Retired Brig. Gen. Robert F. McDermott, former dean of the Air Force Academy, died Aug. 28 of a stroke at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He was 86. A World War II combat pilot, McDermott was best known for his transformational curriculum and policies at the academy, many of which migrated to the other military academies, earning him the title “Father of Military Education.” In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower had named him the school’s first permanent professor and, later, the first permanent dean of the faculty, a title he retained for nearly 10 years. After retiring from the service in 1968, McDermott led the USAA insurance company, spending 24 years as the chief executive.
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.