The Gen. David C. Jones Chapter 135 of the Air & Space Forces Association brought home multiple honors from the 2026 AFA National Convention, recognizing the chapter’s work in education, advocacy, community partnerships, and support for Airmen and their families.
Setting the stage
“There is a bar that we challenge all chapters to meet,” said Air & Space Forces Association Field Director Chris Canada. “We purposely set that bar high enough so chapters that work hard to educate, advocate for, and support our Airmen and their families are truly an example of excellence.” Canada, who chairs the Board for Field Operations, works with hundreds of AFA local chapters throughout the year. That work culminates in the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual awards banquet, held this year during the AFA National Convention at the Gaylord Convention Center at National Harbor, minutes from the nation’s capital.
AFA Convention 2026
Chapter 135 was represented at the 2026 AFA National Convention by President Rod Wilson, Vice President of Partnership Recruitment George Masters, Teacher of the Year and third-place national recipient Thomas Sando, and longtime AFA members Bonnie Goldschmidt and Ron Garcia.
The chapter’s recognition reflected all three pillars of the Air & Space Forces Association: education, advocacy, and support. During the convention, Chapter 135 was recognized for its Teacher of the Year success, Community Partner achievements, advocacy work, and individual member contributions.
Education recognition
Education was one of the chapter’s strongest areas of recognition. Thomas Sando, the Gen. David C. Jones Chapter Teacher of the Year and North Dakota AFA Teacher of the Year, earned third place in the AFA National Teacher of the Year competition. Sando teaches flight and serves as a flight instructor at Williston High School. “I know the two teachers who took first and second, and they are certainly great teachers,” Sando said. “I am sure that all of the teachers given state recognition were also great teachers. I am honored to be here at the AFA convention, and I plan on going back to North Dakota and helping our chapter continue honoring local teachers and hopefully gain recognition on a national level.”
Community Partner support
Every Air & Space Forces Association chapter works to recruit Community Partners. These partners support local chapters through membership and dues, which help fund AFA programs such as CyberPatriot, a STEM program for grade school students, and StellarXplorers, an annual competition that encourages high school students to build STEM skills through space-focused challenges.
The Gen. David C. Jones Chapter also uses Community Partner funds to support its annual Commander’s Choice Awards, which allow each squadron to recognize an unsung hero. “It’s the person who shows up and does the job,” said Commander’s Choice Chairman George Masters.
This year, the chapter received two AFA honors for its Community Partner work. The Exceptional Service Award in the medium chapter category recognized the chapter’s success in recruiting and retaining Community Partners. The Community Partner Gold Award recognized the amount of support generated to provide resources for outreach to Airmen and their families, advancing the AFA support pillar.
Advocacy: telling the story
“It’s every AFA member’s job to advocate for the Air Force,” said Paul Hendrickson, chair of the AFA Advocacy Committee, “because it takes all of us to tell the story.” Advocacy requires a deliberate effort to reach local, state, and national officials with a clear message about strong air power and a strong Air Force. “It isn’t only about the best fighting machines, but it’s also about the best warfighters,” Hendrickson said.
Family support was a recurring theme at the AFA convention. “Longer and more deployments are the result of where we are at in our global theater,” said Gen. Dan Caine, the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and principal military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.
The Gen. David C. Jones Chapter again set advocacy goals that included personal visits with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. Those efforts earned the chapter the AFA Exceptional Service Award for Advocacy.
Individual awards
“It’s always a team effort,” said past Gen. David C. Jones Chapter President Jim Bowman. “But we also had several individuals receive AFA awards.” Rod Wilson received the AFA Medal of Merit, while Bowman and George Masters received the AFA Exceptional Service Award.
About the Air & Space Forces Association
Mission
The Air & Space Forces Association promotes dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces as the foundation of a strong national defense. Its mission is to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their families while preserving and respecting the heritage of the Air and Space Forces.
Strategic advocacy objectives
- Ensure combat readiness in air, space, and cyberspace.
- Define and articulate the Department of the Air Force’s requirements for executing the National Defense Strategy.
- Recapitalize and modernize the Air and Space Forces.
- Invest in and develop advanced technologies that strengthen U.S. air and space resilience and superiority.
- Invest in and support people as the military’s most valuable asset.
Education
To accomplish its mission, AFA educates the public on the critical need for unrivaled aerospace power and advances aerospace and STEM education for a technically skilled, professional workforce.
AFA supports the next generation of Air and Space Force leaders through youth competitions and camps, national and local awards, grants, scholarships, professional development opportunities, and related programs.
Support
AFA supports Airmen, Guardians, and families across the Total Air Force and Space Force, including active duty, National Guard, Reserve, civilian personnel, families, and members of the Civil Air Patrol.
