From the time he was a child, 2nd Lt. Chad Hall dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. The assistant officer in charge with the 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit achieved his dream March 11 when he signed to play professional football as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. "Well it happened really quick to tell you the truth,"...

The Air Force Academy says applications to attend the school next fall are up more than 17 percent after stepped up recruiting among minorities and in areas of the country underrepresented at the school. Academy officials said they have received about 11,500 applications for the Class of 2014, which will enroll this year. That's 1,700 more than a...