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 graduate, living or deceased, whose actions directly associated with an aerospace vehicle set him or her apart from contemporaries. The first recipient was Capt. Donald Stevens ’60 in 1968, and past honorees include Karol Bobko ’59, Steve Ritchie ’64, and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger ’73.

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 organization established in 2007 and now known as the Air Force Academy Foundation. Lynn and Bart Holaday, Class of ’65, made the lead gift of five million dollars. Ground was broken for the structure on 1 October 2010. The ceremony made for a somber event, however, as Lynn Holaday had passed away earlier that morning after a long struggle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. The building that bears her name was ready to go exactly nine months and twenty-one days later, with the dedication ceremony taking place on 22 July 2011. The Holaday Athletic Center can accommodate football, lacrosse, and soccer, in addition to other athletic activities. In fact, its value to the Academy far exceeds athletics. For example, in the past few years, it has served as the arrival point for the new classes as they report to the Academy for in-processing and Basic Cadet Training. The facility is bare bones, as it does not include heating or cooling. Air flow is provided by those Big Ass fans up there. Yep, the name of the company that made them is Big Ass Fans.