Civil Air Patrol’s 55th Cadet Officer School returns to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, this week with 119 high-achieving cadets from all eight CAP regions in the U.S. along with overseas squadrons based in Germany and Guam.
Renowned as CAP’s most prestigious cadet leadership program, COS will be July 18-27 at Maxwell AFB, site of CAP National Headquarters and home to Air University, the intellectual and leadership-development center of the U.S. Air and Space Forces. That makes it the ideal venue to hone the leadership skills of the attending cadets, who are among the top 15% of CAP youth.
In addition to the overseas squadron cadets from Germany and Guam, CAP cadets from 38 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will be in attendance with a staff of 24 adult CAP members and 17 active-duty Air Force, National Guard, and Reserve officers and senior noncommissioned officers.
“We’re proud to host these outstanding young leaders at Cadet Officer School,” said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander/CEO, who plans on visiting COS while it’s in session to personally speak with the cadets about their role in CAP’s ongoing Year of Ownership.
“I am always inspired by their fresh perspectives, vision, and incredible energy. They speak with clarity and compassion,” she said. “Some teens would be discovering themselves, but our cadets are focused on the future and the difference they can make. Their enthusiasm is uplifting.
“I can’t wait to see what they do with the lessons they learn at COS when they return to their wings and squadrons.”
Learning to lead is the primary focus of COS, a college-level leadership course patterned after Air Force Squadron Officer School. The academic curriculum is rigorous and the caliber of instruction unique, much like Squadron Officer School. CAP cadets attending COS will hear from senior Air Force officers as well as Aye and other top CAP leaders.
Scheduled speakers include Maj. Gen. Frank Bradfield, commander of the 22nd Air Force; retired Air Force Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Steve Schaick; Col. Aaron Reid, CAP-USAF commander; Col. Stephanie Wilson, commandant of the Barnes Center for Enlisted Education; and Lt. Col. Sarah Nazarechuk, commander of the 42nd Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Lina Svedin and Wendy N. Whitman Cobb, professors of strategy and security studies at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Air University at Maxwell, and Scott Englund, assistant dean and associate professor at National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland, will also address the cadets.
Two other professors at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Paige Reid and John D. Maurer, will be joined by Shawn Cochran, an Air Command and Staff College professor, and Chris Colley, an Air War College professor, for a panel discussion.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Cadet Officer School alum who represents Florida’s 10th Congressional District, is also scheduled to speak.
The goal for the 10-day course is to contribute to the growth of CAP’s cadet officers as mature leaders and responsible citizens and to introduce them to strategic thinking, said Lt. Col. Kathleen Crockett, COS director.
“This isn’t just another leadership camp,” Crockett said, instead “far surpassing the typical cadet experience at a standard Region Cadet Leadership School.”
“It’s a pivotal step in developing confident, articulate, emotionally intelligent leaders who can lead teams, think creatively and strategically, and take initiative in any setting — whether that’s in uniform, in a lab, on a job site, or in public service,”Crockett said.
Through this week and into next week the cadets will participate in a variety of lectures and supporting discussions to explore leadership topics. They will practice what they learn through a series of comprehensive writing and speaking assignments designed to empower them to lead multiple teams, manage complex tasks, and set mid- to long-range goals.
“COS is a rare environment where cadets are immersed in professional-level instruction with direct access to senior leaders in the Air Force and national security community — an extraordinary opportunity to ask questions, gain insight, and grow under the mentorship of experienced CAP and USAF officers and senior enlisted,” Crockett said.
“They’re not just attending — they’re participating, questioning, and growing with peers who share their sense of purpose and commitment.”
CAP and its cadet program have built strong citizens throughout the organization’s 83-year history, providing leadership training, technical education, scholarships, and career education to young men and women ages 12-20.
Activities like COS give CAP cadets the opportunity to improve their skills in a variety of areas, including search and rescue, flight and emergency services, science, leadership fundamentals, citizenship and military courtesies, and to explore aerospace technology and aviation careers.
This summer, more than 10,000 youth are participating in CAP-sponsored summer activities, including 47 wing encampments nationwide.
Donations for Cadet Officer School scholarships can be made online.
