United States Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers in the United States Air Force. The campus is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Upon completion of the four-year program, graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree and are normally commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force. (A small number of graduates "cross-commission" into other services each year, and a few foreign cadets and graduates who are not medically qualified will receive a degree but will not be commissioned.)

Notable graduates

• Lt. Gen. Bradley C. Hosmer '59, the first graduate in the order of merit in the first class at the Academy, the Academy's first Rhodes Scholar and the first graduate to return to the Academy as Superintendent
• Gen. Hansford T. Johnson '59, the first graduate to be promoted to the rank of General (four-star)
• Col. Karol J. Bobko '59, the first graduate in space, and the only astronaut to have flown on the maiden flight of two space shuttle orbiters
• Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman '63, the first graduate to be selected as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving in that position from 1994-1997
• Col. Frederick D. Gregory, ?64, former Deputy Administrator for NASA, former acting Administrator for NASA, commander of two space shuttle missions, the first African-American to pilot the space shuttle and the first African-American to command any space vehicle
• Gen. Michael E. Ryan '65, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, 1997-2001
• Richard T. Schlosberg, ?65, former president and CEO of the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and former publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times
• Capt. Lance P. Sijan '65, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, and the first graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor. His story is told in the book Into the Mouth of the Cat by Malcom McConnell.
• Gregg Popovich '70, head coach of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs who led the team to NBA championships in 1999, 2003 and 2005, and won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for the 2002-2003 season.
• Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) '82, the first graduate to be elected to the United States Congress and currently the only female veteran serving in Congress
• Alonzo Babers '83, winner of two gold medals (400m and 4x400m relay)at the 1984 Olympics
• Chad Hennings '88, winner of the Outland Trophy, played nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and earned three Super Bowl rings