"[15][16] Mitchell's arguments did not gain traction with legislators, and it was not until the late 1940s that the concept of the United States Air Force Academy began to take shape.

[15] Following the recommendation of the board, Congress passed legislation in 1954 to begin the construction of the Air Force Academy, and President Eisenhower signed it into law on 1 April of that year.

F-4 Phantom II pilot Steve Ritchie '64 and weapon systems officer Jeffrey Feinstein '68 each became aces by downing five enemy aircraft in combat.

Lance Sijan, '65, fell into both categories and became the first academy graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor due to his heroism while evading capture and in captivity.

[34][page needed][35] On 7 October 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation permitting women to enter the United States service academies.

[39] The campus of the academy covers 18,455 acres (29 sq mi; 75 km2) on the east side of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Colorado Springs.

SOM partner John O. Merrill moved from Chicago to a Colorado Springs field office to oversee the construction and to act as a spokesman for the project.

In a controversial move following the 2003 sexual assault scandal, the words "Bring me men ..." were taken down and replaced with the academy's (later adopted as the Air Force's) core values: "Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.

[50] The oath remains unchanged since its adoption in 1984 and consists of a statement of the code, followed by a resolution to live honorably (the phrase "So help me God" is now optional): We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.

Fourth class cadets (freshmen) are often referred to as "doolies," a term derived from the Greek word δοῦλος ("doulos") meaning "slave" or "servant.

Selected first-, second- and third-class cadets hold leadership, operational and support jobs at the squadron, group and wing levels.

The Preparatory School provides an academic, athletic and military program for qualified young men and women who may need certain additional preparation prior to acceptance to the academy.

The board inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the academy.

In July 2009, Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Colorado Congressman Jared Polis to the BoV, the first openly gay person to serve on a service academy's advisory board.

During their last two summers, cadets may serve as BCT cadre, travel to active duty Air Force bases and participate in a variety of other research, aviation and leadership programs.

While core requirements remain significant during the third and fourth years, cadets have more flexibility to focus in their major areas of study, allowing them to participate in international and inter-service Academy exchange programs.

Air Force has ranked highest of all undergraduate-only universities in federally funded research as reported by the National Science Foundation, surpassing $60 million in 2010.

[69] In 2018, the USAFA Class of 1968 announced that they would adopt the Cyber Team, with the goal of raising over $500,000 to establish a permanent endowment to cover travel expenses and other costs.

[70] Men's teams compete in football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross-country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling.

Women's teams include basketball, cross-country, fencing, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

The academy also has an in-state rivalry with Colorado State University, which is located in Fort Collins and is a fellow member of the Mountain West Conference.

[82] Three athletes have also won Division I NCAA outdoor titles: Jim Murphy in the 5000 meters in 1964, Dana Pounds in the javelin in 2005 and 2006, and Mahala Norris in the steeplechase in 2021.

[84] In 2014, Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson responded to reports of allegations of sexual assault and drug use at a December 2011 party by calling for a review of the athletic department by the inspector general.

[15] By 1961, class size was down to 271, but due to the need for officers in the Vietnam War, grew to 745 admittees in 1970,[30] and peaking in 1974, with 1,620, and 1975, with 1,626, the largest number ever admitted.

[117] To help combat these problems, the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) created a system of cadet informants to hunt for misconduct among students.

"[119] The New York Times cited a letter to Congress from former AFOSI Agent, Staff Sergeant Brandon Enos, who said that Lieutenant General Michael C. Gould, the superintendent from 2009 to 2013 and a former quarterback on the team, had repeatedly interfered in cases involving football players.

[120] These and other problems again rose to national prominence in the summer of 2014 when The Gazette broke an investigation into behavior by Academy cadets and faculty that included allegations of drug use, alcohol abuse, cheating, and sexual assault.

Evidence discovered during the investigation included antisemitic remarks, official sponsorship of a showing of the film The Passion of the Christ and a locker room banner that said academy athletes played for "Team Jesus."

In response to the panel's findings, the Air Force released new guidelines to discourage public prayers at official events or meetings and to facilitate worship by non-Christian religions.

[136] In an April 2018 statement made on the hazing scandal to the Board of Visitors, which reports its findings to the Pentagon and Congress, Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria stated, "Times have changed, and some of these rituals hang on that are completely, ridiculously inappropriate.