October 5, 2022

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty’s visit to Academy is a ‘chair raising’ experience for cadets

Story by Ray Bowden, all photos by Trevor Cokley U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Cadets waved chairs and lifted tables during their five-minute standing ovation for NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and the Petty GMS team at the U.S. Air Force Academy Sept. 30. Mitchell Hall erupted with applause and the clanging of furniture when Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark introduced the NASCAR legend during his visit to the school. Petty joined a group of cadets at their table for lunch after his introduction to the cadet wing. “To be able...

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October 4, 2022

RED HORSE squadron constructs new dining facility in Jack’s Valley

Civil engineers from the 819th RED HORSE Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana construct a new 4,000 square-foot dining facility in the FERL compound in Jack's Valley expected to open for cadets next year. The team broke ground on the facility in April. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Tim Sobieski) U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Civil engineers from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana expect the new 4,000 square-foot dining facility they’re building for cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., to open next summer. According to Capt. Tim Sobieski, RED HORSE project engineer, construction on the facility in Jack’s...

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September 28, 2022

Tackling space missions for over six decades

International Space Station passes over the U.S. Air Force Academy Nov. 17, 2021. During its course over the Front Range, Col. Raja Chari, Class of 1999, served on board. (Photo illustration by Tony Muro, Class of 1999)­­­ U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy has a long history of supporting the country’s space mission and developing officers ready to face the challenges of tomorrow. In fact, a member of the Academy’s very first graduating class went on to be an astronaut and we now commission graduates into the U.S. Space...

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September 27, 2022

From cadet to Guardian, a Space Force perspective

Guardian 1st Lt. Aaron Brooks poses in front of an Air Force Academy display at the Pentagon on June 1, 2022.  (courtesy photo by Loran Brooks) U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - When 1st Lt. Aaron Brooks graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2020, he became one of 86 cadets to commission into the newly established U.S. Space Force. Brooks, along with his peers, are the first Academy grads to lead Guardians. Brooks took time out of his busy schedule to share his experiences and thoughts. When did you develop an interest...

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September 20, 2022

Taking a punch: Combatives teaches more than physical fighting skills

Cadets practice hand-to-hand combat techniques during Combatives II class at the U.S. Air Force Academy, September 15, 2022.   U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo - Americana, guillotine, shrimp and scissor sweep. What do these all have in common? They are terms used in combatives courses at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Combatives I and II are two of the 10 physical education courses cadets are required to complete. These courses teach cadets to react under pressure, develop self-confidence and demonstrate the mental toughness required to survive and prevail in unarmed combat situations. The Air Force Combatives Center...

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September 19, 2022

Scoring on the soccer field before settling into service

Tristan Trager, Class of 2022, currently plays professional soccer for Atlanta United 2. (courtesy photo by Atlanta United) By Blaire Brush U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Even before Tristan Trager completed his geospatial science degree at the U.S. Air Force Academy, he was drafted by a Major League Soccer team. That was January 2022. Five months later he completed his bachelor of science degree and all other Academy requirements and then joined Atlanta United’s minor league team, United 2. Making the adjustment from cadet to pro athlete took some getting used to. Trager...

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September 15, 2022

Academy Astro, Aero Engineering programs ranked top in U.S.

Two U.S. Air Force Academy cadets discuss course work in the Astronautical department. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. News and World Report ranked the Academy one of the nation’s best undergraduate educational institutions in the publication’s 2022 annual report. The Best Colleges Rankings report rates the Academy as third in the Top Public Schools category and names the Astronautical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering programs as the best in the nation (at schools where a doctorate is not offered). The report rates the Academy 18th overall in the National...

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September 15, 2022

Air Force ‘legends’ tour Air Force Academy, discuss leadership and teamwork with cadets

Story by Ray Bowden, photo by Trevor Cokley U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Several retired Air Force senior officials visited the U.S. Air Force Academy to highlight the Air Force's 75th anniversary and discuss leadership and character with cadets. Their visit kicks off the 2022-2023 National Character and Leadership Symposium theme, leadership and teamwork. The Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership hosts the annual symposium. Dubbed the “Legends Tour,” the event put four retired top generals and two retired chief master sergeants in the spotlight with cadets to share their experiences as commanding...

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September 13, 2022

Cadets earn summer research awards

U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Academy officials recognized 17 cadets and their efforts to accelerate change through research and innovation during the Cadet Summer Research Program awards ceremony here, Sept. 9.  Cadet research ranged from improving medical treatment in deployed locations, exploring human behavior, immigration assimilation and space-focused agile combat employment.  “I see these research experiences as invaluable,” said Cadet 1st Class James Landy, who earned the Dean’s Summer Research Program award. “They provide us an opportunity to apply what we are learning in the classroom to a real-world issue.” This year, 370...

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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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