Colorado Springs, Colorado. (July 7, 2023): In this photo by Trevor Cokley, Basic cadets from the Class of 2027 receive an intimidating welcome during their first day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Termed “I Day,” this is the first step in a cadet’s journey to becoming an Air or Space Force Officer and it can be a jarring experience for young recruits accustomed to the comforts of civilian life.The tenderhearted might ask; “Is all this “in your face” discipline really necessary?” To which every military trainer will reply “Absolutely.” Americans view themselves as rugged individualists and recruits arrive at the Academy hailing from varied backgrounds, financial circumstances, and ethnic groups. The military’s philosophy is to “break them down to rebuild them” in the martial tradition. Military service requires immediate obedience to orders and exacting precision in dress, thought, and demeanor.

Basic Training is designed to break down egos and individualism and replace it with the warrior spirit and code of ethics. Only through stern discipline can the nation develop the capable leaders we need for the future.The Air Force Academy is an accredited four-year university offering bachelor's degrees in a variety of subjects. Approximately 70 percent of the faculty are active-duty Air Force and Space Force officers with the balance long-term civilian professors, visiting professors from civilian universities, and instructors from other U.S. and allied foreign military services.

In recent years, civilians have become a growing portion of senior faculty.Traditionally, the academic program at the Air Force Academy (as with military academies in general) focusses heavily on science and engineering with the idea that many graduates would be expected to manage complex air, space, and information technology systems. As a result, the Academy's engineering programs have traditionally been ranked highly nationally.To be eligible to enter the Academy, a candidate must:

• Be a citizen of the United States (unless nominated by an official of a country invited by the Department of Defense)
• Be unmarried with no dependents
• Be of good moral character
• Be at least seventeen, but less than 23 years of age by 1 July of the year of entry
• Meet high leadership, academic, physical, and medical standards

All candidates must secure a nomination to the Academy, normally from a U.S. Senator or Representative and each member of Congress and the Vice President can have five appointees. The process for obtaining a congressional nomination is not political and candidates do not have to know their senator or representative to secure a nomination.Cadets are known as “Zoomies” and the alumni of the Air Force Academy call themselves the “Long Blue Line.”