A Petition to the USAFA Association of Graduates Membership

Dear Fellow Graduates,

Over the past several months, a small group of graduates—representing classes from the 1960s through the 2020s—have been closely following developments within our USAFA Association of Graduates. After reviewing recent Board actions, meeting minutes, and broader governance trends, we have developed concerns about the direction of the organization that represents all of us.

The attached letter explains these concerns and outlines four proposed motions that would allow the full graduate community to consider several governance questions during the 2027 AOG election cycle. In short, the petition asks members to consider removing three current directors and elevating one director to serve as Vice Chair in order to strengthen the Board's leadership and focus.

We believe the AOG must remain mission-focused, nonpartisan, transparent, and aligned with the long-term interests of the Academy and its graduates.

For these motions to reach the full membership, we must gather signatures from at least 5,660 graduates before 1 October 2026. If you are willing to help, we respectfully ask that you:

  1. Read the attached letter
  2. Sign the petition and return it to
  3. Share it with fellow graduates in your network

Strong institutions endure because their members care enough to stay engaged. The Association of Graduates belongs to all of us, and its future depends on thoughtful participation from graduates across every generation of the Long Blue Line.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this effort.

Respectfully,
Ned Stark and Supporters

Full Petition Letter

Dear Fellow Graduates,

We write to you as a group of ten United States Air Force Academy graduates representing classes from the 1960s through the 2020s. Though we span generations, we are united by a shared conviction: the long-term health, credibility, and cohesion of our Association of Graduates (AOG).

After months of discussion with former Board members, Foundation leaders, Distinguished Graduate Award recipients, and current directors—and after observing recent Board proceedings—we believe constructive action is necessary as the Board prepares for the 2027–2029 term. Accordingly, we are initiating a petition to place four motions before the full membership during the 2027 AOG election cycle.

Our concerns began last fall following articles describing the Board's consideration of recognizing Charlie Kirk. While many within our group personally agree with elements of his public advocacy, we were troubled that the Board entertained five separate motions concerning an individual who is not a graduate and whose public persona is widely viewed as partisan and divisive. For an organization that has long sought to remain mission-focused and nonpolitical, this appeared misaligned with both tradition and priority.

Our concern deepened when official minutes from the April and July 2025 meetings were not made available for member review in a timely manner. Transparency and orderly governance are not technicalities; they are the foundations upon which trust rests.

More broadly, we worry that the Board's current trajectory risks diminishing its relevance to the broader graduate community. Hard-won progress integrating the Foundation and AOG under a unified CEO and staff structure could be jeopardized. Many of us remember the institutional strain of the 2000s and early 2010s. We cannot afford regression following the recent successes like the $300+ million campaign, creation of the NextGen Advisory Council, and the visible progress across AOG programs.

Under the bylaws, at least ten percent of eligible voting members must participate for membership motions to be ratified. Based on publicly available figures indicating approximately 56,600 living graduates, this represents roughly 5,660 participating members.

The four proposed motions for the 2027–2029 AOG Board cycle are as follows:

  1. Removal of Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Rod Bishop '74 as Director, effective 1 April 2027. Since April 2025, Director Bishop has introduced seven of the board's twenty substantive motions, of which only one has passed. Several of these motions concerned recognition of Charlie Kirk, drawing the Board into extended debate on matters that proved controversial and politically adjacent.

    While directors are entitled to advance issues they believe important, the cumulative effect of these repeated proposals has been to divert attention from core governance responsibilities and strategic oversight. The low passage rate of these motions reflects limited consensus among fellow directors. At a time when the Association must preserve institutional credibility and unity across generations of graduates, we believe a steadier focus on broadly supported priorities is essential.

    We believe new representation is warranted.
  2. Removal of Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Christopher "Mookie" Walker '88 as Director, effective 1 April 2027. As Board Secretary, Director Walker was responsible for ensuring the accurate and timely production of official meeting minutes. Minutes from the April and July 2025 meetings were not made available in a timely manner, prompting the Board to engage former Secretary Ginny Tonneson '80 to assist in producing and finalizing the record. Subsequent meetings also required time to reconcile and correct portions of the official record.

    The maintenance of clear and complete minutes is not a procedural formality; it is central to transparency, accountability, and member trust. When record-keeping lapses occur, they hinder informed participation and weaken confidence in governance processes. In our view, this lapse represents a failure to meet the obligations of that office.

    We believe new representation is warranted.
  3. Removal of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Denny Merideth '73 as Director, effective 1 April 2027. Since April 2025, Director Merideth has introduced nine of the Board's twenty substantive motions—nearly half of all major governance actions during this period—of which only one has passed. While initiative and debate are healthy features of any governing body, such a disproportionate volume has absorbed significant Board time and attention without securing broad support.

    Following the April 2025 Board Chair election, in which Director Merideth finished second, he subsequently worked during the July meetings to challenge the duly elected Chair Cathy Almand '90. Rather than consolidating around a settled outcome and working constructively within it, his efforts contributed to internal division at a time when unity and forward focus were needed.

    Concerns have also arisen within committee settings. Reports indicate he has a pattern of resistance and procedural friction that has hindered forward progress for the group.

    We believe new representation is warranted.
  4. Appointment of Gen. (Ret.) David "DT" Thompson '85 as Vice Chair, effective 1 April 2027. If the first three motions address accountability, the fourth addresses stability. The Board requires experienced, steady leadership. General Thompson is widely respected across generations of graduates, and elevating him to Vice Chair would reflect continuity and institutional strength during a consequential period.

This petition is not about ideology. It is about stewardship. We believe the Association of Graduates must remain mission-focused, nonpartisan, transparent, and aligned with long-term institutional success.

If you support this effort, please sign the attached petition and encourage fellow graduates to do the same before 1 October 2026.

Download & Sign the Petition (PDF)