The Class of 2022 was able to have a Ring Event this year, although no dance and no civilain dates due to Covid restrictions. Ring Dance, typically an evening of dining, guest speakers, and ring presentations, is part of the rite of passage for the C2Cs to become “Firsties”. This milestone is one that our cadets look forward to since donning their class rings for the first time is the culmination of three years of hard work and the start of their final year at the Academy.
From the WebGuy blog: "The Air Force ring is distinctive for being white gold instead of the yellow gold used at the other academies. Each class designs its own class crest; the only requirements being that each crest includes all the elements on the Class of 1959's crest: the class number, the class year, the Polaris star, and the eagle. One side of the ring bears the academy crest, while the other side bears the class crest; the center bezel bears the words United States Air Force Academy. Cadets choose their own stones for the center of the ring. ...This year the Guest Speaker for the evening was Gen Glen D. Vanherck, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command. Gen. Vanherck spoke about his time in the military, the meaning of serving and looking into the future of their military career."