Friday, April 3rd

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Friday, April 3rd --   On this day, back in 1951 -- Captain James Jabara records the first of his 15 kills during the Korean War.  America’s first jet ace, Jabara is the namesake of the Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship that the Academy and the Association of Graduates jointly present annually to an Academy graduate, living or deceased, whose actions directly associated with an aerospace vehicle set him or her apart from contemporaries.  …Also on this day, back in 1998 -- The first annual Founders Day Dinner takes place in Doolittle Hall.  The Association of Graduates, the Rampart Chapter, and the Academy collaborated on the event.  …for the...

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Thursday, April 2nd

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Thursday, April 2nd --   On this day, back in 1994 -- The Rampart Chapter of the USAFA Association of Graduates and the Air Force Academy Society co-sponsor a celebration of the Academy’s 40th anniversary.  General Michael Carns, Class of ’59 and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, spoke at the event held at the Lowry Air Force Base Officers’ Club.    …Also on this day, back in 2017 – Retired Colonel and former astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the oldest person to fly with the Air Force Thunderbirds, at the age of 87.  In 1955 and 56, then-First Lieutenant Aldrin had been a member of the original Academy cadre at Lowry Air...

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Tuesday, March 31st

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Tuesday, March 31st --  On this day, back in 1984 -- Cadet Marci McGlinn, Class of ’85, wins the first of her two consecutive national championships in the vault at the NCAA Division II women’s gymnastics team finals at Springfield, Massachusetts.  …Also on this day, back in 2023 -- Liberty University names Retired Major General Dondi Costin, Class of ‘86, as its president.  Costin, the former Air Force Chief of Chaplains, had spent the previous five years leading Charleston Southern University in South Carolina.  …for the latest video for cadets, by cadets, follow us on YouTube @ USAFAOfficial. 

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Monday, March 30th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Monday, March 30th --  On this day, back in 1959 -- The Cadet Chorale makes its first national appearance.  The Chorale appeared with the West Point Glee Club and Metropolitan Opera star Robert Merrill on the CBS television special “America Pauses for Springtime.”  …Also on this day, back in 2023 -- The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation announces its men’s gymnastics awards, with Air Force’s Josh Loeser earning 2023 MPSF Coach of the Year honors.  In his fourth year as head coach of the Falcons, he guided the team to a number 8 national ranking in the regular season.  …for the business-focused social media side...

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Weekend of March 28th and 29th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for the Weekend of March 28th and 29th --  On this day, back in 1973 -- The repatriation of prisoners of war at the conclusion of the Vietnam War nears its completion with the release of Major Edward Leonard Jr. (Class of ’60), Major Paul Robinson Jr. (’62), Captain John Cerak (’67), Captain Timothy Ayres (’68), Captain William Beekman (‘68), and First Lieutenant William Reich (’70).  …Also this weekend, back in 2008 -- The Academy’s Wings of Blue Parachute team sets a National Collegiate Large Formation record.  The 41-person mid-air formation during freefall above the Gila Bend Auxiliary Airfield, Arizona, broke the previous record of 39 set by the Wings of Blue in March 2006.  …all...

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Friday, March 27th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Friday, March 27th --   On this day, back in 1962 -- Professor William Emerson of Yale delivers the fourth Harmon Memorial Lecture.  The World War II fighter pilot spoke on “The Combined Bomber Offensive.”  …Also on this day, back in 2011 -- Captain Christopher McConnell, Class of ‘05, flies the mission for which he would receive the 2013 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship.  His heroic actions occurred during a 21+ hour Operation ODYSSEY DAWN mission that marked the first time B-1s had launched on a combat mission from the continental U.S. in order to strike enemy targets.  …for the latest video for cadets, by cadets, follow us on YouTube @ USAFAOfficial. 

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Thursday, March 26th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Thursday, March 26th --   On this day, back in 1965 -- The Academy announces that Cadet Orvin Ramlo, Class of ’65, has won a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and an Atomic Energy Commission Fellowship.    …Also on this day, back in 1994 -- The Airman Awards Banquet is held in Mitchell Hall.  Medal of Honor recipient John Levitow was the guest speaker.  As an Airman First Class, he earned the award in Vietnam in 1969, becoming the lowest ranking enlisted member to receive the Medal of Honor.  …for a behind-the-scenes look at cadet life, follow us on Instagram at AF_Academy! 

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Wednesday, March 25th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Wednesday, March 25th --  On this day, back in 1863 -- The first Medal of Honor is awarded, to Army Private Jacob Parrott for a Civil War mission behind enemy lines.  Since then, more than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded, including to Captain Lance Sijan, Class of ’65.  In 1990, Congress passed a resolution establishing March 25th as National Medal of Honor Day.  …Also on this day, back in 1988 -- The 28th Annual Airman Awards Banquet is held in Mitchell Hall.  Retired Chief Master Sergeant Robert Gaylor, former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, was the guest speaker.  …for recent photos of cadet activities, follow us...

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Tuesday, March 24th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Tuesday, March 24th --  On this day, back in 1970 – Cadet John Penney, Class of ’70, establishes the soaring altitude record.  Starting at the Academy airfield, he was launched by airplane tow at 11,500 feet altitude over Manitou Springs.  He caught a mountain wave and rode the glider above Pikes Peak to the altitude of 33,900 feet.  …Also on this day, back in 2017 -- The Academy ice hockey team defeats Western Michigan 5-4 in the first round of the NCAA hockey tournament in Providence, Rhode Island.  It was the Falcon hockey program’s second-ever NCAA tournament win.  …for the latest video for cadets, by cadets, follow us on YouTube @ USAFAOfficial. 

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Monday, March 23rd

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Monday, March 23rd--  On this day, back in 1963 -- The Academy hosts a seminar devoted to “the airplane in the space age.” Speakers included representatives of the Boeing Company, the NASA Flight Research Center, and the Aeronautical Systems Division.  …Also on this day, back in 2018 -- The Academy ice hockey team beats St. Cloud State by a score of 4-1 in the NCAA tournament first-round game played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. St. Cloud had the top seed in the sixteen-team tournament, and the win marked the first time in school history...

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