United States, July 9, 2026(Yes Punjab News)
The American Sikh Council (ASC) is proud to announce the acceptance of the first Sikh American Chirag Veer Singh Sarao into the United States Airforce Academy (USAFA) at Colorado Springs, CO.
Chirag Veer Singh is the first keshdhari Sikh American who got appointed to the USAFA on April 4, 2026 and received the ‘religious accommodation’ on June 20, 2026 in order to serve with his articles of faith and remain grounded in his core identity. He officially joined the USAF Academy on June 24, 2026 (I-Day) and currently going through six weeks of boot camp.
Additionally, he received full scholarships from both the Air Force ROTC and the Naval ROTC. He was also accepted into the University of Southern California and the University of Washington.
Sometime before Chirag Veer Singh joined the USAFA he stated, “Thank you for your consistent support throughout my application process and high school. I truly could not have done this without your help. After all, you were the one who first told me about the Academy when I was in 9th grade. I have observed first-hand that you are a well-wisher for all the American-Sikh youth. The work you do without excepting anything in return is very important, and I am an example of what great mentorship like yours can do.”
ASC’s representative Kavneet Singh has been consistently guiding and mentoring Chirag Veer throughout his high school in order to prepare him for entering into one of our nation’s most prestigious military academies’ which is considered equivalent to the Ivy Leagues. Kavneet Singh is also the USAFA’s ‘honorary recruiter’.
Chirag Veer had excellent grades, a great SAT score, an Eagle Scout, holds a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo, was in varsity water-polo team, involved in multiple outdoor activities such as cycling, skiing, hiking, backpacking, fly-fishing but also did sewa by teaching younger children Sikhi, at his local gurdwara. In addition, he served as Venture Crew president for two years as a senior Scout, where he led hiking, rafting, and snowshoeing trips.
Overall, it was Chirag Veer’s personal disposition of being an upstanding individual with an outstanding character, which made him the right candidate to get on this path and enter the Academy.
Chirag Veer’s parents have been his consistent supporters in order for him to achieve his dream and have provided exceptional parenting in raising a fine young man.
Chirag Veer Singh Sarao taking the oath at the USAFA on June 23, 2026.
It has been a long road of hard work, persistence and patience to prepare and finally be accepted into the prestigious USAFA. This four-year program, while preparing young men and women to serve in our nation’s Air Force, also teaches world class leadership skills while the cadets go through a regular university program of their choice and graduate with an undergraduate degree. The training, character building, discipline and excellent leadership skills being taught in this fine institution to make world class officers/leaders has to be seen because they are really a cut above.
We hope and trust that Chirag Veer Singh will shine and be the trailblazer not only for the Sikh American community but for all Americans, setting the standard for a citizen exemplar.
The American Sikh Council (ASC) after several years of patient work behind the scenes collaborated with the US Airforce to start a ‘Flying Scholarship’ for Sikh American high-school students across the country, which started in 2022. Every year one or two young 16 – 18-year-old Sikh Americans have been accepted into this three week highly prestigious program held in the summer which teaches leadership skills and 15 hours of actual flying. This scholarship is worth $12,500, with approximately 3,500 applicants, for only 72 slots.
The American Sikh Council (ASC) is consistently creating a pipeline for the Sikh American youth in order to enhance and hone their leadership skills so that they become exceptionally good humans and citizens, who go on to inspire others to do even better by giving back to our country. We urge all the gurdwaras and sangats to support this and many other ongoing national initiatives for the Sikh American youth.
Chiragveer Singh Sarao at bootcamp with other cadets at Colorado Springs.
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