RINCON — Cadet Senior Airman (C/SrA) Carson Drown has earned the title Cadet of the Quarter for the Effingham Cadet Squadron of Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
In October through December, Drown attended all but three squadron meetings and passed two online examswith scores of 100 toward earning his next achievement. Additionally, he excelled and passed his Cadet Physical Fitness Test (CPFT). He also achieved a promotion from cadet airman (C/Amn) to cadet airman 1st class (C/A1C) during the quarter and demonstrated mastery of drill techniques.
The Cadet of the Quarter recognition was implemented within the squadron to encourage friendly competition among the cadets. Cadets earn one point for each meeting attended, three points for any weekend activity attended (for example, piloting a Cessna on a Saturday), eight points for any multi-day activities (e.g. summer encampment), eight points for renewing their membership, five points for passing a leadership or aerospace exam (eight points if they score more than a 90, two or four points for passing a uniform inspection (satisfactory or excellent), eight points for earning a promotion, two points for winning a “drill down”, five points for earning a badge, five points for bringing a visitor with them and 10 points for actually recruiting a new member. Additional points can be earned for performing community service outside of CAP activities as well as demonstrating leadership within the squadron or outside of the squadron activities. These point values are determined by the squadron deputy commander and commander.
Cadet First Lt. (C/1stLt) Jacob Flannery was also honored at the meeting for receiving the Air Force Association’s (AFA) Squadron Cadet of the Year Award. Col David Smith, vice commander of the 165th Airlift Wing, was on hand to present the award on behalf of the AFA.
The AFA Squadron Cadet of the Year Award is presented to the Cadet who demonstrates the most achievement over the entire year of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program.
Flannery worked steadily throughout the year and earned six achievements during the period moving from cadet/technical sergeant (C/TSgt) to cadet/2nd lieutenant (C/2dLt). Since the end of the year, he has also earned two additional achievements and will soon be promoted to cadet captain.
After the presentation of the Cadet of the Year Award, Smith remained and gave a compelling presentation to the members about the United States Air Force and more specifically about the Georgia Air National Guard. His time with the squadron was greatly appreciated.
Senior members Lt. JoEllen Flannery, Lt. Julie Teel and Lt. Sharon Knight were also presented Certificates of Achievement.
Flannery and Knight both received the Loening Award for achieving level three of the Professional Development program and Teel received the Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Award for completing level two. Each level requires the member to participate in various training activities including online courses, conference participation, as well as mentoring assignments.
Also during the meeting, Flannery, the squadron aerospace education officer (AEO) and STEM officer, provided a STEM activity related to 3D printing. Cadets were provided an object and used pipe cleaners to “trace” the object in three dimensions onto cardboard.
Before next week, they will cut each cross-section out of the cardboard and glue them together to replicate the object they were assigned. Senior members of the squadron will judge the results and select a winner of the 3D printing challenge.
Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs about 85 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 70 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for over 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans.
Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information, or visit the Effingham Cadet Squadron on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at 501 Richland Avenue, Building 119.
