 5 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets from Colorado Springs, Colorado spent a few weeks recently helping scientists at the Air Force Civil Engineers Center's Readiness Laboratory on Tindall Air Force Base, Florida solve problems facing airmen and guardians. The month-long annual research program is an opportunity for cadets to experience Air Force life and some of the responsibilities and challenges that await them after graduation. For a lot of young people it's the first time they see an active laboratory where we're doing research that actually benefits the warfighter. Each cadet has their own projects or they can work together. I'm really just proud to be here and to represent U.S.A.F.A. I've been given so many amazing opportunities from being at that school. And we've had a couple cadets that added additional projects to their list. One actually added some chem bio defense work. They were working with detection of chemical agents and finding out some decomposition pathways for it. The second and third year cadets were selected as part of the 2021 Cadet Summer Research Program following a year-long pause in the program due to COVID-19. It's a step in the right direction especially we've had a crazy year and to be able to like leave the academy and come down here we didn't think we'd be able to go to different bases this summer so I'm definitely excited to be here. For the past two semesters I've been doing research through the mechanical engineering department which is interesting because I am a bio major so I'm excited to apply what I've learned for research there to this as well. They weren't just spectators during their time at AFK. They were working with experienced Air Force scientists on projects that are extremely relevant to current and future Air Force and Space Force needs. It's an experience in a new location and in a place that does research and lab work all day every day. I'm studying the bio accumulation of PFAS in algae specifically so you can see back there we're doing tests on all of this water and all the algae that grows out here. The cadets focused on two projects one dealing with finding ways to remove contaminants from water and another exploring the use of bacteria to treat runways and prevent erosion and dust. I want to be a pilot I will probably not be using my biology major but I mean I have my whole life ahead of me I will probably use my major when I retire from the Air Force so I'm really excited to just see what I might be doing in the future. For the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center I'm Brian Guiden.