At the end of World War II, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, the Chief of Naval Operations, ordered the formation of a flight demonstration team to keep the public interested in Naval Aviation. Less than a year later, the Blue Angels performed their first flight demonstration flying the Grumman F6F at their home base, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida.

Key highlights over the years.

• August 25, 1946, the Blue Angels transitioned to the Grumman F8F Bearcat and introduced the famous "diamond" formation.
• By the end of the 1940s, the Blue Angels were flying their first jet aircraft, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther.
• In December 1974, the Navy Flight Demonstration Team began flying the McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II
• On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels completed their 40th anniversary year during ceremonies unveiling their present aircraft, the sleek McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, the first dual-role fighter/attack aircraft now serving on the nation's front lines of defense.
• Currently the team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the show season.
• Since 1946, the Blue Angels have flown for more than 414 million spectators.

To learn more about the Blue Angels and their current performance schedule please visit: http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/

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• When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour. To photograph the event, a camera must shoot at a millionth of a second!
• In Philadelphia, you can't put pretzels in bags based on an Act of 1760.
• It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while you're sitting on a curb in St. Louis!
• In the state of Colorado, a pet cat, if loose, must have a taillight!
• A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off - it dies from starvation!
• And last but not least... It's against the law to pawn your dentures in Las Vegas! Word of advice... take care of your teeth and have money saved up to cover any dental expenses!

Name: Travis Velazquez
Branch of Service: United States Army Veteran and United States Air Force Reserves Veteran
MOS: 11B and 11M in the Army and 2T2 in the Air Force
Education: Currently pursuing BSTMCRJ
Program Year: Sophomore

Travis is an Illinois native, who has lived in many places such as Texas and other areas within Illinois. While on Active Duty in 2003 Travis was a member of the 4th Infantry Division which was responsible for the capture of Sadaam Hussein. Although, Travis was personally not there, his close friends and troops were there to capture him. After separating from service Travis became a corrections officer in Kane County Illinois. After experiencing the corrections field for a while, Travis came to the conclusion that a career in corrections was not worth pursuing long term.

Travis then found himself working for a competitor school as an online advisor. Around this time, he started to miss the military atmosphere, so he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves with the 440th airlift wing based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. while continuing to work at his previous education employer. Unfortunately, because of budgetary cuts, his wing was deactivated thus ending his Air Force Reserve career. Travis currently works as a military advisor in Naperville, Illinois under the tutelage of Associate Director Mark Cuda. When asked why he chose a career at DeVry, Travis replied by saying, "DeVry offers opportunities that most companies cannot offer their employees." He went on to say, "I know that what I do changes peoples lives for the better everyday and that my impact on these people's lives is significant and if they know it or not, I am helping them prepare for the future."

Surprisingly, Travis is not a huge sports fan, however he does follow the San Antonio Spurs and loves to play paintball, working on his house and running in his spare time.

Trivia Answers

1. U.S. Navy
The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on 13 October 1775 by authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America.

2. April 22, 1915 in Ypres, France.
The Germans attacked the French with a concentrated cloud of chlorine gas. This disastrous event prompted the development of the first defense respirators.