Joyce Herr

The United States Air Force Academy (USAF Academy), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was established in 1954 to train and educate future officers for the United States Air Force. The first class of cadets entered in 1955, and the Academy graduated its inaugural class in 1959. Over the decades, the Academy has become renowned for its rigorous academic, military, physical, and character development programs, producing leaders who have served in conflicts such as Vietnam, the Gulf War, and operations in the Middle East. The institution continues to uphold its mission to develop leaders of character, ready to serve the nation in air, space, and cyberspace domains.