Shane Simonson of Fort Collins, Colo. laughs as his mom, Dode, wipes away tears prior to the freshman intake process at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Wearing red hats to protect their soon to be shaved scalps, Shane marches with his fellow classmates to their dormitories. The incoming freshmen — known as “doolies” — must make it though the summer before being officially recognized as cadets.
"I wasn't looking forward to this part," said Shane as he gets his hair cut along with his fellow freshman.
Cadre Aaron White yells at Shane for not being able to correctly recite the seven basic responses doolies must memorize during the intake process.
Shane lines up with his fellow doolies at Jacks Valley, an area at the north end of the Academy grounds. There, for the next 13 days, doolies must endure a boot camp of sorts meant to teach them the fundamentals of military and Academy life under the leadership of a cadre of first and second class cadets.
Using a pile of empty sandbags as a makeshift stool, Shane helps fill them at Jacks Valley. The weight of the sandbags keeps the doolies' temporary homes from being blown away.
Shane yells to his fellow classmates while running though a simulated battle situation on the assault course. The doolies are placed in small groups for many of the obstacles. If one fails, they all fail and must repeat the obstacle.
With his oversized helmet, mouth guard and regulation glasses — which the cadre jokingly refer to as "birth control" — Shane listens to instructions before running a drill.
Wearing his dress blues Shane looks to the front of the line while standing in formation prior to the Acceptance Day ceremony on the grounds of the Air Force Academy. The ceremony marks the day basic cadets are accepted into the Cadet Wing and receives his or her shoulderboards as a Cadet Fourth Class.
"We just haven't gotten see him. It's been so nerve wracking," said Dode Simonson as she hugged Shane in the parking lot after his Acceptance Day ceremony. "He looks so different."
Dode watches as Shane puts on his Airman Battle Uniform in his dorm room at the Academy.
Shane rubs his eyes while getting ready for his scholars chemistry class at the Academy. Only 45 students out of the 1200 are selected for scholars class based on their incoming academic test scores.
Shane watches as a fellow cadet performs an experiment in their scholars chemistry class. Cadets take an average of 18 credit hours every semester at the Academy.
Shane salutes the American flag as the National Anthem is played prior to a woman's soccer game. "You have get out of your room or you'll go crazy," he said. "There's a lot about this place that could make you go crazy."
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