Academy opens Hosmer Visitor Center with ribbon-cutting ceremony

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, from left, Colorado Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradley Hosmer, Zita Hosmer, Jerry Bruni, Pam Bruni, Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, and Dan Schnepf cut the ribbon during the Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon cutting, May 15, 2026, at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The ceremony marked the official opening of the 34,000-square-foot center designed to showcase the cadet experience and Academy heritage. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Trevor Cokley)

By Jeff Troth
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy celebrated the opening of the Hosmer Visitor Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 15, 2026.

The event was well-attended by Academy personnel and alumni, state and local officials, civic leaders, members of the Air Force Academy Association and Foundation, and partners in the development and design of the facility.

Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind was joined by Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, retired Lt. Gen. Bradley Hosmer and his wife, Mrs. Zita Hosmer, and Academy Class of 1970 graduate, Mr. Jermone “Jerry” Bruni, and his wife, Mrs. Pam Bruni, in sharing what the new visitor center means for the Academy, the state, the city of Colorado Springs, and surrounding communities.

“Our visitor center is a great depiction of our mission at the United States Air Force Academy,” said Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind. “Visitors are going to see and understand how we forge warfighters to win and excel in complex air, space, and cyber environments, how we inspire leaders of character and quality who are developed to choose the hard right over the easy wrong, and how we are motivating critical thinkers to adapt and solve the wicked-hard problems our Air Force and Space Force are facing on today’s and tomorrow’s battlefields.”

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradley Hosmer speaks about his pride in seeing current cadets continue the Long Blue Line established by the Class of 1959 during the Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 15, 2026, at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The remarks reflected on the connection between past and present Academy classes. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Trevor Cokley)

The Hosmer Visitor Center is an interactive facility designed to offer a comprehensive look at cadet life. The facility moves away from traditional visitor center displays in favor of interactive, digital experiences. It will welcome graduates and their families, as well as members of the public, to the Academy and serve as a powerful recruitment tool for the next generation of Air Force and Space Force leaders.

Acknowledging the years of planning and perseverance behind the City for Champions capstone project, Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind thanked the broad coalition that delivered it.

“It truly took an entire village to make this happen—from visionaries and donors to engineers and contractors, alongside our incredible partners in the State of Colorado and the City of Colorado Springs,” he said. “On behalf of all the men and women at the United States Air Force Academy, thank you for making this legacy a reality.”

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade speaks at the Gen. Bradley and Zita Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon-cutting ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., May 15, 2026. The visitor center is an interactive facility featuring digital experiences designed to share a comprehensive view of cadet life and recruit the next generation of Air Force and Space Force leaders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) 

The facility is named in honor of retired Lt. Gen. Hosmer, one of the first cadets to commission from the Academy as a member of the Class of 1959, and the first graduate to serve as superintendent, along with his wife.

“The opening of this visitor center is a window that gives the casual passerby a look, a glance [at the Academy], and we hope a bit of curiosity, which will stimulate those interested in service,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Hosmer. “We believe that this academy is a national asset to the country, because it graduates officers who understand the foundation of the profession of arms, and, at the same time, have the skills necessary to prevail in the Air Force and Space Force of the future.”

While in uniform, Lt. Gen. Hosmer was a fighter pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours. Just as his career took off from the Academy, the visitor center that bears his name is designed to resemble an aircraft taking flight. Its four roof sections, each one rising higher than the previous, symbolize how, each year, the Academy brings cadets closer to their dreams of becoming Air Force or Space Force officers.

U.S. Air Force Academy alumni and their families tour the Hosmer Visitor Center following the Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon cutting May 15, 2026. The new facility features immersive exhibits that highlight cadet life, Academy traditions and the 47-month journey from basic cadet to commissioning. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Trevor Cokley)

Before their military careers take off, each cadet is forged through 47 months of adversary-focused military training, rigorous academics, highly competitive athletics, and intentional character development. Visitors of the center will walk through immersive galleries that depict that journey, from the first moments of Basic Cadet Training through graduation and commissioning and beyond. Highlights include interactive exhibits matching visitors with potential career fields in the Air Force and Space Force, and a glass atrium featuring an inverted TG-10 glider suspended above towering tetrahedra.

The project was made possible by a lead gift from the Brunis to the Air Force Academy Foundation.

“This visitor center does a wonderful job of conveying the importance of leadership and of service,” said Mr. Bruni, noting that its ability to inspire visitors toward serving their communities and country is what makes the facility so meaningful.

“Projects like these do not happen by accident. They happen because people dare to believe in a vision bigger than themselves, and they stay committed to bringing the vision to life,” said Mayor Yemi Mobalade. “This remarkable visitor center stands as a physical symbol, a reminder of what is possible when vision, partnership, persistence, and belief come together.”

Lt. Gov. Primavera reinforced this sentiment, remarking, “This facility stands as proof that our greatest achievements come from partnership.”

She added that the visitor center represents “a moment where federal mission, state partnership, and community vision come together to create something that will have impacts for generations to come.”

An attendee studies cadet rank at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Hosmer Visitor Center following the Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon cutting May 15, 2026. Interactive exhibits throughout the center introduce visitors to cadet life, such as rank structure, training and Academy traditions. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Trevor Cokley)

Located just outside the North Gate and accessible to the public without base access, the 34,000-square-foot center is ready to welcome both Colorado residents and visitors from around the world. It is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The center’s opening coincides with Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood, as well as the nation’s 250th anniversary, underscoring the Academy as an enduring symbol of American ideals, selfless service, and leadership—past, present, and future.

See photos of the Hosmer Visitor Center ribbon cutting ceremony on Flickr.