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Maj. Gen. Moga nominated to lead U.S. Air Force Academy following Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind

Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga, Third Air Force commander, conducts pre-flight checks in an F-35A Lightning II aircraft during his final flight at RAF Lakenheath, England, May 1, 2026. Moga has accumulated over 2,600 flight hours in six different fighter aircraft during his career. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sierra Casteel)
Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga, Third Air Force commander, conducts pre-flight checks in an F-35A Lightning II aircraft during his final flight at RAF Lakenheath, England, May 1, 2026. Moga has accumulated over 2,600 flight hours in six different fighter aircraft during his career. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sierra Casteel)

U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The President of the United States has nominated Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga, Commander, Third Air Force, to serve as the 23rd Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy and promotion to the rank of lieutenant general. If confirmed by the Senate, he will succeed Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, who has led the institution since August 2024.

A 1995 Academy graduate and former Commandant of Cadets, Maj. Gen. Moga currently directs subordinate commands, facilitates coordination and operations between U.S. Air Force Europe – Air Forces Africa, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, Defense agencies and other field activities. If confirmed, he will return to the Academy to direct the 47-month development program that commissions officers into the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, bringing extensive operational and leadership experience to the role.

A command pilot with more than 2,600 flight hours, primarily in the F-15C, F-22, and F-35A, he has commanded at the squadron, wing, and numbered Air Force levels. His career also includes significant joint and staff experience with assignments at U.S. European Command and U.S. Northern Command, and he notably served as the first-ever F-22 Demonstration Team Commander.

“I am profoundly honored by the President’s nomination to serve as Superintendent,” Maj. Gen. Moga said. “The Academy has a solemn responsibility to develop leaders who possess a warfighter mentality and are motivated to serve. They must be prepared to lead, fight and win in defense of our nation. I look forward to working with Air Force and Space Force leaders, as well as the entire USAFA community, to build upon what Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind accomplished during his tenure.”

Then Lt. Col. Paul D. Moga, an F-22 Raptor pilot, raises the canopy of an F-22 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 5, 2012. Moga, now a major general and commander of Third Air Force, represents the warfighter mindset built through rigorous pilot training, constant preparation and a career-long commitment to mastering increasingly complex missions. Then Brig. Gen. Paul D. Moga, then the U.S. Air Force Academy commandant of cadets, low-crawls through the assault course in Jacks Valley at the Academy, Colo. Moga, now a major general and commander of Third Air Force, completed the obstacle and assault courses alongside cadets as part of his effort to model hands-on leadership and instill a warfighter mentality across the Cadet Wing. Maj Gen Paul D. Moga, Commander, Commandant of Cadets, administers the Oath of Office to the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2023 during their Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 1, 2023. Nine-hundred-twenty-one cadets crossed the stage to become the Air Force/Space Force’s newest second lieutenants. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin R. Pacheco)
Then Lt. Col. Paul D. Moga, an F-22 Raptor pilot, raises the canopy of an F-22 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 5, 2012. Moga, now a major general and commander of Third Air Force, represents the warfighter mindset built through rigorous pilot training, constant preparation and a career-long commitment to mastering increasingly complex missions. (U.S. Air Force Photo by David Bedard)
Then Brig. Gen. Paul D. Moga, then the U.S. Air Force Academy commandant of cadets, low-crawls through the assault course in Jacks Valley at the Academy, Colo. Moga, now a major general and commander of Third Air Force, completed the obstacle and assault courses alongside cadets as part of his effort to model hands-on leadership and instill a warfighter mentality across the Cadet Wing. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation)
Maj Gen Paul D. Moga, Commander, Commandant of Cadets, administers the Oath of Office to the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2023 during their Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 1, 2023. Nine-hundred-twenty-one cadets crossed the stage to become the Air Force/Space Force’s newest second lieutenants. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin R. Pacheco)

Forging the Next Generation of Warrior-Leaders

Appointed with a specific mandate to restore the warrior ethos and return to standards, Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind, a 1991 graduate of the Academy, spent the last two years reorienting the institution to its foundational warfighting purpose. The entire Academy team embraced this call to harmonize the institution’s military, academic, and athletic mission sets and renew emphasis on standards and accountability.

To ensure graduates are prepared for modern conflict, military training was fundamentally restructured to prioritize warfighter readiness and lethality. This was operationalized through a four-class leadership system that instills progressive leadership and is tested under realistic, high-pressure conditions during training events like the Spring Culminating Exercise.

This purposeful transformation to align the cadet experience with the demands of future conflict sharpens the Academy’s focus on preparing the next generation of Air Force and Space Force leaders, increasing the readiness and lethality of the future force.

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Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent, salutes during his assumption of command ceremony at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 2, 2024. Bauernfeind became the Academy’s 22nd superintendent, succeeding Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, who retired June 1, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith)
Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent, performs pushups with cadets during the Spring 2025 Culminating Exercise at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., March 5, 2025. The multi-day field training event tested cadets’ Ready Airman Training skills, leadership under pressure, physical resilience and preparation for future operational environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)
Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent, speaks during the opening ceremony for the 32nd annual National Character and Leadership Symposium at the Academy, Colo., Feb. 20, 2025. The two-day symposium, themed “Warfighters to Win,” connected cadets, faculty, staff and community members with combat-experienced speakers to examine warrior ethos and leadership in future conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

An Enduring Mission

“The Secretary of War mandate to forge mission-ready leaders ready on Day One is our absolute priority,” Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind said. “If confirmed, I am confident that Maj. Gen. Moga will sustain USAFA’s momentum forward, ensuring our graduates are fully prepared, militarily, academically, and athletically, for the complex combat environments of tomorrow.”

He stressed that, for the time being, his focus remains squarely on the Academy’s mission.

“I remain fully committed to leading the Academy and advancing its core priorities of forging warfighters to win, inspiring leaders of character and quality, and motivating critical thinkers to adapt,” he said. “Having seen firsthand the character and commitment of our next generation of warrior leaders, I will leave here confident that our nation’s future is secure.”