The Association of Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy proudly announces Maj. (Ret.) Andrew Van Timmeren, Class of 2010; Lt. Col. Jeffrey Allen, Class of 2011; Lt. Col. Carmilya Jones, Class of 2011; and Mr. Sam Eckholm, Class of 2018, as recipients of the 2025 Young Alumni Excellence Award. 

The honorees will be recognized during this summer’s Long Blue Line Awards ceremony, celebrating graduates whose early career achievements reflect exceptional leadership, professional excellence and a sustained commitment to service. 

The Young Alumni Excellence Award honors graduates within 15 years of commissioning who have demonstrated extraordinary impact in military, civilian and national security arenas while exemplifying the Academy’s core values: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Young Alumni Excellence Award honorees are nominated by fellow graduates, evaluated and recommended by a committee of graduates and approved by vote of the AOG board of directors.

Maj. (Ret.) Andrew Van Timmeren ’10 has built a career defined by elite operational performance and transformative impact in defense technology. As a cadet, he served as Cadet Wing commander and graduated among the top performers in his class. On active duty, he was a distinguished graduate of multiple training programs and was selected to fly the F-22 Raptor directly from undergraduate pilot training. 

As an F-22 instructor and evaluator pilot, he participated in the first-ever daytime F-22 combat sortie and was recognized for a tactical decision that saved coalition lives. He led key training and operational initiatives, including syllabus modernization for fifth-generation operations and critical crisis response efforts after Hurricane Michael. 

Following a medical retirement, Van Timmeren transitioned to the defense technology sector, where he played a central role in advancing autonomous systems and next-generation airpower capabilities. He helped lead major program efforts supporting the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative and contributed to one of the most significant contract acquisitions for a non-traditional defense company. 

Today, he serves in an executive role in a deep tech dual-use hardware startup. His career reflects a continuous commitment to enhancing the effectiveness and survivability of those in uniform.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Allen ’11 is a logistics and munitions officer whose leadership has had a strategic impact across multiple combatant commands. As commander of the 18th Munitions Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, he leads a 450-plus-member team responsible for the Air Force’s largest munitions stockpile in the Indo-Pacific, delivering critical capabilities to joint and allied forces. 

Previously, he commanded the 39th Maintenance Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, overseeing one of the most complex nuclear maintenance missions in U.S. European Command. Fully qualified across munitions, aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness disciplines, Allen is an expert in nuclear deterrence operations and has been competitively selected for advanced studies in the field. 

His units have consistently earned top honors, including Department of War and Air Force-level awards recognizing excellence in maintenance and logistics. Individually, he has been recognized as the Air Force’s top munitions officer and has received multiple major command-level awards. Allen has also demonstrated a sustained commitment to mentorship and community service, dedicating extensive time to youth development, volunteer efforts and professional officer organizations.

Lt. Col. Carmilya Jones ’11 has distinguished herself as a leader operating at the intersection of space operations, national security policy and strategic communication. A career space officer, she has held hightrust assignments across the Department of War, U.S. Space Force and U.S. Congress, consistently performing at the highest levels. Her career reflects a combination of operational excellence, strategic influence and sustained service to both the nation and the Academy. 

She has been recognized twice among the top 3% of headquarters-level officers by the chief of space operations and selected as one of a small cohort for the highly competitive Department of the Air Force Fellows Program. In that role, she contributed directly to national defense policy and legislation, supported major investments in space modernization and advised senior leaders across the executive and legislative branches. 

Her operational experience includes service as a GPS operator ensuring global system reliability, a founding member of the Space Force watch cell supporting national leadership during crisis, and an intercontinental ballistic missile operator. She has also served for more than a decade as a USAFA admissions liaison officer, helping guide and mentor future cadets, while leading community and youth development initiatives. 

Sam Eckholm ’18 has emerged as a leading voice in modern military storytelling, bridging the gap between the armed forces and the American public through innovative media. A 2018 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, he commissioned as a public affairs officer and distinguished himself as the PAO for the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team, where he grew the team's social media following from 10,000 to more than 250,000 in 18 months and set new standards for strategic communication across Air Combat Command. 

Following his military service, Eckholm founded SE Media in 2021, the production company behind Access Granted, a cinematic documentary series dedicated to mission-accurate storytelling within the national security space. Through partnerships with the Department of War, allied militaries, NATO and defense companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney, the series has reached 3.5 million followers, surpassed 500 million cross-platform views, and accumulated over 25 million hours watched, reshaping how military service is understood by the public. 

His documentaries provide close-up access to complex missions and platforms, from flying in the U-2 spy plane to 70,000 feet to embedding with NATO forces during a multi-nation anti-submarine exercise. Recognized nationally for his impact, Eckholm was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2026. His work continues to inspire future service members while honoring the experiences of those currently serving.