Seminar course empowers cadets with core engineering skills
Cadet 2nd Class Joshua Dibb practices welding skills in the Engineering Skills Seminar Dec. 9, 2024. The course functions as a shop class because it teaches cadets the foundational mechanical skills to progress in their major. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy cadets strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the Engineering Tools Seminar while learning fundamental shop skills. The Department of Mechanical Engineering course integrates theoretical knowledge with hands-on application of 3D printing, machining, welding and woodworking skills to prepare cadets for the rapidly evolving military mechanical engineering career field.
Cultivating analytical skills for real-world challenges
The seminar, also known as ME 205, aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, said Capt. Aaron Bauer, Class of 2018, the department’s deputy laboratory director. Instructors place an emphasis on foundational engineering tools with classroom practice through related hardware, software, program-specific techniques and the safe operation of critical lab equipment.
“In ME 205, we provide cadets with a dynamic environment where they can explore engineering concepts, develop hands-on skills and cultivate the analytical mindset they need for effective decision-making,” Bauer said. “Our program is focused on preparing cadets for the unpredictable and multifaceted challenges they will face as officers in the mechanical engineering career field.”
The department is ranked sixth in the U.S. News and World Report 2025 rankings.
Developing machining abilities for future engineers
Cadets arrive at the Academy with varying levels of hands-on mechanical skills. Some have little to no experience. Others are like Cadet 2nd Class Joshua Dibb who knew his way around the shop from his childhood in a farming community. The course took his skills to a different level.
“One of the reasons I chose the Mechanical Engineering major was the opportunity to work in the lab and develop my machining abilities,” Dibb said. “My confidence has grown with each new machine I learn to use from the lathe machinery to the 3D printers. This class has been critical in my development within the Mechanical Engineering major.”
A Department of Mechanical Engineering cadet works on a project in the Engineering Skills Seminar Dec. 9, 2024. Cadets now take the course during their second year at the U.S. Air Force Academy to learn the foundational skills they will need for success in their major. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
Building early foundations for engineering success
The Engineering Skills Seminar was originally offered during the cadets’ third year. This year, the department moved the course to the second year of the curriculum to give cadets the foundational skills they need for success in the major. The strategic shift ensures cadets develop foundational skills earlier in their academic careers. They are then more prepared to tackle more complex engineering challenges with confidence and competence, Bauer said.
“We moved ME 205 from the third to second year to get cadets in the lab more,” Bauer said. “The Engineering Skills Seminar is when they learn how to build projects. They face problems in going from a concept to a model to a final product and learn all the challenges in between. In the end, engineers want to make things.”
Systematic problem-solving training
The course targets several core competencies essential for success in engineering and leadership roles. First, cadets develop their analytical thinking as they are trained to approach problems systematically. Second, they enhance their creative problem-solving skills through the seminar’s focus on innovation, encouraging them to think outside the box. Finally, cadets learn to make effective decisions under uncertain conditions because many instructors present many exercises with intentionally incomplete information. This process helps cadets develop confidence in making decisions under pressure, a skill later courses take to the next level, Bauer said.
“By the end of their junior year, cadets are expected to make something to solve a problem or test a project,” Bauer said. “For example, they might measure the efficiency of a thermal system or study fluid dynamics in a controlled environment. The activities in this class and other higher-level courses foster problem-solving skills, but the foundation is laid in ME 205.”
Cadet 2nd Class Antonio Tornese inspects a project in the Engineering Skills Seminar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Dec. 9, 2024. The course introduces cadets to essential engineering skills early in their academic careers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)
Machining mastery: from concepts to creation
The skills gained in the Engineering Skills Seminar extend beyond the classroom. By introducing cadets to essential engineering tools and techniques early in their academic careers, the department ensures they are prepared to face the challenges in their future roles as leaders and innovators in their U.S. Air Force career field.
“With my new skills I learned in the lab, I already machined and created a dynameter for a final project for one of my classes,” Dibb said. “My confidence in the lab has grown with each new machine I learned to use. I have so many plans and projects I want to start on my own time as well as for my major.”
See more photos of cadets working on Mechanical Engineering projects at Flickr.