Honoring Exonians’
service and sacrifice
Âé¶¹´«Ã½ has a rich history of military service. More than 700 current Âé¶¹´«Ã½ alumni have served or are serving in the U.S. armed forces or the military of their home country. Scores more died in combat or in active service to the country. More than two dozen Âé¶¹´«Ã½ graduates since 2002 have gained appointment to a U.S. military academy; and many current employees of the Academy are veterans of one of the six service branches.
Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Salutes is the Academy’s way to honor and celebrate that service. Each November, the institution gathers to hear from Exonians who have served or are serving in the armed services and to learn how much the Âé¶¹´«Ã½-ingrained spirit of non sibi has molded their sense of responsibility and self-sacrifice.
Among the programming each year is a guest speaker who addresses assembly. The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Salutes assembly speaker for 2025 was Layne Erickson ’18, a first lieutenant and Apache helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. “My non sibi is not serving and defending the United States of America. My non sibi is more direct. It’s rooted in personal strengths: Organization, empathy, preparedness — skills that I first learned here at Âé¶¹´«Ã½,” she said.
“I doubt my day job will be inspiring any 333 essays, but … your actions don’t need to be impressive to have impact. Non sibi is far greater than the sum of its parts.â€
Recognizing active duty and veteran members of the community
The Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Salutes event celebrated members of the Âé¶¹´«Ã½ community who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces of the United States.
Meet a panel of alumni currently in the early stages of their military career or military academy.