Schedule of Events
(All times MST. Session times are subject to change.)
Quick NavigationNational Character and Leadership Symposium
Base Access during 2026 NCLS
Access procedures at the U.S. Air Force Academy continue to affect the visitor experience. While the installation remains open, anyone without a DoD ID card must request and obtain a visitor pass to enter the base using the link below. Once your request is received, the 10th Security Forces Squadron’s Pass and Registration Office will conduct a background check, and you will receive a decision via text within 72 hours. If approved, proceed to the North on the day of your approved visit date and present a Real ID for base access. Employees and sponsored visitors should plan for increased security measures and longer wait times at the gates. While on the installation, all personnel are subject to search. Guests under the age of 18 (and 18-year-old students with D20 student IDs) Do Not need to request visitation access. Any individual 18 or older will need to do the pre-registration online.
If anyone has issues with receiving an approval message (they receive “error” messages or never receive a message back at all), please re-apply. If the issue persists, please go to the Pass & Registration Office outside of South Gate to get a physical pass for the day of the event.
Please note: Guests may only have one active code at a time. Applying for multiple such as a different event, will revoke the last.
| Day One – Friday, February 20, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| 9:15-10:30 a.m. | Workshop Leveraging the Martial Way
Forging “Whole” Warriors to Lead in Future Conflicts |
| Workshop From war stories to war narratives | |
| Workshop Task Force Hope | |
| Visiting Students Icebreaker
Visiting Students Only |
|
| 10:45 a.m.-noon | Workshop Leveraging the Martial Way
Forging “Whole” Warriors to Lead in Future Conflicts |
| Workshop From war stories to war narratives | |
| Workshop Task Force Hope | |
| 12:15-1 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1-2 p.m. | Speaker Meet and Greet
Hap’s Place Cadet Lounge |
| 2:15-2:45 p.m. | Keynote NCLS Opening Ceremony
Lt Gen Tony D. Bauernfeind |
| 2:45-3:30 p.m. | Keynote Class of ’59 Leadership Keynote
Gen Dan Caine and Lt Gen (Ret) Marc Sasseville “Courage in the Moment: Leadership on September 11th” |
| MSgt (Ret) Dustin Goodwin
“Courage to Lead; Psychological versus Physical” |
|
| Col John Blocher
“Losing Control: A JTAC’s courage to overcome fear and failure” |
|
| Panel Outstanding Airman of the Year (OAY)
“Earned Through Action: Courage and Leadership at Every Level” |
|
| 4-5 p.m. | Nashville Storytellers Concert
“Stories in Song: Courage, Character, and Leadership Through Music” |
| Col John Blocher
“Losing Control: A JTAC’s courage to overcome fear and failure” |
|
| GEN (Ret) Scott Miller
“Trusted to Perform: Courageous Leadership at the Highest Level” |
|
| 5:15-6 p.m. | Keynote Class of ’74 Wakin Award & Class of ’73 Muse Family Foundation
Lt Col Nichole Ayers “Courage Beyond Earth” |
| Col Justin Elliott
“Courage in Close Formation: Lessons from Elite Teams” |
|
| 6-8:10 p.m. | Social Hour
And Cadet Engagement Dinner |
| Sessions are subject to change, please check the event app for the most current updates. Must be registered to access the app. | |
| Day Two – Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| 6:30-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:30-9:15 a.m. | Keynote Falcon Foundation Bud Breckner Keynote
MSG (Ret) George Vera “Courage Under Fire: Leading Soldiers in Contact” |
| Fireside Chat “Lifetime of Service”
Maj Andrea Moffett and Col (Ret) Gail Colvin |
|
| Maj Gen (Ret) Edward Mechenbier
“Honor, Resilience, and Leadership: A POW’s Perspective on Courage in Service” |
|
| 9:30-10:15 a.m. | Panel Senior Leader Panel
Department of the Air Force |
| CAPT (Ret) Charlie Plumb
“Courage Under Fire: Lessons in Leadership from Six Years as a POW” |
|
| Lt Gen (Ret) Marc Sasseville
“Courage in the Moment: Leadership on September 11th” |
|
| 10:30-11:15 a.m. | Keynote Enix Heritage Keynote
GEN (Ret) Austin Scott Miller “Trusted to Perform: Courageous Leadership at the Highest Level” |
| SMSgt (Ret) Israel Del Toro
“Unbroken Courage: Leading Beyond the Wounds” |
|
| Lt Col Nichole Ayers
“Courage Beyond Earth” |
|
| 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:30-1:15 p.m. | Col Justin Elliott
“Courage in Close Formation: Lessons from Elite Teams” |
| Fireside Chat “Family First, Mission Always”
Maj Kaz Moffett, Maj Andrea Moffett, Col Paul Brehm, and Col Sarah Brehm |
|
| MSgt (Ret) Dustin Goodwin
“Courage to Lead; Psychological versus Physical” |
|
| 1:30-2:15 p.m. | POW Panel “Courage in Captivity: Lessons of Endurance and Integrity”
Maj Gen (Ret) Edward Mechenbier and CAPT (Ret) Charlie Plumb |
| MSG (Ret) George Vera
Courage Under Fire: Leading Soldiers in Contact” |
|
| SMSgt (Ret) Israel Del Toro
“Unbroken Courage: Leading Beyond the Wounds” |
|
| 2:30-3 p.m. | Challenge Ceremony
CMSgt John C. Alsvig |
| 3:15-4:30 p.m. | Cadet Experiential Debrief
Visiting Students Only |
| Sessions are subject to change, please check the event app for the most current updates. Must be registered to access the app. | |