Family Tradition: Third Oregon Brother Earns Spaatz Award ... Two to Go?

ORwing New Cadet Col. Ian Cheshire of the Oregon Wing’s Medford Composite Squadron has followed in his two older brothers’ footsteps by achieving Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet honor, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award.

Potentially, that leaves two to go. The three Spaatz recipients’ two younger brothers are Medford squadron members as well – Cadet Maj. Isaac Cheshire and Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Ilisha Cheshire.

Christian and Caleb Cheshire also belonged to the Medford squadron when they received their Spaatz awards in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Ian Cheshire joined them Sept. 6 at the squadron’s Rogue Valley International –Medford Airport headquarters.

Presenting the award were Col. William “Nick” Ham, Oregon Wing commander, along with Oregon State Sen. Jeff Golden.

The new cadet colonel joined CAP at age 12 in August 2015. He has spent most of the ensuing seven years in the Medford squadron, other than January-May 2016 as a member of the Hawaii Wing’s Hickam Composite Squadron.

The brothers are the sons of retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Walter Cheshire –also a CAP lieutenant colonel in the Medford squadron – and ORmedford1 Kathryn Cheshire. Christian Cheshire is participating in U.S. Air Force flight training, while Caleb Cheshire just graduated from Air Force ROTC at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Cheshire will be attending Arizona State University this fall with an eye toward a major in sports business. Once he completes his bachelor’s degree and Air Force ROTC, he plans on joining the Air Force – again, following his brothers’ lead.

Award-Spaatz-a-copy Less than one-half of 1% of Civil Air Patrol cadets achieve the Spaatz award. It’s presented to those who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education in devoting an average of five years to progress through 16 achievements in the CAP cadet program.

The final step is a four-part exam consisting of a challenging physical fitness test, an essay exam testing the cadet’s moral reasoning, and comprehensive written exams on leadership and aerospace education. Those achieving the award also attain CAP’s highest cadet rank, cadet colonel.