November 8, 2018

Special Ops pilot chosen for Jabara Award

  By Staff Sgt. Charles Rivezzo, Nov. 8, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy formally recognized its 2018 Jabara Award for Airmanship recipient Nov. 8. The Jabara Award for Airmanship is awarded each year to the Academy graduate whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involving aerospace vehicles. Maj. Marc Catalano, a 2006 Academy graduate, was chosen for the award for his actions while deployed as an aircraft commander to Iraq in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support. On the night of Oct. 21, 2016, Catalano and his AC-130U crew of 14...

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November 5, 2018

Air Force Academy preps for April accreditation visit

U.S. Air Force Academy staff and faculty are preparing for the institution's first accreditation visit in 10 years. The accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission is scheduled for April. (U.S. Air Force photo) Story by Ray Bowden, Nov. 5, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- There’s a lot riding on the accreditation process slated to begin in April at the Air Force Academy. It’s the first accreditation visit for the school in 10 years, said Col. Dan Uribe, point man for the Academy side of the accreditation and head of the school’s Foreign Language Department. “It’s not just the...

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November 1, 2018

Research at Academy is unparalleled among undergrad institutions

Story by Lt Col Don Rhymer, Nov. 1, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The United States Air Force Academy is a cutting-edge academic and military institution where innovation, warrior ethos and character development are a foundation of our heritage and the guiding priorities of our future. These pillars of our transformative experience make it possible to train and educate the future leaders of our Air Force to meet the challenges of a complex, sophisticated and fast-paced modern profession of arms. At the heart of the Academy’s innovative spirit is our research enterprise. Research at the Academy is unparalleled...

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November 1, 2018

‘Start now’: Air Force Academy Prep School’s vice commander says cadet candidates experience can lead to success

Lt. Col. Calvin Daniels, the vice commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School (right), poses for a photo with Gen. Robin Rand at the Pentagon in 2010. Daniels was the legislative liaison for the secretary of the Air Force and Rand was the special assistant to the Air Force vice chief of staff. (Courtesy photo) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Oct. 31, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- After 22 years of military service, Lt. Col. Calvin Daniels still prepares his uniform on Friday night for Monday morning. He likes to start the week with his best foot forward....

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October 30, 2018

Cadets earn bronze medal at genetic research competition in Boston

A team of cadet researchers from the U.S. Air Force Academy took the bronze medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in Boston, Oct. 24-28, 2018. (Courtesy photo) By Ray Bowden, Oct. 30, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets took the bronze medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in Boston, Oct. 24-28. The Air Force Academy cadets won the award with a research project with potential to curb fungal infections often found in bullet or shrapnel wounds and other traumatic injuries. “Our purpose was to try and understand why yeast becomes infectious in the human body,...

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October 30, 2018

Cadet for a day Ryleigh reports for duty

Cadet for a Day Ryleigh Messmer sits in the cockpit of a powered-flight aircraft at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Oct. 26, 2018. The eight-year-old has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The Academy, through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosted Ryleigh and her family for a day of fun with cadets and Academy staff. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) By Jennifer Spradlin, Oct 30, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Ryleigh Messmer is a curious, rambunctious eight-year-old living with cystic fibrosis. The Air Force Academy, through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosted her and her family for a...

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October 29, 2018

General public has 1 month to see Cadet Chapel before renovations begin

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Cadet Chapel at the Air Force Academy is scheduled to close Jan. 1 for at least four years for necessary renovations and repairs. Visitors have about one month to visit Colorado’s number one man-made attraction before the preservation and restoration repairs are slated to begin. The Chapel will be open through the holiday season. Visitor hours of operation are 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Chapel is listed on the National Historic Registry and the Academy is proud to oversee the preservation the building for generations of Americans and...

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October 26, 2018

Boxing lessons for the cyber realm

Col. Jaak Tarien of the Estonian Air Force is a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. (Courtesy photo) By Jeff Holmquist, Oct. 26, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- When Col. Jaak Tarien graduated from the U.S. States Air Force Academy as a member of the Class of 1998, he never envisioned becoming a world-renowned expert on cyber security. Yet when he returns for his 20th class reunion this weekend, Tarien has a brand new promotion to brag about -- commander of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. “My roommate during my last two years at...

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October 26, 2018

Air Force Academy cadets take 1st place at mock trial competition in Washington

Cadets on the Mock Trial Team at the U.S. Air Force Academy pose for a photo at the Spokane County Superior Courthouse in Washington. The team took first place in the Bulldog Brawl Invitational, a two-day mock-trial tournament hosted by Gonzaga University, Oct. 20-21. (Courtesy photo) By Ray Bowden, Oct. 26, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Air Force took first place in the Bulldog Brawl Invitational, a two-day mock trial tournament hosted by Gonzaga University, Washington, Oct. 20-21. The competition at the Spokane County Superior Courthouse featured six competing schools fielding 12 mock-trial teams. Cadet 1st Class Justin Maxwell...

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October 24, 2018

Cadet volunteer head-coaches children’s soccer team

Sara Burton (far right), a junior cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, stands with the children and staff on the  Avengers soccer team, sponsored by the Colorado Springs youth sports program. Burton was the team's head coach until the season ended in October.  (Courtesy photo by Deb Gravelle) By Jennifer Spradlin, Oct. 24, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Sara Burton, a junior cadet at the Air Force Academy, grew up in a soccer family, the daughter of a soccer coach and one of five siblings who all played the sport. Sara started playing as a six-year-old in Martinsburg, West Virginia,...

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