FACT SHEET
United States
U.S. AIR
FORCE ACADEMY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, USAF ACADEMY, CO
80840
A QUICK LOOK AT THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY
To
educate, train, and inspire men and women to become officers of character
motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation. The United States Air Force Academy is the
nation’s premier institution for developing leaders of character.
Core Values:
Integrity First,
Service Before Self, Excellence in all we do
HISTORY:
Youngest of the four service academies
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill authorizing
establishment of the Academy
The
first class entered in July 1955 at temporary facilities at Lowry Air Force
Base,
The Cadet Wing moved into its permanent home in August 1958.
First class of 207 graduated in June 1959.
President
Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill in 1964 authorizing each of the three Academies
to expand their enrollment from 2,529 to 4,417.
Current legislation limits cadet wing strength to 4,000.
First class with women entered in June 1976 and graduated in
May 1980.
More than 37,800 cadets have graduated in 46 classes.
Approximately 38 percent of those commissioned in the Air
Force are still on active duty.
351
graduates have been commissioned by other services; 124 by the Marine Corps,
113 by the Navy, and 114 by the Army.
292
international cadets entered and 223 have graduated from the Academy.
16
cadets have graduated posthumously.
One graduate, Capt. Lance P. Sijan, received the Medal of
Honor.
403
graduates have become general officers, to include former Chiefs of Staff
Fogelman and Ryan, former
164
graduates have been killed in combat.
36
graduates are repatriated prisoners of war.
Two graduates are combat aces.
-- more --
35
cadets have been selected as Rhodes Scholars.
6 cadets have been selected as Alberta Bart Holaday
Scholarship at
9 cadets have accepted Marshall Scholarships.
13
cadets have received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
92
cadets have been accepted as Guggenheim Fellows
75
cadets have been selected as National Science Foundation Fellows.
36
cadets have accepted Fulbright-Hays Scholarships.
115
cadets have accepted scholarships to attend
37
cadets have been selected as Hertz Fellows.
662
cadets have entered medical school.
151 cadets have accepted MIT and Rice University
Scholarships.
59 cadets have accepted
31 cadets have been selected for Gerahart Scholarships
for study in
30 cadets have accepted Earl & Marion Nutter
Scholarships.
71 cadets have received
41 cadets have received Franklin C. Wolfe
Scholarships.
50 cadets have been selected for NCAA Scholarships.
34 cadets have attended the
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA:
Cadets
must be between 17 and 22 on July 1 of the year of admission.
Each
must be a
Applicants
must have good grades (generally ranked in at least the top 20 percent of their
high school class), be active in athletic and non-athletic extracurricular
activities, and be in good physical condition.
ACADEMY EXPERIENCE:
The
sum of the unique opportunities and experiences at the Academy.
Designed
to allow cadets to grow militarily, intellectually, physically, and
morally/ethically. Begins with the first
day of basic cadet training and ends as second lieutenants toss their hats into
the air at graduation.
1. Military Development - The goal is to develop
the knowledge, skills, values and behavior patterns needed to be an effective
Air Force officer.
a.
Military Art and Science - Designed to develop in each cadet an understanding
of the military profession and the composition, heritage and employment of
b. Leadership - First learned as a concept and
then put into practice, initially at the "follower" level. Upper-class cadets develop their leadership
abilities by running the Cadet Wing, leading classroom discussions, and helping
to teach Combat Survival Training and various airmanship courses. Officers are assigned to each program to
advise and help.
c. Aviation Sciences and Airmanship - All cadets
participate in some form of airmanship activity each of their four years at the
academy. During the first summer, basic
cadets are introduced to flying through orientation rides in a sailplane and
the Cessna 172. Four degrees take a
required aviation fundamentals course during the academic year that includes
classroom instruction, T-37 simulator rides, basic navigation and a one-day
field trip to an operational flying base.
Three degrees participate in the Soar-for-All program, which is designed
to solo each cadet through a combination of conventional and powered sailplane
flights. Two degrees (Juniors) can
participate in a wide range of courses in soaring, parachuting and
navigation. Advanced courses in these
areas prepare cadets to be instructors, permitting them to gain valuable
operational and leadership experience.
All cadets may belong to the Cadet Aviation Club and fly light aircraft
as a member of the Aero Club during all four years. Flying activities are complemented by
academic studies in astronomy, aeronautics, astronautics and physics.
--
more –
d. Professional Development Program -
Professional Development begins when cadets arrive to start six weeks of basic
cadet training and progresses steadily over four years. Each year builds on previous training and
experience. Cadets have a self-study
professional development curriculum and may participate in one or two
professional seminars each week. They
must pass a professional knowledge review near the end of each year. Emphasis in these programs is on the duties,
commitment and responsibilities of a professional officer.
2. Academic Development - Designed to provide cadets with a broad,
high-quality education appropriate to a military career.
a.
The Academy is
recognized as one of the finest colleges in the nation. Over 2,500 graduates have received
post-graduation scholarships, including Rhodes Scholarships.
b.
The faculty is
unique, consisting of approximately 565 military officers and civilian faculty
who not only teach, but also serve as role models for cadets. About 53 percent possess a doctoral degree.
c.
Cadet course
load is a good deal heavier than most other colleges. The core curriculum consists of 90 semester
hours, with an even balance between basic sciences and engineering sciences on
one hand and social sciences and humanities on the other.
d.
Cadets may
choose one of 32 academic majors. About half
major in science or engineering.
3. Physical Development - Objective is to
develop good physical condition and the traits of teamwork, courage,
aggressiveness, self-confidence, and an intense desire to win, all of which are
essential to a military officer.
a.
Each cadet takes 6 semester hours of
physical education during four years at the Academy.
b.
In addition, cadets must participate in
intercollegiate or intramural sports throughout the academic year.
c.
Cadets have two intramural
seasons. Each squadron fields a team in
16 sports. Men and women compete as
teammates in all but a few contact sports, such as boxing and football.
d.
Academy fields intercollegiate teams in
17 men's and 10 women's sports.
4. Character Development - Designed to develop
cadets’ professional military character through an emphasis on Air Force core
values, the Cadet Honor Code, ethics instruction, human relations education and
moral/spiritual development.
a. The Academy has an integrated,
institution-wide character development program focusing on our core values of
“Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do.”
b. The foundation is the Cadet Honor Code, which
states, “We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who
does...”
c. All cadets take a formal course in ethics and
receive honor, ethics, human relations, and other character development
instruction and experiences as part of their education and training program
throughout their four years at the Academy.
d. The human relations education program
promotes an understanding of how gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural
differences affect the transition, attrition, performance, and quality of life
for cadets in the Cadet Wing.
e. Cadets are afforded ample schedule
opportunities to participate in faith development programs of their own
choosing and are encouraged to take part in religious, spiritual, and faith
activities and programs provided at the Academy.
Located
at the base of the
Average
cost to put one cadet through the four-year program is $282,562; the education
portion is valued at about $123,000.
Approximately
one million visitors come to the Academy annually, including up to 7,000 people
per day at the
Cadets are housed in two dormitories, Vandenberg Hall (1,325
rooms) and Sijan Hall (936 rooms).
-- more --
Fairchild
Hall contains classrooms, labs and faculty/staff offices (250 classrooms, 45
science labs, 13 lecture halls).
Mitchell
Hall dining area covers 1.7 acres; staff serves the entire cadet wing at the
same time, in and out in only 25 minutes.
The
Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel is the 1996 recipient of the prestigious
American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Twenty-five Year Award.
Arnold
Hall houses a 2,900-seat Broadway auditorium, ballroom, conference rooms,
restaurant and historical displays.
Athletic
fields cover 143 acres and include 18 football fields, 13 soccer fields, 10
flickerball fields; all encompassing, 2,000 people can participate in sporting
events at the same time.
Cadet
Field House includes the Clune Arena, used for basketball, boxing and public
speaking events, seats 6,000. The Field
House also has an indoor track, field area, and a hockey rink which seats
2,602.
Cadet
gym is five stories tall and contains three basketball arenas, two pools (one
Olympic size), 19 racquetball courts, weight rooms, four tennis courts, and
offices.
SUMMARY:
The Academy experience is designed to:
-Produce
professional officers who have the knowledge, character, and motivation
essential to leadership.
-Offer
an environment of trust and respect, where all people can achieve high productivity,
are committed to organizational goals, and can reach their full potential.
-Instill
self-discipline and ethical accountability for one’s actions.
-In
short, make character central to the development of tomorrow’s Air Force
leaders.
(Current as of May 2008)