III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 611 

Supporting the designation of October 8, 2016, as ‘‘40 Years of Women 

Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. BENNET) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of October 8, 2016, as ‘‘40 Years 

of Women Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy Day’’. 

Whereas, in September 1972, the United States Air Force 

Academy (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘Academy’’) became the first service academy to prepare for 

the arrival of female cadets when it issued Operational 

Plan 36–72, ‘‘Integration of Females into the Cadet 

Wing’’; 

Whereas, on October 8, 1975, the day after President Ford 

signed the Department of Defense Appropriation Authorization Act, 1976 (Public Law 94–106; 89 Stat. 531), 

which authorized women to attend military service academies, the Academy announced that the first class of 

women would be admitted on June 28, 1976; 


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•SRES 611 IS 

Whereas, on January 13, 1976, the first woman to enter the 

Academy Preparatory School arrived; 

Whereas, on June 28, 1976, the Academy became the first 

service academy to admit women when 156 women arrived as part of the class of 1980; 

Whereas the first African-American women to attend the 

Academy arrived in 1976 and graduated in 1980; 

Whereas the first Hispanic woman to attend any military 

service academy arrived at the Academy in 1976 and 

graduated in 1980; 

Whereas, on August 15, 1979, a woman First Class Cadet 

from the Academy’s class of 1980 became the first Academy woman to complete a solo flight in the T–41 training 

aircraft; 

Whereas, on May 28, 1980, the first 97 women graduated 

from the Academy; 

Whereas, in 1981, 4 women at the Academy were the first 

Academy women named as All-Americans by the National 

Collegiate Athletic Association (in this preamble referred 

to as the ‘‘NCAA’’); 

Whereas, on November 24, 1980, a woman cadet became the 

Cadet Wing Commander at the Academy for the first 

time; 

Whereas, in 1981, a woman cadet at the Academy was selected as a Rhodes Scholar for the first time; 

Whereas, in 1986, a woman cadet at the Academy received 

the Outstanding Cadet in Order of Graduation Award for 

the first time; 


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•SRES 611 IS 

Whereas, in 1987, a woman graduate from the class of 1980 

returned to the Academy as an Air Officer Commanding 

for the first time; 

Whereas, on July 1, 1990, the women’s athletic program of 

the Academy officially became a member of the Colorado 

Athletic Conference; 

Whereas, on January 13, 1993, a woman from the United 

States Air Force, and a member of the Academy’s class 

of 1980, flew into space for the first time aboard the 

space shuttle Endeavour; 

Whereas, on April 14, 1994, a woman graduate of the Academy died in a combat zone and received the Purple Heart 

award for the first time; 

Whereas, in January 1995, a member of the Academy’s class 

of 1988 became the first woman to log United States Air 

Force fighter pilot combat time; 

Whereas, in August 1996, women athletes at the Academy 

began their first year as NCAA Division I members; 

Whereas, on June 25, 1998, an Academy graduate from the 

class of 1982 and a Rhodes Scholar became the first 

woman graduate of the Academy elected to Congress; 

Whereas, in 1999, a member of the Academy’s class of 1998 

became the first African-American woman to serve as a 

combat pilot; 

Whereas, in 2004, a 1988 graduate of the Academy took 

command of the 354th Fighter Squadron, becoming the 

first woman in the history of the United States to command a combat aviation unit; 

Whereas, on October 1, 2004, a member of the Academy’s 

class of 1983 became the first woman graduate of the 


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Academy promoted to brigadier general and took office 

as Dean of the Faculty of the Academy; 

Whereas, in November 2005, a member of the Academy’s 

class of 1996 became the first woman member of the 

United States Air Force’s aerial demonstration team, the 

Thunderbirds; 

Whereas, in December 2005, a member of the Academy’s 

class of 1980 was the first woman Academy graduate to 

become Commandant of Cadets; 

Whereas, on September 7, 2006, a member of the Academy’s 

class of 1980 became the first woman of Japanese descent from any military service to be promoted to flag officer; 

Whereas, on June 19, 2008, a member of the Academy’s 

class of 1982 became the first woman of Korean descent 

from any military service to be promoted to flag officer; 

Whereas, in 2009, a member of the Academy’s class of 2006 

was the first woman Academy graduate killed by enemy 

action; 

Whereas, on June 21, 2010, the Academy’s first woman Vice 

Superintendent, and a member of the Academy’s class of 

1983, took office; 

Whereas, on July 16, 2010, a graduate from the Academy’s 

class of 1984 became the first woman of Hispanic descent in the United States Air Force to be promoted to 

flag officer; 

Whereas, on June 5, 2012, a member of the Academy’s class 

of 1980 became the first woman in the United States Air 

Force to attain the rank of 4-star general; 


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Whereas, in August 2013, a member of the Academy’s class 

of 1981 became the first woman Superintendent of the 

Academy; 

Whereas, in August 2014, a member of the Academy’s class 

of 1993 became the first woman to command a United 

States Air Force bomb wing; and 

Whereas, between 1976 and 2016, 5,381 women were commissioned through the Academy: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of October 8, 

3 2016, as ‘‘40 Years of Women Cadets at the United 

4 States Air Force Academy Day’’; 

5 (2) commends the extraordinary accomplish6 ments of the women cadets and graduates of the 

7 United States Air Force Academy in Colorado 

8 Springs, Colorado, and the service to the United 

9 States of those cadets and graduates; and 

10 (3) honors past, present, and future women 

11 who serve in the United States Air Force. 

Æ 


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