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Top Cadet Honor Goes to Idaho Wing's McConnell
Cadet Col. Spencer McConnell of the Boise Composite Squadron is the Idaho Wing’s 19th cadet to earn the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet honor.
Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP national commander and a 1993 Spaatz award recipient as a Michigan Wing cadet, presented the award April 18 in a ceremony at Gowen Field National Guard Base.
After joining CAP at age 12 in December 2015, McConnell quickly became involved in squadron activities. He helped form the Boise Bees CyberPatriot team and served as its captain, mentoring his teammates and helping lead them to a fourth-place All Service Division finish as the squadron reached the 
national finals in March 2023 for the first time. He now swerves as the team coach.
In 2021, McConnell became the first cadet to win the CAP’s inaugural Innovation Hub Award for his Cadet Rank Statistics program for reviewing cadet progress in real-time using a simple Python script. He also competed in the 2021 National Cadet Competition and served as the Boise Squadron’s cadet commander from 2021-2022.
McConnell is a CAP small Unmanned Aerial Systems pilot and mission scanner. Newly promoted to the senior member grade of captain, he’s the squadron’s deputy commander for cadets.
He works as an information technology security specialist, attends college online through Western Governors
University, and is working to earn his private pilot certificate.
“To all of you who are looking to accomplish something great, remember to take opportunities (and) face challenges with a positive attitude, and that there is no excuse for not trying,” McConnell told those gathered for the award presentation.
Less than one-half of 1% of CAP cadets achieve the Spaatz award. After completing the cadet program’s 16 achievements, those seeking the award must 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.
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Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Ian Rogers
Cadet Public Affairs Noncommissioned Officer
Boise Composite Squadron
Idaho Wing