Liaison officer directors visit Academy

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Hammes
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Academy Liaison officer directors from around the country came to the Academy this week for the Academy Admissions Liaison Symposium, which aims to update the directors on developments here that may affect recruiting.

Liaison officer directors work with high school students interested in attending the Academy or the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School here.

"They are our boots on the ground, out in the fields, with access to potential applicants for the Academy," said AJ Scott, regional director of Region 3 in Admissions. "So they need to understand what's going on here to portray it correctly to all of the individuals who want to apply."

Scott said this is the first symposium of its kind in three years, which makes it important that the LODs hear new information directly from senior leadership.

"A lot of time, our LODs have a snapshot of what the Academy is like, and it changes here fairly quickly," he said. "If they're up to speed, their snapshot can be adjusted and become more accurate."

Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Stephen Williams and Dean of Faculty Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost attended the first day of the conference, answering questions posed by the LODs.

General Johnson spoke about the need for the Academy to change to match the new needs of both cadets and the Air Force.

"For the last decade or so, our war has been about being flexible and adaptable," she said. "Now it's becoming a different profession of arms, so we're trying to do a better job of educating where we are. The essence of what we do and the way we deliver it has got to adapt."

General Johnson also answered questions about standards for cadet athletes.

"We've made the requirements for everyone, including the cadet candidates, more strict," she said. "We want coaches and administrators in the athletic department to be thinking, 'What's my role in character leadership development, which is essential to why we exist?' We all own the development of leaders - not just air officers commanding. This is a culture change we're trying to work across the permanent party. What's happening in the athletic department is really encouraging."

The symposium began Feb. 9th and ended with an awards ceremony Feb. 11.