Academy to hold leadership symposium

  • Published
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  "Courage in The Face of Adversity” is highlighted by the personal stories of a holocaust survivor, the commander of the successful return of the Apollo 13 mission, a terrorist survivor, two NFL head coaches, the only deaf Miss America and an Air Force Chief of Staff during the 13th Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium scheduled for Feb. 23 to 25 here.

The three-day event features more than 30 nationally recognized speakers. Gerda Weissmann Klein, a holocaust survivor and author, shares her dramatic experience during six years of Nazi rule, and teaches a lesson in tolerance, understanding and making a difference. Former Director of Mission Operations at NASA, Gene Kranz, discusses the history of early manned spaceflight, and the lessons learned that allowed the mission teams to take America and the world to the surface of the moon and safely return. In addition, he will discuss the events that led to his famous phrase “Failure is not an option" during the Apollo 13 mission.

As the United States fights the global war on terrorism, Jackie Pflug shares her experience in 1985 aboard EgyptAir Flight #648 when three terrorists, calling themselves "The Egypt Revolution," hijacked the flight. She was shot in the head and thrown from the plane, only to survive and spread a message of hope and encouragement.

Retired NFL coaches Dick Vermeil and Gene Stallings will speak on their experiences of leading their teams to greatness. Heather Whitestone McCallum speaks about how she overcame a hearing disability to win the crown and the hearts of Americans as Miss America 1994. Former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, retired Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, will speak about "professional accountability" and the legal and cultural basis for accountability in the military profession.

Approximately 125 students from universities around the nation join Academy cadets in discussing moral, ethical and leadership issues facing our world. The symposium emphasizes character and leadership from both a military and a non-military perspective.

A complete list of guest speakers is available at www.usafa.af.mil/ncls.

The symposium is hosted by the Academy’s Center for Character Development and the Academy’s Association of Graduates.