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The falcon lunges by at speeds up to 250 miles per hour,
pursuing the bait and nearly missing the senior cadet, as
the massive crowd roars in excitement.
A tradition
that has been held since the beginning of the Air Force
Academy in 1955, falcons are launched from the skies to
impress the audiences of sporting events for years.
Cadet 3rd Class James Barney never saw himself as a falconer
until a simple email crossed his inbox about a unique
Academy program.
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October 12, 2017 - U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 3rd Class James
Barney, a falconer at the academy falconry program, stands with his
falcon Zita at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nine cadets make up the academy’s falconry team, with four chosen
each year to replace the graduating seniors. New cadet falconers
begin training in January under upperclassman. Their daily duties
include maintaining equipment in the facility, cleaning the mews,
feeding the falcons, checking each bird’s health and weight and
training them. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Cupit)
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“I didn’t want to be just any other cadet at the Academy,” said
Barnes. “I wanted to do something fun and unique. Why not try out?
If worse comes to worse I’ll have a story to tell about holding a
falcon.”
Little did Barnes know that this program would
entirely change his Academy experience.
Barnes was a
Valedictorian and championship-winning athlete at his high school,
and with a passion for flying, he applied to the Academy knowing
this was his best chance at achieving his dreams.
“It’s
always been my childhood dream to fly, and this is the place to go
if you want to fly,” said Barnes. “I come from a military family of
all services, so I was proud to continue the tradition.”
While at the Academy, cadets are required to participate in
activities outside of their classes and squadron duties. For most,
it’s intramural sports or clubs. But for a select dozen out of
thousands of cadets, some get to take the reins of wild falcons with
the Academy’s falconer program.
“I knew only four of us were
going to be selected, and looking at the competition, I honestly
thought I wasn’t going to make it,” said Barnes. “When they told me
I made the team, I had the biggest smile on my face. Maybe the
second happiest moment behind getting my appointment letter to the
Academy.”
Barnes and his falcon Ziva, a half-white Gya-saker
falcon, which is the rarest type of falcon there is, are a unique
team unlike any other duo.
“She’s full of energy just like me,” Barnes joked. “We really
bonded over that and it gave me even more reason to be a part of the
small falconry family we have here.”
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October 11, 2017 - U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 3rd Class James
Barney, academy falconry team, places a hood on Ziva, his gyr-saker
falcon before a training session at the U.S. Air Force Academy,
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Nine cadets make up the Academy’s
falconry team, with four chosen each year to replace the graduating
seniors. New cadet falconers begin training in January under
upperclassman and master falconer Sam Dollar. Daily duties include
maintaining equipment in the facility, cleaning the mews, feeding
the falcons, checking each bird’s health, weight, and training.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Keith James)
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There are only nine falconers currently in the program
out of approximately 4,000 cadets at the Academy, making it a
difficult team to join. Therefore, the ones involved in the program
are very close and consider themselves family.
“We’re
together every single day,” said Barnes. “You really can’t hold
grudges or mad with anyone. It takes eight people to run our public
events so there’s no room for any of that.”
Barnes and his
small team constantly travel with their falcons to sporting and
outreach events, Barnes noted.
“We not only inform others of
our falcons,” said Barnes. “We also show inform the public on what
the Academy offers to possible applicants. We want the Academy to
continue to have the best people coming here and the best way to do
that is to go out and tell them about it.”
Barnes said that
being able to speak in front of thousands of people has helped him
grow as a leader and future Air Force officer.
“There’s a
flow of confidence that overcomes you as you work with your bird and
overcome the nerve-wracking challenges of Falconry,” said Barnes.
“That confidence bleeds into the classroom, your squadron and you as
a person.”
Cadets aren’t allowed to have pets during their
stay, but Barnes sees the program as an opportunity to decompress
after a long day of classes and briefings.
Since we aren’t
allowed to have pets, I went and got a falcon!” Barnes joked. “I
look forward to this every day. The Academy is a difficult school
and your time is limited. Every time I get to train with Ziva, I
really don’t have to think about school or other projects I have
going on. All I think of is being with her and my Falconry family.”
Barnes still has a few years at the Academy until he graduates,
but already has a mindset of setting up his fellow cadets for
success with the program.
“I want to show them how much work
it can take, but also the benefits and travelling they get out of
this program,” said Barnes. “With the incoming freshmen coming in, I
hope to leave behind my passion of taking care of our birds and
small family.”
Barnes said earlier that his dream job was to
become a pilot and reflected about how he trains Ziva to fly.
“I want to be a pilot in the Air Force someday,” said Barnes.
“I’ll be up in the air just like Ziva, and when I do, I’ll think of
all the training we’ve done and how successful we’ve become
together.”
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Clayton Cupit
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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