey, and to distribute copies of Contrails to them on the opening day. There are other activities associated with the Legacy Class project which will call for our involvement and increasing our cohesiveness as a group. I’m happy to throw my efforts behind it, and I hope you will too. Let’s start by linking up with the rest of our classmates, either directly or via Facebook or LinkedIn (Frenchy Fernand [Karen] has started that group). And please, if you can, start making plans to attend the Legacy Class ceremony in 2013. And you might as well start reserving a couple of months for the 40th reunion in 2017.

Bob Kay 40411 Tesoro Lane Palmdale, CA 93551 Home:(661) 274-2201 Work: (661) 824-6426 Email: Robert.kay78@gmail.com

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Greetings’78ers… Regrettably I need to start this installment off with the notification of Greg Lane passing back in August for those who hadn’t heard yet. Dan Philips sent me a message notifying us of Greg’s passing after the summer article had already gone out. In the message, Barry Miller had also included some great history of Greg. Turns out that Barry and Greg went through BCT together and then spent Doolie year together in CS-22. Barry went on to say that they also flew KC-135s together at K.I. Sawyer where Greg and Terry Barrett bought a house on a local lake. Apparently several folks in the squadron spent an above-average amount of time there. Greg never married and was interned in a family plot in North Carolina. The AOG web site asked for any contributions to be sent to the Peninsula S. P. C. A., Sabre Society Attn: Vicki Rowland; 523 J. Clyde Morris Blvd; Newport Donors News, VA 23601. I’m sure they would still appreciate something in Greg’s name even at this late date. I have to play catch-up with several entries that weren’t included last quarter due to space limitations. Leading off was Ken Charpie who is still living in Dayton and works out at the base doing B-2 activities for a contractor. Several classmates and a couple of their brides had lunch on May 31st to commemorate our 34th graduation anniversary. Pictured from left are Mary Beth and Tom Owen (then commander of ASC, retired in September), Ken Charpie, Dave Eidsuane, Mike Ausserer, Phil Popovich, Ken Hendrick, Sandy Popovich, Jess Sponable, Tony Zompetti and Dave London. Ken assured us that a severe good time was indeed had by all!

People got out and about for some photo ops during the day. CS-23’s contingent is represented here: Dave Murray, Mike Ard (Donna), and Jim Roberge (Arlene) stopped by at the class crest on the chapel wall. The Saturday semi-formal dinner was, if I do say so myself, highly entertaining. Pat Burke opened with two original songs that brilliantly captured our experiences, successes, and foibles. He had the room of 400 people spellbound as he played and sang the opening numbers. Roger Smith (Patricia) did a very nice and moving job on the invocation. Yours truly gave a “USAFA 1977: A Checkpoints History” featuring a “death by PowerPoint” slideshow, and gun camera video from ET Tullia’s (Diane) DFC mission over Iraq in 1991. But the big deal was the immediate and total reaffirmation of the bonds that make us the class that we are. Here is a sample of the many gatherings in the room that night:

From left are PJ Landwherle (Denise), George Patterson (Nancy), Tim Malone (Lee), Van Davis (Holly), Marc Horkulic, Dan Jarka (Pam), Tony Villalobos (Audrey), Zach LaPlante (Brenda), Don Bohac (Deborah), Michael Reynolds (Barbara) and Jon Stolson. One of the reasons I love this picture is because I’ve only written about a few of these folks and it’s just a privilege to list them here. Clubhouse: That’s enough from surfin’ shores of Lake Michigan. Please get on Facebook to catch some of the unbelievable shots (okay, they’re actually very believable) and commentary. I’ll look forward to hearing from more of you over the next six months. Until then, be seeing you.

Rick Devereaux sent a great shot of himself and several classmates (with a great representation from CS-32 Roadrunners) who attended his retirement last Spring at the Pentagon which was presided over by the USAFA Supt, Lt Gen Mike Gould (’76). Rick’s last job was as Hawk Carlisle’s (as the then A3/5 on the Air Staff) Director of Ops Planning, Policy and Strategy. From left are Tony Gazo, Chuck Valle, Dave Estep, Kyle Bartels, Rick, Wayne Ford, Vince Wisniewski, Dave Jones, RD Johnson and Chuck Greenwood. The “78 is Great” banner sure added a nice touch! Well Done Rick…thanks for all your years of service!

Speaking of Hawk, the same space limitations prevented me from post-

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Class News ing this great shot of Gen Schwartz, the then USAF Chief of Staff, handing him the PACAF guide-on after Hawk had pinned on his fourth star. Not a bad class record to have two classmates commanding Major Commands!

companies of all sizes will approach the office with new aircraft designs seeking certification on an existing design or an amendment to an existing certification. Depending on the issue and complexity of the project, the pilots in Brett’s office will perform the certification flight tests. They are involved in several new technologies to include synthetic vision and other certified “cool stuff.” The office also has a “rental program” when they aren’t doing flight test projects where they get checked out in twins, singles, gliders (and even helos for some guys) so the office can stay proficient. He says this gives them about two flights per week when not in a test program. Another perk is the 5.5 mile commute which is truly coveted (and rare) in this part of the country. Wow…sounds like an incredible job Brett…great move in more ways than one. Finally, a quick reunion update (that’s right gents…35th is next year), Bees Kellenbence has agreed to get the ball rolling as boots on the ground in the Springs and will be looking for some help (e-mail is beesf16@hotmail.com). The AOG now assigns reunion dates by a lottery after the football schedule is released (early 2013) so it will be awhile until we have a firm date. Will put the info on the class site as soon as it’s available. God Bless. ’78 is Great!

Well, actually that’s three Major Commands when you count JJ Jackson taking over AFRC last summer. Below is a great family shot of Barb, Ty and Kelly who have “…really been my ‘rock’ during this life-changing year and the next four will be a wild ride!” I’m sure it will JJ; a hearty congrats and all the best in the next few years.

Bud Vazquez 781-862-6800 budvazquez@msn.com

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Some 30 odd years ago when I first started “scribing,” I never contemplated starting articles with sad news. So it is, as I heard from Vance Skarstedt that Greg Short, aka “Shorty” passed away from spinal cancer back in the summer. He and his family lived in Denver and he was buried at Ft Logan Cemetery. Besides being a superb human being, Shorty was a decorated combat veteran from DESERT STORM where he flew F-16s. You are missed, brother. Also need to violate politics 101 and start off with an apology. Last year I had this brilliant idea that I Sabre Society would “sneak” a fourth picture into our article. Well, Donors the editors gave me green light, but also gave us the same amount of space, so we got four, tiny pictures vs three legible ones… With an electron microscope, you may have noticed that Jim Shumate, Dave Rhodes, Tru Eyre, Korky Von Kessel, and Bob Edmonds were all at the grand opening of the Holaday Center. Sorry guys, it was the thought that counts – I hope. Won’t be trying to “sneak” four pics in anymore! Flag Officer News -We miss having CR and Susan Davis here, who set the record for shortest tenure of an ESC Commander… I think it was 8.5 months... back when there was an ESC! Of some solace is knowing that CR probably wishes he was here, rather than in the Pentagon. -Lt Gen Andy Busch, the new AFMC/CV is visiting here on 9 Nov, and will be our AFCEA luncheon speaker. Yes, we have ordered the extra tall podium. -Lt Gen Bill “Kanga” Rew remains the Vice at ACC. -Had the pleasure to share a stogie with Lt Gen Frank Gorenc, the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. when he was our guest speaker at a local AF Association event last winter. -Lt Gen Burt Field is the deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. -Lt Gen Robin Rand is the Commander, 12th Air Force, Air Combat Command, and Commander, Air Forces Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. -Maj Gen Stephen D. Schmidt, moves from NATO AWACS to Special Assistant to the USAFE Commander, Ramstein AB, GE. The only hard part of scribing is trying to get all the inputs and espe-

Speaking of Dan Philips, I owe him a severe apology for totally and completely buffooning his name in the summer article. I called him “Phil Horace” and for that I truly apologize (if anyone has ever seen the Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do” that might help explain part of it). I know there were a lot of us in the class but I remember Dan from the Zoo and should not have messed it up that badly. Sorry Dano…I will provide the appropriate libations if you’re ever in L.A! Had a nice chat with Barry Miller this evening getting permission to use parts of the e-mail he sent to Dan (do my best to minimize my senile errors) and we ended up talking for quite a bit. Barry retired from the AF back in 2000 and has landed a great job as an Aerospace Engineer and Technical pilot in the FAA Avionics Standards Branch in D.C. He also gets to fly once in a while on airplanes that do some exciting avionics research and certification work. Turns out that he interfaces with fellow Bull Dawger Rick Dunham (has a high profile job as the TERPS organization manager in OKC) on a fairly regular basis. Barry and Joann are living outside of Annapolis and very much enjoying their surroundings. Heard from Mark Zamzow via LinkedIn who hung it up this past summer where he was the Vice of 3rd AF and the commander of U.S. Air Forces for Africa Command. He shuttled between Ramstein and Mildenhall to do both jobs. He and Fran have settled in San Antonio and he is starting to work on the next phase. In the “Small World Department” my wife and I were visiting some friends of ours who live in quite the hi-rise by the water in Long Beach (you can see the Queen Mary from their living room balcony) a few weeks ago. When we went to our car in the parking garage there was a note from a classmate who was parked next to us and saw my ’78 sticker in the window. Apparently he and his wife had recently moved into the same complex and had met our friends in the very nice cookout area a few days before. Turns out it was none other than Brett and Sherri Vance who relocated from Palmdale (where Brett had worked as a civilian instructor pilot at the Test Pilot School for six years) to Long Beach when he accepted a test pilot position in the FAA’s L.A. Aircraft Certification office (another ’78er working for Big FAA…is there a pattern here?). Brett mentioned that 128

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cially pictures in, especially with space & quality limitations. So Lowell Tenpas has had to wait a long time to get this picture published – that of he and BOTH of his grad sons – including Jared (’06) and the (then) newlyminted 2Lt Daniel (’12). Can you say “Proud Papa”?

From left are Jared (’06), Daniel (’12) and Lowell Tenpas (’79). Hot off the email wires, got this picture in from Joe Dent. Continually seeking ways to demonstrate how manly ’79 is, Joe (Janet), Ken Kraak (Annie), Michael Englebrecht (Laura) to NW Colorado for the early October elk season. To be politically correct – they were not hunting (God forbid!). They were organic meat gathering… Each of them were fortunate enough to “harvest” a 6-by-6 bull elk. BTW, Joe is a federal judge in Montgomery, AL; Ken is flying for Southwest out of Denver; and Mike is flying Delta out of Salt Lake City.

From left are Joe Dent, Ken Kraak, Mike Englebrecht and friends? Boston Area: My Raytheon Falcon Buddy, Ken Mattern (Pam) is either continuing his meteoric rise in the Raytheon leadership ranks or avoiding the tax man. He moved from Legal into the #2 Contracts spot, only to get pulled by the CEO to work our efforts in the UAE, and now I heard he is the head of Export/Import for the company. You be the judge. One thing I know for sure though -- he and Pam are enjoying being grandparents! Greg Doran (formerly Colvin, wife: Michele) supports the G-ASNT program here at Hanscom, working for MCR Technologies. I get to see him on the area summer golf tournament circuit. Karl Reichl has been known to hang out here working for Jacobs. Scott Grunwald (Debbie) has moved since I last wrote. He left Raytheon – El Segundo to work back in AF Junior ROTC, and recently took up shop with Lockheed Martin Aero Systems in Palmdale, not far from his Edwards AFB test pilot stomping grounds. Lt Gen Burt Field sent me this picture of what looks to be far more than a mini-reunion… what a gathering! Burt told me, “We had a party last week at our house since most of the folks still on active duty were in town. The active duty folks all pitched in to host it as a group. We tracked down all that we could find in the DC area to attend. Pretty good turn-out for a school night and great to see everyone.” I’d say! (See photo at the top of the next column.) You may recall I have two USNA brothers and live on the same block as the 1960 Heisman trophy winner from Navy (Joe Bellino). Needless to say, I have nothing but pain to share when I think of the AF-Navy game. So, it was with all good intentions and high expectations that Molly and I made the pilgrimage to West Point for the Army – AFA game. On 2-3 November, had the pleasure of meeting up with the Delta airlines ’79 contingent at

From top left are Jeff Gordon, Greg Smith, Buddah Watkins, Craig Bash, Randy Helms, Guy Walsh, Mark Svestka, Steve Neubold, Andy Busch, John Calvin, Bubba Baumgartner, Dave Rhodes, Frank Gorenc, Tom Griffith, Paul Besson, John Box, Koechel, Omar Bradley: Next row down, below Svestka: Steve Hoag, Bill Rew, Doug Robb, Burt Field, Steve Mueller, Steve Lepper, Robin Rand, CR Davis, and Mike Roller. the Thayer hotel, led by the indomitable Chip Taylor (Kim) who has been the ringleader for this “sketchy” group of 777 & 767 crewdogs…(certainly pertains only to the guys, not the wives, of course). Chip is the font of all Academy passion and knowledge these days, and his pictures are in the encyclopedia under “Living Large,” as well as “Having a Blast!” Fellow/former CS-35 Wild Weasel Bruce Holbrook (Anna) was there, Fred Jacobsen (Nancy), Jim Nelson (Dina), Steve Barnes (Cheralyn), and Jon Fagot (Cindy) as well. I have not had that much fun in a long, long time! Some of the Delta faithful got waylaid due to Hurricane Sandy, and Mark Kleinhexel, Bob Klutz-Ennis, and Joey Hackbarth (Dana) who are usually there, did not make it this year. The gang relayed that Steve Dickson is the Senior VP for Flight Operations for Delta, and apparently doing a bang up job managing the marriage of Northwest and Delta. We shall not speak of the unspeakable game results… I knew when the power in the entire stadium went down just in time to NOT be able to show the replay on our QB’s 4th down sneak TD (we were in that end zone, looked like he got ball across to us before he got pushed back), and instead of 14-7 the good guys, and Army drove 99.5 yards to go up 10-7, well, I just knew it was Army’s day... Oh well, having troubles holding down the conspiracy theories on that one. Hey that’s it from chilly New England. Mike Ashley, a.k.a. “Trash” is up next – last I knew he was out of jail in time to do his scribe work (only kidding), but seriously you can reach him at 79trash@gmail.com. Godspeed brothers – I hope to see you soon!

Don Myers 401 Chambray Hill Peachtree City, GA 30269-4247 (770) 631-1429 E-mail: DMyers80@hotmail.com ZoomieNation.usafa.org FB group: “USAFA Class of 1980”

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Folks, we lost three of our classmates last quarter: \Karen (O’Hair) Fox, Scot German, and Ken Gladfelter. The GBNF section has details. During the course of learning about the death of these classmates, a severe shortcoming within our class became evident: We have no good communication system to quickly reach-out to the entire class. We’ve tried the different social networks (i.e., FB and ZoomieNation), but neither has large numbers. And the AOG does not have anywhere approaching a complete email database. So, with Matt’s concurrence, we’ve decided to institute the chain of command system; that is, get a representative from each squadron who will volunteer to keep their own, updated list of their squadron Sabre Society classmates. This manageable number makes the work Donors pretty easy. I’ve already got the following squadrons covered: 2, 4, 7, 8, 13, 14, 16, 20, 25, 31, and 37. If you don’t see your squadron listed, please contact me . . . before we lose another classmate. Dina (Green) Francois has her hand on the pulse of those from CS-08, Ken Gladfelter’s squadron—and she had the word out almost immediately. Because of this, 8 from Eagle 8 were able to be at the funeral (from all over the U.S.) to represent our class. Tom Ehrhard, from the Pentagon, was there as well. Because of this set of folks in one place, I was able to get some updates: As Ops O when Ken was CS-08 CC, Sean Scully remembers Ken as the

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Class News best roommate he ever had. Sean gave the AF 30 years; his last job was Group CC at Brooks City-Base. He’s still in San Antonio as an Aerospace Physiology Project Manager and head-hunter for Wyle. Wife, Melissa, is an English Prof at St. Mary’s U, where daughter Kate graduated, went to Tanzania with the Peace Corps, and is now a program manager at a local children’s shelter. Son Connor graduated and is in Austin; second son, Nick, is majoring in musical theater. Sean shaved his beard in May, put on his mess dress, and commissioned his nephew from CS-13, who is at joint UPT in Pensacola. Also coming from far away was Jerry Corbett, who commutes from Idaho to Detroit to fly international trips with Delta. Diana “was made a Vice President at Whitney, Bradley, & Brown about 2.5 years ago. Earlier this year, our company merged with another company, NetStar-1, and then at the beginning of September the company created a Department of Homeland Security Business Sector and named me as that Sector VP—our largest business sector, incorporating all business from NetStar-1 and WBB. It’s a lot of fun! (and a LOT of work!).” Doug Harrington “retired from active duty in 2001 and settled with Donna (my wife of 26 years) in her hometown of Villanova, PA (a suburb of Philly). Donna is a concert pianist and teaches private lessons at our home. During my career, I flew C-141s (McGuire), C-9s (Andrews), UV18s (USAFA) and the C-5 (Dover). I had two stints on the Political Science faculty. We have three children: Katie graduated from Dickinson College [and] works in the Marketing Division of Living Social. Johnny also graduated from Dickinson [and] works in the Marketing Division of an internet security firm, Fiberlink.” Their youngest is still in high school. Tom flies for Southwest and uses his PhD as an adjunct professor in the International Relations Department at American Public University. He forwarded a photo of Ken and Kathy, from three years ago, a year after Ken’s heart transplant, when they came to visit and attend a Phillies game. “Ken looked great then. It’s hard to believe this happened. He was too young to go. We will miss him dearly.”

Head of the Charles in Boston, held in October. This is the second-most prestigious rowing venue in the world (behind the Olympic Games); we will row against [boats] from all over North America, Europe, and Asia. Nothing like getting thrashed by that crowd.” John Croghan is “currently working for a small consulting firm in Virginia and retired from the Air Force after 26 years and three months. The last five years were spent running the AF’s weapons requirements division in the Pentagon. The P-gon job was really interesting and was only my second staff tour, the first was a NATO tour. The rest of my time I spent flying fighters (F-4s and F-15Es). I met my wife, Sherri, in the Philippines, where she was teaching school. She actually grew up in Colorado Springs. Leave it to me to do things the hard way and end up having to go the PI to find a girl from the Springs. Sherri still teaches. We have five children and I am thankful they are smart like their mother. Katie is in her third year of law school at UGA and starts work next year for a firm in DC. Sean is an ensign and currently going through the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program before heading off to subs. Matt is a two degree at USAFA. I usually try to provide Matt with some sage advice about my experiences as a cadet. Mostly this revolves around telling him what not to do ’cuz it really hurt when I did it.’ Pat is a freshman at Virginia Tech. Mary, our youngest, is a high school sophomore and is bearing up well under Mom’s and Dad’s undivided attention.” Tom Valle and Nelson Burgos also attended from Eagle 8. Tom works mostly from his home as General Counsel for Johnson & Johnson, in their consumer products division; Nelson has a law firm in the DC beltway area. After Ken’s interment ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery, most from ’80 met at the Marine Corps Museum to raise a glass to Ken and spend a few minutes catching up. Despite the circumstances, it was a special time—even if a portion of the conversation was spent on, “What power reading glasses do you have?”

Eight from Eagle 8: In front are Doug, Nelson, Marty, Diana, and Tom. Rear: John, Jerry, and Sean. ] I’m out of space. Please take my plea for action. Don Ken and Kathy rooting for the Phillies. Marty Meyer met wife, Sharon, way back at Lakenheath. She’s a registered dental hygienist in the DC beltway area of Virginia. Their daughter, a rower from ODU, enrolled in Army ROTC while getting a follow-on degree and wants to be a helo driver. “Not sure where that came from.” A recent promotion at Customs and Border Protection has Marty as their Director for Systems Engineering Management. In May, he got a chance to attend the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Fellows program. “An interesting experience and a lot of work; but I did get to row from the Harvard University varsity boat house. I still row competitive crew (my ninth year); am the captain of the men’s racing team for Prince William Rowing Club in Northern Virginia. I row ‘sweep’ (i.e., one oar per person) in four- and eight-man boats. We row in both 1000m sprint races and 5000m ‘Head’ races all over the East Coast. Our biggest regatta is the

Rich Trentman 11102 Asbee St. Falcon, CO 80831-8170 Home: (719) 494-8438 Work: (719) 452--7708 Cell: (719) 640-9586 rptrentman@usafa-grads.com Class Website: www.usafa81.com

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Yet, another late night article as I sit at work around at 9 p.m. still at work preparing slides and drafting this edition. You think an old man like me would learn. I do have good intentions, but life goes by pretty fast. It has been an interesting Falcon football year, both with a young team and with 3 night games at home. Didn’t all of the games when we were cadets kickoff at noon? Oh well, at least it is warm in the press box. The Navy game was cold. Class News: Tim Wallender attended the Olympics in London. You can see Tim is having fun at the women’s volleyball match. Good choice! Tim says his oldest daughter, Lauren, is off to college in Elon, NC. Sabre Society Bryan and Candis Kelchner’s son Peter just missed Donors the cut to make our Olympic team in archery, but they

Mark Pohlmeier (’83) and Marty in Boston . . . getting thrashed?

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went to cheer on Peter’s teammates. Janice (Peterson) Greenwood was traveling and Craig Strauss was the captain on her flight. Tim McKibben had a nice visit with Tom Lawrence in Anchorage, AK this Fall. They went hiking and mountain biking (and didn’t get eaten by any grizzlies!). Rob Bonn sent me some sad story about an alleged picture of him and Chet Nowak and about me hounding people for inputs – whatever (thanks, Rob, I guess). Leona Flores sent me an update. She and Ray met up with Joe and Debbie Wotton this Fall on the long drive (50 minutes) from Orlando to Pat-

Tim Wallender at London Olympics. rick AFB. (Do they still have the Bee Line?) All were stationed at USAFA in the late ’80s-early ’90s. Joe and Debbie moved from Hanscom AFB, MA to Melbourne, FL following Joe’s retirement in 2001. Joe works for IMB as a DoD client executive for the Florida COCOMS. Dexter Handy sent me a hilarious update about his mile by mile tackling of the Boston Marathon. My sides are still hurting! Dexter proclaims he is a “trophy” husband in the hot, hot city of Houston. He takes care of his beautiful wife, Dr Beverly (Turman) Handy ’80 in the manner in which she deserves. Aside from his chiseled physique, wit, and running expertise, Dexter does volunteer work with the Houston Citizens’ Transportation Coalition and more importantly, attends the local AOG luncheons. Dexter retired in 2004 out of Ramstein AB as the Chief of the Comm/Info Systems branch. While I cannot include his entire running story, I am sure Dexter would be happy to share it. In fact, I would be happy to share it, if asked! It is funny!

ment committee entered into agreement with the USAFA Endowment for a perpetual class endowment to fund cadet international immersion programs. As you may recall at our 30th reunion, we agreed that the endowment would replace the traditional reunion “class gift.” Our class endowment is based on the belief that the sustained strength of our great nation is strongly linked to our ability to successfully navigate and influence the international political, military and economic arena and is essential to promoting the U.S. values of freedom, free enterprise, and capitalism. The Class of 1981 established this endowment to support cadet international programs that lead the way in developing international savvy of future Air Force Officers to help sustain American influence in the global marketplace. We challenged USAFA academic departments to pursue programs which allow cadets to experience and learn through internships with US Embassies, other US Government Agencies, International Organizations or International Companies (either domestic or abroad). The committee members have already pledged over $100,000 to our endowment and our class goal is to raise the first million dollars prior to our 35th reunion. All will be contacted soon about their participation in this class commitment. For more information, go to http://usafa81endowment.com to see a presentation on the endowment and for committee member contact information. (And it has groovy pictures of our classmates!) I close out this midnight article (#44) at the last minute with relief knowing I have a 3-month repireve. Football season is halfway over as I wrote this article and the Colorado Fall is upon me with snow on Pikes Peak. I humbly thank you for your continued support, emails, pictures, and thanks! Go AF! I wish you a Merry Christmas (do people still say that?) and hope to get some good pictures and updates from everyone. I’ll be well into the AF basketball season when you read this. I’ll try to get some updates from the ’81 AF basketball regulars (Tim Harris, Marty France, and Frank Cheeseman). Oh, they are almost done with the Vandenberg Hall remodel.

Jim Ratti 2860 Arbor Pointe Drive Middletown, OH 45042 (937) 760-2333 rattijm@mindspring.com

Beverly and Dexter Handy Shirley (Hilsgen) Kring sent a great picture with her husband Roy and Debbie (Lumpkins) and Mike Horgan after a great ’81 dinner in Boston. Debbie and Mike live up the road from me in the Denver metroplex, but got together with Shirley and Roy while out East visiting their daughter Casey ’12, as she started grad school at MIT. Shirley and Roy’s sons, Ryan and Randy, joined the gang for dinner, too. They both attend Tufts Medical School in Boston. Debbie and Mike’s other daughter, Kelly, is attending veterinary school in Colorado.

Casey, Mike, and Debbie Horgan; Shirley, Roy, Ryan and Randy Kring The 1981 class endowment committee is ready to go “public” with establishment of the first class endowment for USAFA. Our class endow-

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Greetings Redtags! Oh, my goodness, what a great reunion! The weather was perfect (really!) and we even won the game, although the first three minutes brought back some bad memories. I heard from many of you, and I heartily agree that this was the best one yet. Every time I go to C-Springs for a reunion I go with high expectations, and every time I’m blown away by a far better experience than I ever could have imagined. This one was no exception. From the moment Ellen and I checked in Wednesday until we left the wonderful Catholic Choir gathering Sunday afternoon it was a non-stop gabfest and hug fest. We were bushed each evening and had no problem falling asleep, although I’m not sure if that’s a sign of how much visiting we did, or if it’s a sign of our advancing age. Either way, it was a good experience. So let’s see what I can recall from the week’s festiviSabre Society Donors ties. Some 220 grads/class members (about 27% of us) showed up, and including guests we had somewhere north of 350 people altogether. I’ll warn you right now, I met an awful lot of people and I won’t be able to recap all of those discussions here. I’ll use space limitations as an excuse, but the sad fact is I just won’t remember all the wonderful encounters. Please don’t be disappointed if I miss getting your news here. Rather, view it as an opportunity to send me an update and remind (or chastise) me! I also have a bunch of pictures. I can only print five, so I had to do some serious culling. Of course, I’ve got lots of great pictures of groups of people. But I thought it might be more interesting to run some of the more unusual shots, so I gave higher priority to using those photos. I heard talk of setting up a website of some sort to post the pictures, but I don’t have any details yet. When I do I’ll let you all know. A true high point of the reunion was the attendance of Jane Mengel’s sister Kathy Mengel Flesch and her father, LeRoy. As many of you know, we made a concerted effort this year to invite the families of our deceased classmates. Kathy and LeRoy took us up on the offer. They had an absolutely wonderful time meeting many of you and reminiscing about Jane and her cadet exploits. LeRoy and Kathy told me they heard many stories they never knew about, and that the interaction with all of you gave them a sense of closure and peace. They both attended the memorial ceremony that Martha (Stevenson) and Bones Jones put together and said that it

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Class News was very moving. In fact, virtually everyone I spoke to after the ceremony said it was the highlight of the weekend. Martha did an awesome job planning the flow of the event, and who knew that Bones could step into a phone booth and pop out as a dynamic preacher man! He gave a stunning sermon with a powerful message of hope. Well done! And who can forget the truly first class video tribute Tom Sylvester produced. Many of you contributed pictures of our fallen classmates, and Tom pulled them together with yearbook photos, slick transitions and perfect music to create a classy six-minute trip down memory lane. If you’d like to view the video it’s on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/iKUNae3v5Ac. Of course, one very sad note was a last-minute addition to the video. We learned the Saturday before the reunion that Andy “Hedley” La Mar passed away that morning after a very difficult battle with brain cancer. Everyone remembers Andy as a bright, smiling man who truly enjoyed life. He had a remarkable USAF career and retired as a Lt Col in 2006 after 24 years of dedicated service. We all miss him, and our thoughts and prayers are with Kristine and Katherine. Please contribute to the Wounded Warrior project in his name if you’d like to leave a tribute. So now here’s a stream of consciousness review of just a few other folks I met throughout the weekend. Football god Eddie Antoine is a Delta first officer after retiring out of the T-1 at Randolph four years ago. He and his wife live in New Braunfels, TX. Eddie hosted our 30th (Doolie) Squadron gathering which included Martha Stevenson-Jones, Mike Eayrs, Dolores (Smith) Bubier, Tony Mahoney, Steve Vogt, Bill Harding, Billy Watkins, and me. Glenn Murphy retired and works part time as a DoD contractor. He bought his uncle’s estate in South Dakota and spends lots of time there tinkering with old Ford pickups. Cynthia Shelton married her partner and lives near Baltimore where they’re raising 2-1/2 year-old twins. They are the cutest boys in the world and she has pictures to prove it! Deb and Miles Kirkhuff live in C-Springs and were critical to the reunion committee. Deb’s second career (OK, serious hobby) is running triathlons. Greg “Dutch” Masters looks great and has been flying for Air Tran (soon to be Southwest) for longer than I can remember. Sue Talley and I had a nice long conversation commiserating about proposal writing. She works for ITT Exelis, a defense contractor in San Diego. Tony “Lazer” Lazarski has been a staffer for Sen. Inhofe of Oklahoma since retiring several years ago. I think he was in SAF/LL (Legislative Liaison) at the Pentagon on active duty, so this was a natural transition. Lazer sent this fun picture from the football game. His 7-year-old son Andrew was excited about the cadets doing pushups after touchdowns, so joined in the fun. Lazer said Andrew hung in there and did 14, 21, then 28 pushups – certainly more than I could muster!

Lazer’s Son Andrew – A Chip off the Old Block! Lazer explored out-of-the-way places in the Cadet Area during the open house, and found a tunnel entrance which had been left open! Discretion being the better part of valor, he opted against a donut run to Mitch’s with the family in tow. But he did say that his peek inside confirmed that nothing has changed. Not that I’d know… ahem… (See photo at the top of the next column.) Speaking of Legislative Liaison, 2-star Tod Wolters runs SAF/LL. John Morrison is flying for Jet Blue. BG Bob Ranck was set to retire just days after the reunion. Lt Gen Dave Fadok (Commander and President of Air University) planned to head to the Pentagon to officiate. My 10th Sq

Lazer and the Tunnels – Donuts Anyone? roomie Bob Lee flies the 777 for United, and watched the shuttle land at LAX on its fini flight. Another 10th Sq mate, Chris Provincio, is chief pilot for Cessna in Wichita and runs a flight department of 45 pilots. He flies about 300 hours annually demoing Cessna jets all over the globe. Nancy Robinson Davis related a great story about how she wanted to serve so badly after 9/11 that she enlisted because she couldn’t get a waiver to get on active duty as an officer. I loved hearing her talk about wanting to fly predators so she could personally put a Hellfire in Osama’s face. Our dinner on Friday was great, and the band Tom Sylvester pulled together was superb. Here’s a cool picture from dinner. We were able to get Mitch’s Mountains for dessert, and Lee Harvey’s son Alex (’13) dug right in. That’s JB Smith in the background egging Alex on. Check out the gigundo spoon!

Making Molehills out of Mitch’s Mountains! Scot Shier brought Patty and their teenage quints – they’re all grown up now. I remember seeing their baby pictures just yesterday. Speaking of baby pictures, newlywed Atwell Williams’ wife is pregnant! The baby will help keep them young. Some of us headed to Jack’s Valley for a Saturday tour. USAFA now uses the Valley throughout the year, and among other things does urban war-

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL (719) 472-0300 X200. We Made It!

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fare training there. We saw the complex, and it’s pretty cool. Think histakes paintball with M-16s in a realistic urban desert environment. We visited the confidence course (Scot Shier demonstrated the Tiltin’ Hilton) and O-Course, and all gathered for this picture. Loved the words over the last obstacle. Sue Grant’s daughter Courtney (’16) helped guide us through Jack’s Valley and somehow managed to keep her BCT-induced PTSD under control. The game was great – New Mexico put up a good fight but we prevailed. Senate candidate Heather Wilson arrived wearing red, a great way to support the class, yet convince potential constituents that she was on their side (the Lobos wear red). Great politician, that gal! Dean Mills’ son jumped in with the ’82 flag. Jim Harkins led a flyby in a QF-4 – Cool!

Rob Englehart, Tim Strawther, Bob Schantz, and Wade Wheeler at Founders Day dinner. Karen (Price) Forster sends greetings from New Mexico where she has been teaching high school math and English for 19 years. The USAFA ’83 no-host socials at Sine’s Tavern near the Pentagon are going strong and if you’re not on the invite list, you are behind the times! I joined the local crowd in May 2012.

Dean Mills’ son waves our flag. Other news – Chip Dorman flies for FedEx and lives in Harper’s Ferry. Bill Harding is a Program Manager for United Launch Alliance and lives in El Segundo. Sally and Art Crain have a daughter who’s a Firstie, and John Crennan’s daughter is a Doolie. There are many other ’82 legacies either at USAFA or already graduated, and I regret not having a complete listing. So that’s it, because I’m out of space before I’m out of news! Let me just say it’s been a pleasure writing this column for the past 30 years, and the sincere thanks I received from so many of you at the reunion will fuel me for another 30! Your humble scribe, Ratman.

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W. Wade Wheeler PSC 2, Box 14652 APO AE 09012 wwade83@me.com Germany cell: 0171-6090249

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Guten Tag! And greetings from Germany! Life as a dependent Air Force spouse is challenging. Up early to cook breakfast for my wife, walk the dogs, then a big decision… Golf or Nap? And also I have to be ‘arm candy’ at all those social events at USAFE/HQ. I bought Mark Murphy a good German beer at the last event. He is the 152nd AOG/CC and was at Ramstein for two weeks in October. On a sad note. The Association of Graduates recently learned of the death of Lt Col (Ret) Harris L. Brisbon, CS-06 class of 1983. Lt Col Brisbon passed away last year on 11 Dec 2011. Leo was a preppy. Scott Poppleton voices our class sentiment well “Sad to learn of this news -- way too young. RIP Bris.” Sabre Society Once again, I run in to Jim Horton in the most unDonors expected of places; he walked past me at the Randolph

pharmacy last spring. We slowly tracked down a dozen of our classmates in the San Antonio area and had a get together in the works before my wife PCSed. Jim is the Deputy AETC/IG. I also attended the Alamo (San Antonio) chapter of the AOG’s Founders Day dinner where LTG Janet Wolfenbarger ’80 was the guest speaker. She is the first USAFA grad female 3 star. We also found out Rob’s dad was one of the original Air Training Officers for the class of 1959! (See photo at the top of the next column.) Ever try to coordinate schedules with a Navy SEAL Admiral? I finally caught Brian Losey at home in Stuttgart, Germany in September. Brian and his lovely wife, Ivy, are adjusting to life in Germany and having both kids out of the house. Brian’s choice of the Chop House for steak in downtown Stuttgart was delightful and our pleasant walk through the winefest wrapped up the evening. We plan to get together for some biking, I’m thinking of waiting until spring when it warms back up.

From left are Jeff Kendall, Kathy ‘KJ’ (Strand) Johnson, Brad Guiterriez, Trish (Riley) Kimmineau, John Garstka, Cheryl (Newhouse) Phillips, Chris ‘Mookie” Walker (’88), Wade Wheeler, Tracey (Smith) Urman, John Jerakis, Sheila Zuehlke, Landon Cook, and Cliff Latta. (Also there but not pictured were Mark Gallagher, PhD, who works in AF/A9 and Gary Hopper, SAF/AQ.) KJ (’83) and Wade (’81) Johnson’s daughter, Kallyn (’08) just graduated from Uniformed Services Medical School and to top that, married our classmate Gary Harencak’s son, Michael (10) in June. We think it may be the first marriage of ‘kids of grads, who are also grads themselves’. The Johnson/Harencak clan wants to challenge anyone out there to see if they have as many grads in their family. Here is the rundown: Wade Johnson (81) & KJ Johnson (83); kids: Brice Johnson (07) married to Mash (Vendt) Johnson (07), and Kallyn (Johnson) Harencak (08) married Michael Harencak (10) son of Gary Harencak (83) who is married to Tanya (Puhrmann) Harencak, sister of Randy Puhrmann (84?). Also, KJ’s sister is married to Nick Fritts (07). Grand total: 9! I would also ask if anyone has Chuck Murrillo beat. He has 20 Holstein dairy cows, 40 chickens and 23 turkeys in Archbold, OH. Oh yeah, and a 3-year-old daughter. Jon Duresky spent 4 ½ days hiking 75 miles on the Appalachian trail to raise funds for the Danny Did Foundation (Epilepsy). He then admitted to taking a short detour when he took a wrong turn. Good job Jon! Any volunteers to be SERE aggressors with me next year when he does this again? Craig Croxton has retired (Tucson AZ). He has taken up cycling and is racing Category 5 (beginners). It’s a challenging sport and keeps him in shape with approx 200-300 miles per week on the saddle. In 2013, he hopes to upgrade to Category 4. And his favorite part of retirement: He is Kathleen’s (wife) pool boy! Craig sent the following photo of Vince Farrell creating spring break magic (at Tyndall) for his daughter and her roommate, Geneva Croxton (‘15) and Brenna Crow (‘15). Vince flew with Geneva while Matt LaCourse (‘78) flew with Brenna on a 2-ship profile. Everyone was all smiles after the F-4 Phantom incentive flight... (See photo at the top of the next column.) Ray Blust will write the next article and he has two requests: 1. If anyone was involved in the development of our class crest or knows who developed the design ideas or drew the design, please email or call him. 2. 30-Year REUNION is next Fall, 2013! Need those in the C Springs and Denver area to let Ray know if they can help out. Need about 10 of us to get it done right.

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Vince, Geneva, Craig, Brenna, and Matt Contact Ray Blust at rjmablust@comcast.net, (304) 281-1621. From Ray: “We are less than a year out for our 30th reunion and could use some help planning. Laurie Schroeder Healy put her hand up first, but here’s the problem: she only attended about a half a day of our 10th and that’s it—so she’s needs some people with a little experience or at least some folks who have some ideas. Please contact her at LBHEALY@comcast.net.” I’m looking forward to our 30th year class reunion … and if there is any doubt about my choice of football games for our reunion weekend… Go Army beat Air Force!

Mike Jensen 12035 Milam Road Colorado Springs, CO 80908 (719) 338-3570 www.usafa84.com usafahomes@gmail.com Twitter: @USAFA84

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Thanks for all of the updates on short notice! You guys are amazing! For those of you who are not getting my pleas for help, please send me an update now or, go to the AOG website and make sure your contact info is correct. (Preferably BOTH!) One of the first to respond was Chris and Anne (Foley) Bowman letting us know that Chris retired on 1 Oct 2012. He accepted a job at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. His last job was Chief of Staff at 13th Air Force at beautiful Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Chris Bowman and Anne (Foley) Bowman Ed Heierman and his wife, (Anne’s sister) Sheila, (children Alec & Natalie) made it out to Hawaii to celebrate with them. They had JJ Johnson (President AEA) and his wife, Shelley, visiting in Hawaii as well. (I’m always the last to know!) Bill Brei, one of our more deployed classmates, was at the very end of a short “out-of-theater” recuperation & training phase of his assignment to the AFPAK Hands Program, was SERBed and thus retired from the USAF on 1 June 2012. The powers that be, never missing an opportunity, notified Bill to retire AND that he Sabre Society was selected for a urinalysis within the same hour of Donors the same day. He is now working as a manager in a software development company (which makes his wife happy), but Bill, never missing an opportunity, is seriously considering an offer to serve as site lead for the military advisory mission in South Sudan. (Which does not make his wife very happy, even though he offered to take her with him.) Der Kaiser, Scott Wilhelm, went to a Beale Bandit reunion a few weeks back. He was there with Mike Harvey. They teamed up to be the champions of the official tailgate games. Scott’s youngest son enlisted in the AF,

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graduating at top of his tech school class and is now a crew chief at Little Rock. He is pursuing an appointment to USAFA and just returned from an orientation. Congrats to Scott as he also got married in June on a 1916 historic schooner off the Maine coast. Ralph ‘Buzz’ Seilius retired from the Virginia ANG effective 30 May 2012, now working with defense contractor, PESystems Inc, at Air Force ISR Agency, Lackland AFB TX. Buzz, just celebrated 17th wedding anniversary with his wife, Jana. First timer Kathy (Callaghan) Rex has a son who is a sophomore at the Academy and just choiced into 32, my old squadron. Their second son is at Northwestern Prep and leaning towards USAFA or the Coast Guard Academy. They enjoy being involved again in activities at USAFA. Kobi is on the track team and they won the Mountain West Conference in both Indoor and Outdoor last year! For the past two years, Kathy had the pleasure of coaching Marty and Brenda Louthan’s daughter in team handball and it has been fun reconnecting with them. Kathy also got to see Cheryl (Devita) Roberson staying with her and Darryl who is now a two-star at the Pentagon. She is rooting for Daryl to be the next Supt so she and Cheryl can spend more time together. The big news in the Jack Forsythe family is that they just had a son. Jason was born on Sept 24th, and Amy and he are having an absolute blast with him! Always wanting to be a senior mentor – Jack just didn’t know it would be for some future Cub Scout Troop.in between feedings and diaper changings, Jack sees Paul “Swarm” Suarez and Jay Ducharme occasionally and can report that they’re doing well. Chris “C-DIN” DiNenna has been stationed at the Pentagon for a little over two years. Many service members may want to avoid assignments there, but it took Chris 27 years to finally arrive. He is from the area and finds Washington DC to be among the world’s most beautiful and imposing nation’s capitals. Plus, he has family there that his 7 year old had either seen rarely or never met. In his short 7 years, Devon has lived on three continents and in 6 houses. Such is the life of a military child. This past spring, they bought a house in northern Virginia. By the way -- if anyone that wants a screaming deal on a two-story colonial in Hampton, VA (Langley AFB), get in touch with C-Din. He has a retirement set for 1 July 2013. New SkyWest Pilots: Alan Bridges and Brent “Mongo” Johnson. Alan is based in Colorado Springs and sent a picture of Maureen and him hiking near Alta, UT, in Salt Lake City this summer. They are officially “empty nesters” with three kids are all in college. Brent is in training and is hoping to be based in Salt Lake City.

Alan and Maureen Bridges Jim Bratton is finishing up a stint as lead engineer for the AGM-88F, a new variant of the HARM missile. Jim works for Uncle Sam at Eglin AFB. He and wife, Liz, have a daughter Corinne in graduate school and a young one, Alexandra, in her freshman year of college. They are spending the fall tearing a tri-toon boat down for a complete rehab. Visit Jim and Liz next summer for a cruise out to Crab Island. Tommy Wilson’s daughter Haley is in the Class of 2013 where she is the top grad in Behavioral Science. She has been offered grad school, but there is uncertainty due to impending budget cuts. Dad is quite proud, as am I, and hope we can find her some scholarship money. Any help and advice is appreciated. Alex Bapty’s son is in the Class of 2016. Along with Kathy’s son, is an IC for Cross Country and Track. Alex retired in 2005 and is now Director of Aviation for NNSA in Albuquerque. His daughter just started med school at UNM. Rich Call is still with UPS as a 747-400 Captain living in Anchorage. Recently engaged, he is loving life and travelling the world. Phil Kilgore had a busy year with his classical charter school project at Hillsdale College. We helped two groups open schools with grades K-10 this fall in Lewisville, TX and Moriarty, NM. There are almost 800 students between the two schools. Upcoming openings will occur in Savannah, GA, Naples, FL, and several other states. Great job, Phil.

Lastly, Jerry Cummin is working at Kelley Barracks, Germany. His oldest 3 are in College and youngest 3 are attending the International School in Stuttgart. (Read that again….it is true !). Wow, Jerry how can you still be drinking Guinness and driving Toyotas? I have to know! As you read this, please drop me a note, a card, and email or even a Tweet. The deadline is fast approaching and time is almost there for another new year. Thanks for all you do and have a very Happy and prosperous 2013. . jens

Frank “Q.” Williams 13209 Topsfield Court Herndon, VA 20171 (703) 657-3227 USAFA1985@aol.com

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seeing the shuttle land, Disney, Daytona 500. But we do like the change of seasons, so when orders to Omaha came in we were ready to go. I retired out of F.E. Warren AFB 4 years ago. I thought Minnesota, where I grew up, was the next stop. But the doors did not open. All the while the doors stayed open for us in Layton, UT where I work for Northrop Grumman and support the ICBM SPO at Hill AFB. God works in mysterious ways. We sure had our doubts about moving here. All said and done God has blessed me with a great wife, family and life. In a few years we still hope to go to Minnesota. If you ever are out this way our doors are always open, even at the last minute…” Lori continues with the last Parents Weekend, “There were a few of us from ’86 who have kids in the Class of 2016. We sat together during the game over Parent’s Weekend. The really cool thing is that we all are from CS-31 (Jim Cardinal, Kirk Berggren, John Horn and Bruce Way)…and I guess I’m CS-35, but an honorary Grim Reaper so they say. Cardinal, Berggren and Way boys plan to legacy to CS-31 next year.”

(17 Sabre Society Members) (Editor’s note: We did not get an input from Q this quarter. Please send him your information and photos for the next issue.)

Lawrence Cooper 2806 Erics Court Crofton, MD 2114 Cooper@astroguy.net

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Hey, fellow ’86ers! Another quarter has passed and many of us are in transition. New jobs, new places. A lot is going on for us. I’m running into a lot of grads at the five-sided building on the Potomac. For instance, at the Pentagon I’ve run into Brig. Gen. Roger Teague who is now Director of Strategic Plans, Programs and Analyses at HQ Air Force Space Command. I think he was in town for charm school. I also kept running into Roger Thrasher on the Metro as he travels to and from his classes at National Defense University. You may remember Roger is the chairman for our class gift committee. Our class is raising money to supSabre Society port the construction of the new Center for Character Donors and Leadership Development (CCLD) building, the only facility of its kind in the nation. In recognition of our gift, the class of 1986 will receive permanent recognition in an Atrium located off the main forum of the building, with a formal dedication of the Atrium at our 30th Reunion. One hundred percent of our donations go to the project and are tax-deductible. As of today, we have raised more than $97,200 in pledges towards our goal of $250,000, but we need your help to reach our goal and bring this important project to fruition. Gifting instructions are available online at https://giving.usafa.org/give/1986CCLD. If you need more details or have any questions, please email the Class of 1986 Class Gift Committee at 1986usafa@gmail.com. Lori Curl Cardinal and her husband Jim Cardinal are in touch after a long while. Here’s their update, “…Spent most of my career with ICBM ops and maintenance in the north. No regrets, we love the north. Two of our favorite places to live were Malmstrom AFB, MT and Minot AFB, ND. Great people, hunting, backpacking, fishing, canoeing –great outdoors; even if 31 Oct had 6 inches of snow and eight-below weather. We did get to thaw out once with a tour at Cape Canaveral. Launching rockets was hands down the best job ever. Some highlights: STS72, Mars pathfinder,

From left are Miles and Bruce Way, Jimmy, Lori and Jim Cardinal, Kirk and Jacob Berggren, and John and Morgan Horn. I won’t go into the major disappointment of the Navy game, but here’s a photo of Kent Shin, Manny Payne, and Doug James at the Navy watch party in Beavercreek, OH.

From left are Manny Payne, Kent Shin, and Doug James. Another alum from CS-35, George Birsic, dropped a note to say hello (a really short note): “I retired on 1 October. Now I have to work for a living.” Hopefully George will fill us in on where he lands. Steele Macfarlane is now Deputy Strategy Concepts and Doctrine Division at USAF in Norfolk VA. John “Bama” Montgomery gave up wing command at Nellis AFB in 2011 and is now the AFROTC Commander at Det 875 Virginia Tech and

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Class News Scott Campbell finally retired last June and is moving to Chattanooga TN to take a position with Amazon.com. Here’s one last photo of ‘86ers who got together to watch USAFA vs USNA. We have Ed Yong, Jeff Blank, and Dave Wiegand putting out big smiles before/during the game (if it was after the game, obviously the smiles wouldn’t be that great).

From left are Ed Yong, Jeff Blank, and Dave Wiegand. John & Carolyn Sammartino 3107 Woods Cove Lane Woodbridge, VA 22192 H: (703) 492-5492 W: (703) 808-6234 jsammar@verizon.net

Sueling and Patti Lisa (Gummel) D’Alessio summed up our USAFA experience very eloquently: “I was reflecting on the weekend this morning, and came across this statement: “People pay homage to where they came from because it shapes where they’re headed.” The biggest thing I realized this weekend was that, despite all the things we endured as young women and men, I am still grateful that I went there for college. File that under “crazy things I learned at the reunion!” The festivities kicked off on Wednesday night with a social that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

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Greetings once again ’87—fresh back from our grand 25th reunion which was a total blast, as I’m sure the 300 or so of our classmates that made the trek back to the Springs will attest. It just could have been a wee bit warmer for the Friday night lights game versus Nevada; parkas, stocking caps and grey leather gloves were the appropriate attire, and still not nearly enough as the game time temperature was around 30, and dropped down to the teens by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. Classmates at what used to be the Bring Me Men ramp.From left are unknown, Rhett Butler, Ez Vance, Jeff Cliatt, Kirk Broussard, unknown, and Shane MetcalfJeff. Some of the many folks I chatted with and got updates about included Eric Kreul who lives outside Atlanta and has a really cool job working with C-130J simulators for Lockheed Martin. He travels a lot and even goes to India, which he said is just crazy, they are not even allowed to drive over there. He said he would send some pictures for a future update. He had his family there and they were enjoying a nice Colorado vacation. Howard Huerta also lives outside Atlanta. Pat Vetter has one of the most interesting “jobs” going. He is a student at the University of Texas at Austin doing Sabre Society Donors Insider Threat research; guess he deserves it after numerous trips to the desert! Many of our classmates have children who are currently cadets. I met Scott Stark’s son who is a fourth classman, Scott lives just a little outside DC in Frostburg MD; think he went home to a snowstorm that Hurricane Sandy left for those of us on the East Coast. Judy Mayrand, the first woman Electronic Warfare Officer in AF history, retired in 2011, currently lives in San Antonio and is going to nursing school for her next career. The dinner on Thursday evening was casual dress, but of course there were a few sharp dressed folks, including Joe Manson and Reggie Nelson, both of whom came down from Detroit -- must have some nice tailors up there! Joe is currently working for a consulting firm, and Reggie flies for United. Marc Grassie also fell into the well-dressed category. Marc currently is a misplaced New Yorker living in Texas and flying for FedEx. (See photo at the top of the next column.) Joe Holmes flies for United and lives in New Jersey. We hope he survived the storm surge from the hurricane. Our buddy Andy Garrobo fell into the “interestingly-dressed” category, as he showed up for lunch at Mitchell Hall in what looked like our old cadet-issued “urban assault” outfit, including the Falcon tie—a good laugh was had by all who noticed! Jeff Degler was there, another Jersey dude. He is a contractor working at the Pentagon and still doing some time in the Reserves. Scott Savoie retired and settled in Charleston, SC where he has parlayed his contracting exper-

Of course, we had long made it back to the Embassy Suites to watch the Falcons finalize a nice victory, where the temperature was around 70 and the dollar drafts were flowing! Patti (Michalcik) Stuart and Sueling ChoHammer were our co-chairpersons, and did a fabulous job—nothing they could do about the weather that caused the golf outing to be scrubbed, we were just grateful the predicted 2-4 inches of snow never materialized. (See photo at the top of the next column.)

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Craig McCurdy 46992 Smithwood Court Potomac Falls, VA 20165 Cell: (202) 570-3058 ccicdjmccurdy@yahoo.com

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Members

(17 Sabre Society Members) (Editor’s note: We did not get an input from Craig this quarter. Please send him your information and photos for the next issue.)

A few of the “sharp-dressed” folks! tise and is working as a contractor. Kurt and Malia (Bell) Spranger live in Florida where Kurt works for an up-and-coming aircraft company called ICON—look it up on the Web; it is like a sports car of an airplane! They have at least one, maybe 2 children who have graduated from USAFA and are on active duty. Jeff Cliatt is a 767 pilot for Delta, living in Salt Lake City. John Steimle lives in San Jose and flies for Southwest; he is also a Lt Col in the Reserves. Hal McAlduff works for the Defense Acquisition University at Fort Belvoir, VA as an instructor, and Blake Pierson lives in Washington state where he is a pilot and part-time high school cross-country coach. Carl Carhuff retired from active duty and lives in Georgia. The ladies in the class are very grateful to Regis and Lynda (Merryman) Baldauff who opened their home to us Saturday morning as we hosted their daughter, C3C Melissa Baldauff and the doolie women from CS 33. Their visit along with great discussion, were part of their Heritage training that morning! Not to mention it was an amazing brunch put together by Lynda (Merryman) Baldauff, Lucy (Limjoco) Jones, Jenny (Warder) Migdal, and Leslie Howell. The ladies of ’87 were well represented for the event, coming from every corner of our great country! Anne Benovil-Murphy from Virginia; Carolyn (LaPointe) Sammartino from Virginia; Kristy (Johnson) Kuhn from Texas; Tracey Meck from Washington; Michele (Morris) Mitchell from Texas; Diane (Breivik) Allen from Illinois; Dr April (Sullivan) Fitzgerald from Virginia; Jennifer Helland from Florida; Sandra (Niemi) Beveridge from Illinois; Shirrel (Cain) Medara from Nebraska; Stacey (Wilson) Miller from Virginia; Susan (McWhirter) Myhre from Nevada; Sueling Cho-Hammer from California; Barb (Fogel) Kra from Florida; Andrea (Henning) Broshkevitch from Virginia; Judy Mayrand from Texas; Brenda Mangente from California; Kim Northrop from Washington; and our very own General Select Sarah Zabel from Utah!

Paul W. Tibbets, IV 1200 Blazing Star Court SE Albuquerque, NM 87116 (505) 717-2012 E-mail: p2a2tibbets@gmail.com or p2a2me.com Class web site: http://www. usafaclasses.org/1989/

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Class Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid= 43101356987. Hello Classmates! Brief update this quarter. Our class president, Don Simpson, recently took on a new position to lead Professional Services for a Federal Government IT consulting firm in Herndon, Virginia. He touched base with Joe Saleck and Leslee (Greenburg) Saleck who live in Leesburg, Virginia and have a son who is in his junior year at the Zoo. Craig Michaelis is working in Minneapolis, MN for the U.S. Government and came through Stafford, VA for training. He spent a few weeks with Don’s family. Don has received more inquiries on our 25th reunion Sabre Society and will begin using our Facebook site “USAFA Class of Donors 1989” (link above) as the primary vehicle to disseminate information. If you are not a member, just submit a member request through the page and you will be added. Classmates can also add other classmates so they will get updates. We are looking for anyone and everyone interested in helping out with coordination, so if that is you please contact Don directly at don.simpson89@gmail.com. Also, if you haven’t updated your data recently with the AOG, drop them a note (http://www.usafa.org/). Thanks! Also heard from Stephen Whiting, who passed that Jeff Cashman is the new Executive Assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, GEN Frank Grass. Congrats Jeff! That’s a wrap for this quarter. Keep those cards and letters coming. Take care and God bless!

42% Mike Shepherd Members 3801 Derby Circle Quartz Hill, CA 93536 (661) 266-2133 michael.j.shepherd@hotmail.com Class Web Site: www.usafa90.com

As Sueling posted on Facebook: “We’re back in California and look back on an amazing weekend. How did you folks get so charming, hilarious, beautiful, and all around wonderful in 25yrs! Patti and I couldn’t have done it without our incredible committee chairs: Fr Brian Christensen, who conducted a moving Memorial Service; Glenn Strebe, Ken Velten, Tim Beavers, Tom Medara, the menu folks and most of all your squadron reps. Hats off team! Don’t forget the AOG staff who were instrumental - kept us on track on the many tasks / deadlines and helped resolve the many issues which arose. I encourage everyone to insure that your information is updated in the AOG database so we can track you down for the next PARTY! If you should find your way to San Jose – please call.” So, that’s about it for now; we’ll probably include some other reunion tidbits and pictures in the next few issues. If we forgot to include your updated info, please forgive us we were on data-gathering overload. Send us your input and we’ll include it in the next issue. Start making plans for our 30th now; miss it at your own peril! Fly safe…

Greetings MGC! Fall is in the air as I write this and the football season is in full swing. I had to “watch” the Falcon victory over New Mexico on ESPN game tracker—I can honestly say I never dreamed I would be taking in a game that way back when we were seniors freezing in the bleachers and throwing spirit cheese! Speaking of football, Marc Robinson was leading the charge against the maize and blue in the stands of the Michigan-USAFA game. The tailgate contingent for the Falcons numbered over 1,200 diehard Falcon fans Sabre Society Donors standing up to the Michigan crowds. Marc lives near Ann Arbor where he oversees the business publishing operations at the University of Michigan. While at the tailgate he enjoyed some time with Pete Bailey and his family. He also saw Carl Brenner and Aaron Prupas at the big event. Marc worked the crowds hard -- he is proudly running to be our first ’90 representative on the AOG Board of Directors. “I appreciate any help and votes

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Class News for the board. Our year and decade have been really under-represented, and I think we need to have a voice.” Marc also currently works at the Great Lakes Chapter for the AOG, which covers all of Michigan and parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. When I was a cadet, it was the forerunner of this chapter which put together Christmas socials during the winter break—super memories from all that they did (and do) for us! Another active AOG chapter is the Northwest Florida chapter. John Bernhart has been a driving force there. “We have been fairly successful locally ginning up the USAFA AOG Chapter, had a great Fall Football Season at Angler’s Beachside Grill... ranged from 35 to over 125 (attendees, typically 3/4 grads) for the Army and Navy games. Just completed an AOG Charity Challenge Golf Tournament at Eglin AFB to support Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Okaloosa Sharing & Caring... over $800 raised on our first attempt. Cheers!” John reports local ’90ers include Nicole Blatt, Michael Neeman, Ryan Luchsinger, Al Iannaccone, Richard “Dick” Clark, John Bunnell, Randle Gladney, Sherry Teague, Michael Calta, Tim Stevens, Scott Vernetti, Michael Contratto, Joe DeCaro (Ft Rucker), Leslie (Skinner) Hadley, Tim McWilliams, Scott Ormsby, Carl Schaefer, Chris Wright, Devin Walters (Pensacola), Lucille (Fish) Warner, Lee Newton, James Guerin (Panama City), Craig Dye (Panama City), Mark Gutcher (Tyndall), Brian Porter, Ruthann (Shelton) Fisher, Tom Kafka and John Mateer (Tyndall). When not tracking this extensive network of classmates, John has found time to get married to Leslie on August 4th and settled down with a new position at Merrill Lynch in Destin, FL. Congratulations and thanks for the update! A few other classmates have new positions as I learned on our Linkedin site. Oliver Washington retired in Jun 2012 and went to work for Scitor Corp in Oct 2012 in Chantilly, VA. Anne (Parker) Krause gave us this update. “Hi! I am currently serving as the President of the Alamo Heights School Foundation (volunteer) and have recently joined USAA as a consultant in their External Affairs department.” Another change was in stereo as David and Krystal (formerly Guenther, CS-26) Murphy (CS-24) recently took command of the 782 TRG (Dave) and 82 AMDS (Krystal) at Sheppard AFB, Texas. “We’re enjoying Texas life with adopted Japanese biological brothers Seiya (12), Itsuki (11) and Koki (10).”

Dave and Krystal Murphy with family at Dave’s change of command at Sheppard AFB. Our Maxwell contingent is going strong. I heard from Andre Briere. “Cathy, Andre (age 15) and Reagan (age 12) and I are looking forward to our new assignment as the Chief of the DDOC (J-4) for EUCOM at Stuttgart.” Jay Updegraff added more details. (See photo at the top of the next column.) “There are currently eight members of Mighty Ninety stationed or working at Maxwell/Gunter. The group has met several times for lunch already and is planning in October to get together to watch the Air Force-Navy game. RTBer’s include Mark Brown and Dr. Tom McCarthy (both faculty members at the Air War College), Chris Hamm (Director of Safety, Civil

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Andre Briere and Jay Updegraff do their best Secret Service impersonations in front of the White House. Air Patrol), Steve Lambert (Commander’s School Director, Eaker Center), Marty and Sue (Bizzelle) Schlacter (Marty is the Director of Operations for the Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate at Gunter, and Sue is 42nd ABW Vice-Commander), and Jill Singleton (Director of Intelligence at the LeMay Center). “Interestingly, Sue, Mark and Jay were all part of Jaguars flight during BCT. Who would have thought 26 summers later they’d all be in the same place... small Air Force! Anyone travelling through Maxwell/Gunter to attend a course, or give a presentation, or just to play golf on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, please give us a holler. We’re always looking for a good excuse to eat BBQ!” Finally, I had the opportunity to sneak into the annual Society of Test Pilot School convention in Anaheim, California at the Disneyland resort. Before they had an opportunity to check my credentials and realize a navigator had entered their fraternal organization, I received a few updates from our steely-eyed test pilot classmates. Dave “Thermo” Kivioja retired on May 3 at the AF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB and has joined Northrop Electronic Systems as a test pilot. Mike Contratto is the vice wing commander at the 46th Test Wing at Eglin. Carl Schaefer continues as an intrepid test pilot in the USAF. Bill “Idle” Power lives near me and is a UAV expert consulting on UAV flight test. Doug Sabo has retired but remains at Edwards Air Force Base in bomber flight test flying the B-1 as a civilian. By the time you read this we will have elected a president, and in all likelihood many of you will have had a snow day or two to reflect on your service to the country. Maybe we’ll even have an AFA bowl victory to savor! If you do get a snow day during the dark ages, I’d sure like to hear what you do when you are not stuck in your house shoveling snow. Please send me an update or a photo and I’ll do my best to work it into the next issue. Thanks again to all of you for your contributions and sacrifice over the years! Mighty 90 – Flash.

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Carson Tavenner 7216 W. Country Club Drive Arlington, WA 98223 (301) 367-8969 Tavenner@hotmail.com

Members

Hey, folks! Tons o’ news. Let’s get busy. I hope by the time you’re reading this that you’re settling into a comfortable winter period with family. Please continue to keep in mind our

classmates serving overseas and in difficult situations. The war grows long and weary; many Americans forget it continues. I wonder after the election whether this issue will begin to take headlines again… Sad news up front: Did you notice in the last Checkpoints that Richard “Alan” Hardemon died two years ago? I did not know him, and I hope someone in our class will help us with a short memorial to post in our Facebook group’s Fallen Comrades photo album. Alan died back on Oct 12, 2010 in Cumming, GA. I do not know any details of his passing. On this subject, if you know of a deceased classmate who is not included in our Fallen Comrades photo album, I ask you please to notify me and/or others so that we can remedy the situation. A few years ago I was not in a position or inclination to spend as much time on this as I am now. The Bold Gold manual download from Linked In (it’s not really a download; I just save ‘em when I see ‘em): Rob Ramos became the Director of the Institutional Research Division at USAFA, Esty Ramirez became the Director of Systems Engineering at Hawker Beechcraft. Tom Loper became a First Officer with Atlas Air. James Hanley became a production test pilot for Boeing (hey, James, do you live near Everett? Come on up to Arlington for a drink!) Vice Commanders, Ten-hut! Thad Bibb is now Vice Sabre Society Commander of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein AB, Donors Germany and Paul Bauman is Vice Commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Wing Commander, Ten-hut! Jim “Shredder” Sears is the Commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB, MS! Bold Gold is now in complete control, as Matt Isler is the Vice Commander there. Matt gave me additional lowdown from his view in the cockpit. “Tav…a little Bold Gold going on at Columbus after [Jim] took command of the 14th Flying Training Wing (AF’s largest fleet of aircraft with 234 on the ramp) on 27 June. It was quite a sight from the formation and good to present the Wing’s first salute to him as CV and commander of troops with “Bold Gold!” We’ll be sure to get a picture with Rob Erickson as he stops up here this fall!” (Rob is an Air National Guard advisor to the Air Education and Training Command, by the way.) I was glad to be reminded that our class is represented on the AOG board. Kelly Smith has been on the board since 2010. Personally, I think the AOG has been doing a better job at defining its mission and being able to serve the institution through the association of the graduates than how we perceived it was doing this work soon after our graduation. With the invention of Facebook and other social media we have been able to stay in touch with one another quite well regardless of whether the AOG made this its mission, or not. So maybe you don’t think about what the AOG is doing, or not doing, or should do. But if you do notice something that you’d like the board to think about, I highly recommend you contact Kelly and give him something to talk about! Puget Sound Bold Golders: We need to get together! Today is just about the two-year anniversary of when we had a great late October lunch outside at the McChord O’Club. Lunch outside in Washington in October! Yeah, it was a special day alright. So I want to get together! Maybe we have done that by the time you’re reading this. Two funny stories involving Art Romero and Rob Block. First, in the second week of September I was out on my property in Darrington camping with my son. It had been a long day of working hard preparing timber and we pretty much jumped into our sleeping bags as soon as the sun had gone down, playing cards in the tent for a while before catching ZZs. Unexpectedly, my cell phone receives a text and of course you can now guess it was Art. What a nice surprise! He was just reaching out to say ‘hello’. Over a few text exchanges we reflected on the joys of being with our kids, out-of-doors, yet also still in touch with one another via the amazing technology of our era. He concluded “So much for roughing it out in the wild…would have been nice to have a smartphone and GPS when we were out on our trek!” I thought of all of you. Then this last week I was at a demonstration club event for Toastmasters (I am pretty into TM and highly recommend it for anyone to check out). The director of the facility hosting the event commented that her son was going to the Air Force Academy. Well, this sparked further conversation between us and it turns out he is at the Prep School now and hoping to make it to USAFA. Even before I could mention our class connection to the prep school (Scott Thatcher is the Vice Commander), she had already commented to me on how she highly admired Rob Block for the impact he’s making on her son’s life (Rob is the Dean). Way to go, Rob!

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL (719) 472-0300 X200..

How neat to receive such testimony to personal investment and caring over the preppies. Then…to my shock and amazement she commented on this “amazing peanut butter and jelly restaurant” downtown Colorado Springs. If you don’t already know, Art started a restaurant called “PB ‘n Jellies” and – no shocker here – reaches out to the Academy crowd in neat and creative ways. I was totally floored! Here I was in little Marysville at a TM club meeting of all things and two great friends come into the network picture! Not only was it neat that she would mention the quality of instruction and the store of my two classmates, but it turns out her son loves PBJ so much that he had, earlier in life, suggested to his mother that she open up such a place herself. So Art and her son reportedly had a special conversation right there! Fun news in the flying world: Fresh into retirement, Mike Stewart completed on 3 Sept his 747-400 oral examination. “Fooled em again,” he claims. Another retirement: LtCol Kristi Swain, on 29 Sept, from the USAFA History Department. Congratulations, Kristi! Here’s something fun to close with: a rousing cheer from our buddies Al Wansky and Rob “Waldo” Waldman (’90). Go Air Force!! Al and Waldo were filmed and featured in all of 2 seconds of rockin’ ESPN television fame! If the video still below just doesn’t do it for you, turn your browser to the October 1st posting from Al on the “USAFA Class of 1991” Facebook page and revel in Bold Gold Glory.

Go Air Force! Next time, show your rings, fellas! Enjoy your entry into the winter season, my friends. Carson

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James S. Mehta 707 N Overlook Drive Alexandria, VA 22305 james.mehta@us.af.mil jamesmehta@earthlink.net

Members

Wow, what a great reunion! If you were one of the lucky ones who made it to the reunion, then you know what I am talking about. I think there were well over 300 graduates plus spouses and families. One-third of our class is a pretty awesome showing; the ten-year reunion seemed to be about the same, but then again, that was ten years ago and I’m not sure I remember very accurately. The official reunion weekend started off on Thursday and went through Saturday’s football game. Thursday kicked off with the Prep School mini reunion and a golf tournament on the Silver Course at Eisenhower Golf Course. Of course, that evening and every evening Sabre Society included a social to cap off the night which usually Donors ended up at Judge Baldwin’s in the Antlers Hilton, our host hotel. Friday was spent in the Cadet Area walking around the terrazzo and all of the buildings around the area including Sijan and Vandenberg Halls and the new Clune Arena. Everything was open to our class. Some things hadn’t changed a bit—the terrazzo was under construction in many places—and others had changed quite a lot—different furniture in the cadet rooms and no carpet in the hallways. When I went into the library, I explained to my wife that back when we were cadets there were high-backed chairs at the far end of the library near the windows overlooking the parade grounds where Doolies could catch a nap. I was, but shouldn’t have been, shocked to see the same chairs still there filled with Smacks snoozing away! On Friday some had the opportunity to have lunch in Mitchell Hall with the Cadet Wing, while the rest of us had lunch at the AOG in Doolittle Hall. It was a great time to start catching up. During the afternoon, the AOG,

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Class News USAFA Endowment, Superintendent, and Cadet Wing Commander provided short briefings about events and programs at USAFA. It was good to get caught up on changes and current issues. The open house ended with the traditional homecoming memorial ceremony honoring all USAFA grads who passed away in the last year. It was a meaningful as ever and was culminated with a missing-man formation over the Cadet Area. That evening we had the reunion banquet at the Antlers followed by another round at Judge Baldwin’s. I can’t tell you how many times I caught myself saying, “remember when…” or “hey, didn’t this used to look like…” I’m sure my wife was tired of me comparing the old days to now. Finally, on Saturday the Class of ’92 tailgate got the day started at Falcon Stadium following by a dominating performance from the Air Force Falcons over the Colorado State Rams 42-21. The weather was outstanding, clear and sunny. It was almost hot! We couldn’t have asked for better weather, especially considering I saw the very next weekend it was in the 30s and snowing! A group of us rounded out the weekend by having dinner together down the street from the hotel as I’m sure many others did as well. In a previous column, I mentioned all the people who were working to plan the reunion. Unfortunately, I don’t remember them all now, but I know that Sean Londrigan took the lead and put in a lot of time and effort to make it a spectacular weekend. Thanks to Sean and everyone else who worked so hard on the event for all of us! It was great to see so many familiar faces…twenty years was just enough that some had changed a lot and others, just a bit. Overall, I’d have to say that hair was the biggest change…for many of us it is either graying or no longer around! Shortly after I returned from the reunion, I got some sad news. Classmate Mike Waggle who was terminally ill was deteriorating rapidly. Mike had been selected to attend the Eisenhower School (formerly Industrial College of the Armed Forces—ICAF) this year, but early into the first semester became very ill. He passed away on Sept. 30 with his family at his side. The week before he had a small ceremony in which he was promoted to Colonel. On Oct. 10, Colonel Mike Waggle was remembered and honored at a memorial ceremony at Andrews AFB that was well attended by many who knew Mike. For those of you who attended the reunion, you will remember at the beginning of the banquet Sean mentioned that Mike couldn’t be with us because of his failing health. We didn’t forget him then and won’t forget him now. Mike will be missed and always a part of the True Blue class. Of course, there were so many people at the reunion, that I couldn’t possibly remember everyone who was there and what they are doing now. However, here are a few updates from the virtual mailbag. Joe DeLapp who was a CS-39 Jedi Knight with me as a 4-smoke sent out an email before the reunion trying to touch base with all of us who were together in 39. We didn’t have much success in trying to plan something in advance, but we got a great picture of those of us at the banquet. Joe is stationed at Luke as an F-16 instructor working to bed down the F-35 at Luke and has been married to Julie since 1999.

CS-39 smacks, 20 years later! From left are Don Unwin, Sean Murphy, Tim Anderson, James Mehta, Joe DeLapp, Bill Law, Steve Barrows, Mike Martinez, and Tim Stong.

At the ten-year reunion, one of the scheduled events was a class photo taken on the steps of the chapel. That was a great shot of everyone all together. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that this time and I don’t have a good photo with many ’92ers all together. Send me your favorite reunion photos and I’ll try to fit them in over the next few columns. As usual, when I don’t get many photos from you all, I have to resort to the ones in my own camera. Here’s a great shot of CS-22 at the game.

CS-22 Tarantulas: Kip Wilkowski, Rob Tobler, Jim Meger, Todd Craigie, James Mehta, Don Unwin, and Bob Seifert. I got an email from Paul Hickey who didn’t make the reunion since his wife was scheduled to deliver just two weeks later. Paul’s son, Ethan, was born on October 15 and mom and baby are doing fine while older siblings Ryan and Monica are excited to have a new little brother. Paul has been working at Wright Patterson AFB as a consultant focused on logistics activities for the past nine years. Currently, he’s supporting HQ AFMC/A4 logistics IT portfolio management. He is keeping busy with lots of changes due to the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act affecting business IT systems and the reduction of IT budgets Air Force-wide directed by SAF/A6.

Paul with Ethan, October 15. It was awesome to see so many of you at the reunion. We had a tremendous turnout! Class of 2002 had their ten-year reunion the same weekend and one of them told me they had a “great turnout of about 150.” There was more than double that number of ’92ers. Other than the part of getting older, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing all of you again soon. I know many of you who wanted to, were not able to attend. I hope that you will have a chance to make the next one. If you’re around the DC area, look me up and give me a call. Hopefully, I don’t have to wait for the next reunion to see many of you again! God bless, True Blue—James. Michael D. Sundsted 1805 Macadams Place Alexandria, VA 22308 202-757-0080 Michael.Sundsted@whmo.mil Class Website: www.zoomienation .org–”Class of 1993”

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Members

(18 Sabre Society Donors)

The DeLapps: Joe, Julie, Joe (11), Olivia (9), and Michael (5).

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Greetings Nonus Superato! Hope this short letter finds you well! It’s certainly been a busy fall here in DC. I am looking for the election schedule to wane and am excited about the beginning of the planning process for our 20-year reunion next year! Thanks to all of you who have volunteered already and for those who have not—please let me know if you are interested. Our mighty Falcons took a tough loss against Navy, but it looks like we will still qualify for a bowl game nonetheless!

John Price checked in from Scott AFB, IL. John is currently the Vice Wing Commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing. John’s wife, Stephanie (Parsons ’94), have been busy, but do find time to have fun. They were able to enjoy the Air Force Ball where General Schwartz (’73) was the guest speaker. Dave and Cathy (Beddow) Almand are there from the class of 1990. Dave is the wing commander at Scott AFB. Awesome to see four AFA grads doing great things! I totally miss flying the C-9 there! Thanks for the update John!

Cougar, his wife, Jen, and their kids. Cougar is now the 560th FTS/DO at Randolph flying T-38s. He said he had just taken a jet out to San Diego on a cross-country mission and was able to get in some serious surfing with Jack Hill, who lives in California. Cougar said Jack is doing great and still loving life in the corporate world. Cougs didn’t brag too much about the surfing. He admitted that he got pretty well beat up out there, then said something to the effect of, “just paddling out in a big surf is total commitment. You can’t just call time out if you don’t like the way things are going.” Especially at age 40! Betsy (Moore) Russ zapped me a few texts and a pic. She and husband, Steve Russ (’95), recently moved to Colorado Springs. Betsy said Steve was on the football coaching staff at Wake Forest, but was offered a job with the Falcons this year as the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach. She said they were happy to get the chance to return to Colorado. Betsy also reported she recently met up with Carla Hunstad and Lisa Harrigan, who returned to USAFA for Navy week and a mini-volleyball team reunion. I saw some of the photo evidence on Facebook...looked like a great time. Thanks for the update Betsy. Glad to know you and Steve are at USAFA.

John and Stephanie (Parsons) Price with General Schwartz.

The Prices and Almands at the Air Force Ball at Scott AFB, IL. Dave Graff assumed command of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, FL on 14 November. Can’t wait to see the pictures from the event! Glad to see our class is moving up in the world! Nice work and congrats! Unfortunately, that’s about it for updates that I have received. I know that Facebook and other social network sights are taking more of a priority for class updates. However, please continue to update me on your world so we can put it into Checkpoints. As mentioned, reunion planning will be underway starting in December. There are numerous class projects that we will undertake post-reunion. Best wishes through the winter! Mike Craig Allen 85 Quail Creek Drive Del Rio, TX 78840 H: 830-313-7089 C: 660-864-5374 kegsdoolittle@yahoo.com

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Holiday edition. I’m just back from a weekend in San Antonio, where Colleen took me to the Hill Country J.W. Marriot for my 40th birthday celebration. The good news was that the J.W. pool and lazy river are heated year-round. We also took the opportunity to let our kids stay with the grandparents. It’s a much different experience if you get to attend a venue like this minus the kiddos. It seemed a little more relaxing for some reason. Anyway, most ’94 grads likely hit the 40-year-old mark this year, if they hadn’t already. It’s a bit overwhelming to hit that number, but 40 is the new 30, right? At least Sabre Society we can tell ourselves that. I used to quote one of the Donors dudes in Point Break, who said, “Heck, I ain’t gonna live to see 30.” Now I’ll have to modify, yet again, and add another 10 years for a 50 reference. Speaking of Point Break, I saw Mark “Cougar” Rusk while in San Antonio. We dropped by the Rusk house for a quick visit with

The Russ family There was a solid and outright epic Vegas trip this quarter. Colleen and I went out for a long weekend and met up with a crew of ’94-’97 grads, who all happen to be members of a Fantasy Football league I’ve been in for 10 years now. For this 10-year milestone, we set up a reunion at Alara/ Planet Hollywood. In attendance were Chris “Split” Colcord; Cary “Pistol” Culbertson and wife Penny; Brian “Hack” Jackson and wife Emily; Erik Ringelberg (‘95) and wife Meghan; Miles and Audrey (Allcorn) Mathieu (both ‘95); Ryan “Marbles” Suttlemyre (‘96); and Todd “Torch” and Yumi (Ramirez) Lafortune (‘97 and ‘96). This mini-bender was complete with a Hangover-style villa/suite overlooking the strip and a great dinner, set up by Pistol, at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse (Miles was the Keynote Speaker). Hack runs the league and has recently adopted the leadership style of Kenny Powers (of Eastbound and Down), who is the new ‘MFCEO’ of K-Swiss. Check out the “commercials” on Youtube -- hilarious and you’ll find yourself looking for some K-Swiss Tubes. Minus finding a tiger in the bathroom, this was a trip for the record books. All in attendance are doing great and it was awesome to catch up with everyone. That’s all the input for this quarter. A bit light this go around, so below is a picture from last quarter that I wasn’t able to include from Christian “Ragu” Wendler’s Cartagena, Columbia update. Ragu (on right) is pictured with David Keesey (‘91) who were providing POTUS support down there.

AF- 1 Hero Shot Please feel free to email or text me something from your holiday season, whether it be from your Griswold-style Christmas vacation or a wild New Year’s party in Vegas. I’ll take any’94 input I can get. One more year and a bunch of us 40-somethings will be submitting AF retirement paperwork. Keep me posted on your future plans. I hope you and your family have a great 2013! Kegger.

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Class News R. Travis Koch 2406 Pretty Bayou Island Dr. Panama City Beach, FL 32405 W:(850) 282-43-1 DSN 742Cell: (840) 499-8242 richard.koch@tyndall.af.mil traviskoch@yahoo.com

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Falcon Football: Rough season. Did anyone catch the YouTube video of the Wyoming Football Coach cursing out “Mr. Howdy Doody” on Military Appreciation Night? Instant classic…but not one for the kiddos. Anyways, lots of folks out in CoS for the AF/Navy Game: Chris Mills, Colby Hoefar, Brian Green, James Manu, Tom Murphy, Jon Nemecek, Rocky Thurston, Nick Capatosto, Bobby Bowick, Mike Foutch, and (maybe?) Audrey (Allcorn) and Miles Mathieu. All their better halves made it too so thanks to sweet Diane for putting that one together. The game was a bit chilly but here’s a picture of some of the guys teeing them up the day before:

Murph, Neme, Colby, Foutchie and Friends Turns out Foutchie shot a 71, Neme and Colby shot a few Turkeys and Murph just went around shooting the Bird. A few of us were out there the weekend before the Navy loss for Dawn and Pete Sheridan’s wedding. The ceremony was in the mountains on a colossal veranda overlooking the Denver skyline. Those in attendance included the usual suspects of Jake Maloy, Mike Pugh, Rick Bolander, Dermot Coll, Joey and Chris Mills, and Sheri and Mike Mills. Pugh flew his own plane into Golden…ChuckStrong! Bole’ is in L.A. and going to take over DoD’s space-race soon. Derm is running AH and will be entering his bid for Senator of Colorado in four years. Others joining the night’s celebration were Kim and Drew Roberts (Alexandria w/ 2 girls, 5 and 8 years old); Tiffany and Ryan Welch (Leadville, two girls Matigan – 6, Sarah – 4); Carrie and Dermot Coll (daughSabre Society ter Reagan, 3); and Holly and Brett Schumer (’98). Jan Donors and Mike Claborn (Nathan, 8 and Alyssa, 5) were at the wedding too and later that weekend hosted some of the ne’er do wells for a pseudo-gluten-free Bar-B-Q at their gorgeous house. After Frog’s nuptials, we road-tripped down to the USAFA-CSU game. Glorious weather and great tailgate hosting from Joey and Chris Mills as well as Malia (’00?) and Derek Keck (’96). Rochelle and Dave Brackney brought some meth-like-addictive-dip and their girls (Helen, 10 and Kate, 7). Brack is flying both with the Wyoming ANG and Southwest Airlines and moonlights as an anger management coach for the Wyoming’s Team Football-Association (WTF-A). During the game, we ran into Ruth (Rumfeldt) and George German (’93) who are both doing great. Derm got us down on the field for the end of the game and we got to join the team for the singing the Air Force Song. Righteous memory. We ran into Steve Russ on the field who is the D-Backs coach for the Falcons. Post game, we ran into Ross (Taquito) Schumer at a tailgate. He’s performing the lobotomies when the AOCs show up for their tours. All in all, great time at USAFA, and thanks to the 4,000 slices of Spirit Cheese we snuck in, VICTORY!!! Local Flying: Had the chance to host a few Gold-Taggers and their squadron’s down here. Sam “Vandal” Mann and his mighty Spikes of the 62FS were in town for two weeks and soon after, Chris “Santa” Claus brought the boys from the 55FS. Congrats to them for command and to Chad Balettie as he just took over the 51 OSS at Osan. Garrett Lowe is his Ops Officer…awesome. Here’s a shot of Yeti on the big day with a cameo of Sang X Park who was rockin’ the seersucker:

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G-Lowe, Yeti, and Psy…Oppan Gangnam Style Random Updates: Got a great pic of Al Barker and his family at a Tigers game in Detroit and will try to float it in next issue. Murali Krishnan is still in Tucson, AZ working for Raytheon and recently took over as Deputy Director of the Phalanx family of programs (Phalanx, Sea-RAM, and Centurion), so he’s learning how to speak Seamen and Snake-eater. He and Sheila just had a baby boy in May. Chris Buckley has been at Davis-Monthan AFB in the AOC, where he and his wife, Melissa, had a baby girl earlier this year. They are packing up to go to Bogota, Colombia, where Buck will be at AFSOUTH. Jason Evenson recently left his job at SAF/IA as the India country manager and is going to Creech AFB to fly MQ-9s. JE’s currently at Holloman AFB doing Reaper training. Matt Liljenstolpe took over the TRS at Luke, and is joined there by Chad Bondurant, who is the CE Sq/CC, and Curtis St. Amand (’96), who is the DO of the Singapore F-16 Squadron. George Hock is the DO of the 14th Weapons Squadron at Hurlburt Field. He and a ton of ’95ers ran the Marine Corps Marathon recently in honor of Special Ops aircrew that were lost 10 years ago in accidents, including grads Greg Fritz (‘91) and Cristel Chavez (‘98). Besides George, others running included Eugene Stein (‘93), Jack Aalborg (‘94), Ben Maitre, Trevor Benitone (AFSOTC Safety), Rich Carrell (15th SOS Commander), Keith Crawford (1 SOW Plans), Mac Yates (‘96), and Zoltan Kaszas (‘98). If you’d like to donate to the cause, please go to http://www.firstgiving. com/fundraiser/tdfitness/marinecorpsmarathon-combattalonii. Here’s a shot of some of the gang:

Post Race in Rosslyn. Back to School: There will be a number of folks in DC next year as the SDE list was just published. Congrats to the following folks and their associated assignments. Jason Bailey will be at the Industrial College of the Air Force. A number of folks will be at National War College to include Cavan Craddock, Jason Plourde, Russell Driggers, red-hot Britt Hurst (’94), and tough as brickers Jen Hammerstedt (’96) and John E. Vargas (’96). Deb (Bilek) and Matt Brooks (’96) are skulling to Geneva, Switzerland while Meghan and Kenny Gjone are off to Paris…of course. Dave Eaglin (’94) is going to Army War College while Harmon Lewis and Mike Conley (’96) will be at Naval War College. Jay Sabia, Mike Foutch and Jason Lamb are all attending SDE next year too but I’m not sure where. Meanwhile, Bill Betts will be leaving his tour flying the F-35 and be joined in Montgomery for Air War College by Jeremy Durtschi, Mark Sotallaro, Dave O’Malley, Big Jon Rhone, and Clint Ross. And finally, the Jon Hamby section of the update. One of Bone’s best friends, Greg Bender, is in need. Bender sent the following Sandy update, “We have received numerous emails asking how to help. Please consider a tax deductible donation to Catholic Charities of San Diego which is directing funds to Rockaway with the help of Rockaway native: http://www. ccdsd.org/donate/secure-online-donations/. **Type ROCKAWAY HURRICANE in the “In Honor Of” field and check the HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF box for the donations to go directly to local Rockaway residents in need.** Every penny counts. Please forward

along. Thank you.” Thanks for your consideration and prayers. Let me know if you’d like to write this summer article, 1,200 words and three happy snaps. Thanks, we’re about to have another kid…S.O.F. Till then, keep the Faith, T. Koch. Melissa S. Cunningham 9712 Hidden Valley Road Vienna, VA 22181 (C) 719-332-4912 (W) 703-697-9121 Melissas.s.cunningham.mil@ mail.mil fmcunningham@me.com

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope you are taking some much needed time off and getting a chance to spend time with friends and family. For those of you who are deployed this year, we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Jasin Cooley, Dave Irvin and Brett King (5) and Jonathan (4). Marsha is a doc up at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Eric Larson is also on the Joint Staff in the J2 shop. He’s been working on intel plans since Aug ‘11. Eric and wife, Meredith, were married last September in Florida. They were both previously stationed near Ft Walton Beach. Eric was at Hurlburt (Spec Ops School) and Meredith was at Eglin. Although she’s not a USAFA grad, both her dad (Pete Sarda, ‘67) and her brother (Matt Sarda, ‘06) are graduates of our fine institution so I think she was pretty “read-into” our program. Meredith was able to PCS to a Pediatrics doc position at Andrews last March to join Eric. No kids yet, just pets. Sabre Society Eric still keeps in touch with a lot of the Stalag 17 gang Donors via Facebook. He passed along that Mark Garnet made the long flight from Oman to be the best man for his wedding last year. Eric never misses an opportunity to tease Mark by accusing him of really being a mercenary, but Mark always insists the Omani Air Force is only paying him to be an F-16 instructor pilot. Richie Marsh has been working the past two years in SAF/AQ. I’m sure he is having a heck of a time in acquisitions as the threat of sequestration looms ever closer. Richie is in living in Annandale with his wife, Rachel, and their children Diego (8) and Joaquin (3). Also on the Joint Staff now are Ron Cheatham (J1), John Boehm (J8) and Julian “Jules” Stephens (J8) and Curtis Madeley (J2).

The Irvin Family I received a wonderful update for Dave Irvin. Dave and Kellie have been married for 14 years and have two awesome boys, Jon (9) and Ryan (6). He’s been at Wright-Pat for almost a year at AFRL/RY (Sensors) involved with some pretty fascinating Science & Technology Projects. Last year, he deployed to Kabul and returned in early November to immediately PCS to AFRL. He’s run into quite a few other Bricks including Jon Buffington, his PEM at SAF, and Rouven Forbes working with him at SBIRS,

Loose Hawgs CS-34 Reunion Previously, Dave was stationed at SMC in LA working on SBIRS Missile Warning. Being in LA gave some squadron mates opportunities to catch up. They were able to visit Scott Howe and his family (out of the AF but works as a contractor near Edwards), Eliza David (Martinez), and Scott and Jennifer (Trost) Vecchione. They would also guilt Jasin Cooley into flying in from Colorado to meet up with the group. Jasin is at Schriever AFB as the SF Commander. (See photo at the top of the next column.) His job comes with a couple of opportunities to travel to Springs so he gets together with Jasin Cooley and Brett King. Brett is commuting between Springs and the University of Nebraska while he hammering out a PhD in Poly Sci. He will return to teach at USAFA upon completion of his dissertation. If you are wondering where most of our classmates are right now, they are wandering the halls of the Pentagon including: Mark “Bull” Mitchum who is rowing hard down in basement of the Pentagon in the Joint Staff, J-33 shop. He’s been in the ANG for about 7 years now. They moved to DC in May from Langley where he was working on ACC staff and flying F-22s with the Virginia ANG. Mark and his wife, Marsha, have two kiddos, Anna

The Roberts Family at Rugby, ND. Ted and Ruth Roberts were passing through Rugby on their way back from Montana last August. It’s the perfect excuse to get their picture taken at the geographical center of North America. They just received word that they will be leaving North Dakota for Norfolk (JECC, formerly JFCOM) in December. The family is thrilled! It will hopefully allow Ted to make the USAF Honor Guard 65th Anniversary Reunion the end of July. That’s the unit Ted was assigned to for 2 1/2 years before going to the Zoo. He was actually a Pentagon tour guide his last 4 months of enlistment. He thinks he can still walk backwards and recite most of the 12-page tour script they used then. Pretty impressive! I received a great update from a first time caller, David “Lurch” Lercher. He just celebrated 13 years of marriage yesterday to Laine whom he met while on casual in the Springs. They have two wonderful kids, Chase (10)

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Class News and Brooke (7). Lurch is the DO for the Fabulous Flyin’ Fiends at Osan AB, ROK. They live on the base and always have a plethora of beverages stocked in the bar. Visitors are always welcome. Blair Kaiser and Lurch just finished taste testing Mexican and BBQ during a short TDY at Sheppard AFB. He said it took them all of about 3-6 minutes to catch up after 16 years. Please keep me on your Christmas card list for updates! Please keep the photos coming! Hope you all enjoy the Holidays! All the best for 2013! Take care & God Bless, .Mel

Melvin E. Maxwell, Jr. PSC 2, Box 1093 APO AE 09012 mel_maxwell97@hotmail.com melvin.maxwell@ramstein.af.mil

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Carrie’s perfect Wisconsin wedding.

Greetings 97! Hope this update finds you well. Got an update from Nate Scopac whose been stationed in the AF acquisitions office (about 4 cubicles down from Pete Sandness) learning how the Air Force buys aircraft. Nate and his family enjoyed their year in DC including running into classmates Shane Hamacher, Chen Su, and many others as well as going to the AF-Navy game and seeing Navy LT Tracy Waller Hasse (Tracy is going through the Basic Lawyer Course in Newport, RI and will head to the Washington Navy Yard in mid-DecemSabre Society ber). Nate is now going through MC-130J qualification Donors enroute to Cannon AFB, reporting next June. Got an update from another classmate in DC -- Kim Reed Campbell is at the Pentagon as the Deputy Chief in the Regional Plans and Issues Division. Kim sent in a photo where she turned over command of the 355th Operations Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB to classmate Jason Rueschhoff. ’97ers rule the 355 OSS -- classmate Steve Sztan is the squadron Director of Operations as well.

son works Corporate Accounts for Intuitive Surgical… Christophe Powers completed his oral and written exams and will receive his master’s degree in French in December… Billy Shipman and his wife, Kristi, are happily settled in Rockwall, just east of Dallas, TX. Billy’s been with Raytheon for 5 years, and is currently working Enterprise Optimization for their Advanced Products Center in Dallas. Most of their free time is used chasing their four kids around to different sporting events around the greater Dallas area… That’s all I’ve got this round. Until next time…Mel.

Pat Fox 1260 Bragg St. Sonoma, CA 95476 (707) 837-6356 pfox@hannonarmstrong.com

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I learned my lesson on thanking you for the unsolicited updates last quarter; so far this quarter – nothing, crickets. Maybe it’s the shock of the football team losing to both Navy and Army. Maybe it’s the fact that many in our class recently made LtCol – it’s just too low to reach out to the guy that separated as a Captain. No bad blood there, and in all honesty, congratulations to all who got promoted – O-5 is certainly something to be proud of and making the rank of LtCol officially makes you old. After much harassing, I finally did get Billy Nelson to update me on some of his fellow Texas boys. First Sabre Society off, Billy and his wife are expecting their first, a little Donors boy, who will probably have arrived and had his first fistfight by the time you’re reading this. Chuck Whitehead and his wife, Aly, have three kids and are living in Anchorage. Their older two are tearing up the youth hockey ranks of Alaska. When not coaching his kids or riding four-wheelers, Chuck flies for UPS. Adam Schnicker has left behind the Riverwalk of San Antonio for the beaches of Honolulu where he’s drinking Mai Tais at Pacific Command. Matt and Alexandria Darling have four kids and live just outside Palo Alto, CA – Matt’s is a pediatric cardiology fellow at Stanford Hospital. Chase Maneus is in Fort Worth – no one has seen or heard from him in 10 years. Marc Segal is in Piedmont, CA – beautiful wife and two great kids…who said bitterness doesn’t lead to happiness. Karl Falk is living in the Springs…drinks his coffee every morning on the back porch staring at the Cadet Chapel. Kyle Bosworth is back in Houston. Great update Nelson and congrats on the birth of your son. Billy promises to give a full account of Doug Riggs’ wedding for the next edition. There’s no real Jeff Mohr update this quarter, other than passing on that since final whistle of the Army loss, J Mo has been non-stop burpees. Football player, Wings of Blue, dean’s list student (OK only one semester), self-proclaimed ‘late ’80s guy’, and Southwest pilot…we truly graduated with a legend.

’97ers pass the flag. Jason taking over command from Kim. Carrie Worth Zimmerman dropped me a line from down the road in Stuttgart, Germany. Carrie and her husband eloped on Halloween last year and followed it up with a small wedding ceremony with family this past July. Apparently, the wedding ceremony didn’t go quite as smooth as the elopement at Pinellas County Courthouse in St. Petersburg, FL (in Tommy Bahama attire and sandals). Over the course of the July 6th wedding (held outdoors in Burlington, WI) their first reading was drowned out by a freight train, the second reading by an ambulance...and then their vows were delayed as a band nearby cranked up and played the National Anthem. Then, as they were introduced as husband and wife, the same band opened up with “The Mexican Hat Dance.” By the way -- it was 102 degrees outside... at 6 p.m.... in Wisconsin. Oh, and to top it off, Carrie and her parents were involved in a car accident the week prior and Carrie and her dad actually limped down the aisle. Other than that, the wedding ceremony was perfect—congrats, Carrie. (See photo at the top of the next column.) Some quick hits on my way out. Megan Harrington (Kuzmich) and her spouse, Tara, are now parents of twins. Megan gave birth to Leonard “Leo” John and Louise Susan Harrington in July. Megan reports the babies are healthy, beautiful, and low-key so far…After 4 years in Colorado at USAFA and NORTHCOM, Matt Anderson and family are headed to McChord AFB, WA in March where Matt will take command of a C-17 squadron… This past summer Jason Lamb and his wife, Angie, moved the family from Kalamazoo, MI back to Atlanta, GA. The Lambs have five kids—4 girls and 1 boy (Payton-14, Cassidy-11, Skylar-9, Chase-7, and Ashton-3). Ja-

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JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL (719) 472-0300 X200..

James W. Busch 8618 Rockbridge Circle Montgomery, AL 36116 Cell: (830) 734-2411 Buschf16@yahoo.com

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(Nine Sabre Society Donors) (Editor’s note: We did not receive an input from James for this issue. Please send him your notes and photos for the next column.)

Jason Simmons NKAIA–IJC–CJ6 APO AE 09320 Jason.Simmons@Live.com jw_simmons@yahoo.com

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Classmates, Bryan Trinkle and his wife, April, are enjoying being back in the US at ACSC with several other classmates and it looks like several more of us will be there for the next round, including me. While on my R&R, I had a nice BBQ party having Summer Koons along with son CJ as guests and the entire Goldberg family; Jason Goldberg was noting he too may finally be leaving the Emerald Coast after his 10-year tour with multiple deployments. Joshua Miller is still with Telos and after a successful fiscal year closeout enjoyed some nice fishing in the Sabre Society Bahamas. He relayed that James O’Brien just moved to Donors DC along with Adam Larson. And he heard from August Pfluger, who is in Italy on a NATO assignment. John “Cheech” Velazquez and family are enduring a hardship tour in Hawaii. He’s working at the Section Commander for the AF Element at PACOM. He notes that it is nice to hang the family’s hats in a nice place after the family endured the triple disaster in Japan while Cheech was deployed to Afghanistan, so we’re glad they’re finally getting some good family time. Tom Bozung is moving on to cooler times for sure; he’s going civilian, but notes that folks should hit him and family up if in Corpus Christi. I tried getting updates a few times this time around, but didn’t hear back from hardly anyone, so please shoot me your updates right after you read this. Thank you! Jason “Cueball” Simmons

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Faith (Hitchcock) Dunn 6423 NW 94th Court Johnson, IA 50131 Faithd03@hotmail.com

Caiman Consulting and working onsite with Microsoft. He also has been volunteering with the King County Search and Rescue including being a member of the Helicopter Air Support Unit. Here is a picture of him in the Huey on the way out for a mission. Geoff Steeves is still in the USAF but has taken a break from flying the B-2 and moved to Brazil on an Olmsted Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Economics. Brian Healy sent me what is probably his first update. He married Ben Brown’s cousin Abby a few years ago and they just had their second child this weekend. They have a one year old named Chloe and baby Gage was born Oct 26th! He is the wing weapons officer at Luke AFB and is transitioning into the Reserves the end of the month here in Phoenix to help bring the F-35 into Luke. Josh Slade has been busy! He got married to the lovely Stephanie in May and started a new job as Project Manager for Pragmatics Inc. For their honeymoon, they cruised through the Ionian Sea with stops in Greece, Turkey, Croatia and Italy. The Facebook pictures looked amazing!

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I don’t have many updates to share but the ones I got are really good! Please send your updates my way! Ben Brown wrote me from Seattle, WA. He is a Senior Manager with

Josh Slade, his son Camden, and new wife, Stephanie. Hector Collazo has also recently gotten married and added to his brood. He and his wife, Anthea, welcomed Philippa Elizabeth Collazo was born Oct 22. He is stationed at Hurlburt Field, FL, having PCSed in January from Kadena. Jamie (Rempel) Pieper just got married and sent a great update while riding out Hurricane Sandy! She is still out in Virginia working for Booz Allen Hamilton and serving part-time in the Virginia Air National Guard. Apparently, Langley is a great spot to run into people as Jenn Aupke just PCSed there from Vegas (she and Justin are expecting their first child in another month), and Laura Renner is passing through town in a couple of weeks en route to California. Jaime and Steve Pieper (’94) got married in August and had a fabulous time with family and friends, and getting to see Academy friends Jen and Laura, as well as Corey Nelson, Jen (LeSabre Society Donors vison) Vandeburg, Cary ‘Pistol’ Culbertson (‘94), Jeremy ‘Mount’ Gordon (‘98), Brooke Rinehart (‘00), and Isaac Earnhart (‘06). As for Mike and I, I recently took a new job with John Deere as an IT Project Manager and am really enjoying the change. I have 3 teams in India so I work some weird hours but am learning a lot and finally feeling a balance that I hadn’t had in a while as I can work from home as much or as little as I need. Mike and I had the honor of being in his brother’s wedding a few weeks ago so that was an exciting and fun weekend for us all. We will be busy the rest of the year helping my parents move and settle down here in Iowa. We are so excited to have our complete family here close to us and the kids. Mike has been travelling quite a bit and I head out to India in January for a week. I am excited for my first international trip that isn’t in a war zone.

Eric Ballew World Cell: +1.850.543.9936 ericballew86@yahoo.com eric.ballew@us.af.mil Class Facebook: USAFA Class of 2002 Class Website: www.usafa02.org

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(5 Sabre Society Donors)

Ben Brown on a mission with the King County Search and Rescue.

Class of 2002, We just finished up our reunion and it totally rocked. We had a great turnout and it was amazing to get so many of us back to Colorado Springs for the week with how busy each of us has been over the past ten years.

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Class News

Tiger 10 Mini Reunion James Rodriguez deployed in July on a 365 to Kabul, Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan Ministry of Defense Acquisition Agency. As advisors, we are responsible for helping the agency stand up contracting capability for all supplies for the Afghan army, including uniforms, food, and soon, fuel. Stephen Freedman is deployed, flying the MC 12 until mid January. He just got 100 combat sorties. He’s currently stationed at Dover and flying C-5s and looking forward to the winter to head to the mountains and get his snowboard out again.Robert Barnes is currently finishing up at an AFIT Civilian Institute program at Florida State in December and headed to HQ AFSPC next. Katie (Boxmeyer) Franz and Molly (Erickson) Martinson thought it was only fitting that their husbands Kurt Martinson (’01) and Danny Franz (’03) took them to the Golden Bee for their first time ever while they were in town for the reunion.

Andy Rule and Nora Cho Wedding Rodney Ellison got married in 2010 and he just came back into the Reserves this year after getting out for 2 years. He’s now the chief of public affairs for the 301st Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. He is currently going through Defense Information School, tech school for PA, and will graduate in December. Regretfully, we lost one of our classmates this past month. Garrett Knowlan was killed Oct 11th while participating in water survival training at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Garrett was assigned to the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB and lived in Shalimar with his wife, Megan, and their two sons, Beckett and Levi. Garrett will definitely be missed by all of us that had the opportunity to know him. Here’s a toast...

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Members Susan (Doyle) Maly Linked In: USAFA 03 USAFA2003@gmail.com Class Facebook Page: Usafa Zerothree

Molly and Katie at the Golden Bee. Angela (Luciano) Edmondson and husband Mike Edmondson (’99) didn’t make it to the reunion because they are expecting their first kid any day now. Angela is currently on the PACAF staff in Hawaii and very excited to welcome her son into the world.

Hey Bongers, Jeremy Vanderhal wrote to let us know: TPS class 12A graduate on 8 December. Here are the USAFA grads in the class: Jeremy Vanderhal 03, Ric Turner 03, Ryne Roady 06, Travis Bryce 06, Colin Hanson 03, Rick Lyon 02, Ryan Sanford 02, Andrew Rollins 02, and Ryan Hefron 05. Kris ‘WigB’ Rorberg updated us that there was a small ‘03 reunion in the latest installment of USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, CA. Classmates in 12B are Patrick Killingsworth, Kristopher Rorberg, Brian Taylor, and Christopher Wee. The class photo is in front of the Shuttle Endeavor just after landing at Edwards on its final journey.

USAF Test Pilot School, 12B

Reunion Group Erik Fisher is headed back to USAFA in May. He was selected for the USAFA AOC program. Nora Cho and Andy Rule first met in the Proud Pink Panthers CS 36 in 1997. They were married 2 Sep 2012 in Washington D.C. in what was described as “a strong three days of celebrating!” They are both stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. Andy is in the 2-7 Fightin’ Eagles flying the F-22/T-38 and Nora is exec for ACC SJA. 146

With our reunion quickly approaching please see the letter from Giles Whiting and Randy Gibbs: “Class of 2003, I hope this letter finds all of you well. Next year we will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of our graduation from the Academy! For some of us this will be our first trip back to The Hill – I urge you all to try to attend and hope to see many of you there. In conjunction with our reunion, the class officers and reunion leaders have decided to raise a monetary gift that will be dedicated to the Academy’s Office of Admission’s Diversity Visitation Program (DVP). The Academy’s Diversity Visitation Program is a critical program for the Academy to continue to meet its mission to train the next generation of

leaders and officers. The DVP seeks to “expand the diversity of the USAFA cadet wing to better educate and train future officers expected to serve a diverse and expeditionary force.” This program introduces diverse, highpotential candidates to the Academy by providing an opportunity to visit USAFA for free. Additionally, the program recognizes the value of diversity across a broad spectrum that includes: Hardship, Geographic Background, Socio-economic Background, Cultural Knowledge, First-generation College Student, Prior-enlisted, Language Abilities, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Philosophical/Spiritual Perspectives. Sabre Society “During their three-day visit, the candidates will Donors experience cadet dorm life, shadow academic classes, enjoy an Academy sporting event and receive tours of the base, prep school, and the airfield. They will also receive briefings from key Academy personnel, which previously have included the Superintendent, Commandant, and Dean. And perhaps most importantly, the program is successful; approximately 80% of the students who participate in the DVP decide to attend USAFA. “As a class, we have a goal to raise $50,000 as our ten-year reunion gift back to the Academy. This amount would serve to fully fund one-year of the Diversity Visitation Program. While the reunion date is not yet set (pending finalization of the 2013 football schedule), we have roughly one year to raise these funds to support USAFA’s efforts to train and educate a cadet wing that remains highly competitive and diverse. On behalf of Randy Gibbs, the Chair of this effort, and myself, I personally appeal to all of you to give at any amount you can, and set another goal of 100% class participation. “Donations can be made towards the Class of 2003 gift at the following website: https://giving.usafa.org/give/2003DVP and please feel free to contact Randy Gibbs at mrgibbs@gmail.com if you have any questions. “This is a very special time for all of us and for our lifelong bond to the Academy and the future of this nation. I look forward to working with all of you to achieve these goals, and I eagerly anticipate seeing you again next fall. Most sincerely, R. Giles Whiting, President, USAFA Class of 2003. Randy G. Gibbs, Chair, USAFA Class of 2003 Gift Committee.”

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Breezy Long PSC 78, Box 4252 APO AP 96326 windyshort82@gmail.com

Members

(5 Sabre Society Donors) Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer -- and best of luck to those meeting the Majors board this year! This quarter, we have a little home-family news, and a little classmate-family news to share. On August 28, 2012, Bart Gould and his wife, Rozi (Russ) (02), welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Austin Keon Gould, into the world. Although he was almost 6 weeks premature, he and Mom are doing well! The Goulds are currently stationed at Hill AFB, UT, and are looking forward to a PCS in the spring.

From left are Zac Peden, Mike Berry, Rok Dedic, Chris Laffey (AF Retired, Florida), Nick Suppa (F-15s at Seymour), Winfield Scott (T-6, Laughlin), Steve Cooper (Pope), and Frank Wilson (AF and Marines Retired, Atlanta). As for the men in the family…Zachary Peden separated from the AF and lives in Houston, TX; Mike Berry separated and lives in San Angelo, TX; Rok Dedic is in the C-17 community at McChord AFB, WA; Chris Laffey separated and is living in Florida; Nick Suppa is in the F-15 community at Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC; Winfield Scott is with the T-6s at Laughlin AFB, TX; Steve Cooper is at Pope AFB, NC; and Frank Wilson is living in Atlanta, GA, after having served in both the AF and the USMC. It’s great to see our classmates off doing great things, in and out of uniform, finding their own way in the world -- and still finding a way back to each other. ‘Til next quarter, take care & keep in touch!

John Tamasitis 801 King St., Apt. K Columbia, SC 29205 Tamasiti@email.sc.edu Cell: 610-850-3352

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Members

(3 Sabre Society Donors) Class of 05’, Here are a few updates we received from our classmates across the globe. First, Jessica (Liegel) Charron checked in to let us know that she and her husband, Chris Charron, are in the process of PCSing to Misawa, Japan. They both just finished the B-course after being T-6 FAIPs. Chris is an Eagle driver. Carter (4 years old) and Zoe (3 years old) will be accompanied Mom and Dad to the Far East. They sent us a photo of Chris and their little ones right before Chris headed off to Japan to go set up for the family’s arrival. Good luck and have fun on your travels!

Chris Charron with Carter and Zoe. The Gould Family, Party of THREE! This past May, Winfield Scott and fellow freshman of CS-23 got together in Galveston, TX. Winfield said it was a good time to catch up and get the families together, which are growing every year -- eight kiddos already in the herd.

Also, Jessica recently got a chance to meet up with fellow classmate Ashley (Dobbins) Rolfe while TDY in Las Vegas. (See photo at the top of the next column.) We also got an update from Emrah Cinar. Emrah is currently a first lieutenant in the Turkish Air Force. He recently got married to Beyza Urfalilar on May 26, 2012 in Kayseri, Turkey. He wanted me to pass along his

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Class News

Jessica and Ashley contact information and to please say hello if you ever stop by Ankara, Turkey. You can reach him at uzman_pilot@yahoo.com.

Carl Chen also just graduated from UPT and tracked his #1choice -the EC-130 to Davis-Monthan in Tucson. He and his growing family (one more on the way!) are very excited to be moving from the small-town south to a city and settling down for a few years. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jordan James separated from the Air Force last December and has been traveling ever since. That sounds like so much fun! Ashley Housely got married to Jonathan Hicks (‘03) in April 2011 in Los Angeles. Grads in the wedding party were Leotis Palmer(‘03), Anthony Butler(‘05), Randy Gibbs(‘03), Raegan McDowell (‘06), Meredith Benson Doran (‘06) and Coogan (Vick) Adams(‘06). Other grads in attendance were: Efrain Caldera (‘03), Amanda Rasmussen (‘06), Trier Bryant (‘06), Michelle Dieringer(‘07), Casey (Bayne) Whitson(‘07), and Sarah Overmyer(‘06). Now, Ashley is about to brave the winter with me in Afghanistan, but until then here is a fabulous picture of the beautiful bride and a few other grads. The wedding album was so beautiful it was hard to pick just one. Congrats!

The newlyweds Beyza and Emrah. Remember, we have a class Facebook page up and running. If you are not on the group list, please shoot me an email or a message and we will get you added. Look forward to hearing from everyone…good luck! John Tamasitis

Dayle (Morell) Hartung 12918 50th Ave. Court NW Gig Harbor, WA 98332 daylehartung@gmail.com Facebook group: Under Construction (TBD)

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Members

Speaking of Amanda Rasmussen, she just rocked the Beach to Battleship Iron distance Triathlon, where she visited Bridgett (Whiting) Fitzsimmons. I can’t help but be jealous of this picture.

Remember that time you thought to yourself: wow, being in Afghanistan is a lot like college. Here I am, living in a dorm(ish) with a roommate, eating in the DFAC and wearing my uniform 24/7, and I can’t help but realize how much good ol’ USAFA prepared me for deployed life. That can’t be normal! I spent a fun two weeks in Guernsey, WY with fellow classmate Eric Carey, who left his assignment in Texas to serve his second deployment in Afghanistan as an Intel Officer. Before heading off on his deployment, Eric went to the wedding of Colin Kubera and his wife Catey, where he also saw JJ St Peter, Patrick Chapman and Matt Ott. Sean Corrigan and his wife, Britni, welcomed the newest addition to the Corrigan family this summer. Riley Patrick Corrigan was born on 23 May in Glendale, AZ. The Sabre Society newest addition is keeping them fairly busy, but not too Donors busy for Sean to finish his FAIP time and make it to the F16. He just finished up the B Course at Luke and he and the family will be hitting the road (or air) in Aviano for the next three years. He will join many fellow grads there, including Mike Napolitano, who at the moment he is celebrating his honeymoon after marrying his beautiful wife, Rachel. On 1 September, Jane McDonald Dunn and Jonathan Dunn (‘07) were married in Melbourne Beach, FL. Jane’s USAFA roommate, Lydia Bigelow LaFavor (‘07); Kat Lyons (‘08); and brother, John McDonald (‘10) made it down to Florida for the wedding. Also crashing the party were Jonathan’s friends Shea Mumma (‘07) and Jonny Hoang (‘07). Jane and Jonathan are currently stationed in Stuttgart, Germany and are looking forward to their 3-year European honeymoon. Check out the fantastic picture!

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Lots of good things are happening for James Schannep. First, he married another 2006 grad in July -- Michaela Garcia, now Michaela Schannep. After serving five years as a nuclear missile officer, he left the Air Force and pursued a new passion by publishing his first book! In short, Zombies get the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure treatment in INFECTED, the first in his Click Your Poison e-book series. He even collaborated with fellow grad Nikki Jansen on the artwork. Congrats James! Chad Polumbo and Bryce Fiacco, along with a committee of other 2006 grads, are heading up a great project. For our 10th Reunion, we have decided to embark on a class gift project for the Academy. The primary purpose of our class project will be to encourage as many of our classmates to give back to the Academy as possible. To encourage giving, our vision is

to allow classmates to give to an Academy designation of their choosing. The main goal of this project is participation and we are striving to see 50% of our Class of 2006 classmates participate in our Class Gift project by giving to support the program of their choice. Additionally, we would like to dedicate our giving efforts in honor of our classmate Roslyn Schulte. Please feel free to email us at 2006usafa@gmail.com for additional details. Together we can give back to our Academy and contribute to the continuous development of our elite institution Please keep sending in updates, and I hope you all enjoy the holiday time with family and friends. Hope to hear from you all soon! We are currently constructing a new FB page for our class, more details to follow. It will be a great way to keep in touch between Checkpoint issues. Stay tuned….

Casey (Bayne) Whitson P.O. Box 3005 El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 343-5969 checkpoints@caseybayne.com

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Members

Hi Class of 2007! Weddings: Tom Talafuse dropped a quick note to say that he married Valerie Kossler in Pittsburgh, PA back in June and they are expecting their first child in March. Congrats Tom and we wish the best to your growing family! Babies: Jacki Novak Alverson and Jake Alverson welcomed baby Charlie Alverson into the world on July 9, 2012. Jacki just recently separated from the Air Force and her husband Jake is a Contracting Officer at Los Angeles Air Force Base. Congrats Jacki and Jake, Charlie is adorable! New Assignments: Skylar Rollins sent in a quick update. He just finished a T-1 FAIP tour; he and his wife, Sabre Society Donors Nicole, and one year old son Braden, are headed to Seymour-Johnson where Skylar will fly KC135s. More News: Eddie Hildebrand and Joe Adams (‘05) are stationed together at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan with DCMA Pacific. They thought it fitting to rep their alma mater (and CS26 Mighty Barons) for the Air Force vs. Navy game since they make up 2 of the 3 Air Force members on Atsugi. See photo.

will be deployed until next summer. Shaun is now the ISR Chief for ISAF SOF, and will return home in Feb 2013. Shaun and Chad try to reunite once a year but never imagined this year would be in Kabul.

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Christin Brodie christin.brodie@ramstein.af.mil

Members

(2 Sabre Society Donors) Hi Richter Class! Not sure how many of us managed to make it to the USAFA vs. Navy Football game, but there were a few ’08ers running around like Ann Wessell and Asha Padmanabhan. Sadly, the game was about as good as the weather… started off well, but turned unbearable in the end. On an up note though, I had a chance to see the new Holiday Indoor Facility and Cadet Gym. If you have a chance to check them out (if you’re randomly rolling through C-Springs), then they are worth the stop.

Go Air Force, Sink Navy Shaun Lee and Chad Reger reunited in Kabul, Afghanistan in July. Shaun’s been deployed since February. He spent the first five months as the Executive Officer to the Deputy J2 in Afghanistan (Brig Gen James Marrs, ‘87). Chad took over as the Exec for the new Deputy J2 in July, and

Shaun Lee & Chad Reger

Asha and Ann at Falcon Stadium having fun at the USAFA vs. Navy football game. Speaking of sports, our very own Jason Belvill (back row, 6th from the right) and the Air Force soccer team rocked it at the Armed Forces Soccer Tournament in Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA. The AF team went undefeated and beat Army in overtime for the championship with the winning goal coming from Jason’s boot! Fellow grads Dan Bolin (’05; front row far right), Dave Schill (’06; back row, 6th from the left) and Kevin Rosser (’10; right of the yellow jersey) also represented USAFA well with amazing game play.

The 2012 Air Force Men’s Soccer team with their Armed Forces Champions medals. One of our other class sports superstars, Bobby Giannini, is now an ROTC instructor. Once he returns from his Defense Contract Manage-

Bobbi Gianinni living it up in Afghanistan and looking forward to returning to Austin, Texas.

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Class News ment Agency (DCMA) deployment to Afghanistan, he’ll be mentoring future officers at the University of Texas. The Class of ’08 has another future superstar, Macy Marina Loesch. Erin (Beeler) and Rick Loesch celebrated the birth of Macy on 24 May 2012. They are currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord where Erin runs the Passenger Terminal and Rick is flying with the 7AS and just graduated from the PCO training. If you have anything you’d like to share with me and the rest of your classmates, please contact me! Facebook or an email (cbrodie@me.com) or even find me on the Global! I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your lives. Until our paths cross again, Brodie.

Forrest Underwood PSC 2, Box 9538 APO AE 0012 forrestunderwood@gmail.com Facebook: Forrest J. Underwood

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Members

I hope this Checkpoints finds you fireside, with close family and friends during the holiday season. Unless you’re Mike Hank, it’ll probably find him on the beach in Waikiki. Or you’re at the Deid, under “the bra” playing bingo, enjoying your 3 beer a day. Our class is a tough crowd to track! We have people in all corners of the globe doing some pretty incredible things and I want to put it into Checkpoints. So, do us all a favor and LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE or set a reminder on your phone at the end of every month to drop me a line if for nothing else, just to say hi. Sabre Society If you’re a parent, spouse, or friend of the family and Donors you’re reading this…send me an update about your ’09 grad and we’ll put it into print! Pictures too! Send it in, None Yet like Cameron “Gunther” Unterberger did when fellow CS-21 Blackjacks Matt “Stinky” Cork, Ozzie “Cholu” Ortiz, and Forrest “UWOOD” Underwood joined forces with Drew Jaszczak, Jimmie Miltenberg, John Harvery, and Grant Keaton to came together to enjoy the open bar and bridesmaids at his wedding. Thanks again buddy. Here’s the most civil photo I could find:

So pick up your iPad, smartphone, laptop, or find me on the Global and send me your update! The more the merrier! Also, LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE (Class of 2009, Air Force Academy). And remember, if you’re ever flying to Ramstein or just passing through Europe and you have even an hour on the ground, look me up and I’ll take you out for some German beer. See you soon, PROST.

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Members Todd Gamiles 2010checkpoints@gmail.com (503) 367-0717

(No Sabre Society Donors Yet) Hard to believe it’s been three months since the last update already! Kicking things off, congratulations are in order for several folks! Harry Dale married Carla Valadao; Michael Bates and Jess Gentry (’11) tied the knot; and Sarah Hoh got engaged to Keith Casey. Michel Koslow finished up his master’s at AFIT and got married shortly after to Stephanie Weis. He is now down at

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Sheppard for UPT. Here is a photo of the couple on their special day and a really cool shot showing the class rings of several USAFA grads present at the ceremony. The ring photo includes Ed Koslow (‘85), Bill Hanna (‘86), Michael Koslow, Michael Bennett, Greg Cappuzzo, Ben Garoutte, Jenny Ebert, Andrea Barry, and Matt Lipscomb with Stephanie’s hand in the middle.

Several members of our class also got their airframe assignments this past quarter. Cody Yenter finished UPT at Laughlin and dropped KC-10s out to Travis. Corey Curtis is also headed to Travis as a C-5 pilot. Emma Rush will be flying AC-130 gunships, and Jeff Reddout, Allen Dunn, and Pat Arkwright will be flying C-17s at McGuire. The following 2010ers had the privilege of being of the last (the last?) classes of Air Force officers to go through pilot training at NAS Corpus Christi and their assignments: Ben Schimelfening (C-130H to Peterson), Chris Bordenave and Dan Tortuga (both dropped C-130H to Little Rock), Bill Percoski and Brad Beedlove (flying the C-130J at Little Rock), and Jacob Carvalho (MC-130J to Cannon). In other news, Chris Horn continues to work on his medical degree at UVA, and I continue to slog away on my master’s in Logistics and Supply Chain Management through Embry-Riddle. Finally, Brittany Hopkins is deployed to Afghanistan right now as the AMU OIC for a C-130 squadron. I know she’s not the only one downrange or headed that way, so take your cameras and send me your cool war stories and photos and we’ll share them with the masses! And of course, stay safe! ‘Til next time, blue skies and tailwinds!

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Elizabeth Borroni 8149 A Johnson St. Del Rio, TX 78840 (979) 571-1180 elizabeth.borroni@gmail.com

Members

(No Sabre Society Donors Yet) Class of 2011, I hope everyone has had an enjoyable 2012 and holiday season! It’s been a great year and I am looking forward to the new year that is to come, especially if it means coming back next football season so our Falcons can beat both Army and Navy! Not many updates this quarter, but as many of you know, our class has started deploying. Matthew Rother deployed in October, so make sure you keep him and all of our other classmates that are overseas in your thoughts!

Again, Checkpoints and the AOG is a great way to stay in touch with our whole class. If you have any information that you would like to share, even if you are a friend, family member, or spouse, please don’t hesitate to call, text or email me! Stay in touch and keep doing amazing things – that’s it for this issue! --Liz

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LeRoi Edwards leroi.edwards@gmail.com

Members

4. Learn to Cook: $20 for Chinese food every night adds up quickly. If you’re not quite Bobby Flay, start slow with some easy meals. If you’re looking to save some money, try making something in large quantities that you can freeze and eat through the week. Most importantly, keep this all in perspective. Although it’s fun to sit at home on Friday night, penny-pinching, researching great mutual funds, and watching Julie and Julia, don’t let the fun part of life after the Academy pass you by. This is the time where you need to pursue anything and everything. I’m not worried about any of you living up to this final part. Finally, I would like to give a shout out to my best friend, Mark Olme, who has found love. I am extremely pleased to announce that he, and my other best friend, Lauren Delaney will be wed this December in Panama City Beach, FL. Congratulations you two!

(No Sabre Society Donors Yet) Hap, Let me preface this month’s entry by thanking Paul Ochs for suggesting that I be the one to write our class’ section in Checkpoints. Like the other segments in this publication, these 1000 or so words will be dedicated to announcements from members of the Class of 2012. I wish I could do justice recapping the summer’s weddings and engagements, but congratulations to all of you love birds out there! I am only one man and will do my best to not miss any more. If you or a fellow 2012 grad is tying the knot, so to speak, please let me know so that I may include that in the section. I’m not the final reviewing official for this publication, but I hope you know that I’ll do my best to get your messages to the masses – no matter how bizarre it may sound (I’m not new to losing bets to my friends). I know many of us do things just because they remind us of the number 12, so any stories would also be appreciated. This space is ours and I don’t see why we can’t use it however we deem best. So, please let me know if there are any announcements you would like shared in the next issue. Cheers, LeRoi.

From left are Thomas Carter, David Brumbaugh, Paul Ochs, Casey Habluetzel, Ana Cecilia Ruiz, and Louis Bloom at the Coliseum over 60 days. As the dust of summer sun and spontaneity settles the Class of 2012 has stepped foot where 53 classes before us have, the “real” Air Force. For many other college graduates it is hard to figure out what to do after graduation. Our time on the hill felt endless at times and hopeless at others, but on May 23rd all that changed forever. The world became our oyster, and our lives got flipped upside down. Sixty-days came and went with blurs of weddings, plane tickets, parties, and bar tabs. We’ve dispersed across the country, our new best friends are that guy/girl who we shared Comp Sci with four years ago, purely by the luck you landed the same first assignment. Signing leases, renting homes, buying cars, groceries, and actually cooking are all amazing and instagram-worthy. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. In lieu of bubbly engagement announcements (which will likely be in full flow next issue), I’ve decided to introduce a couple of pointers to all our new butter-bars out there. 1. Prepare to succeed: Whether you’re on casual with some “bros” or starting your first day of graduate school, don’t believe that you’re entitled to anything. Be hungry and know what is expected of you on Monday mornings, Saturday nights, and especially at the holiday party. 2. Bills: With a plethora of expenses that are brand new to most of us, don’t get behind. Damaging your credit today may prevent you from getting a low mortgage rate on a house down the road. 3. Start Saving: If you’re going to five-and-dive or weather the storm, you should take advantage of your stable income and start compounding it in a retirement account. The family readiness center on base will likely have resources to help you with this process.

The happy couple are deep in preparations for their winter wedding.

Checkpoints Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

1. Publication title: Checkpoints 2. Publication number: 898-080 3. Filing date: October 1, 2012 4. Issue frequency: Quarterly 5. Number of issues published annually: 4 6. Annual subscription price: Included in AOG USAFA membership fee (which varies). 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters of general business office of publisher: same as no. 7. 9. Names and addresses of publisher, editor, and managing editor—Publisher: Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475; Editor: David Bergeman, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475; Managing Editor: Bob McAllister, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 10. Owner (if the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address): Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: none. 12. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months. 13. Publication name: Checkpoints. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2012 15. Extent and nature of circulation: Average no. copies Actual no. single each issue during single issue nearest preceding 12 months filing date A. Total no. copies printed 30,310 B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 29,060 (2) Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 0 (3) Paid distribution outside the mails including sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other paid distribution outside USPS 61 C. Total paid distribution: 29121 D. Free or nominal rate distribution: (1) Free or nominal rate outside-county copies included on PS Form 3541 0 (2) Free or nominal rate in-county copies included on PS Form 3541 0 (3) Free or nominal rate copies mailed through the USPS 0 (4) Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail 914 E. Total free or nominal rate distribution: 914 F. Total distribution: 30035 G. Copies not distributed: 275 H. Total: 30310 I. Percent paid: 96.95

30950

29,645 0

60 29705 0 0 0

974 974 30679 271 30950 96.8

I certify that all the information furnished on this form is true and complete. David Bergeman,

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FINAL THOUGHT Sunlight splashes across the firmament above Garden of the Gods as the day concludes. Cadet hikers and climbers who frequent the park in the evenings are treated to a waxing moon amid the splendor of colors which fill the sky.

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POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Checkpoints, Association of Graduates, Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475.

www.RusinakRealEstate.com Rusinak Real Estate, Inc. 7150 North Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80920 719.590.6110 Toll Free: 1.800.789.6650

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