Traditional hat toss and flyover by Air Force Thunderbirds at the graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy
Logo of the Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an undergraduate college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. The Academy was established in 1954, entered its first class in 1955, and graduated its first class in 1959. All students hold the Air Force rank of "Cadet."[1] Sports media refer to the Academy as "Air Force"; this usage is officially endorsed.[2] Most cadets are admitted through a congressional appointment system.[3] The curriculum is broad-based but has traditionally emphasized science and engineering.[4] Before the Academy's first graduating class in 1959, the United States Military Academy and United States Naval Academy were the primary sources of officers for the Air Force and its predecessors, the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces.[citation needed] Though the primary focus of the Academy is for the Air Force and Space Force, some graduates are given the option of "cross-commissioning" into the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, or United States Coast Guard.[5]
This list is drawn from graduates, non-graduate former cadets, current cadets, and faculty of the Air Force Academy. Over 410 noted scholars from a variety of academic fields are Academy graduates, including: 41 Rhodes Scholars, 9 Marshall Scholars, 13 Harry S. Truman Scholars, 115 John F. Kennedy School of Government Scholars, and 31 Gerahart Scholars.[6] Additional notable graduates include 794 general officers, 164 graduates who were killed in combat, 36 repatriated prisoners of war, 1 Medal of Honor recipient, and 2 combat aces.[6] Thirty-nine Academy graduates have become astronauts, second among institutions of higher learning only to the United States Naval Academy with 52.[7]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by with reliable sources.
"Class year" refers to the individual's class year, which usually is the same as the individual's graduation year. In times of war, academy classes may graduate early, but this has never happened yet at the Air Force Academy.
Lieutenant General; first graduate in the order of merit in the first class at the Academy; Academy's first Rhodes Scholar; first graduate to return to the Academy as Superintendent of the Air Force Academy (1991–1994)
Lieutenant General; first USAFA graduate to be Dean of Faculty at the Academy, 1984-86; President of National Defense University 1994-97; President of Moravian College 1997-2006.
Tad J. Oelstrom
1965
Director of the National Security Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy (1997–2000)
Cubero was a member of the first class of women to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, and thus became the first Hispanic woman to graduate from any service academy.
Lieutenant General; jet transport/tanker pilot; first woman USAF Academy Rhodes Scholar; first woman Cadet Wing Commander; Academic All American Basketball player (1981-82); inaugural member USAF Academy Sports Hall of Fame (2007); Air Force Aide to the President of the United States (1992-94); Superintendent of the Air Force Academy 2013-2017.
Rhodes Scholar; first graduate elected to the United States Congress (U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 1st congressional district (1998–2009); President of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (2013-2017); first graduate appointed as Secretary of the Air Force (2017-present).
Lieutenant General; first graduate in the order of merit in the first class at the Academy; Academy's first Rhodes Scholar; first graduate to return to the Academy as Superintendent of the Air Force Academy (1991–1994)
Director of the National Security Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy (1997–2000)
Pilot of STS-6; commanded STS-51-D and STS-51-J; only astronaut to have flown on the maiden flight of two Space Shuttle orbiters ( Challenger and Atlantis)
Pilot of STS-51-B; commanded STS-33 and STS-44; Former Deputy Administrator and former acting Administrator for NASA; first African American to command any space vehicle
Lieutenant general; mission specialist on STS-54, STS-64, STS-78 and STS-101; Flight Engineer of International Space StationExpedition 2, she was a member of the first class of women to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy
The Air Force Academy’s first All-American. He gained the honor when players played offense and defense and just 11 were selected. Strom played on the offensive and defensive lines as a 6'0" 217-lb tackle. Captain of the undefeated 1958 USAFA football team that tied TCU in the Cotton Bowl. Inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame, Michigan, in 1977, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985, the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Air Force Academy Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2007.
Gregg Popovich
1970
Head coach (1997–) of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) San Antonio Spurs who led the team to NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014; three-time NBA Coach of the Year (2003, 2012, 2014)
1972 Third Team and 1974 Second Team All American soccer player. Holds Falcon career goals and points records. Played for 1976 U.S. Olympic Soccer Team. Played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Former U.S. Olympian and world champion in skeet shooting; Captain of 1996 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team; Professor of English at United States Air Force Academy; Boeing 747 pilot for United Airlines.
A-10 Thunderbolt pilot; Winner of the Outland Trophy; Football player for NFL'sDallas Cowboys (1992–2001); earned three Super Bowl rings; 2006 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame
USAFA Quarterback from 1987-89; set the NCAA Division I career record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1989. He was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2009 and the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Dowis died in an automobile accident on August 29, 2016.
Expert on Third World debt during Wall Street career with Citibank, Drexel Burnham Lambert and TCW; known for 1995 air rage incident in which he defecated off a food cart.
Senior manager FedEx (1979–1987, 1989–1994); administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (1987–1989); former CEO, Legend Airlines; current chair, Airbus, North American Holdings
General; first graduate to be promoted to the rank of four-starGeneral (on October 01, 1989); Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment (2001–2005); Acting Secretary of the Navy (2003); pilot; Vietnam War veteran
Senior manager FedEx (1979–1987, 1989–1994); administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (1987–1989); former CEO, Legend Airlines; current chair, Airbus, North American Holdings
Mayor of San Jose, California (2007–); graduated first in his class and scored the maximum on the Physical Readiness Test; his daughter Kim Reed-Campbell was also first in her Academy class
Commissioner, Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission, Boston, MA (1983-2000). Commissioner, Governor's Minority Business Commission (1987-1990). President and CEO, the Summit Group Companies, (1981-2008), President and CEO, Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy, (2008-), Colorado Aeronautical Board (2012-).
Commissioned into the United States Army; infantry platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division. Republican member of the Onslow County, North CarolinaBoard of Commissioners, Candidate for U.S. Congress challenging incumbent Walter B. Jones, Jr. for the Republican nomination in North Carolina's 3rd congressional district in 2008.
Brigadier General; United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2009–2013); Dean of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics at Southern New Hampshire University.
Legal counsel to the Reagan White House; Committee Management Officer of the Iran-Contra Investigation while Assistant General Counsel of The White House Office of Administration; founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).
18th Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
Heather Wilson
1982
First graduate confirmed as Secretary of the Air Force (2017-); Rhodes Scholar; U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 1st congressional district (1998–2009); first graduate elected to the United States Congress; President, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (2013-2017)
Appointed to serve out remaining two years of late GOP Sen. John McCain's term by Gov. Doug Ducey (2019–2020). Martha McSally is first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to be appointed to U.S Senate; pilot; Retired as a Colonel (United States) in May 2010 after serving 22 years as a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot
Singaporean politician, current Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress; previously Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from 2013 to 2015
Former Chair of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation advisory committee; Treasurer of the State of California (1995–1999); Republican candidate for the United States Senate in the State of California in 1998
Florida State Representative (1990–1992); Florida State Senator (1992–2002); Florida gubernatorial candidate (2002); unsuccessful nominee for Secretary of the Air Force (1998)
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 books; RITA Award winner.[117] B-777 pilot, United Airlines. Guest speaker (Class of 2015 Ring Dance)
General; Commander, Tactical Air Command; Commander, Air Combat Command, Vice Chief of Staff, and Acting Chief of Staff of the Air Force (1990–1991, acting); fighter pilot
General; Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (1997–2001); Distinguished Flying Cross recipient for aerial combat in Vietnam; father John Dale Ryan also served as Chief of Staff (1969–1973) and was a bomber pilot in World War II
General; Commander, Tactical Air Command; Commander, Air Combat Command; Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Acting Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (1990–1991, acting); fighter pilot
General; Commander, United States Space Command; Commander, United States Northern Command; Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (1997–1999); Distinguished Flying Cross recipient; combat veteran of Vietnam and Gulf War
General; Commander, United States Space Command; Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Commander, Air Force Space Command; Distinguished Flying Cross recipient (two); fighter pilot; combat veteran of Vietnam War
General; Commander, United States Special Operations Command; Distinguished Flying Cross recipient; AC-130 gunship pilot; combat veteran of Vietnam War
General; Commander, United States Transportation Command; Commander, Air Mobility Command; Distinguished Flying Cross recipient (two); AC-130 gunship, bomber, and tanker pilot; combat veteran of Vietnam War
Brigadier General; commander of the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron; commander of the 405th Tactical Training Wing; commander of the United States Air Force Southern Air Division; Commandant of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps; recipient of the Silver Star and Legion of Merit
Captain; Prisoner of war during the Vietnam War; fighter pilot; first graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor; the Air Force Lance P. Sijan Award for leadership in one's career and personal life is named in his honor
Lieutenant General; fighter pilot during the Vietnam War; Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force; Assistant Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); President and CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (2003–)
Brigadier General; Vietnam War rescue pilot; recipient of the Air Force Cross and Jabara Award; 12 successful rescue missions including Roger Locher, the deepest rescue inside North Vietnam
First Lieutenant; A-37B Dragonfly attack aircraft pilot; prior to identification of his remains, Blassie was the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknowns (1984–1998)
Captain; EF-111 pilot who downed an Iraqi F-1EQ in an air-to-air engagement on the first day of Operation Desert Storm; Distinguished Flying Cross recipient for aerial combat during the Gulf War
Colonel; although American women had been flying combat missions in traditionally "non-combat" aircraft (airlift, tankers, helicopters) for years, she became the first American woman to fly a "combat" aircraft in combat since the lifting of the 1991 prohibition of women in combat; veteran of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom. Elected to Congress in 2014, representing Arizona's 2nd congressional district.
First Lieutenant; first female academy graduate killed by enemy combatants in War on Terror in Afghanistan. Awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Valor
Captain; member of Air Force Special Tactics Unit, veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, called in AH-60 and B-1 airstrikes, aggressively engaged the enemy, and provided life saving medical treatment while under heavy, accurate enemy fire. Awarded the Silver Star
Major General; Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force; Pilot; recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with Oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak leaf cluster
Major General; first military member of Korean descent to be promoted to Flag/General Officer; first female to command the Air Force District of Washington and Hill Air Force Base
General; Vice Chief of Space Operations (2020–); First USAFA graduate to make general in the Space Force; USAFA Astronautics professor (1989-1992); Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering
Lieutenant general; commander of Space Operations Command (2020–); first commander of a Space Force field command; Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering
Lieutenant general; Space Force director of staff (2020–); first women and first USAFA graduate to make lieutenant general in the Space Force; Bachelor of Science in Biology
Winner of the reality game show The Amazing Race 4; model, author, and actor; ex-boyfriend of former 'N Sync member Lance Bass His autobiography, Here's What We'll Say, details his time in the Academy and as a commissioned officer in the Air Force under the military's Don't ask, don't tell policy.
^"Astronaut Fact Book"(PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). January 2005. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2001-11-09. Retrieved 2009-03-07.