Roadrunners on ‘Cloud 9’ after Commandant’s Challenge win

By Maureen Welch, Oct. 18, 2017

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Cadet Squadron 32’s “Roadrunners” beat-out the competition to win the annual Commandant’s Challenge this month.

The annual competition took place Oct. 12-14, pitting the 40 squadrons against each other.

“The Roadrunners are on ‘Cloud 9” after their win,” said Master Sgt. John Phillips, an academy military trainer at the squadron. “They took the top spot with points to spare.”

Senior cadet and “Roadrunner” Michelle Ingle, said CS-32 was unified in its desire to take first place.

“We knew we had to be on the same page to get things done,” she said. “It’s rewarding to know that our dedication and ‘all in’ attitude made us come out on top.”

The Challenge began Oct. 12 and included a mock-security patrol to recover a downed aircrew, and a workout of two one-mile runs, 100 pullups, 200 pushups and 300 squats.

This year, CS-32 selected a graduate who was killed in action and dedicated their efforts during the competition in his or honor.

Cadet Squadron 32 picked Maj. Steven Plumhoff, a 1992 graduate formerly assigned to the squadron. He died in 2003 when his helicopter crashed in Afghanistan.

“We represented CS-32 well and we honored Major Plumhoff even better,” Ingle said. “That’s what the ‘Roadrunners’ are all about – teamwork.”

Learn more about Cadet Squadrons.