The Dalton Scholarship Program is one of the many ways AFPAA fulfills its mission to provide support to the active force. Funded in part by AFPAA members who have made a donation to AFPAA in memory of former SAF/PA Director Brigadier General Jerry Dalton, the program has two goals:
Here are the main features of the Dalton Scholarship Program:
Members interested in applying for a scholarship for college
course work should first maximize their use of Air Force tuition
assistance. This will provide more opportunities for Dalton
Scholarships to be used for professional development
opportunities for which Air Force funding is not available, such
as seminars, workshops, specialized lessons, and professional
accreditation/certification preparation courses. Dalton
Scholarships can also be used to cover remaining costs above
what Air Force tuition assistance pays.
To apply for a Dalton Scholarship during the application window:
The selectees for a Dalton Scholarship in 2025 were announced
on July 12, 2025. See below for the
list of the 2025 selectees.
Dalton Scholarship recipients in previous years are listed here.
The Air Force Public Affairs Association has selected six recipients for the 2025 Brig. Gen. H.J. Dalton Scholarship Program. They are:
SrA Renee Blundon
Public Affairs Specialist
432nd Wing, Creech AFB, Nevada
GS-11 Adrian Cadiz
Assistant Director of Operations
4th Combat Camera Sq., Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
TSgt Lucretia Cunningham
Public Affairs Specialist
926th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
A1C Malia Heemsoth
Content Strategist
Air Force Production, Defense Media Activity, Fort Meade, Maryland
Capt Jymil Licorish
Public Affairs Advisor
33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
A1C Charles Merk
Jazz Trumpet, Regional Band
Band of the West, Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas
Normally, five $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year but extra funds were available this year. Payment will be made to the scholarship recipients upon successful completion of approved course work.
Chuck Merlo, chairman of AFPAA’s Dalton Scholarship Committee, said “Fifteen applications were received this year. Each applicant was recognized by their supervisors as outstanding performers. AFPAA wishes we could have provided each a scholarship. However, with the funds available our priority was to select recipients based upon their course of study and what would provide the greatest possible return to the Air Force.”
The scholarship program honors the legacy of Brig. Gen. H.J. Dalton, the first career Public Affairs officer to be promoted to brigadier general and lead SAF/PA.
“General Dalton worked tirelessly throughout his military and civilian careers to promote the advancement of the Public Affairs profession. He was absolutely committed to mentoring and encouraging the professional development of Public Affairs personnel” said Merlo.
Any enlisted, officer or civilian Air Force member, whether active, guard or reserve, working in one of the specialties of the Public Affairs career field – Band, Broadcasting, Visual Information/Combat Camera and Public Affairs – is eligible for a Dalton Scholarship.
The first career Public Affairs officer to make Brigadier General
and head SAF/PA, Jerry Dalton worked tirelessly throughout both his
military and civilian careers to promote the advancement of the
Public Affairs profession.
Follow the links below to learn about
the distinguished career of a true legend in the field of Public
Affairs. In his
Oral History, you’ll find numerous insights and sage advice on how to handle
some of the many challenges PAs face.
General Dalton was well known for his commitment to mentoring and
encouraging the professional development of Public Affairs
personnel. He strongly promoted the value to PAs of taking advantage
of the educational opportunities offered by programs like Education
With Industry, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the Air
Force Short Course in Communications, and of achieving professional
accreditation from organizations like the Public Relations Society
of America (PRSA).
General Dalton was elected national president of PRSA in 1990. For
years, he served as a member of The Champions for Public Relations
Student Society of America, an organization of current and retired
professionals seeking to provide superior public relations education
and training opportunities for the career field through scholarships
and awards programs. He co-chaired the national PRSA Education
Affairs Committee; chaired the Technology Task Force; and served as
a member of the Commission for Public Relations Education.
General Dalton was the founding president of the PRSA Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of PRSA committed to the development of
programs to advance PR research, education, and scholarships to
benefit the advancement of the profession.
He was featured in the 2007 edition of
"Legacies from Legends in Public Relations"
published by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
His tips to new members of the public relations profession in that
publication is worthwhile reading for all PAs.
In addition to earning two Distinguished Service Medals, General
Dalton was named The Outstanding Public Information Officer in
Government by the Aviation–Space Writers Association in 1974.
Boston University honored him with its Distinguished Communicator
Award in 1990, and he was inducted into the DINFOS Hall of Fame in
1992.
In 2002, he was the recipient of the AFPAA’s President Award,
presented to leaders who developed pioneering programs and policies
that impact Air Force Public Affairs. And in 2021, he entered the
inaugural class of the Air Force Public Affairs Hall of Fame —
the “Pioneer Class”.
General Dalton passed away on November 1, 2020.
AFPAA is proud to partner with General Dalton's family — his
wife Carolyn, daughter Cindy, and sons Robert and Steven — as
we work together to continue fostering his emphasis on education and
professional development. Through the establishment of the Dalton
Scholarship Program, we seek to honor General Dalton's legacy and
help nurture the next generation of Public Affairs professionals,
just like he did. We thank the members of AFPAA whose generous
contributions in General Dalton's memory make the program possible.
In partnership with General Dalton's family, the Air Force Public Affairs Association began the Dalton Scholarship program in 2022. Since then, twenty-three Air Force public affairs professionals have been awarded scholarships. Here are the previous year's winners of a Dalton Scholarship:
