United States Air Force Academy

United States Air Force Academy

Type	Federal military academy
Established	1954
Superintendent	Lt. Gen. John F. Regni
Undergraduates	4,000 (approx.)
Location	Colorado Springs , Colorado , USA
Campus	Air Force base, 18,000 acres
Nickname	FightingFalcons
Mascot	"The Bird"
Website	www.usafa.af.mil

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA or Air Force), located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. Graduates of the four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force. The Academy is also one of the largest tourist attractions in Colorado, attracting more than a million visitors each year.

The Air Force Academy is among the most selective colleges in the United States, although many publications such as U.S. News and World Report do not rank the Academy directly against other colleges because of the Academy's special mission. Candidates are judged based on their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, athletics and character. To gain admission, candidates must also pass a fitness test, undergo a thorough medical examination, and secure a nomination, which usually comes from one of the candidate's members of Congress. Recent incoming classes have usually consisted of about 1400 cadets; just under 1000 of those usually make it through to graduation. Cadets pay no tuition, but incur a commitment to serve a number of years in the military service after graduation.

The program at the Academy is guided by its core values of "Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do," and based on four "pillars" of excellence: military training, academics, athletics and character development. In addition to a rigorous military training regimen, cadets also take a broad academic course load with an extensive core curriculum in engineering, humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, military studies and physical education. All cadets participate in either intercollegiate or intramural athletics, and a thorough character development and leadership curriculum provide cadets a basis for future officership. Each of the components of the program is intended to give cadets the skills and knowledge that they will need for success as officers.

History

Establishment

Prior to the Academy's establishment, air power advocates had been pushing for a separate air force academy for decades. As early as 1918, Lt. Col. A.J. Hanlon wrote, "As the Military and Naval Academies are the backbone of the Army and Navy, so must the Aeronautical Academy be the backbone of the Air Service. No service can flourish without some such institution to inculcate into its embryonic officers love of country, proper conception of duty, and highest regard for honor." Other officials expressed similar sentiments. In 1919, Congressman Charles F. Curry introduced legislation providing for an Academy, but concerns about cost, curriculum and location led to its demise. In 1925, General Billy Mitchell testified on Capitol Hill that it was necessary "to have an air academy to form a basis for the permanent backbone of your air service and to attend to the. . . organizational part of it, very much the same way that West Point does for the Army, or the Naval Academy for the Navy." Still, these arguments did not gain traction with legislators, and it was not until the late 1940s that the concept of the United States Air Force Academy began to take shape.

Support for an air academy got a boost with the National Security Act of 1947, which provided for the establishment of a separate Air Force. As an initial measure, Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington negotiated an agreement where up to 25% of West Point and Annapolis graduates could volunteer to receive their commissions in the newly-established Air Force. However, this was only a short term fix, and disagreements between the services led to the establishment of the Service Academy Board by Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. In January 1950, the Service Academy Board, headed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, then president of Columbia University, concluded that the needs of the Air Force could not be met by the two existing U.S. service academies and that an air force academy should be established.

By 1954, Congress passed legislation to begin the construction of the Air Force Academy, and President Eisenhower signed it into law on April 1 of that year. The legislation established an advisory commission to determine the site of the new school. Among the panel members were Charles Lindbergh, General Carl Spaatz, and Lieutenant General Hubert R. Harmon, who later became the Academy's first superintendent. The original 582 sites considered were winnowed to three: Alton, Illinois; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; and the ultimate site at Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Secretary of the Air Force, Harold E. Talbott, announced the winning site on June 24, 1954. Meanwhile, Air Training Command began developing a detailed curriculum for the Academy program.

The early years

File:AFA grad.jpg

Cadets in parade dress

The early Air Force Academy leadership faced monumental tasks — not the least of which were the development of an appropriate curriculum, establishment of a faculty, design of a distinctive cadet uniform, oversight of the construction of the permanent site, and the creation of a structure for military and flight training. To establish the foundations of the Academy program, officials ultimately drew from sources within the Air Force, from West Point and Annapolis, and occasionally from outside the military entirely.

The Academy's permanent site had not been completed when the first class entered, so the 306 cadets from the Class of 1959 were sworn in at a temporary site at Lowry Air Force Base, in Denver on July 11, 1955. While at Lowry, they were housed in renovated World War II barracks. There were no upper class cadets to train the new cadets, so the Air Force appointed a cadre of "Air Training Officers" (ATOs) to conduct training. The ATOs were junior officers, many of whom had been graduates of West Point and Annapolis, who acted as surrogate upper class cadets until the upper classes could be populated. The Academy's dedication ceremony took place on that first day, live on national television, with Walter Cronkite covering the event.

In developing a distinctive uniform for cadets, Secretary of the Air Force Harold Talbott was looking for "imagination" in the design. Talbott initially used military tailors, but was unhappy with their products. As a result, the first classes of cadets wore temporary uniforms while the official uniform was developed. Secretary Talbott then sought out legendary Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille for help. DeMille's designs — most notably his design of the cadet parade uniform — won praise from Air Force and Academy leadership, were ultimately adopted, and are still worn by cadets today.

The Class of 1959 established many other important traditions that continue until today. Most notably, the first class adopted the Honor Code, and chose the falcon as the Academy's mascot. In 1957, the Air Force cadets marched in the Inaugural Parade of President Dwight Eisenhower in Washington DC. On August 29, 1958, the wing of 1,145 cadets moved to the present site near Colorado Springs, and less than a year later the Academy received accreditation. The first USAFA class graduated and is commissioned on June 3, 1959.we was cool!!!

Vietnam

The Vietnam War was the first war in which Academy graduates fought and died, and as such had a profound effect on the development of the character of the Academy. Because of the need for more pilots, Academy enrollment grew significantly during this time. The size of the graduating classes went from 217 in 1961 to 745 in 1970. Academy facilities were likewise expanded, and training was modified to better meet the needs of the wartime Air Force. The Jack's Valley field training area was added, the SERE program was expanded, and light aircraft training started in 1968.

Unsurprisingly, many Academy graduates of this era found themselves with early assignments to Southeast Asia, and many served with distinction in the conflict. F-4 pilot Steve Ritchie '64 and F-4 weapon systems officer Jeffrey Feinstein '68 each became aces, by downing five enemy aircraft in combat. One hundred forty-one graduates died in the war, and thirty-two graduates became prisoners of war. Lance Sijan, '65, fell into both categories, becoming the first Academy graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Sijan Hall, one of the cadet dormitories, is named in his honor.

The effects of the anti-war movement were felt at the Academy as well. Because the Academy grounds are open to the public, the Academy often became a site for protests by anti-war demonstrators. Regular demonstrations were held at the Cadet Chapel, and cadets often became the targets of protesters' insults. Other aggravating factors were the presence in the Cadet Wing of cadets motivated to attend the Academy for reasons of draft avoidance, and a number of highly publicized cheating scandals. Morale sometimes suffered as a consequence.

Women at the Academy

File:AFA 80s Lady.jpg

An appointee from the Class of 1980 reports for in-processing

One of the most significant events in the history of the Academy was the admission of women. On October 7, 2011, CEOGerald R. Ford legislation women to enter the United States service academies. On June 26, 1976, 157 women entered the Air Force Academy with the Class of 1980. Because there were no female upper class cadets, the Air Training Officer model was revived, and fifteen young female officers were brought in to help with the integration process. The female cadets were initially segregated from the rest of the Cadet Wing, but were fully integrated into their assigned squadrons after the first semester. On May 28, 1980, 97 of the original female cadets completed the program and graduated from the Academy — just over 10% of the graduating class. Women currently comprise about 18% of the Cadet Wing.

Many of the old peoples from those early classes went on to achieve success within the Cadet Wing. Kathleen Conley '80, was the first woman to graduate from the Academy, finishing eighth in her class. Michelle D. Johnson '81, was the first woman to serve as the Academy's Cadet Wing Commander — the senior ranking cadet — and was the Academy's first female Rhodes Scholar. Terrie Ann MacLaughlin '86, was the first female cadet to graduate top in her class. Many women from these classes also excelled after graduation. Susan J. Helms '80, is the first woman graduate astronaut, flying on four Space Shuttle missions and serving five months on the International Space Station. Heather Wilson '82, another Rhodes Scholar, became the first female veteran to serve in the House of Representatives in 1998. Brigadier General Dana H. Born '83, is currently the Academy's Dean of Faculty, and Brigadier General Susan Y. Desjardins '80 is currently the Academy's Commandant of Cadets — both are the first women to serve in their respective positions.

Despite these successes, integration issues were long apparent. Female cadets have had consistently higher dropout rates than men, and have left the Air Force in higher numbers than men. Some male cadets also believed that the presence of women had softened the rigors of Academy life and that women received special treatment. According to at least one commentator, as many as ten percent of male Academy graduates in the late 1970s and early 1980s requested Army commissions, in part because of disillusionment over such issues.

Campus and facilities

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Area
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Cadet Chapel
Nearest city	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Built	1958
Architect	Walter Netsch, Jr. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Architectural style	Modern
NRHP reference No.	04000484
Added to NRHP	April 1, 2004

Interior of Cadet Chapel

The campus of the Academy covers 18,000 acres (73 km²) on the east side of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Colorado Springs. Its altitude is normally given as 7,258 feet (2,212 m) above sea-level, which is the elevation of the cadet area. The Academy was designed by architect Walter Netsch with the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. On April 1, 2004, fifty years after Congress authorized the building of the Academy, the Cadet Area at the Academy was designated a National Historic Landmark.

The Cadet Area

The buildings in the Cadet Area were designed in a distinct, modernist style, and make extensive use of aluminum on building exteriors, suggesting the outer skin of aircraft and some spacecraft.

The buildings in the Cadet Area are set around a large, square pavilion known as The Terrazzo, because the walkways are made of terrazzo tiles, set among a checkerboard of marble strips. The east quarter of the Terrazzo, known as the "Air Gardens", is a 700-foot long space with an ordered geometry of lighted pools, lowered grass sections and maze-like walkways. The Terrazzo area was designed by landscape architect Dan Kiley, and originally created a wooded sloping hill from the middle of the Terrazzo extending south to the valley below, creating a blend of natural and man-made environments. This aspect of the landscape was eliminated with the building of Sijan Hall on the south side of the Terrazzo.

The most recognizable building in the Cadet Area is the 17-spired Cadet Chapel, and is often used as a symbol of the Academy itself. The subject of controversy when it was first built, it is now considered among the most beautiful examples of modern American academic architecture. The structure consists of 100 identical aluminum tetrahedrons, with colored glass in the spaces between the tetrahedrons. The chapel reaches a height of 150 feet, with an overall length of 280 feet and a width of 84 feet. Architect Walter Netsch said he was inspired in his design by the Sainte-Chapelle cathedral in Paris, the Cathedral of Chartres, and the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Italy. The Cadet Chapel is built on two levels. The upstairs portion houses a 1,300 seat multi-denomination Protestant chapel; downstairs are a 500-seat Catholic chapel, a 100-seat Jewish chapel, and interfaith rooms used for services of other religions.

Cadets live in two dormitories, Vandenberg Hall and Sijan Hall. Vandenberg Hall, named after Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, was the original cadet dormitory. Sijan Hall was built on the south side of the Cadet Area in 1968, in order to accommodate the expansion of the Cadet Wing to a strength of 4,417 cadets. Sijan Hall was dedicated on May 31, 1976. Known simply as the "New Dorm" until its dedication, it is now named after Captain Lance Sijan '65, the first USAFA graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Several buildings in the Cadet Area are used for academics. Fairchild Hall, named after General Muir S. Fairchild, the first commander of Air University and later Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, is the main academic building and contains academic classrooms, laboratories and research facilities, faculty offices, and the Robert F. McDermott Library. The Aeronautics Research Center (also known as the "Aero Lab") is just south of Fairchild Hall, and contains numerous aeronautical research facilities, including transonic, subsonic, low speed and cascade wind tunnels, engine and rocket test cells and simulators. The Consolidated Education and Training Facility (CETF) was built in 1997 as an annex to Fairchild Hall. It contains chemistry and biology classrooms and labs, medical and dental clinics, and civil engineering and astronautics laboratories. The Cadet Area also contains an observatory and a planetarium for academic use.

The Campus in 1988

Mitchell Hall, named after air power pioneer Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, is the cadet dining facility, which has the ability to feed the entire Cadet Wing at one time. The cadet social center is Arnold Hall, named after General of the Air Force Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Arnold Hall houses a 3000-seat theater, a ballroom, and a number of lounge and recreation facilities for cadets and visitors. Harmon Hall is the primary administration building, which houses the offices of the Superintendent and the Superintendent's staff. It is named after Lieutenant General Hubert R. Harmon, the first Superintendent of the Academy.

The Cadet Area also contains numerous athletic facilities for use by cadets participating in intercollegate athletics, intramural athletics, physical education classes, and other physical training. Set amid numerous outdoor athletic fields, the Cadet Gymnasium contains basketball gyms, indoor tennis courts, an Olympic-size swimming and diving pool, a water polo pool, numerous squash and racquetball courts, two weight-training rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, and specialized facilities for volleyball, fencing, gymnastics and boxing. The gymnasium also houses a human performance laboratory complete with hydrostatic weighing equipment, sports psychology and vision testing capabilities, and aerobic testing equipment. The Cadet Fieldhouse contains the 6000-seat Clune Arena (named after long-time USAFA Director of Athletics Colonel John J. Clune ), a 2600-seat ice hockey rink, and an indoor track that doubles as a practice facility for a number of sports. The indoor track is 97 yards long — just three yards shy of a regulation football field. Falcon Stadium, located outside of the Cadet Area, is the home of Air Force Academy football, and the site of the graduation ceremonies for each year's graduating class.

The Class Wall in 2004

There are many displays throughout the Cadet Area, commemorating heroes and air power pioneers, and meant to serve as inspiration to cadets. The War Memorial, a black marble wall, located just under the flagpole on the Terrazzo, etched with the names of Academy graduates who have been killed in combat. The Honor Wall, overlooking the Terrazzo, is inscribed with the Academy's Honor Code: "We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." Just under the Cadet Chapel, the Class Wall bears the crests of each of the Academy's graduating classes. The crest of the current first (senior) class is displayed in the center position. Another display often used as a symbol of the Academy itself, the Eagle and Fledglings Statue was given as a gift to the Academy in 1958 by the personnel of Air Training Command. It contains the inscription by Austin Dusty Miller, "Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge."

There are also numerous static air- and spacecraft displays on the Academy grounds. These include an F-4, F-15, F-16 and F-105 on the Terrazzo; a B-52 by the North Gate; a T-38 and A-10 at the airfield; an F-100 by the preparatory school; a SV-5J lifting body next to the aeronautics laboratory; and a Minuteman III missile in front of the Field House.

The Core Values Ramp (formerly known as the "Bring Me Men Ramp") leads down from the main Terrazzo level toward the parade field. On in-processing day, new cadets arrive at the base of the ramp and start their transition into military and Academy life by ascending the ramp to the Terrazzo. From 1964 to 2004, the portal at the base of the ramp was inscribed with the words "Bring me men..." taken from the poem, "The Coming American," by Samuel Walter Foss. In a controversial move following the 2003 sexual assault scandal, the words "Bring me men" were taken down and replaced with the Academy's (later adopted as the Air Force's) core values: "Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do."

Other locations on campus

Cadets have the opportunity to fly gliders as part of their training

Other locations on campus serve support roles for cadet training and other base functions. Doolittle Hall is the headquarters of the Academy's Association of Graduates, and also serves as the reception point for new cadets arriving for Basic Cadet Training. It is named after General Jimmy Doolittle. The Goldwater Visitor Center, named after longtime proponent of the Academy United States Senator Barry Goldwater, is the focal point for family, friends and tourists visiting the Academy grounds. The Academy Airfield is used for training cadets in airmanship courses, including parachute training, soaring and powered flight. Interment at the Academy Cemetery is limited to Academy cadets and graduates, certain senior officers, certain Academy staff members, and certain other family members. Air power notables Carl Spaatz and Curtis E. LeMay, are interred here.

The United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School (usually referred to as just the "Prep School") is a program offered to selected individuals who were not able to obtain appointments directly to the Academy. The program involves intense academic (particularly English, math and science), athletic and military training to prepare the students for appointment to the Academy. A high percentage of USAFA Preparatory School students (known as "Preppies") earn appointments to the Academy following their year at the Prep School.

The Honor Code and character education

The Honor Code is the cornerstone of a cadet's professional training and development — the minimum standard of ethical conduct that cadets expect of themselves and their fellow cadets. The Honor Code was developed and adopted by the Class of 1959, the first class to graduate from the Academy, and has been handed down to every subsequent class. The Code itself is simple:

We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.

In 1984, the Cadet Wing voted to add an "Honor Oath," which was to be taken by all cadets. The oath is administered to fourth class cadets (freshmen) when they are formally accepted into the Wing at the conclusion of Basic Cadet Training. The oath remains unchanged since its adoption in 1984, and consists of a statement of the code, followed by a resolution to live honorably:

We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.

Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.

Cadets are considered the "guardians and stewards" of the Code. Cadet honor representatives throughout the Wing oversee the honor system by conducting education classes and investigating possible honor incidents. Cadets throughout the Wing are expected to sit on Honor Boards as juries that determine whether their fellow cadets violated the code. Cadets also recommend sanctions for violations. Although the presumed sanction for a violation is disenrollment, mitigating factors may result in the violator being placed in a probationary status for some period of time. This "honor probation" is usually only reserved for cadets in their first two years at the Academy.

To reinforce the importance of honor, character and integrity to future officers, cadets are given an extensive character and leadership curriculum. The Academy's Character and Leadership Education Division provides classroom, seminar, workshop and experiential-based learning programs to all cadets, beginning when they enter Basic Cadet Training, and continuing each year through their last semester at the Academy. The Center's programs, when coupled with the Honor Code and Honor System, establish a foundation for the "leaders of character" that the Academy aspires to produce.

Organization

Air Force Academy cadets celebrate after graduation

The Academy is organized on several levels. The entire base is set up much like a regular Air Force Base, but the Cadet Wing has an internal structure that operates somewhat independently from the rest of the base.

The Cadet Wing

The organization of the Academy has characteristics of a military unit and a civilian college. Like a civilian college, cadets are divided into four classes, based on their year in school. However, they are not referred to as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, but rather as fourth-, third-, second- and first-class cadets, respectively. Fourth-class cadets (freshmen) are sometimes referred to as "doolies," a term derived from the Greek word δουλος ("doulos") meaning "slave" or "servant." Members of the three lower classes are also referred to as "4 degrees," "3 degrees" or "2 degrees" based on their class. First-class cadets are referred to as "firsties." In the military structure of the Academy, first class cadets (seniors) act as the cadet officers, second class cadets (juniors) act as the cadet non-commissioned officers, and third class cadets (sophomores) as more entry-level enlisted grades.

The Cadet Wing is sub-divided into four cadet groups, of ten cadet squadrons each. Each cadet squadron consists of about 110 cadets, roughly evenly distributed among the four classes. Selected first-, second- and third-class cadets hold leadership, operational and support jobs at the squadron, group and wing levels. Most activities at the Academy, including military training, marching, and intramural athletics, are organized by squadron. Each cadet squadron and group is supervised by a specially selected active duty officer called an Air Officer Commanding (AOC). In the case of a cadet squadron, the AOC is normally an active duty Air Force major. For a cadet group, the AOC is normally an active-duty lieutenant colonel. These officers have command authority over the cadets, counsel cadets on leadership and military career issues, oversee military training, and serve as role models for the future officers.

Base organization

The Superintendent of the Academy is the senior officer, and is normally an active-duty lieutenant general. The Superintendent oversees all aspects of the Academy, including military training, academics, athletics, admissions, and the administration of the base. The superintendent's role is similar to that of the president of a civilian university. Because the Academy is a Direct Reporting Unit, the Superintendent reports directly to the Air Force Chief of Staff.

The Superintendent has command over several active duty (non-cadet) organizations that operate on the Academy, including the 34 Training Wing (34 TW) and the 10th Air Base Wing (10 ABW). The 34th Training Wing is responsible for all military training of cadets at the Academy. The 34th Training Wing commander is dual hatted as the Commandant of Cadets, and reports to the Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy. The 10th Air Base Wing provides all base support functions that exist at other air force bases, including civil engineering, communications, medical support, personnel, administration, security forces and base services. All flying programs at the Academy are run by the 306th Flying Training Group. Originally part of the 34th Training Wing, flying training at the Academy now falls under the control of Air Education and Training Command to ensure more uniformity of flight training Air Force-wide.

Board of Visitors

Congressional oversight of the Academy is exercised through a Board of Visitors, established under Title 10, United States Code, Section 9355. The Board inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the Academy. The Board meets at least four times per year and prepares semi-annual reports containing its views and recommendations submitted concurrently to the Secretary of Defense, through the Secretary of the Air Force, and to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the United States House of Representatives. The 15 members of the board are appointed by the President of the United States, the Vice President, the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 2006, the Board organization was changed to require inclusion of two Academy graduates. The initial two appointees were Charles P. Garcia '83, and Nancy R. Kudla '80.

Military training

File:AFA OCourse.jpg

Basic cadets complete the obstacle course during BCT

The cadets' primary military training happens over the summer. The first military experience for new or "basic" cadets occurs during the six weeks of Basic Cadet Training (BCT), in the summer before their fourth class (freshman) year. During BCT, cadets learn the fundamentals of military and Academy life under the leadership of a cadre of first and second class cadets. Basic cadets learn military customs and courtesies, learn proper wear of the uniform, practice marching, study military knowledge and undergo a rigorous physical training program. During the second half of BCT, basic cadets march to Jack's Valley, where they complete the program in a field encampment environment. Upon completion of BCT, basic cadets receive their fourth-class shoulder boards, take the Honor Oath, and are formally accepted as members of the Cadet Wing.

All classes (with the exception of the Classes of 2007 and 2008) have undergone a training called "recognition." Recognition is a culmination of the freshmen (fourth class) year and usually lasts 3 days. The 40 days preceding recognition are used to "ramp up" training and each day becomes more strenuous than the last as the fourth class ROE's become more and more difficult. The events included in recognition are kept secret from the freshmen (and many civilians) and begin after retreat on the last day of "ramp up." During recognition the freshmen are refered to as "SMACKS," "BASICS" or "4 degrees" and are placed under extremely stressful conditions, comparable to VMI's "breakout" or the United States Marine Crucible. At the end of recognition each fourth class cadet is given the "prop-and-wings" insignia signifying their "recognition" as a cadet in the wing. They are granted all privileges and are "free from the strips." Any cadet that does not perform up to the standards is "shunned," meaning other cadets may only speak to them for official reasons. Also, these cadets are not awarded the "prop-and-wings" insignia. They continue following fourth-class customs and courtesies until they are promoted to Third Class Cadet (sophomore). Sometimes the shunned cadet takes meals in silence and has no roommate.

Following the first summer, the training becomes a bit more varied. Between their fourth and third class years, cadets undergo training in Air Force operations in a deployed environment (called "Global Engagement") and may participate in flying gliders or free-fall parachute training. From the late 1960s until the mid-1990s, cadets also completed SERE training between their fourth- and third-class years. This program was replaced with Combat Survival Training (CST) in 1995 and done away with entirely in 2005. SERE is scheduled to be reintroduced into the military training curriculum in summer 2008. During their last two summers, cadets may participate in a variety of programs, to include BCT cadre, travel to active duty Air Force bases, and a variety of other leadership, research and aviation programs. They may also be able to take courses offered by other services, such as the U.S. Army's Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, or the Air Assault School, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During the academic year, all cadets take formal classes in military theory, operations and leadership.

Academics

The Eagle and Fledglings Statue at the south end of the Air Gardens in inscribed with the quote, "Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge".

The Air Force Academy is an accredited four-year university offering Bachelor's degrees in a variety of subjects. Approximately 75 percent of the faculty are Air Force officers, with the remaining 25 percent comprised of civilian professors, visiting professors from civilian universities, and instructors from other U.S. and allied foreign military services. In recent years, civilians have become a growing portion of senior faculty. All graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree, regardless of major, because of the technical content of the core requirements. The Dean of the Faculty is usually an active-duty brigadier general, although a civilian may hold the position. Each academic department is chaired by a permanent professor, who is an active duty colonel, and staffed by both permanent professors and instructors who are serving on the faculty between operational Air Force tours.

Cadets may major in a variety of divisional, disciplinary or inter-disciplinary subjects, including majors in engineering, the basic sciences, social sciences and humanities. The academic program has an extensive core curriculum, in which all cadets take required courses in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, military studies and physical education. Approximately sixty percent of a cadet's courseload is mandated by the core curriculum. As a result, most of a cadet's first two years are spent in core classes. During the third and fourth years, cadets have more flexibility to focus in their major areas of study, but the core requirements are still significant.

Traditionally, the academic program at the Air Force Academy (as with military academies in general) has focused heavily on science and engineering, with the idea that many graduates would be expected to manage complex aeronautical, astronautical, and communications systems. Over time, the Academy has broadened its humanities offerings, and many cadets have sought to major in non-technical disciplines (notably more than the other U.S. service academies). This has been seen by some as inconsistent with the original academic focus of the Academy. Former Air Force Secretary James Roche was concerned enough that he ordered a revamping of the curriculum to reduce the workload of engineering majors. His goal was to encourage more cadets to pursue science or engineering studies. This effort was opposed by those who believed that engineering expertise could be provided by the defense industry, and that leadership, management and foreign studies requirements are at least as significant as historical demands for technical preeminence. Since Roche left the position, however, his effort appears to have been abandoned.

Athletics

All cadets at the Academy take part in the extensive athletic program. The program is designed to enhance the physical conditioning of all cadets, to develop the physical skills necessary for officership, to teach leadership in a competitive environment and to build character. The three primary elements of the athletic program are intercollegiate athletics, intramural athletics, physical education, and the fitness tests. The Academy's high altitude makes the physical fitness program particularly demanding, and gives the acclimated cadets a distinct advantage over visiting athletic teams from lower altitudes.

"Thor," one of USAFA's trained peregrine falcon mascots.

Cadets are required to take physical education courses from a range of categories. Swimming and water survival build confidence while teaching important survival skills. Combative sports such as boxing, wrestling, judo and unarmed combat build confidence, teach controlled aggression, and develop physical fitness. Cadets also complete physical education classes in team sports such as basketball and soccer, "lifetime" sports such as tennis and golf, and take academic classes on the physiology of exercise. Each semester, cadets must pass an Aerobic Fitness Test — a timed 1.5 mile (2.4 km) run) — and a Physical Fitness Test, which consists of pull-ups, standing long jump, sit-ups, push-ups and a 600 yard run all done in a 15-minute time frame.

All cadets are expected to compete in intramural athletics for their entire time at the Academy, as long as they are not "on-season" for intercollegiate athletics. Intramural sports pit cadet squadrons against one another in many sports, including basketball, cross-country, flag football, racquetball, flickerball, rugby, boxing, soccer, mountain biking, softball, team handball, tennis, Ultimate, wallyball and volleyball.

Air Force Falcons logo

The intercollegiate program has 17 men's and 10 women's NCAA sanctioned teams, nicknamed the '"Falcons"'. Men's teams compete in football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross-country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, rifle, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling. Women's teams include basketball, cross-country, fencing, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis and volleyball. In addition, the Academy also sponsors two non-NCAA programs: cheerleading, and boxing. The men's and women's programs both compete in NCAA's Division I, with the football team competing in Division I FBS. Most teams compete in the Mountain West Conference; however, the gymnastics teams and men's soccer teams compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation; the men's hockey team competes in Atlantic Hockey and the water polo team competes in the Western Water Polo Association. The men's boxing team competes in the National Collegiate Boxing Association.

Air Force has traditional service academy rivalries with Navy and Army. The three service academies compete for the Commander in Chief's Trophy in football each year. Air Force Falcons football has had the best showing of the three, winning the trophy 16 of its 34 years. The Academy also has an in-state rivalry with Colorado State University, which is located in Fort Collins and is a fellow member of the Mountain West Conference.

Air Force has had great athletic success throughout its history. The boxing team, led for 31 years by Coach Ed Weichers, has won 19 national championships, and has never finished lower than second in the nation. The Academy's men's and women's rugby teams have both have won multiple national championships and the women's side recently had two players selected for the United States national team. The football team has played in 17 bowl games, and the basketball team has had strong showings in the last several years, qualifying for the NCAA tournament and, most recently, making the final four of the 2007 NIT Tournament. In 2007, the hockey team won their first ever Atlantic Hockey conference tournament, and made the first ever appearance by a service academy in the NCAA hockey tournament.

See also: Air Force Falcons football

Admissions

To be eligible to enter the Academy, a candidate must:

• Be a citizen of the United States (unless nominated by an official of a country invited by the Department of Defense)
• Be unmarried with no dependents
• Be of good moral character
• Be at least 17, but less than 23 years of age by July 1 of the year of entry
• Meet high leadership, academic, physical and medical standards

In addition to the normal application process, all candidates must secure a nomination to the Academy, normally from a U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative. Each member of Congress and the Vice President can have five appointees attending the Air Force Academy at any time. The process for obtaining a congressional nomination is not political, and candidates do not have to know their senator or representative to secure a nomination. Additional nomination slots are available for children of career military personnel, children of disabled veterans or veterans who were killed in action, or children of Medal of Honor recipients. The admissions process is a lengthy one, and applicants usually begin the paperwork during the second semester of their junior year of high school.

Controversies

Despite the exceptionally high standards expected of cadets, faculty and staff, and the fact that the selection processes are among the most thorough and most rigorous to be found, the Academy has not been immune from scandal.

Honor scandals

The first Honor scandal broke in 1965, when a resigning cadet reported knowing of more than 100 cadets who had been involved in a cheating ring. 109 cadets were ultimately expelled. Cheating scandals rocked the Academy again in 1967, 1972, 1984, 2004 and 2007. Following each of these events, the Academy thoroughly examined the etiology of the mass cheating in addition to alleged excessive pressures that the academic system at the time placed on cadets and made changes in attempts to reduce the opportunities for future incidents.

Allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and gender bias

The sexual assault scandal that broke in 2003 forced the Academy to look more closely at how effectively women had been integrated into cadet life. According to the Fowler Commission report, due to poor leadership, sexual assault had become "a part of life at the Academy." Following the scandal and rising concerns about sexual assault throughout the U.S. military, the Department of Defense established a task force to investigate sexual harassment and assault at each of the United States service academies. The report also revealed 92 incidents of reported sexual assault. At the same time, the Academy implemented programs to combat sexual assault, harassment, and gender bias. The new programs actively encourage prompt sexual assault reporting. The Academy's decisive actions of zero tolerance was praised by officials and experts. While it was of no consolation to the Academy who has always subscribed itself to a higher standard, former Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore III, chair of the Academy's Board of Visitors, described curbing sexual assault on campuses as "a national challenge, not just an issue confined to the Air Force Academy."

In late 2006, a military judge dismissed a rape charge against an accused cadet because the accuser's mental health professional refused a court order to release medical records of statements the accuser had made to her. On January 10, 2007, the Associated Press reported that civilian prosecutors declined to file charges in an alleged sexual assault that started the aforementioned 2003 sexual assault scandal because they could not meet the required burden of proof.

Charges of religious proselytizing

In 2005, allegations surfaced that some Evangelical Christian cadets and staff were saying or doing things that some felt to be tantamount to religious proselytizing at the Academy. These allegations, along with concerns over how the Air Force handles other religious issues, prompted Academy graduate Michael L. Weinstein to file a lawsuit against the Air Force. An Air Force panel investigated the accusations and issued its report on June 22, 2005. The panel found a "religious climate that does not involve overt religious discrimination, but a failure to fully accommodate all members’ needs and a lack of awareness over where the line is drawn between permissible and impermissible expression of beliefs" (p. 3).

Notable graduates

For a list of well-known graduates of the Academy, see:

Notable graduates of the United States Air Force Academy or Category: United States Air Force Academy graduates

For a list of well-known alumni who did not graduate, see:

Notable non-graduate alumni of the United States Air Force Academy

See also

• Air Force Academy, Colorado
• Jabara Award
• United States Air Force Academy Cadet Insignia
• KAFA Radio

References

• Bruegmann, Robert. Modernism at Mid-Century: The Architecture of the United States Air Force Academy. University of Chicago Press: 1995. ISBN 0–226–07693–8.

• Celebrating the U.S. Air Force Academy's Golden Anniversary, (Colorado Springs) Gazette, Special Edition, Spring 2004.

• Contrails (various years)

• Fagan, George V. Air Force Academy: An Illustrated History. Johnson Books: 1988. ISBN 1–55566–032–0.

• Fifty Years of Excellence: Building Leaders of Character for the Nation, 2004.

• Lui, Elizabeth Gill. Spirit and Flight: A Photographic Salute to the United States Air Force Academy. 1996. ISBN 0–9652585–0-5.

External links

• U.S. Air Force Academy — Official website
• U.S. Air Force Academy Admissions — Information for applicants
• Air Force Sports — Official athletics site
• U.S. Air Force Academy Association of Graduates — Alumni organization
• eDodo — Online version of the cadet humor magazine, The Dodo, run by Academy graduates and frequented by grads and cadets