Academy superintendent honored by Daughters of the American Revolution Published July 2, 2015 U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, the superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, received the Margaret Cochran Corbin Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington D.C June 27. The award pays tribute to women in all branches of the military for their distinguished military service, specifically its namesake,Revolutionary War heroine Molly Corbin. Corbin was wounded after taking over her husband's cannon when he was mortally wounded in the Battle of Fort Washington in 1775. She became the first woman pensioner of the U.S. military in 1779. Johnson was the event's keynote speaker and one of several to be honored for their contributions to the nation's defense during DAR's National Defense Night, as part of its 124th Continental Congress. "It is a tremendous honor to receive the Corbin Award from the Daughters of the American revolution," she said. "Molly Corbin was one of our country's first warrior heroes, and the DAR has helped preserve her memory and valor with this award. I seek to uphold the honored legacy of American heroes like Molly Corbin." Johnson, a 1981 Academy graduate, is the first woman to lead a Defense Department service academy. She has held a wide range of command and operational assignments. National Defense Night also honored retired Col. Lee Ellis, a former prisoner of war and author who spoke at the Academy's 2013 National Character and Leadership Symposium; Diane Carlson Evans, president of the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation; and J.R. Martinez, actor, author, motivational speaker and former U.S. Army soldier who served in Iraq in 2003. The DAR is an women's service organization promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism.