USAFA cadets entering final days of basic training in Jacks Valley

Before U.S. Air Force Academy cadets can enjoy that final moment where they hear, “dismissed!”, they have to endure some of the most extreme basic training.

More than 1,000 cadets are in their final days before they start their freshman year.

The hardest mental challenge starts by learning how to put on their Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear. The equipment becomes vital when they enter a storage container filled with tear gas.

Cadets line up next to the door and one by one, they rip off their masks, take a deep breath and then walk out. Every single cadet comes out coughing, dripping with snot and sweat.

Liam Connolly their course commander says, “there’s a lot of people who say they’re going to be tough guys, but this will humble you real quick.”

Their most physical challenge is going through the assault course in Jacks Valley. Cadets are lead through the obstacles in a random order. Completing the task in front of you isn’t enough. Their cadres can decide to have them do extra exercises if they felt like it was too easy; and many time that’s the case anyway.

Anytime a cadet hears the word “grenade,” they fall to the ground and do a burpee. Other tasks include holding a squat with their rifle above their heads for minutes on end.

By the end of their course, cadets have to make it over a wall, but before they do, they chant, “only the strong survive.”

As cadets enter their final week of basic training, it by no means resembles a break in time. They start their first day of classes on August 9th.