FALCON FAMILY NEWS
March 2009
CLASS STATISTICS (as of 30 November 2008)
| Class |
Men |
Women |
Total |
| 2009 |
892 |
173 |
1065 |
| 2010 |
852 |
190 |
1042 |
| 2011 |
897 |
221 |
1118 |
| 2012 |
986 |
273 |
1259 |
| WING |
3627 |
857 |
4484 |
FEDERAL INCOME TAX (Excerpt from “Instructions to Appointees” booklet)
Many of your parents or guardians may have questions concerning the income tax consequences of cadet pay and allowances.
This section will furnish them with that information from the standpoint of both
your tax return and
their return for 2008.
This information is based on the tax law and current rulings of treasury officials. However, it is informative only and
should not be considered as necessarily reflecting the official position of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tax Withholding
Federal and State tax withholding will be started at the filing status of single with one exemption. The state of legal residence will
be automatically input based on the home of record on file for the student. Cadets may change their state for tax withholding at any
time by completing a State of Legal Residence Declaration in the Cadet Pay office, located in Vandenberg Hall, room 3C24. All cadets at
the Academy are required to file their own income tax returns. As a fourth-class cadet entering the Academy in June 2008, you will
receive or have credited to your account during 2008 approximately $5,100 which you must report as income from the Air Force.
Dependency Exemption
Once you become a cadet at the Academy,
you are considered a member of the active military, and are no longer dependent upon your parents
for support. You are considered supported by the Air Force or by yourself. (See IRS Publication 17.) However, since as an entering
fourth-class cadet you were probably a dependent of your parents for half of the year before you entered the Academy, you may possibly
be claimed as a dependent on their return
for that year. In order to claim you as an income tax exemption your parents must have contributed
more than half of your total support for the year. "More than half of support" refers to dollar value, and not to the length of time
support was given. Following the steps below will help determine whether the "more than half of support" test is met. NOTE: Effective 1
January 1987, if you can be claimed as a dependent on the tax return of another taxpayer, then you may not claim yourself as a personal
exemption on your tax return. Thus, if you are claimed on your parents' return, you may not claim yourself as an exemption when you file
your own return for that year. After the fourth-class year when your parents may no longer claim you as a dependent on their return, you
may claim yourself as an exemption when you file your own tax return.
Compute the value of support contributed by your parent or guardian in 2008.
Compute the value of support contributed by you and your parents or guardians and others (include support provided by the USAF).
You can use
Worksheet 3-1, Worksheet for Determining Support, located on pg 33 in IRS Publication 17 for your calculations.
Compare your parents' or guardians' share of the total with that provided by you, the Air Force, or others. If your parents' or guardians' share is
more than 50 percent of your total support, they meet the support test and can take the dependency exemption
in your freshman year only. In
determining how much your parents or guardians contributed to your support, a parent or guardian may include the cost of clothing, medical, and dental
care, education, medical insurance premiums, transportation, entertainment, Christmas presents, etc., for you. If you lived at home during the first
six months of 2008, a proportionate amount of the family food bill and utilities, fair rental value of lodging furnished, etc., may also be included.
Educational expenses might include cost of tuition, books, board, and lodging, school supplies, and transportation to and from school if you attended
college, preparatory school, or high school prior to entering the Air Force Academy.
In computing the value of support furnished you from sources other than a parent or guardian, both taxed and untaxed amounts must be included. Your
taxable pay must, of course, be included. In addition, the fair value of the food, lodging, medical care, education, and other services furnished you
by the Air Force must also be included even though their value is not taxed as income to you.
The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that an appointment to the Air Force Academy is not a scholarship. Thus, the cadet must include value of the
education as support from sources other than the parents or guardians.
The amount of support contributed by the cadet for one semester of education,
food, lodging, cadet pay, etc., is $11,000. Compare this figure to the amount of support provided by the parents. If the parents' figure is higher,
then the parents can claim the cadet as a dependent on their income tax return and the cadet cannot claim a personal exemption. If the $11,000 figure
is larger than the amount provided by the parents, then the cadet will claim a personal exemption on his or her income tax return, and the parents
cannot claim the fourth-class cadet as a dependent on their income tax return.
Questions
Income tax assistance is available to cadets through the USAFA/JA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center, located in The Alley in Arnold Hall.
Call 719-333-3905 for more information or an appointment.
SUMMER LEAVE (don’t make those vacation reservations too early)
The Academy tries to accommodate the summer leave requests made by the cadets; however, there are requirements for leadership and Ops courses which
need to be met so sometimes the cadets must forfeit their summer leave. Unfortunately, this may happen after the parents have already paid for a
cruise or other type of vacation! The final summer schedules come out just before spring break so parents should wait until after that to make
plans for the summer.
FROM THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY
C1C Roni Yadlin earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
I’m proud to announce that one of our cadet superstars, C1C Roni Yadlin, has earned a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship! Cadet Yadlin, an
Astronautical Engineering major, is currently the 3rd Group Commander, and in the fall was Captain of the Women’s Soccer Team. She had already
been selected as our 7th Holaday Scholar to attend Oxford. She will now have further funding to pursue her research interests in graduate school.
This is a tremendous honor for her and for USAFA. Congratulations C1C Roni Yadlin—you make us proud!!
USAFA Grad Collects USAF Cadet of the Year honors
Second Lieutenant Kenny Grosselin (Class of 2008) was selected as the "US Air Force Cadet of the Year!" An outstanding distance runner in Cross Country
and Track, Lt Grosselin also earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and is currently at Pardee RAND Graduate School. This is the 2nd year in a row
that a USAFA graduate studying at PRGS has been selected.
US AIR FORCE ACADEMY DENTAL CLINIC
Where “Outstanding” is only the Beginning
Our current commander, Colonel Paul Fortunato is a recent graduate of the US Air Force Senior Military Education Air War College program where he
received a Masters of Strategic Studies while in residence there. He is a dual board certified comprehensive dentist holding board certification
in the American Board of General Dentistry as well as the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry. He received his Doctor of Medical Dentistry
Degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA. Colonel Fortunato completed his first residency at St. Francis Hospital and
Medical Center in Hartford, CT and completed his advanced graduate dental education in Comprehensive Dentistry at the National Naval Dental Center,
Naval Postgraduate Dental School, Bethesda, MD. While in this residency he also received a Master of Sciences in Health Sciences from George
Washington University, Washington, D.C. He has had numerous positions while on active duty prior to his graduate program at Air War College to
include Staff Dentist, Staff Officer, Senior Dental Resident, Chief of Dental Services, Medical Clinic Commander, as well as Deputy Medical Group
Commander.
Colonel Fortunato took command of the 10th Dental Squadron, United States Air Force Academy, in June 2008. When he took command of the 10th Dental
Squadron he set a goal for the dental clinic to continue to strive to be the “best in the Air Force.” The dental squadron team was up for that
challenge and continues to make our outstanding dental clinic even better.
As recent as January, 2009, the 10th Dental Squadron earned the highest rating of “Outstanding” by the Air Force Inspection Agency in their Health
Services Inspection. Colonel Fortunato attributes this to a lot of hard-work and perseverance by the extremely dedicated and caring dental clinic
members who continue to strive for Excellence in all that they do! We are privileged to work in a state-of-the-art dental clinic with digital
radiology, laser technology, a dental laboratory renovation amongst other dental clinic upgrades totaling over four hundred thousand dollars that
have recently been completed.
The 10th Dental Squadron provides full-service dental care and includes nearly every dental specialty available. Dental Services provided include
Preventive Dentistry (examinations, cleanings, sealants, et.), Restorative Dentistry (fillings), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (wisdom tooth removal,
major jaw and facial surgery, and trauma care), Periodontics (treatment of gum disease), Endodontics (root canals), Prosthodontics (implants, crowns & bridges), and Orthodontics (correction of severe malocclusion).
Our clinic is one of only 12 in the entire Air Force to have a one-year dental residency program. This residency program consists of an exceptional,
hand-picked dental teaching staff training top-of-the-line recent dental school graduates who were competitively selected from among the best and the
brightest applicants. Our teaching staff is among the finest in the Air Force and includes board-certified specialists in Orthodontics, Comprehensive
Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
This all leads to an exceptional level of dental care provided by experienced and talented dentists that is rarely available anywhere else in the Air
Force or civilian community. Our staff of 20 dentists provides world-class dental care to the USAFA cadet and active duty populations. In addition,
the entire 70 person clinic staff is backed by a dedicated cadre of enlisted and civilian personnel.
According to Colonel Fortunato, his is a team of dedicated healthcare professionals who are excited about their part in providing for the optimum
dental health of our future Air Force leaders. In addition, he welcomes phone calls or emails from any parent that may have a question about their
cadet’s dental care. For further information, please contact SSgt Cindy Baker or Maj Peggy Dickson (general dentist) at 719-333-5192; or email the
dental clinic at USAFA.SGD@usafa.af.mil.
GRADUATION 2009 AND 2010
The graduation schedules for 2009 and 2010 can be viewed by going to the Academy home page (www.usafa.af.mil) and clicking on Graduation (right hand side).
Below is the schedule for 2010 (not 2009). This is notable because the graduation ceremony will take place a week earlier than usual (26 May 2010)
and the ring dance will occur on Saturday, 15 May 2010. Please be sure to take a look at this schedule for 2010.
GRADUATION SCHEDULE 2010
| Date/Time |
Event |
Location |
| Saturday, 15 May 2010 |
| 5:30–7:30 p.m. |
Ring Dining Out (Second-Class cadets & their guests only) |
Mitchell Hall |
| 8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. |
Ring Dance (Second-Class cadets & their guests only) |
Arnold Hall Ballroom |
| Thursday, 20 May 2010 |
| 6:00–9:00 p.m. |
Outstanding Squadron Banquet (hosted by AFA/AOG for cadets of the Outstanding Squadron & their guests) |
USAFA Falcon Club |
| 7:00–9:00 p.m. |
Bluebards Production |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| Friday, 21 May 2010 |
| 7:00–7:30 a.m. |
Graduation Parade Briefing (mandatory for all First-Class cadets) |
Fairchild Hall, F-1 |
| 8:00–8:30 a.m. |
Graduation Parade Practice (mandatory for all cadets) |
Stillman Field |
| 8:30–9:00 a.m. |
Organizational Awards Parade Practice (mandatory for most cadets) |
Stillman Field |
| 11:00–11:45 a.m. |
Graduation Ceremony Briefing (mandatory for all First-Class cadets) |
Fairchild Hall, F-1 |
| 1:15–3:30 p.m. |
Graduation Practice March-On (mandatory for All First-Class cadets) |
Falcon Stadium |
| 12:30–1:30 p.m. |
Salaat Ul Jummah (Islamic Worship) |
Cadet Chapel |
| 5:00–6:30 p.m. |
Muslim Convocation |
Cadet Chapel |
| 7:00–8:00 p.m. |
Jewish Sabbath Service |
Cadet Chapel |
| Saturday, 22 May 2010 |
| 4:30–6:30 p.m. |
Preparatory School and Prior Service Reception |
High Country Inn |
| 7:00–9:00 p.m. |
Bluebards Production |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| Sunday, 23 May 2010 |
| 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. |
Baccalaureate Services
8:00–9:00 Catholic Mass, Squadrons 28-40
11:00–12:00 Jewish Service, Squadrons 1-40
9:00–10:15 Protestant Service, Squadrons 21-40
11:00–12:15 Protestant Service, Squadrons 1-20
10:00–11:00 Catholic Mass, Squadrons 14-27
12:00–1:00 Catholic Mass, Squadrons 1-13
|
Cadet Chapel |
| 1:00–5:15 p.m. |
Class of 2010 & Families’ Reception
1:00–2:00 Third Group (Squadrons 21-30)
3:10–4:10 First Group (Squadrons 1-10)
2:05–3:05 Fourth Group (Squadrons 31-40)
4:15-5:15 Second Group (Squadrons 11-20)
|
The Carlton House |
| 4:30–5:30 p.m. |
Cadet Orchestra Concert |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| 7:00–9:00 p.m. |
Bluebards Production |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| Monday, 24 May 2010 |
| 8:00–8:45 a.m. |
Thunderbirds/Commandant “Run-In” Practice (backup practice Tues, same time) |
Falcon Stadium |
| 8:30–9:15 a.m. |
Donors’ Coffee (by invitation only to award donors & presenters) |
Field House Concourse |
| 10:00–11:00 a.m. |
Organizational Awards Parade (if parade is cancelled , Org Awards are presented at Individual Awards Ceremony) |
Stillman Field |
| 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. |
Donors’ Luncheon (by invitation only to award donors & presenters) |
USAFA Falcon Club |
| 1:30–3:00 p.m. |
Individual Awards Ceremony |
Clune Arena |
| 2:00-3:00 p.m. |
Thunderbirds Practice Show (roads closed 1200-1500) (backup practice Tues 1400) |
Falcon Stadium |
| 3:00–4:00 p.m. |
Individual Awards Reception (by invitation only to award donors & presenters) |
Field House |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. |
Buddhist Baccalaureate Service |
Cadet Chapel |
| 5:00–6:30 p.m. |
Cadet Chorale Concert |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| 7:30–8:30 p.m. |
Show Choir Review |
Arnold Hall Theater |
| Tuesday, 25 May 2010 |
| 7:30–8:30 a.m. |
Graduation Tapping Ceremonies (Curtiss, Civil Air Patrol and 100-Year Honor Roll) (by invitation only to honored cadets & their guests) |
Arnold Hall Ballroom Balcony |
| 9:30–9:55 a.m. |
Airmanship Demonstration |
Stillman Field |
| 10:00–11:00 a.m. |
Graduation Parade |
Stillman Field |
| 2:00-3:00 p.m. |
Academy Scholars Ceremony |
Fairchild Hall, F-1 |
| 3:30–5:10 p.m. |
Catholic Choir Concert |
Cadet Chapel |
| 5:30–8:00 p.m. |
Graduation Formal Reception |
Mitchell Hall |
| 7:30–9:30 p.m. |
Commissioning Ceremonies |
Various locations on base |
| 8:30 p.m.–12:00 a.m. |
Graduation Ball |
Arnold Hall Ballroom |
| 10:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. |
Commissioning Ceremonies |
Various locations on base |
| Wednesday, 26 May 2010 |
| 8:00–9:15 a.m. |
Superintendent’s Pre-Graduation Reception (by invitation only to Supt’s Guests) |
Falcon Stadium Press Box |
| 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. |
Graduation Ceremony (followed by Thunderbirds Demonstration at 12:00) |
Falcon Stadium |
| 1:15–3:00 p.m. |
AFAF Luncheon (by invitation only to AFAF & cadets from Outstanding Squadron) |
The Carlton House |
News Release
U.S. Air Force Academy
Athletic Communications Office
2169 Field House Dr.
USAF Academy, CO 80840
(719) 333-2313
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Air Force athletics announces no change in season ticket prices
Fans have added incentives for purchasing tickets
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Air Force Academy Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh announced today that there is no change in the 2009 football ticket prices. In addition to no increase in prices, the department has established a payment plan for season ticket renewals. Fans will have the opportunity to renew their tickets with three monthly installments rather than a one-time fee.
On-line season ticket renewals will make fans eligible for several incentives like season tickets to another Air Force sport, a $100 gift shop shopping spree, tickets to a pre-game Pride Club tailgate and team merchandise. The first 100 fans to renew will also receive an Air Force football media guide.
Fans in the 50-Yard Line Club will receive enhancements to the current program. The retail value stored tickets will be stored for the entire season, not just $5.00 per game. That means fans will have $30 of stored value on their tickets to be used at anytime during the season at Falcon Stadium.
“We’re excited to tell our fans we’re listening and we understand the economic impact the economy has had on everyone,” Mueh said. “We hope that no increases and our payment plan will help folks in our community with the purchase of their tickets. We also hope that changing the setup with stored value tickets will help our fans more effectively take advantage of this great program.”
Season tickets start as low as $50 and range in price up to $275. There are also family value packs in areas for as low as $325. For more information, contact the athletic ticket office at 800-666-USAF or go on-line to goairforcefalcons.com.