Air Force Academy superintendent aims for character, technical skills

Michelle D. Johnson, superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, said that instilling character and leadership, while putting an increasing emphasis on cyberspace and outer space, are priorities of the academy at a May 8 National Press Club luncheon.

"All of our cadets are learning more about cyber as the connective tissue for our Air Force and our nation," said Johnson, the first woman to head the academy.

Cadets participate in glider soaring, jumping, powered flight and RPAs (remotely piloted aircraft), even as new majors in computer and network security and nuclear weapons and strategy are being developed, she said. Astro cadets design, build and fly a satellite.

Cadets learn these skills in an atmosphere of "total immersion" in the professional culture of the Air Force, she said.

Elements of the culture include marching to lunch, wearing uniforms and celebrating the promotions of others because "the best in each other is the best in all of us," she said.

"We develop new cadets so they inculcate the Air Force's core values – integrity, service and excellence." she said. "Our cadets will operate in a complex, interconnected world where we cannot automatically assume that valor is directly proportional to value."

A new center is examining what the modern military encompasses.

"What does courage and valor look like for a cyber-warrior or the pilot flying the RPA?" she said.

She lauded the quality of students entering the academy. Their average SAT score is 150 points above the national average. In addition, 10 percent of them were high school class presidents, 10 percent were valedictorians or salutatorians and more than 80 percent earned a high school letter.

The academy also is putting an emphasis on diversity in the student body in an effort to "look more like the people we defend," Johnson said.

A challenge is that less than 1 percent of the U.S. population has served in the military, so many families do not understand what is involved.

Johnson used herself as an example that military people are like everyone else. She has been married for 25 years to a former pilot and has twin sons.

Reducing sexual harassment at the academy is another of Johnson's goals. One fifth of the incidents are rape and more than half involve unwanted touching, she said.

The academy maintains case management teams to monitor the welfare of victims, she said. She expressed concern that the 4,000 cadets who behave honorably could be tainted by the behavior of a few at the "margin."

She favors handling harassment cases within the military rather than in civilian courts. That way the academy could impose additional punishment in situations that were serious but not criminal.