Cadet Sponsor Program
Cadets come from all across the nation, and often their families live far from campus. Our sponsor family program is made up of local Academy supporters who are willing to provide a home-away-from-home to Academy cadets.
The Cadet Sponsor Program builds a professional mentoring relationship and provides a home-away-from-home for cadets on a permanent basis during their time at the Academy.
We encourage active duty, retired and reserve officers, senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs), Academy alumni, civil servants and select local citizens to become volunteer mentors. Sponsor families provide cadets with positive adult role models, many of whom are still active in the military, that serve as mentors, friends and advisors in an environment that allows some time to relax away from the rigors of the Academy. This interaction is essential to fostering professional and social development, which is especially important for new fourth-class cadets.
The program is offered for all four years at the Academy, and cadets and sponsors may make by-name requests which the Cadet Sponsor Office will attempt to honor. If by-name requests are not made, common interests, hobbies or preferences are used as matching criteria. Sponsors often develop lifelong relationships with their cadets – and many cadets come to consider their sponsors as a second family.
We ask that you consider the tremendous positive influence you and your family could have in the development of our young cadets in their journey to become leaders in the Air Force. To learn more about the Sponsor Program, download our Cadet Sponsor Handbook. The Academy’s Prep School is also looking for Sponsor Families.
Think you’d make a great sponsor? View the requirements and submit your application today!
The many cadets we have sponsored over the years have become a part of our family. We have kept in touch after graduation, have attended their weddings and have gotten to know their spouses and children.
My sponsors helped me in many ways as a cadet; now that I have the chance, I am giving back by sponsoring my own cadets.
-
How do I register to become a sponsor?
Contact our office anytime by sending us a request via email (cadet.sponsor@usafa.edu) and we’ll send you the sponsor packet with detailed information. You may also call our office at (719) 333-2727; please leave a voicemail spelling out your first/last names and email address where we may send the packet.
-
We are a civilian family and have no military affiliation. Can we sponsor cadets?
Yes, as long as your residence is within 50 miles of the Academy. You just need to submit an additional two letters of recommendation from a neighbor, employer, or friends you’ve known for at least 5 years.
-
A basic cadet requested that we be their sponsor when he/she did the initial paperwork at the time of receiving an appointment to the Academy. Do I need to do anything else?
Yes. You will need to contact our office to confirm that you do indeed want to sponsor the cadet. If you are a new sponsor, you will need to complete the application packet.
-
We live part-time in Colorado Springs. Can we be sponsors to cadets?
No. Sponsor families must reside full-time in the greater Colorado Springs area or within 50 miles of the Academy. You must be present in the home anytime cadets are over.
-
Family friends of ours live a few miles outside of the 50-mile allowable distance to be sponsors. Will they be allowed to register to sponsor our son/daughter?
The family may sponsor cadets unofficially. They do not have to register in our program. Cadets need only to provide their squadron leadership the family’s contact information when signing out to spend time with them. Our office does not collect unofficial family info, but squadron AOC/AMTs do.
-
Can I use a digital signature to sign my family bio letter?
No, unless you can sign with a CAC (military/DoD access card). Please wet sign all documents for efficient processing.
-
We’ve sponsored cadets for a while. Do we have to go to Sponsor Training Session again?
Yes, at some point. You must attend Sponsor Training Sessions every 3 years. Attendance is mandatory to maintain eligibility for DBIDS badges, which must be renewed every 3 years. Information on the dates and locations of upcoming sessions is included in most communication from our office; please feel free to call or email to find out when you next need to attend.
-
We would like to host more than just one cadet on Doolie Day Out. Are we obligated to sponsor all those we host on DDO?
No, you are not obligated to sponsor all the basic cadets you host on this one-day event. You may request to sponsor however many you have room for in your home (or in your vehicle when picking up). Depending on schedules, cadets might never come over all in the same weekend, unless you have a special gathering. We recommend giving them a few weeks’ notice.