Air Force Academy High School Cadet Promotion Study Guide
Air Force History Highlights:
The U.S. military has always been interested in aviation. This interest started with
balloons. Public enthusiasm for aeronautics increased after the Wright-Brothers flew
their heavier-than-air contraption at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903.
By 1915, Americans were flying in the European War with both the French and British.
The American-manned Lafayette Escadrille of France earned the greatest fame. The first
enlisted African-American to fly during this war was Corporal Eugene Bullard. He
earned the Croix de Guerre decoration and was wounded four times.
By the end of WW I, the Navy and Army planned to experiment with bombing enemy
ships from the air. General Billy Mitchell of the Army Air Service, contended his
airplanes could take on the Navy’s battleships and challenged the Navy to a test. On 13
July 1921, Mitchell directed an attack on a former German destroyer. The Air Service
sank the vessel after two direct hits. Five days later, the Air Service sank a German
cruiser and later sank the Battleship, Ostfriesland.
When the U.S. entered WW II in 1941, before the U.S. could engage the enemy, it
needed more personnel, training, and equipment. Thus, 1942 was a year of building and
training. It took an average of about 70 men to support a bomber, whether it be a B-24
or a B-17. These people worked 18-20 hours a day.
Women served with distinction in the Army Air Force, replacing men who could then be
reassigned to combat duties. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was created
in May 1942. By the middle of WW II, the demand for WAAC far exceeded the number
available.
Prior to 1942, the Army’s Air Wing had barred blacks from service and only began
accepting black officers and enlisted men when forced by congress and a war-time
emergency. This acceptance was on a segregated basis and the training occurred at
Tuskegee, Al. All black combat fighter units formed the “Tuskegee Airman.” In 1947, the
Air Force became a distinct service and in 1949, the Air Force was the first of the four
military branches to integrate and stop segregation.
In May of 1945, the Third Reich surrendered in Europe. However, the war continued.
U.S. commanders realized that only an American invasion of the Japanese islands would
force the empire to surrender unconditionally. Two missions over Japan in Aug of 1945
changed the world and saved multiple thousands of American lives by avoiding an
invasion. The flight of Enola Gay on 6 Aug 1945 to drop the world’s first nuclear bomb
on Hiroshima and the flight of Box Car 3 days later to drop the second bomb on the city
of Nagasaki put an end to WW II.
Esther Blake was the “first” women in the Air Force. She enlisted on 8 July 1948. She
remained in the Air Force until 1954.
In 1946, a fledgling United Nations accepted the role of controlling nuclear weapons.
The plan was for the elimination of nuclear weapons based on inspectors who would
travel the world to ensure no country was making atomic bombs. Unfortunately, the
plan was vetoed by the Soviet Union resulting in nearly five decades of Cold War.
The first test for the Air Force in the cold war was the Berlin Airlift in June of 1948. The
Soviet Union closed off all surface access to the city of Berlin. Thus, starving all the
residents of the city. An attempt to force the blockade on the ground could result a WW
III. The U.S. and its’ allies “built” an “air-bridge” into Berlin.
The Soviets did not believe a resupply of the city by air was feasible. However, the U.S.
and its’ allies for 15 months feed the city by flying in 2.33 million tons of supplies. The
Soviets dismantled the surface blockade representing one of the greatest Western
victories of the Cold War.
The Cold War found the U.S. and the Air Force in many conflicts over the next five
decades. After the Berlin Airlift, the surprise invasion of South Korea by North Korea on
25 June 1950 put the U.S. in a war that lasted 3 years.
The helicopter became a major player in the Korean War. Rescue squadrons greatly
improved the chances of pilots being recovered behind enemy lines.
The next conflict after the Korean War for the U.S. and the Air Force was the Cuban
Missile Crisis in 1962. The Soviets and Cubans started constructing ballistic missile
complexes on the island. These missiles were aimed at the U.S. The Russians denied this
was happening; however, a U-2 flown by the Air Force was able to take photos of the
missile base construction. Confronted with the photo evidence of the missiles, the U.S.
and Soviet Union, agreed to remove Soviet missiles from the island and the U.S. agreed
to remove missiles from Turkey.
The war in Southeast Asia (Vietnam) lasted from 1950-1975. As many as 58,000 Air
Force personnel served in Vietnam at one time. Airman performed a variety of duties
ranging from support to rescue. During this conflict, AC-47 gunships with Gatling-style
guns aimed by the pilot through speed, bank, and altitude assisted Army ground forces.
Post-Vietnam conflicts found the Air Force servicing our nation in the following
conflicts:
 Operation Urgent Fury-Grenada
 Operation Just Cause-Panama
 Gulf War I
(1983)
(1989)
(1990)
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Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm
(1990-1991)
Operation Provide Comfort & Northern Watch (1991-2003)
Operation Southern Watch-Iraq
(1992-2003)
Operation Provide Relief-Somalia
(1992-1994)
Operation Uphold Democracy-Haiti
(1994)
Operation Provide Comfort-Sarajevo/Bosnia (1992-1996)
Operation Allied Force-Kosovo
(1999)
Operation Iraqi Freedom
(2003)
Basic Drill:
A drill command is an oral order that usually has two parts: The preparatory command
and the command of execution. The preparatory command explains what the movement
will be. In the command “Flight, HALT,” the word “Flight” is the preparatory command.
In “Forward, MARCH,” the command of execution is “MARCH.”
When giving commands, the individual giving the command is always at the position of
attention. When marching, the commander must be in step with the formation at all
times.
To come to attention, bring the heels together smartly and online. Heels are turned out
equally to form a 45 degree angle. Legs are straight without locking knees. Shoulders are
square and even. Thumbs are resting alongside the body with the seams of the trousers.
Hands are cupped but not clenched as a fist. Silence and immobility are required.
There are four positions of rest: Parade rest, At ease, Rest, and Fall out. The command
for Parade Rest is “Parade REST.” On the command “Rest,” members of the formation
raise the left foot from the hip just enough to clear the ground and move it smartly to the
left so the heels are 12 inches apart. On the command “At EASE,” members of the
formation may relax in a standing position but they must keep the right foot in place.
Silence is maintained. On the command “REST,” the same requirement for at ease
applies but moderate speech is permitted. On the command “Fall Out,” individuals may
relax in a standing position or break ranks. They must remain in the area; no specific
method of dispersal is required.
The first phase of drill involves teaching basic movements, facings, and positions as an
individual or member of an element. Second phase merges the individual with others to
form a flight where marching is learned. The flight is composed of at least two, but no
more than four elements.
A flight forms in a line formation at the command of “Fall In.” On this command, each
cadet will fall in and establish dress, cover, interval, and distance. Once established,
each cadet executes an automatic ready front on an individual basis and remains at the
position of attention.
The flight commander will then size the flight. In order to align the flight in line
formation, the commands are “Dress Right, DRESS” and Ready FRONT.”
The flight commander verifies the alignment of each rank then marches to three paces
beyond the front rank, faces toward the flight, and commands, “Ready FRONT.”
The command “Open Ranks MARCH” is only given to a formation when in line and at
Normal Interval. On the command, “MARCH,” the fourth rank stands fast and
automatically executes a dress right dress. The third rank takes one pace, the second
rank takes two, and the first rank takes three paces forward while executing automatic
dress right dress.
The flight commander aligns the flight, then commands “Ready FRONT.”
After inspecting the flight, the inspector marches off to the right flank of the flight. The
flight commander calls the flight to attention and commands, “Close Ranks, MARCH.”
The first rank stands fast. Second rank takes one pace forward and halts at the position
of attention. Third and fourth ranks take two and three paces forward respectively and
halts at attention.
Military Time:
The 24-hour clock is a convention of time keeping in which the day runs from midnight
to midnight and is divided into 24 hours, numbered from 0-23.
12-hour/24 hour conversion:
Both notations look similar from 1:00 a.m. to 12:59 p.m. (0100 to 12:59) except the 24hour notation has no a.m./p.m. suffix. To convert a 12-hour time to the 24-hour
notation from 1:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (1300-2359), one has to add 12 hours, and from 12
midnight to 12:59 a.m. (00:00 to 00:59) one has to subtract 12 hours.
Conversion:
12-hour
24-hour
12-hour
24-hour
1:00 a.m
0100 hours
1:00 p.m.
1300 hours
2:00 a.m
0200 hours
2:00 p.m.
1400 hours
3:00 a.m.
0300 hours
3:00 p.m.
1500 hours
4:00 a.m.
0400 hours
4:00 p.m.
1600 hours
5:00 a.m.
0500 hours
5:00 p.m.
1700 hours
6:00 a.m.
0600 hours
6:00 p.m.
1800 hours
7:00 a.m.
0700 hours
7:00 p.m.
1900 hours
8:00 a.m.
0800 hours
8:00 p.m.
2000 hours
9:00 a.m.
0900 hours
9:00 p.m.
2100 hours
10:00 a.m.
1000 hours
10:00 p.m.
2200 hours
11:00 a.m.
1100 hours
11:00 p.m.
2300 hours
12:00 a.m.
1200 hours
12:00 p.m.
0000 hours
Chain Of Command:
Cadets of Air Force Academy High School are required to know the Chain Of Command.
In addition to knowing the names below, cadets will be required to know the Chain Of
Command for AFAHS and the positions of any fellow cadets on the Chicago City Corps :
President of the United States
Barack H. Obama
Secretary of Defense
Chuck Hagel
Secretary of the Air Force
Deborah James
Air Force Chief of Staff
Gen Mark A. Welsh III
Commander Air Education & Training Command
Gen Robin Rand
Commander Air University
Lt. Gen David S. Fadok
Commander Holm Center
Brig Gen Robert D. Thomas
Commander AFROTC
Col Eric Wydra
Director, AF Junior ROTC
Col Bobby Woods Jr
Commandant AFAHS
Lt. Col (Ret) Mark Benz
Cadet Commander AFAHS
C/Col San Miguel Avila
Phonetic Alphabet:
A: Alpha
N: November
B: Bravo
O: Oscar
C: Charlie
P: Papa
D: Delta
Q: Quebec
E: Echo
R: Romeo
F: Foxtrot
S: Sierra
G: Golf
T: Tango
H: Hotel
U: Uniform
I: India
V: Victor
J: Juliet
W: Whiskey
K: Kilo
X: X-Ray
L: Lima
Y: Yankee
M: Mike
Z: Zulu