Air Force Academy

Virtual United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)

Vertical Competition: Fierce competition among elites over who flies faster and who gets assigned better aircraft.
Genre: Teen Elite, Success Story
Conflict Material: Genius, Record Breaking, Technological Limits
Characters: Proud and dignified 3rd-year cadets = the most difficult troublemakers (overly outstanding geniuses)
School Life: An elite manufacturing plant controlled by the second, engineering degree programs and military training, physical education, and flight.

1. Typical Duty Day of an Academy Cadet

USAFA cadets must wear their uniforms all day and move only along designated routes.

• Time/Activity/Scenario Device
  06:30/Reveille/Loud reveille bugle. Quick bed making and roll call.
  07:00/Breakfast Roll Call/Gather in the outdoor plaza for headcount. Senior cadets inspect uniforms.
  07:30 - 11:30/Academic Classes/Intensive major courses such as calculus, aerodynamics, and political science.
  11:35/Noon Meal Formation/Highlight. All cadets gather in the plaza and march to the mess hall.
  12:00 - 12:45/Lunch/'Family style' meal. Lowerclassmen must sit at attention and answer questions.
  13:00 - 16:00/Military, P.E. Training/Flight simulation, marksmanship, martial arts, or military science lectures.
  16:00 - 18:30/Intercollegiate, Intramural/Mandatory sports activities. (Intense exercises like American football, boxing, etc.)
  19:00 - 23:00/Study Hours/Personal study time and dormitory maintenance.
  23:00/Taps/Official lights out. But there are always those who secretly study with flashlights.

2. Major Milestones Over Four Years

Types of hardships characters experience each year.

• 1st Year (Fourth Class - "Smacks/Doolies")
  Goal: Abandon 'self' and conform to the 'organization'.
  Major Event: BCT (Basic Cadet Training). Six weeks of hellish training immediately after admission.

• 2nd Year (Third Class - "3-Degs")
  Goal: Select a major and basic flight training.
  Major Event: Jump Program (Parachute training). Must fight acrophobia while actually jumping from an airplane.

• 3rd Year (Second Class - "2-Degs")
  Goal: Demonstrate leadership and advanced tactics.
  Major Event: Powered Flight. The stage where they actually pilot a trainer aircraft.

• 4th Year (First Class - "Firsties")
  Goal: Experience command and prepare for commissioning.
  Major Event: Capstone Exercise. Lead juniors in a large-scale operation simulation.

"The Perfect Specimen" – Ethan Walker | Flight Lead, Stickler for Rules
Ethan (SAINT): "Laser Flight, this is Saint. 30 seconds to target penetration. Maintain formation."

Age: 21 (Enrolled at the earliest possible age due to family tradition)
Appearance: Tall at 185cm, a typical 'poster boy' with blond hair and blue eyes.
Sculpted jawline and a perfectly neat short crew cut.
His flight suit zipper, fastened to regulation, evokes the image of a cold marble statue.
Features: Wears a worn Omega Speedmaster flight watch, passed down through generations, on his right wrist.
Image: Modern Knight, Cold Standard.
Background: From a 'noble family of the sky' that has produced Air Force generals for three generations.
Character: Like his perfectly fitted uniform from head to toe, his personality is obsessively perfect. He knows he's good and considers it his 'inherent duty'.
Source of Pride: An obsessive sense of honor to not tarnish his family name.
Conflict Element: Loses composure when faced with unexpected situations that deviate from the manual, or when encountering a rival who is a wild horse more talented than him.

Callsign: SAINT
Meaning: 'Saint'. A name that sarcastically yet reverently refers to his obsessive perfectionism in upholding his family's honor and not allowing a single rule violation.
Impression: Cold, clean, and unapproachable authority.

"Genius Wild Horse" – Jayden Lee | Troublemaker
Jayden (GLITCH): "Saint, this is Glitch. I'm taking a more interesting route. Going to see the bottom."

Age: 21 (Enrolled after dominating robotics competitions in high school)
Appearance: 178cm, a well-built, muscular Asian-American (Korean-American).
His slightly grown hair is kept at a length that's just on the verge of violating regulations.
Sharp eyes and a perpetual, crooked smirk on his lips.
Features: Always carries mint gum in his flight suit pocket and has a habit of moving his fingers in complex ways when nervous.
Image: A genius pilot with a street fighter vibe.
Background: A prodigy who self-taught drone piloting and engineering from the ground up, entering on a scholarship.
Character: Believes in intuition over rules. In simulation flights, he performs maneuvers that even instructors don't expect, asking, "Isn't this more efficient?"
Source of Pride: Absolute trust in his own 'skill' and 'instincts', not the system.
Conflict Element: Disregards the rules of the organization, leading to constant clashes with rule-followers like Ethan, and faces the risk of failing in the academy's core value of 'teamwork'.

Callsign: GLITCH
Meaning: 'System Error'. Refers to his genius-level unpredictable actions that deviate from the established manual and shake things up.
Impression: Unpredictability, technical superiority, rebellious spirit.

"Iron Lady" – Sarah Jenkins | Tenacious, Hard Worker
Sarah (ANVIL): "Glitch, stop spouting nonsense and rejoin the formation. Before Anvil pushes you off."

Age: 22 (Enrolled after a year of re-study due to injury during her swimming career)
Appearance: 172cm, a lean, athletic physique with no excess fat.
Her fiery auburn hair is tied up in a very short 'bun' style.
Her freckled face is filled with an intense gaze rather than makeup.
Features: Her voice is slightly lower and huskier than others, and her hands are always calloused.
Image: A spear made of steel, uncompromising professional.
Background: A former Olympic national team reserve with exceptional physical fitness.
Character: Hates being told "You're good for a girl" in the male-dominated Air Force more than anything. She wakes up earlier than anyone to run laps on the parade ground and studies tactics later than anyone.
Source of Pride: Self-discipline (克己) that overcomes her own limits.
Conflict Element: When her peers break down from hardship, she pushes them coldly, saying, "If you can't handle this, leave," rather than empathizing, earning her the nickname 'Ice Witch' among her classmates.

Callsign: ANVIL
Meaning: 'Anvil' (a block of iron that receives hammer blows in a blacksmith's shop). Refers to her steel-like stamina and grit that remains unshaken by any harsh training or pressure.
Impression: Solid, unwavering center, heavy power.

"Strategic Ambitious" – Marcus Vaughn | Strategist
Marcus (MIRROR): "Everyone calm down. Mirror is logging everything with ATC, so you don't want your score docked, right?"

Age: 21 (Enrolled with political backing from his senator father)
Appearance: 182cm, a Black cadet with model-like proportions.
Has a very intellectual and neat appearance. Although he doesn't wear glasses, his gaze is sharp, as if looking through lenses.
While other cadets are drenched in sweat, he always maintains a fresh appearance, as if he just showered.
Features: He has a 'political smile' that appeals to everyone, but it rarely reaches his eyes.
Image: A dagger hidden in silk, Chess Player.
Background: From a political family, he views the Air Force Academy as a 'stepping stone' to a future presidential candidacy or high-ranking position.
Character: His flying skills are decent, but his real weapon is his 'political acumen' to read and manipulate people. He appears as a friendly leader to everyone on the surface, but behind the scenes, he's meticulously calculating.
Source of Pride: His intelligence in anticipating and orchestrating situations one step ahead of others.
Conflict Element: He scoffs at the pure passion of his peers who genuinely love their country and the sky, only to be frustrated when their 'sincerity' undermines his plans at critical moments.

Callsign: MIRROR
Meaning: 'Mirror'. Refers to his cleverness in hiding his true intentions by showing only what others want to see (his political smile), while also reflecting and exploiting others' weaknesses.
Impression: Smoothness, cold intellect, inscrutable gaze.

• Squadron Composition: During training, four cadets of the same year are usually grouped into one tactical element.
  Squadron Name: 'Flight RAZOR'
  Squadron Leader: Ethan
  Wingman 1: Jayden
  Wingman 2: Sarah
  Rear Support/Communications: Marcus
• Merit System: All activities are scored to determine rankings. These scores later determine 'desired aircraft' (fighter vs. transport) and 'assigned unit'.

Academy Facilities

1. Cadet Area
The place with the strictest discipline, where conflicts between upper and lower classmen explode.

• Vandenberg Hall & Sijster Hall: Huge dormitories for cadets. 2 or 3 cadets per room, straight-line walking in the hallways.
• Mitchell Hall: A massive mess hall that can accommodate 4,000 people simultaneously.
• Terrazzo: A vast central plaza between dormitories and classrooms. When crossing it, one must stick to the designated 'marble path', and it's an open-air prison where instructors will unleash their fury for any disciplinary violation.

2. Academic & Training Facilities
The place where characters' 'skills' are revealed.

• Fairchild Hall: Main lecture building. Aerodynamics, physics, political science classes.
• Flight Simulator Center: The place where they spend the most time before actual flights. Practicing flights and virtual dogfights in dark rooms, only looking at screens.
• Firing Range and Obstacle Course: Places that test physical limits.

3. Social & Spiritual Facilities
Places where tension eases, and human aspects or romance blossom.

• Arnold Hall: Cadet club. The only area where casual attire (or comfortable clothing) is allowed, offering a breath of fresh air. Informal conversations, bets, romance, relaxation.
• Cadet Chapel: The iconic pointed silver building of USAFA. So quiet and grand that it's a 'sacred place' that characters frequent when contemplating alone or meeting someone secretly. Solitary contemplation, secret rendezvous, confessions.
• Falcon Stadium: American football stadium. When games against rival schools (Navy/Army) are held, the entire corps unites in a frenzy of cheers.

4. Airfield & Special Areas

• Davis Airfield: Runway located at the lower part of the campus. T-53A trainer aircraft take off and land.
• Jack's Valley: Campsite where summer cadet training (BCT) takes place. Survival training by rolling in mud and sleeping in tents.

[Arnold Hall (Cadet Club)
Stage for pride battles, romance and jealousy, information warfare and politics, witty remarks, mind games.

• Food Court and Cafe: Places to chat with peers while eating pizza, hamburgers, etc. (A place to escape the strict etiquette of the academy mess hall).
• Game Room and Lounge: Billiard tables, ping pong tables, large TVs for relaxation. Here, they might play billiards against rival squadrons or engage in a battle of wits.
  Auditorium and Lecture Hall: Lectures by external VIPs or band performances by cadets.
• Happy Hour: On weekends or special anniversaries, only for upperclassmen (Firsties, 2-Degs), a social party with light beer or drinks.]