Aerospace Education Council: June 2026

June 29, 2026   |   By Gary Copsey

Pitsenbarger Full Measure Award

The Full Measure Award (FMA) program is progressing well. We received a strong pool of qualified applicants and are now selecting the best of the best. We expect to name the first recipient soon and plan to present this prestigious award at the AFA Air, Space and Cyber Conference in September.

Chapter presidents and vice presidents for education should continue advising local Pitsenbarger winners about the Full Measure Award and its requirements. My thanks to the team that built the FMA program, led by Gil Perez with Mark Tarpley and Corey Hoefs.

Teacher of the Year

Teacher of the Year season is upon us. All states should have submitted their national nominees. Our team will begin the selection process in July. We have had outstanding winners in past years, and I am confident this year will be no different.

I look forward to reviewing the packages and meeting our newest Teachers of the Year. Past awardees are “rock stars” in their schools and states, and many have become outstanding contributors to the AFA mission and the Education Council.

My thanks to Susan Mallett and Mary Anne Thompson for leading this effort. I also sincerely appreciate Teachers of the Year such as Ashlie Smith, Megan Tucker, Mike Vargas, and teachers Lorie Orth, Tonya Norwood, and Mitzi Morrison, whose continued service helps make our association great.

Pictured left to right: Bob Hill, Secretary, D.W. Steele Sr. Chapter; Lt Col Allison Barkalow, Space Award winner; Brig Gen Kirsten Aguilar, Commandant; and Dr. Nicole Verrier Crain, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs.

Research and Writing Awards

This year, students at professional military schools once again submitted superb work on topics important to the Air and Space Forces and to our nation.

  • Spaatz Research and Writing Award/Grant: Presented to a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College. This monetary award, accompanied by a certificate, is funded through an endowment from the family of General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
  • AFA Research and Writing Awards/Grants: Presented, along with an AFA membership, to authors of selected papers at the Air War College, National War College, The Eisenhower School, and the Johns Hopkins University Space Force School. These monetary awards, accompanied by certificates, are funded by AFA.

Award highlights include the following:

National War College: Lt Col Colin LaFavor received the award for his paper, “Leveraging Iran’s Water Crisis.”

The Eisenhower School Space Award: Lt Col Allison M. Barkalow, U.S. Air Force, was recognized for her essay, “Launch Is an Event, Sustainment Is the Campaign: Building an On-Orbit Sustainment Ecosystem.”

Eisenhower School Air Force Writing Award: COL Matthew W. Maness, U.S. Army, received the award for his essay, “U.S. Strategic Missile Propulsion: Sub-Tier Constraints and Production Limits.”

My thanks to Stephen Gourley and Jim Hannam, who run this program and ensure presenters are available for each award. They also laid the groundwork with the Mitchell Institute to publish selected papers.

Have a safe and productive summer!

Regards,

Gary Copsey
Vice Chair – Education