His dream came true -- and more

By MARY EVERTZ

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 23, 2001

John Dallager was a student at the former Mirror Lake Junior High School in St. Petersburg when he read a National Geographic article that interested him.

It was about the new Air Force Academy in Colorado. He showed it to his mother Jonnie Dallager. "There was a strange look on his face and he said, "That's what I want to be.' " said his mother in a story on Dallager in the St. Petersburg Times in June 1965.

Dallager went after his dream. Sixteen days after graduating from St. Petersburg High School, he presented himself at the academy, which had selected him for its intensive four-year program.

He had been nominated by Republican U.S. Rep. William C. Cramer.

At the time, Dallager told a Times reporter: "I'm not sure that I'll like the academy -- although I like discipline and physical exertion. At this point I'm planning a military career.

"I want to take astronautics at the academy and then get my pilot's training after I graduate."

Dallager did that and more.

Today Lt. Gen. John R. Dallager is superintendent of the very academy he read about in that magazine article so many years ago and was selected to attend.

He directs a four-year academic, military, athletic and character development program leading to a bachelor's degree and commission as an Air Force officer.

The general, a distinguished graduate of the academy, earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1969.

His military career has been extraordinary: He has served in several U.S. joint staff and instructor positions as well as in squadron, and combined/joint task force command positions.

Dallager is a command pilot with more than 2,900 hours in F-4, A-10 and F-15 aircraft. He also accumulated more than 600 combat hours.

Though a recent Fox television show noted fewer applicants to U.S. service academies, Dallager says he is confident that the Air Force Academy candidates are stronger than ever. For the upcoming freshman class, which will number 1,225 when it begins this summer, there were up to 11,000 applicants. The current freshman class had a 79 percent acceptance -- the highest percentage ever, Dallager said in a phone interview Wednesday from the academy.

Although the academy offers a solid education, it also expects a return on its investment. For cadets who go into pilot training -- and most do, says Dallager -- the Air Force commitment after graduation is an additional 10 years.

And since the Air Force is about air power, by the end of this year, Dallager and all the cadets will be airborne in the academy's gliders. So he can "fly" with his first-year cadets, Dallager is taking motorized glider instructions with Capt. Charlie Poirson.

Poirson, a 1990 graduate of the academy, is one of three women Dallager says he mentions in his talks about the academy. The others are astronaut Col. Sue Helms, who recently made the longest space walk to date, and Katy Dildy, a freshman, who has excelled in every phase of academy life while maintaining a 3.96 average.

Married to the former Jane Gilbert of St. Petersburg for 31 years, Dallager says his family has made 23 moves in his career. Daughter Kristin, 23, an Air Force ROTC graduate of Virginia Tech, is a second lieutenant in the Air Force station at Langley Air Force Base, in security forces. Son John, 17, is a junior in high school.

Dallager was in the Tampa Bay area last month visiting family. His mother lives in downtown St. Petersburg, as does his brother, Wayne, a disabled veteran. Dallager's sister, Linda Sufficool, her husband Wayne, and sons Brad, Matt and Andy live in Brooksville, where she teaches.

Even though the Dallagers still have many ties to the Tampa Bay area, they probably won't move back when he leaves the Air Force.

"We like the Southwest and Colorado a lot, so we'll probably stay in this part of the country," he said.

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