ABSTRACT
Many sociological studies have been written about the United States (US) military, but little public information is available on service academy cadets, particularly cadets attending the US Air Force Academy (USAFA). USAFA cadets have either been neglected, or assumptions about them have been based on studies of West Point cadets. Decreased promotion opportunities in a peacetime military are not unique to the 1970s, the difference is that even a regular academy commission no longer assures the security of previous years. For the first time, significant numbers of Air Force Academy graduates are passed over for promotion to the rank of permanent regular captain. The cadet military rating system evaluates the attributes and qualities considered desirable for air force officers. The effect of cadet academic standing on future aptitude, performance, and success is a long-argued and unanswered question. This may be due to a lack of data or to conflicts in existing data.
