Cadet Peter Hansell Grooms was sworn into the U.S. Air Force on May 26 at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and became 2nd Lt. Peter Hansell Grooms.

Grooms’ uncle, Major (Retired) Harold Y. Grooms swore him in while his parents, the Rev. Greg and Mary Jane Grooms, pinned the bars on his shoulders. 1,001 of America’s brightest and finest young men and women were awarded diplomas the next day in the football stadium.

The address was delivered by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, himself a graduate of the Naval Academy. Following the awarding of the diplomas, the famed “Thunderbirds,” a group of ace pilots, saluted the graduates and their guests with a daring display of flying skills. The band burst into “God Bless America” as the graduates tossed their “cadet hats” into the air. Following a 60-day leave, Grooms will report to Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, where he will begin pilot training.

Grooms’ maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Smith of Edmonton, Alberta. His paternal grandparents are the late H.Y. (Hank) Grooms and Sue Grooms of the Isabella community.