Academy hosts cadets from 27 countries during International Week
Col. Daniel Uribe (right), head of the Foreign Languages Department at the U.S. Air Force Academy, talks to foreign cadets and officers about the school’s mission of developing leaders of character in the Visitor’s Center auditorium, Oct. 22, 2018. The event was the audience’s introduction to International Week, an annual event at the school designed to give Academy cadets and officers a chance to exchange ideas and develop relationships with their international counterparts. In all, cadets and officers from 27 countries are attending International Week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley)
Story by Ray Bowden, Oct. 23, 2018
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The Air Force Academy laid out the welcome mat for cadets and officers from service academies around the world during International Week, Oct 22.-26.
Hosted each year by the Academy’s International Program staff and cadets, International Week gives cadets and officers from across the globe a chance to mingle and discuss their own academy experiences.
Capt. Axel Boors of the Netherlands Armed Forces chaperoned Dutch cadets.
“That’s the best thing about it — the chance to build relationships and see how each country conducts its business,” he said.
International Week began Oct. 22 with introductions from each international cadet and their escorting officers in the Visitor’s Center auditorium. The meet-and-greet was hosted by Col. Daniel Uribe, head of the Academy’s Department of Foreign Languages.
“The intent of this opportunity is for you to learn about us and for us to learn about you,” he said.
Before the intros, Uribe spoke to the international cadets about how the Academy serves the U.S. and how International Week benefits cadets from any nation.
“The overall purpose is to increase understanding of different cultures by fostering communication between our cadets and our international partners,” he said. “It’s a terrific opportunity to increase the cultural, military and language expertise of our future officers.”
Maj. Jean Baptiste Blanc of the French Armed Forces, another chaperoning officer, said International Week revolves around the exchange of information and ideas.
“We’re glad to be here and we’re looking forward to exchanging with cadets from all the academies,” he said.
Like many Air Force Academy cadets, many cadets said during their intros they hoped to become a pilot or described their academy’s pilot training. They also share similar academic programs at their academies, with many international cadets describing their astronautical engineering, navigation, human resources, computer science and other studies.
This year, the Academy is hosting cadets from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia and the U.K.
Military service academy cadets from Denmark introduce themselves to a group of international cadets and officers Oct. 22, 2018 in the Visitor’s Center auditorium at the U.S. Air Force Academy. They and cadets and officers from 26 other countries visited the Academy to take part in International Week, an annual event at the Academy that gives U.S. cadets a chance to meet and form relationships with their international counterparts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley)