Want to know how the longest held enlisted POW of the Vietnam War endured the deprivation of his captors? How about learning how a young lady earned her wings as the first licensed-armless pilot in the world? Want to get a glimpse of “Houston, we have a problem” in real life? Meet our own River Region aviation legend who flew a record 657 combat missions in Vietnam. To keep the amazing momentum, meet the first woman space shuttle commander. These are only five of the nine outstanding aviation notable “Eagles” that will be highlighted at the 2026 AFA GOE luncheon on 7 May, from12:30 PM to 2:00 PM, at the Wynlakes Country Club. These Eagles were selected by this year’s Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) students as part of their year-long research work. ACSC leads the GOE program, with students selecting, researching, and hosting each Eagle at various academic and community events.
For this special AFA Luncheon event, a very limited number of table sponsorships are still available. A Gold table Sponsor ($600) reserves 6 seats and a Platinum Sponsor ($1,000) reserves 8 seats. Individual tickets will be available soon and may be purchased at https://afa102.netfor $75/each. If you would like to sponsor a table or have questions regarding sponsorship or ticket sales please contact Mr. Joe Panza (334-953-3174/5 (Office) or 334-315-0867 (Cell).