The Department of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, United States, has honoured the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, with induction into the International Honor Roll (IHR) Class of 2026, a prestigious recognition reserved for distinguished global air power leaders. Air Marshal Aneke, who attended the Air War College at Air University in 2016 as a member of Seminar 7, was formally inducted on 10 April 2026 alongside 15 other Air Chiefs and 2 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) equivalents from across the world, further projecting Nigeria’s growing stature in international military leadership and strategic air power diplomacy.
The ceremony was specially designed to recognise senior Air Force officers who, having passed through the Air War College, have risen to the pinnacle of their professional careers as Air Chiefs and CMSAF equivalents in their respective countries. As part of the prestigious programme, the participants were received by Governor Kay Ivey at the Governor’s Mansion before proceeding on a series of heritage and institutional visits to the Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery, the Air University Library, the Enlisted Heritage Museum, Maxwell Club, the Air War College, as well as the SNCO Academy at Gunter Annex. The engagements highlighted the enduring values of professional military education, strategic leadership, and the deep bonds shared among alumni of one of the world’s foremost centres of air power excellence.
Air Marshal Aneke was accompanied on the occasion by the NAFOWA National President, Mrs Ngozi Aneke, the Defence Attaché, and other Nigerians resident in the United States, underscoring the significance of the honour to both the Nigerian Air Force and the nation at large. The high point of the event was the presentation of the International Alumni certificates by Lieutenant General Trulley, symbolising the institution’s recognition of the CAS’s exemplary career trajectory, strategic leadership, and contributions to advancing air power in Nigeria and beyond. The induction further reinforces the Nigerian Air Force’s reputation for producing globally respected leaders committed to excellence, innovation, and international defence cooperation.
