The Air War College welcomed back 14 of its own from the classes of 1972 and 1982 Oct. 27-28. Alumni reconnected with the institution, rekindled friendships and engaged in the academic debates of the day with the current Air War College students and faculty.

They also connected with Air University senior staff, students, faculty and Montgomery leadership at a series of social gatherings and in-class seminar events. The group shared the lessons they learned and also emphasized lessons to which they wished they’d paid more attention.

Brig. Gen. Scott Hanson, Air War College commandant, said the impromptu standing ovation honoring them is what the reunion was all about. This is the second year AWC has hosted a reunion remembering those who served before and taking the time to say thank you to those who’ve made an impact defending the nation.

Overall, all involved said the experience was very beneficial to both the alumni and the current class. The perspectives matured by 30 and 40 years of post -AWC experience hit home as lessons from the post-Vietnam era were compared with today’s similarly constrained fiscal environment and offset by the experience gained through executing the Reagan-era buildup. Members of the current class said they walked away with new skills they can use to operate and succeed in this world. The alums said they were encouraged that today’s class is every bit as bright and committed as they were, and that the nation is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead successfully.

One of the AWC Seminar 2 event organizers got a laugh from one of the attendees from the class of 1972, now 83 years old, who reflected, “I bet (19th century military theorist Carl Philipp Gottfried von) Clausewitz hasn’t changed much since I left, has he?”

As the returning alumni gathered on the final evening of the reunion, the discussion revolved around how easy it is to re-engage with old friends who’ve shared the AWC experience. One guest said he hadn’t seen some of these friends in more than 20 years, but they picked up right where they left off as if it was only yesterday.

Next year’s reunion will include the classes of 1973 and 1983 and promises to bring the AWC community even closer together.

"Class of '74 comes back to Maxwell for reunion", by Jenn Rowell, Montgomery Advertiser, 18 Sep 2010

excerpts below from above article

• Twenty-three members of the Air War College class of 1974 are back at Maxwell Air Force Base this weekend.
• It's the first reunion hosted by the Air War College in what organizers hope becomes an an­nual event to bring former stu­dents to visit and meet with cur­rent students.
• The class of 1974 was a large class and included a number of prisoners of war who recently had returned to the U.S.
• Col. Polly Padden is an Air War College faculty member and one of the event organizers. Her father was a member of the class of 1974.
• ...
• This week, he [retired Col. Merritt Pound Jr.] and other members of the 1974 class sat in on some current seminars at Air War College.
• He said he noticed a big change.
• "In 1974 about the most electronic thing we had was the light switch," he said. Now, the classrooms are extensively wired.
• Padden said that the current students are at the peak of their careers. From Air War College, most will go on to leadership po­sitions.
• It's good for them to see the airmen who came before them, Padden said, and also to hear about life after the military.