First day at Colorado Springs, USAF Academy
 

Laughingly this came up on my feed, and was interesting to watch. Over the decades I have several friends, acquaintances who are AF ROTC or OCS graduates and a couple who are Colorado Springs graduates and some of the stories I hear from that latter are reflected in the below video.


Cranwell seems tame compared to this, and the notable differences (laying aside 4 year degree commissioning course) with all the new Ocdts turning up in suits, hair already cut, (females neat) for their first day (same as RMA or BRNC) But the USAFA ocdts, turn up in sports gear, (one lass in flip flops / slides and struggles up the ramp) shorts, jeans t shirt and even long hair. Other military academies around the globe such as the Belgian RMA Renaissacelaan, you gotta turn up on first day hair cut suited and booted (mate who graduated from there and she is a LtC now. one of her classmates ended up as their F-16 Display Pilot ).

cheers

The only place for some mouth-breather trying to impose military style discipline while wearing mirrored sunglasses is doing laps of the guardroom compound while carrying an Artillery shell above their heads until they collapse.

Hit Sh*t upperclass cadets who one day will be generals, giving these new cadets lessons in leadership. A great system thanks to the tax payer. It’s a good thing we have OCS and ROTC to provide normal human people to be commissioned.

I nearly went there on exchange but whole RAF-USAFA exchange programme got cancelled. Probably a good job, I’d have been sacked for giggling and much UK-style p#ss taking.

Always amuses me ,how they keep calling NCO's, sir!

I visited the USAFA in 1972. I shared a room with one of OCdts in his last year, as he was preparing for his final academic exams for his degree. He was a couple of years older than me, but was struggling with some basic calculus. I helped him through some of the problems, but he was more astonished that I had done calculus in high school in the UK some two years previously. Lovely guy, and he gave me his squadron jacket. I still have it, though it has shrunk over the years - probably a manufacturing fault.

Cat 3508

Always amuses me ,how they keep calling NCO's, sir!

Ir was always that way at a proper military academy, (not a Green Shieldy finishing school).

Quote from our Drill Sergeant at RAFC in the 60s:

"Gentlemen, I will call you Sir and you will call me Sir - the only difference is that I don't mean it!"

ExMM

exMM, as Flt Cdts in 1968, we addressed our SNCOs (such as 'Uncle' Les Rodda RIP) using their correct rank titles, not as 'sir'. Whereas the CWWO, the immaculate WO Johnny Garbett, most certainly was 'Sir'!

I served and flew alongside many Academy Grads, everyone was a top performer. In order to get accepted to the Academy, one must have excellent grades and scores on College admissions tests as well as a clean record and be of high moral fiber. It’s extremely difficult to make the grade in order to get accepted to the Academy. I went to OTS, which is a 3 month program for applicants who have already graduated college. I always felt a little guilty being the same rank, after my short 3 month course, than my Academy counterparts who spent 4 years plus to attain the same rank. They do have a very strong “espirit de corps” and having an Academy lineage definitely helps as far as promotions and assignments to a certain degree. All the yelling and intimidation ends soon, and is just a tactic used to cull the herd.

We had a 1 week, one-way exchange with the Academy in 1970 from Cranwell. After a particularly tedious flight by Britannia via an overnight in DC, we landed at Peterson Field to be met by our hosts, who were in their fourth year. Rather than go on the bus up to the Academy, me, and quite a few others, were met by our cadet hosts in their cars. Mine led me out to his car, a bright red Mustang, which was in stark contrast to the average clapped-out Morris Minor or equivalent that Cranwell cadets could afford. As we drove away, I commented on how impressive his car was. In reply - "Yeah, isn't it great. Wish I could afford one like this." Puzzled OB queries answer. "Oh, hell. It's not mine, I just borrowed it to come and collect you. We were told that you Brits expect us to have big flashy cars. My own car is a VW Beetle!"

One of the (few) advantages of staying on the Flt Cdt scheme rather than escaping to University, eh OB?

On a previous visit to the USAFA, the way that 'Doolies' (first year 'freshmen') were treated with all that turning square corners nonsense came as a bit of a surprise to the Cranwell guests. In the Mess Hall, one visitor told his host that he didn't much like the chocolate pudding he'd been given. Whereupon his host barked to some poor unfortunate "Hey Doolie, Flight Cadet nnnnnn doesn't like his chocolate pudding... EAT IT!" So the hapless 'doolie' responded with a "Sir, Yes Sir" or somesuch and duly started eating. Then the host announced "In fact, Doolie, none of us like our chocolate puddings....EAT THEM ALL!".

4 weeks or so of 'crowing' in the South Brick Lines at the mercy of the Senior Entry at RAFC was clearly far more genteel than the daft hazing meted out by USAFA cadets to their underlings in the name of so-called 'tradition'.

Yes, it identifies who has a sufficient BS tolerance to put up with the myriad of military things over the years.
My cousin got recruited by USAFA (he was a top notch quarterback in High School) and earned an appointment.
Played defensive end for two years. :p
He had a GPA around 3.7 or 3.8 (when 4.0 was best one could do) but after his second year he decided that (due to his eyesight not being up to scratch for a pilot) he didn't want to be a nuclear missile bunker dweller, and headed to OU at Norman. If his eyesight had stayed 20/20 he'd have stuck it out since being a pilot appealed to him. His comment on the harassment package was "Not hard to put up with."


On a very different course with a similar BS threshold detector element built in, the physical training was a bit tough for some... We had to write a daily diary as a vehicle for learning 'service writing'. We would often lie and write ****e like, "Sir, I have the honour to report that PT was a nothing short of a joke today, my Granny could have completed it..." or somesuch. We'd pay big, but it felt like that cartoon with the mouse flipping the eagle the bird...

CG

I think it was 1982 the AFA stopped teaching NCOs were sly cunning and require constant supervision.

BEagle - I'm still trying to remember what the other advantages were! OB

Well, “soon” is a subjective term. It lasts the entire doolie year (or used to), with particularly extreme occasions. The only relief is in the classroom and in chapel Sunday mornings. Not to say there are not fun and humorous times also, but the “benefits” of such treatment for the sake of esprit de corps, etc., are highly exaggerated and used to justify abuse. The record of sexual abuse at the academy is horrendous. Not exactly what one hopes for at a “premier” leadership forming institution. No need to “feel guilty” at missing the experience. Many graduates, not all, believe academy graduation entitles them to preferential treatment during their career. You should not feel guilty about how you earned your commission, only how you fail to live up to your solemn oath of service to the country.

Ah that was a decade ago, when the exchange program was stopped after 55 years sadly according to the article, said exchange officer reckoned it would not be a permi thing and the post would start up again.

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...l%2C%20England.

cheers

Do they still have the ‘Honour Code’ where even a White Lie is treated as a choppable offence ?

Also do they still have to walk ( and eat) in right angles ?

To us these traditions were very odd

Not sure being chopped for lying is that odd. In my Flight at IOT we had an ex-corporal (I guess technically not ‘ex’) who, like several cadets that joined from ‘the ranks’ had his toe caps coated in a form of glossy plastic. I recall it was something used in engine bay workshops, but can’t remember the details. He was asked on parade, by the RAF Regiment drill instructor, if he had polished the toe caps, or applied something, to which he replied he had used polish. The application of an ammunition boot sole swiftly dispelled that fact, and the cadet found himself in very hot water very quickly. He managed to remain on course but it was clear it was a very close thing and he was clearly shaken by the experience he had had. He retired as an Air Commodore, so had a happy ending!

Some of the US Armed Forces activities do seem rather alien to Brits...

A WIWOL who'd had an exchange tour with the USMC told me that he'd been invited to join his squadron pilots on one of those strange chanting run things they do. To which he feigned an air of pained incredulity and replied "A run? A RUN?? My dear chap, you don't seem to understand. British officers don't run - it would panic the troops!".

If it's the same video, they've got a pretty impressive glider fleet and utilisation ....whether the social aspect can rival or surpass that of the GSA is probably an entirely different matter however.

A quick trawl shows some still shots of cadets in "fearless glider pilot " pose...but that's marketing for you.

However, the same video also says, twelve flights to solo....now, even with aero tow, that's a bit quick...and notably, not a winch in sight, but, even more intriguing, according to the video, was, that, after one Semester, you could become an instructor....for mere mortals, this takes a few years of hours building / badge gaining, and.....experience.

And vice versa BEags.

Chum of mine on an USAF exchange was greeted by wifey most nights on return home after work with a large cold G&T.

Think he got interviewed as a potential/likely alcoholic!

RE the screaming upper class man. Didn't do Mil Col but we did have a Cadet Captain program during my initial Naval officer training. He was a supreme jerk. It gave me great satisfaction 20 years later to hand him my bags at the airport. He was there to pick me up for a unit tour and act as my ADC.

Salute!

Sure glad to see all the views here from many that have not spent a day or two at USAFA during basic cadet training or a month later, or two years later. Such enlightened views, and from how may Cranwell grads? Hmmm...

Let's face it, the colonies have done their own thing since 1776. I do not like several things I see there at USAFA, as a grad and career officer. But USAF has always been the premier politically correct service, for good or for ill.

I have flown with and had instructors from RAF, and all top notch. Then worked with many of them during my career along with other NATO flying folks. So let the pols be pols, and they come and go. Every generation of two we get a Churchhill or Reagan or Thatcher. Thank God.

Gums opines...

Yes, we were getting ready for it and then it was cancelled with 6 months to go. A bit of a regret and I wonder if I’d have still been in uniform if we’d have done that tour.

Came across this late 80s series on the British Army, and @5:24, the exchange US Army major talks about how strange and quirky traditions we have


cheers

That’s because it is a “glider training” program not a “soaring training” program. Considering all of the studes have been high graded out of the applicant pool and the end state is to be able to handle a tow to altitude then glide for a normal landing, 12 flights to solo seems quite reasonable to me.

"It is tradition that no one walks on the lawn in front of Bn HQ. This tradition starts today."

Ah, thanks for making that subtle distinction. I would agree, in part, 12 aerotows should be sufficient to cover basic handling / spins / stalls and landing and thus become a glider pilot ....for the purposes of marketing and box ticking.

However, they are being deprived of the delights of X-country / field landings / thermals / ridge soaring and, the best of them all..wave flying. Oddly enough, the RAFGSA incorporates all these into the training and development of glider pilots.

But, it was thoughtful of you to mention the selection procedure. You see, once upon a time, and the demise has been justifiably well covered on here, the UK had an excellent organisation doing exactly the same thing....called the ATC ( ok, no aerotows, just winch launching, so it took a bit longer) and no selection boards / interviews etc, you just turned up when a place was allocated at your local Gliding School, got briefed and strapped in, resulting in many being launched, solo, into the sky age 16 ish....many of whom subsequently went on to not only fly professionally, but to become career involved in aviation and flying for pleasure.

I have no idea why my 3 launches at Burtonwood , especially the second, have never received their rightful place in the annals of aviation history !

But that was in the days of wooden gliders with the time aloft lasting between 3 and 5 minutes and as you will know, you needed the practice in landing the glider safely at the end of your flight; obviously you could only do one landing per flight. From reports on Pprune, they often went solo in about 20 launches if on a weeks course; it took me 30 odd launches flying weekends only and getting between nil (if the weather was grotty) and maybe 5 launches per day.
Nowadays time aloft from even a winch launch is over 10 min and I presume the USAFA 'students' have already had some flying experience before doing their 12 launches.

Just watching this Aeronautica Militare Italiana video on gliding at their academy

A whole load of Niedermeyers. All a little silly really.

Just found this FREE Book on Amazon's Kindle listing. May be of some slight interest in the context of this Thread. BTW, haven't read any of it yet!

Salute!

The "glider" program at USAFA is a great way to thin out folks that will have trouble later in the training programs and such. Also, the program allows progression to true "sailplane' aviation. One fellow I checked out had been between 25,000 and 30,000 feet riding the mountain wave there at Pike Peak.

I helped at least two "glider pilot" grads check out in the A-37 and A-7D after they completed UPT and were good enuf to get a fighter assignment. One became a shuttle commander, The experience in sailplanes is a super education that pays off later in fixed wing fast jets as well as freight folks. Energy management, lift-over-drag, stall warning, and much more develop the skills to survive a long aviation career.

Gums sends...

This inspired me to dig out my Air Cadets (CCF) Gliding course from 1961 at RAF Hawkinge

20 Winch Launches for 1hr airborne
4 Launches for Test Flights, 11 min airborne.
3 Launches for 17 min Solo.

I was a certified Glider Pilot with a BGSA 'B' Licence after 1 1/2 hours in the air at age 16!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....aa4aecb115.jpg