U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. –
Near the end of every May in Colorado, all eyes turn towards the U.S. Air Force Academy as the public commemorates the graduation of the senior class, who, alongside their ROTC and Officer Training School brethren, stand poised to shape the future of the Air Force as newly commissioned lieutenants.
At the same time, overshadowed by the limelight of graduation, a small group of sophomore cadets attached to the 306th Flying Training Group - a geographically separated unit of the 12th Flying Training Wing located at the Academy - celebrate their own monumental milestone as they become the Air Force's youngest instructors.
On May 20, the 94th Flying Training Squadron formally recognized 82 Academy sophomores as fully qualified Air Education and Training Command Instructor Pilots during its annual G-Wings Ceremony. Shortly thereafter, on May 25, the 98th Flying Training Squadron will hold its annual Blue Suit Ceremony, honoring 26 sophomores who have earned the right to be called AETC Jumpmasters.
For the 94th's new Cadet Instructor Pilots, the G-Wings Ceremony marks the culmination of 10 months of rigorous training, including academics, 81 sorties, and a formal flight evaluation in the TG-16A Mountain Swift, during which they are held to the same stringent standards as the squadron's rated officer cadre. As newly minted Instructor Pilots, these young men and women will join upper-class Cadet Instructor Pilots and execute more than 95 percent of the flying instruction for the Academy's soaring program.
Similarly, on the eve of the Blue Suit Ceremony, the 98th FTS's new Cadet Jumpmasters will have completed academics, ground and wind tunnel training and 200 freefall jumps over the course of their sophomore year to become fully qualified Jumpmasters. As with their glider counterparts, these new Cadet Jumpmasters will conduct the lion's share of instruction for the 98th FTS, conducting more than 98 percent of all basic freefall training at the Academy.
Yet, although the completion of their upgrade training is an incredible achievement, it's merely the beginning of something far greater. Unlike many of their Academy peers, who spend much of their time studying and applying leadership skills, these new Cadet Instructor Pilots and Jumpmasters will wield enormous responsibility as they instruct and lead the Air Force's youngest aircrew, their fellow cadets, in a high-tempo, operational flightline environment. Moreover, in doing so, they truly embody the Air Force Core Values:
Integrity - Cadet Instructors must hold their students and peers accountable to flight discipline and standards, whether assessing grades, determining how and when to intervene in unsafe situations, or making the call on whether or not a student is fit to solo or jump. Doing the right thing is not an option; it's a matter of life and death.
Service Before Self - Cadet Instructors are full-time college students with robust military and athletic obligations. The precious time they volunteer exposing, motivating and challenging their fellow cadets to airmanship epitomizes an intense devotion to Service.
Excellence - Over the course of the next two years, these Cadet Instructors will be held to the same standards of excellence, whether on the ground or in the air, as any other Air AETC instructor.
So, as the Academy prepares to send out its latest graduating class to the Air Force at large, the 94th and 98th FTSs stand ready to accept their newest Instructor Pilots and Jumpmasters.
Though they are the Air Force's youngest instructors, they will undoubtedly rise to the challenge and continue the proud legacy of airmanship, leadership, and excellence that has long been ingrained within the 306th Flying Training Group.