April 29, 2022

Secretary of Defense Austin named Class of ‘22 commencement speaker

WASHINGTON (Jan. 23, 2021) Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Jan 23, 2020.(U.S. Army photo by Spc. XaViera Masline) By U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark and the Class of 2022 are honored to announce the 28th Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin III, will be the commencement speaker for the Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony May 25, 2022. Austin was sworn in as the 28th Secretary of Defense January 22, 2021. He's is...

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April 25, 2022

Air Force Academy, Air University partnership shows growth 2 years after agreement signed

Lt. Col. Daniel Bolin (upper left), an Air University-U.S. Air Force Academy liaison, teaches operations design in an Academy classroom in April 2022. A memorandum of understanding signed two years ago between Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. and the Air Force Academy increases the partnership between the Air and Space Force's two flagship educational institutions. (Courtesy photo) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Relationships between the Air Force’s top educational institutions continue to grow two years after the Air Force Academy superintendent and Air University president signed an...

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April 21, 2022

U.S. Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel restoration project expands

Efforts to preserve national historic landmark extend completion date to 2027 (Photo by Trevor Cokley) Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - A meticulous renovation project to revamp the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel became even more painstaking with the discovery of the extent of asbestos throughout the iconic 60 year old building. Discovering more asbestos than originally predicted adds a new layer of complexity to the renovations that began in September 2019, but the plan to restore every facet of the building to its original state remains the same, said Lt. Gen....

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April 21, 2022

Cadets collaborate in B-52 Bomber ejection seat redesign

A redesign of the B-52 Bomber’s ejection survival kit was the main topic of the CyberWorx innovation design sprint on April 6-8, 2022. By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Photos by Trevor Cokley & Clara Cirks U.S. AIR FOR ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets recently collaborated in a redesign of the B-52 Bomber’s aging survival equipment hosted by the Air Force CyberWorx innovation center at the United States Air Force Academy on April 6-8, 2022 Cadets participated in a ‘design sprint’ with academic faculty, private industry experts, B-52 crewmembers, the Global Strike Command’s StrikeWerx innovation cell, and representatives from the B-52 System...

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April 18, 2022

U.S. Air Force Academy celebrates research achievements at annual awards ceremony

Photo by Joshua Armstrong Story by Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - A new award was unveiled at the annual Dean’s Research Awards Ceremony, and the Air Force’s top research officer encouraged cadets to never give up their fight for innovation April 8. The annual ceremony heralds the school’s research programs spanning the academic majors, including engineering, humanities, science and social sciences. Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the ceremony’s guest speaker, said the schools scientific endeavors advances the...

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April 18, 2022

U.S. Air Force Academy’s computer and cyber sciences department recognized as ‘National Center of Academic Excellence’

By Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs  U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The National Security Agency named the U.S. Air Force Academy’s computer and cyber sciences department a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense earlier this year, placing the school in the ranks of six other colleges in Colorado advancing cyber security. The designation is awarded to regionally accredited institutions offering graduates cyber security credentials and, at the Academy, the title is valid through 2027 Maj. Bobby Birrer, the Academy’s cyber science branch chief, said the NSA completed two reviews of the computer and cyber...

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April 15, 2022

Commentary: Air Force Academy plays leading role in 2022’s great space rush

Col. Chris McClernon, associate dean of research and director of the research office at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force Academy photo) Commentary by Col. Chris McClernon U.S. Air Force Academy associate dean of research U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - One week after the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, I reflect on the significance of the event. More than 10,000 people attended this year’s symposium representing small business, big business, academia and defense organizations from more than 40 countries. Colorado is the nation’s No. 1 state for private-sector space employment per capita and produces the U.S.’s second-largest...

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April 11, 2022

Elon Musk urges cadet researchers at U.S. Air Force Academy to keep innovating, make rocket launches ‘boring’

Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent, and Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, discuss space exploration and innovation during the Ira C. Eaker Lecture, Air Force Academy, Colo., April 7, 2022. Musk encouraged cadets to tackle research problems, break barriers and turn fiction into reality. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- SpaceX CEO Elon Musk motivated cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy to keep the research industry on its toes by fighting complacency and working overtime to break boundaries. “We want...

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April 6, 2022

Cadets launch the future of space imagery

Falcon Neuro is hosted on the STP-H7/8 external payload in outer space. The payload was photographed by external cameras on the International Space Station. (Photo credit: NASA) By Public Affairs/Strategic Communications Photos by Joshua Armstrong/Trevor Cokley U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Cadet research projects at the United States Air Force Academy are frequently launched into low-Earth orbit, giving cadets ample opportunities to learn space by doing space. An ongoing project is Falcon Neuro, with cadets and faculty using neuromorphic cameras attached to the International Space Station to study lighting across the Earth and electrical discharges in space known as...

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April 6, 2022

DoD’s chief experience officer sees Academy benchmarks in improving IT for Airmen, Guardians

Story by Ray Bowden, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A top technology official at the Air Force Academy said the school is an “incubator of IT capabilities” that could benefit the entire Air Force and Space Force in using and managing its IT infrastructure. “We’re a fully operational IT ecosystem, which provides the two services with new ideas on how to employ and manage mobile device technologies and cloud-hosted resources,” said the Academy’s chief technology officer, Mike Andrews. Andrews, and his boss, Col. Harold Hoang, the Academy’s communications...

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