Read the 10-page January 2026 memo by Col. Doug “Stoli” Nikolai, USAF ret, USAFA ’89, Vice Chairman of the USAFA Board of Visitors regarding a disciplinary case at the Academy. STARRS Vice President and General Counsel Mike Rose, USAFA ’69, assisted with the memo.
BLUF from the memo: A year of draconian punishments being imposed on nine USAFA seniors who were on the USAFA men’s varsity soccer team illustrates how the substance and the procedures USAFA uses to impose major conduct punishments are illusory, inadequate, unclear, inconsistent, unreasonable, unfair, counterproductive, deficient and denials of due process.
The findings and omissions in this GAO report and the facts involving these nine USAFA seniors being punished as a group show the urgent need for (a) the punishments (10-month probationary period) of these seniors to stop immediately; (b) the Board of Visitors (B0V) to establish a SECAF-supported Disciplinary Process Review Focus Group to examine and recommend improvements to the conduct/honor/disenrollment systems at USAFA; and (c) USAFA to implement those recommendations.
Read the memo:
On March 2, 2026 Mike Rose confirmed that
- All nine AFA “soccer” cadets will graduate on March 17, 2026.
- They no longer are on probation or have to attend class or military training, and are in good standing at the AFA.
- After being commissioned, they will receive the same officer assignments they would have received if they had graduated in May, 2025.
- After graduation/commissioning, they will receive 60 days leave.
Rose said “This is great news and should be considered a great VICTORY. Anyone not familiar with the circumstances and significance of this situation is invited to read the above document, which helped achieve the results stated above.”
Quote
“The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey.
The one mode or the other in dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them respect for himself; while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his subordinates, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.”
– LTG John M. Schofield, 1879
It was more than just nine seniors, it was the juniors and sophomore cadets also. No mention of them. They were brought into this toxic environment, encouraged by Coach Doug Hill and Kevin Doyle. They took the punishment for two years, lost opportunities that they never will get back and were nearly expelled. How many cadets have committed suicide because of the policy put in place by the Commandant and Superintendent? But after they have destroyed the USAFA experience for countless cadets and are moving on, NOW we have a report of how terrible they are. Too little too late.
Good for Mike Rose, a classmate I remember well, and Col Nikolai. I also well remember some of the officers who were jerks at the Academy when I was a cadet. They were supposedly there to motivate us but did anything but. Many were fantastic but even after 55 years I can name several of the bottom feeders. When you have rules about how to fold underwear but not what is acceptable conduct in a given situation and then punish people for violating something you never mentioned, you look pretty foolish. It seems not much has changed since I was there.