1. Iraq
   Colorado
2. Iowa

The Air Force Academy is located in Colorado. It's not far from Colorado Springs, which is where many academy attendees spend their free time.

1. airmen
   soldiers
2. cadets

The young men and women who attend the academy are called cadets. Most people who apply to became cadets are rejected.

1. bombing strategies
   how to fly fighters
2. just about anything

The academy is a lot like any major college — you can study subjects from engineering to basket weaving, although we may be kidding about that last one.

1. $1,000 per month
   $5,000 per month
2. $15,000 per month

Cadets do receive a stipend to help them with minor expenses. But it isn’t much — only around $1,000 per month.

1. 18 months
   8 years
2. for life

The academy is a real commitment. Once they leave school, graduates must serve for a minimum of eight years in the service.

1. $0
   $23,000 per year
2. $52,000 per year

Tuition for the academy is all paid for by the government. After all, you’re giving them at least eight years of your life. But it’s no easy feat to be accepted.

1. It’s like any other college.
   It’s exactly like medical school.
2. It’s extremely rigorous.

The academy isn’t like your state college. It’s a military facility. And you will be treated like a soldier training for war.

1. 5:15 a.m.
   7:00 a.m.
2. 10:30 or whenever

By the time you graduate, 7 a.m. will feel like sleeping in. You’ll have to be up at 5:15 a.m., and that’s just to get yourself ready for a very busy day.

1. about 200
   about 1,200
2. about 30,000

The academy is small. Only about 1,200 cadets are admitted each year. Roughly 200 of them won’t make it to graduation.

1. character development
   academics
2. keg stands

Obviously, the academy is not a party school, so keg stands aren’t really on the agenda. Those cadets who prioritize partying may not see graduation.

1. Any grades are fine so long as you show commitment.
   Average grades are OK.
2. You need exceptional grades.

You don’t have to be a 4.0 student to make the academy. But you do need very high grades or you won’t have a real chance.

1. rigorous military training
   hazing
2. Cadets mostly relax and recharge.

Summers are typically when college students take a break. Not at the academy. That’s when cadets do the bulk of their hard military training.

1. six weeks
   six months
2. four days

It’s boot camp for cadets. For six weeks, they undergo Basic Cadet Training (BCT) which is meant to acclimate them to the environment.

1. full military uniforms
   flannel shirts
2. “Beavis and Butthead" t-shirts

Cadets give up their civilian lives for a time. They wear full military uniforms, and men must have their hair closely cropped, per service standards. Women must heed the strict requirements, too.

1. airman first class
   second lieutenant
2. corporal

The men and women who make it through the rigors of the academy are bestowed with the rank of second lieutenant. Then, it’s off to active duty.

1. bed sheets
   pictures
2. TVs

If you’re in your first three years of the academy, you can’t have a TV in your room. That’s a privilege granted only to cadets in their final year.

1. all of them
   about half
2. just 5%

It is the Air Force, after all. Few cadets become pilots, but all of them have multiple chances for flight experiences.

1. do Crossfit at least twice per day
   perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
2. pray

The academy needs fit service personnel ... but not superhumans. Be sure you can perform at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day before you attempt BCT.

1. very rigorous from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
   typical coed life
2. like an actual wing of the Air Force

These men and women are training for possible war. Each cadet wing is operated just like an active duty Air Force wing.

1. horse riding
   athletics
2. pilot training

Sports aren’t optional at the academy. Every cadet must participate in athletics in one way or another, and no, ping pong doesn’t count.

1. 3
   27
2. 98

New cadets can choose from 27 different majors. That includes everything from engineering to social sciences and a whole lot more.

1. surface-to-air missiles
   cadets
2. warplanes with double tires

In the area of the academy, many civilians called cadets "Doolies." It comes from the Greek word "duolos," which basically means "subject."

1. 0
   just 5
2. as many as you like

Cadets are strictly isolated from the outside world during BCT. In the first five weeks, they don’t get so much as a single phone call.

1. 6 p.m.
   1 a.m.
2. 11 p.m.

Cadets live very regimented lives. They must be up at 5:15 a.m. and they go to bed no later than 11 p.m.

1. machine gun
   car
2. forks

If you’re in your first or seond year of schooling, well, you can’t own a car. If you’re extra good, though, you might be allowed to rent one for a day or two.

1. They practice flight maneuvers.
   They all go to church.
2. It’s personal time.

On Sundays, cadets finally get a break, and they can use it for personal time. Rarely do they have to attend training on these days.

1. You get a pilot’s license.
   You get less free time.
2. You’re thrown out of a bomber.

Grades not up to academy standards? So much for video games, or any free time at all, really. You’ll be on lockdown until you improve.

1. 5 years
   all 8 years
2. 2 years

You don’t go to the academy unless you’re willing to commit to a serious deployment. At least five of your eight years must go toward active duty service.

1. about $35,000
   about $78,000
2. about $112,000

As fresh officers, graduates don’t make a ton of money, about $35,000 per year. But career officers can make a whole lot more.

1. 5
   29
2. 45

All cadets have the opportunity to jump out of a plane if they want to. If they manage to survive five jumps, they’ll earn the Basic Parachutist Badge.