Entering Jacks Valley
On Sunday morning, the Academy's Basic Cadets marched out to Jacks Valley, where they will live until they complete field training and march back to the main campus July 31, 2019.

• Watch video from the march
• Stay tuned to WebGuy for coverage of cadet life all year long

Cadets Take Educational Journey to Normandy, Pay Tribute to D-Day
Cadets from the Air Force Academy spent two weeks of their summer break near the beach, but it probably wasn't the shoreline you'd expect. They went to Normandy, France, to pay their respects to the 160,000 allied troops who crossed the English Channel on D-Day, June 6, 1944, to begin clawing-back Europe from Nazi control.

Field Day: Basic Cadets Compete in Annual Athletic Team-Building Challenge
Field Day ended with the "Executioners" — Basic Cadets assigned to Cadet Squadrons 21-25 — beating-out the rest of rest of their BCT classmates. View more photos shared from field day.

AF Academy Professor, Astronaut Reflects on Space Program, Apollo 11 Mission
What does the Air Force Academy have to do with man's first flight to the moon? A lot, actually, if you ask Gary Payton, a NASA astronaut and distinguished visiting astronautics professor at the Academy.

• Grad recalls watching Apollo 11 Mission as a Basic Cadet

America's Best STEM-Educated CEOs? They're The Military's Four Star Officers
In an age where technology, scientific discoveries and data play increasingly essential roles in economic growth, national security and general well-being, advanced education in Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) fields has become a highly desirable asset for America's leaders.

Service Academy Graduates Could See Longer Military Obligations
Senators want to look at the service obligations that graduates of U.S. military academies incur for the first time in more than 20 years. The Senate Armed Services Committee wrote in the latest defense bill that the current eight-year service obligation for academy graduates hasn't changed since 1996. "Since that time, the real cost per graduate has increased by nearly 20 percent," the committee wrote.

7258' — Your Association at Work
Read the latest issue of the AOG's newsletter.

Time to Submit Photos for the 2020 AFAF Calendar
Submit your favorite Academy photos for possible inclusion in the 2020 Air Force Academy Fund calendar. The deadline for submitting photos is Sept. 20, 2019.

On the Road to Oxford
Second Lt. James Brahm '19, a Stamps Leadership Scholar, was selected as a 2019 Rhodes Scholar and will pursue graduate studies in computing in Oxford, England. In a brief video, James shares his gratitude for the Academy and the Endowment for the educational opportunities that helped him on his path to Oxford.

Serious About Cybersecurity
The USAFA Endowment has raised more than $17.5 million toward its goal of $45 million for the construction of the Academy's new Center for Cyber Innovation. Naming opportunities for cyber labs and spaces are available. Learn more and give online.

Estate Planning is Easier than You Think
The Endowment's free Estate Planning Guide makes it easy to take the first step toward creating the estate plan that's right for you. Request your free Estate Planning Guide today.

Heritage Minute: Season Two
Heritage Minute with Steve Simon '77 is back! We kick off Season Two of Heritage Minute by exploring Doolittle Hall, the headquarters of the Association of Graduates and home to the USAFA Endowment and Falcon Foundation, and the adjacent Heritage Trail.

U.S. Senate Confirms Former Delta Executive to Head FAA
The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm former Delta Air Lines executive Stephen Dickson '79 to head the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency that has faced scrutiny relating to safety over the past year.

Retired NASA Astronaut, Aviators Set World Circumnavigation Speed Record to Honor Apollo 11
Retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts '89 and an international team of aviators landed at Kennedy Space Center on July 11 after breaking multiple global flying records for circumnavigating Earth via the planet's poles. They made the historic flight, in part, to honor the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 moonshot.

Grad Takes Command of LeMay Center, Vice Commander Position of AU
Maj. Gen. Brad M. Sullivan '90 took command of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and vice commander position for Air University from Maj. Gen. Michael Rothstein '88 during a change of command ceremony, July 15, 2019, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Test Wing Change of Command
The 96th Test Wing welcomed its new commander during a change of command ceremony on July 2, 2019. Brig. Gen. Evan Dertien '93 passed the guidon to the wing's new leader, Brig. Gen. Scott Cain '95.

New Leader Takes Controls of Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base
Maj. Gen. Charles Corcoran '92 took the controls of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base on July 12. Previously, Corcoran served as the director of operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration in Europe, in Africa and at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

AFTC Vice Commander Bids Farewell to Air Force
After 28 years of service, Col. Angela Suplisson '91 retired from active duty following a ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base, California, July 12. Suplisson initially served as an Electronic Warfare and Weapons Test Engineer at Eglin AFB, Florida, where she tested F-15, F-16, and F-5 aircraft.

Operations Air Force: Cadets Volunteer at Equine Therapy Center
Twenty Air Force Academy cadets hit the farm July 6, helping the Therapeutic Riding Institute prepare its new Spring Valley location for operations.

ACE Solo Flight Program Concludes at Historic Tuskegee Airmen Airfield
The A.C.E. Solo Flight Program is a unique, STEM-focused summer program designed to motivate and mentor minorities and women to pursue aerospace careers, with an emphasis on Air Force opportunities. A total of 48 students ages 16-22, consisting of 24 Air Force ROTC cadets, four U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, and 20 high school students participated in the flight program.

Cadet Visits Hometown Civil Air Patrol Squadron
Currently in his second year at USAFA, Michael Matarazzo told the cadets about his experience in the Falcon Scholar program. Asked for advice on applying to colleges or service academies, Matarazzo encouraged the cadets to focus on their academics and stay involved with Civil Air Patrol. He credited his time in the Civil Air Patrol with helping him develop leadership skills and a desire to serve.

Defense Digital Service Team Visits Academy to Observe Security Clearance Processes
The Defense Digital Service team visited the Academy last week to observe how new cadets completed an electronic questionnaire necessary to attain security clearances. The team's goal: eliminate redundancies across multiple agencies and build a new software prototype to improve the user experience.

Air Force Football Picked Third in Mountain West Mountain Division
Air Force was picked to finish third in the Mountain West Mountain Division in the preseason media poll, announced during the 2019 Mountain West Football Media Days. Senior defensive back Jeremy Fejedelem and junior defensive lineman Jordan Jackson were each named to the preseason all-Mountain West team.

77 Cadet-Athletes Earn MW All-Academic Honors
Air Force placed 77 cadet-athletes on the spring academic all-Mountain West team, the second most in school history and the most since the Falcons placed 81 in 2015-16. Combined with the 61 cadet-athletes that earned MW academic honors in the fall, 138 cadet-athletes received MW academic honors during the 2018-19 academic year. The 138 honorees are the most in school history.