Promotion Denied

Because Lt Col Hoffler consistently achieved outstanding reviews and his previous squadron was named the “Best Security Police Squadron in the Air Force”, he found himself on a special assignment to be the first Black squadron commander assigned to the United States Air Force Academy. During his final year at the Academy, as he was being considered for promotion to colonel, a group of senior officers launched a witch hunt against him by recruiting and illegally rewarding a poorly performing airman in his squadron to fabricate infractions, meant to embarrass and humiliate him and ultimately lead to disciplinary action and his early retirement.

A distinguished officer, Lt. Col. Hoffler followed military protocol and pursued justice through appropriate channels, to include the Air Force Inspector General, Air Force Board Correction of Military Records and members of congress. However, to no avail. Defending the USAF Academy’s fabricated image of racial equality took priority over justice.

As a product of the segregated South, he was not a stranger to racism. However, he did not expect to see ‘in-your-face-racism’ on a U.S. military installation. Up to this point, the military had treated Lt.Col Hoffler impartially. It was not until his operation officer and first sergeant, both white, came to him and said this action by the senior officers was racial motivated that he considered the possibility of racism being a factor.

Promotion: Denied—The Harrowing True Story of Racism, Cover-up, Betrayal and Vigilante Justice at the United States Air Force Academy blows the lid off the shameful secret of the USAF Academy’s history of racism and clearly illustrates why the USAF Academy was known by some black airmen stationed there as “the plantation.”