September 11, 2019

AF Academy to host retirement ceremony for Dean of Faculty Armacost, Sept. 13

The U.S. Air Force Academy will host an official retirement ceremony for Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost (seen here), dean of the faculty, Sept. 16, 2019. Armacost will retire from the Air Force after 30 years of military service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) Staff reports, Sept. 11, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy will celebrate Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost's tenure as  dean of the faculty and his 30-year active duty career with an official retirement ceremony, Sept. 13 in Arnold Hall. Armacost, the Academy’s 10th dean, was nominated to that position in May 2013 by President...

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September 10, 2019

AF Academy cadets compete for 1st time in reserve officers’ competition in Estonia

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Ethan Haley prepares his sling during the rifle marksmanship portion of the international military competition. United States service members participated in the 2019 Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) Military Competition Commission in Tallinn, Estonia, Aug 4-10, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Nina Ramon )  205th Press Camp Headquarters By Ray Bowden, Sept. 10, 2019 U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. -- Two cadets and an officer at the Air Force Academy helped Team USA win several medals at a military challenge in Estonia last month. Cadets Ethan Haley and Thomas Walker, and Lt. Col. Rob Marshall, competed in...

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September 9, 2019

‘Some gave all, all gave some’: AF Academy pays tribute to ‘Spooky’ crew members

(U.S. Air Force photo/Joshua Armstrong) Story by Janine Dreger, Sept. 9, 2019 U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. -- A monument engraved with the names of 86 Airmen who died in the Vietnam War was unveiled at the Air Force Academy, Sept. 6. All were AC-47 Spooky crew members killed in action. “It’s kind of tough to read those names,” said retired Chief Master Sgt. Dale White, a former AC-47 crew member, at the unveiling ceremony. Along with the names of the Airmen killed in action, “Some gave all, all gave some” is inscribed on the memorial. “Many of our members either...

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September 6, 2019

Academy cadet, pilot says family support keeps his dreams aloft

Cadet 1st Class Alexander Brown. (Photo/U.S. Air Force Academy) By Jennifer Spradlin, Sept. 6, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- As a boy, Alexander Brown had a big dream: become a pilot. Brown, now a senior at the Air Force Academy, said his family helped him turn that dream into a realistic goal. “I tell people that no matter how big your dreams seem to others, if you believe in that dream, find the right people to support and mentor you, and go for it,” he said. At 10, they bought him a flight simulator, which he modified to include...

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September 6, 2019

2 road closures, 2 traffic detours scheduled for Academy Drive

Staff Reports, Sept. 6, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Academy Drive between Cadet Drive and Interior Drive will close 6 p.m., Sept. 6-Sept. 20 for work to repair the asphalt. Academy Drive will be closed to traffic during this time. Detour signs will be posted at the intersections of Interior and Academy drives, and Cadet and Academy drives. Visitors to the Academy may access the Visitor Center heading north on Academy Drive, Sept. 6-8, and heading south on Academy Drive, Sept. 9-20. Other Roadwork North Stadium Boulevard between Parade Loop to North Gate Boulevard is scheduled to remain closed...

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September 4, 2019

Cadet commentary: Soaking up Operations Air Force ‘like a sponge’

Back row, middle: Cadet 2nd Class Spencer Flint and other cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy pose for a photo during their Air Force Operations visit to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, this summer. (Courtesy photo) Commentary by Cadet 2nd Class Spencer Flint, Sept. 4, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- I traveled to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma this summer for two weeks with other cadets to take part in Operations Air Force. It’s a program designed to help cadets better understand how the Air Force works and how officers, noncommissioned officers and successfully team up to complete...

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July 19, 2019

AF Academy professor, astronaut reflects on space program, Apollo 11 mission

By Jennifer Spradlin, July 19, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- What does the Air Force Academy have to do with man’s first flight to the moon? A lot, actually, if you ask Gary Payton, a NASA astronaut and distinguished visiting astronautics professor at the Academy. “We’re preparing cadets for a space domain that has transitioned from a sanctuary – pretty much since the Apollo era – to what is now considered a warfighting arena,” he said. He’s right. In 2019 alone, two cadet-designed satellites are slated to join a collection of U.S. space assets. FalconSAT-8 will carry a new...

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July 18, 2019

Operations Air Force: Cadets volunteer at equine therapy center

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets Zack LaRocque, left, and Evan Place, dig post holes to place a sign at the Therapeutic Riding Institute. LaRocque, Place and 18 other cadets traveled to Spring Valley, Ohio, July 6, to volunteer with the institute. (U.S. Air Force photo/John Van Winkle) By John Van Winkle, 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, July 18, 2019 SPRING VALLEY, Ohio – Twenty Air Force Academy cadets hit the farm July 6, helping the Therapeutic Riding Institute prepare its new Spring Valley location for operations. The cadets were visiting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as part of an Academy immersion...

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July 17, 2019

Field training begins July 21 for AF Academy’s basic cadets

Staff report, July 17, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic cadets at the Air Force Academy are scheduled to begin the field portion of their training when they march out to Jacks Valley, July 21. Upon arriving at Jacks Valley, the cadets will be welcomed by the commandant of cadets and construct a "tent city" where they will live until they complete field training and march back to the main campus July 31. During field training, cadets will hone their mental, team, and physical conditioning skills critical to being welcomed into the Cadet Wing as cadet fourth class.

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July 17, 2019

Feature story: AF Academy cadets take educational journey to Normandy, pay tribute to D-Day

(Courtesy photo) By Ray Bowden, July 17, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets from the Air Force Academy spent two weeks of their summer break near the beach, but it probably wasn’t the shoreline you’d expect. They went to Normandy, France, to pay their respects to the 160,000 allied troops who crossed the English Channel on D-Day, June 6, 1944, to begin clawing-back Europe from Nazi control. The two-week academic journey took the cadets and some of their faculty to Normandy where the allied campaign, Operation Overlord, occurred. The group also participated in the D-Day 75th Anniversary memorial...

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