U.S. Air Force Academy cadets of the class of 2028 undergo basic training, July 2, 2024. (Dylan Smith/U.S. Air Force)
(Tribune News Service) — The Air Force Academy restricted all cadets to the base as classes were getting started in early August to reinforce standards of cleanliness and personal appearance.
Cadets speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said the restriction led to a shortage of meat at campus dining facilities because many upperclassmen often go off campus for meals.
Social media was also awash in complaints about the inability to leave the base and low morale in recent days. During restrictions to base cadets can still leave for certain activities, such as attending church services. But they are not allowed to leave to eat at restaurants or go grocery shopping.
The campus-wide restriction to base started on Aug. 7, according to the official memo from the Commandant of the Cadets Gen. Gavin Marks obtained by The Gazette. It was lifted on Friday after cadets made significant progress in meeting the expectations in the memo, the academy said.
In the document, Marks not only restricted cadets to base, but he also closed Hap’s Place, a bar on base, to cadets and required all cadets to wear uniforms at all times unless they were asleep or signed out to leave the base and on their way off base.
The document said that cadets had to clean squadron assembly rooms, storage rooms, quads and outdoor cooking equipment. It also said the cadets must achieve high scores in personal appearance and room inspections.
In a statement to The Gazette, the academy said it was focused on a return to basics.
“Emphasis areas will include customs and courtesies, uniform and grooming standards, and overall training and discipline. Most of this does not involve new standards, but instead focuses on accountability with respect to existing standards and raising the bar along our commissioning path,” said academy spokesman Lt. Col. Brian Maguire.
“Have we gotten any good news since last year?” a cadet asked on social media, referencing all the changes.
The academy said in its response that while dining facilities had run out of steak, chicken and fish remained available. It is also adjusting its food orders to meet demand, the school said.
“We are conducting a thorough review of all food options available on USAFA to ensure we provide the quality, quantity and variety of food, bounded by nutritional and caloric requirements, for Cadets,” Col. Amy Glisson, 10th Air Base Wing Commander said in a statement.
The restriction to base was ordered shortly after Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind took over as superintendent at the academy on Aug. 2. The general, who previously led Air Force Special Operations Command, promised in his assumption of command speech to make the academy experience more demanding.
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