About The Air Force Academy In Colorado Springs, CO

04/26/2013 10:05



Among the best institutions devoted to the undergraduate education of officers in the United States Air Force is the US Air Force Academy Colorado which is situated north of Colorado Springs. The students graduating from the four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and many of them are commissioned as second lieutenants. The Academy is likewise among the leading tourist landmarks in Colorado and attracts over a million guests each year.

The US Air Force Academy is considered among the most selective schools within the United States and candidates who aim to join are judged on base qualities such as academic achievement, leadership qualities, athletic abilities and character. To successfully secure admission, candidates should pass a difficult fitness test as well as a thorough medical examination and get a nomination from one of the candidate's members of Congress. The latest incoming classes typically have about 1,400 cadets and just about less than 1,000 of these graduate successfully. Cadets aren't asked to pay any tuition fees, yet should commit to serve a number of years in the military service following graduation.
 



One of the best-known features of the Air Force Academy is its outstanding chapel. It goes up 150 feet into the Colorado sky and is an all-faith place of worship which provides the spiritual requirements of each of the cadets. It houses separate chapels for four major religions - Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist and Protestant - in addition to an all-faiths room used by cadets of the Islamic faith along with others. Each chapel includes a separate entrance, and services could also be celebrated at the same time without interfering with any of the other services.

The building is made of steel, glass and aluminum and includes seventeen spires, although this figure is not significant in any way. The original designs were much too costly when it came to construction, so various modifications were made which included a reduction in the number of spires. The changes didn't change the design or the inside area of the chapel and the structure of the chapel cost $3.5 million to build. Different elements such as liturgical fittings, adornments, furnishings and organs had been received as gifts from organizations and individuals and as donations from Easter offerings at Air Force bases. The US Air Force Academy Colorado is open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Visitor's Center is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests must enter by way of the North Gate which can be reached from Exit 156B on Interstate 25, 14 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs.

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