Academy Dreams
The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel with the Rampart Range behind it

USAFA · Life at the academy · Year 3 of 4

Second-class yearU.S. Air Force Academy · Second class (junior)

What year 3 of 4 at USAFA looks like: milestones, training, privileges and the service commitment, from official USAFA pages.

USAFA Cadet Chapel, August 2019. Photo: Anthony Quintano via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

What this year is like

Second-class cadets serve as summer cadre, take on the commitment at the Commitment Dinner, no longer need passes and get their rings at the Ring Dance.

Duties
Senior NCO roles. Second-class cadets act as "technical experts in drill and ceremonies, personal appearance, and room inspections"1.

Key milestones and events

  • BCT and CST cadre
  • Commitment Dinner
  • Ring Dance
Rings
At the Ring Dance during Graduation Week, just before they become first-class cadets, second-class cadets get their class rings. USAFA rings are white gold2.

Academics and training

Summer training
Cadets "serve as cadre members for Basic Cadet Training, Combat Survival Training, and as instructors in airmanship programs"2. An 11-day program, coached by Army Green Berets, prepares cadet instructors to teach basic warfighting skills1.

Privileges

Privileges
"Second-class (junior) cadets do not require passes." They may display 9 room items, and refrigerators may be authorized3.

Service commitment

The commitment point
At the Commitment Dinner, usually the day before classes start, second-class cadets incur "the financial or active duty 'commitment'" for their education if they leave before graduation2. For details, see service commitment.

Leave (all years)

Cadets get leave over Thanksgiving, about two and a half weeks for winter break, and a one-week spring break. Most cadets in the upper three classes get about three weeks of summer leave3.

Sources

  1. USAFA: Military (usafa.edu)
  2. Parents: Sophomore/Junior Year (usafa.edu)
  3. Cadet Life FAQ (usafa.edu)

Official pages change. Confirm details with USAFA before you plan around them.

Still in high school?

See what to do each year, from freshman year to reporting day, for USAFA.

High school, year by yearUSAFA overview