The cadets live deep beyond the barricades protecting the academy. Seven months from now, Meinrod and other Air Force seniors will emerge, springing into a world they struggled to imagine could exist when they arrived. They realize that football is important, football can help them become better officers. They might have to grow up much quicker, not knowing what our world situation is going to be. But I think they're relishing every moment they have now.
Most college students worry about the type of job they'll find when school ends.
That happens at Air Force, too, but the canvas of possibilities is always shaded by ever-changing world events. The cadets have been reminded of that every day, and not just in the classroom. The academy is generally off-limits to civilians, clamped as tight as ever. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, cadets were required to stay on base, so what passes as the real world has been separated from the academy. Certain parking lots, considered too close to people and buildings, have been gated and sit empty.