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.
ADVERTISEMENT
The US Air Force identified the F-16 pilot killed in Afghanistan last week as Capt James Steel, a 2006 US Air Force Academy graduate and Shaw Air Force Base pilot.
The F-16 reportedly crashed while on a night final approach to Bagram Air Base after his fragged sortie. News reports do not indicate a family, other than his father, retired MajGen Robert Steel.
ADVERTISEMENT
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: Read more
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last Friday Michael Weinstein sponsored a protest/picketing a few miles from one of the US Air Force Academy entrance gates. Ostensibly, the objective was to make USAFA pull down a link to a website Weinstein had called “homophobic” and “misogynistic.” This protest and the accompanying billboard (now a trend) were apparently the “action” he had ominously threatened.
The protest misfired on several counts, though the most entertaining by far was Read more
Retired Col Lee Ellis, whose outstanding book Leading with Honor made the Recommended list here as well as General Mark Welsh’s professional reading list, recently addressed cadets at the US Air Force Academy as part of the 2013 National Character and Leadership Symposium.
A prisoner of war held in the “Hanoi Hilton” for five and a half years shared his compelling story of imprisonment and success with cadets…
Retired Col. Lee Ellis was held captive along with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others after his plane was shot down Nov. 7, 1967.
Col Ellis shared his perspective on purpose, passion, Read more
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
An advocate of Michael Weinstein’s MRFF recently said [emphasis added]:
Consider the fact…General Mark A. Welsh III, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, responded personally and immediately to Mikey Weinstein.
If the issue were not legitimate…I rather doubt General Walsh [sic] would have bothered. Of course, that’s why he’s a general…
Rightly or wrongly, when Michael Weinstein is given special access to military leaders, it appears to grant credibility to his cause.
Treat him like everybody else — the “little people” who are forced to use normal channels — and Weinstein loses his ability to grandstand, and with it, the wind from his sails. He doesn’t have the patience for such treatment, and he sulks away.
Just ask USAFA.
Actually, it looks like somebody did…
ADVERTISEMENT