History of The Academy

Transcription

1 The Academy

2 The Air force academy The United States Air Force Academy offers a four-year program of instruction and experience designed 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. Each cadet graduates with a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. Course of Study Cadets are exposed to a balanced curriculum that provides the knowledge, skills and responsibilities essential to a career Air Force officer. The entire USAFA experience is integrated and mapped to achieve a set of desired outcomes in every graduate. The core academic curriculum includes courses in basic sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Cadets take additional elective courses to complete requirements for one of 32 major areas of study. About 50 percent of the cadets complete majors in science and engineering; the remainder graduate in the social sciences and humanities. Some of the most popular majors include management, aeronautical engineering, foreign area studies, history, behavioral science, civil engineering, astronautical engineering, electrical engineering and engineering mechanics. Faculty Composition The majority of the Academy s faculty members, more than 500 total, are Air Force officers. They are selected primarily from career-officer volunteers who have established outstanding records of performance and dedication. Each has at least a master s degree and more than 55 percent have doctorates or other terminal degrees in their field of study. About 30 percent of the faculty are civilians who bring great depth of disciplinary and educational expertise and provide academic stability and continuity. Faculty members are intensely focused on cadet learning as an integral part of their officer development. The Air Force Academy has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for the most accessible and involved faculty. To provide greater contributions by a diverse faculty, the Academy has several distinguished visiting professors and endowed professors who serve one or more years. Officers from other services, as well as officers from allied countries are also members of the faculty. Distinguished civilian and military lecturers also share their expertise with the cadets during the academic year. Athletic Program The Academy s athletic program is designed to improve physical fitness, teach athletic skills and develop leadership qualities. To achieve its goals, the Academy offers some of the most extensive physical education, intramural sports and intercollegiate athletic programs in the nation. Cadets take at least three different physical education courses each year. Military Education and Training An air, space and cyberspace-oriented military education, training and leadership program begins with basic cadet training and continues throughout the four years. Seniors are responsible for the organizational leadership of the cadet wing, while juniors and sophomores seek to develop team and interpersonal leadership and instructional skills. Cadets are projected into as many active leadership roles as possible to prepare them to be effective Air Force officers. Fundamental concepts of military organization -- drill, ethics, honor, Air Force heritage and physical training -- are emphasized the first summer during basic cadet training. Freshmen then study the military role in United States society as well as the mission and organization of the Air Force. Sophomores receive instruction in communication skills and juniors study the combat and operational aspects of the Air Force. The Academy offers courses in flying, navigation, soaring and parachuting, building from basic skills to instructor duties. Some cadets may fly light aircraft with the Cadet Flying Team. Summer training for cadets is divided into three, three-week training periods. There are a variety of programs available and each cadet is required to complete two training periods each summer with leave during the other period. All new cadets take six weeks of basic cadet training in their first summer. Combat survival training is a required threeweek program during cadets second summer. For other second-summer training periods, cadets have options such as working with Airmen in an operational unit at an Air Force installation, airborne parachute training, soaring or basic free-fall parachute training. During their last two summers, all cadets are offered leadership training as supervisors or instructors in the summer programs listed above. Extracurricular activities also are an integral part of the education program. The cadet ski club, drum and bugle corps, cadet chorale and forensics are a few of the programs available. Nominations Nominations to the Academy may be obtained through a congressional sponsor or by meeting eligibility criteria in other categories of competition established by law. For information on admission procedures, write to HQ USAFA/RRS; 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 200; USAF Academy, CO or go to: History of The Academy In 1948, a board of leading civilian and military educators was appointed to plan the curriculum for an academy that would meet the needs of the newly established Air Force. The board determined that Air Force requirements could not be met by expanding the other service academies and recommended an Air Force Academy be established without delay. In 1949, then Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington appointed a commission to assist in selecting a site and on April 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized creation of the United States Air Force Academy. After considering 580 sites in 45 states, the commission narrowed the choice to three locations. The summer of 1954, Secretary of the Air Force Harold Talbott selected a site near Colorado Springs, Colo. Colorado contributed $1 million toward purchase of the property. In July 1955, the first Academy class entered interim facilities at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, while construction began. It was sufficiently completed for occupancy by the cadet wing in late August Initial construction cost was $142 million. Women entered the Academy on June 28, 1976, as members of the class of Air Force Football 34

3 Academy senior leadership Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson is Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. She directs a four-year academic, military training, athletic and character development program leading to a bachelor s degree and commission as an Air Force officer. The general is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy s Class of After graduating from the Academy, she completed graduate studies as a Rhodes Scholar before earning her pilot wings in Johnson has held numerous command positions at the group, wing and numbered Air Force level, and came to the Academy after serving as the Deputy, Chief of Staff, Operation and Intelligence, Supreme Headquarters Allies Powers Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Casteau, Belgium. She has served in various assignments in air mobility, airlift and tanker flying operations and training, academic instruction and personnel. A command pilot, the general has more than 3,600 flying hours in the C-141, T-41, KC-10, C-17, C-5 and the KC-14 aircraft. The general s military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Vice Superintendent Colonel Doug Lamberth Commandant of Cadets Brig. General Stephen C. Williams Dean of Faculty Brig. General Andrew Armacost Commander, 10th Air Base Wing Col. Troy Dunn Command Chief CMSgt Max Grindstaff Air Force Football 35

4 director of athletics jim knowlton Jim Knowlton joined the Air Force Academy as the director of athletics on March 22, In this capacity he oversees 27 intercollegiate varsity sports, physical education, intramurals and all physical testing and evaluation at the Academy. Prior to the Air Force Academy, Knowlton served as the director of athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was responsible for overseeing the Institute s 12 men s and 11 women s NCAA intercollegiate varsity teams and three junior varsity squads, involving more than 600 student-athletes, as well as intramurals. In his time in Troy, Knowlton helped develop the strategic vision for the athletic department, implemented a new athletics branding initiative, increased two-way communication with the student-athletes, created and filled many key positions, and facilitated renovations to the Houston Field House as well as the construction of the $102M first phase of Rensselaer s East Campus Athletic Village. Prior to joining Rensselaer, Knowlton served as the director of the Center for Enhanced Performance at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. In that position, he led a staff of 50 professionals who deliver training for peak performance in athletics, academics, and military endeavors to cadets, soldiers, and athletes both on and off the West Point campus. From 2003 to 2006 Knowlton served as both deputy and interim director for the athletics department at West Point, where he led a staff of more than 200 people and supervised 25 intercollegiate athletic programs with more than 1,000 student-athletes. During his tenure, West Point set the stage to earn its first NCAA national championship in more than 50 years. Jim Knowlton addresses crowd at AFA Hall of Fame Banquet Knowlton received a bachelor s degree in engineering in 1982 from West Point, where he was a four-year letterwinner and captain of the varsity hockey team. After 10 years of organizational leadership positions of increasing responsibility in the U.S. Jim Knowlton at press conference introducing head women s basketball Chris Gobrecht Army, Knowlton received a master s in civil engineering from Cornell University. He returned to West Point in 1992 to teach in the civil and mechanical engineering department. He was selected to lead and manage larger and more complex organizations within the Army, ultimately leading a battalion of 750 men and women while stationed at Ft. Carson, Colo., before deploying to Iraq. Knowlton is a registered professional engineer in the state of Virginia. His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, the Air Assault Badge, and the Senior Parachutist Badge. Knowlton and his wife, Corey, have five sons: Jimmy, Patrick, Christopher, Mark and Shawn. Jim Knowlton helping celebrate award winners at the Air Force fencing team banquet Air Force Football 36

5 air force athletics Few schools in the country have an athletic program as extensive as the Air Force Academy s. The goals of the athletic program are to enhance the physical conditioning of all cadets, to develop the physical skills necessary for officership, to teach leadership in a competitive environment and to build character. There are three divisions of the athletic program: intercollegiate athletics, intramurals and physical education. The intercollegiate program has 17 men s and 10 women s NCAA-sanctioned teams, facing some of the top competition in the nation. Men s teams are football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross-country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, rifle, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling. The Academy fields women s teams in basketball, cross-country, fencing, gymnastics, rifle, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis and volleyball. In addition, the Academy sponsors two non-ncaa programs; boxing and cheerleading. The majority of the Academy s men s and women s programs compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons compete in this conference against teams from Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawai i (football only), Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming. All sports also compete against non-conference opponents, including many nationally ranked teams. The football team competes annually for the Commander-in-Chief s Trophy, which is emblematic of service academy football supremacy. The Falcons have won the trophy 19 times, which is more than any other academy. The USAFA Cadet Field House is one of the most impressive athletic facilities in the country. It s a modern, versatile structure with seemingly endless uses. The $5.6 million building is five stories high and 396 feet by 426 feet, the size of three football fields laid side by side. The structure is divided into three areas- -basketball arena, ice hockey arena and multipurpose area. The three sections have a combined seating capacity of more than 9,000. Clune Arena seats 5,858. The Cadet Ice Rink has a seating capacity of 2,470, while the multipurpose area seats 1,000 fans for track and field competitions. The $4.1-million renovation to the Cadet Track Stadium, the outdoor home of the Air Force track and field team, was completed in the fall of 2011 and is one of the premier track and field facilities in the nation. The Holaday Athletic Center, a $15.5 million completely donor funded indoor training facility, was completed in July The Cadet Fitness Center is a $9.5 million, Military Construction project, home of the Air Force Academy s fencing practice facility and aerobics/weight lifting facility that contains a nearly 33-foot climbing wall, opened in May Col. Brian A. Hill Vice Director of Athletics Col. Brian A. Hill is the vice athletic director at the Air Force Academy. A 1991 Academy graduate, he began his current assignment in June, Hill was the Vice Commander, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., from July 2013-June The 92nd ARW provides KC-135 aircraft and aircrews to support world-wide aerial refueling and airlift missions in support of the Department of Defense. Prior to this assignment, he was a student at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Colonel Hill also served as Commander, 96th Air Refueling Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Prior to his command assignment, Colonel Hill was the Deputy Executive Assistant to the Commander, Headquarters United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. A veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, Joint Forge and Joint Endeavor, Hill earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in He is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the T-1, T-3, T-37, T-38, C-130E/H and the KC-135R/T aircraft. Hill earned his master s degree in physical education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1995 and a master s in strategic studies from Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Ala. A three-year letterman on the Air Force football team, Hill was a team captain and second-team all-conference selection at inside linebacker in He was the Air Force Academy most valuable athlete for the academic year. Hill and his wife, Suzette, have one son, Brayden, who is a junior at the Academy. Air Force Football 37

6 Falcon Mascot WHY THE FALCON? Speed Can attain velocities exceeding 200 miles per hour in stoops or dives on their prey. Power Powerful and graceful flight, with strong, deep wing beats; they maneuver with ease, grace and evident enjoyment. Courage Fearless and aggressive, falcons fiercely defend their nest and young against intruders. They have been known to unhesitatingly attack and kill prey more than twice their size. Keen eyesight About eight times sharper than man. Alertness, regal carriage and noble tradition. Sports audiences across the country have been intrigued and delighted by the aerobatics of the falcon, the flying mascot of the U.S. Air Force Academy -- one of only two schools with performing mascots in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The falcon can attain velocities exceeding 200 miles per hour in swoops or dives, turn sharply and streak only inches above the ground, making it the fastest and one of the most maneuverable of all birds. Trained and handled by cadet falconers, the birds soar and dive, sometimes zooming low over the heads of spectators. While their public flying performances are primarily limited to outdoor venues -- most often at football games and cadet wing parades -- the falcons appear at many other athletic contests in which cadet teams play. Members of the Class of 1959, the first to enter the Academy, chose the falcon as the mascot of the cadet wing Sept. 25, 1955, feeling that it best characterized the combat role of the U.S. Air Force. They did not specify any particular species; thus, any falcon can serve as mascot. Some of the characteristics which led to its selection were speed, powerful and graceful flight, courage, keen eyesight, alertness, regal carriage and noble tradition. The falcon exemplified the qualities sought in Air Force Academy cadets: courage, intelligence, love of the wild sky, ferocity in attack, but gentle in repose, and discipline. Experts once said falcons could not be trained to perform before huge crowds, that the birds would panic and flee. Since 1956, however, cadets have flown the birds at sporting events before thousands of cheering spectators. Six weeks or more and an average of 300 man-hours per bird are required to properly train a young falcon via operant conditioning. When a bird is in top condition, it is able to fly for more than an hour and make repeated stoops at the baited lure swung by the cadet falconer. Although they can be trained to perform, falcons are never totally domesticated and remain wild creatures with strong, individual and independent spirits. On Oct. 5, 1955, a splendid peregrine was the first falcon presented to the cadet wing. It was named Mach 1, referring to the speed of sound. Today, 12 to 15 falcons are kept in the mews (enclosures for trained hawks) north of the cadet area. Current breeds of falcons at the Academy include several breeds which are native to North America, including prairie falcons, peregrine falcons, and the largest type of falcon, the gyrfalcon. The Academy recently added several gyr-saker hybrids and a gyr-peregrine hybrid to its ranks. Sakers are a strong and agile mid-tolarge size breed of falcon, native to Eastern Europe and Asia. Sakers have been cross-bred with the larger gyrfalcons in recent years to produce a highly intelligent, agile and powerful breed of performing falcon, and have flown at the Academy since In addition to flying performances, the falcons and cadet falconers visit dozens of schools, scouting groups, youth groups, airshows and other public events around the country, educating youth and adults alike on falconry, raptors, the Air Force and the Air Force Academy. On June 8, 1996, the Association of Graduates purchased a female white-phase gyrfalcon from Mr. Dan Konkle in Sheridan, Wyo., and donated her to the Academy. The cadet wing named this new mascot Aurora - from Roman mythology, the goddess of the dawn. She is now the official mascot for the United States Air Force Academy and has become the center of attention for the Academy s Falcon Mascot Program. At a mere 40 days old, this majestic creature weighed four pounds. Glacier, our previous whitephase gyrfalcon Mascot from , only weighed two pounds. Although any falcon can serve as an Academy mascot, the white-phase gyrfalcon is native to Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the U.S.-Canadian border, and has always been the official mascot of the Air Force Academy. Gyrfalcons constitute only about five percent of the total number of falcons found in the United States. Of that five percent, only about 3-4 percent are true white-phase gyrfalcons. Falconry is one of the extracurricular activities offered to cadets. There are usually 12 falconers, with four chosen from each new class at the end of the year to replace graduating seniors. The new falconers begin training in January under the leadership of experienced upperclassmen and the officer-in-charge. Without proper instruction, novices can physically harm the birds or adversely affect their training. Falconers duties include daily checks of each bird s health and condition, training sessions during which the birds are fed a measured ration of meat, frequent cleaning of the mews and routine maintenance of equipment. During performances, the birds fly to a lure, a rectangularshaped leather pouch. The falconer whirls the lure in a circle on a 30-foot cord; the bird quickly learns to strike it in mid-air, carry it to the ground and dine on the food. As the bird stoops toward the lure in free flight, the lure is jerked aside, causing the falcon to fly up, circle and make another pass. This procedure is repeated several times before the bird is allowed to strike the lure in midair. The falcon performs this task knowing that as soon as it catches the lure, it earns its meal for the day. A small battery-powered transmitter and a bell are attached to each leg so that, should the bird not come to the lure as it had been trained, the cadet falconers will be able to follow and safely recover the falcon. Air Force Football 38

7 the air force song History of the Air Force Song In 1938, Liberty magazine sponsored a contest for a spirited, enduring musical composition to become the official Army Air Corps song. Of 757 scores submitted, Robert Crawford s was selected by a committee of Air Force wives. The song was officially introduced at the Cleveland Air Races on September 2, Fittingly, Crawford sang it in its first public performance. The first page of the score, which Crawford submitted to the selection committee in July 1939, was carried to the surface of the moon on July 30, 1971, aboard the Apollo 15 Falcon lunar module by Colonel David R. Scott and Lieutenant Colonel James B. Irwin. Interestingly, at the moment the Falcon blasted off the surface of the moon with Scott and Irwin on board, a rendition of the Air Force Song was broadcast to the world by Major Alfred M. Worden, who had a tape recorder aboard the Endeavor command module which was in orbit around the moon. Scott, Irwin and Worden comprised the first and only All-Air Force Apollo crew and arranged to take the page of sheet music with them as a tribute to Crawford and the United States Air Force. Bridge Section: Toast to the Host A Toast to the Host is part of the original Air Force Song. Many times this is sung as a separate piece. This is the verse which commemorates those who have fallen in the name of our service and our great country. This is the reason for the difference in melody and the reverent, reflective mood. After every football game, the Drum and Bugle Corps plays A Toast to the Host as the football team gathers together on the field, joins hands and stands at attention. by Robert Crawford courtesy USAF Heritage of America Band Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At em boys, Give er the gun! (Give er the gun now!) Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey! Nothing ll stop the U.S. Air Force! Additional verses: Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder, Sent it high into the blue; Hands of men blasted the world asunder; How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!) Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer Gave us wings, ever to soar! With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey! Nothing ll stop the U.S. Air Force! Bridge: A Toast to the Host Here s a toast to the host Of those who love the vastness of the sky, To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly. We drink to those who gave their all of old, Then down we roar to score the rainbow s pot of gold. A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force! Off we go into the wild sky yonder, Keep the wings level and true; If you d live to be a grey-haired wonder Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!) Flying men, guarding the nation s border, We ll be there, followed by more! In echelon we carry on. Hey! Nothing ll stop the U.S. Air Force! Air Force Football 39

8 pageantry Nothing is more indicative of the pageantry of Air Force football than the Wings of Blue. The U.S. Air Force Academy parachute team, the Wings of Blue, has been one of the outstanding parachute units in the country for more than two decades. Since 1967, cadets have dominated national intercollegiate parachuting championships, typically winning decisively over 40 other schools which field about 125 of the nation s top college competitors. Additionally, they perform about 50 demonstrations each year for millions of spectators. That doesn t include jumping into Falcon Stadium before the start of every football game, weather permitting. The Wings of Blue, because of their diverse mission, are divided into a demonstration team and a competition team. Advising and supervising the team is a cadre of active duty and reserve Air Force commissioned and non-commissioned officers. The team jumps from a variety of aircraft. However, the team primarily uses its own DeHavilland UV-18B Twin Otters. Each cadet member must be a qualified jumpmaster and instructor in the Air Force Academy parachuting program. They must also maintain high academic and military standards to remain with the team. Members of the team average 600 jumps by the time they graduate. The primary mission of the parachute team is not competing or performing, it s to train other cadets in free-fall parachuting. Each year, over 1,000 cadets complete five free-fall jumps in the basic free fall parachuting course and earn the coveted parachutist badge and rating. The Academy is the only school in the Air Force authorized to grant these awards and is the only school in the U.S. authorized to allow students to perform unassisted freefall delays on their first jump, without any prior static line training. The basic free-fall program is the premier character development program at the Academy and is available to all cadets. It is designed to develop courage, confidence and discipline in each student and provide leadership experiences for the cadet instructors who teach the course. It is a rigorous training schedule with heavy emphasis on safety. Before cadets make their first jump, they are drilled repeatedly in ground school on proper parachuting procedures. The repetition is intended to have the jumper respond automatically and correctly should something unexpected occur during the jump. Cadets who successfully complete the basic free fall course are then eligible to take the advanced training necessary to tryout for the Wings of Blue. Those who want advanced training must compete for admission. Selection is based upon an individual s maturity, abilities, academic and military standing. From its uncertain beginnings, when it was reserved for stuntmen, rugged paratroopers and desperate pilots, parachuting has evolved into an exacting science and demanding sport -- a sport dominated at the college level by the Air Force Academy. The Flight of Sound The complete experience in sight and sound is presented at every home Falcon football game by the Flight of Sound, the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps. Since 1948, the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps has entertained audiences across the nation and abroad with their thrilling performances. The Corps, originally assigned to Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., was transferred to the Air Force Academy in 1963 and turned over to the Cadet Wing in Since then, the corps has won 16 of the 24 Interservice Academy Drum and Bugle Corps competitions and are the four-time defending champions. The competition is held annually during the Air Force vs. Navy football weekend. Recognized as one of America s premier musical and marching units, the Corps exemplifies the precision and musical blend of a well-directed band or orchestra and the showmanship of a Broadway production. Performing on the average of 150 times a year, they have become known as the Academy s ambassadors of precision drill and musical pageantry. The Corps primary mission is to support the Cadet Wing activities, including military formations and Academy athletic contests both home and away. An extension of the mission continues in the community with concerts, field exhibitions, band festivals and various military ceremonies. The D & B Corps is comprised of 135 cadets and has represented the Air Force Academy at Presidential Inaugural Parades, Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parades, The Tournament of Roses Parade, Mardi Gras Parades, The Festival of State in St. Petersburg, Fla., Walt Disney World s International Music Festival and The Long s Peak Scottish/Irish Festival. Air Force Football 40