Local Cadet Earns Prestigious General Carl A. Spaatz Award

The General Carl A. Spaatz Award is Civil Air Patrol’s highest cadet achievement and its recipients upon receiving this award are promoted to the rank of Cadet Colonel. Cadet Adam Parker of Peters Township has successfully completed all of the requirements for this award. On average, only two cadets in every 1,000 earn the Spaatz Award and only 78 cadets in the Pennsylvania Wing have received this award in the last 50 years.

Cadet Parker, a member of the Washington Composite Squadron since 2008, has effectively completed all phases and achievements of the cadet program and has earned the award and a promotion to Cadet Colonel. Earning the Carl A. Spaatz Award has been a goal of his for as long as he can remember. "At my first Basic Encampment, I remember listening to the school commander as he shared his sorrow over having recently taken the Spaatz exam for the third time," recalled Parker. Cadets are given 3 attempts before the age of 21 to achieve the award. "The commander warned us about not giving it your all and making every moment count to avoid regrets. So, here I am today to help others realize the same."

Parker had the distinctive honor of being presented with the General Carl A. Spaatz Award by retired Air Force Lt. General Donald Snyder during the Pennsylvania Wing Conference of the Civil Air Patrol this past May. Cadets qualify for this award after devoting years to progressing through sixteen achievements in the CAP Cadet Program. Along the way they develop self-discipline, a strong sense of personal responsibility, the ability to lead and persuade, and the foundations necessary for pursuing a career in aviation, space, or technology. The final step a cadet must complete to earn the Spaatz Award is a rigorous four-part exam consisting of a challenging physical fitness test, an essay exam testing their moral reasoning, a comprehensive written exam on leadership, and a comprehensive written exam on aerospace education.

This fall Parker will be entering his junior year of college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he majors in Criminology and is a member of the Robert E. Cook Honors College with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. He is also a contracted MS3 at IUP's Army ROTC, "Warrior Battalion", having been awarded a 3 1/2 year scholarship. Upon graduation and commissioning, Parker is hoping to branch into the Military Intelligence Corps in the active duty component of the United States Army.

The Washington Composite Squadron, commanded by Maj. Nancy Parker, meets every Wednesday at the Washington Flyers’ Club from 7-9pm. CAP was founded just before the start of American involvement in World War II. Squadron 601 is just one of 1,500-plus squadrons around the country involved in cadet programs, emergency services, and aerospace education within their communities.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 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 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.

Photo: From left to right: NER Commander Col Daniel Leclair-CAP, C/Col Adam Parker, Retired Lt. General Donald Snyder & PA Wing Commander Col Gary Fleming-CAP