The Florida Wing’s Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron team, representing Civil Air Patrol’s Southeast Region, has captured its second straight Air Force Chief of Staff Sweepstakes Award Trophy — the prize for finishing first in the National Cadet Competition.
The North Carolina Wing’s 111th Search and Rescue Cadet Squadron team, one of two entries from the Mid-Atlantic Region, placed second, followed by the Platte Valley Composite Squadron team from the Missouri Wing (North Central Region) in third place. Winners were announced Monday night at the site of the annual competition, Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Sixteen six-cadet teams from all eight CAP regions participated in the inspection and drill competition after winning local, state and regional competitions.
The champion Wesley Chapel team consisted of:
Cadet Majs. Andrew Alayon and Cassie Ramer
Cadet Capt. Elicia Smith
Cadet 2nd Lt. Anthony Beebout
Cadet Master Sgts. Alexander Dulaski and Maria Alejandra Granados Reyes
Maj. Stephen Lampasona and 1st Lt. Cesar Alayon, squadron commander, accompanied the team.
Alayon, Ramer and Smith also competed on last year’s first-place team.The second-place Mid-Atlantic Region team from the North Carolina wing also reached the competition finals last year. So did teams from the Minnesota, National Capital and Puerto Rico wings.
The North Carolina Wing entry consisted of:
Cadet 2nd Lts. Camille Mounce and Morgan Reading
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Gavin WaideCadet Senior Master Sgts. Abbey Neel, Clayton Thompson and Joseph Whitney
Escorts were Maj. Sherry Haskell, squadron commander, and 1st Lt. Nicholas Guila.
The Missouri Wing team consisted of:
Cadet Maj. Michael Johnson
Cadet Capt. Justin Holt
Cadet 2nd Lts. Nicholas Spry and Chaeli Johnson
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Henry Kraynak
Cadet Tech. Sgt. Christopher Foster.
The team’s escorts were Lt. Col. David L. Futch, squadron commander, and Michael W. Spry.
Skills on display during the competition includes indoor and outdoor color guard challenges, a written test of leadership and aerospace knowledge, a physical fitness test, team leadership problems (group problem-solving challenges) and a uniform inspection.
In addition, each year CAP National Headquarters chooses electives for the competition that represent all aspects of cadet life. This year, teams faced off in a pre-competition service project, as well as robotics, a panel quiz-style game and a test of color guard drill.
Judges included members of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Honor Guard and CAP officers and cadets.
“National Cadet Competition pits the best against the best,” said Lt. Col. Robert Shaw, activity director. “As its name implies, this is CAP’s premier cadet competition of the year.”
In addition to the top three finishers, the competition featured teams from:
Great Lakes RegionIndiana Wing
Valparaiso Composite Squadron
Michigan Wing
Maj. Kevin A. Adams Memorial Composite Squadron
Mid-Atlantic RegionNational Capital Wing
Challenger I Cadet Squadron
North Central RegionMinnesota Wing
Anoka County Composite Squadron
Northeast RegionPennsylvania Wing
Allegheny County Composite Squadron 602
Pacific Coast RegionOregon Wing
Columbia Composite Squadron
Washington Wing
Renton Composite Squadron
Rocky Mountain RegionIdaho Wing
Boise Composite Squadron
Utah Wing
Weber Minuteman Composite Squadron
Thunderbird Cadet Squadron
Southeast RegionPuerto Rico Wing
Dr. Cesareo Rosa-Nieves Cadet Squadron
Southwest RegionArkansas Wing
83rd Composite Squadron
Texas Wing
Thunderbolt Composite Squadron
