Forty Civil Air Patrol cadets, ages 17-20, gathered at their launching hubs earlier this week before leaving to represent the United States on an international exchange of goodwill and a mutual love of aviation. Their travels around the world officially began Monday and will end Aug. 7.
Since 1947, the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) has brought together outstanding youth leaders from multiple countries to promote global understanding and support the growth of aerospace knowledge around the globe. Today, 19 countries participate and exchange over 300 cadets every year.
Of CAP’s more than 26,000 cadets, only 40 are chosen as U.S. ambassadors, making IACE the most competitive and sought-after of CAP’s National Cadet Special Activities. This year’s participating cadets represent 38 squadrons in 23 CAP wings.
“Only a select group of our cadets get this opportunity,” said Lt. Col. Peggy Myrick, CAP’s IACE activity director. “As chosen participants, they truly are serving as America’s youth ambassadors, representing the very best of CAP.”
The cadets’ journey began this week with flights with their adult escorts to one of two launching hubs: one in Washington, D.C., for those flying to the eastern countries and Canada, and another in San Francisco for cadets flying to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea.
Once in their host countries, cadets meet the exchange participants from other nations. The experience gained as true ambassadors gives these cadets international exposure and lessons they can draw on in their future endeavors.
The IACE experience is memorable for the cadets as well as the senior members who accompany them. “The interaction with the world’s aviation community is of great value to all involved,” said Myrick, who has participated in the program for the past 10 years. “I am always amazed at how well our cadets conduct themselves in their host countries and how much they learn about other cultures in just a short time.”
This year the U.S. is welcoming 40 cadets from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. This week the visiting cadets will tour Washington, D.C., and the Steven Edvard-Hazy Aerospace Museum before flying to their host states to learn about American culture and share their passion for aviation.
Follow the cadets’ journeys through the U.S. on social media with #IACE2019USA.
Here are the participating CAP members:
Australia
Pacific Region
Headquarters – Col. Christine O. Lee (escort)
California Wing
John J. Montgomery Cadet Squadron 36 – Cadet Maj. Katrina I. Espinoza
Colorado Wing
Broomfield Composite Squadron – Cadet Col. Hannah L. Christian
Idaho Wing
Pocatello Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Jeff Hawk
Oklahoma Wing
Broken Arrow Composite Squadron – Cadet Col. Kurt J. LeVan
Belgium
Michigan Wing
176th Selfridge Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Naveen Abraham
Virginia Wing
Lynchburg Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Zechariah Pratt
Canada
National Headquarters – Brig. Gen. Larry Myrick (escort)
Alabama Wing
Bessemer Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. William Sawyer
Mountain Lakes Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Timothy B. Cleveland
117th ANG Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Travis Lancaster
Louisiana Wing
Lake Charles Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Donald E. Martin III
Maryland Wing
Headquarters – Lt. Col. Michael Kathriner (escort)
Massachusetts Wing
Goddard Cadet Squadron – Cadet Capt. Samuel Houle
Mississippi Wing
Madison Cadet Squadron – Cadet Capt. Joseph A. Crum
New York Wing
Canandaigua Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Edwin C. Chesler
Westchester Cadet Squadron 1 – Cadet Maj. Maj. Adam Zachary DeLitta
North Carolina Wing
Hickory Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Emmanuel Mathews
Tar River Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. George R.A. Green
Puerto Rico Wing
Col. Clara E. Livingston Cadet Squadron – Cadet Maj. Edgar Cancel-Berrios
Texas Wing
South Fort Worth Diamondback Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Alyssa Kohler and Cadet Capt. Andrea Noelani Chun
Wisconsin Wing
Fox Cities Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. William Voelker
Hong Kong
Florida Wing
Pines Miramar Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Conrad Awve
Wesley Chapel Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Andrew Nicholas Alayon
Pennsylvania Wing
Reading Composite Squadron 811 – Maj. Maria T. Kantner (escort)
Netherlands
Colorado Wing
Montrose Composite Squadron – Cadet Col. Matthew LaJoy
Florida Wing
Group 3 Headquarters – Cadet Col. Charles Read
Virginia Wing
Monticello Composite Squadron – Maj. Owen Clark (escort)
New Zealand
Minnesota Wing
Viking Composite Squadron – Cadet Col. Joseph Taylor
Virginia Wing
Newport News Composite Squadron – Maj. Jared L. Mast (escort)
Wisconsin Wing
La Crosse Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Mathias Gilliam
Republic of Korea
California Wing
San Francisco Cadet Squadron 86 – Lt. Col. Grace Edinboro (escort)
New York Wing
Spirit of Tuskegee Cadet Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Alexandra Ramotar
Virginia Wing
Coastal Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Saffron Hewitt Qualls
United Kingdom (A)
Georgia Wing
Ellijay Composite Squadron – Cadet Col. Melissa N. Mallinak
Maine Wing
38th Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Nathan Jaffrey
Maryland Wing
Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Valerie Purdie
New Mexico Wing
T-Bird Composite Squadron 4 – Maj. Daniel R. Bracken (escort)
Ohio Wing
96th Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Emma Kanning
Oregon Wing
Washington County Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Aaron Robert Wickenhagen
Virginia Wing
Lynchburg Composite Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. John R. Sharp
United Kingdom (B)
Pacific Region
Headquarters – Col. Virginia Nelson (escort)
Connecticut Wing
Silver City Cadet Squadron – Cadet Capt. Amelia J. Farquharson
Michigan Wing
Maj. Kevin A. Adams Memorial Composite Squadron – Cadet Capt. Nea K. Shaffer
Minnesota Wing
Anoka County Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Evan John McNair
North Carolina Wing
Guilford Composite Squadron – Cadet Maj. Aidan K. Kelley
Ohio Wing
Cuyahoga County Cadet Squadron – Cadet Lt. Col. Kristen Septaric
Puerto Rico Wing
Lajas Cadet Squadron – Cadet Col. Carliana Isabel Cochran
