May 24, 2019

‘War Costs People’: Vietnam Vet, Academy grad honors classmates killed in action

(Graphic courtesy of Andrew Biancur) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, May 24, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.  -- Every year on Memorial Day, Andrew Biancur and his wife visit the Air Force Academy Cemetery. He holds a bucket full of soapy water while his wife kneels and cleans each gravestone from the graduating class of 1960. She never lets him help, although he’s often offered, because she says he’s done his part. Biancur is the first Academy graduate to see combat in Vietnam. Once the stones are cleaned, the two leave flowers for each man and head home, but Biancur’s effort...

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May 23, 2019

Schulte Award marks decade since namesake, Academy graduate killed in Afghanistan

Commentary by the Center for Character and Leadership Development staff U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- On May 20, 2009, 1st Lt. Roslyn ‘Roz’ Littmann Schulte became the first female Air Force Academy graduate to be killed in action in the war on terror. Lieutenant Schulte and Shawn Montgomery Pine, a contractor and retired Army lieutenant colonel, were killed when their convoy was hit by a improvised explosive device. In honor of their daughter’s sacrifice and legacy, Schulte's parents Bob and Susie Schulte have made a trip to the Air Force Academy every May since 2010 to recognize an outstanding cadet...

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May 23, 2019

‘Remember the guardians of the past’: Top Air Force officials release Memorial Day letter to Airmen

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, May 23, 2019 WASHINGTON -- One-hundred-fifty-one years ago, citizens gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Civil War soldiers as part of the inaugural Decoration Day. Today, the citizenry of this great nation know this observance as Memorial Day. We actively reflect on the sacrifice made by our Airmen, Coast Guards, Marines, sailors and soldiers who gave their last full measure of devotion for our liberty. As we remember the guardians of our past, we also express deep gratitude to the 685,000 military and civilian Airmen embodying integrity, service before self and excellence, that...

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May 22, 2019

Academy Prep School celebrates graduation of 180 cadet candidates

(U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) Story by Tech. Sgt. Charles Rivezzo, May 22, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – An auditorium filled with families, friends and faculty celebrated the graduation of 180 Air Force Academy Preparatory School cadet candidates May 20. The ceremony marked the successful completion of the Prep School’s 10-month curriculum. 235 cadet candidates were admitted into the Prep School for the 2018-2019 academic year. Of the graduates, 176 received appointments to the Academy and are scheduled to report for Basic Cadet Training in June. Addressing the audience, Preparatory School commander, Col. Timothy W Thurston II, quoted...

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May 20, 2019

Update: Air Force Thunderbirds release practice, performance schedule for Academy graduation

(U.S. Air Force photo/Jack Braden) Staff report, May 20, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team is scheduled to conclude the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2019 graduation ceremony with a 30-minute performance above the Academy, May 30. The performance is expected to begin between 2-2:30 p.m., just after the hat toss. The Thunderbirds will arrive in Colorado Springs May 27 and fly over the Academy around 11:30 a.m. for a site survey. The team will practice their full performance over the Academy’s Falcon Stadium from 10:30 – 11:45 Tuesday, May 28. As...

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May 17, 2019

Academy hosts wing commanders, command chiefs

Wing commanders from across the Air Force get a briefing on the U.S. Air Force Academy's remotely piloted aircraft systems during a tour of the Academy earlier this month. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jennifer Spradlin) By Jennifer Spradlin, May 17, 2019 U.S. AIR ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy is slated to welcome more than 700 wing commanders and command chiefs this year as it supports an Air Force initiative to create greater understanding between its wing leaders and the accessioning sources that produce officers. The Academy hosted the first round of these leaders on a tour of airfield operations, various...

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May 16, 2019

‘A bad break’: Traumatic injury can’t keep Academy cadet off rugby pitch

Jessica Beyer (bottom row, second from left). (U.S. Air Force Academy photo) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, May 16, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Jessica Beyer is a competitor. She’s a no-nonsense girl from Dunlap, Illinois, a town where cows outnumber people. At six, she fell in love with flying while watching the Air Force Thunderbirds perform and set her sights on the Air Force. Beyer, a cadet third class, found rugby during her freshman year at the Air Force Academy, and by her sophomore year, she was one of the team captains. Her goal was to win the...

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May 15, 2019

Air University, Air Force Academy are flagships of education

By Staff Sgt. Quay Drawdy, Air University Public Affairs, May 15, 2019 MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- For current or future Air Force commissioned officers, two names represent the pinnacle of education within the force. While these flagship institutions have, up to now, worked mostly independent of one another, Air University and the U.S. Air Force Academy have come together to formally synchronize their efforts for producing future leaders for the service. With signatures fresh on a Memorandum of Understanding, AU and USAFA are further developing initiatives ranging from cyber education and prototyping to educational innovation and faculty cooperation, all...

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May 15, 2019

Class of 2019: Senior cadet reflects on building a bridge with National Forest Service

(National Forest Service photo) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, May 15, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadet 1st Class Ryan Howe will be the first to admit he didn’t plan on attending the Air Force Academy, but a fateful trip to the mechanical laboratory during Parents’ Weekend piqued his curiosity, and he applied. Four years later, he is set to graduate and pursue a master’s degree at the University of Washington, and fittingly, one of his standout memories from his time at the Academy is tied to an engineering project – albeit a civil engineering one. For three weeks last summer,...

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May 14, 2019

AF Academy releases security guidelines for graduation ceremony

Staff Reports, May 14, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy released its security guidelines for the Class of 2019 graduation ceremony, May 30 at Falcon Stadium. Earlier this month, 19,000 tickets to the ceremony were given to graduating cadets and their families and friends. Since then, all available tickets to the ceremony have been distributed to the general public. Service members and civilian employees at the Academy are encouraged to check at their place of work for extra tickets. Service members, their families, civilian employees and cadets at the Academy are encouraged to return any extra...

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