United States Air Force Academy

The Cadet Awards Program provides incentives to Air Force Academy cadets for higher achievements in academics, athletics, leadership, military training, and related activities and rewards these achievements both materially and through public recognition. These rewards foster unit and individual competition and enhance morale. 

The Cadet Awards Council serves as an advisory body to the superintendent. It establishes procedures, coordinates guidelines for establishing and administering cadet awards, and evaluates proposals for new awards. The Development and Alumni Programs office provides administrative support for the council. A cadet award may honor a living person or memorialize a deceased person who has made a significant contribution to air and space power or in some other way contributed to national defense. The next-of-kin must concur, and the USAFA Memorial Board and superintendent must approve all such requests. Whenever possible, deceased USAFA graduates receive priority in memorializations to honor individuals whose records reflect outstanding accomplishments with special meaning to the Cadet Wing. 

Categories of awards include organizational, individual and specialty. 

Organizational awards recognize a cadet squadron or group for outstanding unit achievement in the various fields of academics, military training, athletics and extracurricular endeavors. The awards consist of trophies, plaques and guidon streamers and are presented annually during the Organizational Awards Parade on Memorial Day. 

Individual awards recognize individuals who achieve excellence in academics, athletics and military training. The awards consist of a bronze cast replica of the Academy's Eagle and Fledglings statue and are presented during the Individual Awards Ceremony held on Memorial Day each year. 

Specialty awards recognize cadets who have distinguished themselves with achievements in individual academic disciplines or specialized areas of interest. These awards normally consist of a plaque or other appropriate form of recognition and are presented at various times during the year at small ceremonies within the department or activity responsible for the award. 

Anyone may participate in the Cadet Awards Program by sponsoring an award. The cost of sponsorship covers the price of the memento presented to the award winner, and donors are invited to attend the awards ceremony to make the presentation personally. Donors are responsible for all costs incident to visiting the Academy for this purpose. Sponsorship is based on either a five-year renewable period or in perpetuity through an endowment.

Currently, the cost of sponsorship is either $400 per year ($2,000 for five years) or $7,500 in perpetuity. Anyone desiring to participate as a sponsor and wanting further information on awards presently available should contact the Development and Alumni Programs Division.