<p>A strange question popped into my head this morning and I was wondering if anyone on CC would know.</p>
<p>Why doesn’t the Air Force Academy have a secondary name like the other academies? The Naval Academy is Annapolis, and the Coast Guard is New London, and the USMA is West Point. But the Air Force Academy is just the Air Force Academy (not that that is not enough).</p>
<p>The only thing I can guess is that the AFA is younger than the others and a name was an addition to the other academies after many years as an academy.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any idea? Perhaps we could create a name and propose it to the Air Force ;)</p>
<p>The AFA is at least 100 yrs younger. However, in the AD world they are well known and referred to in 2 ways...ZOOMIES or GRADUATE FROM THAT LITTLE ENGINEERING SCHOOL IN THE ROCKIES</p>
<p>I guess just as most people say about the AFA thread/community, we are just more humorous! :)</p>
<p>Serious side the AFA is referred to as C Springs</p>
<p>Every acad grad is also known as a ring knocker</p>
<p>We call it the "zoo", or being up on the "hill" sometimes...</p>
<p>the "blue zoo"
USAFA</p>
<p>all the other names are the towns that they are located in (ie: Annapolis, Maryland, West Point, NY, and New London, Connecticut) - I've heard it refered to as Colorado Springs but I don't think it's catchy enough really- Air Force Academy just sounds cooler</p>
<p>Its not that AFA does not sound cool, but its that AFA is not as catchy as the other names. </p>
<p>Because:
1. It has too many syllables.
2. TOO many words. 2 word limit.
3. We have to say THE AFA. Its not really a name as much as it is an object. You can say I go to west point but you cant say I go to air force academy.
4. And it has to sound cool. New London, annapolis, West Point, they all just sound cool.</p>
<p>I find the Blue Zoo to be right on the money - but I really love the "Little Engineering College in the Rockies." That is so.... cold war.</p>
<p>The real old school was the little engineering school for boys in the rockies...that was cold war era!</p>
<p>Chris, many people in the AD world just call it C Springs, I have never heard of blue zoo, which is cool. </p>
<p>Remember the AFA is not very old, compared to the others. </p>
<p>Anyway, most people in the outside world wouldn't understand if you said I go to New London or C Springs. </p>
<p>You will find very quickly that they will start to not understand you at all, because acronyms will become a part of your life. Just as if you become a flyer it will take yrs, before your wife will understand what you are talking about when you say it will be a short flight today because it is a 4 V 2 with BFM and I am red air.</p>
<p>I would say on the whole most grads say they went to the academy or the zoo. When we went to CGSC at Leavenworth, most acad grads said they went to West Point or Annapolis. I remember the first time I saw someone wearing a USMA sweatshirt, I had to think in my mind what was that, I thought US ....Academy, it took me a few seconds to realize the M was Military, because everyone said they were west point grads. No I am not blond, but after 10 yrs of hearing only AF guys calling it the zoo or the academy, and army guys saying west point I just didn't realize that it was the USMA...so there's everyones laugh for the day. I hope it made you smile.</p>
<p>On the other hand I had at least known by that time all of the acronyms...My girlfriend on the other hand had to ask me which on does she need to show her id at..the commissary or the BX (answer is both)</p>
<p>How about when you are asked where your child goes to college and you say the Air Force Academy. There is a stunned look and then the question - "What base is he stationed at?" or......."Where?" or......."Has he been sent to Iraq?"</p>
<p>When I mentioned to someone that my S hoped to attend USAFA, she said, "Oh, I hope he doesn't get stuck just washing the planes." WHAT? (that was in February)</p>
<p>It kinda makes me just want to roll my eyes and walk away.</p>
<p>at first I was amazed when stuff like that happened (and hey, i haven't even gone yet!)
people ask me all the time when my friends tell them where I plan to go to school, "why are you enlisting?!" or "why aren't you going to college?"</p>
<p>now, i'm amazed if they know what the Academy is! :) how sad for them. oh well, less competition for admissions.</p>
<p>haha yeah same here.. "where're you goin to college?" .... "the air force academy" .... and it's either: "when do you ship off?" or <em>blank stare</em> or "when do you go to iraq?" .................... </p>
<p>i think most people have NO IDEA what a service academy is, at least in my neck of the woods, and we've got 4 kids from our small town goin to each of the separate academies. i know that not everyone can know everything, but still..</p>
<p>My favorite so far has been:</p>
<p>"I go to the Air Force Academy."
"Oh, which one?"</p>
<p>07PET - priceless!</p>
<p>We are totally off topic now, but here is my favorite...</p>
<p>Bullet was pinning on Lt. Col., his father was ill and they could not make it for the ceremony, General Gould was kind enough to call them to just talk. My Father-in-law, said he was sorry that they would miss it, but they will definetely be there when Bullet made General of the ARMY. To this day we laugh about the fact that my in-laws think he will *NOT ONLY * become a General, but it will be in the Army. I love them dearly, but they just have not figured out how it works! :) </p>
<p>BTW that was at 16 yrs of AD. They are very supportive, but to them all of the services are siblings...no differentiation. It might be because Bullet was in a JT assignment at the time of his promotion.</p>
<p>Back to the original post...ZOO is much cooler than Annapolis or West Point. Let's be honest, it even sounds fun</p>
<p>One thing that sticks out to me is that I've never heard a cadet say "AFA"--it's always "USAFA" (pronounced as a word).</p>
<p>I've had the "Which one" question. Recently, it's been "Oh, where are you stationed?"</p>
<p>Today, we had the "Oh, Air Force Academy! Which base?" response. I think I am going to start saying "the one near the Kremlin."</p>