In Review: 2009

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Don Branum
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Below are the Academy Spirit's picks for the top five stories of 2009:

5. THE YEAR IN SPORTS
The year saw outstanding performances from the hockey, football and men's basketball teams. In basketball, the Falcons made it to the Mountain West Conference tournament for the first time but ended up losing to top-seeded BYU, 80-69, in the second round. The Falcons ice hockey team skated into the NCAA's Frozen Four for the first time in Academy history, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals before losing to Vermont in double overtime. Finally, the football team capped a 7-5 regular season by trouncing the 25th-ranked Houston Cougars 47-27 in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

4. FALCONLAUNCH HIGHS, LOWS
The FalconLaunch program saw a high point in April as FalconLaunch-7, launched from White Sands Missile Range, Nev., soared above 350,000 feet to reach the edge of space. In doing so, it set an unofficial world record for altitude for a university-built rocket.

FalconLaunch-6 wasn't so fortunate. Less than a second after ignition during a static test fire Nov. 4, the rocket experienced a malfunction and exploded. Cadets and faculty launched an investigation and found that faulty placement of the igniter was the most likely cause of the accident that destroyed the rocket.

FalconLaunch-8 will undergo a static test fire later this month and is scheduled for launch in April.

3. CHANGE OF COMMAND
Lt. Gen. Mike Gould assumed the mantle of superintendent during a change of command ceremony June 9, less than two weeks after graduation. General Gould, a Class of '76 alumnus, is the first superintendent to have graduated from the Academy Preparatory School.

"There is no more noble and important mission than the one we have here," General Gould said at the ceremony, over which Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided. "The cadets who serve here are among America's finest. This Academy exists for one reason -- to develop them into leaders of character."

General Gould succeeded Lt. Gen. John Regni, who retired after 40 years of honorable service to the United States.

2. H1N1
Who would have thought that a small microbe could have such a large impact on the Academy and the nation? The "swine flu" influenza strain began to spread through the cadet population shortly after Basic Cadet Training began; by July, 11 percent of the basic cadet population -- and roughly 150 cadets in all -- became ill with the disease.

However, the 10th Medical Group responded quickly to contain the disease and help cadets recuperate. The 10th MDG had to decide quickly how to limit interactions, how to isolate the cadets and how to treat patients, said Col. (Dr.) Kenneth Knight, the Medical Group commander.

Their efforts ultimately proved successful, and the Medical Group's Lt. Col. (Dr.) Catherine Witkop shared the Academy's lessons learned in November to help other institutions prevent the spread of the disease among their student populations.

1. CLASS OF '09 GRADUATES
Despite a teleprompter that tried to steal the show, 1,046 cadets became second lieutenants during the 2009 Graduation ceremony at Falcon Stadium May 27.

"What am I going to tell the president when I tell him his teleprompter is broken?" Vice President Joseph Biden joked after a gust of wind took out one of the two devices set up for his commencement address.

He went on to tell the graduating class, "This is your moment to bend history to the service of a better day." The Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team capped the ceremony.

Do you have a memorable story from the last 12 months? If so, share it with us at pa.net@usafa.af.mil. Your story might make it onto the Web site or into the Academy Spirit.