The Air Force Academy is adding more leadership training to help cadets as they take on numerous responsibilities, following a report last year that found older cadets were not sufficiently equipped for their roles causing unhealthy power dynamics.
Last year’s report recommended the school make adjustments to its system for training freshmen to help stop instances of mistreatment and hazing. A rise is sexual assault cases led to a visit by Pentagon officials and the evaluation. In a presentation Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, commandant of cadets, made to the Board of Visitors on Wednesday, he said a 2022 survey and the last year’s report sparked the changes. The board can ask the academy about morale, discipline, climate, curriculum and other topics.
“We needed to adjust the culture of the cadet wing, specific to how we go about training cadets,” he said
Cadets fill numerous leadership roles, such as teaching younger cadets how to parachute and leading summer basic training. The training was on-going this week in Jacks Valley, an area at the academy where cadets push themselves to their physical limits and learn practical skills, such as firing pistols.
Basic cadets from the United States Air Force Academy class of 2028 go through training at Jacks Valley on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The class started field training July 15 with a 5.2 mile march to Jacks Valley. The training introduces basic cadets to expeditionary skills including first…
