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Vice President JD Vance named commencement speaker for U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2026 graduation

Official portrait of Vice President JD Vance. (photo courtesy of The White House)

U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy is honored to announce that Vice President JD Vance will serve as the speaker for the Academy’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Falcon Stadium.

Vice President Vance was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2025. He previously served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and is a Marine Corps veteran who served on active duty from 2003 to 2007.

The Class of 2026 graduation marks the Academy’s 68th commencement ceremony, where more than 900 cadets will commission as officers in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. The Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform a flyover at the conclusion.

The ceremony will be open to ticket-holding members of the public. Tickets for the general public will be distributed through local chambers of commerce and partner organizations beginning May 20. Details on ticket distribution, base access, parking, and the full graduation week schedule are available at usafa.edu/graduation. The ceremony will also be livestreamed at usafa.edu/graduation and on the Academy’s official YouTube channel.

Graduation week events run May 24–28, 2026, and include the Graduation Parade on Stillman Field, the Space Force Patching Ceremony, Awards Ceremonies, and the Commencement Ceremony. A full schedule is at usafa.edu/graduation.