Cadet Col. TJ Hess of the Arizona Wing’s Show Low Squadron 210 became the wing’s 42nd recipient of the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, Civil Air Patrol’s highest cadet honor, when he received his Spaatz certificate in September from Col. Linda Yeager, wing commander.
Hess’s aspirations of flying for the U.S. Air Force began at age 5. When he was 11½, a half-year away from being old enough to join CAP, he talked his way into attending Show Low squadron meetings as a recruit and presented briefs and lectures to the squadron before he was officially a cadet.
He has continued the trend and has since presented monthly talks and briefs at nearly every meeting.
Hess joined CAP on his 12th birthday in February 2021.He moved through the ranks quickly and earned honor credit for every available promotion.
“I was excited to be a part of the squadron because I shared many interests with the other cadets,” Hess said. “I was looking forward to making friends, and almost four years later I have made friendships I feel will be lifelong.”
He has held a multitude of duty assignments within the squadron, including serving as cadet commander since August 2023 and commanding the color guard. He attended Regional Cadet Leadership School at the Air Force Academy in 2022. He was the squadron representative for the wing Cadet Advisory Council in 2022 and became the council’s vice chair in 2023.
Hess designed, implemented, and runs a program within the squadron in which he mentors all new recruits until they attain their first promotion.
He has been a member of the squadron’s High-Altitude Balloon Challenge team, which took third runner-up honors in the 2022 competition, and has completed 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency independent study courses in hopes of joining a ground team at some point.
He has attended four CAP encampments and earned the Cadet Honor Award in 2021 at the Arizona Wing encampment. The next year he was a cadre member for the encampment, covering logistics duties. He also attended the South Dakota Wing encampment in 2023, serving as lead cadet public affairs officer, and was New Mexico Wing encampment deputy commander this year.
His awards and decorations include the Air Force Sergeants’ Association Cadet Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award at the squadron and region levels in 2021; the Frank Brewer Memorial Aerospace Award – Cadet Category for the Southwest Region in 2022; and the Air and Space Forces Association Achievement Award runner-up for the Arizona Wing in 2023.
He began taking glider lessons at 13 and soloed shortly after his 14th birthday. He has logged over 40 hours in gliders, including many cross-country flights. A very active member of the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter, where the chapter president typically asks him to run the flight simulators, given his skill with both the devices and working with the public.
Hess also excels with academics. He is enrolled in advanced placement and honors classes at Blue Ridge High School and is a straight-A student.
After school, Hess participates in the school cross country and track/field teams. He also gives back to his community and has logged over 140 hours of documented community service.
One of his favorite pastimes is studying World War II history. and he has amassed a very impressive collection of memorabilia. He often jokes that he could charge to view the relics.
His ultimate goal is to attend the Air Force Academy and fly transport planes for the Air Force.
“I believe my involvement with CAP will be an integral part of helping me achieve my goals,” Hess said. “I am so grateful for not only all of the experiences this program has given me, but for the amazing support I have received from my squadron, group, and wing.”
Less than one-half of 1% of cadets attain the Spaatz award. Recipients must complete the cadet program’s 16 achievements and then pass a rigorous cumulative battery consisting of a strenuous physical fitness exam, a written essay on a persistent moral issue, and two 60-question cumulative exams on aerospace and leadership. _____1st. Lt. Jeff HessCommanderShow Low Squadron 210Arizona Wing.
