The traditional Thunderbird flyby of the US Air Force Academy graduation was canceled, reportedly due to budget concerns. A group of private aerial demonstration teams has volunteered to fill in the awkward silence that would otherwise mark the hat-toss.
Academy officials said Thursday that more than a dozen pilots have volunteered to fly historical U.S. military aircraft over graduation week events, including the commencement ceremony May 29.
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley will be the graduation speaker at the 29 May graduation of the USAFA Class of 2013. President Obama is scheduled to speak at the US Naval Academy graduation on 24 May 2013. (Neither event will have the traditional fly-over or airshow.) It does not appear the West Point speaker has been announced, though the Secretary of Defense is frequently one of the speakers.
ABC apparently has a new reality show that involves teaching celebrity contestants how to dive into a pool:
The contestants are trained by diving legend Greg Louganis in regulation platform and springboard diving, and will compete to have the best dive in front of a poolside audience.
It seems prior to the competition, the contestants were dared to jump off the highest platform — at 10 meters above the pool: Continue reading
We already knew Disney animators relied on Air Force aircraft for inspiration. It seems they liked the USAFA Cadet Chapel, as well.
Though it was in theaters some months ago, Wreck-It Ralph recently came out on DVD, causing some Academy grads to notice (and the official USAFA Facebook page to highlight) that a “backstory scene” looks awfully familiar:
The USAFA Cadet Chapel:
A scene from Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph:
It seems the beauty of the nearly 60-year-old USAFA Cadet Chapel continues to be recognized — even in “modern” art.
The “backstory” scene can be seen here; the ending, with the “happy” wedding scene at the end, here.
President Obama is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis this year.
In a statement Monday, Academy officials said that the 1,000-plus midshipmen graduating this year will get the chance to “look to the president for his leadership and wisdom as they get ready for their first assignments.” The event is scheduled for May 23.
The President and other senior leaders traditionally rotate among the service academy graduations each year.
MajGen Michelle Johnson has been nominated for a third star and for the position of Superintendent, US Air Force Academy. As every press release so far has noted, when she is confirmed by the Senate she will be the first female to occupy that position.
Johnson is a 1981 distinguished graduate from the Academy where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in operations research. She was the first female cadet wing commander and the first female Rhodes Scholar from the Academy.
The USAFA Class of 1981 was the second to include women, after President Ford’s 1976 integration order.
Like LtGen Mike Gould, whom she will replace, MajGen Johnson is a career cargo/transport pilot.
The Air Force Academy announced that Cadet 4th Class James Walsh died Saturday night in the cadet area.
Academy personnel found Walsh, contacted emergency services and attempted to revive him using life-saving measures without success.
“The Academy is deeply saddened by the tragic loss we suffered Saturday,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the Academy superintendent. “As we grieve the passing of James, we ask that everyone keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.”
Cadet Walsh was a former enlisted Airmen. His death is under investigation.
BrigGen Dana Born, Dean of the US Air Force Academy, has announced her intention to retire in the summer of 2013.
Ordinarily, such a move wouldn’t be newsworthy. However, Gen Born has been under constant attack by Michael Weinstein — aided by his veritable PR arm, Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent — for several years. Zubeck, who has long had sources on the USAFA faculty eager to undermine their own institution, “scooped” even the official US military announcement of Born’s retirement, and she did so without attempting to hide her bias:
Brig. Gen. Dana Born, one of the most controversial figures Continue reading
A variety of websites are now reporting on the injuries US Air Force Academy cadets received during attempts by Four Degrees (freshmen) to drag their Cadet First Sergeants through the first snow of the season. The decades-old tradition is one of many that generally stay out of the public eye, though YouTube videos and the like have revealed them for years.
While there is apparent shock that “nearly 30 cadets” were injured in some form (including — gasp — bruises) during the devolution to a “brawl,” that injury count probably doesn’t crack the records set during Continue reading
The Stars and Stripes provided a quick but unfiltered summary of the second phase of basic training at the US Air Force Academy, including the measurable impact of its difficulty for would-be cadets:
Academy officials counted 1,035 recruits when basic cadet training began on June 28. When the flight marched into Jacks Valley nearly two weeks ago, 997 remained.
The assault course occasionally weeds out a few more. The academy counted 992 “basics” remaining when Charlie Flight readied for their turn through the course…
The US Air Force Academy has issued a release indicating as many as 78 cadets may have been involved in a cheating scandal.
Up to 78 Air Force Academy cadets cheated on an online calculus test by getting help during the exam from a website, the academy said Wednesday.
Most of the cadets took responsibility for their actions and have begun a six-month remediation program, a type of academic probation, said Lt. Col. John Bryan, an academy spokesman.
The circumstances seem somewhat unique compared Continue reading
The US Naval Academy at Annapolis won a Boeing-sponsored inter-service academy competition to design a futuristic aircraft cockpit:
The competition, now in its second year, required each academy’s team to design the cockpit of an aircraft for a mission nearly 30 years Continue reading
President Barack Obama will speak at the US Air Force Academy graduation on May 23rd.
The President traditionally speaks on a rotation at each of the service academies. President Obama has previously spoken at the Coast Guard Academy, Annapolis, and West Point, making USAFA his final stop.
The 2012 National Character and Leadership Symposium at the US Air Force Academy will be held from 22 to 24 February. Ross Perot will be the keynote speaker.
Other speakers will come from a variety of backgrounds and careers, including a Medal of Honor recipient and
After last year’s to-do over the USAFA climate survey, it seems an outside agency will be conducting this year’s version.
The office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs decided in January to charge AFMA with conducting the Academy’s 2011 survey, said Col. Bill Hampton, executive secretary for the Academy’s Board of Visitors.
Brenda Gainey, the survey lead, apparently used the current Air Force surveys as a baseline and then modified them for the USAFA environment. Translation: Continue reading