Recently at the AIR FORCE ACADEMY in Colorado. - The first woman to lead the Air Force Academy took over the job, but Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson said she's not dwelling on the significance of the milestone. Johnson, a 1981 graduate of the school and former professor at the academy, said her appointment is an example of the nation's willingness to give everyone a chance. Johnson told the school's 4,000 cadets that she wants them to understand the Air Force's global influence, and she stressed that its capabilities are balanced on the shoulders of sergeants and airmen. Johnson's most recent assignment was as NATO's deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence. She is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flight hours in large cargo planes and aerial refueling tankers.