Category Archives: Military Academy

Military Academies Again Top Princeton Rankings

Much as they do every year, the US military academies ranked near the top of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review.

While some may consider the military academies somewhat interchangeable, its interesting to see the differences in “culture” at each institution.  For example, the “most popular major” at USAFA is said to be aero/astro engineering, at Annapolis its economics/history, and at West Point its business and economics.  And, as last year, it seems the Merchant Marine Academy has a reputation to overcome.

Interestingly, USAFA fell off the scale on “most religious students” — and West Point took its place.

Some notable rankings:  Read more

Military Academies Line Up Graduation Speakers

The US military academies appear to have hammered out their graduation speakers for this year:

The top military leadership speaks at the military academy graduations on a rotating basis.  For those keeping count, Obama has already spoken at Annapolis, West Point, and now the Coast Guard academy, so if tradition holds he will address USAFA next year.

USAFA Professor Killed in Afghanistan

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a US Air Force Academy professor was killed in Afghanistan this week.

Maj. Phil Ambard, a foreign-language professor at the academy, was killed in Kabul, according to his daughter, Air Force 1st Lt. Emily Short.

Some people may not realize that a wide variety of people deploy to the combat zones from non-traditional fields.  The Academy likely has several instructors downrange.

Major Ambard reportedly had more than two decades of service in the Air Force.  Remember his family in your prayers.

Christian Fighter Pilot Addresses USAFA

Christian fighter pilot (more accurately, Christian attack pilot) Chad Hennings recently had the opportunity to address cadets at the US Air Force Academy during its annual National Character and Leadership Symposium.

Hennings, a former A-10 pilot and member of the SuperBowl winning Dallas Cowboys, was a member of the Sports Panel:

Filled with all the excitement of an NFL championship game, three-time Super Bowl champion Hennings combines hard-hitting sports action with moral truths to convey powerful, behind-the-scenes insights on what it takes to become a winner.

Others addressing the NCLS included Read more

Naval Academy Professor Settles Complaint

Bruce Fleming has had a long — and tumultuous — career as a professor of English at the US Naval Academy.

In 2009 he wrote an Op-Ed claiming the USNA inappropriately lowers its standards to increase its racial diversity, a claim he has made elsewhere.  He claims he was denied a “standard” pay raise as a result.  He filed a complaint which has now been settled “to the satisfaction of both parties,” according to the Academy.

Fleming has criticized the existence of the military institutions, complaining they create mediocre officers and “promulgate” a “conservative worldview” that includes “religion.”  Despite such complaints, he seems content to take a paycheck from the Navy to teach there, as he has for more than Read more

Grad takes USAFA to Task Over Constitution

And, no, this isn’t about Michael Weinstein.

Ralph Palmer, USAFA Class of 1967, has been campaigning for a few years to get the US Constitution put back into the pocket-sized cadet “Contrails,” which the Colorado Springs Gazette says is “better known as the ‘Cadet Bible.'”  The small tome is a collection of history, facts, and miscellaneous details that fourthclass (first year) cadets are often required to memorize.

It is not unusual to see pictures of cadets braced at attention with the small book gripped firmly a few inches in front of their face.  They’re supposed to be reading it and learning.

Apparently, the US Constitution — which had been routinely included in Contrails for decades — was removed, though supposedly it wasn’t done for malicious reasons:

“Sometimes it has to do with space, flat out,” said Air Force Academy spokesman Master Sgt. Chris Dewitt. “Everyone has things they want in ‘Contrails’ and it has the potential to grow to the size of ‘War and Peace’.”

Like the other USAFA grad often in the news, Palmer is a former lawyer, but Read more

Pop Quiz: USAFA Religious Training Befuddles Atheist

The inappropriate invitation of MAAF president Jason Torpy to a USAFA “religious respect” conference was the topic of a separate article.  One indicator (among others) of the improper invite was Torpy’s comments on one of the proposed training scenarios.  Torpy, a West Point graduate and former Army Captain, presents himself as an expert in matters of military regulations and religion…and, yet, he entirely missed the point.

To recap, the scenario was as follows:

Lisa wears a cross under her uniform. On the obstacle course one day the cross slips outside her uniform and a commander (or teacher) says, “What’s that? That’s not regulation.” Lisa apologizes and says she’ll tuck it back into her shirt. The commander (or teacher) says, “No, you need to take it off; you can’t wear it.”

Torpy’s discombobulated critique:  Read more

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