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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE
BASE, Texas –
Three cadets members
of the Randolph
Composite Squadron
received a
prestigious
cadet-level CAP
award during a
promotion ceremony
Tuesday evening.
Stephen Turner, a
Randolph High School
senior, and his
brother, Evan, a
junior, joined
Jackson Kuplack of
La Vernia as
recipients of the
Brigadier General
Billy Mitchell
Award, which is
presented to cadets
who complete the
leadership phase of
their CAP program.
"Only 15 percent of
CAP junior members
ascend to this level
of the program. This
is a big deal," said
the squadron
commander, Lincoln
Sundman, a retired
Air Force chief
master sergeant who
works at Randolph as
a civilian and
serves as a Civil
Air Patrol captain.
"It's a
national-level award
that carries with it
the benefit of
enlisting in the Air
Force as an E-3
instead of an E-1."
The promotion
ceremony, which
elevates cadets to
the rank of Cadet
Second Lieutenant,
featured comments by
retired Maj. Gen.
Lorraine Potter,
former chief of the
Air Force Chaplain
Service, and Lt.
Col. Keith Terrell,
12th Operations
Support Squadron
assistant director
of operations.
"This is great,"
said Stephen Turner,
the son of Chief
Master Sgt. Scott
Turner, a chaplain's
assistant at
Randolph, and Winita
Turner. "It feels
good to achieve
something I've been
working on for two
years." Stephen, 17,
said his mother
recommended that he
and his brother join
CAP because they
were both interested
in attending the Air
Force Academy. Both
of them signed up
for the Randolph
squadron in May
2007. "She thought
it would help us
achieve our goal and
help us prepare for
military life," he
said.
Stephen said
participation in the
squadron has helped
him acquire life
skills that benefit
him now and in the
future. "It's taught
me a lot about
leadership," he
said. "It helps me
in everyday life by
learning how to
handle certain
situations and how
to lead a group –
getting them
motivated to meet a
goal."
The Civil Air
Patrol, the official
civilian auxiliary
of the Air Force,
was established
nearly 70 years ago
with a
three-pronged mission
- to conduct
search-and-rescue
and disaster-relief
operations, provide
aerospace education
to youth and the
general public and
operate a cadet
program for teens 12
to 18 years old.
Cadets who complete
the program progress
through four stages
–
learning,
leadership, command
and executive phases
–
and move on to the
next stage by
passing leadership,
aerospace education
and physical fitness
tests. The Earhart,
Eaker and Spaatz
awards await the
cadets who
successfully
complete the final
phases.
Like his brother,
Evan, 16, said
leadership is an
important component
of the cadet
program. "It trains
us to be good
leaders and that
helps with people
skills," he said.
"You learn about
cooperating with
others and finding
the good in people.
But it also teaches
you to be a good
follower. That's
what happens in the
first phase."
Jackson, the son of
Christopher and
Karen Kuplack, said
the program also
helps members
achieve personal
goals. He hopes to
become an Air Force
pilot. "I realized
it would be the
first step - and the
biggest one
–
toward getting into
the Air Force
Academy," he said.
"You get a lot of
leadership
experience, and
that's what the
academy really looks
at." Jackson, 15,
said he hopes to
achieve the highest
cadet award
possible, the Spaatz
Award, which is
earned by far less
than 1 percent of
those who enter the
program.
CAP Capt. Sundman,
whose squadron
comprises 58
members, 43 of them
cadets, said the
program is "all
about giving kids
direction and
allowing them the
opportunity to
grow." Many have
gone on to service
academies and
college ROTC
programs. "It's
similar to the Boy
Scouts or ROTC," he
said. "It gives them
something to do
that's wholesome and
good for them. The
program's strength
is building leaders
for tomorrow."
Robert Goetz, 12th
Flying Training Wing
Public Affairs
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