Up To The Challenge
Katrina Mumaw, who became the first child in history to break the sound barrier at age eleven flying a Russian MiG-29 is no stranger to challenges. Right now, she has realized one of her life's goals, becoming a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Due to a dental concern, she had her first appointment withdrawn one week before she was to report. After going through the process again, one year later, she became a member of the USAFA Class of 2006. She is not alone. There were a few cadets who have had to try twice to get in.
Each year, there are tens of thousands of students who compete for one of the approximately 1200 appointments available. Once at the Academy, they must compete with the best and finest the nation has to offer.
Right now, Katrina is a sophomore (Cadet Third Class). Her first year, she like all cadets, faced a huge amount of training designed to quickly change a civilian student into a military academy cadet and future officer. Not only is there a form of boot camp, "Basic Cadet Training" but, after the academic year begins, there are the university caliber classes plus further military and physical training on a daily basis.
This summer, she took part in Combat Survival Training (survival, navigation and evasion skills), Soaring (flying gliders) and Global Engagement (setting up a base of operations and its infrastructure as well as getting a dose of teargas).
Being a Cadet Third Class, Katrina is now an upperclassman and has some duties that include helping the new class of 07 adjust to succeed. Each year, there are new challenges in being a cadet; each one different than the one before. All of this turns out officers who will lead the United States Air Force in the years to come in many varied careers.