April 23, 2025

Day one ready: cadets hone their basic combat skills

A first-degree cadet fires an M-18 pistol at the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance firing range, Feb. 28, 2025. Small arms marksmanship is one of the basic combat and warfighting skills cadets routinely train on at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The U.S. Air Force Academy produces officers prepared to win decisively, intelligently and relentlessly. Rigorous and iterative warfighter training starts with basic combat skills. Cadets must progress in their foundational learning while at the Academy, and this...

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April 15, 2025

Leading with strategy: Shaping cadets for the complexities of tomorrow

Lt. Col. Emily Bulger, U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Management assistant professor, blends real-world leadership with research-backed teaching practices to prepare the next generation of officers. A 2005 Academy graduate, Bulger considers her return to the Academy as a professor a natural continuation of her journey in leadership and service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Whether commanding a finance squadron or leading cadets through business simulations, Lt. Col. Emily Bulger brings strategic depth and operational competency to everything she does. As an...

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April 8, 2025

Cadet Wing commander promotes warrior ethos

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Wing Commander Cadet 1st Class Joseph Tschetter takes command of the Cadet Wing on the Terrazzo, Jan. 3, 2025. As the Academy’s highest-ranking cadet, Tschetter is instrumental in cadet development as warrior leaders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray Bahner) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – As Cadet Wing commander, Cadet 1st Class Joseph Tschetter connects cadets with U.S. Air Force Academy command staff to foster military excellence and warrior ethos. Additionally, the Academy’s highest-ranking cadet supports the Cadet Wing’s development into warfighters prepared to tackle...

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April 7, 2025

Arctic research examines impact on operational readiness

Cadets 2nd Class Anna Bardorf, Emma Bingen and Jordan Martinez stand with Cadets 1st Class Billie Botes, Colby Deleeuw and Kelsey Monaghan-Bergson on the Turnagain Arm Scenic Boardwalk at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Anchorage, Nov. 28, 2024. The U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership’s Yukon Field School trip taught the cadets to identify potential challenges for future warrior leaders assigned to the region. (Courtesy photo provided by Capt. Samantha Van Cleave) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – As global interest in the Arctic escalates, the...

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April 4, 2025

Academy recognizes military spouse for heroic life-saving actions

Mrs. Alicia Shamblin, a registered nurse and military spouse, embraces Cadet 3rd Class Boaz Abramoff during an award ceremony at Polaris Hall, March 31, 2025. Shamblin was recognized for her swift response and medical expertise that saved Abramoff’s life following a parachuting accident on July 31, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy recognized Mrs. Alicia Shamblin for her extraordinary actions that saved the life of a cadet during an award ceremony, March 31. Shamblin, a registered nurse and...

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April 2, 2025

CATM renovations enhance training efficiency, safety

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s 10th Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM) facility recently underwent extensive renovations, significantly improving operational efficiency, training capacity, and safety. These upgrades, completed ahead of schedule, have transformed how CATM conducts weapons training, supporting Academy personnel and regional military and law enforcement agencies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy’s 10th Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM) facility recently underwent extensive renovations, significantly improving operational efficiency, training capacity, and...

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March 14, 2025

New self-help store serves cadets

Cadet 4th Class Eden Hewes, U-Fix-It store customer, drives a screw into her wardrobe to repair a latch, at Vandenberg Hall, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Jan. 14, 2025. U-Fix-It is a new self-help store at Sijan Hall and is open to all cadets and Academy personnel to support minor maintenance and repair issues. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn) By Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Academy’s 10th Civil Engineer Squadron recently opened a self-help store in Sijan Hall. Dubbed “U-Fix-It,” Academy leadership intends for...

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March 11, 2025

Cadets test warfighter readiness in spring CULEX

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets conduct the 2025 Spring Culminating Exercise opening ceremony at the Academy, Colo., March 5, 2025. This exercise marks a significant shift from previous iterations, serving as a test of concept for future training exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray Bahner) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy cadets took on the rigorous Spring 2025 Culminating Exercise (CULEX), an essential training event designed to enhance their warfighter readiness and leadership skills, March 5-8. This year’s exercise marks a significant shift from previous iterations,...

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March 3, 2025

DAF senior leaders highlight warrior ethos, lethality during NCLS

An audience of cadets, faculty, service members, visiting undergraduate students and community leaders listen to a senior leader panel during the National Character and Leadership Symposium at the Arnold Hall Theater, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Feb. 21, 2025. NCLS is the Academy’s annual leadership symposium bringing together distinguished scholars, military leaders, corporate executives, and world-class athletes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Tech Sgt Zachary Vaughn U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. military general officers and senior enlisted advisors headlined a senior leader panel during the 32nd annual National Character...

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February 26, 2025

From cadet to missileer to mentor: shaping future leaders

Maj. Kaz “Dexter” Moffett, U.S. Air Force Academy Physics instructor, poses for a photo at the Academy, Colo., Feb. 12, 2025. Moffett, a 2014 Academy graduate, served as a missileer and weapons officer where he gained extensive operational experience with the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system before returning to the Academy as an instructor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Returning to the U.S. Air Force Academy as an instructor in the Department of Physics and Meteorology has been more than just a...

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