During a ceremony on Friday, the top graduate in the Air Force Academy’s first class celebrated the window the new visitor center will open into academy life.

“We welcome the opening of this window for the casual, curious drop-in,” said Retired Lt. Gen. Bradley Hosmer.

The visitor center focuses on the cadet experience, with exhibits featuring military training, day-to-day life and celebratory moments.

When the Air Force Academy base closed to the general public following the terror attacks on 9/11, the school lost constant contact with the general public, he said, and that wasn’t a good thing.

Hosmer is hopeful that the center will spark interest among young people who the country would want in its fighting force. 

The center bears Hosmer’s and his wife Zita’s names, which is an appropriate honor, said Superintendent Gen. Tony Bauernfeind.

“You are well known for your unyielding integrity,” Bauernfeind told Hosmer. “Thank you so much for being a part of today’s ceremony and keeping this legacy alive.”

Hosmer was the first graduate of the academy to serve as its superintendent, and he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service during the Vietnam War. He now lives in New Mexico.

As one of the 56,000 people who have graduated from the Academy, Hosmer said the community of graduates sees the opening of the visitor center as an important step.

“We believe that this academy is a national asset,” he said. 

Hosmer was among several distinguished speakers to a large crowd in front of the visitor center for its opening ceremony. The center was first envisioned in 2013 as part of a slate of new tourist attractions across town, known as the City for Champions initiative.  

Lt. Gov. Diana Primavera, Mayor Yemi Mobolade and the Academy’s Bauernfiend lauded the community partnership it took to complete the new building. 

It’s “a reminder of what’s possible when vision, partnership, persistence and belief all come together,” Mobolade said.

He also reminded the crowd that the vision for the building and other attractions came about at a time when the community was still recovering from the Great Recession, and community leaders had to compete for state investment in those projects.   

“Colorado Springs was searching for momentum, confidence and opportunity,” he said. 

As the last of the attractions to open, the visitor center could also be one of the most impactful, with the potential to attract a million tourists a year. 

“This facility stands as proof that our greatest achievements come from partnership,” Primavera said.  

The visitor center opens to the public on Saturday. It will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.