AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Work is underway at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado to construct a new preparatory school dorm building on campus. The new dorm will consolidate three existing dorms into one building, housing all three squadrons of preparatory school cadet candidates in one location.
The USAFA Preparatory School is a 10-month program for candidates who did not meet the initial requirements for direct entry. Cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school earn consideration and a recommendation from the preparatory school commander for potential appointments to the academy.
“Part of this project’s aim is to start to modernize the architecture, carry a little bit of the old with us, but then also modernize it to match similar to the cadet area at the center of campus,” said Cannon Welch, contracting officer representative in charge of this project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.
The three original dorm buildings were constructed in the 1950s. The new building will adhere to the Air Force Academy’s strict architectural standards while paying homage to the original buildings by incorporating brick alongside modern aluminum paneling.
Phase one of the project, which includes the new dorm building construction, began in June 2024 and is scheduled to finish by March 2027. Once the new dorm is built and the cadet candidates move in, the three original dorm buildings will be torn down in phase two of the contract.
“March of last year, this area was a parking lot,” said Derek Damon, USACE quality assurance specialist for the project. “By the end of the month we will have the roof on this thing.”
The new building will also include other improvements.
“This project mimics the cadet dorms with the drill pad underneath it,” Welch said. That way, the prep school cadet candidates can all form up and then be somewhat protected from the weather, whereas right now they have to form up outside, open to the elements.”
Cadet candidates will also enjoy more space with significantly larger day rooms, and modernized study and breakout rooms.
The new four-story dorm will have a footprint of 88,630 square feet with 252 beds for the cadet candidates. “More space is the biggest thing,” Welch said. “These ladies and gentlemen are cadet candidates. They’re living here, so trying to make it a little bit more homey is the idea.”
The preparatory school provides academic, leadership and physical training to prepare cadet candidates for success as future officers.
"So, big benefit for the Air Force Academy, big benefit for the prep school - just having all three of those dorms, all three of the squadrons of the cadet candidates, located in one building,” Welch said.
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