Presidential Meeting Surprises Recipient

One week after he took the oath of office, newly-elected US President Barack Obama was on Capitol Hill congratulating one of the Civil Air Patrol’s most accomplished cadets.

Much to the delight and total surprise of Cadet Col. David F. Hill IV and 14 members of West Virginia Wing's Martinsburg Composite Squadron accompanying him, Obama left a January 27 luncheon and meeting with Republican senators in the US Capitol to personally meet and greet each of the cadets and senior members gathered for Hill's official Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award presentation.

Named for a former Air Force general, the Spaatz award is Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet honor. US Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, and US Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, made the official Spaatz presentation in the Capitol... but shortly afterwards it was announced President Obama wanted to meet with the group.

West Virginia Wing Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Dennis Barron, who accompanied the CAP squadron to the Capitol, explained the significance of the Spaatz Award to Obama and introduced Hill and his father to the president. President Obama congratulated Hill on his achievement and praised him for his dedication and commitment to the cadet program. The president then shook hands and spoke with all the other members present. Afterwards, Obama posed for a group photo with the Martinsburg squadron members.

"Meeting the president was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in my life," said Hill. "Winning the prestigious Spaatz award is one of my greatest accomplishments, but meeting the president during his first week in office almost makes it pale in comparison."

"We were thrilled and extremely excited to meet the president of the United States," said Martinsburg Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Robert Mills, who also attended the Spaatz Award ceremony. "This was one of those rare lifetime experiences, and for Cadet Col. Hill, the ultimate in award presentations!"

The Spaatz award is earned by less than one half of 1 percent of all the cadets in the Civil Air Patrol. Hill is only the third cadet in the history of the Martinsburg squadron and just the 20th cadet in the West Virginia Wing to earn the coveted award since its inception in 1963.

For now, Hill is also the only CAP cadet in recent memory to receive Spaatz award congratulations from a US president. That fact was not lost on Mills, who said, "The benefits of membership in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program are unlimited and the experiences are truly awesome."

Hill, a resident of Shepherdstown, WV, has been a member of the Martinsburg Squadron since October 2003.

FMI: www.gocivilairpatrol.com, www.martinsburgcap.com