Lead with Grit - Congressman August Pfluger ’00
Description
Leadership demands grit, clarity and conviction.
SUMMARY
On Long Blue Leadership, Congressman August Pfluger ’00 reflects on these qualities through his experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the cockpit and as part of the U.S. House of Representatives. His story challenges every leader to ask where courage is calling them to go next.
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CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS
- Courageous career leaps require conviction, timing and faith.
Pfluger left active duty at 19 years and four months — a highly unconventional choice — demonstrating that major pivots sometimes require stepping into uncertainty. - Work ethic is a lifelong differentiator.
He emphasizes that he has never been “the best,” but has always been willing to outwork anyone. Hard work + grit consistently opened doors. - Failure and setbacks shape long-term success.
Missed opportunities at USAFA and earlier career disappointments taught him timing, resilience and long-term perspective. - Leadership is transferable across domains.
His fighter pilot and command experience directly enabled his political success — planning, debrief culture and thick skin all mapped over perfectly. - Credibility requires deep study and prioritization.
You cannot master everything; leaders must choose focus areas and know them cold so others trust their expertise. - Humility, credibility and approachability are foundational leadership traits.
These principles translate powerfully to Congress and team leadership. - Family and faith must anchor leadership.
His family’s summer crisis reframed his priorities: “None of this matters if you don’t take care of your family.” - The nation needs more military and Academy graduates in public leadership.
He stresses that only four USAFA grads have ever served in Congress — and more are needed to restore civility and mission-focused service. - The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force are under-resourced relative to global threats.
Pfluger advocates vigorously for rebalancing defense spending to meet modern challenges. - Self-reflection is critical to growth.
Leaders must ask: How do I see myself? How do others see me? If those don’t align, adjust the work ethic, mindset or behaviors accordingly.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Introduction & Biography
01:44 — Opening Remarks
01:47 — Leaving Active Duty at 19 Years and 4 Months
04:06 — Why Run for Office?
05:40 — Family, Faith & Influences
07:14 — Representing His Hometown District
08:29 — Learning to Represent a District
11:07 — Work Ethic and USAFA Foundations
12:22 — Failure, Setbacks & Long-Term Rewards
15:10 — Unexpected Assignments Becoming Career High Points
17:24 — Pentagon, Fellowship & NSC
19:49 — USAFA Grads in Congress
21:03 — Role of the Board of Visitors
23:24 — Key Focus Areas for the Board of Visitors
25:11 — Top National Security Challenges
27:13 — Balancing Congress, Leadership, and Family
29:01 — Leadership Style & Decision-Making
30:40 — Humble, Credible, Approachable
33:38 — Building Credibility as a Younger Leader
34:43 — What’s Next: A More United Country
37:29 — Daily Habits for Growth
39:37 — Advice for Emerging Leaders
41:24 — Final Reflections & Call to Action
43:45 — Closing Thoughts & Outro
ABOUT CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER
BIO
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger ’00 is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents 20 counties in Texas’ 11th Congressional District. After graduating from the U.S Air Force Academy, he served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 25 years as an F-22 and F-15 pilot with over 300 combat hours. In Congress, he is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
OUR SPEAKERS
Guest, Rep. August Pfluger ’00 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz ’99
Naviere Walkewicz 0:00
Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of ’99. In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're honored to welcome a distinguished leader whose career spans military service, national security and public office, Congressman August Pfluger is a proud graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 2000, and currently represents the 11th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, Congressman Pfluger served for nearly two decades in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. He is currently a member of the Air Force Reserve as an F-15 and F-22 fighter pilot. He logged over 300 combat hours in defense of our nation. He has also served as a member of the National Security Council, bringing strategic insight to some of the most complex global threats we face today. Since taking office in 2021 Congressman Pfluger has remained deeply committed to strengthening our national defense. He currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to critical platforms from which he continues to represent and lead. He is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee and serves as the chairman of the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, appointed to the BOV by the speaker of the house in 2023 and elected by his colleagues to serve as chair. Whether in the halls of Congress or in the cockpit, Congressman Pfluger's career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to courageous service and leadership. Congressman Pfluger, welcome to Long Blue Leadership.
Rep. August Pfluger 1:44
Thank you, Naviere. It's honor to be here with you.
Naviere Walkewicz 1:47
Well, we are so glad to have you. And there's something that I want to jump right into, because it really occurred to me how odd this is, but you served for nearly two decades, and when I say nearly two decades in the Air Force, 19 years and four months, and then you pulled the plug, you didn't go to retirement right then. Can we talk about that a little bit?
Rep. August Pfluger 2:09
Well, this is not something that most financial advisers would advise you of doing. And I'll tell you, this was a journey in faith, because at almost 20 years. September of 2019, we made a decision, my wife and I made a decision to run for Congress, which meant that we got out of the active duty, joined the Reserve, and started a campaign, something that just a month prior, we had absolutely no intention of doing, and had not even talked about doing. Running for office was something that was always of interest, but certainly not at 19 years and four months. So the opportunity came up, had a couple of phone calls from friends and family to say that the representative who represented my hometown and where I grew up was retiring after 16 years, and a lot of factors. And I'll really take you down this faith journey, a lot of factors happened that we couldn't ignore. And we literally moved back to my hometown of San Angelo that I had not lived in for over 20 years, and started a campaign, which, as you can imagine, was, I mean, it took a lot of courage for my wife, from my family, three little girls, who we uprooted and went through this. But I'm so glad that we did it. But it wasn't without, you know, I can say anxiety and just, you know, the fear, the unknown maybe, and not knowing exactly what would happen. So when you say and use the words, we burned
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