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Louisiana Wing Cadet Honored with Spaatz Award
Cadet Col. Sebastian Miskimmin received Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet honor in a setting as close to home as possible – his parents’ bac yard in Covington, Louisiana.
Miskimmin was presented with the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award during a farewell party as he prepared to leave a few days later for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. His parents, U.S. Navy veterans Kimberly and John Miskimmin, pinned his new cadet colonel insignia on his CAP uniform as friends and family looked on.
Less than one-half of 1% of cadets achieve the Spaatz award. Only 29 Louisiana Wing cadets have done so, with the St. Tammany squadron accounting for two the last two years – Miskimmin and former Cadet Col. Andrew Aceves, now a captain in the Hammond Composite Squadron,
Unsure of his plans for the future when he joined CAP in September 2017 at age 13, Miskimmin soon became a top achiever. He received such awards as 2019 Veterans of Foreign Wars Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and 2020 Air Force Association Cadet of the Year. In 2021 he was recognized as St. Tammany Composite Squadron Cadet of the Year and the following year as Louisiana Wing Cadet of the Year.
He participated in the Louisiana Wing Spring Cadet Training and Education Program, Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Southwest Region Cadet Leadership School, Cadet Officer School, and National Blue Beret. He was also named 2019 wing encampment Alpha Flight Honor Graduate.
“He was passionate about Civil Air Patrol and always looked forward to serving our nation in the armed forces,” said his squadron commander, Lt. Col. Don DuCote,
“Civil Air Patrol was everything to him,” his mother said. “It gave him direction.”
“Cadet Col. Miskimmin is an excellent example of perseverance and an attitude of not giving up,” said Capt. Art Davies, the St. Tammany squadron’s assistant deputy commander of cadets.
Davies described watching as Miskimmin pushed through numerous challenging tasks over the years, some encountered during his tenure as squadron cadet commander.
“He constantly encouraged his cadet subordinates to study and promote,” he said, “and when they did he was ecstatic for their success.”
Miskimmin is a 2022 graduate of Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, where he excelled in the Junior ROTC program, earning several honors, including the Senior Army Instructor Leadership Award twice, Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree 
Award, and Military Officers of America Association Cadet Officer of the Year.
Cadets qualify for the Spaatz award after an average of four years progressing through the 16 achievements in the CAP cadet program. The award goes to cadets who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education.
The exam for the award consists of a written essay, physical fitness test, and two written tests on leadership and aerospace education.
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1st Lt. Anne Calvert
Public Affairs Officer
St. Tammany Composite Squadron
Louisiana Wing