U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Every summer, over 1,000 future cadets arrive at the U.S. Air Force Academy to start their journey towards becoming U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force officers. For many of these students, their families live hundreds if not thousands of miles away.
The Academy's Cadet Sponsor Program will be able to bridge that gap by matching these cadets with a local family that will provide a home away from home. The hope is that this match will allow cadets support beyond the formal Academy resources.
So far there are almost 400 incoming cadets who are still in need of a sponsor family.
Most sponsors are in some way affiliated with the military, but anyone from the local community is welcome to apply. Those who are unsure on whether or not they are ready for such a long-term commitment can apply to be a sponsor family for a day during the Class of 2028's Day Out.
The Day Out is a single-day event when basic cadets get the chance to leave the Academy for the first time since beginning Basic Training.
The Cadet Sponsor Office does their best to match sponsors with cadets that share the same values and interests. "By name" requests can be submitted by either cadets or sponsors.
Once assigned to a sponsor family, cadets will remain assigned until their graduation year or until either party requests a reassignment.
For more information on the Cadet Sponsor Program and sponsor family qualifications, please visit the Cadet Sponsor Program website.
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