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.

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 generations past and present.

The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

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 Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

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 Vietnam. The Richter statue was dedicated on 27 May 2008, just before the Class of ’08 graduated, as Richter was the class’s exemplar. It would be eighteen months until more statues were added, causing some cadet comedians of the time to call the area “The Mall of Hero.” Before long, however, Lieutenant Richter had company. On 6 November 2009, during its 45-year reunion, the Class of ’64 dedicated and ceremonially donated to the Academy the Mall of Heroes. The ceremony included the unveiling of two new statues, honoring Captain Valmore Bourque, Class of ’60, the first Academy graduate killed in combat, and Captain Lance Sijan, Class of ’65, the first Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Since then, as cadets march down the ramp and past this area en route to the Stillman Parade Field, they execute an Eyes Right and salute these icons.

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!

The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

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 marching or participating in ceremonies. In 1961, only three years after the Academy moved from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to its current location, cadets founded the Cadet Sabre Drill Team. Its mission was – and still is – to demonstrate professional military skills and discipline through the performance of intricate saber manual. One of the few U.S. military units that perform drills entirely with sabers, they delight audiences throughout the Rocky Mountain area and beyond. When I was on the AOG Board of Directors in the mid-1900s we demonstrated the importance of the saber in Academy culture. In this very room, we established the Academy’s first donor club, naming it The Sabre Society. For decades, graduating cadets have been able to purchase German-made sabers from the Cadet Store for their personal use. In 2008, the Association of Graduates took over that program, selling and renting sabers for use in weddings and other events. An exciting change in that process took place in 2024, when production of the edged weapons was brought home. Excalibur Outdoors, a sister company to Kilroy’s Workshop in Colorado Springs, has taken on the task of producing these items. This “Buy American” initiative will decrease shipping costs and permit greater interaction with the manufacturer.