USAFA: Let's Take a Tour

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 61F (16C) / Lo 54F (12C)

Brrr!  Turned on the heater today and yesterday.  A cold front parked itself over us and cooled things down considerably.  Not complaining; enjoyed the change of pace from what, by my standards at least, were rather hot days … especially at the altitude we’re sitting at.

Two drizzly days, preceded by a couple of big afternoon/evening downpours, put the kibosh on our plans to hike the trails on the USAFA campus during our self-imposed confinement over the 4th of July long weekend.  What can I say … we prefer to hunker down and stay out of the way during holidays.  It wasn’t that the rain was continuous; rather there was enough of it falling to make the dirt trails a muddy mess.

No matter, we still managed to get out here and there.  And we used the time at home to plan our route for the next leg of our trip; complete a few errands; get the awning fixed … it was extending, but not retracting; and have the LCD panel on my Mac replaced a second time … turns out the first panel had what I can only describe as an Ebola virus-like squiggle behind the screen.  Mui even managed to drag me shopping to pick up a few casual chic outfits for our fall cruise.  But that’s an entirely different story.

USAFA Map — need one to help us get around!          

Since arriving at the USAFA a month ago we’ve been exploring the extensive grounds of what the Air Force describes as “Your [meaning our] Academy.”  We wrapped up our explorations a few days ago, so time to give you a tour.  I’m not going to take you around the facilities, such as the commissary and BX, and the base housing … think supermarket and mall, and a neighborhood subdivision.  None of that is very interesting.  I already took you on the 13-mile Falcon Trail … oh my aching feet.  So you’ve seen the lovely setting in which the USAFA campus sits with the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains rising behind it.  The cadet area is off limits … even to those with military ID.  Understandable … the students don’t need the distraction of tourists a-wandering.  A distant view or two taken from overlooks will have to suffice there.

USAFA Cadet Campus … we will visit the chapel; but the rest is off-limits.

So what does that leave for us to explore?  Well let’s go see … starting with this self-guided tour map, which is available from the Visitor Center.  We explored the USAFA campus over a period of days … sometimes walking; sometimes driving … so be prepared for a long post.

The Falcon Tour follows the route outlined in red.

Our first stop is the Falcon Stadium … which has been hosting events since 1962.  Built originally as a football stadium only, the facility is now also the site for lacrosse games as well as non-athletic events, such as the Academy's annual graduation ceremony.

The USAFA Falcon … commissioned by Sgt. Irwin "Ike" Belk (8th AF, 491st Bomb Group, WWII)
to honor USAFA graduates “… for their selfless service to our nation.”

The stadium was Constructed at a cost of $3.5 million dollars back in 1962.

Just the two of us on the 50-yard line; we can accommodate 46,690 more of our closest friends!

I imagine the elevation adversely impacts guest teams not used to this altitude.

The Thunderbird Airmanship Overlook is next to the runway where planes and gliders take off and land all day long.  We’ve been watching the gliders soaring in the skies after they are released by the canary-yellow tow planes that take them aloft.  The overlook is a tribute to the USAF Thunderbirds, an elite aerial demonstration team.  The dedication plaque reads in part: “… It was created to remind the young men and women of the Air Force Cadet Wing of the pride, professionalism, discipline, dedication and teamwork that a career in the world’s finest Air Force demands.”

The Northrup T-38A Talon is USAF’s advanced jet pilot trainer.
It first flew in 1959.  The Thunderbirds flew the T-38 until a tragic crash
involving the demonstration team in 1982.  This aircraft is painted in the
Thunderbird paint scheme in remembrance of that accident.  Through upgrades
and modifications, the service life of the T-38s is expected to extend until 2020.

During combat missions over Iraq in 1991, this Fairchild Republic A-10A
Thunderbolt II scored the first ever air-to-air victory.  Bringing down
an Iraqi helicopter earned it the nickname of “Chopper Popper.”

Detail shots of Captain Swain’s A-10.

The highlight of any visit to the Academy is the Cadet Chapel.  In fact, it is the most popular man-made attraction in the state.  My first visit here was in the late 1980s when I traveled to Denver for a convention and one of the tours offered to the participants was a sightseeing trip to the USAFA campus.  A second visit followed in 1991 when Mui and I overnighted at the USAFA lodgings on our cross-country move from Utah to Washington, DC.  We took the opportunity to visit the Cadet Chapel before we got back on the road.  I was very taken with it on both those occasions, finding it heartwarming in many ways.  It didn’t disappoint this time either.  There’s just something about the Chapel that makes it special no matter how many other churches, basilicas, and cathedrals we’ve seen in our travels.

View of the Cadet Chapel from the Honor Court.

Constructed between 1959-1963, the 17-spire structure rises 150 feet (46m) into the sky.  Originally controversial in its design, in 2004 it was named a US National Historic Landmark.  There’s no significance to the number of spires — in fact, there were 19 of them in the original design, but this number was reduced due to budgetary constraints.  As far as I know, there’s no significance to the shape of the shell of the Chapel either, but I would think that the architect might well have been inspired by the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.  The 100 tetrahedrons that form the shell are enclosed with clear aluminum panels, spaced evenly a foot apart, with the gaps in between filled with colored glass.

The rear (left) and front façades of the Cadet Chapel are almost identical
except for the granite stairway leading up to the Protestant nave on the front.

To beat the crowds that visit the Chapel, we arrived at 8:30a … about ½-hour before the doors were due to be unlocked.  Instead of parking at the visitor center, which is perched on a nearby hill, and walking down the path, we parked in the lot near Arnold Hall.  This turned out to be a smart move.  By the time we left, the temps had risen considerably; I was already wilting and didn’t need the challenge of an uphill climb.

Since we were early, we used the time to check out the cadet area, which is visible from the terrace on which the Chapel sits.  I didn’t take any photographs directly of the Terrazzo around which the cadet area is set up as the sun was shining bright from that direction.  But here’s a pano that shows a portion of the area where the cadets spend their time during the academic year.

The cadet area is designed such that all of the buildings are within a 10-minute walk.
Looking back from the landing at the top of the chapel stairs: Fairchild Hall, the main
academic building, is on the far left; next to it is Mitchell Hall, the cadet dining facility;
the rest of the buildings are Sijan Hall, one of the two cadet dormitories.  The F-15
Eagle visible to the left is one of four static aircraft displays on the Terrazzo.

What makes the Cadet Chapel special is that it is an all-faith house of worship.  There are three separate chapels for the main religions represented in the Air Force — Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish.  A Buddhist Hall and an All-Faiths Worship Room are also housed within the building.

Let’s begin in the Protestant Chapel, which is on the upper level of the Cadet Chapel.

The Protestant Chapel can seat 1,200 on pews made of black walnut.  What’s not
clear in the photo is that the backs of the pews are capped with strips of
aluminum designed to represent the leading edge of the wing of a fighter jet.

Tetrahedrons form the walls and the 99-foot (30m) high pinnacled ceiling.

The curved reredos (wall behind the altar) is inlaid with semi-precious stones from Colorado.
Its crescent shape represents the arms of God welcoming all who approach in prayer.

Symbolism abounds in the Protestant Chapel.

The colors in the ceiling graduate from dark to light, representing coming from
the darkness into the light of God.  The only yellow lights are over the altar.

The cast-aluminum cross is designed to represent the propeller of an aircraft.

The pulpit is shaped to resemble the first stage of a rocket.

The needlepoint kneelers were embroidered by the officers wives’ clubs throughout the USAF,
and bear designs of crosses or Christian symbols as they appear in Christian history.

The classical pipe organ was built in Hagerstown, Maryland.
The ends of the pews are designed to resemble a WWI airplane propeller.

Marqueterie is an exacting form of art; an average piece can take up to two years to
produce.  This piece was presented to the Protestant Chapel in 1962 by the Toul-Rosieres
Air Base Protestant Chaplain Fund (France) and Monsieur Paul-Louis Spindler (the artist).
[More information on marqueterie is in the photo I took of an explanatory sign nearby.]

The Catholic Chapel is one floor down, on what is referred to as the middle level.  Let’s start in the foyer, the walls of which have symbolic depictions of the four Evangelists: Luke, Mark, Matthew, and John.

St Luke — symbolized by the winged ox Representing Christ’s sacrificial Nature	St Mark — symbolized by the winged lion representing Christ’s Royal nature
St Matthew — symbolized by the winged man representing Christ’s Human Nature	St John — symbolized by the eagle representing Christ’s Divine Nature

Moving into the Catholic Chapel … unlike the Protestant Chapel, here there was a velvet rope that stopped visitors from moving too far into the nave, so photo ops were more restricted.

The Catholic Chapel seats 500 people on pews made of American walnut.

The focal point of the chapel is the abstract glass mosaic behind the altar.
Superimposed on the mosaic are figures depicting the Annunciation: The Virgin
Mary on the left; Archangel Gabriel on the right.  Between them is a dove
(not easily discernible in the photograph), representing the Holy Spirit.

The side walls of the chapel are made of amber glass panels, with strips
of multi-colored cast glass between the panels.

The amber glass walls are decorated with the 14 Stations of the Cross
carved out of marble; three of which I was able to photograph.

As we were leaving the chapel, I peeked through a glass door to glimpse what looked like a stone statue.  There was very little light to get a decent photograph of it, but when I read on the board nearby that it was a three-dimensional depiction of the Shroud of Turin, I decided to take a snapshot anyway.

Fiberglass statue of the Shroud of Turin.
[For those interested, larger versions of the pictures in the collage are
here.  Use the forward controller on the right to move to the next photo.]

Moving on to the Jewish Chapel, or more accurately, the Synagogue … also located on the middle level.  The circular design of the room symbolizes the global mission of the Air Force and the everlasting presence of God.  The foyer, which encircles the room, is paved with Jerusalem stone from the Holy Land; donated by the Israeli Defense Forces.  Velvet ropes keep visitors out, so I had to be satisfied with whatever photos I could get from the doorways.

The circular walls of the synagogue are panels of translucent glass separated by
stanchions of Israeli cypress.  On the walls are paintings depicting biblical stories, which
are divided into three groups: Brotherhood, Flight (in honor of the Air Force), and Justice.

The Brotherhood Group of paintings — each is on a curved wooden panel overlaid with gold leaf.
Left to Right: Ruth and Boaz; Deal Thy Bread to the Hungry; Jacob and the Angel.

The final chapel on the middle level is Dharma Hall … referred to commonly as the Buddhist Chapel.  Donated in 2007, the hall is the newest addition to the Cadet Chapel.  It is freestanding within the existing structure.

The arrangement of the altar focuses on the Buddha figure, representing not only gratitude
to the historical Buddha, but also the possibility of awakening, or enlightenment.

[Most of the information about the Cadet Chapel comes from the booklet I purchased in return for a $5 donation.  Since I try to minimize what we carry in the Phaeton, I scanned the booklet when I got home.  If anyone cares to read through the pages, start with this image here.  Use the forward control on the right side of the screen to move to the next page.]

By the time we left the Cadet Chapel the sun was broiling hot.  Nonetheless, we wandered around the Honor Court we had walked through earlier on our way to the Chapel.  This area has a collection of bronze statues and aircraft memorials from various groups.

The Honor Court is located in front of Harmon Hall, the primary administration building, which is …

named after Lt General Harmon, the founder and first superintendent of the USAFA.

A selection of the memorials scattered around the Honor Court.  They are dedicated to …

Left: World War I Overseas Flyers
Center: USAFA Cadet wing
Right: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

P-38, F-4/5 Lightning Memorial
the only fighter that fought and won in all theaters of WWII.

A current project that remains underway is the new Center for Character and Leadership Development.  Still under construction, when completed the structure is going to be stunning — especially when the “aircraft tail” is all lit up at night.

Artist’s rendering of the completed Center for Character and Leadership Development …

… vs what we saw today.  The building behind the “tail” is Arnold Hall, the cadet social center.

By the time we made it back to the car I was totally wrung out from the heat.  Chugging down a bottle of water each, we enjoyed the air conditioned comfort of the car as we drove around the perimeter of the cadet area to an overlook from which we got a good glimpse of the athletic facilities.

The athletic facilities include outdoor fields as well as a number of gyms, courts,
and pools located in the Cadet Gymnasium.  All this set in the breathtakingly
beautiful landscape of the Rampart Range, with the Cadet Chapel in the distance.

Our next stop … the USAFA Cemetery.  This area lies beyond a security check-point, so access may or may not be open to the general public.

The cemetery as viewed from the “Winged Refuge.”  Note Pikes Peak in the distance.

The Airman and Winged Refuge

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
I put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

The above quote, from the sonnet High Flight, by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.,
is etched into the stone at the base of “The Airman” memorial.

Though separated physically, the Airman Sculpture and the Winged Refuge are
“… Spiritually bound.  Their common inspiration arises from the poetry of our
profession and the sanctity of our sacrifice.  The uplifted arm of the airman
captures the image from the poem High flight: ‘I put out my hand, and touched
the face of God.’  Winged Refuge symbolizes the promise, ‘He shall cover thee
with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust.’ …”

Left: Windchimes greet visitors near the entrance to the cemetery.
Right: A permanent honor guard salutes the dead.

The Memorial Pavilion was dedicated in 2007.  It “… permits a grateful nation to pay tribute
to the service and sacrifices of Academy graduates in a dignified and memorable setting.”

The final stop of this virtual tour … the Heritage Trail … described as “Celebrating the lives and accomplishments of the Long Blue Line.”  I came across a mention of this area, located next to Doolittle Hall, when I was researching other areas of interest to explore at the USAFA.  When the sun peeked through the clouds after a strong downpour on Sunday, we set out to check it out.  The sun didn’t stay out long, but we persevered despite the threatening clouds gathering above us.  Though we weren’t Basic-Cadets entering into the next class, we felt that walking this trail was important to our personal history with the Air Force.

The Challenge Bridge was dedicated and funded by the Class of 1959.  The bridge
serves as a gateway to the Heritage Trail.  On the far side of the bridge is …

… the challenge issued to each entering cadet by the Class of ‘59 … makes the bridge
an appropriate place from which Basic-Cadets enter into the USAF family.

This replica of the USAFA War Memorial was funded by the Class of 1970 to
“… recognize those graduates who made the ultimate sacrifice in this nation’s
conflicts and honor their nine classmates whose names are on the Wall. …”

Mui heads off to check on what lies beyond the Memorial Wall.
[“It’s a work in progress,” he reports when he returns.]

A few shots of the Heritage Trail in B&W to wrap up this post.

Thus concludes not only this post, but also our stay at the USAFA FamCamp … and therefore, our time in CoS.  We had a really great time here and will return again sometime during our continued travels around the US in our condo on wheels.

Most of the departure chores are completed in anticipation of our 7:30a planned departure from Peregrine Pines FamCamp tomorrow morning.  Next stop: Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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