United_States_Air_Force_Academy_Cadet_Insignia
The cadet rank at the United States Air Force Academy is determined by two factors: class year and job. First year, or fourth-class, cadets (C4C) have only one rank; but as they progress through the Academy, their roles, responsibilities, and ranks increase, culminating in their senior year, where roles as an Assistant Shop Lead garner the rank of cadet first lieutenant (C/1Lt), while roles such as the Cadet Wing Commander (AFCW/CC), Cadet Vice Wing Commander (AFCW/CV), or Cadet Wing Director of Operations (AFCW/DO) are accorded the highest rank of cadet colonel.
| Cadet Fourth Class - C4C (Freshman) | Cadet Third Class - C3C (Sophomore) | ||||
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| Basic Cadet | Cadet 4th Class | Unranked | Cadet Staff Sergeant | Cadet Technical Sergeant | |
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| Cadet Second Class - C2C (Junior) | |||||||
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| Cadet 2nd Class | Cadet Master Sergeant | Cadet Senior Master Sergeant | Cadet Chief Master Sergeant | ||||
| Unranked | Group/Squadron Staff | Squadron 1st Sgt | Wing Staff | Squadron Superintendent | Group Superintendent | Wing Command Chief | |
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| Cadet First Class - C1C (Senior) | |||||||||||
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| Cadet 1st Class | Cadet 2nd Lieutenant | Cadet 1st Lieutenant | Cadet Captain | Cadet Major | Cadet Lieutenant Colonel | Cadet Colonel | |||||
| Unranked | Squadron Staff | Squadron Staff | Flight Commander | Group Staff | Wing Staff | Squadron Commander | Wing Director of Operations/Character/Airmanship Officer | Group Commander | Vice Wing Commander | Wing Commander | |
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Former cadet ranks
| Cadet Third Class - C3C (Sophomore) |
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| Cadet Staff Sergeant Chief Clerk |
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Current Cadet Squadrons
| First Cadet Group | |||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 1 | Cadet Sq. 2 | Cadet Sq. 3 | Cadet Sq. 4 | Cadet Sq. 5 | Cadet Sq. 6 | Cadet Sq. 7 | Cadet Sq. 8 | Cadet Sq. 9 | Cadet Sq. 10 |
| Mighty Mach One | Deuce | Dogs of War | Fightin' Fourth | Wolfpack | Bull Six | Shadow Seven | Eagle Eight | Viking Nine | Tiger Ten |
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| Second Cadet Group | |||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 11 | Cadet Sq. 12 | Cadet Sq. 13 | Cadet Sq. 14 | Cadet Sq. 15 | Cadet Sq. 16 | Cadet Sq. 17 | Cadet Sq. 18 | Cadet Sq. 19 | Cadet Sq. 20 |
| Rebeleven | Dirty Dozen | Bulldawgs | Cobras | War Eagles | Chicken Hawks | Stalag 17 | Nightriders | Wolverines | Trolls |
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| Third Cadet Group | |||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 21 | Cadet Sq. 22 | Cadet Sq. 23 | Cadet Sq. 24 | Cadet Sq. 25 | Cadet Sq. 26 | Cadet Sq. 27 | Cadet Sq. 28 | Cadet Sq. 29 | Cadet Sq. 30 |
| Blackjack | Raptors | Barnstormers | Phantoms | Redeye | Barons | Thunderbirds | Blackbirds | Black Panthers | Knights |
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| Fourth Cadet Group | |||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 31 | Cadet Sq. 32 | Cadet Sq. 33 | Cadet Sq. 34 | Cadet Sq. 35 | Cadet Sq. 36 | Cadet Sq. 37 | Cadet Sq. 38 | Cadet Sq. 39 | Cadet Sq. 40 |
| Grim Reapers | Roadrunners | King Ratz (Cellar Ratz) | Loose Hawgs | Wild Weasels | Pink Panthers | Skyraiders | All-stars | Jedi Knights | Warhawks |
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Defunct Cadet Squadron Insignia
| Defunct Squadron Insignia | ||||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 2 | Cadet Sq. 3 | Cadet Sq. 5 | Cadet Sq. 8 | Cadet Sq. 9 | ||||||
| Deuce | Big 3 (Thirsty Third) | Wolfpack | Evil Eight | Viking Nine | Star Trek | |||||
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| Defunct Squadron Insignia (cont) | ||||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 14 | Cadet Sq. 17 | Cadet Sq. 19 | Cadet Sq. 20 | Cadet Sq. 23 | Cadet Sq. 28 | |||||
| Cobras | Stalag 17 | Playboy 19 | Starship | Trolls | Barnstormers | Blackbirds | ||||
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| Defunct Squadron Insignia (cont) | ||||||||||
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| Cadet Sq. 31 | Cadet Sq. 34 | Cadet Sq. 35 | Cadet Sq. 37 | Cadet Sq. 38 | Cadet Sq. 39 | Cadet Sq. 40 | ||||
| Grim Reapers | Thunderbolts/Razorbacks (Loose Hawgs) | Wild Weasels | Skyraiders | Bandits | Campus Rads | Ali Baba | Warhawks | |||
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Merit lists
Cadet merit list insignia are worn by those cadets who excel militarily (Commandant's List), academically (Dean's List), or athletically (Athletic Director's List). Cadets who earn a place on all three lists are awarded the insignia for the Superintendent's List.
| Cadet Merit List Insignia | ||||||
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| Commandant's List | Dean's List | Athletic Director's List | Commandant's & Dean's Lists | Commandant's & Athletic Director's Lists | Dean's & Athletic Director's Lists | Superintendent's List |
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Aviation
Cadet aviation insignia are worn by cadets who achieve certain milestones in their flight training.
Other qualifications
While at the Air Force Academy, cadets may earn other insignia including: parachute wings, for completion of either freefall parachute training at the Academy or the U.S. Army's Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia; the Air Assault Badge for completion of the U.S. Army's Air Assault program at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; or the Bulldog badge for the completion of the U.S. Marine Corps' "Bulldog" program[note 1] at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
- A program to commission USAF Academy cadets into the Marine Corps after they graduate.
- Squadron Insignia of the United States Air Force Academy, P. Michael Sheridan, 1990. (ISBN 0-9627388-0-8)
- "Cadet Insignia/Badges". Contrails 1999-2000. Vol. 45. Air Force Academy, Colorado: United States Air Force Academy. 1999. pp. 279–283. LCCN 80640513.
- Contrails, various years.
- U.S. Air Force Academy, The Core of Cadet Life: Squadrons, https://www.usafa.edu/military/squadrons/ Retrieved 2021-09-08.