For every cadet graduating from the Air Force Academy on Thursday, there was a family cheering them on from the stands of Falcon Stadium.

People gathered from across the country at the stadium to see their children, siblings and family friends graduate from the academy. Some relatives came in uniform from the Air Force and other branches of the military. Others created custom clothes and decorations to mark the big day.

After the hats were tossed and the diplomas were handed out, the families reunited with the new graduates. As they waited in the stands through a light rain to see the ceremony begin, many families said they felt a mixture of nerves and excitement about the celebration.

Wings of Blue skydiver among the academy’s ‘best of the best’

The day before he graduated from the Air Force Academy, Jack Briest jumped out of a plane.

Briest is part of the academy’s storied Wings of Blue parachute team. On Wednesday, Briest made practice jumps to prepare for the academy’s graduation parade before the official jump was called off due to the weather.

Michelle and John Briest showed off two videos from Wednesday’s jump, one taken by them from the ground as he landed and one from the GoPro mounted on Jack’s head.

The Briests are from Parker, which made the academy a much more local school than for many other students. Two friends in Briest’s squadron were from Monument.

“They’re training the best of the best here. He’s been able to be close by and he has always wanted to be a pilot, so it’s been ideal,” Michelle Briest said.

Briest is heading off to pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here. Not as much for us, but it’s been four hard years for all these kids,” John Briest said.

Air Force family enjoys final visit to Falcon Stadium

Evelyn Carver is the daughter of a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. Her brother enlisted in the Air Force and had to miss Evelyn’s graduation because he was deployed.

Her mother, Deann Carver, said that Evelyn inherited the strong family appreciation of the role of military service in society, and specifically an interest in flight.

“She knew ever since she was a child and sat in that jet that she wanted to be a pilot. She’s been working really hard to get that,” Deann Carver said.

For the last four years, the Carvers have come from Utah to Colorado Springs to visit Evelyn during the academy’s parents’ weekend. Deann said the emotions over the graduation were mixed with this final visit to the campus.

“It’s kind of sad that this might be the last time we’ll be out here to experience all of this,” she said.

Evelyn Carver will be stationed in Alabama after graduation to become a helicopter pilot.

From the Air Force to the Marine Corps or the Space Force

Not every graduate of the academy plans to stay in the Air Force.

Joseph Serpas’ father wore a shirt with the cadet’s face patterned across it, along with stars and stripes. His younger sister, Julia, wore a more restrained button with his face.

Joseph Serpas will head into the Marine Corps next, one of just two graduates who will make that transition. Julia said he made the final call to cross-commission earlier this week to follow other relatives serving with the Marines.

The Serpas, who traveled from Louisiana for the graduation, said Joseph had been a big personality in his squadron.

“He’s kind of like the hype man of his squad. He’s just the fun guy to be around and everybody is really excited for him to graduate,” Julia said.

Julia is part of the ROTC program at Auburn University and could end up in the Air Force.

Oliver Ferdinand was one of 94 members of the graduating class who will join the Space Force as their next assignment. His older brother is in the Navy.

Silvia Ferdinand said that Oliver had been planning to major in biology and go into the medical field before an internship through the academy took him to Cape Canaveral, Fla.

“He saw his first rocket take off and he said it hit him so big, it felt like a calling,” Silvia said.

The Ferdinands traveled from Illinois, just east of St. Louis, for the graduation.

“We’re so proud, I cannot stop smiling. All week I’ve been smiling,” Silvia said.

‘Kroll 2.0′ following a family history of service

Both of Nova Kroll’s grandfathers were Korean War veterans, and several other members of her family served in the military. But it wasn’t until her sister, Jetta Kroll, was at the Air Force Academy that she wanted to follow in the family tradition.

According to her mother, Amy Kroll, Jetta had forced her younger sister to visit the campus on a high school trip soon after she enrolled in 2019.

“By the time I picked her up, she was saying, ‘I have to go there.’ She started working really hard on her grades to make sure she could get in,” Amy Kroll said.

The sisters overlapped at the academy for one year before Jetta graduated in 2023. Deann said that Nova was called “Baby Kroll” or “Kroll 2.0” while she went through basic training before creating her own path.

The Kroll family traveled from Pittsburgh this week to see Nova’s graduation. She will head to the University of Georgia on a one-year military scholarship before a career in military intelligence.

According to Amy Kroll, going into any branch of service was following what her father and father-in-law wanted for the family.

“They both believed that everyone should enlist in the military, even if only for a few years. They thought it taught responsibility and it was a way to give back to the country,” she said.

Stories from the 2025 Air Force Academy graduation – Colorado Springs Gazette