Fla., S.D. Cadets Representing CAP in CyberPatriot XII National Finals

A first-time finalist and a familiar name from past championship rounds will represent Civil Air Patrol next month in the finals of the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

The top-performing CAP team in the semifinals, representing the Florida Wing’s St. Augustine Composite Squadron, will make its inaugural appearance in the CyberPatriot XII national finals, set for March 20-22 in Rockville, Maryland.

In contrast, the South Dakota Wing’s Big Sioux Composite Squadron returns to the national stage for the sixth time. , having previously done so from 2012-2015 and 2019. Previous Big Sioux cadet teams achieved a second-place overall finish in 2015, a Networking Finals victory in 2012 and a Forensics Competition win in 2013.

CAP competes in the All Service Division of CyberPatriot, which includes junior ROTC teams for each of the military services as well as the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. CAP accounted for 476 of the 1,885 All Service teams competing in CyberPatriot XII. .

CAP teams have finished first nationally three times – in 2011, when a Florida Wing entry took the title, and in 2012 and 2017, when the crown went to the Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron. In addition, the California Wing’s Beach Cites Cadet Squadron 107 won the inaugural Middle School Division competition in 2014.

The competition challenges teams of high school and middle school students to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. Using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system.

The finals qualifiers receive an ell-expenses-paid trip to Bethesda. Scholarships are available to team members.