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The President has nominated Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga, commander of Third Air Force, to become the 23rd superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy and be elevated to lieutenant general, a move that requires Senate confirmation. If confirmed, he would succeed Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, who has led the institution since August 2024.
Moga, a 1995 Academy graduate and former Commandant of Cadets, currently oversees subordinate commands and coordinates operations across U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa with U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and other defense organizations. Returning to Colorado Springs, he would be charged with directing the Academy’s 47-month program that prepares and commissions officers for the Air Force and Space Force.
“I am profoundly honored by the President’s nomination to serve as Superintendent,” Moga said. “The Academy has a solemn responsibility to develop leaders who possess a warfighter mentality and are motivated to serve. They must be prepared to lead, fight and win in defense of our nation. I look forward to working with Air Force and Space Force leaders, as well as the entire USAFA community, to build upon what Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind accomplished during his tenure.”
A command pilot with more than 2,600 flight hours—primarily in the F-15C, F-22, and F-35A—Moga has led at the squadron, wing, and numbered Air Force levels. His resume includes joint and staff assignments at U.S. European Command and U.S. Northern Command, and he was the first F-22 Demonstration Team commander.
Under Bauernfeind, a 1991 Academy graduate, USAFA has emphasized restoring a warrior ethos and reinforcing standards across military, academic, and athletic pillars. Training has been revamped to emphasize readiness and combat effectiveness, including a class-wide leadership model that builds responsibility over time and evaluates cadets under realistic, high-pressure scenarios such as the Spring Culminating Exercise.
“The Secretary of War mandate to forge mission-ready leaders ready on Day One is our absolute priority,” Bauernfeind said. “If confirmed, I am confident that Maj. Gen. Moga will sustain USAFA’s momentum forward, ensuring our graduates are fully prepared, militarily, academically, and athletically, for the complex combat environments of tomorrow.”
He added that his attention remains on executing the mission in the meantime. “I remain fully committed to leading the Academy and advancing its core priorities of forging warfighters to win, inspiring leaders of character and quality, and motivating critical thinkers to adapt,” he said. “Having seen firsthand the character and commitment of our next generation of warrior leaders, I will leave here confident that our nation’s future is secure.”
The nomination now goes to the Senate for consideration.
