AFA’s Top 24 Victories for Air & Space Power in 2024 

For the Air & Space Forces Association and its 123,000 members around the world, 2024 was an extremely eventful year, one of growth, change, and mission accomplishment.  

As a result, AFA is today better positioned than ever to ADVOCATE for air and space power as the foundation of a strong national defense; EDUCATE the public and inspire the next generation of aerospace leaders and experts; and SUPPORT our Airmen, Guardians, and their Families throughout their lifetimes. 

It is thanks to our many volunteers, members, supporters, and sponsors that we can celebrate this successful year past and look ahead to more growth and achievements in the new year to come. Here’s to climbing still higher in 2025! 

In 2024, the Air & Space Forces Association… 

1. Welcomed Burt Field as Our New President & CEO 

Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF (Ret.), became AFA’s President and Chief Executive Officer in April, bringing with him a lifetime of Air Force experience. The son of an Airman and graduate of the Air Force Academy, Field spent 35 years in uniform, logging 3,400 hours in the F-16 and F-22, and capping his career as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements. Since joining AFA in April, he has led the staff through its first headquarters relocation in 40 years and reinvigorated our Association’s mission focus to Advocate, Educate, and Support. Learn more about Field and his priorities as President & CEO. 

2. Moved Into Our New Operations Center Blocks from the Pentagon 

After four decades in Rosslyn, at the edge of a residential neighborhood, AFA relocated into our state-of-the-art Operations Center at 1201 South Joyce St., a short walk from the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial in Pentagon City. This new facility, still in Arlington, Va., features advanced meeting and event spaces, state-of-the-art video and podcast studios, and bright open workspaces to maximize collaboration and creativity to help better accomplish our mission.  

We also welcomed Rolls-Royce as a founding supporter in our ongoing AFA Capital Campaign. Our new Rolls Royce Cafe is among the most popular gathering spaces in our new facility. Additional industry partners are now exploring other opportunities to showcase their partnership and contribute to supporting the AFA mission. For more information, please contact Development@afa.org. 

3. Expanded Our International Partnerships 

Just as the Air and Space Forces are made stronger through their allies and partners, so too can AFA reinforce its leadership and influence through international partnerships. In 2024, AFA singed two such Memorandums of Understanding, with the German AFA and French CESA. The two partnerships enable our organizations to collaboratively amplify awareness about allied air and space power and the important roles each organization plays in advancing dialog about the security of our respective nations. 

4. Boosted Membership, Strengthening Our Collective Voice  

AFA increased membership by nearly 9 percent to reach 123,000 through a major initiative to increase membership among military members. Increasing membership amplifies our influence as we advocate for air and space power and support Airmen, Guardians, department civilians, and their families. AFA also attracted 67 new Corporate Members, growing corporate membership by nearly 20 percent. Learn more about AFA membership. 

5. Achieved Record AFA Warfare Symposium Participation 

Nearly 20,000 attendees tuned into the 2024 AFA Warfare Symposium—a 200 percent increase over 2023—eager to hear about the biggest changes to the Department of the Air Force’s organization and force structure since the Cold War. AFA provides a vital platform for DAF leaders to get their messages out to the force, and this year AFA provided a megaphone to our Department of the Air Force as it rolled out sweeping changes in preparation for great power competition. An exclusive classified program leading into the event was hugely popular with the 150 senior leaders who participated. We look forward to building on this additional opportunity for high-end interaction in 2025.  

6. Expanded AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference 

The 2024 Air, Space & Cyber Conference was our biggest ever, drawing more than 22,000 Airmen, Guardians, and civilian attendees, 160 speakers, and 328 exhibitors in two exhibit halls. Industry participation soared 35 percent over the prior year. See the full agenda, watch archived sessions, and read the transcripts.

7. Hosted Over 40 Events with Air Force, Space Force, and Industry Leaders 

AFA hosted 10 “Air & Space Warfighters in Action” one-on-one sessions this year, giving Air Force and Space Force leaders a key platform to transmit important messages to Airmen, Guardians, and the broader public. Watch and read all 10 Q&As.

AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies hosted another 29 events through its two Aerospace Nation and Schriever Spacepower series. The events provide thoughtful commentary from decision-makers in the Department of the Air Force and other authoritative voices from the aerospace power community. The Mitchell Institute also hosted two full-day Forum events: The annual Spacepower Security Forum held in March and its first-ever Airpower Futures Forum in November. 

8. Produced 13 Research Reports, One Wargame, and One Workshop  

AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies published 13 research reports and policy papers and hosted a three-day tabletop exercise for more than 60 participants from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, USAFE, AFCENT, the Air Force Research Laboratory, industry partners, and observers from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. Mitchell also hosted a two-day Space Endurance Workshop—the first event in our new Operations Center—that brought together 55 space subject matter experts from a wide range of disciplines. Reports on the findings and recommendations from both the CCA exercise and Spacepower Endurance Workshop will be released in early 2025. 

9. Awarded More Than $110,000 in Scholarships  

In 2024, AFA presented 31 Airmen, Guardians, spouses, and children with 11 unique scholarships worth more than $110,000. The scholarships fund tuition, flight school, dental school, Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings, and even full rides to certain universities. Learn more about AFA’s scholarships (and apply for your own) here. 

10. Launched the AFA AIMS National Recruitment Initiative 

After signing an official partnership with Air Force Recruiting Services in January, AFA rolled out AFA Advocates to Inspire Military Service (AFA AIMS), a volunteer-led project to leverage AFA’s members and chapters to support Air Force and Space Force Recruiting as “influencers” who can inspire the next generation of Airmen and Guardians. Learn more about AFA AIMS. 

11. Produced 54 Podcast Episodes  

The Mitchell Institute’s “Aerospace Advantage” podcast produced more than one episode per week, capturing the attention of thousands of weekly listeners. Listen to Aerospace Advantage. 

12. Prompted Congressional Action  

AFA authored and advocated for legislation to address the shortage of on-base childcare at military installations. After the House considered AFA’s urgent request for additional childcare, lawmakers approved provisions for more-competitive pay for on-base childcare personnel and fee waivers for each military family’s first child enrolled. Read about AFA’s other legislative successes. 

13. Invested $50,000 in Quality-of-Life Improvements at Bases Around the World 

AFA’s United Forces & Families (F2) program invests in projects that enhance the quality of life for Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Initiatives led by AFA Chapters and advocates for DAF Families distributed $50,000 in 2024, including projects to improve child care solutions at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; host a family readiness summit with Air Combat Command’s Sword Athena at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.; and much more. 

14. Distributed More News to More People Than Ever Before  

Air & Space Forces Magazine is on track to crack 20 million page views in 2024, while producing more than 1,000 news articles. AirAndSpaceForces.com is the nation’s leading source of daily news about the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.   

15. Traveled the World to Tell Stories that Matter  

Air & Space Forces Magazine staff visited roughly a dozen states and nine countries in 2024, going where the stories are from Florida to California, and Saudi Arabia to Ukraine. Those trips included two invitations to travel with the Secretary of Defense—invitations typically reserved for national mainstream media representatives—and  multiple one-on-one interviews with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, and produced unique inside stories on heroic Airmen who flew in combat operations defending Israel, rescued lives at sea, and became some of the first new warrant officers in 60 years. 

The Department of the Air Force brought Air & Space Forces Magazine inside the tent as it embarked on its “re-optimization” for Great Power Competiton, providing early access to the initial rollout; Magazine staff followed through with continuous and exhaustive coverage of the changes unveiled at the AFA Warfare Symposium. 

16. Revived the Doolittle Raiders’ Toast  

The anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders’ legendary air raid over Tokyo in 1942 was long commemorated with a toast by the Raiders to themselves, as they raised a glass to their fallen comrades. That time-honored ritual ended with the death of the last living Raider, Dick Cole, in 2019. AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center revived the tradition in 2024, however, celebrating the raid’s 82nd anniversary with a salute to the Raiders’ legacy. Hundreds of Airmen, Guardians, veterans, international allies, and AFA members gathered around the globe virtually and in person in Arlington, Va., for a toast led by Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. Read the story of how AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center revived a cherished tradition.   

17. Adopted Electronic Voting and Elected New Board Members 

During our National Convention in September we elected six new members to our Board of Directors, including a new Vice Chair of the Board for Education, and celebrated our most outstanding field and chapter leaders. AFA for the first time moved to an electronic voting system, making it easier for all State Delegates to register their votes. The new system made possible 100 percent voting participation. 

18. Recognized by NSA Director for AFA’s CyberPatriot Youth Program 

A month after he presented the high school winners of CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition with their trophy, Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency, namedropped CyberPatriot during testimony before House policy makers: “I just attended the Finals of CyberPatriot … They’ve done a really nice job of bringing people towards the technology,” Haugh told the House Armed Services’ cyber, information technologies, and innovation subcommittee. “It’s our job to be able to [create] opportunities with the ROTC programs that are in high schools, and also to be able to reach out and be able to explain, ‘What would you do if you came and worked with us, either as a civilian or in the military?’ That’s our story that we’ve got to tell.”  

Between AFA’s two premier youth STEM programs, CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers, around 80 percent of our alumni go on to pursue degrees and careers in STEM—compared to only 20 percent nationally. Most of those students credit CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers as impacting that decision. 

19. Registered More Students Than Ever for AFA’s StellarXplorers  

Some 375 teams registered for StellarXplorers, AFA’s National Space Design Competition, in the  11th season of its National Space Design Competition. That’s a 25 percent increase over Season 10. This year’s teams represent high schools and AFJROTC units in 34 states around the nation, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Canada, and at U.S. Department of Defense schools in Germany and Spain. 

20. Trained 1,000 DAF Leaders at 15 Military Installations Around the World 

AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center graduated more than 1,000 Airmen and DAF civilians from its Lead, Develop, Care course in 2024—doubling 2023’s total. Between August and November alone, more than 500 Airmen at five overseas installations completed the course. Learn more about the Doolittle Leadership Center and the Lead, Develop, Care curriculum. 

21. Hosted More Than 400 Cadets for Face-to-Face Meetups with Service Chiefs 

The Doolittle Leadership Center’s “Senior Mentorship for Junior Leaders” events, one at each of AFA’s major conferences, gave 400 students and cadets a rare chance to engage directly in Q&A sessions with the top leaders in the Air & Space Forces. At the AFA Warfare Symposium, students met with Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna; at the 2024 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, another group met with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi. 

22. Provided More Than $60,000 in Aid to Wounded Airmen, Guardians, and Caregivers 

AFA’s Wounded Airmen & Guardians Program distributed more than $60,000 in emergency and travel assistance grants for wounded, ill, and disabled warriors and their caregivers. We also hosted the Air Force Trials Closing Celebration at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and partnered with the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program to host A Day of Healing for 550 wounded warriors, family members, caregivers, and friends. In 2024, AFA also launched a new Community Support Grants initiative, in partnership with the Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW) project, to support wounded Airmen, Guardians, and their Families near their installation. See how you can support the Wounded Airmen & Guardians Program.

23. Launched ENGAGE, a Digital Publication for Military Families 

AFA’s F2 program produced three installments of ENGAGE, a new digital publication by military members and spouses for military members and spouses. ENGAGE highlights lived experiences and challenges, offers insights, and increases opportunities to connect with other spouses. Read the first three editions of ENGAGE.

24. Shared Over 100 Stories Showing How Chapters Live the AFA Mission 

AFA Chapters are always busy. From hosting legendary leaders like former Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, USAF (Ret.), and introducing former CMSAF Joanne Bass to local cadets and students, to forging partnership with local recruiters as part of AFA AIMS, Chapters continue to demonstrate enormous commitment. Find out more here.