Cadet Wing accepts Class of 2014

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Don Branum
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The basics are gone. Today, there are only cadets.

The Air Force Academy, including graduates of the Class of 1974, welcomed the Class of 2014 into the Cadet Wing Wednesday morning in a ceremony at the Stillman Parade Field.

Retired Maj. Gen. Ron Sega represented the Class of '74, which is the partner class and legacy class to the newly minted cadets.

"You've worked hard; this is an important day," General Sega told the fourth-class cadets. "The nation needs you to be your very best, no matter what you face and no matter what your task."

The general, a former astronaut who served from June 1974 to August 2005, said world events are moving more quickly today than ever before.

"But some things must not change," he added, "and those things are the Air Force core values. The Air Force Academy offers a strong foundation for being successful in a rapidly changing world."

Representatives from the classes of 1974 and 2014 met, and the elder class presented their younger brethren copies of Contrails.

"It's important to learn from the past and to learn about the institution you are about to enter," General Sega said. As he congratulated the Class of 2014 on joining the Cadet Wing, he added, "We're counting on you."