Tenn. Wing Cadet Makes Hawk Mountain History

Cadet Lt. Col. Jonah Torp-Pedersen, a member of the Tennessee Wing's Murfreesboro Composite Squadron, is turning heads for his service in Civil Air Patrol.

CAP members from across the nation gather each year in Kempton, Pennsylvania, at Hawk Mountain Ranger School for nine days of rigorous training unlike any other. Hawk Mountain Ranger School has been conducting training for over 61 years and is the only ranger school offered to both adults and cadets in the nation. Members learn medical skills, survival skills, search and rescue techniques, disaster relief training, land and air navigation and more!

Torp-Pedersen is among one of these members. He attended the Hawk Mountain Ranger School for the first time in 2014, testing out of basic and advanced training, moving into the team leadership course, one of the hardest courses Hawk Mountain has to offer. Since then, he has served in various staff positions.

This year, for the first time in its 61-year history, Hawk Mountain Ranger School has selected a cadet commander outside of the Pennsylvania border. Torp-Pedersen has been selected to lead the 2017 Ranger School, scheduled for July 8-16.

"For the past 60 years, it has been tradition for a Pennsylvania Wing cadet to receive this position. I was extremely honored to be selected this year as the school commander and I can’t wait to work with my staff," said Torp-Pedersen.

Along with the Ranger School, Torp-Pedersen will also be serving as the cadet commander for the Tennessee Wing Encampment. He will be leading around 100 cadets through a weeklong training school at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.