Part 5 of a sampling from the over 600 comments we received on the petition form:
“The AOG needs a bigger seat at the table on USAFA matters (or a seat to begin with?). Even if this doesn’t go forward as specifically proposed, I want this to send a message that the graduate community and our collective experience deserves to have greater weight than is clearly happening today. Our family has three generations of USAFA cadets. This world class institution must transcend the political whims du jour.” 1996
“The Air Force Academy spends an inordinate amount of time and money recruiting low quality candidates based on race and gender. I know this because I served as a “diversity recruiter” for a year after graduation (I pride myself on having dissuaded such low quality candidates from applying). The remaining high quality cadets that enter the cadet wing are subjected to an onslaught of left wing ideology born of resentment for greatness. These guys are growing disillusioned with the idea of serving under a permanent regime that despises them. If they don’t leave before 2 degree year, they will leave as soon as their 5 year commitment is up. I count myself among these young men, as do many of my friends. If we can’t turn this around, I will encourage such high quality candidates not to apply, as they deserve better, and America will benefit from their greatness in some other place that will harness their talents and ambitions.” 2018
“The AOG is the voice for ALL grads as you fulfill your mission. Hopefully, these amendments will revise your focus and ensure better counsel to USAFA leadership, the BoV, and the graduate community. Thank you for respecting this input.” 1987
“This is the first time I have ever voted or even corresponded to anything about the USAFA. It is a breath of fresh air to hear the proposed changes and the background for those changes: the “politically charged ideological constructs”. This epidemic is why I retired before pinning on O-6 after squadron command. It’s clear that currently race/gender are the highest qualifications for leadership potential and it plagues the Air Force at the highest levels. Standard Judaeo/Christian Morales are now labeled insensitive and racist. I have 5 children and I will not allow any of them to attend USAFA or any academy until this ridiculous culture experiment is removed from all facets of the military and the concentration is placed back on military lethality and “battle leadership” (“military leadership” is now synonymous with promoting politically charged ideological constructs).” 2001
“Total agreement with your proposals Really needed to get the AOG back on track rather than a cheerleader for misguided senior leadership at all levels.” 1972
“The leadership of USAFA responds to many influencers. Board of Visitors, Congressional committees, Accreditation authority, DOD, USAF Chief of Staff, the Press and others. I have always wanted to see the AOG have more influence rather than merely acting as a fund-raising group for the leadership’s pet projects. But what influence do we really have? I say “Plenty”. By controlling what projects we fund (holding the purse strings on airmanship and other areas), we can wield plenty of influence. That is, if the AOG is willing to use that influence.” 1974
“The diversity trainings we sat through in my time were incredibly painful. Liberal ideology forcing tolerance (pretty ironic right), keep up the good fight.” 2023
“The Academy taught me some wonderful lessons about leadership and life. I served as a Squadron Commander in the Fall of 1964 and, again, during June Week 1965. The leadership training and experiences had a very positive impact on my life in subsequent years. I want the same for cadets currently at the Academy and those considering applying. I want the best to come and the best to serve our country. We cannot lower our standards and expect excellent results. We should not teach anything but the rigorous core disciplines and the highest standards of leadership forged over years of experience. Simply stated, “woke” need not apply or be applied.” 1965
“The class of 1979 has had a lot of discussion on DEI, wokeness, critical race theory, discrimination, and the mission to fly and fight. You should have a lot of support from 79, although the pro DEI voices are very loud. I personally stopped my contributions to USAFA after the cyber warfare center, and when the Academy reaches out, I tell them why. So I know they have heard a lot of complaints, I can’t believe some of the grad leadership has allowed it to continue. I am grateful UNITY is moving to stop this nonsense. Thank you!” 1979
“The proposed amendments to the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Air Force Academy Association of Graduates are essential in order to forestall the further decline of the Academy into the abyss of decadence and irrelevance.” 1962
“The rigors of military service and the challenges of the battlespace demand high standards based on meritocracy and punish, to the great harm to our nation, standards based on politically motivated special privileges for special groups. If our military leaders and our service academies will not sustain high standards based on meritocracy, who will? Please hold the line!” 1975
“The things I saw while in group leadership still haunt me to this day. When the cadet body is told behind closed doors that we are not allowed to recommend dismissal of a certain minority cadet (who had been on FAR more probations than their white counterpart) because of the fear of lawsuits against USAFA, I lost faith in not only the establishment but my country’s future.” 2015
“The push to incorporate DEI into the Air Force Academy is destroying the Academy!! We must return to the core values and purposes of the Air Force Academy, to defend our nation against foreign and domestic enemies… NOT as a place of radical social experimentation!” 1974
“The world is on fire. We need USAFA to create warrior leaders. USAFA needs to jettison everything that doesn’t support this end, and the AOG needs to be able to speak to this out loud.” 2003
“There is no place for DEI, wokeness, or social engineering in the military or the rest of society. If you perform, you are chosen, and when chosen, you produce results. This is what matters. We are all one in our service to this great country, regardless or our individual differences. Combat readiness, excellence, performance, and goals based decision making needs to be emphasized and focused on, not cultural and societal differences. People can easily come together around tasks and goals, it happens all the time regardless of background.” 2003
“There should be no promotion or selection criteria at the Academy other than based on applying the same standard to all cadets and making selections based on merit relative to this standard. Refrain from all DEI, CRT, gender identity policies, and promotion of sexual perversion and pornography. AOG should publicize the attempts by politicians and officers to promote such policies and said officers should be removed from duty.” 1968
“These amendments are phenomenal for our institution. Quite frankly non-censored allowing views should have always been accepted.” 2022
“This has been needed for a long time! I’m not just embarrassed USAFA’s (and the entire US military’s) absolute disgraceful descent into irrelevance, I find myself actively DISCOURAGING promising young men and women to enter the military at all!
My father was career Air Force, my older brother was career Army, and I enlisted in 1968, went through USAF Basic Training, Technical School, and then the AFA Prep School before attending and graduating from USAFA in 1974. I was very proud of my career, and have actively supported practically every AFA event/project/activity since then. That is, until the recent change brought on by who I consider to be absolute idiots! The simple act of taking meritocracy out is bad enough, but then actually promoting “equality” over everything else shows that our recent past and current “leadership” either has no actual leadership qualities whatsoever, or worse, is simply actively trying to destroy this country.” 1974
“This is long overdue. While we have been figuring out our pronouns, all of our enemies have been preparing to defeat us.” 1993
“This should be a noncontroversial amendment. Who would oppose it?” 1977
“Time to get back to the business of fighting and WINNING our nation’s wars. The DIE agenda is a potentially fatal and completely avoidable distraction.” 1999
“I know I tell those interested in the Academy now to look elsewhere or at least go in cautiously with the amount of politically charged influence that has infected the school. The USAFA has lost its way and its identity as a respected institution that develops high quality individuals and officers that are entrusted to lead our nation’s volunteer force, not commission only to drum up more policy and bureaucracy that only increases division within our service and ultimately presents an image of and Air Force that is incompetent instead of the deadliest Air Force in the world. This is a step in the right direction, thank you!” 2012
“USAFA AOG should be afforded appropriate influence based upon our real-time leadership skills and experienced development gained while serving on active duty, in the United Staes Air Force. Politically based social engineering programs have no basis in the development of our nation’s best warriors.” 1977
“I wholeheartedly support your efforts. All US armed forces academies should have the overriding goal of educating and developing leaders to establish and maintain the best war-fighting services on the planet, and battle-tested graduates of those academies can provide excellent help to do so. Having the strongest and most capable military is the best way to avoid war and maintain the peace. Thank you for starting this effort.” 1966
“It is long overdue that the AOG condemn USAFA for the negligent drift away from admitting the very best candidates to the institution and toward some kind of affirmative action and shameful political (and religious) ideologies that will ultimately lead to the destruction of our nation. USAFA should be a shining light in this dark time but instead it’s an embarrassment to those who wish their Alma mater would stand up for our core values.” 2013
“Its up to the AOG to communicate to grads what’s going on at USAFA. This woke-DEI leadership approach has got to go.” 1974
“One of the quotes we all memorized from Contrails, and one that has served me and those I led well, is: “Three things are important: the mission, the mission, the mission.” Gen Curtis LeMay. Our DoD and our Academy have lost sight of the mission. You can count on my support in Feb 2025 and beyond to restore our collective vision to 20/20.” 1984
“Please seriously consider and support. This goes beyond tradition, it’s based on what is basic to success as proven throughout centuries.” 1974
“Thank you to members of the Unity Slate for the AOG Board for your leadership in countering the insidious political and ideological agendas that are undermining the unity and objective, merit-based excellence of our United States Air Force Academy and its Long Blue Line. Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. Aim High!: 2006
“The AOG has a duty to communicate with graduates about the many different challenges facing our institution related to all pillars of the Academy to include, military training, academics, athletics and spiritual development. It shouldn’t have to take knowing someone working within the institution to find out about what’s going on at the Academy!! On a separate note, legacy should mean a lot when the next generation decides they want to follow in their parents footsteps! We really suck at providing feedback to our prospective candidates!! Army and Navy Kick our butts in that respect!! 1992
“Tired of the woke and political issues. Lets get back to the HONOR CODE and training warriors for leadership.” 1972
“When the previous Superintendent stated that cadets should not use derogatory titles like “father and mother”, I was quite upset. I immediately withdrew my pledges to the Sabre Society and class gift. I contacted my classmates and friends Mike Gould and Jack Catton to find out how to remedy the situation. Mike assured me that there was some sort of recanting by the Superintendent but what I read was far from that. I later saw the Superintendent on C-Span as he was questioned on the Academies racist policies and he floundered on all answers. I could not fathom what his motives were? I was drafted to be on another class gift project of our upcoming 50th reunion. The stipulation that had me agree to sign on was that our class and not the Academy would be in charge of the funds. I have been asking for pledges and I would say that well over half of those I asked were concerned who would be in charge of the funds. And all of them to a man are concerned about the course our Academy is taking. Needless to say I agree with these amendments whole heartedly. Thankfully, our new Commander and Chief would agree with them as well. I have tried to contact Pete Hegseth to suggest his first act should be be confirmed should be to bring back the Bring Me Men posting over the ramp to the parade field. It is obvious from the poem that it is referring to mankind and not males but it was one of the first woke incursions into the Academy. If the New Sec Def would do this it would make a statement to all involved. We want people with dreams and ambitions and fortitude at our Academy.” 1976