Class of 2012 arrives at Academy

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The 1,369 members of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2012 arrived to begin Basic Cadet Training June 26 here.

The Class of 2012 boasts the largest percentage of women entering Basic Cadet Training in Academy history at 21.48 percent, surpassing last year's previous all-time high mark by 0.7 percent. 

The Class of 2012 also includes 287 minorities, which make up 20.9 percent of the class. Overall, the Academy received 9,000 applications for admission into the class, with more than 1,600 being offered appointments. 

Other credentials of the Class of 2012 include:
-- 47 are prior-enlisted members. 
-- 17 percent were either high school class presidents or vice-presidents. 
-- 62 percent were in an academic honor society. 
-- 95 percent were athletic letter award winners. 
-- 30 percent were in band or orchestra. 
-- 28 percent were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. 
-- 9 percent were in Civil Air Patrol. 
-- 13 percent were in junior ROTC.

The high school grade point average for the Class of 2012 is 3.85, and their average SAT score is 1,290.

The 16 international cadets entering with the Class of 2012 are from Belize, Brunei, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan and Tunisia. The international cadets will spend the next four years as a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet and will return to the homeland upon graduation, to serve in their home nation's military.

The appointees' introduction to cadet life started June 26 with a full day of inprocessing, which included medical processing, haircuts, and equipment issue. They also received their squadron and dormitory room assignments.

Inprocessing also marks the start of 38 days of Basic Cadet Training designed to prepare the basic cadet trainees for entry into the Cadet Wing.

During the first 18 days, most of the basic training is conducted within the cadet area. On July 14, the trainees march to Jack's Valley to set up a tent city and live there for 12 days of field training. The basic cadet trainees march back from Jack's Valley to the cadet area July 26 and finish Basic Cadet Training Aug. 2.

The Class of 2012 will swear the Honor Oath at their Aug. 6 acceptance parade, when they earn their status as fourth-class cadets. The fall academic semester begins Aug. 7. 

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