Air Force

The United States Air Force Academy : USAFA is known as the Air Force Academy

Mission: "To educate, train, and inspire man and women to become officers of character motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation.  The United States Air Force Academy is the nation's premier institution for developing leaders of character."

• located in Colorado Spring, CO
• youngest of the 5 service academies with 1st graduating class in 1959
• 4 year co-educational program
• 1 of the biggest tourist destinations in CO

       On April 1, 1954, president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill allowing the establishment of the academy.  Since its grand opening over 41,000 cadets have graduated in 51 different classes.  Only about 400 of them have decided to serve in other branches of the armed forces other than the Air Force.  The current superintendent is Lieutenant General Michael C. Gould, a 1976 graduate.  The Air Force Academy is also Alma Mater to many world renown and famous individuals like: Major Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell, the first African-American combat pilot,  and Joe Lombardi, the offensive coach for the New Orleans Saints football team.

       Applicants to the Air Force Academy must follow strict admissions criteria: they must be between the age of 17 and 22, be unmarried with no child dependents, and like the other service academies, be physically fit and have good grades.  Academics are primarily focused on science and engineering with the idea that many graduates will manage complex air, space and cyber systems.  Recently, the academy has broadened its humanities curriculum and established a wider range of majors for cadets to choose from.  Graduates receive a bachelor of science degree and are commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in the United States Air Force.  A major part of the academy is athletics and physical conditioning.  The most intense military training the cadets must endure is over their summers.  Their first experience occurs over a period of six weeks and is called Basic Cadet Training, also known as "beast."  After their first year, cadets have more options for summer military training like attending Airborne School or Air Assault School.  
        The academy is guided by the Air Force's core values of "Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do."  It is also based on the four "pillars of excellence": military training, academics, athletics, and character development.  All cadets must live and "abide by the Honor Code, that states  "We will not lie, steal, or cheat, not tolerate among us anyone who does." The Air Force Academy Vision is to be the Air Force's premier institution for developing leaders of character.   

 

Fun Fact: The first Honor scandal was in 1965 where a cadet reported about 100 cadets to be involved in a cheating ring.  Ultimately, 109 cadets were expelled from the academy.