October 5, 2021

Academy honors air power, ace pilot Robin Olds with memorial

United States Air Force Academy graduates, family members and staff tour the just-unveiled Air Warrior Combat memorial at the Academy, Oct. 1, 2021. The $1.4 million memorial features a model of the F4 Phantom aircraft and a statue of ace pilot and former Academy commandant of cadets, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds.  Story by Ray Bowden, all photos by Trevor Cokley U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - A $1.4 million memorial celebrating the first 100 years of aerial combat was unveiled at the Air Force Academy, Oct. 1. The Air Warrior Combat Memorial near North Gate and Stadium boulevards features a...

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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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April 13, 2023

Junior cadet selected as Academy’s 24th Truman Scholar

Cadet 2nd Class Isobel Dernlan, recipient of the Truman Scholarship U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 2nd Class Isobel Dernlan, Class of 2024, has been selected to receive the highly competitive Harry S. Truman Scholarship. The junior was named among 62 Truman Scholars selected from 705 applicants nominated by 275 colleges, universities and military service academies. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation selects Truman Scholars from finalists who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, as well as academic excellence. Each...

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November 22, 2022

Senior cadet selected as Academy’s 43rd Rhodes scholar

Cadet 1st Class James Landy, recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- –U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class James Landy, Class of 2023, has been selected for a highly competitive Rhodes Scholarship, a fully funded postgraduate program at the University of Oxford in England. According to the Rhodes Trust website, the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international scholarship program. The scholarship was established in 1902 by philanthropist Cecil John Rhodes, a British mining magnate and South African politician. Winners are selected on the basis of academic achievement, personal integrity, and leadership potential,...

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November 15, 2022

Class of 2023 unveils official painting

The U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2023 official painting contains six elements that represent life as an academy cadet. The painting was created by Colorado artist Steve Weed after he won a public call for artists. (Courtesy photo) U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. Air Force Academy cadets unveiled the Class of 2023 official painting during a ceremony in Fairchild Hall, Nov. 8, 2022. The “Piece” The piece, painted by local artist Steve Weed, features six elements that represent the Academy. The focal point of the painting is a graduating cadet holding the Falcon mascot, Nova. The secondary...

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September 9, 2022

Parents’ Weekend celebrates family support

(U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco) By Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Families and friends flooded the U.S. Air Force Academy for Parent’s Weekend, an annual event celebrating cadets’ extended circles as they work to earn their gold second lieutenant bars, Sept. 2-4. Harry Lundy, manager of the Academy’s Barry Goldwater Visitor Center, said Parents’ Weekend ranks among the school’s most popular public events, matching the graduation ceremony and Falcons’ football home games in scope and attendance. “When you walk around the terrazzo on Parents’ Weekend and talk to parents...

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August 25, 2022

Guide to Falcon football season 2022

Falcon head coach Troy Calhoun leads the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons into Falcon Stadium as Air Force met conference rival Wyoming at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. Sep. 21, 2013. The Cowboys defeated Air Force 56-23. (Air Force Photo by Mike Kaplan/Released) By U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Falcon Football at the U.S. Air Force Academy offers many unique and fun traditions that are sure to delight fans of all ages. Here is the definitive guide to Falcon Football season 2022. The season kicks off during Parents’ Weekend on Sept. 3 as...

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August 12, 2022

Make the most of Parents’ Weekend 2022

Parents greet their cadet for the first time since In-processing Day during a previous Parents’ Weekend at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) By Staff Sgt. Seth Stang Taking place over Labor Day Weekend, September 2 to 5, Parents’ Weekend 2022 offers plenty of activities for parents, families and guests. This guide and helpful tips ensure families enjoy the weekend and make the most of their annual visit. Friday, September 2 Friday includes a variety of activities designed to orient families to their cadet’s life in the military. Activities include a tour of the Multi-Domain Laboratory,...

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August 5, 2022

Cadet Wing accepts Class of 2026

Cadets march in formation during the Acceptance Day 2022 parade. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) By Staff Sgt. Seth Stang U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy accepted the Class of 2026 into the Cadet Wing with a ceremony at Stillman Parade Field on Aug. 5. The ceremony, called Acceptance Day, marks the end of Basic Cadet Training (BCT) which includes six weeks of mental, physical and military training. During the ceremony, cadets marched in parade formation and received their fourth-class shoulder boards, signifying their acceptance into the Cadet Wing. Successfully completing BCT is one of the...

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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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