The Academy and the saber have a long and rich history, dating back to the very beginning of USAFA’s existence. Most of the early Air Force Academy planners were in fact West Point graduates. They brought many of their programs, artifacts, and traditions to the new school in Colorado. Included in that category is the saber, which has been carried by wing, group, and squadron leaders while marching or participating in ceremonies. In 1961, only three years after the Academy moved from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to its current location, cadets founded the Cadet Sabre Drill Team. Its mission was – and still is – to demonstrate professional military skills and discipline through the performance of intricate saber manual. One of the few U.S. military units that perform drills entirely with sabers, they delight audiences throughout the Rocky Mountain area and beyond. When I was on the AOG Board of Directors in the mid-1900s we demonstrated the importance of the saber in Academy culture. In this very room, we established the Academy’s first donor club, naming it The Sabre Society. For decades, graduating cadets have been able to purchase German-made sabers from the Cadet Store for their personal use. In 2008, the Association of Graduates took over that program, selling and renting sabers for use in weddings and other events. An exciting change in that process took place in 2024, when production of the edged weapons was brought home. Excalibur Outdoors, a sister company to Kilroy’s Workshop in Colorado Springs, has taken on the task of producing these items. This “Buy American” initiative will decrease shipping costs and permit greater interaction with the manufacturer.
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