September 7, 2022

Cadet travels to S. Korea, competes in global hackathon

Cadet 3rd Class Junhyung Park (left), an electrical and computer engineering major at the U.S. Air Force Academy, stands with his GeNovation teammates during the Junction Asia 2022 Hackathon in South Korea, Aug. 12-13. The popular annual hackathon brings students and industry experts together to create software and computer code to address challenges faced by international companies. (Courtesy photo) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A sophomore cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy joined hundreds of computer developers in South Korea to compete in a popular international computer science...

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July 8, 2022

Basic training starts for more than 200 potential prep school cadet candidates

(Photo by Joshua Armstrong) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Parents and relatives were not supposed to get out of their vehicles while dropping off their sons and daughters at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School for basic cadet-candidate training July 8, but it’s hard to blame them. “Love you son,” said a woman after getting out of a car near the school’s parade field to hug a young man carting a hefty backpack. “See you at graduation,” said a man getting out of a pickup truck to hug...

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July 6, 2022

Annual field lab prepares civil engineering majors to serve ‘anytime, anywhere’

Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre (third from right), the U.S. Air Force Academy's dean of faculty, chats with Maj. Paige Blackburn (fifth from right), a senior instructor of civil engineering at the school, and cadets taking part in the department of civil and environmental engineering's Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory in Jacks Valley, June 14, 2022. (Photo/ Trevor Cokley) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A workshop for civil engineering students in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy wrapped up with controlled explosions late last...

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June 27, 2022

‘You don’t want easy’: AF Academy Basic Cadet Training begins June 23

(Joshua Armstrong/U.S. Air Force Academy) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – “This place is tough, but it’s supposed to be tough.” U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark said this and more to the scores of young men and women reporting to the base June 23 to begin Basic Cadet Training. “This place will change your life if you let it,” he said to a group of Academy appointees. “It’s not going to be easy but you don’t want ‘easy,’ right?” Basic Cadet Training is a six-week program...

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June 27, 2022

‘Hit the ground running’: Academy’s Prep School gets new commander

(Josh Armstrong/U.S. Air Force Academy) From right: Col. Michael Cornelius, commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory school, shares a moment with Col. Melissa Youderian before the official change of command ceremony which saw leadership of the Prep School transfer from Youderian to Cornelius, June 24, 2022. Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A career weapons systems officer and graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy began his tour of duty as commander of the institution’s Prep School June 24. Col. Michael Cornelius takes over the duties of the Prep...

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June 16, 2022

Cadets rely on skills, teamwork during annual Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory

(Justin Pacheco/U.S. Air Force Academy) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The top officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy told cadets that the Russian challenge in Europe and the growing multi-domain threat posed by the People’s Republic of China makes clear the Defense Department’s need for expert civil engineering officers. “Your ability to operate in any conflict is critical to our National Defense Strategy and supports Air Force Chief of Staff CQ Brown’s priority of providing the Defense Department with agile combat employment,” Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, the Academy's superintendent,...

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May 26, 2022

Vietnamese citizen takes part in DoD, Air Force Academy international programs

Cadet Xuan "An" Nguyen (left) is an astronautical engineering major at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (Photo/Josh Armstrong) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - An astronautical engineering major at the U.S. Air Force Academy said the school’s international programs strengthen relationships between the U.S. and its allies. Cadet Xuan “An” Nguyen attends the Academy as the first cadet from Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense to be enrolled in the Secretary of Defense Four-Year International Cadet Program. “The program brings different perspectives from different countries to the American cadets and gives the international...

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May 25, 2022

‘Power of partnerships’: SECDEF gives commencement speech to AF Academy’s Class of 2022

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III shakes hands with graduates in the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2022 May 25, 2022. Austin was the commencement speaker for the graduation ceremony. (U.S. Air Force photo) By Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs  U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said newly commissioned officers graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy May 25 will bring their dedication to service and innovation to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Austin gave the commencement speech for the Class of 2022 at the school’s graduation...

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May 25, 2022

The Breakdown: Stats on the Air Force Academy’s class of ‘22

(Class of 2022. Photo/Trevor Cokley) By Ray Bowden, U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Nearly 1,000 Air Force and Space Force officers graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in a ceremony at Falcon Stadium May 25. In all, 863 class of ’22 cadets were commissioned into the Air Force and 94 were commissioned into the Space Force as second lieutenants. Sixteen international cadets graduated with their U.S. classmates. The Breakdown This information is based on data from the Academy’s operations and analysis office released May 23. -- 1,434 men and women received appointments...

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May 24, 2022

‘Two services, one Academy’: AF Academy, Space Force teamwork make innovation history

(Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby) Commentary by Col. Jeff Greenwood Space Force Delta 13 Detachment 1 commander U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – This week, nearly 1,000 cadets will graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy and receive their commissions as newly minted second lieutenants in the Air Force and Space Force. It’s always an exciting time as friends and family members from around the world come together at our Academy to witness this culminating event, and it’s equally thrilling for the faculty and staff who get to celebrate with our newest batch of officers. For the third...

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