May 30, 2025

From Cadet-for-a-Day to Class of 2025 graduate

Then-Cadet 1st Class Mark Carnes, Class of 2025, is pictured in front of the F-15 Eagle on the U.S. Air Force Academy Terrazzo, May 12, 2025. Carnes will begin EURO-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - At the age of 15, U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Mark Carnes visited the U.S. Air Force Academy and made a life-changing decision: to become a cadet and fulfill a childhood dream to fly fighter aircraft. Carnes’ ambition...

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May 30, 2025

SECAF gives commencement speech to USAFA Class of 2025

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink speaks to graduates and audience members during the U.S. Air Force Academy’s 2025 graduation ceremony held at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 29, 2025. During his first public speech as SECAF, Meink emphasized the importance of national security and the shift of focus to the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Tech. Sgt. Sahara Fales U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Approximately 900 cadets, along with their friends and loved ones, listened as Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink addressed...

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May 29, 2025

Bluebards deliver with ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ production

Members of the Bluebards Theatre Troupe rehearse “Legally Blonde: The Musical” at the Arnold Hall Theatre, U.S. Air Force Academy May 21, 2025. The musical marked the final production of the 2024–25 academic year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Cast members in the Bluebards’ production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” said their character and leadership training enhanced their preparation and performance on the stage. The musical, based on the 2001 Reese Witherspoon comedy, follows the story of Elle Woods as she works through...

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May 27, 2025

Class of 2026 Ring Dance celebration

Cadets pose outside Mitchell Hall during the Class of 2026 Ring Dance May 23, 2025. The dining-out is a longstanding tradition for second-degree cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray Bahner) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Cadets celebrated one of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s oldest traditions at the Class of 2026 Ring Dance May 23. During the event, the class received their rings, unveiled their class crest and transitioned into their final year of training. The class shared the night with family, friends...

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May 9, 2025

Space mindset: understanding the future battlefield

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Benjamin Roth briefs Cadet 1st Class Matthew Sharkey at the U.S. Air Force Academy Observatory, April 29, 2025. An education with a space mindset focus increases cadet understanding of space assets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies created a program to develop a space mindset in cadets and infuse a more space-oriented perspective at the U.S. Air Force Academy. As an academy focused on the domains of air, space and cyber,...

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April 30, 2025

Cadet Wing participates in inaugural Recognition and Promotion

Class of 2028 cadets participate in the Run to the Rock during the U.S. Air Force Academy inaugural Recognition and Promotion weekend, April 26, 2025. The weekend-long event recognized all classes’ accomplishments and promotion to their next level of leadership responsibilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray Bahner) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - For two days, cadets across the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Wing celebrated Recognition and Promotion, culminating with a formal dinner April 26. The accomplishments of all cadets were recognized, enabling them to be promoted to their...

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April 28, 2025

Madera Cyber Innovation Center opens with ribbon-cutting ceremony

The Madera Cyber Innovation Center officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, April 25, 2025. The three-story, 48,000-square-foot facility will serve more than 1,400 cadets who attend Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences courses annually. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The Madera Cyber Innovation Center officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 25 at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The three-story, 48,000-square foot facility will better support cadets to more efficiently focus on their training for military conflicts,...

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April 24, 2025

Ceremony honors 16th Schulte Award recipient

Cadet 1st Class Kylie Swartz received the 16th annual 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte Cadet Award and Recognition Ceremony during a ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, April 23, 2025. Since 2010, the Center for Character and Leadership Development present the annual award in memory of Schulte, Class of 2006. Also pictured (from left to right) are U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind; Schulte’s mother, Susie Schulte; her father, Bob; and Col. Matthew Horner, Center for Character and Leadership Development permanent professor. In 2009, Schulte became the first female Academy graduate killed in action during the...

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April 24, 2025

Engineering the future: Professor bridges innovation, leadership in the classroom

Dr. Brian Johns, U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Mechanical Engineering assistant professor, is helping shape the next generation of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force leaders by combining technical rigor with mentorship and mission relevance. From building virtual-reality surgical simulators to developing artificial intelligence-driven tools for engineering design, Johns has always worked at the forefront of innovation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Mackenzie Mendez U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – From building virtual-reality surgical simulators to developing artificial intelligence-driven tools for engineering design, Dr. Brian Johns has always worked...

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April 23, 2025

Day one ready: cadets hone their basic combat skills

A first-degree cadet fires an M-18 pistol at the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance firing range, Feb. 28, 2025. Small arms marksmanship is one of the basic combat and warfighting skills cadets routinely train on at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The U.S. Air Force Academy produces officers prepared to win decisively, intelligently and relentlessly. Rigorous and iterative warfighter training starts with basic combat skills. Cadets must progress in their foundational learning while at the Academy, and this...

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