About Us

The Department of English and Fine Arts believes that critical and imaginative thinking and clear, effective communication are the foundations of outstanding leadership, both inside and outside the Air Force.

Our cadets engage in literary texts spanning three millennia and numerous cultural traditions. They grapple with some of the most perplexing questions of the human condition: What does it mean to be human? What are the sources of human greatness and human depravity? Why do we yearn, through literature and art, to share our stories with others, and why is it vital to listen to these stories in a complex and interconnected world?

Ultimately, we aim to develop warrior-scholars whose conceptions of leadership are buttressed by wisdom—a wisdom captured and communicated by literature and art. Our department enriches the intellectual experiences of all cadets through a variety of opportunities, including:

• Icarus – Academy Journal of the Arts
• War, Literature, and the Arts Annual Jannetta Lecture
• War, Literature, and the Arts Journal
• Internationally ranked Forensics team
• Vibrant cadet travel and research programs
• Opportunities to explore the visual, musical, and dramatic arts
• Symposia organized by the Air Force Humanities Institute