Cadet Col. Cory Matejovich of the Maryland Wing’s Granite Cadet Squadron has achieved the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet accomplishment.
Matejovich received the award from Col. Brenda Reed, Maryland Wing commander, who headed the Granite squad — featuring the wing’s second-largest cadet corps — while he was cadet commander.
“Cory has an impressive resume in and out of Civil Air Patrol,” Reed said, “but even more impressive is his character; he is a young man who truly lives the Civil Air Patrol core values.”
Matejovich joined CAP in March 2019. He designed and built a physical fitness training area at Maryland Wing Headquarters in Woodstock to not only provide a space for other cadets to build up fitness but also give back to the organization that helped him achieve his goals and help him grow as a leader.
He soloed in a glider at age 15 and in a Cessna 172 at 16 as a participant in the Robert Ayres National Flight Academy in Hagerstown. He earned his private pilot certificate March 22, 2024, through CAP’s Cadet Wings program, serves as a ground team member 1 and ground team evaluator, and has attended three National Cadet Special Activities in addition to the Ayres academy:
the Civic Leadership Academy, where he was Distinguished Graduate,
Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, and
Air Force Civil Engineering Academy.
Outside CAP, he is an Eagle Scout who annually serves on Scout camp staff, and he helped teach first aid courses through a local nonprofit organization.
Homeschooled, he earned letters in cross country and swimming at his local high school. He’s part of a family of volunteers: both parents and his brother have been active in both CAP and Scouting.
Spaatz award recipients — less than one-half of 1% of all cadets — must complete the CAP cadet program’s 16 achievements, 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.
