By Mary Shin | The Colorado Springs Gazette
The roar of two MC-130 special operations airlifters Friday over the Air Force Academy heralded a new superintendent taking command and promising to make the school more demanding.
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind took over from interim leader Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman. The former superintendent, Gen. Richard Clark, retired on June 1.
Bauernfeind said he plans to lead the school through a fundamental change in its leadership program that will replace an emphasis on the freshmen’s transition into the cadet wing.
The new four-class system will teach cadets first how to be front-line supervisors, then team leaders and finally unit leaders. Cadets will be promoted to the next level of leadership when they are ready.
“With these changes, the academy experience will become more demanding. But we will never be demeaning,” he said.
The changes follow a critical review by the Department of Defense that found cadets were not sufficiently equipped for their roles, causing unhealthy power dynamics.
It specifically recommended changing the fourth-class system at the academy, where freshmen were not acknowledged as full members of the cadet wing at first. The change is meant to stop instances of mistreatment and hazing, the report said.
Bauernfeind also expected to prioritize developing leaders of character and critical thinkers.
“Our officers must be prepared on day one to lead in a dynamic and changing world against adversaries wishing to do harm to our nation, our allies and our partners,” said Bauernfeind, who previously led Air Force Special Operations Command.
He worked on modernization efforts and led it during the investigation into an Osprey crash that killed eight off the coast of Japan. The command released the results of the investigation Thursday.
The Air Force’s Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin also spoke at the ceremony and highlighted the challenges Clark faced after taking over in September 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. Clark is now the executive director of the College Football Playoff.
In addition to outbreaks of sickness, the academy also saw a large cheating scandal while thousands of students studied online at home. At least 250 cadets were suspected of cheating and many faced consequences.
The academy has also worked to address a rise in sexual assaults and unwanted sexual contact.
The Gazette reported previously more than 1 in 5 women and an estimated 4.3% of men in the Air Force Academy experienced unwanted sexual contact, according to the 2021-2022 report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies.
Allvin acknowledged many leaders in the audience handled those challenges alongside Clark and they doubled down on developing leaders of character.
“This institution has been undergoing a transformation,” Allvin said.
At the same time, the academy needs to be preparing young officers who can handle an opaque environment where it can be difficult to track the nation’s enemies.
“Lieutenants that graduate from this institution are going to need to be better leaders than I was, than my classmates were. The nation is going to demand it,” he said.
Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or (719) 429-9264.
First published in the Colorado Springs Gazette
Bauernfeind assumes role as 22nd US Air Force Academy superintendent (USAFA)
U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, faculty and staff welcomed their 22nd superintendent, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, during an assumption of command ceremony held here Aug. 2.
Bauernfeind, a 1991 Academy graduate, took the helm from Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, who retired June 1 following the Class of ’24 graduation. Bauernfeind will continue Clark’s goal of developing leaders of character, with an additional focus on creating warfighters in an era of Great Power Competition.
“It is an honor to lead the Air Force Academy with its rich history and legacy of developing leaders. I can tell you that my time as a cadet played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for me as a leader for the past 33 years,” Bauernfeind said upon assuming command. “I am excited to return to this extraordinary team that is dedicated to developing our next generation of combat-ready leaders.”
Having served his entire career in U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, most recently as its top general, Bauernfeind has a unique perspective and decades of expertise in developing lethal warfighters.
“I could not be more positive, more optimistic, more confident in the future of our U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force than I am now looking at these leaders, looking at the plan and looking at the great Americans that continue to come up that ramp and say ‘yes, I am going to join this winning team,’” Allvin said.
The priorities of his tenure will reflect the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force’s directives in the 2022 National Defense Strategy to ensure the next generation of officers has the foundation and skills to lead the Department of the Air Force in this new direction.
As the Academy’s superintendent, Bauernfeind will direct the undergraduate academic program, military and athletic training, and character development. The cadets Bauernfeind leads will earn a Bachelor of Science degree and commission as second lieutenants into the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
“As a military academy, our priorities are the foundation of everything we will do,” Bauernfeind said. “Every activity, every action, and every program we have must support and reflect our priorities. And we will focus on our priorities, which are: we will develop war fighters to win. We will develop leaders of character and quality. And we will develop critical thinkers to adapt.”
VIDEO: The Air Force Academy welcomes new leadership
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