Some leaders are born. Others are made. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Peggy (Huther) Combs ’85, H’21 is a little of both.
“Leadership is about people, understanding their value and bringing it out of them,” explains the 2024 recipient of Syracuse University’s Military/Veteran Alumni Award. “I learned that as a high school student-athlete, an Army ROTC cadet at Syracuse and an Army commanding general.”
Even in “retirement,” Combs is still learning. President of the storied Army and Navy Academy in San Diego, she draws on her rich experience to inspire future military leaders.
Combs is not lost on the irony of running a century-old, all-male prep school. “Leadership should be gender neutral,” declares the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal recipient. “I make sure our cadets have every opportunity to lead a virtuous life.”
Such empathy permeated Combs’ own 33-year military career, culminating in a high-ranking chief of staff position at the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, both in Colorado Springs.
“Syracuse taught me that leadership is not about you; it’s about your team,” says the advisory board member of Syracuse’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs. “Good teams—and good leaders—invite their members to step out of their comfort zones and grow. It’s scary and exciting.”