A recent US Air Force news article on the USAF Academy graduation contained a photo encapsulating a veritable cornucopia of USAFA and military traditions. Here’s the photo:
Traditions displayed in the photo: Read more
Bruce Fleming, a 23-year professor of English at the US Naval Academy, publishes a fairly scathing critique of the military academy construct at the New York Times (oddly timed as the Academies host their graduations this week). He blasts the cost, the apparent lack of unique ability, preferential treatment of football players, the apparent trend of “unofficial affirmative action,” and the “backdoor” for less-qualified students in the preparatory school.
Fleming has long been a commentator on, and largely a critic of, the institution that employs him (and he has received some grief for it). He questioned Read more
President Obama spoke at the US Military Academy commencement at West Point on Saturday. Admiral Mullen will address the US Air Force Academy graduation on Wednesday. The Naval Academy graduation will be addressed by Vice President Biden on Friday.
Obama’s address, which can be viewed at the White House website, contained some interesting quotes. Many focused on his stated “international order” and missed his statements on religion and war: Read more
The Herndon Monument climb, a tradition over which the outgoing superintendent of the US Naval Academy Vice Adm Jeffrey Fowler had already expressed displeasure, was done without the lard and water-spraying of previous years. As a result, the first year midshipmen managed a near-record time of 2 minutes and 5 seconds, as opposed to the more average time of 2 hours or more.
This was not the first time for either the absence of water (banned last year) or a slicked up monument, though it has been decades since the plebes scaled the obelisk without the challenge of lard.
The change was reportedly “to improve the safety of the event.”
The Naval Academy graduation is this Friday.
According to the Military Times, US Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler has expressed displeasure with the decades old tradition of “freshmen” midshipmen climbing the Herndon monument. The annual climb is the symbolic end of the plebe year.
The article does specifically say Fowler is not canceling the event, though he anticipates that “risk management” will eventually lead to its demise.
The article contains a fairly detailed description of the climb, as well as its history.
The Navy announced Vice President Joe Biden will deliver the address at the US Naval Academy graduation at the end of May.
Senior leaders generally rotate through the military academies. Biden spoke at the Air Force Academy last year, and Obama at Navy. This year, Obama will address the US Military Academy at West Point.
The US Air Force Academy certainly has its critics with regard to the experiences cadets must endure, but it also offers some significant and unique opportunities.
As a college student receiving a tuition-free four year education, how’d you like to head down the street to the school’s flying program and take an aircraft for a spin (also for free)?
Can’t really beat the view, either.
USAFA T-52A and T-41D line up for takeoff on a clear April morning on the USAFA airfield, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Many distinguished (and some undistinguished) speakers come to the US Air Force Academy to speak to the cadet wing. Sometimes these speeches are done during a military training period within the school day; others are delivered in the evening.
A time-honored tradition at the US Air Force Academy is the presentation to those speakers (most, but not all) with a statuette of the USAFA mascot, the falcon. After the speaker concludes their remarks, a cadet leader enters the stage and thanks the speaker for their wise words. As he holds the statuette aloft, he then says that on behalf of the cadet wing, he would like to present the speaker with…
…and the entire wing shouts out: The Bird!
It is an interesting and entertaining example of both stereotypical Read more