What New Air Force Cadets Go Through On Day One At The Academy | Boot Camp

[Music] on a mild thursday in june more than 1100 appointees arrived at the united states air force academy in colorado springs where future officers prepare to be commissioned into the u.s air force and space force good luck good luck insider was there for in processing day or i day which marks day one of new cadets time at the academy pretty much all of my family has been in the military both my mom and dad are air force veterans i'm not from a military family so i have no idea what i'm going into i'm just really excited when we drove up here i was like wow this is actually real it didn't really feel real until we got here and got dropped off iday kicks off the air force academy's basic cadet training a challenging six-week program that all cadets are required to complete we're going to push them to their physical emotional and mental limits we're going to find out where that line is and then over time deliberately and safely we're going to push them further than they thought they could go just under 10 of the more than 11 000 applicants were admitted to the academy 29 of this incoming class is female and minorities make up 32 percent applicants must pass a physical fitness exam and receive a nomination from their congressional representative it's a very rigorous process we look for candidates who have strong academic backgrounds strong athletic backgrounds but also have demonstrated leadership potential in their careers as students it hasn't hit me yet but i think once we like start getting into like briefings and stuff and my parents are like actually gone i'm not gonna see them more i'm probably gonna get hit pretty hard [Music] yes sir you're on your own [Music] once inside the athletic center the appointees make their way through seven different in-processing stations congratulations good luck appointees are issued a copy of contrails a 192-page guidebook that contains important information about the air force and the air force academy they are going to be required to for the most part memorize that book from cover to cover for the next step you only need your proof of citizenship everything else you can put away the appointees have one final opportunity to discreetly dispose of any illegal drugs weapons or pornography the easiest way to get in trouble today is be on your cell phone okay do not be that guy the appointees make their way to the cadet gym to take the oath of allegiance raise your right hand i do solemnly swear or affirm that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic located 70 miles south of denver the academy is nestled into the foothills of the rocky mountains sheltering the united states air force academy congress authorized the creation of the academy in 1954 we're out to develop motivated dedicated regular air force officers all around men who can handle themselves anywhere in the world and eventually in space congratulations you're now officially a basic cadet of the air force academy have a great air force academy day this warm welcome won't last for long because these new cadets are about to meet the cadre close this cap close the gap a select group of upper-class cadets who run basic training come on don't look at the ground it's not going anywhere they are my eyes and ears every single day down to the individual basic cadet put your back down pick them back up they've been training over the last several weeks as far as how to properly train the basics you will not be looking at the cadre you will not be looking at the ground it's not understood so they know how to put pressure on them and more importantly they know how to hold them to standards that they themselves are held to it's ro get over freaking bus go go go go go you are now basic cadets welcome to the united states air force academy it's here the cadets learn the seven basic responses yes sir no sir no excuse sir yes sir no excuse sir so the seven basic responses that's a tradition here at the united states air force academy and what that does is it ensures that they're responding correctly when we talk about customs and courtesies which is expected throughout your entire air force career have i made myself clear yes sir so they're expected to respond a certain way and say certain things and that's the only thing that will be accepted by the cadre i will warn you now if you are not willing to sacrifice your personal comfort your safety or your life for your country stay on my bus but basics if you're ready to dedicate yourself towards something bigger than us all and to fight for the [Music] that is that real with a real shock and all happens there's a lot of command voice it's very loud but there's a lot of kind of teaching going on at the moment but also kind of demanding that they respond and that they listen kind of getting that first experience of what we expect from a person in the military when you exited that bus you took the first step that every member of the long blue line had taken do not disappoint those that came before you the new cadets stand on gray footprints which are used to teach them how to stand at the position of attention and the cadre ensures that they learn quickly i think uh initially the basics are probably pretty scary they're probably not sure what to expect so when they get that shock and they hear the yelling and screaming they're probably a little thrown back the new cadets are also quizzed on the seven basic responses that they learned on the over bus the cadets then make their way up the core values ramp [Applause] which is easier said than done for some cadets but i made some smart decisions before i got here upon arrival at vandenberg hall the new cadets receive a colored hat signifying their graduation class which they'll wear throughout their time at the academy after that find your squadron aggressors left to right the cadets are then sorted into their squadrons before a stop at the barbershop male cadets must shave their heads female cadet's hair can't extend past their shoulder blades and they must keep it in a ponytail braid or tight bun one more line down this wall you understand yes sir move let's go then it's time for equipment issue grab your duffel bag walk on around to the first window cadets receive everything they'll need for basic training including pt uniforms bed linens and a computer tuition at the air force academy is free but cadets commit to five years of active duty service after graduation while at the academy cadets receive a salary of about twelve hundred dollars per month hurry up the new cadets pack all of their gear into their duffel bags and head to their dorm rooms to prepare for six challenging weeks of basic training [Music] iday starts their journey for four years into the rest of their lives the change that we hope to see and that we usually do see is their change as leaders of character people who are ready to live honorably but also ready to lift others lift their teammates their wingmen to be their best possible selves if we get that from our cadets as they leave and go on to serve our country then we will consider ourselves [Music] successful

Channel: Business Insider

Views: 13,402,764

Keywords: Business Insider, Business News, Air Force Academy, Boot Camp, Air Force Training, Colorado Springs

Id: 1LYEB6_MW04

Length: 9min 22sec (562 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 18 2021