Civil Air Patrol hosts annual awards banquet

Civil Air Patrol hosts annual awards banquet

By: Christopher Roche, Lt Col, CAP

Squadron Commander – Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron

Middle River, Md. – Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol hosted their annual squadron awards banquet at the Warfield Air National Guard base at Martin State Airport.

As part of annual squadron tradition, members and guests viewed a year-end slideshow, compiled by Lt Col Chris Roche, showcasing all of the activities the squadron participated in throughout the year.

During the awards portion of the banquet, several members received awards for achievement, service and activities.

Receiving the Gen John F. Curry Award, cadets Justin Rallo and Parth Patel also promoted to the grade of Cadet Airman. Cadet Alexander Olds received the Gen H.H. (Hap) Arnold Award and promotion to c/A1C. Cadet Jose A. Boscana received the Mary Feik Award and promotion to c/SrA. Cadet Thomas Burke received the Charles Lindbergh Award, advanced to a Senior Noncommissioned Officer and promoted to the grade of c/MSgt. Cadets Deyvon Brooks and Jeffrey Makin received the Gen Jimmy Doolittle Award and promotion c/SMSgt.

Cadet George Eliss received the General Billy Mitchell Award for completing phase 2 of the CAP Cadet Program. Cadets who earn the Mitchell Award excel in leadership and demonstrate a high level of military bearing, customs and courtesies.

Sm Kimberly Nelson received a promotion to the grade of 2Lt.

Cadet Dana Bartgis received the Cadet Recruiter Award, presented to all cadets who recruit two new members to the Civil Air Patrol.

2Lt Paul Brezinski, 2Lt Nadine Hartman, c/SSgt Sierra Kikas and c/Amn Joshua Kikas received the Red Service Award for two years of service to the Civil Air Patrol.

Maj Walter Coats received a Commanders Commendation Award for his participation during Super Storm Sandy in 2012. Maj Coats flew multiple aerial photography missions along the East Coast in the days and weeks following the storm. Those images allowed emergency managers to document damaged areas to expedite recovery efforts.

Other awards presented this year included the Aerospace Education Excellence award, given to 29 cadets who participated in hands-on aerospace activities and a two hour aerospace event. This is the fifth year the squadron received the AEX award from National HQ. Maj Jeffrey Thomas and c/1Lt Wyatt Hartman planned and conducted the modules.

Cadets Joshua Cogar and Bernadette Brezinski received their First Flight Certificate for completing their first Cadet Orientation Flight. All CAP cadets are eligible to receive Air Force funded flights in both powered and glider aircraft.

The squadrons CyberPatriot Team, c/1Lt Wyatt Hartman, c/2Lt George Eliss and c/TSgt Anthony Cole, received a special participate award. Chief Master Sergeant Jorge Laurel from the Air Force Association presented the awards. The CyberPatriot Competition is a national high school program sponsored by Northrop Grumman and the Air Force Association that teaches cyber defense techniques.

Cadet Wyatt Hartman received the Cadet of the Year Award for 2013 and the Air Force Association award for outstanding cadet. CMSgt George Laurel from the Air Force Association assisted with the presentation.

2Lt Nadine Hartman received the 2013 Senior Officer of the Year Award.

Cadet Captain Joseph Mancini received the Cadet Lifetime Achievement Award. Cadet Mancini recently was accepted to the Pittsburg Institute of Aeronautics and begins classes in early January. He joined the squadron in June 2007 and attended the TriWing Encampment in August. He completed his Wright Brothers Award in 2008 and started working in various cadet staff positions, including flight sergeant and first sergeant. He completed the Gen Billy Mitchell Award in 2010 and the Amelia Earhart Award in 2013. He attended the Glider Flight Academy in 2010 and 2011 and Region Cadet Leadership School in 2013. In his most recent position as Deputy Cadet Commander, he excelled in leadership and support for the squadron. In August, he was voted to assume the duty of the Group 2 Cadet Advisory Council chairperson.

A total of 140 members and guests attended this year's banquet.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 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 80 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 more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 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.

Nearly 1,700 CAP members serve in Maryland. Last year wing members flew 13 search and rescue missions. The wing was credited with five finds and one life saved. Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland. Members flew 2,106 hours in all mission categories. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For more information contact the Maryland Wing at www.mdcap.org.

The Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron meets every Thursday from 1900-2100 at Martin State Airport. For information, visit www.glmcscap.org

For additional information on the CyberPatriot Competition, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.