HERITAGE MINUTE

What sticks around after nearly three decades at the U.S. Air Force  Academy? For Lt. Col. (Ret.) Tom Mabry ’80, it’s the cadets. His greatest reward wasn’t the roles or recognition — it was calling names and watching cadets cross the stage at graduation. Col. Mabry shares some of his story with Heritage Minute host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77.  

In this edition of Heritage Minute Podcast, a behind-the-scenes look at how the U.S. Air Force Academy tells its story. Host Lt Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is joined by Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Dean Miller, a former USAFA public affairs specialist and strategic communications leader, who explains why relationships and trust matter most. Miller reflects on what he carried forward from the Academy...

This April in Colorado Springs, more than 600 members of the Long Blue Line will come together to mark 50 years of women at the U.S. Air Force Academy For five decades, thousands of women have helped define the mission and legacy of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Today, leaders like Lt. Col. (Ret.) Tanya Hurwitz ’95 are bringing those stories full circle — connecting past impact with future generatio...

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s history didn’t begin in the 1950s. In this edition of Heritage Minute Special, Col. (Ret.) Jack Anthony ’78 discusses the pioneers who lived on the land before the founding of the U.S. Air Force Academy — including the McAlroy family. Col. David McAlroy ’03 joins the conversation to reflect on discovering his family’s connection.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a pr...

Groundbreaking began in October 2023. By September 2024, employees signed the final beam at the topping out ceremony. Staff moved in May 2025 — bringing the Association & Foundation and the Falcon Foundation together under one roof. Designed in the Academy’s modernist style, Wecker Hall features collaborative workspaces, meeting rooms and a dedicated podcast studio. Its geothermal field, rooft...

In this edition of the Heritage Minute Special, Maj. Julian "Cosmo" Gluck ’12 returns to the U.S. Air Force Academy to reflect on the enduring legacy of the late Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, the U.S. Air Force’s first chief of staff and a foundational figure in American airpower. This episode examines Civil Air Patrol’s origins and the significance of the Spaatz Award. Julian shares how early exposur...

The bronze statue of Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold standing in front of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Arnold Hall was dedicated on Nov. 5, 1993, following a multi-year effort led by the Falcon Foundation. After receiving superintendent support in 1991, the foundation selected sculptor Glenna Goodacre and raised approximately $150,000 to bring the project to life. The statue depicts Gen. Arnold in uniform...

In this Heritage Minute Special, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 interviews Col. (Ret.) Carolyn Benyshek ’87, who shares her journey from growing up in Colorado Springs to becoming the U.S. Air Force Academy’s director of admissions. She reflects on her cadet experience, her Air Force career in space operations, and her continued commitment to mentoring and service after retirement.    

Above Arnold Hall’s main entrance stands a statue of Col. James Jabara — America’s first jet ace and the second-leading ace of the Korean War. Dedicated in 2004, this monument is closely tied to the Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship, an annual honor established in 1967 and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Association of Graduates and the Jabara family. The award goes to a USAFA...

With the unpredictable weather here at the Academy, having an indoor athletic training facility is a near necessity.  The Holaday Athletic Center has capably served that purpose for more than a decade.  The 92,000 square-foot multi-purpose building cost $15.5 million, all of which came from private donations.  The center was the first major project for the USAFA Endowment, the fund-raising organiz...

The second part of the This Heritage Minute Special dives into partnership, preservation and a unique perspective of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Erwin Roemer, former U.S. Air Force Academy cultural resources manager, reflects with host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ‘77 on Roemer’s decades of experience working with tribal nations and federal agencies. Hear how the Academy's landscapes connect with g...

Native Americans have a long and proud history of military service. In fact, they are among the most represented ethnic groups in the U.S. armed forces. In this special episode of the Heritage Minute podcast, Erwin Roemer shares how that tradition continues at USAFA today.   LISTEN to the Cathedral Rock episode referenced here.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line...

In between Vandenberg and Fairchild Halls, in the shadow of the Core Values Ramp, is the green oasis known as the Mall of Heroes.  This mini-park is the gift of the Class of 1964.  It features statues of three Academy legends.  The first statue to be dedicated was that of First Lieutenant Karl Richter, Class of ’64, who was shot down and killed on 28 July 1967 during his 198th combat mission in Vi...

This Heritage Minute Special features Col. (Ret.) Leonard "Lucky" Ekman, Class of 1963, who shares the remarkable story of Maj. Robert Lodge ’64 — a fighter pilot, warfighter and patriot who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting America's interests during the Vietnam War. Col. Ekman shares his personal mission to see the Medal of Honor posthumously awarded to Lodge. Listen today!         Th...

The Academy and the saber have a long and rich history, dating back to the very beginning of USAFA’s existence.  Most of the early Air Force Academy planners were in fact West Point graduates.  They brought many of their programs, artifacts, and traditions to the new school in Colorado.  Included in that category is the saber, which has been carried by wing, group, and squadron leaders while march...

In Part 2 of this 3-part series, Heritage Minute Special host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77, gets his conversation started with Mr. Duane Boyle, recently retired USAFA architect, a position he held for many years. The two discuss Duane's role as the Academy’s Architect, his work and impact, specific projects, and their shared experiences having worked together over the years going back to the 1...

Do you know who the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Stillman Field is named after? What about the milestones that take place there? Do you know what the mass of lush green grass’s name was before, in 1994, it earned its current moniker? Find the answers to these questions (and more you didn’t know you had) in this Heritage Minute.    

In this Heritage Minute Special, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is joined by Col. (Ret.) Max Miller ’59, a proud member of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s first graduating class. They discuss a significant event that occurred 70 years ago, as well as Col. Miller’s long and distinguished service to the Air Force and the USAFA community.         The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long...

From sweat-soaked pages in Jacks Valley to ceremonial handoffs at the Acceptance Day Parade, Contrails is more than a handbook — it's a rite of passage at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Dive into the legacy in this edition of Heritage Minute!         The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundati...

In Part 2 of this 3-part series, Heritage Minute Special host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77, gets his conversation started with Mr. Duane Boyle, recently retired USAFA architect, a position he held for many years. The two discuss Mr. Boyle's role as the Academy’s Architect, his work and impact, specific projects, and their shared experiences having worked together over the years going back to t...

For graduates and cadets who trained here as basics, Jacks Valley will always occupy a special place in our memories.  Here, we crawled in the mud, fought with pugil sticks, experienced tear gas, climbed obstacles, and did many other things for the first time in our lives.  The Jacks Valley real estate was not part of the originally envisioned Academy installation.  Prescient planners, however, wa...

In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Heritage Minute Special host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77, gets his conversation started with Duane Boyle, recently retired USAFA architect, a position he held for many years. The two discuss Duane's role as the Academy Architect, his work and impact, specific projects, and their shared experiences having worked together over the years going back to the 1980's....

In August 1958 when the Academy completed its move from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to this permanent location, the cadets first accessed the cadet area by marching up this ramp. ----more---- Arriving cadets have been doing so ever since. Every summer, appointees assemble on the footprints, get welcome with their first taste of Academy hospitality, and then head up the ramp to begin their Cadet...

The Air Force Academy cemetery has breathtaking natural beauty and an exceptionally impressive roster of people who have chosen it as their final resting place. It also holds a large number of important structures. Most visible is the memorial pavilion. After many years of events being negatively impacted by inclement weather on 11-May, 2007, this facility, funded by the Association of Graduates,...

The Air Force Academy cemetery is the only active base cemetery in the Air Force. In that regard, the USAFA cemetery is similar to the West Point and Annapolis cemeteries, which are also operated by their parent services, and the Arlington National Cemetery, which is administered by the Army. Consequently, the Academy cemetery has unique criteria for burial eligibility is outlined in Headquarters...