A federal watchdog says the U.S. Air Force Academy’s honor and conduct systems leave cadets navigating discipline without clearly spelled-out, reliable due process protections. In a December report, the Government Accountability Office urged the service academies to tighten up their rulebooks and improve data collection so students know when hearings are on the table and what kinds of evidence are allowed. The findings landed just as Colorado Springs was already buzzing over recent disciplinary cases that delayed graduations and rattled families and oversight board members.
What the GAO report found
A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office says the five service academies generally offer many of the same basic procedural protections, but some of the written rules are cloudy where they matter most. At the Air Force Academy in particular, GAO found vague guidance around key rights such as access to a complete record, whether a cadet can request an open hearing, and what standards apply to evidence.
GAO reviewed policies and honor and conduct data for academic years 2018-19 through 2023-24 and issued 13 recommendations for sharper guidance and better data practices. Investigators also noted that several academies struggle to access or centralize conduct data, which limits oversight and makes it harder to spot trends or inconsistencies.
Local fallout: men’s soccer probe
The report landed as families and alumni were still fighting over the fallout from a men’s soccer investigation at the Academy, as reported by The Denver Gazette. That inquiry focused on two off-field incidents in August and September 2024 and resulted in roughly 42 actions, including letters of reprimand and counseling, plus one disenrollment and delayed graduations for a group of seniors, the Gazette reported.
Retired Col. Don Christensen told the paper, “Justice is better served when it has the light of day,” capturing long-running concerns from some in the Academy community that the disciplinary machinery can feel opaque to the people trapped inside it.
The numbers behind the recommendations
GAO’s analysis shows the Air Force Academy saw a steep jump in alleged cheating cases, from about 88 in 2019-20 to 256 in 2020-21. In that same 2020-21 academic year, the Academy recorded 310 honor cases, found 241 violations, and disenrolled 153 cadets…