Jacks Valley History

The Air Force Academy occupies 18,500 acres.  For perspective, it is roughly the size and shape of Manhattan (the island in New York, not the city in Kansas).  The Academy site consists of five main valleys that run west-to-east, from the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains to the plains below.  The northernmost of the valleys is Jacks Valley.  The area is named after Cleo and Zelda Jack, who had owned a 480-acre ranch in the valley beginning in 1942.

Every summer, Jacks plays host to a key part of Basic Cadet Training, the field encampment portion that takes place during the second half of BCT, typically in late July.  The use of Jacks Valley for BCT began on 25 July 1966, when members of the Class of ’70 marched to the training site.  Since that day, every USAFA class has ventured into the valley to sleep in tents and experience a wide range of activities, to include land navigation, weapons training, and a variety of courses (obstacle, assault, confidence, and leadership reaction). 

Since we don't have new pictures. Here's some videos from over the years in Jacks! 



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