(Atlantic) The Civil Air Patrol is offering a Cadet Great Start Program to youth from 12-18 at the Atlantic American Legion (armory).
The program will begin with an Open House for parents and teens, on Saturday, April 23rd at 1:00 pm with a four-week Saturday orientation that offers training in leadership, physical fitness, aerospace education, and character-building. Upon completion, participants will become a Cadet Airman and be able to experience flight in a Civil Air Patrol airplane.
The Airman program is year-round, where cadets learn to lead, hike, camp, get in shape, and of course fly with an experienced pilot. Payton Hopkins, of Avoca, is a current Cadet, “Everyone wants to be a good leader. It helps you if you want to join the military. You learn your drills, you learn a little bit of history about the Air Force, you learn aerospace how to fly, and just the leadership aspect. You can learn how to communicate with people that you normally wouldn’t be able to communicate with.”
Also in the program is Austin Rhoads, of Harlan. “I’ve enjoyed a lot of different things. My favorite part is probably the emergency service aspect of it. Going out and being able to do missions and help other people.”
Cadets meet for about two and a half hours a week and one Saturday or Sunday per month, on average. There are also opportunities to attend leadership encampments, career academies, field trips, and other activities. Becoming a cadet does not require joining the military.
1st Lieutenant Stacy Condie says, “One of my goals is to really spread the word about CAP in Southwest Iowa. I had never heard about it. There are a lot of people that have never heard of Civil Air Patrol. I hope to do this program or a similar program at least twice a year. We are always open any time for anyone to come and join just off the street. You don’t have to do this program to join, but it does get their first stripes the quickest.”
The Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit, volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Adults in the patrol perform lifesaving humanitarian missions. Adults looking to join can come every Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
If interested, pre-register for the program by sending an email to scondie@iawg.cap.gov. Please provide your name, age, and town where you live. Seats for this program are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please register early.
