USAFA Graduation day

Colorado Springs, Colo. (KRDO) - It’s graduation day for hundreds of cadets at the Air Force Academy. 

Today marks four years since 1,155 aspiring young men and women arrived at the Air Force Academy with hopes of becoming second lieutenants.

919 of them are graduating today. Approximately 20% of the initial class did not complete the rigorous curriculum. This statistic highlights the challenging nature of the Air Force Academy's academic program.

Among the graduates, 396 cadets have secured positions in flight school. Some of these newly graduated cadets will have to wait until their slots open up at flight school because of delays in the admission process. Meanwhile, a number of them have chosen to pursue graduate school to further their education while awaiting their turn for flight school enrollment.

This year, the Air Force Academy proudly commemorates its 70th anniversary since its establishment. However, it is worth noting that the first class did not graduate from the facility until its completion in 1959. In that year, 207 cadets successfully graduated from the Air Force Academy, and now the Class of 2023 will join that storied history.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 will be live-streaming the graduation ceremony and the Thunderbirds Airshow this morning starting around 9:30.