Pence scheduled as 2019 Air Force Academy commencement speaker

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to speak at the 2019 Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony in May, but the service academy is still waiting on confirmation from the White House.

Gen. Jay Silveria confirmed that Pence is the scheduled speaker during the annual State of the Air Force Academy address Friday. Once it’s confirmed, an official news release will be sent out with more details.

Last year, then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis gave the commencement address to a class that had a larger number of pilot trainees than usual. The Academy has been working to address the Air Force’s need for pilots for manned aircraft and drones.

Academy officials also spoke about improvements on the campus during Friday’s conference. They touted the new visitor center and a new virtual tour of the campus on the Academy’s website.