U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Earlier today, families from across the country dropped off their sons and daughters at the U.S. Air Force Academy to begin their 47-month journey to become an officer in the Air Force or Space Force. 

During In-processing Day, also known as I-Day, Academy staff in-processed more than 1,130 appointees in the Class of 2030, from 10,970 applicants. The incoming class included 17 international appointees from: Ghana, Kosovo, Taiwan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Ecuador, Senegal, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Jordan, Korea, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Thailand, and Togo.

“I-Day is a great day for the Academy, the young men and women that showed up today have taken their first steps toward becoming the warfighters and leaders of character the Air Force and Space Force needs,” said Commandant of Cadets Col. Brandon J. Tellez. “I-Day is where that transformation begins, it’s a milestone the Academy looks forward to every year.”

After the families dropped off their appointees, they were directed to the parking lots at Falcon Stadium and were shuttled to the Academy-hosted I-Day Parents Program at Arnold Hall. This event shared details about the services that are available to cadets throughout their time at the Academy, educated the families on Academy life and connected them with their local Parent Clubs.

In-processing began at the Holaday Athletic Center with administrative and medical paperwork followed by the initial oath of service administered by the Commandant of Cadets.

Following the oath, appointees earned the title of Basic Cadet and met the Cadet Cadre for the first time. Basic Cadets were then transported by bus to the Academy’s iconic footprints to receive an introduction to Air Force and Space Force customs, courtesies, dress, and appearance standards to include haircuts for men, hairstyle instruction and haircuts for women, and the issue of uniforms and other equipment.

The day following I-Day, Basic Cadets will take the Oath of Office at the Swearing-In Ceremony at Stillman Field, where their families are invited to witness them making their formal commitment to serve.

“This year, we have admitted one of our most competitive classes in Academy history, with composite scores coming in seven percent higher than previous averages,” said Col. Candice L. Pipes, Academy Director of Admissions. “Our admissions team did a phenomenal job screening applicants to ensure we are selecting the nation’s best. These young men and women understand the rigor and the profound service obligation they are undertaking and actively chose to answer that call.”

Basic Cadet Training runs for approximately six weeks and is designed to introduce Basic Cadets to military life, build physical and mental resilience, and establish the values that underpin service in the Air Force and Space Force. Their training concludes Aug. 5, during the Acceptance Day Parade on Stillman Field, when the Class of 2030 are formally welcomed into the Cadet Wing as fourth-class cadets.

The U.S. Air Force Academy was established in 1954 and has graduated more than 58,500 officers who have served in every major conflict since the Academy’s founding. Information about the Academy, the Class of 2030, and the I-Day Parent Program is available at usafa.edu.