USAFA superintendent hosts BOV July 28

Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy (third from left) stands with six members of the Academy's Board of Visitors during their July 28, 2017, visit to the Academy. The board members are appointed by Congress and make recommendations on Academy issues to senior Air Force and Defense Department leaders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Bill Evans)

Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy (third from left) stands with six members of the Academy's Board of Visitors during their July 28, 2017, visit to the Academy. The board members are appointed by Congress and make recommendations on Academy issues to senior Air Force and Defense Department leaders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Bill Evans)

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --

Superintendent of the Air Force Academy Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson said the school’s advances concerning issues of character, discipline and modernization, have made it a mainstay on the nation’s “best colleges” lists and a trusted agency among Defense Department leaders and parents of cadets.

 

Johnson said this and more July 28, when she hosted the Academy’s Board of Visitors.   

 

The superintendent said a concentration on the school’s curriculum, personnel, and climate and culture, have made the Academy the modern institution the U.S. and the Air Force needs. She said she recognizes there is always room for improvement, particularly when it comes to keeping the Academy a contemporary institution.

 

Johnson also spoke about the achievements of cadets during the last academic year, many receiving national press coverage or accolades from the Academy’s numerous tech-transfer partners. Some of these accomplishments were Academy graduate and astronaut Col. Jack Fischer reaching the International Space station; the Falcons Football team taking home the Commander in Chief’s Trophy for beating both Army and Navy; and former cadet now-2nd Lt. Hayley Weir’s combining epoxy, carbon fiber and Kevlar to improve body armor technology.

 

Top of the List

The quality of the Academy’s curriculum places it at the top of the nation’s best college listings, as seen in the Princeton Review and U.S. World News, Johnson told the board.

 

“The excellence of the Academy’s academic schedule and programs hinges on the promotion of critical thinking among the Cadet Wing’s 4,000 cadets and teaching staff,” she said. “We strive to promote an understanding of the human condition, different cultures and societies, and take an ethical and respectful approach to issues regarding human dignity. All this has enhanced the essence of what it means to be an officer and an Airman, while providing the Air Force with flexibility to respond to the changing demands of the profession of arms.”   

 

Johnson said the Academy is and will remain a “military institution.”

 

“We concentrate on military training, leadership and the profession of arms -- all those critical characteristics and traditions that have made us a proud and respected part of America’s fighting force since we opened our doors in 1954,” she said. “We’re making great strides in promoting the Warrior Ethos among our cadets who will be leaders for our nation. When you talk to cadets, it is abundantly clear they recognize their role in supporting our national security.”

 

Of the cadets admitted to the Academy this academic year, nearly 28 percent are women and just more than 72 percent are men. Thirty-one percent of cadets are minorities, including Black, Hispanic, Native American, Indian, Asian and Pacific Islanders.

 

“Respect among cadets means accepting others for who they are with humility and developing an environment of inclusiveness in which every cadet has a role to play as they develop into leaders,” Johnson said.  

 

Johnson said the Academy is working to advance the understanding, integration and practice of character and leadership development to prepare cadets for military service. Its main supporting arm in this effort is the Center for Character and Leadership Development, which focuses on inspiring the characteristics of integrity, service and excellence in cadets. This concentration on character is the main reason disciplinary problems at the school have been in decline, she said.

 

“Our dedication to issues of character put the Academy in the right frame to do what we do best: develop leaders of character for our nation,” she said.

 

Last academic year, eight cadets were reported for violating the Academy’s honor code, a steep decline from the 2008-2009 academic year, when 277 cadets were reported for honor code violations.

 

[Editor’s note: The BOV comprises 15 members appointed by Congress who make recommendations on Academy issues to senior Air Force and Defense Department leaders.]