Essential Elements of the U.S. Air Force Academy
Prepared by Harry Pearce, '64, at the request of the AOG Board of Directors

We believe the following are essential elements of the U.S. Air Force Academy and should never be discarded or compromised:

Values

1. The Cadet Honor Code including the toleration clause.
2. A zero tolerance policy, with the presumptive sanction of dismissal for serious honor violations, and criminal offenses including a fair but swift adjudication and disposition process.
3. The Core Values: Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.
4. A rigorous human relations education program focused on the importance of respect for all others regardless of race, gender, ethnic background, etc.
5. An educational program that instills in cadets a deep sense of pride in the institution focusing on the heritage of the Academy and the accomplishments of its graduates.         
6. A strong emphasis on military customs and courtesies coupled with continued development of social decorum and accepted social graces.
7. Emphasis on the development of the professional officer ethics and the exemplary personal behavior norms required of officers with strict sanctions applied to USAFA assigned officers who breach such standards.
8. A strong interfaith religious program encouraged and available to all cadets.

Military

1. A well-defined and well-understood Officer Development System that spans all four years, is highly relevant to the preparation of outstanding future Air Force officers and includes major elements of leadership, ethics and integrity training and development.
2. A well-defined 4-class system with class specific responsibilities and privileges correlated to cadet rank and overall individual performance where cadets operate the Cadet Wing with high standards, under close supervision and mentoring.
3. A physically and mentally tough basic cadet summer training program that is both professional in its design and execution, and respectful of individual human dignity.
4. The preservation of a Cadet Wing structure that affords maximum leadership development opportunities and authority to a cadet chain of command, monitored and coached by the best operationally seasoned officers.
5. A cadre of commanders, senior staff, faculty, AOCs and MTLs who represent the best the Air Force has to offer in outstanding combat qualified and operationally experienced officers and NCOs.
6. A regular program of room inspections, drill, in-formation marching, parades and in-ranks inspections designed to develop disciplined team performance.
7. A cadet disciplinary system that is uniformly and fairly administered by the cadet wing for infractions that would not be considered for disposition under the UCMJ.
8. A robust squadron competition based upon military, academic and intramural athletic performance.
9. A well-designed four-year physical conditioning program with required testing against established metrics and annual tests required for graduation.
10. A well-designed evasion and survival training program relevant to real life war time scenarios.
11. A strong airmanship program offering qualified cadets the opportunity to be glider rated, jump rated and to secure private pilot's licenses.
12. Opportunities for cadets to visit other Air Force bases and military installations both domestic and foreign to gain motivation and appreciation for the force they will enter upon graduation.

Academics

1. A distinguished faculty, the Dean of which and a majority of whom, are active duty or retired military officers with strong operational experience.  Faculty members should be identified in a highly selective process.
2. A Bachelor of Science degree required for all cadets with a balanced core of science, engineering, social sciences, and humanities which are relevant to the skills required of future Air Force officers.
3. An academic curriculum that thoughtfully integrates airpower studies, professional ethics, and military history.
4. An academic curriculum that teaches the UCMJ, the Geneva Conventions and relevant international law principles applicable in both peacetime and wartime.
5. An opportunity for qualified cadets to compete for prestigious national and international academic scholarships (Rhodes, Fullbright, etc.).

Admissions

1. A screening and selection process for Academy applicants that uses the best scientific techniques available to identify those who have a genuine desire and commitment to become career Air Force officers and have a demonstrated commitment to personal integrity and honor.
2. Emphasis on equal balance among the four pillars: leadership, athletic, and academic in the selection of candidates for admission, with satisfactory character, personality and motivation screening being pass-fail prerequisites for consideration in the candidate pool.      

Athletics

1. A competitive intercollegiate athletic program, balanced with a strong, mandatory competitive intramural athletic program for all cadets.
2. Intercollegiate athlete recruiting should not compromise the rigorous screening that should be applied equally to all Academy applicants.    

Conclusion

The entire four-year Academy experience should be very demanding and inherently stressful. The challenging nature of the experience should be designed to constructively build men and women of character with strong leadership skills and the individual toughness and courage essential in combat.