June 11, 2018

USAFA Prep School gets new commander June 8

Col. Timothy Thurston, commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School, speaks June 8, 2018, during the Prep School change-of-command ceremony. Thurston takes over command from Col. Jaqueline Breeden.  (Photo by Darcie Ibidapo) Story by Ray Bowden/June 11, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy Preparatory school has a new commander: Col. Timothy Thurston. He’s a 1995 Academy graduate and master navigator with more than 2,500 hours of flight time. During the change-of-command ceremony June 8 at Black Field on the Prep School campus, Thurston said he’ll concentrate on honor and the Air Force core values: integrity...

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May 24, 2018

Secretary of Defense Mattis tells USAFA’s Class of ‘18 to safeguard the Air Force’s legacy

Newly-commissioned second lieutenants celebrate as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Falcon Stadium at the culmination of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2018 graduation ceremony, May 23, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris DeWitt) Story by Ray Bowden, May 23, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Secretary of Defense James Mattis told nearly 1,000 graduating cadets to take charge of the Air Force during the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2018 graduation ceremony, May 23. “The warrior ethos and the fierce character that you now inherit as your own character will now have to stand between us...

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May 22, 2018

The breakdown: The stats on USAFA’s Class of 2018

(U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Kaplan) By Ray Bowden/May 22, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- (Editor's note: This report is based on the latest Class of 2018 statistics compiled May 21.) Here’s the breakdown for the Class of 2018 graduating from the Air Force Academy May 23. - 1,498 were offered appointments to the Academy - 1,206 men and women were inducted into the Academy, including 14 international cadets - There were 942 men (78.1 percent) and 264 women (21.9 percent) in the class - There were 323 (26.8 percent) minorities - There were 585 (48.5 percent) cadets who...

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May 21, 2018

8 things to know about USAFA’s Class of ’18 graduation

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  -- Base gates open at 6 a.m. -- Gates to the stadium open at 7 a.m. -- A government-issued ID card such as a drivers’ license is required to access the base and Falcon Stadium. -- Food must be carried in a clear one-gallon plastic bag. Refreshments will be available from vendors at the stadium. -- Drinks or liquid are not allowed except in clear, sealed water bottles. -- Sunscreen is restricted to one 6-ounce non-aerosol container for each person. -- Cameras are allowed. All camera equipment may...

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May 17, 2018

206 cadet candidates graduate USAFA Prep School

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Holden Faul) By Ray Bowden / May 17, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Families, friends and faculty celebrated the graduation of 206 Air Force Academy Prep School cadet candidates May 17. “It’s our highest graduation rate in 15 years,” said Prep School commander Col. Jaqueline Breeden during the graduation ceremony in Arnold Hall. Two-hundred-thirty-seven cadet candidates were admitted into the Prep School. Of the graduates, 195 received appointments to the Academy and are scheduled to report for Basic Cadet Training in June. The other graduates will pursue other educational paths. Successful completion of...

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May 16, 2018

Update: Thunderbirds release practice, performance schedule

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team is scheduled to conclude the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2018 graduation ceremony with a 30-minute performance above Falcon Stadium, May 23. The performance is expected to begin between 12:30-1 p.m., after the hat toss. The Thunderbirds will arrive in Colorado Springs May 21 and fly over the Academy around 10 a.m. for a site survey. The team will practice their full performance over the Academy’s Falcon Stadium from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 22. As mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, roads under the show...

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May 16, 2018

USAFA educators receive Heiser Award

(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff. Sgt. Charlie Rivezzo) Story By Ray Bowden/May 16, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Senior cadets at the Air Force Academy cast their votes for two faculty members to receive the Heiser Award May 4: Mathematics Department deputy head Lt. Col. Kris Pruitt and Political Science Department associate professor John Riley. The award’s namesake, Professor Emeritus Dr. William H. Heiser, was an honorary fellow for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, the Academy’s dean, presented the award to Pruitt and Riley. "The Heiser Award is particularly meaningful to us as it's...

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May 15, 2018

USAFA’s new Eisenhower Golf Course Clubhouse opens for business

Story and photo by Laurie Wilson/May 2018 U.S AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy celebrated the completion of a new clubhouse at the Eisenhower Golf Course with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, May 9. The event signaled the end of more than a decade’s effort to fund the construction of a new clubhouse. The clubhouse was completely paid for with funds generated by Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, said Carlos Cruz-Gonzalez, the Academy’s deputy director for installations. “It wasn’t paid for with tax dollars,” he said. “It was built by funds from the Air Force Non-Appropriated Funds programs,...

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May 10, 2018

600 free USAFA graduation tickets available May 14

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs/May 10, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Approximately 600 free tickets for the Academy’s Class of 2018 graduation ceremony will be available May 14. Tickets may be picked up by the general public in person at: The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC office,102 S. Tejon St., Suite 430, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, EDC and Visitor Center, 166 Second St. in Monument, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. A maximum of five tickets are available to each person on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets cannot be mailed and there is no...

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May 9, 2018

USAFA Flying Team and Coach Consistent National Competitors

Story and photo by Randy Martin / May 9, 2018 TERRE HAUTE, Indiana -- The U.S. Air Force Academy Flying Team participated in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s annual Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference at Indiana State University and nearby Terre Haute Municipal Airport, Terre Haute Indiana April 30 – May 5, 2018. The Air Force is the only service academy among 28 colleges and universities competing and it has consistently reached the championship every year since 1999. Gilbert Boyce has been the team’s coach for nineteen years and his team credits his knowledge as a cornerstone for the team’s...

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