September 29, 2020

Academy, local colleges combine to create academic ‘superpower’

Story by Ray Bowden, graphic by Tech. Sgt. Ben Stratton U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets and college students in Colorado Springs say their academic partnership pays off by solving problems for the community. The Air Force Academy, Colorado College, Pikes Peak Community College and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, are members of “The Quad” – The Quad Innovation Partnership – students and faculty from each school who tackle issues for Colorado Springs. "One special quality the Quad offers cadets is that it helps them become adept at building partnerships within their civic communities," said Col. Chris McClernon, the Academy's associate...

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September 28, 2020

First Year Report: Academy’s Enlisted Academic Faculty Program making progress

Story by Ray Bowden, photos by Trevor Cokley U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- An Air Force Academy report released this summer analyzes the progress of the school’s Enlisted Academic Faculty Program. The Academy is the first of the service academies to feature enlisted service members as official faculty members. Written by Chief Master Sgt. Sean Milligan and Senior Master Sgts. Ecatarina Garcia and Gloria Kuzmicki, the report comes one year after enlisted academic instructors were added to the Air Force’s roster of career specialties. “We need a few more years of data to fully appreciate the capability and sustainability...

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September 25, 2020

A dream come true

Commentary by Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, Sept. 25, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- I am humbled and honored to take command as the 21st Air Force Academy Superintendent. It really is a dream come true! I want to personally thank Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria for his incredible 35 years of selfless service, and especially his exceptional leadership over the last three years here at the Academy. The change of command ceremony represented a very special day for my family and me. To come back where my career started, to see and thank my family, friends and mentors, and...

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September 25, 2020

Air Force Academy releases statement on Mountain West Conference decision to play football

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs, Sept. 25, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Following the Mountain West Conference’s decision to play football (https://themw.com/), the Air Force Academy is providing the following statement. Anything further on the decision should go to the conference, and any questions on schedules, fan attendance, etc. should go to the Athletic Department website (https://goairforcefalcons.com/). “I support the Mountain West Conference’s commitment to keep medical guidance, standards and testing at the forefront of their decision to begin playing football next month," said Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent. "Everyone should know that...

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September 23, 2020

Academy’s 21st superintendent reports for duty

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, superintendent of the Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) Story by Ray Bowden, Sept. 23, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark is excited. He’s the new superintendent at the Air Force Academy and while he knows he’s got big responsibilities to handle as the school’s top officer, he said the weight of those duties is eased by the enthusiasm he feels about cadets. “They are why I’m here. They are why we’re all here,” he said. “Doing all I can to enhance their development and make their dreams...

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September 23, 2020

Academy Supt. Lt. Gen. Silveria to retire after 35-year Air Force career

Story by Ray Bowden, photos by Trevor Cokley, Sept. 23, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria has big plans after his three-year tenure as the Air Force Academy’s superintendent officially ends Sept. 23. “The first thing I’m going to do is go to the beach and try to set my personal record for how many days I can go without wearing socks,” he said with a laugh. Silveria, a 1985 Academy graduate, became a combat fighter pilot and amassed nearly 4,000 flying hours during his career. He’s been the Academy’s top officer since August 2017...

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September 4, 2020

AF Academy commandant pins on second star Sept. 3

Maj. Gen. Michele Edmondson's family pins on her second star during her promotion ceremony from brigadier general to major general, Sept. 3, 2020. Edmondson is the Air Force Academy's commandant of cadets. While those in the audience at Edmondson's promotion ceremony in Arnold Hall Ballroom sat at least six feet apart and wore face masks, family members may not wear face masks when in each other's company. Story by Ray Bowden, all photos by Joshua Armstrong, Sept. 4, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy is now a major general, following...

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August 24, 2020

Progress to renovate, restore Cadet Chapel is ongoing today

(U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley)   Story by Mila Cisneros, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs, Aug. 24, 2020 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is renovating an iconic Air Force symbol: the Cadet Chapel at the Air Force Academy. The $158 million project aims to fix structural damage to eliminate a longstanding leakage problem after years of ineffective smaller repair efforts. The AFCEC is also managing rehabilitation on the 52,000-square-foot building while retaining its original character and defining elements. This includes the 17 steel spires of tetrahedrons, which soar to a height...

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August 20, 2020

Warthog pilot receives 2020 Jabara Award

By Ray Bowden, Aug. 20, 2020 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- This year’s Colonel James Jabara Award went to A-10C Thunderbolt II pilot Capt. Alexander Boules. Boules, a 2015 Academy graduate, deployed to Afghanistan in 2019 and took part in a heated nighttime airstrike to rescue Afghan special operators trapped by the Taliban. Boules flew into a battle zone peppered with flashes from rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Taliban. “When I tuned-in the Afghan team’s radio frequency, I heard frantic yelling,” he said. The summertime battle lasted more than five hours and along with Boules, involved another U.S. A-10C and two...

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August 19, 2020

Graduate Spirit Mission

Class of 2022 cadets briefly reveal the red side of their masks By Nicole Cox, USAFA Graduate Liaison USAFA red classes conducted a COVID-19 themed spirit mission this week. Led by the Class of 1998, RTBs from the Classes of 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 2010 (among others) raised a monumental $12,198 to buy reversible face masks for the red Class of 2022. The average donation to the effort was $98. The masks were purchased through the same company that makes USAFA's issued black masks and are black on one side and red on the other. While cadets are only authorized...

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