Something in Civil Air Patrol For All Ages At Cadet Training School Winter West

DATES:April 2 & 3, 2016.

School Commander: Major Aaron LaMantia Place: Ford City National Guard Armory

Deputy Commander:Captain Samantha Boettner

Cadet School Commander: C/Maj. Tye Alu

BCOP Cadet Commander: C/Cpt. Gregory Grover

NCOA Cadet Commander: C/LtCol Ceara Berry

On a cold spring weekend in April, Civil Air Patrol cadets from all corners of Western Pennsylvania converged upon the hills of Ford City to participate in the Basic Cadet Orientation Program (BCOP) and gain an in depth look into the Cadet Program. For most of them, this was their first opportunity to be exposed to the life of a cadet. They were schooled on the cadet oath, their core values, how to care for their uniforms and how to wear them properly. Teamwork is a huge part of the weekend. Cadets learned the basics of how to be a part of a flight and the importance of relying on each other to build a strong squadron. The weekend ended with a graduation ceremony with awards given to those cadets who excelled or reached milestones in their cadet career. BCOP also provided the perfect opportunity for cadets to form a strong base on which they will build their cadet careers. It prepared them for their next step which is attending the week-long Summer Cadet Training School at Fort Indiantown Gap.

C/CMSgt Zachary Keyes of Canonsburg had the opportunity to serve on the BCOP staff. He is also the Cadet Commander of the Washington Composite Squadron located in Washington, PA. It was a great opportunity for him as he prepares to staff the Summer Cadet Training School. Staffing this weekend along with Keyes was 2ndLt Bernice Polasky who served as the Logistics Officer. Polasky is the Finance Officer for the Washington Composite Squadron. What makes this pair unique is that they are a grandmother and grandson team and have been members of Civil Air Patrol for 3 years. They are a true example of how there is something for everyone in Civil Air Patrol.

Taking place during the same weekend as the BCOP, was the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, (NCOA). Where BCOP is for new cadets, NCOA is for the cadet who is entering the second phase of their CAP career. Like BCOP, the cadets in attendance came from all over Western Pennsylvania. This school was an intense weekend of leadership training. Not only was this academy a great opportunity for cadets to build a strong foundation for their future leadership career, but it also focused on preparing the cadets to return to their squadrons ready to share all that they had learned. These cadets will also be better prepared to properly call commands and drill their flights. The NCOA weekend course was a small taste of what to expect when they attend the summer Leadership Development Course or Regional Cadet Leadership School.

Of course a training event wouldn’t be a training event without offering something for the senior members. This weekend was no different. Maj. Suzanne McBride was the director for the 2 day course, Training Leaders of Cadets, (TLC), this weekend. Senior members who plan on becoming mentors of cadets and want work within the Cadet Programs Specialty Track need to attend TLC. Senior members had the chance to learn important techniques on how to become better mentors and more effective managers of cadet squadrons. Maj. McBride, with the help of several seasoned senior members had the chance to speak on many topics, some of which included, Core Values, Adolescent Development, and Partnering with Parents.

The 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.

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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.

~Written by Major Nancy Parker