(US Air Force Academy) 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.”
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.
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.”
The President of the United States nominated Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga to serve as the 23rd Superintendent of #USAFA & 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 Aug. 2024. pic.twitter.com/UInu6xIr8M
— U.S. Air Force Academy (@af_academy) May 6, 2026
Secretary of War General Officer Announcements for May 5, 2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that the President has made the following nomination:
Air Force Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Moga is currently serving as commander, Third Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
STARRS President Ron Scott was interviewed for this article:
Trump nominates Maj. Gen. Paul Moga to be Air Force Academy’s next superintendent
By Brett Forrest | KOAA News
President Trump has nominated Major General Paul D. Moga to be the next Air Force Academy (USAFA) Superintendent.
The nomination, submitted to Congress on April 30, will promote Moga from Major General to Lieutenant General, which is the rank typically held by USAFA Superintendents.
Gen. Moga is a 1995 graduate of the Academy, served as the USAFA Commandant of Cadets from May 2021 to June 2023, and is currently the Commander of the Third Air Force in Europe.
The nomination to be a three-star general will first be considered and voted on by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
When taking over as Commandant of Cadets in 2021, Moga stated at the time his first priority was bringing back a sense of normalcy coming out of the pandemic.
But he also stressed a “warfighter mentality,” which is terminology that’s been often used and favored by the current administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
“Every cadet that leaves this institution, regardless of ending up in an operational career field or not, has to understand and embrace the warfighter state of mind, the warfighter mentality,”
said Moga in a USAFA article posted in 2021. “Whether they end up in combat or supporting those who do, that mentality will serve them well throughout their careers and throughout their lives.” . . .
. . . Dr. Ron Scott, an Academy alum and President and CEO of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS), said he approves of Gen. Moga. STARRS is a conservative nonprofit.
“STARRS is encouraged to hear the announcement about General Moga as the new Superintendent,” said Dr. Scott in an email.
“He has a great reputation with a warrior ethos. He brought the same focus as former Commandant. Cadets are looking forward to the incoming leadership team.” . . . (read entire article)
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