51st graduating class of the united states air force

51ST GRADUATING CLASS OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY VOL. 49 ISSUE 21 MAY 27, 2009

By William “T”Thompson, Esq. '73President & CEO, Association of Graduates

On behalf of the Association ofGraduates and its more than 26,000members, I want to extend my heartycongratulations to the Class of 2009and welcome you to the Academygraduate community. You have made itthrough four challenging years andnow you will take your place in themost technologically advanced AirForce in the history of the world. Youare well prepared to achieve greatsuccess.

The graduates who have precededyou have left a proud and distinguishedlegacy of service to our nation and havedone so in a relatively short period oftime. In a mere 50 years, the Academyhas become one of our country'sgreatest institutions, and you are aboutto become a part of that rich heritage.

In 50 classes, we have graduatedmore than 40,000 officers who havetaken positions of leadershipthroughout our nation. In the AirForce, over 500 have become generalofficers, including 26 four stars, threeof whom have become chief of staff.We have produced a plethora of warheroes including recipients of theMedal of Honor, Distinguished FlyingCrosses and Silver Stars. The Academyproduced two of the three Air ForceAces in Vietnam, and 36 graduateshave been POWs. And too many havemade the ultimate sacrifice with 171graduates who have their namesinscribed on the War Memorial.

Our graduates have also excelled inmany other walks of life. Thirty-eighthave become astronauts and one, until

very recently, held the record for thelongest walk in space. Thirty-six of ourgraduates have become RhodesScholars. The Academy has produceddoctors, attorneys, business leaders,and entrepreneurs, members of theclergy, teachers, college presidents, andairline pilots. Numerous graduateshave served as state and local electedofficials and, one has been elected tothe U.S. Congress. In addition, manyhave served in appointed positions atthe highest levels of national govern-ment.

In short, we have placed our gradu-ates throughout society; graduates whosubscribe to the core values of Integrityfirst; Service before self; and Excellencein all they do. And you are about tobecome a member of this august group.

You are graduating at a time ofgreat challenge and your leadershipskills will be tested. The globaleconomy is in crisis; we are fightingtwo foreign wars; terrorism is aconstant threat; and our world facesgenuine environmental perils. Yet thevalues you have adopted, the leadershipabilities you have developed and thehonor with which you have carried outyour assignments for the past fouryears is exactly what our nation needsto overcome these obstacles. I have thehighest confidence and trust in yourcapabilities and future contributions.

I know it has been a long fouryears, and you are ready to meet thenew challenges that lie ahead. Yet Istrongly urge you to stay connected tothe institution that has given you sucha unique opportunity. Join and becomeinvolved with the Association ofGraduates. Help to support the many

cadet programs that you have had anopportunity to experience; the leader-ship and character programs, theconferences and symposiums, intramu-rals and cadet clubs, and the foreigntravel and language immersionprograms, to mention just a few.Understand that you have the responsi-bility to reach back by giving back tothe cadets who will follow you. Realizethat you have an obligation to insurethat they enjoy a better opportunitythan you have enjoyed just as priorgrads have insured that you have hadopportunities that didn't exist when wewere cadets.

The AOG is proud to welcome youas members of the Long Blue Line andstand ready to assist you in any way wecan. Contact us at www.usafa.orgwhen we can ever be of service.

2 May 27, 2009GRADUATION 2009

Class of 2009:No more words — it’s time for action

AOG congratulates Class of 2009

By Lt. Gen. John RegniAcademy superintendent

To the Academy Class of 2009,congratulations on this achievement!You've certainly earned it.

You are the 51st class to graduateand it's a special honor for me andDebby to be part of your graduation.Your time here has been verypersonal to me. You were four degrees when I arrived and it's been one of the highlights of mycareer to watch your progress, mature and lead over these past fouryears.

It's a privilege to be here in theshadows of our great leaders of today,and to celebrate with the leaders whowill follow in their footsteps and helpshape America's future.

It is by no means an easy future.We are engaged in two wars on theother side of the world - and we are

engaged in a global ideologicalstruggle against some of the mostbarbaric enemies we have ever faced.There are also many threats on thehorizon, both traditional and non-traditional, and as always there arethreats that still lie beyond thehorizon, threats we can't yet evenperceive.

The challenges you face will testboth your spirit and your resolve.The same healthy spirit you displayedwhen your class saw the return ofRecognition and our critical CombatSurvival Training.

And in the years to come, I hopeyou will remember the satisfactionand excitement you feel at thismoment with family and friends, withclassmates and teammates, and withthe faculty and staff who supportedyou.

Thanks also to the sponsor fami-lies of these Airmen. Over the past

four years, you have opened yourhomes to these young men andwomen, providing a good meal or arespite from Academy life. Or ashoulder to lean on. Your guidanceand your caring helped make todaypossible for your Airmen.

For today, you take on theawesome responsibility of protectingand defending the Constitution of the United States and the Americanpeople. Right now, we ask you tomake the extraordinary the expected.

In closing, as the end of my careeris upon me, it gives me great satisfac-tion to see "my doolies" join the LongBlue Line. I salute you and wish youall the best as you embark on yourcareers as an Airmen in the world'smost powerful air, space and cyber-space force.

We expect great things from youin the years to come. The safety of

the nation is in your hands - andthere is nowhere else the Americanpeople would rather it be.

Congratulations, Good Luck.Class of 2009, it's YOUR TIME!

Lt. Gen. John F. Regni

William “T”Thompson

Cover Design: Photos courtesy DenMar,graphic layout Ken Carter

To responsibly inform and educate theAcademy community and the public

about the Air Force AcademyLt. Gen. John Regni —Academy Superintendent

Lt. Col. Brett Ashworth —Director of Public Affairs

Tech. Sgt. Cortchie Welch —Chief of Internal Information

Ken Carter — [email protected]

Butch Wehry — Senior Staff [email protected] Patton — Staff Writer

[email protected] Navoy — Graphic Designer

The Academy Spirit is published by ColoradoSprings Military Newspaper Group, a private firm in noway connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusivewritten contract with the U.S. Air Force Academy. Thiscivilian enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorizedpublication for members of the U.S. military services.Contents of the Academy Spirit are not necessarily theofficial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government,the Department of Defense or the Department of theAir Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication,including inserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of Defense, theDepartment of the Air Force, or Colorado SpringsMilitary Newspaper Group, of the products or servicesadvertised. Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, use or patronagewithout regard to race, color, religion, sex, national ori-gin, age, marital status, physical handicap, politicalaffiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser,user or patron. The printer reserves the right to rejectany advertisements.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and providedby the U.S. Air Force Academy Directorate of PublicAffairs. The editor reserves the right to edit articlesto conform to Air Force policy and Associated Pressstyle. All photos are U.S. Air Force photos unless other-wise indicated.

Send submissions to: HQ USAFA/PAI, 2304 CadetDrive, Suite 3100, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840-5016 or deliver to Suite 3100 in Harmon Hall.

Deadline for free classified ads on a space-avail-able basis is noon every Tuesday for that week’s pub-lication date. Paid classified advertising is accepted bythe publisher at 329-5210. The number to call for dis-play advertising is 634-5905.

Deadline for all stories is noon Friday, one weekprior to the desired publication date. Refer questionsto the Academy Spirit editor at 333-8823.

The Academy Spirit also accepts story submis-sions by fax at 333-4094 or by e-mail: [email protected].

Submissions

In his first visit to the Air ForceAcademy since being elected as vicepresident of the United States, theHonorable Joe Biden will offer thecommencement speech today recog-nizing the accomplishments of the Classof 2009.

Vice President Joseph RobinetteBiden, Jr., was born Nov. 20, 1942, inScranton, Pa., the first of four siblings.In 1953, the Biden family moved fromPennsylvania to Claymont, Del. He grad-uated from the University of Delawareand Syracuse Law School and servedon the New Castle County Council.Then, at age 29, he became one of theyoungest people ever elected to the U.S.Senate.

Just weeks after the election, tragedystruck the Biden family, when his wife, Neilia, and their 1-year old

daughter, Naomi, were killed and their two young sons critically in-jured in an auto accident. Biden wassworn in at his sons’ hospital bedside and began commuting to Washingtonevery day by train, a practice he main-tained throughout his career in theSenate.

In 1977, Mr. Biden married JillJacobs. Jill Biden, who holds a Ph.D. inEducation, has been an educator formore than two decades in Delaware’sschools. Vice President Biden has threechildren: Beau, Hunter, and Ashley.Beau serves as Delaware’s AttorneyGeneral and is currently deployed to Iraq as a Captain in the 261st SignalBrigade of the Delaware National Guard.Ashley is a social worker and Hunter is an attorney. Vice President Biden has five grandchildren: Naomi,

Finnegan, Roberta Mabel (“Maisy”),Natalie, and Robert Hunter.

As a Senator from Delaware for 36years, Vice President Biden has been aleader on some of our nation’s mostimportant domestic and internationalchallenges. As Chairman or RankingMember of the Senate JudiciaryCommittee for 17 years, he was widelyrecognized for his work on criminaljustice issues including the landmark1994 Crime Bill and the Violence AgainstWomen Act. As Chairman or RankingMember of the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee since 1997, he played apivotal role in shaping U.S. foreignpolicy. He has been at the forefront ofissues and legislation related toterrorism, weapons of mass destruc-tion, post-Cold War Europe, the MiddleEast, and Southwest Asia.

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GRADUATION 20094 May 27, 2009

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Cadet Squadron 3 was selected asthe Cadet Wing’s “Outstanding Squadron”for 2008-2009 in a special presentationThursday at the Academy Falcon Club.

The “Cerberus Dogs of War,” whosemantra is the Three P’s, (professional,proactive and pro-squadron), capturedtop honors at the 50th AnnualOutstanding Squadron of the YearBanquet sponsored by the Air ForceAssociation and the Association ofGraduates.

The guest speaker for the event wasMaj. Gen. (ret) Harold “Pete” Todd, Classof 1959.

The Air Officer Commanding is Maj.Jacqueline Breeden.

The squadron commanders are

Cadets 1st Class Elijah Culpepper andKenneth Montague.

The official presentation took placeMonday during the OrganizationalAwards Parade.

File Photo

By Academy Spirit staff

The Class of 2009 ring crest is one of the mosttreasured representations of class unity and classpride.

Until graduation, the Class of 2009 woretheir rings with the class crest facing inward,closest to their hearts.

After today, the ring is turned so theAcademy Crest is closest to the heart of an officerready and willing to protect and defend with thetraining they have received.

This is a unique tradition in which all grad-uates of the Academy are forever united.

Through the blood and the sweat, thetriumphs and the failures, Class of 2009 membershave become brothers and sisters for life.

2009 USAFA Ring – The Academy Crest isplaced on the left side of the ring. The bezelsurrounds a stone or inset plus the words “UnitedStates Air Force Academy.” These are encircledby a chain of 59 links to represent the first grad-uating class and the bond each class shares withthe preceding ones. These elements haveremained constant throughout the years andserve as yet another bond all classes sharetogether.

The Class of 2009 crest decorates the rightside of the ring. It is composed of both compul-sory and optional elements that together repre-sent the Academy experience.


2009 Class Ringsymbolizes pride, tradition

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Not forgottenMore than 800 American Flags were placed at gravesitesthroughout the Academy Cemetery honoring servicemembers and their families for Memorial Day.


Outstanding Cadet Spring Wing CommanderJonathan Yates, CS-21Outstanding Cadet Fall Wing CommanderJacob Schonig, CS-37Outstanding Cadet Summer Wing CommanderAnthony Ferrara, CS-27Outstanding Cadet Group CommanderBradley Dewees, CS-22Outstanding Cadet Squadron CommanderMichael Maziarz, CS-23Outstanding Flight CommanderTyler Olmstead, CS-2Outstanding Cadet Element LeaderAndrew VanTimmeren, Class of 2010, CS-12Outstanding Cadet Who Best Exemplifies the HighestIdeals of Loyalty Integrity and CourageRyan Sivertsen, CS-34Outstanding Former Regular Enlisted CadetGraduating with Highest Class HonorsBrooks Crane, CS-32Outstanding Cadet USAFA Prep School GraduateGregory Oswald, CS-7Outstanding Cadet in AirmanshipJacob Lowrie, CS-19Outstanding Cadet in ParachutingKyle Sellner, CS-29Outstanding Cadet in Powered FlightJeffrey Randolph Jr, CS-19Outstanding Cadet in SoaringBenjamin Gardner, CS-33Outstanding Cadet in Honor ChairpersonNathaniel Leach, CS-18Outstanding Cadet in CharacterPhil Compton, CS-34Outstanding Cadet in CitizenshipLindsey Robinson, CS-12Outstanding Cadet in Basic SciencesRyan Mudry, CS-36Outstanding Cadet in EngineeringAdam Comer, CS-37Outstanding Cadet in HumanitiesChristopher Conley, CS-7Outstanding Cadet in Social SciencesDerrick Hoxie IV, CS-3

Outstanding Cadet in Aeronautical EngineeringJosiah VanderMey, CS-9Outstanding Cadet in Astronautical EngineeringRoni Yadlin, CS-30Outstanding Cadet in Behavioral Sciences &LeadershipAbigail Rogers, CS-22Outstanding Cadet in BiologyBrit Long, CS-22Outstanding Cadet in ChemistryBrandon McCutcheon, CS-15Outstanding Cadet in Civil EngineeringKathleen Grieshop, CS-36Outstanding Cadet in CommunicationsDaniel Castle, CS-19Outstanding Cadet in Computer EngineeringEric Kitaif, CS-2Outstanding Cadet in Computer ScienceDouglas Sutton, CS-18Outstanding Cadet in Eastern Language MinorBenjamin Otte, CS-20Outstanding Cadet in EconomicsPhilip Cho, CS-24Outstanding Cadet in Electrical EngineeringMatthew McCormack, CS-16Outstanding Cadet in Engineering MechanicsDaniel Zheng, CS-20Outstanding Cadet in EnglishKeidrick Roy, CS-19Outstanding Cadet in Environmental EngineeringAnthony Hylko, CS-33Outstanding Cadet in Foreign Area StudiesBrian Williams, CS-23Outstanding Cadet in Geospatial ScienceWilliam Heitshusen, CS-7Outstanding Cadet in HistoryDaniel Jackson, CS-5Outstanding Cadet in Intercollegiate Speech CompJoshua Seefried, CS-29Outstanding Cadet in Legal StudiesBrady Augustin, CS-32Outstanding Cadet in ManagementSean Rotbart, CS-12Outstanding Cadet in Mathematics

Josiah VanderMey, CS-9Outstanding Cadet in Mechanical EngineeringAdam Comer, CS-37Outstanding Cadet in MeteorologySatapat Rattana, CS-1Outstanding Cadet in Military HistoryJeffrey Maciejewski, CS-24Outstanding Cadet in Military Strategic StudiesParker Hicks, CS-29Outstanding Cadet in National Security StudiesVictor DiTommaso III, CS-14Outstanding Cadet in Operations ResearchPhilip Cho, CS- 24Outstanding Cadet in PhilosophyLaura Johnson, CS-34Outstanding Cadet in PhysicsKatharine Kalamaroff, CS- 39Outstanding Cadet in Political ScienceJeremy Didier, CS-37Outstanding Cadet in Space OperationsJacob Schonig, CS-37Outstanding Cadet in Systems EngineeringAdam Bergoo, CS-2Outstanding Cadet in Systems Engineering Manage-mentBradley Dewees, CS-22Outstanding Cadet in Western Language MinorJoseph Dougherty, CS-19Outstanding Cadet in Athletic LeadershipGriffin Nevitt, CS-4Outstanding Cadet in Athletic ExcellenceSean Houseworth, CS-24Outstanding Cadet in Athletic AchievementGregory Flynn, CS-30Outstanding Cadet in Physical Education AverageBenjamin Otte, CS-20Outstanding Cadet in Physical EducationBrady Augustin, CS-32Outstanding Cadet in Military PerformanceGregory Oswald, CS-7Outstanding Cadet in Academic PerformanceBradley Dewees, CS-22Outstanding Cadet in Scholar-AthleteMichael Phillipich, CS-7

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By Academy Public Affairs

Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cal Tech andRice are just a few of the post-gradua-tion destinations for members of theAcademy’s Class of 2009.

Eighty-seven members of the AirForce Academy’s latest graduating classhave earned entry into graduate schoolprograms.

Several of the graduating cadets havebeen tapped for medical school, thelatest being Cadet 1st Class TheodoreSaitz. He received notification May 19that he has a slot waiting for him atTulane Medical School right after grad-uation, which brought USAFA’s medicalschool total up to 14 for the Class of2009. The cadets bound for medicalschool are Cadets 1st Class AndrewAmack, Robert Edmonds, AndrewGroberg, Jane Hwang, Erin Johnson,Brit Long, Brandon McCutcheon, KyleMcIntosh, Joseph Migliuri, SaraSchwartz, William Timberlake, KaraWilson and Travis Dekker.

Additionally, Cadet 1st Class JennaBeasock’s post-graduation assignment isthe Vanderbilt University School ofNursing, while Cadet 1st Class BenjaminPass is headed to dental school atColumbia University.

Harvard University is the next stopfor five graduates, who have earnedscholarships to the John F. KennedySchool of Government: Cadets 1st ClassVictor DiTommaso III, Elisa Park,Lindsey Robinson, Brian Williams, andBrian McCutcheon.

The Harvard scholarship is CadetMcCutcheon’s second post-graduatescholarship, as he is also headed tomedical school.

Cadet 1st Class Brian Mueller isbound for King’s College in the UnitedKingdom after winning a MarshallScholarship. Cadet Mueller is one ofonly 40 people in the United States to winthe scholarship this year.

Through the Acquisition AccessionProgram, several cadets majoring ineverything from physics to behavioralsciences are bound for graduate school.This program sends graduating cadetsto the Air Force Institute of Technologyin residence and select civilian univer-sities, based on the current needs of theAir Force. It includes a new AFIT in-resi-

dence program for cyber operations,which was introduced in 2008. Thesecadets are: Cadets 1st Class AinsleyAllen, Eric Diss, Luke Ferrel, ByronFryer, Harmon Gage, Joshua Heffernen,Adam Hillier, Alexander Kaszynski,Charles Keaton, Adam Kruse, GarrettKurtz, Spenser Lee, Benaiah Lozano,Brooke Lunde, Erin McNeil, AshleyMiller, Crystal Murray, Michael Paul,Emily Purcell, Robin Rogers, StephanieSchmidt, Nathanael Sladek, AlexanderStevenson, Jared Tuinstra, Ariella Walker,Matthew Williams and Abby Rogers.

Cadet Abby Rogers also earned anNCAA postgraduate scholarship, along

with Cadet 1st Class Roni Yadlin. CadetRogers is a gymnast while Cadet Yadlinplayed soccer.

These scholarships are awarded bythe NCAA to graduating student-athleteswho have performed with distinctionin both athletics and academics. TheNCAA awards fewer than 200 scholar-ships annually to the best of more than384,000 NCAA athletes. Cadet Yadlinalso won an endowed scholarship toOxford University, United Kingdom.

Several nationally competitive andendowed scholarships are sending grad-uating firsties off to schools in Europeand around the United States, including:

Cadet 1st Class Daniel Castle toColorado State University; Cadet 1stClass Brooks Crane to the University ofPittsburgh; Cadet 1st Class David Dayto Baylor University; Cadet 1st ClassAdam Otten to La Sorbonne, France;Cadet 1st Class Katharine Kalamaroff toThe California Institute of Technology;Cadet 1st Class Adam Comer toCambridge University, United Kingdom;Cadet 1st Class Laura Johnson to St.John’s College, and Cadet 1st ClassKeidrick Roy to Arizona State University.

The Academy’s Center for Spaceand Defense Studies is sending twocadets to graduate school: Cadet 1stClass Nathan McCaskey to ColoradoState University and Cadet 1st ClassSteven Tomaszewski to IndianaUniversity.

Four members of the Class of 2009earned the Superintendent’s Rand Ph.D.Scholarship, which sends cadets to thePardee Rand Graduate School in SantaMonica, Calif., for a doctoral degree inpolicy analysis. They are: Cadets 1stClass Jeremy Didier, John Langley,Kimberly Hale and Kevin O’Neill.

The Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology awaits five graduates of theAcademy’s Class of 2009: Cadets 1stClass Philip Cho, Corey Crowell,Matthew McCormack, JosiahVanderMey, and George Sondecker, IV.

Rice University has 13 engineeringand space operations majors slated forgrad school there. They are: Cadets 1stClass Tyler Brummer, Tracee Curlett,Wyatt Harris, Brad Jenicke, TimothyPhillips, Timothy Spielman, BradleyWard, Matthew Wichmann, Joel Halpert,Andrew Kirk, Jackson Mason, AnthonyO’Shea, and Jake Schonig.

Cadet 1st Class Monique Ludvicekwill put her aeronautical engineeringand research skills to work at theUniversity of Washington, via thatuniversity’s engineering fellowship.

Four graduating cadets will attendthe University of Maryland Scholarshipat University of Maryland’s School ofPublic Policy. An important selectioncriterion is a continuing interest in publicpolicy and service in the public sectorand this program awards a master’s inpublic policy. Those cadets are: Cadets1st Class Brad Dewees, Josiah Gaffney,John Munson and Benjamin Otte.

87 cadets bound for Grad SchoolClass of 2009 to grace the halls of Harvard, Rice, MIT, Oxford

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Cadet 1st Class Brandon McCutcheon prepares a sample for an experimentusing a dye to identify free radicals in hopes of one day treating chemicalwarfare decontamination and cancer. Cadet McCutcheon earned two post-graduate scholarships: one to the University of California-San Diego med-ical school, and another to the John F. Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University. He was a biochemistry major and a member of the Wingsof Blue.


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By Maj. Stephen StumboAssistant Director of Operations94th Flying Training Squadron

Lakeland, Fla.—Sean Tucker steppedout of his custom-built Oracle ChallengerII biplane and rushed to catch his flightfrom Tampa back to his Power AerobaticsSchool in California. Recently honoredas one of only 25 ‘Living Legends ofFlight’, he had just wrapped up the lastof six mind-boggling aerobatic routineswhich included maneuvers in excess of10 positive and six negative G’s duringLakeland, Florida’s 2009 Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.

Before he left however, he walkedover to the show’s youngest performer,shook his hand, and wished him luck onhis routine. “You’re an awesome pilot —now don’t screw it up!”

Cadet 1st Class Andy Davis thenstrapped into his TG-10C and became thefirst Air Force Academy cadet in historyto perform an aerobatic demonstrationon the national fly-in stage. His six-minute routine tested the limits of theAcademy’s aerobatic sailplane and theSunday afternoon crowd stood in awe ofthe paces an aircraft without an enginecould be put through.

The road to Sun ’n Fun was just that— after C-130 airlift support fell through,Cadet-in-Charge Nic Zimmerman andhis crew loaded the Air Force Academy

Sailplane Demonstration Team’s gliderinto a trailer and two officers from the94th Flying Training Squadron and 70thFTS drove it across the country. 1,850miles and four days later, the aircraft wasnow a static display at America’s secondlargest fly-in and the 94th’s team wasbusy answering questions and handingout recruiting materials to the estimated138,000 in attendance at Lakeland’s LinderRegional Airport. Cadets 1st Class JustinLedvina and Shannon Reichert made a

presentation at Lakeland’s George JenkinsHigh School, meeting with students whowere in awe of the detail which theygleaned from the cadet’s description of lifeat the Academy. “It was amazing to seehow impressed the high school studentswere with daily life here”, said CadetReichert.

Majors Steve D’Amico and JimStumbo provided officer oversight forthe trip and were glad the team was ableto make the whole trip happen. “Right

from the beginning of the planning phase,we faced several challenges,” said Stumbo.“Funding, airlift, SCA, recruitingresources … all areas seemed to requirea huge team effort on the part of severalAcademy agencies and in the end, theteamwork paid off.” When asked whythe 94th would go through such stridesto pull an event like this off, it all boileddown to the mission.

According to Major D’Amico, amember of the Reserve componentserving at USAFA, “We all exist here todevelop leaders of character. That startswith recruiting that outstanding sopho-more in high school who is awed by theexploits of an Academy cadet, finisheswith the graduation of a cadet possessingthe tools required to execute a deploymentlike this as cadet-in-charge and all the littlesteps in between that ensure that the jobis pulled off with integrity and excel-lence.”

The 94th will attend 8-10 more airshows this summer, performing beforeaudiences in excess of 1.2 million aviationenthusiasts, providing a number ofdifferent cadets with leadership opportu-nities aimed at preparing them to be lieu-tenant’s in today’s unpredictable Air Force.

Along the way, they’ll also beproviding an incredible recruiting tool toensure USAFA continues to attract andtrain America’s best and brightest forservice to their country.

Soaring success paves way for future recruitment

PleaseRecycle

Courtesy photo

Cadets from the 94th Flying Training Squadron share the in’s and out’s ofgliding during the Sun ‘n Fun demonstrations in Lakeland, Fla. The 94thanticipates attending more air shows this summer.


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By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

There will be no way of telling the two cadets who havesurvived cancer at today’s graduation ceremony.

Worth our attentionAn Army doctor left Cadet 1st Class Gregory Rettler

a message the night before telling the cadet not to eator drink anything after midnight and to come to his officeat 7 a.m. the next morning.

The cadet suspected things were serious. Cancer was confirmed the next morning before

the operation.“I prayed for God’s peace and asked Him to reach

others with this story … then I called my parents andcommander,” said the humanities major with CadetSquadron 24. “My mom flew out immediately, and mycommander was at my bedside before I woke up fromthe first operation.”

Where the cancer came from is unknown.Cancer survivors are known for appreciating life …

and fate. “My family and friends supported me—Mom was

physically there through all of it—but definitely therewas a trust in God’s plan no matter what,” said the cadetfrom Green Bay Wis.

As a cancer victim, one is not in control.“Through it, I gained a sense of urgency to strive

to be a better man and live out what I believe in,” saidCadet Rettler, who will attend intelligence training atGoodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, soon.

“I try to make sure that I spend my days pursuingwhat is most important—only the best things shouldbe worth our attention,” he said.

Struck randomlyIn October, Cadet 1st Class Mark Puffenbarger

started having sharp chest pain at night due to the tumorgrowing and pushing other internal organs out of theway.

“It was off and on, and I ignored it and it mostly wentaway,” said the systems engineering management majorfrom Cadet Squadron 17.

“At the very beginning of November, I developed acough that wouldn’t go away. After a little over three weeksI went to the cadet clinic. They figured it was a virus,but decided to do a chest x-ray to see if it was pneumonia,just in case. There was a huge spot on the x-ray, so theyasked some more questions.”

After hearing he had lost about 20pounds in the lastmonth, doctors scheduled a CT scan.

“The results came back that day and they called mein to tell me I had a mass in my left chest cavity,” saidCadet Rettler. “Due to my age, it was almost certainlysome sort of lymphoma.”

Doctors couldn’t be sure but they said it had a veryhigh cure rate, and most people go on to live long,healthy lives. “Since the doctor answered the ‘are you sure’and ‘how bad is it’ questions, my first question was toask if this was going to mean I’d lose my physical qual-ification status,” the cadet said.

“My type of cancer was: Primary Mediastinal DiffuseLarge B Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” said the cadet.It was about the size and shape of a football when Istarted chemotherapy at the beginning of December. Ihad a chemo dose every three weeks from December untilmid-March. Toward the beginning of April, I startedthe radiation therapy and had a dose every weekdayuntil last Tuesday.”

It seemed to strike him randomly. No one reallyknows why.

“It helped being here with friends to keep my mindoff of the treatment and the side effects,” CadetPuffenbarger said. “I kept busy with school and mili-tary duties also kept me occupied. I think had I left theAcademy for the treatment, I wouldn’t have been nearlyas active, and I would have dwelled on it more. Stayingat the Academy during my treatment was really goodfor me.”

Self-pity does not appear to be one of this cadet’s traits.“For one, I certainly have a lot more medical knowl-

edge now than I could have ever wanted to know fromdoing lots of research about this, other cancers, andrelated topics,” he said. “I have been optimistic the entiretime and I think that’s really helped.

Cadets claim victory in battles against cancer

Courtesy Photo

Cancer survivor Cadet 1st Class Mark Puffenbargerjoins his underclassman sister Haley for a photo.


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Story and photo by Ann PattonAcademy Spirit staff

As our nation paid tribute Monday to America’sfallen warriors, the Academy War Memorial stands nearthe base of Old Glory on the Terrazzo’s Air Garden. It servesas a reminder to all, of the Academy graduates who’ve madethe supreme sacrifice in service to their country.

The curved monolith of black starlite granite isinscribed with the names of 171 Academy graduates whodied as a result of hostile action during a state of militaryconflict.

Tragically, the Academy lost another one of its ownMay 20 when First Lt. Roslyn Schulte, Class of 2006, waskilled in action near Kabul, Afghanistan. An intelligenceofficer, she is the 10th graduate, and first female graduatekilled in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom andEnduring Freedom.

The Association of Graduates determines the namesof graduates to be listed. The AOG spearheaded the fund-raising efforts for the memorial that was completed in 1970.

Since its dedication, the Class of 1970 oversaw theconstruction of a smaller replica of the Memorial Walloutside the AOG headquarters. During in-processingdoolies receive a briefing on the significance of the servicethey are about to enter and the sacrifices that may berequired of them.

In early 2006, a small team of USAFA graduates tookon the substantial and painstaking challenge of creatinga database of information pertaining to graduate combatlosses.

Former Preparatory School commander and Col.(retired) Jock Schwank, Class of 1960, is a member of theresearch team. He said the project took three years andwas only completed in December last year.

The team culled nearly 20,000 bits of information from

AOG data, from such sources as newspapers, ArlingtonNational Cemetery, hometown obituaries, family membersand classmates.

Supported by the The Friends of the Air ForceAcademy Library, it was a labor of love.

“This is the cadets’ heritage from others who wentbefore and gave their all,” Mr. Schwank said. “They areall common people who died performing uncommon actsand paid the ultimate price for their sacrifices.”

A large number of the names on the wall died in theVietnam conflict. Many were pilots, but not all, includingLieutenant Schulte and Maj. Rodolfo Rodriguez, a civilengineer, who died in support of Operations Enduringand Iraqi Freedom.

Every name on the wall has a story. One tells of the intriguing odyssey and return of a grad-

uate’s class ring in 2007, 40 years after his death in Vietnam.

A Chinese family, living in Vietnam at that time, hadfound it and cared for it through the years. Through a seriesof sheer coincidences, the ring eventually made its wayback to the deceased graduate’s brother, former Secretaryof the Air Force Michael Wynne. The ring belonged tohis older brother, Maj. Patrick Wynne, Class of 1966.

The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 claimed Academy grad-uates Col. (retired) Charles Jones, Class of 1974, whowas aboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it struckthe North Tower of the World Trade Center and LeRoyHomer, Class of 1987, who served as first officer ofhijacked United Airlines Flight 93 before it crashed inWestern Pennsylvania.

Retired Col. Richard Rauschkolb, Class of 1970, saidit is important for cadets to have a full understanding ofthose who went before them.

“They are part of the Long Blue Line,” he said, notingthat everyone whose name is on the wall went throughthe same challenges as today’s cadets.

“They experienced the same things. It is a road fullof bumps,” he said.

Mr. Rauschkolb emphasizes the Air Force is not a job.“It’s a profession, a dangerous profession. They are

expected, if called upon, to make the ultimate sacrifice.”Cadet 4th Class Derek Winkler, Cadet Squadron 19,

takes the commitment seriously.“I think of our responsibility to this nation,” he said

while peering over the names on the Memorial Wall. “IfI am able-bodied and able-minded, I should do my part.”

Cadet 3rd Class Caleb McConnell, CS-39, also hasdeep respect for those who have sacrificed.

“It’s humbling,” he said. “I think about them andtheir families, and I’m grateful for their service.”

To view all the stories behind the War Memorial,visit www.friends.usafalibrary.comand click on “MemorialWall.”

Memorial honors ultimate service before self

Cadet 4th Class Derek Winkler peers at the namesof Academy graduates who lost their lives in war.The War Memorial is an element of the Air Gardenon the Terrazzo.


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From Staff Reports

Mission The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron,

the Thunderbirds, performs precision aerial maneuversdemonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high perform-ance aircraft to people throughout the world. Thesquadron, headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.,exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force developsin the people who fly, maintain and support theseaircraft.

Objectives of the squadron are: — To support Air Force recruiting and retention

programs — To reinforce public confidence in the AirForce and to demonstrate to the public the professionalcompetence of Air Force members

— To strengthen morale and esprit de corps amongAir Force members

— To support Air Force community relations andpeople-to-people programs

— To represent the United States and its armed forcesto foreign nations and to project international goodwill

The Team The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat

Command unit composed of eight pilots (includingsix demonstration pilots), four support officers, threecivilians and more than 130 enlisted personnelperforming in 25 career fields.

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix offormation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraftdiamond formation demonstrates the training andprecision of Air Force pilots, while the solo aircrafthighlight the maximum capabilities of the F-16.

The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers ina demonstration. The entire show, including ground andair, runs about 75 minutes. The season lasts from Marchto November, with the winter months used to trainnew members.

Officers serve a two-year assignment with thesquadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four.Replacements must be trained for about half of theteam each year, providing a constant mix of experi-ence.

The squadron performs no more than 88 air demon-strations each year and has never canceled a demon-stration due to maintenance difficulty. More than 280million people in all 50 states and 57 foreign countrieshave seen the red, white and blue jets in more than3,500 aerial demonstrations.

In addition to their responsibilities as the officialU.S. Air Force aerial demonstration team, theThunderbirds are part of our combat force. If required,the team’s personnel and aircraft can be rapidly integratedinto a fighter unit at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Sincethe aircraft are only slightly modified, they can be madecombat-ready in less than 72 hours.

F-16 Fighting Falcon The Lockheed Martin (formerly General Dynamics)

F-16 Fighting Falcon represents the full range of capa-

bilities possessed by the Air Force’s tactical fighters.This highly maneuverable multi-role fighter has provento be one of the world’s best precision tactical bombersand air-to-air combat aircraft. The only modificationsneeded to prepare the aircraft for its air demonstrationrole are installing a smoke-generating system in thespace normally reserved for the 20mm cannon, and thepainting of the aircraft in Thunderbird colors.

History The Thunderbirds were officially activated June 1,

1953, as the 3600th Air Demonstration Team at LukeAFB, Ariz. Their first aircraft was the straight-wingedF-84G Thunderjet, a combat fighter-bomber that hadseen action in Korea. Early in 1955 the team transitionedto the swept-winged F-84F Thunderstreak.

In June 1956, the team moved to its current homeat Nellis. At the same time the Thunderbirds traded theveteran F-84 for the world’s first supersonic fighter, theF-100 Super Sabre — an aerial platform that wouldserve the Thunderbirds for 13 years. More than 1,000demonstrations were flown in the Super Sabre, thrillingspectators around the world. The team changed brieflyto the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. After only sixshows, in 1964, due to an extensive modification thatbecame necessary on all Thunderchiefs, theThunderbirds returned to the F-100.

From 1969 to 1973, the Thunderbirds flew the AirForce’s front-line fighter, the F-4E Phantom. In 1974,the Thunderbirds converted to the T-38 Talon, the

world’s first supersonic trainer. The T-38 was morefuel-efficient and less costly to maintain than the largerF-4.

Early in 1983, the Thunderbirds reinstituted theirtraditional role of demonstrating the Air Force’s front-line fighter capabilities. Transition to the F-16A allowedthe team to retain manpower and fuel efficiency whiledemonstrating to spectators the latest in fighter tech-nology.

The Thunderbirds returned to Europe for the firsttime in 13 years in 1984. More than 3.2 million peopleviewed the aerial demonstrations in 11 countries.

In 1986, the Thunderbirds participated in the reded-ication flyby of the Statue of Liberty and in September,another milestone was attained when the team went overthe 200 million mark for total attendance.

The largest crowd, 2.25 million people, to see aperformance was at Coney Island, N.Y., July 4, 1987. The1987 Far East tour marked their debut in Beijing, China— the first American military demonstration perform-ance in a Communist country.

Operation Desert Storm cancelled the 1990 Europeantour and the season was shortened. The team convertedto the F-16C in 1992, bringing the F-16A era to an end.

In 1996, the team traveled again to Europe wherecrowds from former Warsaw Pact countries enjoyed the“Ambassadors in Blue.” In July 1996, the team partici-pated in opening ceremonies of the Centennial Olympicsheld in Atlanta which were viewed by an estimated 3.5billion people around the world.

Thunderbirds set to soar for Class of 2009

Photo by Ken Carter


Squadron 1 Jessica Lee BarbeeRobert Destri BarlowDouglas Stuart BatesJason Daniel BoothRyan William ClissetStefanie Michelle CulpEric Lee DavisHarmon John Ambrose GageSamuel Allen GayTyron Marquez GrayJoseph Charles HoecherlJordan Matthew HowenMeghan Leigh KiserDamien Peter KoolisJustin Keith LechnerJason Jaewoong LoJustin Kirk MasonRyan Martin MeeterThomas DeWitt MeyerDavid Anthony OcampoWilliam Mercier Parker IVStephanie Diane RandallSatapat RattanaNathanael James SladekLiam Ryan TaylorPhilip Michael VeltreLeah Kim WeisJessica Marie Zenger

Squadron 2Charles Lee Bayne IIIAdam Peter Michael BergooDevin Matthew BordelonKevin Andrew BradyMark Bradford ChineryCorey Whitcomb CrowellDonald Andrew DavisMelissa Elizabeth EdwardsEric Dean KitaifKali Jean KranzMichael Alexander KravitzDana Marie LovelessMichael Colin MayraSteven Lewis Miller Jr.Tyler Kent OlmsteadTyler Charles PerryMichael Hank PersianiRyan Joseph PinnerKenneth Drew PowersKatelyn Marie RileyAndrew Joseph SmallDebra Ellen StarkeyWilliam Robert Wargula

Squadron 3Karan BansalPatrick Eugene BevilleLisa Marie Bush

Elijah Daine CulpepperThomas Emerson DanielsDaniel Walter EcklebeJoana Ruth EverettLuke Joseph FerrelAndrew George Thomas GibsonTimothy Lee GorskiAaron Benjamin GreenKirk Andrew HabrunDerrick Antill Hoxie IVMichael Thomas LaneyElizabeth A. N. LoftonGenelle Monique MartinezJames William MillerKenneth Scott MontagueKyle Alexander NorrisKevin Chase O’NeillJesse Morgan PraterRamiro Rios Jr.Danielle Marie RogowskiJack Michael RufusDaniel Timothy SmithNicholas Thomas VarnumAndrew Lee WestJeffrey Michael Winter

Squadron 4Peter John BetzTimothy Alexander BlackChase Joshua BowenSpencer Albert ButtJoseph Vincent CastroJohn Michael CockburnStephen Lawerence CrozierAaron Alan DachroedenRobert James DoyleRobert Joseph DoyonChelsea Megan FitchRobert Atlee Glenn IILara Minji HarrisDustin Bradford HelselDrew Cameron HundleyJohn Joseph LachiewiczMaverick Winchester LewisBrooke Elizabeth LundeEric Maurice MillerPatrick Charles MorrisGriffin Erskine NevittTony D. ParsramKurt Michael RommelClare Colleen ShannonNathan Ray SmithJessica Marie SotoJoseph David Spitz

Squadron 5Steven Charles BeaulieuMark Robert BishopMichael Grant BrittnerJared Michael ConsoloJeremy Kristen DeGuzmanRobert James EdmondsNathan James EldredgeVictoria Elise GalliGarrett Chase Gilbertson

Benjamin Adam GolataTyler James HewkoDaniel James JacksonErin Elizabeth JohnsonBranden Michael LynamBrooklynn Amber MaussBrian Christopher MuellerBryan Edward MusslerBen Thomas NailJeffrey Michael PecoraLaurence Ygnacio PinedaJoshua David ReddisAlexander Michael RizkowskyDempsey Erin SloughTrevor Mark SteenWilliam Taylor Timberlake IIIChristopher Joseph TotoricaMarisa Janine WhitakerMatthew Steven Williams

Squadron 6Jonathan Steven AndresenDouglas Howard BanningMarie France BarrettNathaniel David BeeneJoshua Daniel BirdRyan James BrooksThomas John CousinoKyle Lee EppersonNathan Alexander EstesMatthew Austin GilbertMichael Anders GreeneMichael McKool HayesAlex Gordon HillTrevor Hoar JohnsonAndrew William KirkAshley Taylor MaddoxMichael Louis ManganoKelly Anne McGowanTimothy Joseph NesbittAnthony Kenneth PavliskoJuan Amando PerezJacob Richard RennebaumBryan Allen RoccoKenji Jatuput ShinodaLaken Elizabeth StognerPrzemyslaw StrekowskiDrew Steven VorhiesRyan Cody Winsor

Squadron 7William Walter BlumhoeferScott Alexander BrennerChristopher Robert ConleyBrian Bonner CrumNicholas James DavisJustin Daniel DaySean Thomas FedornakJennifer Lynn GulbransenRyan Miller HagenerJoshua David HausmannKais HeimburgerWilliam David HeitshusenBruce Allen Hrabak Jr.James Brett Johnson

Luke Michael KaspariMichael Brandon KempChristopher Allen MartiAshley Ann MillerMarisa Akimi MiyamuraThomas Lloyd NicholsonGregory Clyde OswaldMichael Andrew PhillipichJohn David RulienJohn Ryan Kale SteinerAriella Courtney Walker

Squadron 8Scott Douglas AdamsonHoban Ansel BlumeAndrew Jarrod Deval BuchananCasey Grant ButikoferDavid James ButlerScarlet Irlene CoburnRobert Jacob ConsiglioPhillip Thomas CunninghamKirk Harrison DevineBrett Michael FinneranWilliam John Harrison IIIJames Corey HickersonKeri Lyn HolcombDavid Daniel HorngGyscar J. I.-HollowayTroy Fabian KinchenJoshua Boyce LoomisKyle Burton McClureLisa Christine MoeMary Katherine MurrillVictoria Ann RossSamantha Lindsey SaengerNicholas Adam SchmiegelZachary Evans ThompsonJames Steven TippetsChase Merrell Webster

Squadron 9Scott Daniel BognerMichelle Lynne BoschAdam Milton BunkerDustin Robert DanielsonMitchell Erik FossumCraig Lee FranckeLucas Charles GagliardiAndrew Jonathan GilzeanJoseph Stephen HenneyTorin Thomas HerringJamie Marie IlligMatthew Parker KingCarlos Anthony LopezKyle Robert McIntoshJoseph Michael MercurioAshleigh Anne PeckTimothy Gerard PhillipsStephanie RegisJohn Wesley SchroederMacLane August TownsendJosiah Timothy VanderMeyAndrew Y. VeerathanongdechChristy Marie Wise

Squadron 10Daniel John BarRebecca Cathleen ChildersTyler Paul CodyThomas George CokerKellen John CurryChristopher Ryan FergusonLeif Andrew Albert HillshaferCharles Wedge KeelingGarrett Michael KurtzAndrew Choe LeeBradley Joseph McNamaraFrank Joseph PanebiancoVasquez Angelica Maria PlazasHayden Randall PoeCarolyn Rose PriceShelley Pak RodgersJonathan Michael SeppSean David ShayJoseph Robert TomczakClinton Tyrone Walls IVMatthew Keeney Williams

Squadron 11Stephanie Ann BacueDerek Jeffrey CandiottiShawn E. W. D. CarrierBrooke Caswell CultraDaniel James DavisBrian Kevin Delaney JrJeremy David FoxBryan Nathaniel HofflerJesse Robert HortonJason Kent KotlewskiShane Robert Kaleinani ManuelMatthew Dustin MillerDaniel Edward MitchellDavid Wesley Nan IIIAaron Vincent NelsonSebastian Fernando OrtizBernard Lawrence Patenaude IVLaura Beth RegnierEric Tyler RobinetteCarlos Eduardo SanchezDavid Allen SleasmanDaniel Jeremy TuckerChristopher Joseph VicariCrystal Yang

Squadron 12Christine Renee AbayanJames Emmett BeardJustin Dean BorgerdingRandall Vincent ChlebekMelissa Antoinette EhrlerNicholas Anthony GilbertSeth William HultinKim Elizabeth KrekeBrian Grant Kroeger

Class of 2009 Graduates

14 May 27, 2009

Jameson Foster LamieMichael Gregory LewisGalen Win McRaeTravis James MillerLouis Cagigal MurphyMichael David PetersonJasamine Reneé PettieLindsey Joelle RobinsonSean David RotbartCody Ryan SingletaryAndrew Marshall SmithBrent Alexander SmithBilly Wayne TerryJonathan Lee WatfordJason Paul WatsonNicholas H. Zimmerman

Squadron 13Andrew Dwight BordersAndrew Lee CooperMatthew William DavisDenise Rachelle DeShazoStephen Benjamin ElliottKatelyn Rose FabbriBrian Daniel GilliamRobert Eric GobrechtNathan Garret HockingReid Pierce InmanJohn Kenneth LangleyAshley Elizabeth LoveMichael Peter MayorMatthew Ward McCallumSean Clark MillnerPreston Phillip MoonKevin Brett MulliganNicole Louise PagetMark Ronald PrattJose Antonio Robaina JrAnthony John SchelstrateEdwin Judson Snead IVChad Wayne StollTravis Jared WhittemoreKai Jason YamashiroKristopher P. W. Yarlett

Squadron 14Brooks David AdamoJames A. C. BowronEric Dane BurtonChristopher Yanagida CarrilloJose Antonio ChaparroChristopher Joseph DameleDavid Thomas DayVictor Vincent DiTommaso IIIChristopher Richard DuBoisKenneth Howard Eaton IIIMatthew John Fleharty SrJoshua Michael GminskiDale Joseph HargisAnthony Earl HertachRobert Craig HyattGavin Wayne LightEdwin John Miltenberger JrPatrick Carlin MountDavid William NugentKavir Hirendra PatelMichael Benson ReederJoshua Robert SchirnerChristopher Marc SchroerHolly Silvana SimeonRyan Scott Springer

Justin James Wilkens

Squadron 15Ashley Nicole AlexanderAustin Grant BartlettJason Michael DallLa Torre Francisco Javier DeJohn Alcantara DelosreyesJames Robert ElliottSteven Daniel GlowackiCarl Andrew GotwaldRyan Francis HarrisonSamuel Kevin HolbrookGregory Alexander JemoKevin Daniel JohnstonKyle Douglas JonesJennifer Ann KnieffCasey Thomas LynnCasey Nicholas MastersAndrea Lynn MayBrandon Allan McCutcheonJohn William MunsonCharles John NealJerry PribylMatthew Ryan RobbinsJonathan Kory RodgersNicholas Ryan SchlagheckChristine Patricia StaggJoseph Michael SteffesFrederick Angelo Tarantino JrJohn Wrigley TuckerMichael Donovan WagnerDaniel Edward WarnerAdam Stewart Williams

Squadron 16Ainsley Larue AllenAndrew James AmackSean Kerns AndersonGeorge Alexander ArbuckleBrady Lee BehrendtJustin John BrozettiAndrew Lawrence CaulkIan Russell CrawfordDavid Joseph FangMichael Loreto FantauzziDavid Robert FondacaroKali Jessica GreenWyatt Jacob HarrisIan Timothy HurdleKatherine Suzanne KennedyMark Milman Manship JrMatthew Michael McCormackAmy Jo McInteerJohn Harold NussbaumJoshua Steven RooseJessica Mable StewartDaniel Joseph StrishockSean Thomas SullivanDallas Marcus William WrightLuke Yeager

Squadron 17Mark Anthony BailieJennifer Kay BeasockKenneth Ian Bull

Jarred Alan EpsteinShane Timothy Schauman FreyChristopher Michael GurrolaMary Beth GuzowskiMichael Terrence HanaganAndrew Joseph HendelBrian Kristopher JarrellBrandon Jarrod JonesSimon Peter Christian KassemiCharles Bernard KennedyAshley Jaye MillerAndrew Christopher MorrisAndrew David MusserIan Alexander NoelMark Edward PuffenbargerZachary Wayne RiegerLogan Joshua RobertsRandy Clarke RogersAnthony Louis SantosusDarshan Ram SubramanianTaylor Maclin TallyErin Brianne Wallace

Squadron 18Robert Alexander ArcandLyndon Grant BartlettAndrea Veronica BergerJordan Michael BobbsJohn Anthony ButlerJason Alden CorrellRyan Thomas CwynarEdward Porter FoulonNathan Cameron HawkinsDaniel Paul HendrenMichael Robert HoferViolandrino Viola IsipStephen Roy JudeColby David KinselMichael Austin KoepkeNathaniel Phillip LeachJason Thomas MayorWilliam C. McCormickRoberta Michelle NitzbergCassandra Rochelle OvermanRyan Hal RutherfordCharles Edwin Scholfield JrMark Bernard SchrinerDouglas Patrick SuttonJason Wesley ThomasEdward Emmanuel Tison

Squadron 19Matthew Scott CarverDaniel Allen CastleMatthew Hollis DanleyJonathan Forest DippoldJoseph Patrick DoughertyAlexander Christopher GallmanAddison Abraham HardingMatthew Edward Herzberg IIMark Andrew JaszczakJennifer Michelle JohnsonBarry Eli KnoblockShankar Sam KulumaniJosiah David LoeserJacob Ross LowrieJoshua Lloyd MartinezNathan Carl McCaskeySam Phillips McKenzie IIIWilliam Levi MoakDavid Kenneth OperchalBeth Ann PershingJeffrey Guy Randolph JrKimberly Ann RobinsonKeidrick Jamel RoyMark Anderson ScottWesley Chase TubmanRobert Christopher VastaSteven Sheng Han WangTyler Colin WeeksJessica Ashley Wissner

Squadron 20Patrick Casey AllenHunter Leslie Link AltmanRobert Daniel CarpenterLauren Alexis ChoateBradley Kent ChronisterEdmund Eric Evans JrBradley Josef HenickeTimothy Chan-Tan LeeAndrew Wayne LongDavid Delamater MackintoshKeith Steven MadsenChristopher Michael MaffuccioRudy John Monteagut

Benjamin Palmer OtteCaitlin Nicole PrantlJustin Michael RaabeSandra Susi SalvatierraZachary Howell ShapiroTodd Randolph SielingGeorge Ralph Sondecker IVRobert Brice Van RoekelHarvey Mitchell White IIIMatthew Edward WichmannTimothy Kevin WildeLayne William WilsonKelly Jo WrightDaniel X Zheng

Squadron 21Nasser Khamces al ShihiJonathan Mikhail AronoffJohn Mark CampbellMary Renae ConleyMatthew Moore CorkTracee Lee CurlettJohn Andrew Jackson FugateAndrew James HauffeChasmine Macalinao JonesHannah Joy KosirogBrett Ryan LesserAlexander Alba MaranaJoshua Scott MartzBrian Anthony MassaOzmund Rudolph OrtizJason Andrew PalloMichael Charles PaulShannon Marie ReichertRyan David SleeterEric Richard SullivanForrest James UnderwoodCameron Charles UnterbergerBenjamin Robert WalkerPhillip Whittier WilsonJonathan Mark Yates

Squadron 22Edward Joonchul BaeClaire Jennifer CarlosJanice Marie Contreras

File Photo

GRADUATION 2009


Bradley Robert DeWeesGarrett Evan DilleyRachael JoAnn EmoryLeandros FugateRobert Reid GaiserAndrew Vincent GillJoshua John HeffernenAdam Robert HopkinsKyle Andrew KleinAdam Joseph KruseKrista Laurel LepireBrit Jeffrey LongJoshua Caleb MasonBenjamin Chad McKinneyJoseph Michael MigliuriHunter Lee MyersBrian Archie PetersonAndrew Boehme PipesRyan Matthew RamirezAbigail Margaret RogersAlexander Kent RowtonWilliam Grant SmithJustin Michael WeilerRyan Christopher Whitehead

Squadron 23Ryan Michael BarnesJames Christopher CaldwellRobert George Courtade JrConnie Maiko DillonAaron Tanner DossRobert A. Hammerbeck IVAnthony Kyle HughesErich Christian KramerJohn William LeeJulie Elaine LuceMichael John MaziarzJohn Joseph MooreSkylar Devon MorganAndrew James MuenchJoshua Curtis NewmanChristopher Eugene PattonAlexandria ProvenghiKyle David RainwatersAlexander William RomanCorbin Elizabeth SanfordMatthew James SobeyTimothy Robert SpielmanTrevor Charles WhiteBrian Paul Williams

Squadron 24 Zachary Warren ArendseePhilip Yong ChoDean Alexander ChuvaGarrett Christopher CollinsCasey John EickholtMichelle Renae FrylingChad Walter FulghamJared Andrew GalinisGarrett Michael GloverTimothy Daniel HicksSean Steven HouseworthJane Sun HwangWilliam Gregory IndelicatoJeffrey Tyler LippertJeffrey Raymond MaciejewskiLaura Kate MartineauNathan Dale McCartneyScott Allen MitchellMark Phillip MullerDaniel Francis NortonGregory Sheffield RettlerRussell Clifton SmithBenton Paul Staab IIJustin Joseph StormKyle Stewart SultemeierJordan Sterling TribbleThanya Argentina VelasquezKenneth Douglas Wilkins

Squadron 25 Sarah Ruth AlfordNicholaus Jonathan BenteDavid Timothy BrownDavid Alexander BurkAndrew Ray DavisChristopher Patrick DemmonEric Christopher DissDaniel Lee DuckMadison Lorraine GilbertMatthew Paul HannanDaniel Allen HarrisMichael Dewayne Hawkins IIScott Neal HowleyJohn Adam JenkinsMatthew Wayne Jensen

Matthew Francis Jurcak Gregory Patrick Magram

Benjamin Francis Oster David J. T. Puchalla II Michael James Robblee Joshua Bradley Sinkler Devon John Stanko Anthony James Stegman Jennifer Lacey Stewart Jared Brian Taylor Jacob Alten Williamson David Scott Zeigler

Squadron 26Kaitlin Rebecca BairdWayne Ryan BarberMatthew Michael BarryTimothy James Bent JrEric Sean BirdsongLeif Frederick BrustuenJon Lucas CremerAphichart GingsumrongDaniel John Gnazzo IIBrian Daryl GrothAlessandra Michelle HorbanAnwar Lyned JohnsonPeter Galen KarskiBrett Thomas KasischkeNicholas Walsh KennedyDaniel Lee KlepperJoshua Gordon MannNatasha Lee MarakowskiErin Ahmo McNeilJonathon York NewcombAnthony Thomas O’SheaSean David PerryJake Bryant PetroPhilip Michael RoseSara Megan SchwartzRobert Christopher SmithBrandon Mark SullivanAlbert Robert VassoBrock Lynn Yelton

Squadron 27Brandon David Biba

Elon Nirada BrumfieldDonald William Bussell IIRichard Douglas CulverBenjamin Philip DeRiggiAnthony John FerraraMelissa Anne HarryShea Ryan HartleyAndrew Sungwoo HongCatherine Wanda KarlAlexander Anthony KaszynskiThomas William KellermannKenneth Joseph Landgraf IIIJackson Wade MasonKevin Scott MauerBoston McClain IIIJames Francis Miltenberg JrEmily Anne MontgomeryClifton Mark NobleDustin Alan NordmanAndrew Jordan RoseTheodore Robert Saitz James Arthur SarverBryan Keith TaylorNicholas Shane UnderwoodLaura Marguerite WalshBradley Scott Ward

Squadron 28Holly Anne BigelowTyler Matthew BrummerDaniel Steven CannardNicholas Lee DixonPaul Alan FryBryon Kent Fryer JrAndrew Jensen Groberg Stephen Kyle HendershotKrista Michelle HubschmittLindsey Aaron KinsingerPatrick Sean McGrewJoseph William MillerChristopher Lewis NettlesChristine Hanh NguyenThomas Frank RodriguezWaseem Saleem SaedDavid Jason SalazarJohn Paul Schrader GangerAndrew Lee TeagueJeremy Luke ThompsonToshiro Joseph ToyamaShari E. Wilson

Squadron 29Stephanie Anne BoyerCody James BreauTrenton Armond BurneyRyan David ChristieJoshua Paul DietrichMichael Edward Charles DobbsPatrick John DuffeyJames George Flick IIIBryan Todd FreemanEric John GallNicholas Joseph GriecoParker Dylan HicksYvonne Marie JohnstonPeter Nicholas KoberSpenser David LeePeter Opp LeestmaAaron William MackieMatthew Justin MartensonBrett Christopher McAuliffDavid Francis McMahonDustin Alan NedolastAnthony Hector OrtizKrystle Lynn PopeAddison Wesley SchenkJoshua David SeefriedKyle David SellnerJared Daniel TuinstraPhilip Mikel Lee WarthenKristen Joy Wolverton

Squadron 30 Jack Robert AmbridgeKelly Marie ArntsJoseph Roy BaldwinKurt Daniel CloutierBenjamin Francis DrakeGregory James FlynnJoshua John FordMatthew Chee Kian GohAndrew David HenkeRandi Irene KeyesIsaac Junior LeungBenaiah David LozanoSean Patrick MalanowskiJared Robert MarvinBenjamin James McCorkleMichael John McVayDaniel Isaac MontillaShaun Mark O’BryantAlexander Francis PappalardoEmily Anne PurcellKurt Donovan SilsbyJered Michael SmithCody James SweattChad Bardette VanderhorstAustin Frederick WinnerJoel Jr WoffordTrisden Eugene WrightRoni Yadlin

Squadron 31David Mathew AbrahamAustin Taylor AlmandJoseph William Atherton

File Photo


Lauren Keturah ChaffeeMichael Ryan ChidesterLauren Marie DoughtyHeather Anne FlynnJoel Fisher HalpertRyan Joseph HoletsMichael John KrachtShannon Nicole KranichKevin Thomas McDonaldDaniel James McLaughlinJoshua Adam MetzgerJacob William PaulsonJustin Thomas PedoneJuancarlos Alonso PinoElisa Michelle RhynedanceBenn William SlikkerWyst Eric Michael VanderNicolas Agustin VelatiBrian Alan VickersPatrick Hynds Warfel

Squadron 32Brady Joel AugustinNewton Ludlow BangRobert Manville BerryDavid Lee Blessinger IIPhillip Neil ColeBrooks Hollister CraneColly Taylor DeatonMelissa Anne EvansWeston Lee FulferMichael John GiannoneCristina Luisa GuerreiroJames Barrington HallMatthew Francis HoranMichael Peter LaBrieJacqueline Carol LynchMiles Christian McMullanLincoln K. MillerBrian William PitmanBrandon Scott ReevesRobin Christina RogersRobert Joseph SmithTyler Jacob SteckerAlexander Isador WeinerRaymond Peiran Zhang

Squadron 33Bryan Kirk AveryLeighton Frederick BagbyJason Robert BartikTyler Cope ClarkJohn James CocomazziParker William CowlesJoseph James D’AgostinoKyle Stephen DavisEleanor Jinju DormireBrian Lawerence Dosa JrErika Elizabeth FischerBenjamin Turner GardnerRuben Elgin GlavesJohn Hunter Harvey IIIAnthony Edward HylkoEsther Monique LudvicekForrest Alan McLainMichael Daniel MorrisDaniel Richard RomeroMercedita Maria SadorraStephanie Carol SchmidtRobert Shea SmithBenjamin David Snowden Soifer

Alexander William StevensonJohn Lewis Wilhelm

Squadron 34Kedem Jacob AlonDerek Stephen AndewegDaniel Aaron BalchMatthew Alexander BeaudreaultChristopher Michael BrinkmannPhil Dean ComptonLiam David ConleyJoseph Robert CurranMatthew Reece DanielsJeffrey Daniel EdwardsKimberly Nicole HaleChristopher Andrew IfftDavid McCormick IzzoLaura Olivia JohnsonDustin Shane LovellNathaniel Alexander MocalisAdam Matthew OttenMatthew Louis PinedaAndrew Jay RichterRyan David SivertsenBryn Elizabeth SowaGregory Allen StaffordKaitlin Perry StaplesKyle Victor StrathmanBrady Allen UrbanovskyJoshua Gilbert Williams

Squadron 35 Joshua Michale ArnallWilliam David BanhamJoseph Matthew BeckerJoseph Michael BrockSean Timothy CallahanLuke Joseph CoquerilleBrian Joseph DunnNathan Edward EllsworthKory Elyse GladyszPatrick Joseph Grandsaert Joshua E. Henderson-CasteelDavid C. HillColin Thomas HughesRussell Hunter JohnRosser Merritt JonesCharles Grant KeatonSunny LeeJacob David MalbergErin Megan McCormickCody Jacob NelsonBrent Wallace OlsonRyan Christopher ParrishZachary Taylor PendletonDaniel Harper PrescottAndrew John RobertsMark Ishmael Mansur RodrigoNathaniel James RoseveareDaniel Bain StephensKristina Danielle StewartKeith Butler WilliamsAbel Barton Wilson

Squadron 36Mary Frances Barrett

Mark Jeffrey BartakDaniel Bruce BeversKyle Matthew BrutonDennis Mack Edward CrossTimothy Patrick DonlanAlexander William DursteinChristopher Ross EngelkenEvan John FarrenEdward Kaiao GoodhueJoshua Armando GradailleKathleen Marie GrieshopJason Lee GriggsDale Benjamin GsellmanChristopher P. A. JonesWilliam Wickliffe Kelley IITheodore Ryan KempMichael William KnappJustin Thomas LedvinaCherie-Lee MeyerJesse Michael MoultonRyan Nicholas MudryJames Aaron NicholasMatthew Michael PfarrMatthew Chong SpartaThomas Michael SynovecCaroline Jean TetrickLivingston Timothy TimsurenWolfgang Lloyd Zahner

Mark Tyler Voss

Squadron 37Amanda Jean BeckChad Jeffrey BrennerJoseph Craig BrewerEnrico Jarael BrinsonAdam Landon ComerChristopher Brandon DeansJeremy Michael DidierMatthew Steven EveretteJohn Talbot HarrisGregory Wayne HaverkornDavid Lee HooperRichard James KennyAaron Lawrence KirchoffJustin Jerome KlukAnthony Thomas LambertMeredith Morin LeakeSean Andrew May

Crystal Ambour MurrayShawn Anthony RousseauPatrick Brian SauncyJacob Andrew SchonigKaz Ian Teope TanAlexander William VaneAnne Marie Wathen

Squadron 38Ellen Marie BinaGeorge Andrew BoeseJacob Brandon BurnumDavid Paul ButzinSteven Craig CzakJoseph Ferrari EastmanMatthew Marcus GabsoAarron Palmer HendersonLeah Diane HutchisonHyongdong Leo KimRichard Michael Kirwan JrChristopher Muniz LewisColin Richard LockhartKristopher Hale LoeweckeJohn Higgins Long JrDaniel Joseph O’Sullivan IIIBrandon Patrick PalmerElisa Aamy ParkDaylan Andrew PhillipsChristopher Stephen SchuetteAdam John TeachSteven Robert TomaszewskiMiguel F. Hernandez ValenzuelaKara Rebecca Wilson

Squadron 39Bryan Clayton AndersonPhilip Walter BachmeyerZachry Hunter BasnightSamuel Michael BextenGordon Douglas BoomTheresa May BuckMichael Francis Casano

Matthew Issac ChismStefan Brian Fagan-KellyAdam Christopher HillierKatharine Ivanka KalamaroffCameron Kerry KoehlerNikolaus John KrauseJustin Paige LeeRyan Wood LowensteinVictor Bernard McGuireTyler Remington McMillianTrenton Roland PalmerDanielle Christine PozunNicole Ann RobillardSeth Thomas SetterbergChristopher Frederick TulkScott Kang WelshingerKevin Patrick WilliamsCatherine Estelle Wonner

Squadron 40Matthew Guy AdamsRichie Liatama AmisoneSpencer T.-F. ArmstrongTrenton Clark AtwoodDaniel Garland BenfieldAndrew Gerard CatoireAlycia Joy CloreJoshua Patrick FriderJosiah David GaffneyClifton Cole GreenTimothy Farno GreenMatthew David HollandNicholas Alan LankfordHolden D. LeuteMatthew Paul Benedict MaierSid Bharat MaruDennis Clark MarzoJustin Michael NadalStephen O’Brien NicholsNicole Michelle RamsteinEmily Kristin SchafferDavid Matthew SimonAlan Joseph SnyderClayton Stafford StricklandMercy Sesilia Te’oDaniel Allen Velo

Graduates from the Class of 2009 who enter pilot training incur an active duty servicecommitment of ten years after earning their wings. For combat systems operators, theservice commitment is six years after successful completion of training. All remaininggraduates incur a five-year active duty service commitment.When They Entered in 30 June 2005:— 1,746 were offered appointments — 1,390 were processed into the AcademyGraduation Class size: 1046 (874 men, 172 women)Minorities: 197International students: 6 — (one each from Colombia, Honduras, Oman, Philippines,Singapore and Thailand)Sets of twins: 1Third-child graduates: 9Second-child graduates: 52Second generation graduates: 36Attending pilot training: 520Attending navigators training: 28Attending air battle manager training: 4Total graduates since 1959:Male: 37,927 Female: 3,936 Total: 41,863Graduates who have attained the rank of general: 495 (312 active duty, 175 retired, 8 deceased)Total number of international graduates: 266

Class of 2009 Stats


By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

Retired Maj. Gen. Harold W. Todd,secretary of the Class of 1959, is the orig-inator and “Class honcho” of the idea toinscribe the back of this year’s secondlieutenant bars with “1959-2009.”

The Class of 1959 purchased the barsby special order from the AcademyClothing Sales store at the end of lastyear.

“The engraving is on the undersideof each bar so they may actually be worn,rather than merely kept as keepsakes,” saidGeneral Todd.

The job was performed at the JostensAward Division, Del City, Oklahoma. Itincluded removing each set from its box,engraving each bar, then returning themto the box for return shipment. TheAssociation of Graduates paid for ship-ping both ways.

The bars mark a tangible linkbetween the two classes, signifying thecontinuity of heritage across a halfcentury, given on the 50th anniversaryof the first graduating Class.

Success, said General Todd, has manyfathers.

The AOG has sometimes given grad-uates their bars at the graduation cere-mony, but did not plan to do so this year.

“It occurred to me that this would bea meaningful opportunity for the first

“50-Year Class” to link with the first“50th Anniversary Class” in sometangible manner,” the general said. “Icleared the idea with the Academy author-ities and with the rest of the class. TheClass of 1959 approved and authorizedthe funds necessary for the purchase andengraving.”

Other than the ceremonial presen-tation made at the class reunion from our1959’s class president, Retired Lt. Col.Joseph DeSantis, to the 2009 ClassPresident to Cadet 1st Class Greg Oswald,cadet commander of cadets, the gradu-ates will probably all receive their barsat the squadron commissioning cere-monies Tuesday evening.

Might this become an every 50 yearstraditional event?

“That’s for others to decide.” GeneralTodd said. “Eventually, it may evolve toa ‘Legacy Class’ event.”

Legacy classes are separated by 40years vice 50 years, a tradition under-taken by the AOG earlier this decade toalign class colors between classes 40years apart. It’s working well, but it deniedthe first few graduating classes the oppor-tunity to serve as a legacy classes.)

“We treat this as a singular event,which succeeding classes may or maynot wish to repeat, without any pressureto sustain a ‘tradition’,” said the general.

“The Class of 2009 generally doesn’tknow yet, it is going to be more of a

surprise,” said Cadet 1st Class GregoryOswald in early May. “I would like to tellmy class first. But for the few who doknow about it including myself, we arehumbled and feel it truly shows how theClass of 1959 feels about their alma materand how important their connection tothe Academy can be to future classes.”

“The very fortunate part about thisinscription is that it’s done inside the

bars so we will be able to wear them if wechoose. I am sure many of my classmateswill use these bars at their commissioningceremony. I’m very sure that the Classof 2009 will want to repeat this gestureor a similar one 50 years from now,” saidthe cadet wing commander. “The Classof 1959 has set the example of how alumnishould be involved with and mentoringthe future classes of the Long Blue Line.”

Class of ’59 honors ’09 with gold bars

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19May 27, 2009

By Athletic Communications

The Air Force Academy athleticdepartment concluded a very successful2008-2009 sports season recently andseveral cadet-athletes were recognized bythe Academy at the individual awardsceremony. Sophomore hockey playerJacques Lamoureux and senior gymnastAbbey Rogers took home the most valu-able male and female athlete award, respec-tively. Senior cross country and trackathlete Sean Houseworth won the athleticexcellence award while senior lacrosseplayer Griffin Nevitt won the athleticleadership award. Senior hockey playerMike Phillipich won the scholar-athleteaward while senior teammate Greg Flynnwon the athletic achievement award.

Most Valuable Male Athlete:Sophomore Jacques Lamoureux becamethe second All-American in school historyand was one of 10 finalists for the pres-tigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award,given annually to the nation’s top colle-giate hockey player. Lamoureux wasnamed the Atlantic Hockey AssociationPlayer of the Year and was a first-team all-conference selection. He led the nationin goals (33), power-play goals (15) andgame-winners (9). He spent the majorityof the season as the nation’s leader inpoints and finished second with 53 pointsin 41 games. In Air Force’s 2-0 win overthird-ranked Michigan in the NCAAEast Regional, Lamoureux scored thesecond goal of the game and was namedto the all-tournament team. A native ofGrand Forks, N.D., Lamoureux was alsonamed the Hockey Commissioners’Association Player of the Month inOctober and was the AHA Player of theWeek three times.

Most Valuable Female Athlete:Senior Abbey Rogers became just the

third member of the program to earnMVP honors in multiple years. Rogerscapped an amazing collegiate career withher second straight MPSF Gymnast of theYear award and three conference titles.The senior, who earned an invitation tothe NCAA Regional Championships,paced the Falcons with four all-confer-ence selections. She posted the squad’shighest total of the year on every event,while collecting three MPSF Gymnastof the Week awards and 16 first-placefinishes. The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., whoupped her career-best scores in three ofthe four individual events, as well as theall-around, also received numerousacademic awards. Rogers earnedacademic all-conference honors, a placeon the USAG All-Academic Team and aNCAA postgraduate scholarship.

Athletic Excellence Award: SeniorSean Houseworth, the Most ValuableAthlete for both the men’s track and fieldand cross country, had a remarkablesenior season. During the cross countryseason, he paced the Falcons at theMountain West Conference Champion-ships, while earning all-conference andall-region honors. Houseworth continuedto shine during the indoor season, earningtwo conference titles and the MWC HighPoint Award (the first-ever Falcon toclaim that distinction). He became justthe second runner in conference historyto win the two longest races (3000- and5000-meters) of the indoor meet. It wasthe second straight year he had won the3000-meter race, clocking the fifth-fastesttime in MWC history. His successcontinued as the team moved outdoors.Houseworth automatically qualified tothe NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run, setting an Academy-recordtime at the prestigious StanfordInvitational. He was named the confer-

ence’s Athlete of the Week following that performance, which ranked himeighth in the nation. He went on to claimall-conference accolades in the 5000-meter run after an impressive third-placefinish.

Athletic Leadership Award: Seniorlacrosse player Griffin Nevitt is a two-time preseason All-American, Nevittearned all-conference honors in all fourseasons with the Falcons, including first-team recognition in each of the past threeyears. He finished his career with 119points, becoming just the second AirForce player in the past 10 years to reach100 career points, while his 77 careergoals are the most of any Falcon in thelast 10 seasons. Air Force’s best all-aroundplayer, contributing both offensively anddefensively, Nevitt led the Falcons totheir best season since 1997 to earn MVPhonors. Although Air Force started theseason with a 3-6 record, Nevitt was ableto keep his teammates focused on theirgoals, as the team won four straightgames to claim second place in theconference and a spot in the GreatWestern Lacrosse League tournamentfor the first time in program history.

Scholar-Athlete Award: Senior MikePhillipich graduated with a 3.75 GradePoint Average as a systems engineeringmanagement major. He ranked secondin his class out of 73 systems engineeringmanagement majors with a 3.90 majorGPA. A four-time academic all-confer-

ence selection, Phillipich won the DerekHines Unsung Hero Award as the“nation’s consummate team player.” Atwo-year team captain, Phillipich wasalso one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’sSenior CLASS Award, recognizing excel-lence in academics, athletics, characterand leadership. The native of Lansing,Mich., earned the team’s Vic HeyligerAward, which is voted on by the team andgiven to the player whose dedication,character, leadership and work ethicexemplify Falcon hockey. He also earnedthe team’s Jim Bowman Award as thetop scholar-athlete.

Athletic Achievement Award:Senior Greg Flynn became the firstdefenseman in school history to earnAll-American honors. Flynn was a first-team all-Atlantic Hockey Associationselection and was chosen as the league’sbest defenseman. He was the top scoringdefenseman in the nation, averaging 1.02points per game with seven goals and 42points in 41 games. A native of LinoLakes, Minn., Flynn was named to theall-tournament teams at the AtlanticHockey Association Final Four and atthe NCAA East Regional. He assistedon both goals in the 2-0 win over third-ranked Michigan in the NCAATournament. Flynn earned the team’sLarry Cronk Award, which is voted onby the team, as the team’s most inspira-tional player and was also named theteam’s best defenseman.

2009 OutstandingAthletes earn

Athletic Departmentrecognition

Jacques Lamoureux

Griffin Nevitt Mike Phillipich Greg Flynn

Abbey Rogers Sean Houseworth

GRADUATION 2009


By Athletic Communications

Men’s Cross Country: Senior SeanHouseworth, cadet squadron 24, postedthe Falcons’ top times at the Pre-NationalMeet and the Mountain West ConferenceChampionships. He finished within thetop third (64 out of 267) at the Pre-Nationals Meet with an 8K time of 24:35and earned all-conference first teamhonors with a seventh-place finish (24:51)at the MWC Championships. His time of2435 at the Pre-NCAA meet was the best8K time by any Air Force runner thisseason.

Women’s Cross Country: In additionto earning the team’s MVP award, juniorKatie Lynch, cadet squadron 38, was alsoselected as the recipient of the women’sMost Improved Award. Lynch, whocompeted in the first cross country meetof her career on Sept. 13, 2008, in SanDiego, was the Falcons’ top finisher atthe Pre-Nationals Meet, MWCChampion-ships and NCAA RegionalChampion-ships. Lynch finished 168that the Pre-Nationals Meet (22:30), 21st atthe conference meet (22:29) and 44th atthe regional meet (21:42). Her regionalmeet time of 21:42 is the Falcons’ fastestof the season.

Football Overall MVP: Junior defen-sive back Chris Thomas establishedhimself as one of the top all-around playersin the Mountain West Conference, earningsecond-team all-conference honors andfirst-team all-Colorado honors by theNational Football Foundation. Thomasrecorded his second straight 100-plustackle season with 107, including a team-best 66 unassisted. He was among the

league leaders with nine tackles for lossfor 44 yards, four sacks for 33 yards anda conference-leading four fumble recov-eries. He also forced two fumbles and hadan interception. Thomas recorded a career-high 17 tackles vs. BYU and set an ArmedForces Bowl single-game record with 16vs. Houston.

Football Most Valuable OffensivePlayer: Senior tight end Travis Dekkerfinished second on the team in receivingwith 13 catches for 129 yards and twotouchdowns, despite missing the first fourgames of the season due to a broken ankle.The impact of his return was felt imme-diately, as he hauled in a team-best threecatches for 32 yards in his first game backvs. Navy. Dekker caught at least one passin each game that he played in and aver-aged 9.9 yards per catch.

Football Most Valuable DefensivePlayer: Senior defensive end Jake Paulsonled the Falcons and ranked among theleaders in the Mountain West Conferencein tackles for loss with 14.5 for 72 yardsand quarterback sacks with nine for 60yards. He also had two fumble recoveries,returning one for a score to record the firsttouchdown by an Air Force defensivelineman since Bryce Fisher in 1997.Paulson also forced a fumble, recorded asafety and had two pass breakups. A first-team all-conference selection, Paulsonwas on the midseason watch list for theHendrick’s Award, which goes annuallythe top defensive end in the nation.

Football Most Valuable Lineman/Special Teams Player: Senior kicker RyanHarrison established himself as one ofthe best kickers in school history. He set

a school record with 24 field goals thisseason, breaking the mark of 19 he sharedwith Dave Lawson (1974) and DaveAdams (2000). Harrison, who is secondall-time at the Academy with 43 careerfield goals, was a semifinalist for the LouGroza National Placekicker Award andwas a second-team all-Mountain WestConference selection. He finished secondin the conference in scoring with an 8.3per-game scoring average. Harrison ledthe league and ranked third in the nationin field goals with a 1.85 average per game.

Men’s Soccer: Junior Steven Nollerstarted 17 of 18 games in 2008 and led theteam in scoring with nine points on fourgoals and one assist. Noller, from cadetsquadron 25, scored four goals in fourconsecutive games, becoming the firstAir Force player to score a goal in fourstraight games since Ryan Schaeffer duringthe 1996 season. He was second on theteam in total shots with 32 and led thesquad with 16 shots on goal. Two of hisfour goals were game-winners. Nollerearned second-team all-MPSF honors in2008.

Women’s Soccer: Senior goalkeeperErin Wallace was named team MVP. Afour year starter, Wallace played in ninegames, recording 24 saves in 517 minutesand posted at 2.36 goals-against average.The senior was the winning goalkeeperin Air Force’s wins over Army andGrambling State. She allowed one-or-fewer goals in five matches and had aseason-high seven saves against BYU.

Water Polo: Junior goalkeeper DavidOstrom, a second-team all-WWPATournament selection, ended the yearwith 243 saves, ranking 16th in the nationin that statistical category. He also helpedlead a defense that ranked 10th in thenation in goals allowed per game at 8.19.

Volleyball: Senior Jasamine Pettieserved as team captain for the secondconsecutive season. A member of the all-tournament team at the Air Force LaborDay Invitational, Pettie led the team with2.23 kills per set and was ranked secondwith a .166 hitting percentage.

Men’s Basketball: Anwar Johnson, asenior guard from St. Gabriel, La., finishedsecond on the team in scoring at 11.9points per game and led the team with 76

assists. He earned all-tournament honorsat the Golden Bear Classic in Decemberwhen he averaged 12 points and fourrebounds in the Falcons’ games againstPortland and Dartmouth. Johnson scoreda career-high 25 points against StonyBrook on Dec. 31 and notched a game-high 24 points in his final collegiate gameagainst BYU at the MWC Championships.He started all 31 games despite playingwith a stress reaction in his right foot forthe last two months this season.

Women’s Basketball: Sophomoreguard Raimee Beck was the team MVP forthe women’s basketball team in 2008-2009. Beck led the team in scoring, aver-aging 12.9 points per game. Beck led theMountain West Conference, averaging36.6 minutes played per game. Her 72three-point baskets ranked second in theconference and her 386 points tied aschool record for single season points inthe Div. I era. Beck hit eight consecutivethree-point baskets against North CarolinaCentral on Dec. 5, 2008, which was oneshy of the NCAA record. Over a three-game stretch, Beck hit 12 consecutivethree’s, which was two shy of the NCAArecord.

Men’s Fencing: Sophomore DanielTrapani was the fencing team’s leadingfencer throughout the 2008-2009 fencingseason. At the 2009 NCAA West RegionalChampionships, Trapani earned all-regionhonors with his NCAA qualifying third-place finish. The native of Houston, Texas,made his first appearance at the NCAADivision I Fencing Championships, inMarch, finishing in fifth place to earnsecond-team All-American honors.

MVPs shine under post-season spotlight

File Photo

Chris Thomas

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Jake Paulson

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Ryan Harrison

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Katie Lynch

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Raimee Beck

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Jasamine Pettie

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Anwar Johnson


Trapani has a career dual-meet record of79-15 (.839) at the Academy.

Women’s Fencing: Freshman SimoneBarrette was the team’s top femalecompetitor throughout the year. Barrette,from Louisville, Ky., earned all-regionhonors at the NCAA West Regionals withan NCAA qualifying finish of third place.She made her first trip to the NCAAs inMarch, and finished in 23rd place. In herfirst collegiate season, Barrette amassedan impressive 28-6 dual-meet record(.824). She was the Falcons’ top femalefinisher in the 2008 Nick Toth Open,Falcon Open, New Mexico Open, NCAARegionals and the Notre Dame dual meet.

Men’s Gymnastics: Freshman JacobHouder had a stellar rookie campaign,en route to his MVP award. In additionto setting an Academy record on thepommel horse, Houder earned a pair ofUSAG All-America accolades and a selec-tion to the NCAA Championships. Heposted the Falcons’ highest scores of theseason on the pommel horse, parallel barsand high bar, while claiming three eventtitles on the parallel bars and one on thepommel horse. Even after just one season,Houder’s name already dots the Falcons’all-time scoring list. He has at least a shareof eight of the nine highest marks inprogram history on the pommel horse.The native of Pinehurst, Texas, became thefirst freshman in the 53-year history of theFalcons’ program to earn the program’shighest honor.

Women’s Gymnastics: Senior AbbeyRogers became just the third member ofthe program to earn MVP honors inmultiple years. Rogers capped an amazingcollegiate career with her second straightMPSF Gymnast of the Year award andthree conference titles. The senior, whoearned an invitation to the NCAARegional Championships, paced theFalcons with four all-conference selec-tions. She posted the squad’s highest totalof the year on every event, while collectingthree MPSF Gymnast of the Week awardsand 16 first-place finishes. The native ofPittsburgh, Pa., who upped her career-bestscores in three of the four individualevents, as well as the all-around, alsoreceived numerous academic awards.Rogers earned academic all-conferencehonors, a place on the USAG All-Academic Team and a NCAA postgrad-uate scholarship.

Hockey: Junior Andrew Volkeningwas selected as the hockey team’s mostvaluable player as voted on by his team-mates. Volkening was a first-team all-Atlantic Hockey Association selectionand was named to the all-tournamentteams at the AHA Final Four and theNCAA East Regional. He finished theseason ranked second in the nation inwins with 28, third with six shutouts, sixthin the nation in goals-against average at1.97 and 19th in saves percentage at .920.Volkening, a Genoa, Ill., native, set schoolrecords in all four of those categories.Volkening set a new league record withback-to-back shutout wins over Bentleyand Mercyhurst in the AHA Final Four.He then made a season-high 43 saves ina 2-0 shutout win over third-rankedMichigan in the NCAA Tournament. His262 consecutive shutout minutes set anew school record and nearly doubledthe previous mark vs. Division I teams.

Rifle: Sophomore Tom Chandlerearned second-team All-American honorsin small bore while qualifying for theNCAA championships. Chandler is thefirst Falcon to earn an NCAA berth since2006. He recorded his season-bestperformance at the Nevada, Reno matcheswith a 587/600.

Boxing: Senior Boyce Loomis, theFalcons’ team captain during the 2008-2009 season, claimed his first NationalCollegiate Boxing Association title at 185pounds, while posting an impressive 10-1 overall record. The senior, who posteda perfect 4-0 run through the regionaland national championship bouts, wasthe Academy’s Boxer of the Week on threeoccasions. During his final season, Loomiswon four bouts by knockout, including animpressive first-round victory in the Wing

Open Championships. For his career, hecompiled a 21-5 overall record, a perfect10-0 ledger against fellow cadets, threeWing Open titles, two NCBA regionaltitles and one NCBA national champi-onship belt.

Men’s Swimming: SophomoreBenjamin Gunn was named the men’sswimming and diving MVP for the 2008-2009 season. Gunn set school records andearned all-conference honors in each ofhis six events at the Mountain WestConference Championships. Gunn wonthe first conference title of his career witha win in the 200 IM, shattering theprevious Air Force record by more thana second. He also finished fourth in the200 butterfly and sixth in the 100 butterfly,while swimming on three of the Falcons’four relays which set new school records:the second-place 800 freestyle relay and400 medley relay and the third-place 400freestyle relay.

Women’s Swimming: Senior JaneHwang was named the 2008-2009 MVPfor the women’s swimming and divingteam. An all-conference selection for thethird-straight year in both the 100 and 200freestyle events, Hwang set school recordsin three individual events at the MWCChampionships (100 free, 200 free and 200IM). The recipient of the MWC’s SeniorRecognition Award, Hwang also anchoredthe school record-setting 400 freestylerelay and moved up in the school recordbooks in the 100 breaststroke. Hwangcloses out her career with Academy top-10 times in six individual events (alsoranking in the top 10 in the 200 butterflyand 200 breaststroke).

Wrestling: Senior captain StephenCrozier was named the Air Force wrestlingMVP for the 2008-2009 season. Crozier,wrestling at both 165 and 174 during theyear, closed out the season with a 25-16overall ledger and 11-5 mark in dualaction. He led the Falcons in total wins forthe second-straight season, while alsoleading Air Force in win percentage.Crozier also earned all-conference honorsfor the third-consecutive year, garneringsecond-team All-WWC accoladesfollowing his runner-up performance atthe 2009 NCAA West Regional.

Baseball: Junior designated hitter/firstbaseman Matt Alexander was the teamMVP for the Air Force baseball team in2009. Alexander led Air Force in nearly

all hitting categories, batting .383 with15 homers, 19 doubles, 53 runs, 65 RBIsand 82 hits. Alexander led the MountainWest Conference in homers and RBIsduring the regular season. Alexandercracked the Air Force single-season top10 in home runs (seventh), RBIs (fourth)and hits (third). Alexander picked upseveral accolades on the season, earningMWC Player of the Week, CollegiateBaseball News Louisville Slugger NationalPlayer of the Week and College BaseballFoundation National All-Star Lineup.Alexander’s biggest honor was beingnamed one of 16 finalists for the DickHowser Trophy, given to the top collegiatebaseball player in the nation.

Lacrosse: Senior Griffin Nevitt wasnamed the MVP for the 2009 lacrosseteam. A four-year starter on both attackand midfield, team captain in 2009 andtwo-time preseason All-American, Nevitthas earned all-conference honors in allfour seasons with the Falcons, includingfirst-team recognition in each of the pastthree years. He finished his career with 119points, becoming just the second AirForce player in the past 10 years to reach100 career points, while his 77 careergoals are the most of any Falcon in the last10 seasons.

Golf: Senior captain Shaun O’Bryantwas named the Air Force golf MVP for the2008-2009 season. One of the Falcons’most consistent golfers, O’Bryant playedin every tournament for Air Force thisseason. His stroke average of 74.8, a career-best, was the second-lowest on the team.O’Bryant’s top finish came at the season-opening Falcon Invitational, where hecarded a one-over-par 217 to tie for 12th

MVP

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Andrew Volkening

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Griffn Nevitt

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Tom Chandler

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Jane Hwang

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Matt Alexander

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Abbey Rogers

See MVP, Page 22


Red White Brave&August 29th

Welcome Home ParadeThe Welcome Home Parade Committee

is proud to announce the

2009 Red White & Brave

Welcome Home Parade

On Saturday, August 29th, Colorado Springs will gather to let the troops and their families know how important their work and sacrifice is to us,

and how happy we are to welcome them home.

Soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors from every base in the Pikes Peak region will march proudly through downtown Colorado Springs. Marching bands of all kinds will play as colorful floats roll down the street. We will

warmly welcome The 4th Infantry Division, formerly based at Ft. Hood and now part of the Ft. Carson family, to Colorado Springs.

In 2004, a group of community leaders decided to bring our town together to say thank you to our returning soldiers.

The Welcome Home Parade was a resounding success; 6,500 troops newly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan marched with their heads held high in front of 65,000 spectators. There were lots of smiles and a few

tears at this historic event.

www.csmng.com/welcomehomeparade

From Page 21in the individual standings, while his three-round total of 214 (-2) at the DesertShootout in March was a season low.

Men’s Tennis: Freshman Cody Hallled the Falcons with 16 overall singleswins in 2008-2009 and was the only Falconin the regular lineup to post a winningrecord at 16-12. He also led the squadwith 12 dual-match wins, including an11-9 record at the No. 2 spot. He was theonly Falcon to win a dual singles matchin conference play, defeating GraemeKassautzki, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7), in a three-hourmatch at the Academy for Air Force’s firstMWC singles victory since the 2005-06season. Hall had also won the first set andwas up in a second-set tiebreaker in theNo. 2 match against TCU when the matchwas suspended due to rain.

Women’s Tennis: Senior ChristineAbayan played the majority of the seasonin 2008-2009 at No. 1 singles. She tied forthe team lead with two singles victoriesagainst MWC opponents, winning theNo. 2 match against Utah and 46th-rankedUNLV. She posted 55 career singles winsand 70 career doubles wins in her fouryears at Air Force.

Men’s Track and Field: SeanHouseworth had a stellar senior seasonyear, winning a pair of conference titles andsetting another Academy record.Houseworth, who was also the MVP of thecross country team, won conference titlesin the two longest distances of the indoorchampionships (the 3000- and 5000-meterevents) and the MWC High Point Award.He is the only Falcon to earn the awardas the meet’s top-scoring performer. Inaddition to defending his title in the 3000-

meter run, Houseworth moved into theconference record book with the fifth-fastest time in MWC meet history. Hissuccess continued in the outdoor season,as he automatically qualified to the nationalmeet in the 10,000-meter run with anAcademy record time. Houseworth, whoearned MWC Athlete of the Week honorsin March, went on to claim all-confer-ence accolades in the 5000-meter run atthe MWC outdoor championships.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field:Junior Sara Neubauer, last year’s MVP,continues to rewrite the Academy recordbooks. Making her debut in a pair ofevents, she is now listed in the top-10 ofevery throwing event. During the indoorseason, Neubauer broke her own recordin the shot put, while recording theprogram’s second-best weight throwdistance in just her first year of throwingthe implement. Her success continued inthe outdoor season, as she set two moreAcademy standards. In just her first yearof throwing the hammer, she tallied set a

new program record at the Mountain WestConference Championships. The verynext day she upped her own record in theshot put, while moving into eighth in thejavelin throw records. Additionally, shebettered her second-place standing onthe discus throw’s all-time list. Highlightedby all-conference honors in the shot putand discus throw, Neubauer became thefirst athlete to score in all four throwingevents at the conference meet.

Men’s Track and FieldOutstanding Competitor:Senior Kellen Curry picked upthe first conference title of hiscareer, winning the 200-meterdash at the MWC indoor cham-pionships. He also earnedindoor all-conference accoladeswith a runner-up finish in the60-meter hurdles at that meet.Once the outdoor season began,Curry qualified for the NCAARegional Champion-ships inthe 200-meter dash and 110-

meter hurdles. He moved into third on theAcademy’s all-time list in the 200-meterdash, while finishing fifth in that event atthe MWC Outdoor Championships. Hewas the runner-up in the 110-meterhurdles and ran the final leg of the all-conference 4x100-meter relay team thatfinished third.

Women’s Track and FieldOutstanding Competitor: Junior AllyRomanko has become a leader on thetrack, earning all-conference accolades inthe outdoor 800-meter run for the secondstraight season. Romanko improved herAcademy record time in the 800-meterrace during the indoor season, bestingthe second-fastest time by nearly a second.Once the outdoor season commenced,Romanko improved her time in a pair ofevents. She clocked the second-fastest800-meter time in program history, whileremaining in the top-10 in the 1500-meterrun. She finished third in the 800 at theconference championships, qualified tothe regional championships in that eventand ran a leg of the 4x400-meter relaythat clocked the third-best time in programhistory.

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Kellen Curry

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Sara Neubauer

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Sean Houseworth

MVP

28 May 27, 2009

51st graduating class of the united states air force

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