Vice President JD Vance Tells Air Force Academy Class of 2026 AI Defines New Era of Warfare

Vice President JD Vance told the U.S. Air Force Academy class of 2026 they are entering an entirely new era of warfare defined by artificial intelligence evolving faster than military institutions can handle.

The message landed at Falcon Stadium on May 28. More than 900 cadets became officers right then. F-16s streaked across cloudy skies above Colorado Springs as caps flew. The air smelled like rain and jet fuel.

Leigh Kinne watched from the bleachers. A sweatshirt wrapped around her head. She had moved from North Carolina so her son Andrew could finish his senior year in the city. He’s transferring to Oklahoma next for pilot training.

“When you drop them off here … you’re like, ‘Oh, there goes my baby,’ and it’s nerve-wracking,” Kinne said. “And now he’s a full-grown man.”

That’s the local angle. Neighbors in Colorado Springs are watching their kids leave for places like Oklahoma. They’re watching the sky. The base is right there. The jets are right there.

The class itself is impressive on paper. Highest average GPA in 20 years. Highest physical fitness scores in a decade. Five cadets missed the ceremony to compete in NCAA Track and Field Championships. They graduated international cadets from 13 countries.

But Vance wasn’t talking about grades. He was talking about Iran.

The Air Force and Space Force are critical in the ongoing conflict with Iran, Vance said. When the President needs options, it’s the Air Force providing them. When the President says he won’t allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, it’s the men and women these cadets will join in 60 days who give force to that promise.

Ninety-four of these new officers are commissioning into the U.S. Space Force. The branch is only seven years old. It’s expected to double in size in coming years. That’s a lot of jobs that seemed like science fiction two decades ago.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink didn’t mince words either. Adversaries are aggressively pursuing new autonomous vehicle and satellite technologies. They’re challenging American dominance wherever they can.

“Whether you feel ready or not,” Meink said, “your career will be marked by rapid change.”

Make no mistake. This isn’t just about flying planes. It’s about algorithms. It’s about satellites. It’s about speed.

Vance endorsed Pope Leo’s encyclical on the risks of AI during the address. The Church is weighing in on the tech. The military is betting the farm on it.

The cadets are young. Most are in their early twenties. They’re about to become second lieutenants. Some will head to pilot training in Oklahoma. Others will deploy. Some will stay in the Space Force, helping build a branch that is essentially a teenager in military years.

The class of 2026 is the most educated in two decades. They are also the most likely to see their jobs disappear or transform before they hit middle age. Autonomous systems are coming for their roles. AI is driving the decisions.

The rain stopped before the ceremony ended. The crowd cheered. The jets left contrails in the sky.

It’s a good view from Falcon Stadium. It’s a different world down there on the ground.

Read that again. The promise of no nuclear weapon from Iran is being guaranteed by the people who just tossed their caps. Not by politicians. By the 900 new officers standing in the mud and the mist.

The short version is simple. The tech is moving faster than the bureaucracy. The adversaries are watching. And the locals in Colorado Springs are watching the sky.