Arnold Air Society

What Arnold Air Society does

Arnold Air Society (AAS) is a U.S. non-profit professional and honorary service organization founded in 1947, headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, and operated jointly with its civilian sister organization Silver Wings under the combined brand "Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings." Its core mission is developing future leaders of character through community service, professional development, and national defense education. AAS serves Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets at universities and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets, while Silver Wings serves civilians interested in civic leadership and aerospace power support. The organizations are not technology product companies and offer no commercial software; their technology footprint is limited to a Squarespace-hosted public website (aas-sw.org) and a web-based member portal (aas-sw.memberportal.org) for membership intake and event registration.

The organizations operate a distributed, community-based model across 11 U.S. regions (I–XI), with local squadrons embedded in AFROTC detachments and USAFA for military-affiliated members, and local chapters for civilian Silver Wings members. Membership is delivered through direct contact with local squadron commanders and chapter presidents, complemented by a self-serve online intake process. Annual programming centers on the National Conclave (branded WildWestCon), with the 2026 event scheduled for April 3–7, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, at $390 per attendee. AAS and Silver Wings run recurring Signature National Projects focused on accessibility/disability support and veteran mental health/suicide prevention initiatives.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring streams: (1) recurring membership dues from thousands of cadets and civilian members across 11 regions (amounts not publicly disclosed); (2) one-time event registration fees (e.g., $390 for WildWestCon); (3) corporate sponsorships from USAA, The Airlift Tanker Association, and the Air and Space Forces Association (AFA); and (4) tax-deductible donations processed via the Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Foundation (asef-foundation.com). All members automatically become members of the Air and Space Forces Association, creating a flagship mutual partnership that delivers career networking, resources, and industry perspective to members in exchange for student manpower and fresh ideas for AFA programs. The organizations are led by an Executive Director (Brig Gen (Ret) Jimmy "Vegas" Canlas), a Senior Director (Marianne Tango Williams), elected student leadership, and a Board of Trustees chaired by Retired General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost (appointed 2026, succeeding Gen (Ret) John W. "Jay" Raymond).

Name

Arnold Air Society

Legal name

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings

Website

https://aas-sw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arnold Air Society, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, is a non-profit professional service organization that develops future Air Force and Space Force officer candidates and civilian leaders through community service, leadership training, and aerospace education across 11 U.S. regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership and Aerospace Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

National Collegiate Governing Bodies (e.g., NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA/USCAA) (MPAKACAC)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Military professional organizations
• Aerospace education services
• Civic community service
• Youth officer training

Headquarters

HQ city

Daytona Beach, FL

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Registration: Revenue generated from National Conclave (WildWestCon) event registration fees. The 2026 event registration costs $390 per attendee, covering attendance to the 3-7th April 2026 event in Dallas, Texas.
2. Membership Dues: Members pay dues as part of their participation in Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings. All members are also members of the Air and Space Forces Association, which may include additional membership fees.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (USAA, Airlift Tanker Association, Air and Space Forces Association) provide financial and operational support, demonstrating commitment to the organizations' missions of leadership development and aerospace education.
4. Donations: The organization accepts donations through the Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Foundation (asef-foundation.com), supporting scholarships and organizational operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings are national sister non-profit professional and honorary service organizations that provide membership-based leadership development, community service opportunities, and aerospace power education. Arnold Air Society serves Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets, while Silver Wings serves civilian members. Both organizations operate through local squadrons and chapters across 11 U.S. regions, host an annual National Conclave (WildWestCon), and are affiliated with the Air and Space Forces Association.

Product overview

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings are national sister organizations focused on leadership development, community service, and education about national defense. They are membership-based organizations for Air Force and Space Force officer candidates (Arnold Air Society) and civilians (Silver Wings), not technology product companies. The organizations provide scholarships, organize national events (WildWestCon), and run national service projects. No commercial technology products or software services are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arnold Air Society Membership
• Silver Wings Membership
• National Conclave (WildWestCon) Event

Quantifiable outcome

• Members participate in suicide prevention and mental health awareness initiatives supporting veterans, service members, and individuals in need
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• USAAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUSAA is a current sponsor of Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings, demonstrating support for the organizations' missions of leadership development and aerospace education. Sponsors play a large role in operations and allow the organizations to provide student opportunities while expanding their reach to thousands of students.
• The Airlift Tanker AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Airlift Tanker Association sponsors Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings, supporting their operations and student development programs. The partnership helps expand the organizations' reach to thousands of students interested in aerospace power careers.
• Air and Space Forces AssociationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll members of Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings are automatically members of the Air and Space Forces Association (AFA). This is a fundamental partnership where AFA provides connection to the community, career advice, funding, and seasoned perspective, while AAS and SW provide manpower and fresh ideas to AFA events. The organizations work together toward common goals for communities and the Air Force and Space Force.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Air and Space Forces Association (AFA): AFA is AAS's flagship strategic partner and operates the same Air Force/Space Force professional and advocacy space; all AAS/SW members are automatically AFA members, making it the closest peer by mission, constituency, and partnership structure.
• Civil Air Patrol: Civil Air Patrol is the US Air Force Auxiliary focused on aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services. It serves a similar aerospace-leadership-development mission across a broader age range and is the most directly comparable national aerospace youth organization.
• National Society of Pershing Rifles: Pershing Rifles is a national honorary military collegiate organization for Army ROTC cadets, structured similarly to Arnold Air Society with national/regional governance and a focus on leadership development. It is the most directly comparable peer organization serving the Army officer pipeline.
• National Society of Scabbard and Blade: Scabbard and Blade is a joint-service national honorary military fraternity for ROTC cadets across multiple branches, operating collegiate chapters with national leadership structures - directly comparable in format and mission to AAS.

Broad incumbents

• Military Officers Association of America (MOAA): MOAA is a larger, established military service organization advocating for all uniformed service members and their families. While it serves a broader, post-commissioning constituency, it operates as a peer-tier military professional association with similar advocacy and development goals.
• Navy League of the United States: The Navy League is a civilian organization supporting the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard through education and advocacy. It is a structural peer to AFA in the naval domain and operates with similar civic-support-for-a-military-branch positioning.

Emerging players

• AFJROTC (Air Force Junior ROTC): AFJROTC is the official Air Force high school cadet program serving as the feeder pipeline to AFROTC and AAS. While it focuses on high school rather than collegiate level, it shares the same aerospace-leadership mission and Air Force affiliation.
• Space Force Association: Space Force Association is a newer civic organization supporting the US Space Force, mirroring AFA's role for the Space Force domain. It represents a peer civic-support organization aligned with the same space-defense mission AAS/SW increasingly embraces.
• Young Marines: Young Marines is a national youth organization focused on leadership, citizenship, and community service modeled after the USMC. While it targets younger demographics (8-18), it operates as a comparable youth leadership development organization tied to a specific military branch.

Others

• Reserve Officers Association: ROA is a national association of reserve and active duty officers focused on national defense policy. While it serves a different demographic (commissioned officers rather than cadets), it operates in the same defense advocacy space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arnoldairsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arnold Air Society