In early August, after Basic Cadet Training is over, the newly accepted freshmen enter their respective squadrons. There are 36 cadet squadrons, made up of about thirty of each class. I was in squadron twenty-one, the Blackjacks. All of the physical training of Basic Training takes a back seat to academics now. However, life for freshmen does not get much better. They all get a copy of Contrails, which contains lots of information about the Air Force, the Academy, the other services, aircraft, and quotes from famous leaders. Each week they are assigned information to memorize out of Contrails, and are tested weekly. They still eat at attention, and when going to and from buildings they must run on specific marble strips, unless it is raining or snowing. They also serve as an "alarm clock" for the squadron, standing in the hallways and counting down the minutes to formations. Except when they are in the academic building, they must walk at attention and can only make 90-degree turns. They must keep their rooms in inspection order, and are graded on their rooms and uniforms twice a week. They are never allowed to wear civilian clothes, except during leave, which is Thanksgiving weekend, two weeks in the winter, and one week in the spring. The year focuses on enhancing the discipline and teamwork that they learned during Basic Training. Usually about 1/10th of the freshmen will drop out before the year is over.

My last inspection as a freshman! 

Typical Day in the life of a fourthclassman:

All of the training builds to the end of March for Recognition. Classes for that Friday are canceled, and from Thursday after school until Saturday night, the freshmen will go through the toughest 3 1/2 days they could ever imagine. It will take all of the teamwork that they have been learning during the year to make it through Recognition in good shape. Saturday afternoon, they run as an entire class to Cathedral Rock, a rock formation about two or three miles away. Once there, each squadron's freshmen must find a large rock that they had painted earlier in the week that the upperclassmen have hidden somewhere near Cathedral Rock. Once all forty squadrons have found their rocks, they march back to the Academy with their rocks. Then the worst is over. The freshmen are Recognized as upperclassmen and are given their prop-and-wings insignia. They are now just like everyone else -  they can wear civilian clothes, they can have stereos, no longer do they have to eat at attention, memorize Contrails, etc, etc.  I can tell you, it is the greatest feeling in the world, knowing that you made it, and you feel like you can take on the whole world. Now it is time to begin learning how to train the next year's freshmen, who will be coming in a few months.

Last Updated: May 18, 2003