September 6, 2019

Academy cadet, pilot says family support keeps his dreams aloft

Cadet 1st Class Alexander Brown. (Photo/U.S. Air Force Academy) By Jennifer Spradlin, Sept. 6, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- As a boy, Alexander Brown had a big dream: become a pilot. Brown, now a senior at the Air Force Academy, said his family helped him turn that dream into a realistic goal. “I tell people that no matter how big your dreams seem to others, if you believe in that dream, find the right people to support and mentor you, and go for it,” he said. At 10, they bought him a flight simulator, which he modified to include...

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September 4, 2019

Cadet commentary: Soaking up Operations Air Force ‘like a sponge’

Back row, middle: Cadet 2nd Class Spencer Flint and other cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy pose for a photo during their Air Force Operations visit to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, this summer. (Courtesy photo) Commentary by Cadet 2nd Class Spencer Flint, Sept. 4, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- I traveled to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma this summer for two weeks with other cadets to take part in Operations Air Force. It’s a program designed to help cadets better understand how the Air Force works and how officers, noncommissioned officers and successfully team up to complete...

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August 28, 2019

’99 Academy grad credits Academy airfield with changing his life

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Aug. 28, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Twenty years into his career as an Air Force aviator, Lt. Col. Richard Pantusa firmly believes two things: aviation is a team activity, and no team is successful without trust. He credits his experience at the Air Force Academy Airfield for introducing him to these concepts and changing the direction of his career and ultimately, his life. “I came to the Air Force Academy expecting to have a career in research and development [as an engineer], but my exposure to the aviation programs at the Academy after...

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August 27, 2019

Air Force pilot trainee accepts tennis award, life’s challenges

Story by 2nd Lt. Robert Guest, Aug. 23, 2019 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – Second Lt. Isaac Perez, a former tennis player at the U.S. Air Force Academy, has been named a 2019 Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recipient by the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Perez will be presented with the award during the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York Aug. 24, 2019. "Isaac was a role-model for my team the day he stepped on our courts and has always displayed the utmost respect and sportsmanship while representing the Academy," said Dan Oosterhous, head men’s tennis coach...

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August 23, 2019

Flight Training Center benefits cadets, Academy community

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Aug. 23, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Leanne Trump grew up listening to stories about service and aviation dating back to World War II. A self-described military brat who grew up on Air Force Bases across the country, Trump developed a love for flying before she ever climbed into a cockpit. Now a senior at the Academy, Trump recently completed her first solo flight at the Flight Training Center and is pursuing her private pilot’s license. Exposure to the Academy’s Aero Club staff and additional flight lessons have helped Trump decide to pursue aviation...

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August 22, 2019

German military officials visit Academy equestrian center, see potential in equine therapy model

Story by Janine Dreger, Aug. 22, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A delegation of German military health officials visited the Air Force Academy equestrian center to learn about an equine therapy program currently offered by a nonprofit organization to service members, veterans and their families here, Aug. 20. Equine therapy promotes self-confidence, problem solving, and improved mood through supervised interactions with horses. It has been linked to positive outcomes for a wide range of behavioral health conditions. “This is really about taking care of warriors and learning how to help them be successful in their lives,” said Col....

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August 20, 2019

Cadet Chapel to close for restoration project Sept. 4

Staff Reports, Aug. 20, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The iconic Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy will close for more than three years beginning Sept. 4 for necessary repairs. After removing the Chapel’s furnishings and other preparations, the actual work on the $158 million project will begin on Nov. 1 and projected for completion on Nov. 1, 2022. Visitors now have a little more than two weeks to visit this registered National Historic Landmark, also ranked Colorado’s No. 1 man-made attraction, before the preservation and restoration process begins. The Chapel will be open through...

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August 17, 2019

Texas twins conquer initial training at separate military academies

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Aug. 18, 2019 Aubrie and Emma. Emma and Aubrie. From birth, the Kuhrt twins from Wichita Falls, Texas, have been a tight pair, so much so that both were more comfortable saying ‘we’ than ‘I.’ This summer was a big milestone for the young women as each began a rigorous phase of military training at separate service academies. Aubrie chose the U.S. Air Force Academy while Emma selected the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “As long as we can remember we have wanted to join the military,” Emma said. “In about seventh grade, our teacher asked...

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August 16, 2019

Air Force Academy hosts AF Firefighters for EMT certification training

Story and photo by Jennifer Spradlin, Aug. 16, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Firefighters from across the Air Force travelled to the Air Force Academy recently to enhance their Emergency Medical Services skills. Eighteen students are participating in an accelerated Emergency Medical Technician course, which will qualify them to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians test. “The purpose of this training is to get consistent, quality EMS throughout the Air Force by certifying members as Emergency Medical Technicians and training our providers on a variety of [more advanced] skills,” said Shawn Ragsdale, EMS program coordinator here....

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August 14, 2019

Academy caregiver recognized by Red Cross

Staff Reports, Aug. 13, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Last December, Diane Perez was settling into her morning routine at the Air Force Academy Child Development Center when her colleagues from a neighboring room began calling for help. A toddler in their room was choking on a portion of bananas served during breakfast. The caregivers responsible for the child could not dislodge the food. Perez, a mother of two, instructed the front desk to call 911 and ran into the room, where she said the boy was already turning purple. “It was scary,” she said. “I saw the...

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