Romanita “Cenia” Miller attended the USAFA Preparatory School, 93-94, paving her path to attend the Academy in 1994. She is a graduate of the class of 1998, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an Air Force officer. She followed her father’s footsteps into the officer corps, he rose from the enlisted ranks to become a Captain in the Air Force (a true Mustang). Her father worked in the Pentagon and would bring home posters of various Air Force fighters and cargo aircraft flying through different types of terrain, and one time there was a poster of the iconic picture of an Academy graduation – cadets throwing their hats in the air as the Thunderbirds flew over. She was in 6 th grade and told her Mom she wanted to go to the Academy, shortly after her Mom had the poster framed and hung it on her wall. This same poster currently hangs in her own daughter’s room. Shayla will follow in her mom’s footsteps and will be joining the Class of 2030 this summer.
After graduation, she became a Communications Officer and was stationed at the Pentagon with a follow-on assignment to the Joint Staff. Cenia was in the Pentagon on Sept 11 and was back in the Pentagon as it burned on Sept 12 ensuring Air Force Communications went uninterrupted. Upon separating, she became a government civilian working for the Department of Defense within the National Capital Region, proudly serving her country for the last 28 years and continues to serve in a leadership role within the Department of Defense here in Colorado Springs.
Looking back her Dad used write letters to her saying, “They can’t stop the clock!” Basic Cadet Training (BCT) would end, Freshman year would end – they can’t stop the clock. This is something she imparts to all the cadets she meets and when friends ask her what it was like to go to the Academy she tells them – every day was an adventure and some were better than others. She feels this is a statement that is true of everyday life and while the Academy was difficult it is not a decision she would have changed. As she looks back at the adventure, she is proud to have completed BCT a.k.a BEAST, survived freshman year from a military/academic perspective and complete Recognition, earning her Prop & Wings and privileges as an upperclassmen.
Unbeknownst to her in the beginning, her time at the Academy would create additional family and friends for years to come– her sponsor family, the Parkers, her classmates and the inherent bond that all grads have regardless of class or whether they knew each other at the Academy called the Long Blue Line.
The Long Blue Line has been there throughout her military and civilian career, whether they were friends during her time at the Academy or not. A sense of camaraderie, a welcoming smile in a room of people she didn’t know and a willingness to help each other regardless of class year. This connection has been forged through the core values they have accepted and the leadership training they received contributing to the legacy of service and excellence established throughout the years.
As an Alumni and Service Academy Woman (SAW), she reminds other young ladies to stand up for themselves, speak up in meetings and above all else, believe in themselves. She continues to support and dedicate her time to USAFA and its mission by being a “Sponsor Parent” to a Cadet in the class of 2026, volunteering at various cadet events throughout the year and you may even catch her at the new Hosmer Visitor’s Center where she is a docent.
