Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier, Class of 1964, is a consultant to defense companies, serving on several private and public boards. He continues his public service by working with military veterans at Marion Correctional Institute in Ohio. He flew an F-4C in Vietnam, where he was shot down on his 113th combat mission and a prisoner of war for nearly six years. Through more than 40 years of aviation service, he flew the F-4C/D, the F-100, A-7 and C-141C. For more than 30 years he was the television host for several major airshows throughout the country, including the United States Air and Trade Show held in Dayton, Ohio and the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, Calif. He is a distinguished graduate and a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours.

Master Sgt. (Ret.) Dustin Goodwin is a supervisory training instructor at the 343rd Training Squadron, Security Forces Academy, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. He oversees the opposing forces section and serves as an instructor for the Combat Leaders Course. He is responsible for utilizing current enemy tactics to enhance training for the Basic Defenders Course, Basic Officer Course, and Advanced Combat Leaders Course, delivering training to 5,000 Airmen, 125 company-grade officers, and eight international students across nine major commands and 14 partner nations within the Security Forces enterprise. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2001 before medically retiring as a master sergeant in 2014.

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Marc Sasseville was the 12th National Guard Bureau vice chief, where he assisted the chief of the NGB in performing duties as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1985. He has held squadron, group, wing and numbered air force commands. He also served as the senior defense official and defense attaché to Turkey. Prior to becoming VCNGB, he served as the commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and First Air Force, Air and Space Forces Northern, headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

Col. Sarah Brehm is the commander of Cadet Group 1 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. She guides military, leadership, character development, and expeditionary skills training for a 1,000-member cadet group in addition to providing facilities and logistical support. Prior to her current position, she was a senior research analyst at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), Global Shaping Division, Pentagon, Washington D.C. She served as the commander of the 34th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) located at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Employing U-28A aircraft, she was responsible for global special operations taskings as the Air Force component member of the United States Special Operations Command. She is a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has spent most of her career in special operations aviation assignments. She is a command pilot with over 4,000 hours of flight experience in the DA-20, T-6A, T-1A, C-21A, and U-28A.

Col. John Blocher is the commander of the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999, where he later became a senior pilot in the A/OA-10 “Warthog” and the AT-38. He has over 1,500 flying hours, with 150 of those as combat hours in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. His accomplishments earned him the Bronze Star for heroism and the Air Force Commendation Medal with Valor. Prior to his assignment at Moody AFB, he was the commander of the 1st Air Support Operations Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. He is married to Ms. Jamie Hatch. They have three sons: Cole, Cooper, and Jack, who is currently a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Captain (Ret.) Charlie Plumb is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a jet fighter pilot who flew 74 successful combat missions in Vietnam. On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, he was shot down, captured, and spent 2,103 days as a prisoner of war in communist prison camps, enduring torture. Captain Plumb has shared his story of survival in over 5,000 presentations to audiences in every state and 24 foreign countries. He and his wife, Susan, have four children and four grandchildren.

Col. Justin “Astro” Elliott is the division chief for NORAD and USNORTHCOM’s Integrated Operations Division at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. In this role, he supervises 200 operators from nine U.S. and Canadian military branches, overseeing the execution of current and future NORAD and USNORTHCOM operations across all domains. He has previously served in F-15E and F-35 squadrons as an instructor pilot and evaluator, as a Weapons Instructor and Operational Test Pilot in the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and as an Experimental Test Pilot in the 40th Flight Test Squadron, 96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. Col. Elliott commanded the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., where he led the test and evaluation of the F-35, F-22, F-15EX, F-15E, F-16, and A-10. More recently, he served as commander of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, leading the team through 150 air shows across 70 U.S. and international cities while flying his F-16 mere inches apart from others at speeds exceeding 600 mph.

Maj. Andrea “Mystique” Moffett is the chief of standardization and evaluation at the 94th Flying Training Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. As an evaluator pilot in the TG-16A and TG-17A, she oversees the evaluation of 250 instructor pilots, ensuring the accuracy and compliance of multiple flight publications that support 15,000 annual sorties, 10 course syllabi, and 54 qualifications and certifications. Maj. Moffett commissioned through the U.S. Air Force Academy in June 2016. Following commissioning, she served as a military training officer at the Academy’s Preparatory School before completing undergraduate pilot training, flying the T-6A and TH-1H. She subsequently flew the UH-1N “Huey” at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. She has served as aircraft commander and instructor, with additional roles as standards and evaluation liaison officer, group executive officer, and chief of training. Maj. Moffett has accumulated over 700 flight hours in the UH-1N, many in support of Operation GLOBAL CITADEL.

Lt. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers was selected by NASA to join the 2021 astronaut candidate class and reported for duty in January 2022. A Colorado native, she graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and later earned a master’s degree in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University in Houston. As an instructor in both the T-38A and F-22 Raptor, Lt. Col. Ayers has flown missions across the nation and internationally. On her first spaceflight, she served as the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission, spending 146 days as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72 and 73, and completed one spacewalk totaling 5 hours and 44 minutes.

General Austin Scott Miller (Ret.) retired in 2021, after more than 38 years in the United States Army. He supported, led, and shaped the most challenging national security issues at the highest levels of the United States government, culminating with his final assignment as the Commander all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

General Retired Miller commanded at all grades, most notably as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center at Fort Benning, The Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, where he directed U.S. operations in complex geopolitical regions including the Indo-Pacific, Africa, Middle East, and South Asia. He also commanded Assault Forces in Mogadishu, Somalia during “Blackhawk Down”.

His numerous decorations and honors include two awards of the coveted Combat Infantryman Badge, two Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and an unprecedented 20 Overseas Service Bars denoting more than 10 full years in combat zones. In 2023 he was selected as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Military Academy in 2023, and as the recipient of the Richard M. Helms award presented by the CIA Memorial Foundation. Additionally in 2025 he was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame.

In retirement, Miller has pursued an understanding of business serving in both leadership roles and different board positions to include AIM-13, Orbis LLC, and through Miller Advisory Group he consults overseas, speaks on multiple relevant and current world topics and hosts leadership retreats on demand.

He serves as a senior fellow for the Combatting Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy where he spends time with both faculty and cadets serving as a mentor to future generations of leaders. He also serves as an Ambassador for the non-profit Shields and Stripes, an organization focused on Veterans and First Responders.

Major Kaz “Dexter” Moffett serves as executive officer and senior instructor of physics in the Physics and Meteorology Department at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. He commissioned into the Air Force in 2015 through the U.S. Air Force Academy and earned a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 2017. At the Academy, Maj. Moffett contributed to research in the development of sulfur-doped silicon for solar technology and infrared detection. His graduate thesis focused on the initial characterization of hydrothermally grown single-crystal thorium dioxide, supporting the development of a proprietary solid-state neutron detector. Following graduation from AFIT, he completed ICBM REACT Initial Skills Training at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., earning academic distinction. He then served in the 321st Missile Squadron at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., as missileer, crew commander, mission lead, and instructor. Selected for the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nev., he later joined the 319th Missile Squadron as training flight commander, chief of weapons and tactics and squadron weapons officer.

Colonel Paul J. Brehm is the division chief for future operations at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force Academy. His previous assignments include executive officer for the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations, special assistant to the vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, and commander of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, then the largest CV-22 squadron in the Air Force.

A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Brehm is a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was a four-year letter winner and captain of the men’s swimming team. He has accumulated more than 3,600 hours of flying time, including 1,400 hours of combat time, as an instructor pilot in the CV-22B, evaluator pilot in the U-28A, and wingman in the F-16CJ. Brehm is married to Col. Sarah Brehm, commander of Cadet Group 1, and they have two children, Henry and Hannah.

Col. Gail Benjamin Colvin, retired, is the former chief of staff and chief business officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs. In these roles, she oversaw the Academy’s 550-person staff, managed a $450 million budget, and supported both commissioning and university missions, as well as the installation’s 10,000-member workforce and $9 billion in infrastructure. Her 30-year military career includes command at the squadron and group levels, as well as key assignments with the Joint Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and as chief of joint doctrine for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also led the U.S. delegation to the NATO subcommittee on Allied Joint Doctrine.

A Brooklyn, New York, native and 1980 Academy graduate—the first class with women—Colvin serves on several government and community boards in Colorado, including the Colorado Federal Executive Board and the Colorado Springs Black Advisory Council. She has been recognized with the 2007 USO Military Leadership Award, NAACP’s 2008 Roy Wilkins Award and the Academy’s 2020 Distinguished Graduate Award.

Master Sgt. Israel “DT” Del Toro, Jr.’s life has been shaped by perseverance and devotion to family. Orphaned as a young teenager, he became the provider for his siblings, honoring his father’s dying wish to always care for family. Del Toro’s Air Force service was marked by extraordinary resilience—after a devastating combat injury left him with severe burns and a 15 percent chance of survival, he endured countless surgeries and intensive recovery to not only return to duty, but also become the first 100% disabled Airman to re-enlist.

Del Toro’s determination inspired many as he set world records and earned a gold medal at the 2016 Invictus Games. Today, he shares his story nationwide, helping others find hope and strength through adversity.

Master Sgt. (Ret) George E. Vera, entered the U.S. Army in 1995 and completed his initial training as an infantryman that year. He went on to serve in the Scout Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light) and later with the Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2002, Vera was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he served in a range of leadership roles and deployed multiple times to Kuwait, Wake Island, Thailand, Colombia and Afghanistan.

On his fifth deployment to Afghanistan in August 2015, Vera was severely wounded during a gun battle while defending his camp from insurgents. Despite a T-12 spinal cord injury, he has dedicated himself to recovery and adaptive sports, earning gold medals as part of the U.S. team at the Invictus Games and participating in Warrior Games and multiple handcycle races. He serves as a team captain for several adaptive sports teams and is active in wheelchair basketball, track and field, and swimming. Vera is married with three daughters and enjoys spending time with his family and his two dogs, Bronco and Denali.