‘First Falcons’ continue connection with current cadets
Retired Lt. Col. Curtis Cook, a U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1959 graduate, talks to Class of 2027 cadets on the Challenge Bridge at Doolittle Hall Aug. 1, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.- Each year, the U.S. Air Force Academy’s first graduates meet the newest class of cadets at the Challenge Bridge.
The Academy’s “First Falcons,” as retired Col. Max Miller and retired Lt. Col. Don Brooks call themselves and their classmates, funded the bridge at Doolittle Hall on the Heritage Trail in 2004. In August, the Class of 1959 alumni met with Class of 2027 basic cadets about a week before they joined the Academy’s Cadet Wing for their freshman year.
“The reason I live in Colorado Springs is I’m paying it forward,” Miller said. “The Air Force became my life, and I’m paying it back. My goal right now is to help other people. There are thousands of other graduates who do the same thing.”
The First Falcons answered questions about how they spent their first three years as cadets at the former Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, while the Academy was built. They also discussed their role in selecting the falcon as the Academy mascot and in establishing the Honor Code.
“Our computer was a slide rule,” Miller told the cadets.
The cadet challenge
But the lesson at the heart of what the Class of 1959 members want to drive home is the last line of the five-part challenge cadets read on the plaque before crossing over to the Southeast Asia Pavilion and Memorial Wall: “Cross this bridge with the determination to live a life that will make all who went before proud of you.” This challenge is particularly important because many of the names on the wall belonged to Class of 1959 members’ friends.
They hope cadets cross the bridge with the determination to begin their Academy careers with the spirit of the cadets who came before them.
“Crossing over that bridge is symbolic of leaving your old life behind and entering your new life as an Air Force Academy cadet, becoming a full member of the long blue line,” Brooks said.
Retired Col. Max Miller, a U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1959 graduate, stops at the “To Each Entering Cadet” plaque at Challenge Bridge. The plaque gives five challenges to cadets before crossing the bridge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
First Falcon sense of purpose
Cadet 1st Class Rachel Higgins observed Class of 2027 basic cadets learning from Class of 1959 members at the Challenge Bridge. Higgins said she treasures her own time with the Academy’s first graduates and how the experiences and lessons they passed down continue to motivate her.
“I think having these conversations early on as a basic or even as a freshman helps you gain motivation to keep going through the Academy,” Higgins said. “You make connections, especially historical connections each time you talk to the Class of 1959. I take a lot of pride in carrying on their legacy through the Academy and being able to continue with what they started at Lowry.”
Positively impacting the lives of current cadets
Some Class of 1959 graduates directly impact cadets’ progress in their education and training. Retired Col. Ed Montgomery, a former F-4 Phantom pilot in Vietnam and Academy air officer commanding, has taught honor classes for decades. He also sometimes counsels cadets experiencing difficulties during the academic year. Brooks, who flew 357 combat missions as a forward air controller, also has assisted with honor code instruction at Jacks Valley and shared his experiences in Southeast Asia during cadet survival training.
In addition to the Challenge Bridge, the Class of 1959 graduates’ contributions led to the bust of first Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Hubert Harmon outside Harmon Hall and the Harmon Pavilion. The class also contributes funds for the kickoff speaker each year at the National Character and Leadership Symposium.
Retired Lt. Col. Don Brooks, a U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1959 graduate, talks to Class of 2027 cadets at the Challenge Bridge Aug. 1, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
Friends for life
Like so many of his Class of 1959 members, Miller jumps at any chance to engage with the Academy’s young cadets.
“It is important that the basic cadets understand that their classmates will be their lifetime friends,” Miller said. “The one thing they don’t understand yet is the long blue line. The people who endure the difficulties at Jacks Valley with them and in their academics and athletics are the ones who will be their friends for the rest of their lives. Your greatest friends in life will be your Air Force Academy graduates.”
See more photos of the Class of 1959 mentoring Class of 2027 cadets at Flickr.