August 9, 2019

Academy graduates selected for Thunderbirds 2020 demonstration season

Staff Reports, Aug. 9, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Two Air Force Academy graduates were officially selected to join the United States Air Force Thunderbirds 2020 demonstration season. Capt. Zane Taylor, a 2010 graduate, has been selected as Thunderbird No. 4, the team’s Slot Pilot. He will fly just aft of the No. 1 jet and between the two wingmen. Capt. Katherine Moorkamp, a 2013 graduate, has been selected as Thunderbird No. 10, the team’s executive officer. Her responsibilities will include leading an executive support staff responsible for Thunderbirds budget, training and force support actions for the commander....

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August 8, 2019

Air Force Academy awarded accreditation until 2028-2029

Story by Tech. Sgt. Charles Rivezzo, Aug. 8, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.  – Air Force Academy officials recently announced the results of the institution’s academic accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. The final report from the HLC found the university met all of the criteria for accreditation and federal compliance requirements without comments, reaffirming its accredited status until the 2028-2029 academic year. “This is the best possible outcome for an academic institution and is exactly what we wanted out of this review,” said Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, Air Force Academy superintendent. “This is the result of great work...

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August 2, 2019

Air Force Academy hosts first-ever convocation ceremony

Story by Tech. Sgt. Charles Rivezzo, Aug. 2, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – For the first time, the Air Force Academy held a convocation ceremony Aug. 2, welcoming the incoming cadets from the Class of 2023. Much like how graduation marks the end of the academic year, convocation is an academic ceremony to mark the beginning of the academic year and the collegiate careers of the Academy’s newest cadets. Academy superintendent, Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, opened the ceremony by imploring the incoming class to recognize the opportunities and challenges that lie in front of them. “There will be...

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August 2, 2019

Cadet Summer Research Program: ‘Let’s play in a sandbox!’

Commentary by Lt. Col. Thomas Smicklas, Center of Innovation deputy director U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Since 2007, the Department of Homeland Security and the Air Force Academy have championed game-changing innovations for the U.S. government by leveraging unique public-private partnerships. Our Center of Innovation has become a one-of-a-kind “sandbox” for government agencies, private industry giants, and academia to perform collaborative research, share expertise and shape technologies within the private sector to fit government needs. The value of these partnerships allows the government to see into the future of market-shaping research technology; private industry to gain insight into the...

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August 1, 2019

Academy cadets’ invention to support battlefield Airmen awarded patents

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Aug. 1, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Looking for a challenge? Try coming up with a 100 different ways to get a battlefield Airman loaded with gear from a hovering aircraft to the ground -- quickly and safely. A team of Air Force Academy cadets took on this exact challenge while completing their mechanical and systems engineering degrees in 2016 and now their technology has been awarded three patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The project was part of an annual Air Force Research Laboratory University Design Challenge. Each service academy and...

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July 31, 2019

Basic cadets march back from Jacks Valley with Academy graduates

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, July 31, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Basic cadets from the Class of 2023 marched back from Jacks Valley to the main Academy grounds today after completing field training. During field training, cadets honed the mental, teamwork and physical conditioning skills critical to becoming fourth class cadets in the Cadet Wing. Among other rigorous demands, they tackled the challenges of the leadership reaction course and ran the confidence and assault courses. They also conducted first aid and combat arms training. “The skills and abilities you’ve garnered over the past 34 days are invaluable and...

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July 30, 2019

Academy plays central role in developing tomorrow’s STEM leaders

Story by Jennifer Spradlin, July 30, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A recent article in Forbes noted the highest percentage of CEOs with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees aren’t who the reader might expect: four star generals in the military. Devin Cate, the director of the Air Force’s Test and Evaluation directorate, said that trend is likely to continue as leaders at all levels of the military prepare for a complex 21st century battlespace. “We need to create a community of young engineers and scientists focused on cybersecurity, energy delivery and electronic communications,” Cate said. “Airmen...

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July 29, 2019

5 Things You Need to Know About Wednesday’s March Back

Staff Reports, July 29, 2019 For basic cadets of the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2023, their transformation from civilians to cadets began a new chapter July 21st as they marched out to Jacks Valley for 10 days of intensive field training. During the week-and-a-half long training, basic cadets live in field-like conditions and endure arguably the most difficult portion of their 6-week Basic Cadet Training. Everything from learning how to properly handle and fire an M-4 Carbine to chemical warfare training to several trials on various obstacle courses, Jacks Valley serves as the “unofficial” culmination of BCT. The march...

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July 23, 2019

USAFA to hold open house to share AICUZ study results

By Staff Reports, July 22, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The U.S. Air Force Academy will host a public release open house to share the recommendations of its recent Air Installations Compatibility Use Zones (AICUZ) study at the Pikes Peak Library District East Library on July 24, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The 2019 study, which is an update to the Academy’s 2005 AICUZ study and 2015 noise contours revalidation, evaluates aircraft noise and land use compatibility associated with the Air Force Academy’s flight operations. “We look forward to sharing information with our community about the...

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July 19, 2019

AF Academy professor, astronaut reflects on space program, Apollo 11 mission

By Jennifer Spradlin, July 19, 2019 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- What does the Air Force Academy have to do with man’s first flight to the moon? A lot, actually, if you ask Gary Payton, a NASA astronaut and distinguished visiting astronautics professor at the Academy. “We’re preparing cadets for a space domain that has transitioned from a sanctuary – pretty much since the Apollo era – to what is now considered a warfighting arena,” he said. He’s right. In 2019 alone, two cadet-designed satellites are slated to join a collection of U.S. space assets. FalconSAT-8 will carry a new...

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