John Regni graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, Class of 1973. From 2004 to 2005 he served as Commander of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and then returned to the Academy to serve as the 17th Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2005 to 2009. He retired in 2009 as a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General.