Family united in military service at 2024 USAFA graduation

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — 974 United States Air Force Cadets commissioned Thursday afternoon, May 30 at Falcon Stadium.

As the hundreds of future military leaders walked across the podium to receive their diplomas, they were also saluted by Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, who was this years commencement speaker.

Once all the cadets from each squadron had their diplomas in hand, they threw their caps into the air as the U.S. Thunderbirds took to the skies and soared overhead, signaling the end of a tumultuous four years for the nation’s newly-minted top brass.

For one family in attendance at Thursday’s graduation, the Hornes, military legacy is a family affair, as mother and active-duty Colonel Shannon Horne watched her daughter, Abby Horne commission.

Abby now joins her other four siblings who have already taken their oath to service. Sisters and West Point graduates, Kirby and Darby, were in attendance to watch as their youngest sister joined the ranks – but in a different branch of service.

“I think it is hard to fathom the last four years… It has actually paid off,” Abby Horne said. “The job is done, it feels really surreal right now!”

Shannon said there is truly no bigger honor than watching her family follow in her footsteps.

“It’s amazing…” she said. “And one of the things I love about the military, all the branches, is that it really pushes soldiers and airmen and sailors to get out of their comfort zone.”

For the 2024 class, comfort zones were indeed pushed. There was no other class in the entire history of the Academy like it, having started during a global pandemic. Abby said that was no easy task.

“The camaraderie and the closeness of the people around you just wasn’t there. So it was really hard to get through,” she said. “But I’m proud of me and my entire class and our class for getting through because there really was just something out of a movie you could not make up ever.”

Now that graduation has come to pass, the Horne family said they will only be a home divided when the two branches of service, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, take each other on in the annual football game.

But it is all done in love and dedication to service, according to the Horne sisters.

“There is a lot of trash talking,” Darby said. “This past year, the army was not supposed to win but we came back and killed them and that will carry us through for the next year.”

“It is all in good fun though, we love it,” Abby said.

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