Air Force Academy Cadet Honored

Secretary Michael Donley recognized Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Dustin Hayhurst as the 2011 Air Force Cadet of the Year during a ceremony at the Pentagon. “In Dustin, we recognize a cadet who truly exemplifies one of the Air Force’s core values: excellence in all we do,” said Donley at the May 10 event. “He has consistently excelled as a scholar, as a warrior, and as an athlete as well.” Hayhurst, a systems engineering team member of the academy’s FalconSAT satellite program, ranks first of 1,110 cadets in overall academics, said service officials in a May 11 release. He also is a member of the academy’s triathlon team. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to receive this award, and not just the award, but the opportunities I have been given at the Air Force Academy,” said Hayhurst. The Air Squadron, a British organization, established the Cadet of the Year award in 2000 to thank the United States for its support of Britain. (Washington, D.C., report by TSgt. Richard A. Williams Jr.)