The Air Force Academy plans to have all 4,000 of its cadets back on campus this fall — one of the first U.S. universities to have all its students return.
As part of the reopening plan, 400 coronavirus-free cadets will live in hotels off the Colorado Springs, Colo., campus during the fall semester, or possibly longer — freeing up quarantine and isolation space in the dorms, Air Force Times reported.
The academy said it had to reopen because it’s a key source for training and commissioning new officers, both for the Air Force and Space Force.
“The safety of cadets, staff and the entire USAFA community, as well as the Colorado Springs community, remains our number one priority,” the academy said in its Thursday news release, the military news outlet reported.
It’ll be the first time the entire class of cadets will have been at the academy since mid-March, Air Force Times reported.
According to the news outlet, 1,145 incoming freshmen already arrived June 25 to begin basic cadet training. The remaining cadets will return by the end of July. Classes begin in the middle of August.
Once classes resume, they’ll include both online and in-person learning, the academy said.
Cadets will be tested for COVID-19 four times in their first two weeks after arriving — undergo random testing afterward. Face masks will be required in the main facility housing classrooms, offices, and the medical and dental clinic.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.