November 15, 2018

Update: Falcon SAT 6 satellite lifts off on Space X rocket, Dec. 3

Faculty members and cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy wait to receive "first contact" from the cadet-designed FalconSAT-6 satellite that successfully launched into space just before noon, Dec. 3, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joshua Armstrong) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Dec. 3, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A satellite designed and built by Air Force Academy cadets successfully launched into space just after 11:30 a.m. (MT), Dec. 3. The FalconSAT-6 satellite was originally slated for a Nov. 19 lift-off but modifications and a change of launch vehicles delayed the launch. Lt. Col. Luke Sauter, head of the Academy’s Astronautics...

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November 14, 2018

Air Force Academy cadets take Shell trophy, defeat Army at cyber competition

Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost (right), the U.S. Air Force Academy's dean of the faculty, shares a moment with cadets on the Academy's Cadet Cyber Competition Team, Nov. 2, at the U.S. Military Academy, New York. The Academy beat their Army counterparts that day during the Capture the Flag Cyber Competition, hosted by Army. The competition pitted teams of cadets against each other in cyberspace, where they wrestled with software flaws and vulnerable servers allowing teams to exploit the system weaknesses of the opposing team. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Justin Raynor) Story by Ray Bowden, Nov. 14, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE...

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November 14, 2018

High altitude responsibilities: Col. Cantwell reports on first 4 months as Academy’s vice superintendent

Col. Houston Cantwell, the vice superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, is shown here in his Harmon Hall office, Nov. 9, 2018, with drawings he made of fighter aircraft during his elementary school years. Cantwell said he always wanted to be a combat pilot. He's long-since achieved that goal and said he's equally pleased to play a role in fulfilling the Academy's mission of developing innovative leaders of character. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) Story by Ray Bowden, Nov. 14, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Imagine you’re seven-year-old Houston Cantwell growing up in Fairfax, Virginia. It’s 1979 and...

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November 14, 2018

Academy “Shows some love” through CFC

      The U.S. Air Force Academy kicked off this year's Combined Federal Campaign, Nov. 12, 2018. (Defense Department graphic) By Master Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes, Nov. 14, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy kicked off this year’s Combined Federal Campaign, Nov. 12. Col. Shawn Campbell, 10th Air Base Wing commander, said the campaign theme, “Show Some Love,” reminds him of Mother Teresa’s statement, “love is a fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.” “No matter the size of the hand, everyone can be involved, supporting great charities and sharing their...

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November 8, 2018

Special Ops pilot chosen for Jabara Award

  By Staff Sgt. Charles Rivezzo, Nov. 8, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy formally recognized its 2018 Jabara Award for Airmanship recipient Nov. 8. The Jabara Award for Airmanship is awarded each year to the Academy graduate whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involving aerospace vehicles. Maj. Marc Catalano, a 2006 Academy graduate, was chosen for the award for his actions while deployed as an aircraft commander to Iraq in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support. On the night of Oct. 21, 2016, Catalano and his AC-130U crew of 14...

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November 5, 2018

Air Force Academy preps for April accreditation visit

U.S. Air Force Academy staff and faculty are preparing for the institution's first accreditation visit in 10 years. The accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission is scheduled for April. (U.S. Air Force photo) Story by Ray Bowden, Nov. 5, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- There’s a lot riding on the accreditation process slated to begin in April at the Air Force Academy. It’s the first accreditation visit for the school in 10 years, said Col. Dan Uribe, point man for the Academy side of the accreditation and head of the school’s Foreign Language Department. “It’s not just the...

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November 1, 2018

‘Start now’: Air Force Academy Prep School’s vice commander says cadet candidates experience can lead to success

Lt. Col. Calvin Daniels, the vice commander of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School (right), poses for a photo with Gen. Robin Rand at the Pentagon in 2010. Daniels was the legislative liaison for the secretary of the Air Force and Rand was the special assistant to the Air Force vice chief of staff. (Courtesy photo) Story by Jennifer Spradlin, Oct. 31, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- After 22 years of military service, Lt. Col. Calvin Daniels still prepares his uniform on Friday night for Monday morning. He likes to start the week with his best foot forward....

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October 30, 2018

Cadets earn bronze medal at genetic research competition in Boston

A team of cadet researchers from the U.S. Air Force Academy took the bronze medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in Boston, Oct. 24-28, 2018. (Courtesy photo) By Ray Bowden, Oct. 30, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets took the bronze medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in Boston, Oct. 24-28. The Air Force Academy cadets won the award with a research project with potential to curb fungal infections often found in bullet or shrapnel wounds and other traumatic injuries. “Our purpose was to try and understand why yeast becomes infectious in the human body,...

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October 30, 2018

Cadet for a day Ryleigh reports for duty

Cadet for a Day Ryleigh Messmer sits in the cockpit of a powered-flight aircraft at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Oct. 26, 2018. The eight-year-old has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The Academy, through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosted Ryleigh and her family for a day of fun with cadets and Academy staff. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) By Jennifer Spradlin, Oct 30, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Ryleigh Messmer is a curious, rambunctious eight-year-old living with cystic fibrosis. The Air Force Academy, through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosted her and her family for a...

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October 26, 2018

Boxing lessons for the cyber realm

Col. Jaak Tarien of the Estonian Air Force is a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. (Courtesy photo) By Jeff Holmquist, Oct. 26, 2018 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- When Col. Jaak Tarien graduated from the U.S. States Air Force Academy as a member of the Class of 1998, he never envisioned becoming a world-renowned expert on cyber security. Yet when he returns for his 20th class reunion this weekend, Tarien has a brand new promotion to brag about -- commander of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. “My roommate during my last two years at...

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