Air Force Academy graduation chance to rethink cuts
Re: “Bauernfeind wants warriors from the Air Force Academy, so he’s cutting ‘education,‘” May 25 guest commentary
The academic heart of the U.S. Air Force Academy is under threat.
On Thursday, we honor the USAFA graduating class of 2025. U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink will be giving the keynote address, and the situation warrants his intervention to reverse the damage being done.
The ongoing, indiscriminate cuts of USAFA’s experienced (and cost-effective) Ph.D. faculty are putting the academy’s academic excellence — and its mission to forge leaders who think critically — at risk. These cuts are not strategic; they are politically motivated and overtly based on “anti-woke” notions that jeopardize the core of what makes USAFA a world-class educational institution, without increasing lethality.
The academy is not merely a military training camp with classrooms. Rather, it is a premier university where future Air and Space Force officers learn to think critically, act ethically, and lead decisively on complex problems in a rapidly changing, increasingly autonomous battlespace. Decimating academic departments by cutting 30% of their veteran faculty demoralizes both faculty and cadets, threatens even basic accreditations (not to mention academic excellence), and sends the wrong message about the kind of leaders we value.
There must be a reasoned reassessment, discussed openly by USAFA’s many stakeholders, that protects the Academy’s academic and research core, not as an afterthought, but as a central pillar of officer development.
If we lose USAFA’s academic strength, America loses a key part of its war-fighting and peace-keeping edge.
Thomas Bewley, Colorado Springs
Excellence of Air Force Academy’s educational programs at risk if civilian faculty cuts continue (Opinion)
$23 trillion new debt, not $3 trillion
Re: "Economy: Trump ignores warning signs," May 25 news story
For some reason, everyone is concerned about the $3 trillion being added to the national debt over ten years by the House bill. Left unmentioned is the fact that the current $2 trillion annual budget deficit is projected to continue throughout that decade, adding more than $20 trillion to the national debt. The $3 trillion is just icing on the cake. (A trillion here and a trillion there and pretty soon we're talking about real money.)
Bond investors will soon conclude that the U.S. is too stupid to be relied upon and interest rates will skyrocket. (Bond markets are stable until they aren't.)
Buckle up, everyone. I hope you're protected.
Robert Kihm, Centennial
Governor should veto the kratom bill
Re: "Will Polis veto kratom bill?" May 23 news story
Gov. Jared Polis should veto Senate Bill 72. It puts patients like me at risk and fails to do what regulation should: make things clearer and safer. I live with chronic pain. After trying countless treatments, I found relief with a kratom derivative called 7-OH. It’s plant-based, affordable, and has worked without the need for dangerous opioids.
Related Articles
Bauernfeind wants warriors from the Air Force Academy, so he’s cutting “education” (Opinion) Trump derangement syndrome in The Denver Post opinion pages (Letters) Excellence of Air Force Academy’s educational programs at risk if civilian faculty cuts continue (Opinion) U.S. Air Force Academy, Army libraries ordered to review books for DEI material The history of March Madness in Denver: Top 10 momentsSB 72 threatens that access. The bill, rushed through at the end of the session, sets a hard cap on the active compound 7-OH but gives no clear direction on what happens to products that go over the limit. Without clarity, patients and businesses are left guessing, and the risks of misinterpretation or overreach grow.
Safe, regulated access matters. When rules are vague and confusing, people might turn to an unregulated black market or to opioids. Lawmakers could have passed thoughtful, evidence-based regulation. Instead, they rushed a bill that creates confusion and instability. I hope Gov. Polis will veto SB 72 and bring patients and experts to the table in 2026 because we deserve better.
Suzanne Whitney, Golden
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( While in town for USAFA graduation, Secretary Meink should rethink Air Force Academy cuts (Letters) )
Also on site :
- Disney World Announces Opening Date for First Nighttime Parade in Nearly a Decade
- 'Law & Order' Fans Stunned by 'Girls Night Out' Photos of Mariska Hargitay and Kelli Giddish
- Mama June Shannon Quit Weight Loss Shots Cold Turkey—Here’s Why