U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Fairchild Hall’s F-1 auditorium filled with the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Class of 1996 alumni, faculty, staff, cadets, and loved ones who came together to celebrate Brig. Gen. Linell A. Letendre’s 29 years of service with a retirement ceremony here on May 30, 2025.
The Academy’s 12th Superintendent, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bradley Hosmer, served as the presiding official for the event, while Lt. Gen. (ret.) Christopher Miller, Chief Executive Officer of the Academic Research and Development Institute and the inaugural Chair for the Study of the Profession of Arms at the Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development, gave remarks.
Miller summarized Letendre’s career, describing her as a natural leader and a self-starter. He highlighted her achievements, beginning as a young lieutenant who earned a Joint Service Commendation Medal all the way through the end of her career.
Letendre was the 11th Dean of the Faculty, nominated to the position by President Donald Trump in July of 2019 and officially assumed the role in October that same year.
As dean, she commanded the 750-member Dean of Faculty mission element and oversaw the instruction of more than 500 undergraduate courses for 4,000 cadets across 32 academic disciplines. In this role, she also directed the operation of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $350M.
“[Letendre] focused on developing world class curriculum, faculty and facilities. Her drive and vision were enhanced and accomplished by the thoughtful hard work of very many of you in this room,” Miller said.
“This dean was the right person at the right time to propel the Academy to prepare cadets to be officers of character, ready to deter America’s adversaries,” he added. “Thank you, Linell, for what you’ve done as a powerful leader and educator for the Airmen and Guardians of the future.”
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Letendre took the stage in the auditorium, hanging a faded blue and white pennant from the podium.
“I’ve carried this pennant with me since 5th grade, when a precocious little girl announced that she was going to attend the United States Air Force Academy,” she said. “It’s traveled with me and hung in every bedroom, every dorm room, and every office that I’ve ever occupied.”
“This place—the Academy—is where I became who I am today,” she added. “From my first oath that I took in basic cadet training to this final moment as dean, the Academy has shaped every chapter of my professional life.”
Letendre commissioned from the Academy as a distinguished graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering in 1996. She began her career as an acquisitions officer, later becoming a judge advocate.
Throughout her career she found herself serving in multiple roles here such as the Assistant Professor of Law, Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Law, and more recently as the Chair of the Social Sciences Division.
“Over half of my years in uniform have been spent here, dedicated to the mission of this institution because I believe in it. I believe in what this place does, and I believe in what it demands of us.”
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
In between her assignments at the Academy, Letendre served at Eglin Air Force Base, Fl., Scott AFB, Ill., Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Joint Base Andrews, Md., and the Pentagon.
Early on, she was selected for the Funded Legal Education Program at the University of Washington, where she graduated law school with high honors. She was named to the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barristers and is barred at the U.S. Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Washington, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals—a feat that only approximately 10,000 lawyers in the United States have achieved.
THE FINAL CHAPTER
“After 33 years of wearing this uniform—four as a cadet and 29 as an officer—I can think of no place I’d rather hold my retirement than here in F-1, which is filled with lots of memories,” Letendre said. “As I reflect, it feels only fitting however, that my central message of my last time talking in F-1 will be what has been at the heart of my journey—the importance of education in the military.”
“Over the last 6 years I’ve had the honor of watching this faculty and academic staff create a culture grounded in the deliberate development of warfighters. You’ve transformed the classrooms into dynamic and immersive environments. You brought learning back to life,” she added.
Under her guidance, the Academy successfully graduated and commissioned its first class of cadets to the U.S. Space Force and became the center of gravity for innovation, earning 37 patents. Her leadership contributed to the addition of approximately 5,700 junior officers to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
“What we teach and how we teach it directly shapes the leaders that this nation depends on. The battlefield does not forgive intellectual complacency--it punishes leaders who rely on old models, outdated assumptions, and unchallenged vices,” Letendre continued. “That’s the role of education in the profession of arms.”
During her tenure at the Academy, Letendre had the unique experience of watching her daughter, Madelyn Letendre, complete the same four years of rigorous military training and education she once did. Madelyn earned her commission just 28 years after her mom.
“Watching you step into this profession with purpose and distinction has been one of the greatest moments of my life,” she said to her daughter.
Letendre had Hosmer, Miller and Madelyn integrated into her ceremony—meticulously chosen to represent the pursuit of intellect in military service across the Long Blue Line. All three are Rhodes Scholarship recipients, with Hosmer being the Academy’s very first and Madelyn being its most recent, in 2024.
She thanked Miller for the guidance and mentorship throughout her career and credited many of her leadership attributes to the teachings of Hosmer who was the first superintendent she served under.
The ceremony concluded with her husband Greg pinning the retirement pin to her uniform. She then rendered her final salute to now 2nd Lt. Madelyn Letendre, and embraced her son, Ethan.