Weekend of May 24th and 25th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for the Weekend of May 24th and 25th-  On this day, back in 2006 -- A fast-moving grass fire burns 361 acres of foothills near the Academy’s southern boundary.  Approximately 200 Academy and local firefighters and an air tanker responded, getting the fire under control within four hours.  More than 40 horses were evacuated from the Academy Equestrian Center, but no injuries or structural damage occurred.  …Also this weekend, back in 2022 -- The Class of ’22 graduates in Falcon Stadium.  The Secretary of Defense, Retired Army General Lloyd Austin III...

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Friday, May 23rd

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Friday, May 23rd- On this day, back in 1981 -- The Outstanding Squadron Banquet is held at the Broadmoor. Retired General Russell Dougherty was the emcee, while actor Charlton Heston was the guest speaker. Cadet Squadron 4 was the honor squadron. …Also on this day, back in 2001 -- Callie (Calhoun) Molloy, Class of ’91, is inducted into the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame. She won five NCAA national championships in track, with an additional win in cross country. The presentation took place on the tenth...

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Thursday, May 22nd

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Wednesday, May 22nd-  On this day, back in 1990  --  Air Force Special Operations Command is established at Hurlburt Field, Florida.  Major General Thomas Eggers, Class of ’64, was its first commander.    …Also on this day, back in 2021  --  Virgin Galactic makes its first rocket-powered flight to the fringe of space in a manned shuttle.  Departing from New Mexico, the vehicle reached Mach 3 and an altitude of more than 55 miles above the Earth.  Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Latimer, Class of ’87, and Michael Masucci, Class of ’85,...

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Wednesday, May 21st

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Wednesday, May 21st-  On this day, back in 1968  --  Captain Phillip Maywald, Class of ’63, flies the mission for which he would receive the Air Force Cross.  Flying an O-2A, he braved an intense and deadly barrage of hostile gunfire for more than two hours while controlling the rescue of a pilot who had been downed by antiaircraft fire deep within hostile territory in Laos.    …Also on this day, back in 1995  --  The Academy’s SAT-B is launched on a helium-filled balloon, the precursor of the FalconSAT projects that...

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Tuesday, May 20th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Tuesday, May 20th  On this day, back in 1951 -- Captain James Jabara becomes America's first jet ace when he scores his 5th and 6th victories in MiG Alley during the Korean War.  In 1967, the Academy and the Association of Graduates established The Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship.    …Also on this day, back in 2013 -- Major Rob Marshall, Class of ’01, and three airmen summit Mount Everest in Nepal.  At 29,032 feet above sea level (more than twice as high as Pikes Peak), the top of the...

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Monday, May 19th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Monday, May 19th-  On this day, back in 1972 -- The Cadet Wing honors 12 returning Academy graduate Prisoners Of War and two non-grad POWs with a dress parade.  The event was part of the Academy’s Armed Forces Day celebration.     …Also on this day, back in 2011 -- Cadets break the Guinness World Record for the largest dodgeball game, with 3,623 cadets participating.  The previous record had been 2,136 people, set by the Rochester Institute of Technology on 1 May 2011.  By the time Guinness officially confirmed the Academy’s...

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Weekend of May 17th and 18th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for the Weekend of May 17th-  On this day, back in 1962 -- The Academy Preparatory School graduates its first class.  The group had 138 graduates, 98 of whom accepted appointments to the Air Force Academy.  Two accepted appointments to the Naval Academy and one went to the Merchant Marine Academy.   …Also this weekend, back in 1978 -- (Retired) Major General Jeanne Holm speaks in Arnold Hall on the topic “Women in the Armed Forces.”  The former director of Women in the Air Force (WAF), she played a significant role in...

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Friday, May 16th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Friday, May 16th-  On this day, back in 1969 -- The Falconews reports that Lucille Ball completed filming a special segment of her weekly “Here’s Lucy” television show last week.  The comedienne and her production crew spent 10 days at the Academy.  The two-part episode aired in September 1969.  …Also on this day, back in 1999 -- The Discovery Channel premieres a three-hour documentary, “Inside America’s Military Academies.”  Portions of the documentary were filmed at the Air Force Academy.  …for a behind-the-scenes look at cadet life, follow us on Instagram...

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Thursday, May 15th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Thursday, May 15th-  On this day, back in 1959 -- Pegasus, a marble replica of the statue of the winged horse at the Italian War College in Florence, is presented to the Academy as a gift of the Italian government.  The statue stood outside the Arnold Hall Ballroom until 1994, when it was moved to Doolittle Hall.  …Also on this day, back in 2022 -- Cadets Scott Rockett and Lauren Hurley, both Class of ’25, earn medals at the 2022 National Rifle Junior Olympic Championship at Hillsdale College in Michigan. ...

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Wednesday, May 14th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Wednesday, May 14th-  On this day, back in 1998 -- The remains of the Vietnam Unknown are exhumed from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery for DNA testing, in an effort to identify the remains. Testing at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology verified the remains belonged to First Lieutenant Michael Blassie, Class of ’70.   …Also on this day, back in 2022 -- The Air Force men capture the 2022 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field title during Championship Saturday at the annual conference meet...

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