News Release

2006 Air Force Association National Convention, Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Wraps Up

10/06/2006 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- With a theme of “The Force Behind the Force,” the Air Force Association’s annual National Convention and Air & Space Conference and Technology Exhibition, wrapped up Sept. 22-27 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

The event was replete with celebrations marking AFA’s six decades of supporting the Air Force, educating the public about aerospace dominance, and 50 years of the outstanding enlisted airmen awards.

During the three-day conference, participants heard experts make presentations on air and space power at 34 different conference addresses, workshops, and forums, including a Four-Star Forum and Command Chief Master Sergeants Forum. Speakers included Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, USAF Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Honorable Curt Weldon (R-Pa), Honorable R. James “Jim” Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Dr. Donald Kerr, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office as well as many other noted scholars and experts.

The Technology Exhibition boasted 125 different exhibits allowing participants to have a “hands-on” look at the cutting edge technology of the future.

AFA hosted a rededication ceremony Sept. 22 of its newly renovated national headquarters building, followed by a reception. About 100 guests, including delegates and AFA officials attended. The rededication featured the unveiling of a plaque that paid tribute to Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, who envisioned a national headquarters building for AFA, national officers past and present who made the resources available for an AFA-owned facility, and Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, who pioneered the establishment of a national association to support the United States Air Force. Assisting the AFA Chairman of the Board Stephen P. “Pat” Condon to unveil the plaque was former AFA Chairman of the Board David L. Blankenship who was AFA’s National President at the time the building was first dedicated in 1984.

For the second year in a row, AFA hosted students from USAF’s Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., at the Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition. The class of 2007, all 587 students, attended. Their participation was made possible with a generous grant from Boeing.

The students were joined by more than 1,250 attendees registered for the Air & Space Conference, along with hundreds of AFA members and delegates who gathered on Saturday and Sunday to participate in the AFA National Convention preceding the Air & Space Conference.

Many delegates, conference attendees, and ACSC students attended a memorial service on Sunday at the hotel. Donald J. Harlin, AFA National Chaplain, officiated. He gave the invocation, offered a message highlighting the new Air Force Memorial, and concluded with a closing prayer. AFA Chairman of the Board Condon, and National President Robert E. “Bob” Largent read the 2006 memorial tribute list. After the service, everyone boarded chartered buses for a tour of the new Air Force Memorial conducted by Memorial Foundation President Edward F. Grillo, Jr. Following a tour of the memorial, attendees then visited World War II, Korea and Vietnam memorials.

Gen.T. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, welcomed delegates, Air Force attendees, and members of industry at the conference opening Sept. 25. The ceremony featured a video highlighting 60 years of AFA service and accomplishments as “The Force Behind the Force.” Later that evening AFA honored the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, with an address by Gen. John D. W. Corley, vice chief of staff and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley as the toastmaster. The next day, Tuesday, Sept. 26, the OAY met with their Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.

Sept. 26 evening festivities began with a reception, generously underwritten by Lockheed Martin. At the Air Force Anniversary Dinner following the reception, AFA honored retired Gen. Lance W. Lord, former commander of Air Force Space Command, with the H.H. Arnold Award, in recognition of the year’s most significant contribution to national security.

Ronald D. Sugar, chairman and CEO, Northrop Grumman, was honored with the John R. Alison Award for industrial contributions to the nation's security.

AFA officials also thanked members of the aerospace industry for their generous support of the Air Force Memorial, set to be officially dedicated Oct. 14.

To mark the 50th anniversary of AFA’s Outstanding Airmen program, 90 award recipients, representing each of the five decades, were honored on stage during the evening. The honorees reciprocated by presenting a plaque to AFA Chairman of the Board Condon, as well as to AFA, in gratitude for their association’s support of the program, which has honored 715 distinguished enlisted airmen during the last half-century. AFA National President Largent also received a thank-you gift of USAF artwork from General T. Michael Moseley.

A birthday cake celebrating AFA’s 60th year was cut and served to guests. A musical presentation narrated by Tim White, and featuring the singer Andy Childs, rounded out the evening’s festivities.

At the national convention, there were 252 registered delegates representing 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the European area. The Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition drew some 6,850 attendees and 85 news media representatives. With ACSC students and registered attendees, the event drew over 9,000 people.

Holding meetings were trustees of the Air Force Memorial Foundation. Also meeting were the Air Force’s Air National Guard Council, Civilian Advisory Council, Company Grade Officer Council, and Reserve Advisory Council. The conference marked the 50th anniversary of these councils: in 1956, then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Nathan F. Twining met with association members to establish the advisory councils to provide Air Force and association leaders with input on issues of importance.

Over the years, many former council members have gone on to assume senior leadership positions in the Air Force. At the joint council meeting, retired Gen. Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton, representing all former council members, spoke about his tenure on the Company Grade Council and how it influenced his Air Force career.

Election of Officers
Robert E. Largent, Harrison, Ark., was elected Chairman of the Board for a first term. Joseph E. Sutter, Knoxville, Tenn., was elected National President for a first term. Judy K. Church, Lenexa, Kan., was elected National Secretary for a first term, and Steven R. Lundgren, Fairbanks, Alaska., was re-elected National Treasurer for a second term.

Pursuant to AFA’s governance structure approved by the delegates (see below), effective Oct. 1, Sutter assumes the title of Vice Chairman of the Board, Field Operations and L. Boyd Anderson, Ogden, Utah, assumes a new title, Vice Chairman of the Board, Aerospace Education, for a first term in that position.

Other elections
Elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms were Dennis R. Davoren, Woodland, Calif.; James Hannam, Burke, Va.; Buster Horlen, San Antonio, Texas; Charles A. Nelson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Paul W. Schowalter, Hickory, N.C. (at large); and Charles P. Zimkas Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.

Five new Region Presidents elected were Marvin L. Tooman (Midwest Region); Mike J. Peters (Far West Region); Maxine Donnelly, (Northeast Region); Leonard Vernamonti (South Central Region); and Edward W. Garland (Texoma Region).

Other AFA Business
AFA delegates ratified transition documents approved earlier by the Board of Directors at their December 2005 and February 2006 meetings that were necessary to merge AFA and AEF into a single organization and to create the AFA Veteran Benefits Association (AFAVBA), which took effect April 1, 2006. These included an AFA Transition Constitution, an AFA Operations and Procedures Manual, and an AFAVBA Constitution. This was a necessary first step to considering a more permanent governance structure.

Delegates also ratified a permanent governance structure AFA Constitution and Operations and Procedures Manual. The new structure is to be phased in over a number of years. Among its more important features are the following: It reduces the size of the Board of Directors; establishes a Field Council to function in a similar manner to the Aerospace Education Council set up by the transition documents; and realigns titles and responsibilities of the national officers. Effective Oct. 1, the National President becomes the Vice Chairman of the Board, Field Operations. The former Vice Chairman of the Board becomes the Vice Chairman of the Board, Aerospace Education. The Executive Director assumes the title of President.

Delegates also approved changes to the way the AFA Nominating Committee is constituted and functions. The new procedures are to be phased in over a number of years, parallel to the board phase-in schedule, and require some further approvals by the board and delegates. The first steps, however, will be taken during the 2006-07 operating year.

Other actions included directing the newly-created Field Council to develop ways to streamline the AFA field organizations and to monitor several administrative changes approved by the delegates to be incorporated into the operating policy for field units.

AFA Education Awards
Videos on the theme of “How Skills Learned in Air Force ROTC Build Character and Better Citizens” competed for AFA’s annual Jimmy Stewart Aerospace Education Award. The winning entry, from AFJROTC Unit VA-20011 at Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount, Va., explored the role Air Force core values of integrity, service, and excellence play in forming effective AFROTC cadets, and the effects of that development on their collegiate and post-collegiate life. The narrator identified integrity as “being honest with oneself and carrying out tasks as they should be done.” Service was defined as “not allowing interference of a personal nature to come between a cadet and work.” Finally, excellence was defined as “taking pride in and delivering a top-notch performance in every aspect” of a cadet’s life. By applying these skills together as a team, cadets can accomplish “unimaginable goals.” The video concluded, “Integrity, excellence, service: the three main values that guide cadets to better character and becoming better citizens of the United States of America.”

Susan Rippe, from Olathe, Kan., won AFA’s National Teacher of the Year, the Christa McAuliffe Memorial Award as the year's outstanding aerospace science, mathematics or computer science teacher.

Acknowledgements
Parliamentarian for the AFA National Convention was Joan L. Blankenship. Inspectors of Elections were Robert Rutledge (Chairman), William R. Goerges, and James W. Simons. Lynne Morley chaired the Credentials Committee, serving with Joan Sell and Patricia J. Snyder.

The association is particularly grateful to a corps of volunteers who assisted the staff in convention support: Jason R. Baseil, Cecil G. Brendle, Molly Mae E. Potter, Charlie Tippett, and Leola Wall, and 2nd Lt. Robert Wray.

For more details and access to transcripts please visit the AFA website at http://www.afa.org/media/scripts/06natlconf.asp

(Information compiled by Tamar A. Mehuron, Associate Editor, Air Force Magazine)

For more information contact: