MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — Air University’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies graduated its Class of 2026 during a May 27 ceremony, sending 45 officers and civilians into assignments supporting operational planning and strategic decision-making across the Department of the Air Force and Joint Force.
The class included members of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, Air National Guard, Department of the Air Force civilian workforce and international partners from Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Throughout the ceremony, speakers focused less on academics alone and more on the responsibility graduates now carry into future assignments where operational complexity, compressed timelines and strategic competition continue to shape military decision-making.
“This ceremony marks the culmination of a rigorous year of study to develop our students as military strategists able to solve complex issues in air, space and cyber operations,” said Lt. Col. Rachel Reynolds, professor of strategy and security studies.
As part of Air University, SAASS supports the university’s mission to develop joint warfighters through professional military education focused on strategy, planning and operational problem-solving.
Lt. Gen. Jason R. Armagost, deputy commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, used the commencement address to frame the type of thinking graduates will need in future assignments supporting commanders and senior leaders.
“What do I need from SAASS grads when you come onto our Global Strike Command staff or the Mighty Eighth staff?” Armagost asked. “Three traits: curiosity, creativity and catalysis.”
Armagost said future conflicts will require leaders willing to question assumptions, adapt quickly and remain grounded in intellectual humility.
“Curiosity implies humility,” he said. “It implies a need to understand your environment, but also recognize that your perceptions may be incorrect and require adaptation.”
He also warned against organizations becoming too comfortable with established thinking or allowing assumptions to go unchallenged.
“You are walking into organizations where arrogance can exist in how we think about warfare and our institutions,” Armagost said. “What you must protect us from is the delusion and folly that lead to devastating consequences.”
Armagost said the demand for officers capable of connecting strategy to planning and operational execution continues to grow across the force.
“People look around for SAASS graduates because what you bring to the table is special,” he said. “We need more of what SAASS is providing.”
Col. Robert E. “Bobby” O’Keefe, commandant and dean of SAASS, said the program is designed to prepare students for assignments requiring critical thinking, communication and strategic planning.
“We celebrate 45 newly minted military strategists equipped to serve the Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Army and our allied nations of Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom,” O’Keefe said. “This confidence is rooted in your capacity to read widely, think deeply and communicate powerfully.”
O’Keefe also acknowledged the pace and pressure students faced throughout the year.
“As you become our next strategic thought leaders, grow well in intellect and character,” he said. “Yet as demanding as your intellectual journey has been, the trials you weathered this year were just as difficult.”
Air University Commander and President Lt. Gen. Daniel H. Tulley formally conferred degrees upon the graduates during the ceremony and emphasized the responsibility they now carry into future assignments.
“Today you are no longer merely students of strategy,” Tulley said. “You are its future architects.”
Tulley said graduates are entering assignments where strategy and execution remain closely connected.
“You have honed your minds to anticipate and see beyond the horizon,” he said. “Now you are strategic leaders who will champion the future of airpower, spacepower and cyberpower.”
The School of Advanced Air and Space Studies is Air University’s advanced graduate school for strategists, focused on military theory, history, strategy and operational problem-solving. Students complete an intensive seminar-based curriculum built around reading, writing, discussion and research.