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JD Vance will be the commencement speaker at this year's Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado

By Jesse Sarles

May 19, 2026 / 7:52 PM MDT / CBS Colorado

The U.S. Air Force Academy announced on Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance will be the guest speaker for this year's commencement ceremony.

Vice President JD Vance speaks during an event at Milbank Manufacturing Company on May 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. Eric Lee-Pool / Getty Images

Graduation will take place on May 28 at Falcon Stadium on the academy's campus in Colorado Springs, and as usual it will include a flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds at the end of the ceremony.

This will be the AFA's 68th commencement ceremony. Graduating cadets will be commissioned as officers in the Air Force and the U.S. Space Force in the ceremony.

Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink was last year's commencement speaker.

Jesse Sarles

Jesse Sarles manages the web content and website operations for CBS Colorado. He writes articles about Colorado news and sports in and around the Denver area.