Demographics For The Class Of 2022 And Misc.

Another day, another round of intramural action. But Graham has seemed to evade the WebGuy photography team the last few days, so Jackie and I have no new photos to share. This will happen from time to time, that we can’t find a photo, and have learned not to immediately worry or draw conclusions. He had been maimed by a bear, we’d have been notified.

You might think, “Wow, all the kids are doing during basic is playing sports! Ain’t so tough!” But that’s far from the truth. As the majority of an iceberg lies under the water, we are seeing just a little bit of what goes on all day for the basic cadets.

Earlier this week, I had gotten an Instagram note from one of Graham’s former Team USA Modern Pentathletes letting me know she had seen the basics at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. I had no idea. And sure enough, later that day the USAFA Instagram site posted this photo confirming they were there. So, there’s lots going on that we don’t know about. Or areas and tasks that the WebGuy team is simply not allowed to photograph.

Usually the week leading up to Jacks Valley can get a little repetitive, as the basics are getting supplies ready for march out day or buying ironing boards to press their uniform for Doolie Day out. Wait! What? An ironing board to press their uniform? I think Jackie is still laughing and would also pay big time dollars to witness Graham doing this. Truth be told, she prepared him for ironing and washing clothes the best she could. Whether the little bird actually flies is up to him. Mom is enjoying a nice glass of lemonade in the garden and could care less…. her work is done.

We did receive the Class of 2022 official demographics. It’s interesting to review. The Air Force Academy has made a conscious effort to increase the percentage of females accepted. And there’s a good reason for that. If I recall my notes correctly, about 30-35% of the total Air Force enlistment are female. And the Academy has set a goal to match appointee percentage to that. They still have work to do in that regard but heading in the right direction. And we also learned that only 11% of applicants got in. So, Graham can hold his head high.

I’m also sharing the USAFA Cadet Development Continuum, which was shared on the USAFA official Twitter site earlier this week. For those in Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts, this is very familiar to the track taken to go from Cub to Eagle Scout. So, I think Graham will enjoy seeing this.