LtGen Michelle Johnson, USAFA Class of 1981, recently took over as the Superintendent of the US Air Force Academy, replacing outgoing LtGen Mike Gould.

Many references to her new command have noted she is the first female to be Superintendent.  (A few quick-to-report articles said she was the first woman to lead a ‘major’ or ‘DoD’ service academy. The qualifier is necessary since RADM Sandra Stosz has led the Coast Guard Academy since 2011, and the CG Academy is not part of the DoD and is sometimes considered ‘minor.’)  The official Air Force Academy story had a much more broad storyline.  It did note she was the first female cadet wing commander when she was a cadet.  Her Class of 1981 was the second to graduate after women were integrated at the service academies in 1976.

Michael Weinstein had previously called for LtGen Gould’s head, and he has not yet publicly spoken on the transition or LtGen Johnson. (Given his vituperative after the Chief of Staff retired, it is likely something similar is in the works.)

In an interesting generational note, as a 1976 grad LtGen Gould would have been a senior cadet to Weinstein’s Class of 1977.  When Weinstein graduated, LtGen Johnson’s Class of 1981 replaced his.

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