After hearing about the U.S Air Force Academy’s Chapel from military friends and Coast Guard Auxiliary members for a few years, I decided to visit.
Image joining one of two slow moving lines of traffic formed at the entranceway to the grounds of the Air Force Academy. Finally, it was my turn to move up to a security guard.
“Good morning ma’am, may I see your driver’s licenses please? What is the purpose for your visit today? Do you have any weapons, knives or dangerous items on your person or in your vehicle? Is your vehicle trunk unlocked or locked? If locked, you provide your keys for it to be unlocked and inspected by the guard. Here are your keys ma’am enjoy your day.”
In compliance with posted speed limits. My vehicle seemed to be clunking along on wooden tires rather than rubber; I am never going to get to the chapel. What in the world is that on my left? I pulled my vehicle into the scenic view parking area for a better view and read the information board. What? No. That can’t be the chapel, I thought. However, the information board indicated it was.
I returned to my vehicle and followed direction signs to the chapel’s parking lot. Oh my…What an interesting structure. It looks like a shiny space vehicle or a redesigned merchant ship’s mast. However, the Air Force Academy attraction brochure claims the structure is aluminum, glass and steel which features 17 spires that reach 150 feet toward the sky; representing a group of fighter jets shooting up at the sky. Mmm…I don’t see that, although you might.
The Chapel is an all faith house of worship designed to meet the spiritual needs of all Cadets; Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist including additional all-faith worship rooms to accommodate other faiths. Each chapel has its own entrance but the day of my visit; folks like me with bad knees could not access the upper-level because the elevator wasn’t working. The shell of the chapel and surrounding grounds cost $3.5 million to build. Pictures of the Catholic and Jewish Chapel follows:
Catholic Faith
Jewish Chapel
