Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maine Cadets Top Region Competition

Cadet teams from the Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maine wings captured the top three spots in the Northeast Region Cadet Competition, an event divided into two phases this year.

The Massachusetts Wing’s Hanscom Composite Squadron cadets placed first, followed by the New Jersey Wing’s Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite team in second and the Maine Wing’s 77th Composite Squadron entry.

The McGuire squadron team finished first in the 2023 region competition before moving on to the National Cadet Competition. The national event, which previously involved the top two teams from each of Civil Air Patrol’s eight region competitions, has been discontinued, with the goal of expanding participation across the organization by enabling squadrons and wings to reduce demands on time and resources by topping out at the region level.

The Northeast Region Competition was split this year, with the North phase held in May at New Hampshire National Guard Edward Cross Regional Training Institute in Pembroke and the South phase in September at Connecticut National Guard Camp Nett Training Facility in East Lyme.

The Hanscom cadets finished first in the North competition, which also included the 77th and 58th composite squadron teams from the Maine Wing.

Joining the McGuire squadron in the South competition were fellow New Jersey Wing entry the Twin Pine Composite Squadron, the New York Wing’s Suffolk Cadet Squadron 10, and the Pennsylvania Wing’s Allegheny Composite Squadron 602.

First place — Massachusetts Wing, Hanscom Composite Squadron

The champion Hanscom Composite team members were:

The team finished second in Posting of the Colors, Inspection, and Quiz Bowl; tied for second in Standard Drill; and third in Physical Fitness.

Second place — New Jersey Wing, Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite Squadron

The Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite Squadron consisted of:

The cadets placed first in Standard Drill, Second in Inspection and Quiz Bowl, and third in Physical Fitness and Team Leadership Problem.

Third place — Maine Wing, 77th Composite Squadron

The 77th Composite competitors were:

The team finished first in Standard Drill and Physical Fitness and second in Team Leadership Problem.

The 58th Composite Squadron team captured first in the Team Leadership Problem, second in Physical Fitness, and third in Posting of the Colors.

The Quiz Bowl first-place team was the New Jersey Wing’s Twin Pine Composite Squadron, which also tied for second in Standard Drill.

First in Inspection went to Suffolk Cadet Squadron 10.