Where Are They Now?: Josh Print

At the Academy
Josh Print is a 2008 grad and played in 112 career games with 41 points on 15 goals and 26 assists. Originally from Timberlake, Ohio, Print scored one of the biggest goals in Air Force hockey history. As a junior in 2006-07, Print redirected a point shot from Greg Flynn in overtime against Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals. Print's goal lifted the Falcons to the championship game against Army and eventually to the NCAA Tournament. As a freshman, he burst on the scene by finishing fifth on the team in goals and also scored in the College Hockey America Tournament.

In his words – "As I reflect on my time at the Academy, I am so grateful for the myriad of challenging, yet rewarding experiences that shaped and molded me into the person I am today. Early on, I struggled to balance the Academy's rigorous development triad of academics, athletics, and military life. As I progressed, I began to realize – and fully appreciate today – that the experience was the ultimate pursuit of knowledge, leadership, and character. It exposed and refined my many weaknesses, built up my strengths, and prepared me for life's many challenges and opportunities post-graduation. But above all else, the people I met during my time at the Academy undoubtedly had the biggest influence. From classmates to coaches, and teachers to teammates, it was the power of the relationships I forged that helped get me through the Academy, mold me into the person I am today, and continue to sustain my flight through life. I am forever indebted to Frank, Joe, and the rest of the coaching staff for recruiting me, believing in me, and providing me with the world-class experience that is the Academy. And I am truly blessed to have formed the lifelong bonds with my hockey teammates who will always be the best of friends.

After the Academy
After graduation, Print served 12 years as a space operations officer in the U.S. Air Force. On October 1, 2020, he transferred his commission from the Air Force to the Space Force and remains on active duty today. His career spans a variety of operational and staff assignments in California, Colorado, and the Pentagon. In 2015, he graduated with distinction from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Print has deployed overseas twice throughout his career with the most recent in 2018 as the Aide-de-Camp to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Commander in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. Prior to his current assignment, Print was an Air Force Fellow with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He is currently detailed to the National Security Council, Executive Office of the President, The White House, as an Associate Director for Defense Policy and Strategy. In this position, he assists and advises the President of the United States and the National Security Advisor in generating policies and strategies to enable success in the warfighting domains of space and cyberspace, and growing capability and capacity for national missile defense.

In his words: "Since being on active duty, I'm often asked what led me to join the military. I think that for a lot of folks, the reason they joined is to fulfill a family legacy, or they were inspired by the events of 9/11, or perhaps they just wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Those are much more inspirational reasons than I have – I simply joined to play hockey at the Air Force Academy. That usually generates a strange look, but regardless of the reason, I become more and more inspired every day to have traded in my hockey jersey for the uniform of our country and serve the nation. And needless to say, I've been very blessed with a litany of amazing opportunities. I've launched rockets into space, executed command and control of multi-billion dollar military satellites, and performed other, classified space missions. I've also met some amazing people along the way and have been fortunate enough to travel the world – 21 countries and counting. I've eaten crapes with Danish firefighters in Greenland, drank scotch with the Jordanian Air Chief while camping in the deserts of Jordan, carried the bags of a 3-star General who was leading the Air Campaign in the fight against ISIS, and flew on Air Force 2 with the Vice President of the United States. The Academy deserves a great deal of credit for giving me the confidence, skills, and abilities to make the most of these opportunities and ultimately preparing me to succeed both personally and professionally, now and into the future.

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