Event Showcases Best Color Guard And Drill Teams
Approximately 150 teens involved
in the Civil Air Patrol's cadet program will compete in a test of
mettle and precision during the 2009 National Cadet Competition,
which will be held July 9-13 at Linfield College and Evergreen
Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
CAP's highly-skilled cadets earn the right to attend this
prestigious national competition by winning local, state and
regional competitions. Each of CAP's eight geographical regions is
represented by a four-person color guard and a 13-person drill
team.
Cadets will demonstrate their skills in events that involve
precision, including innovative and standard drill movements,
indoor and outdoor posting of the American flag and creativity and
knowledge of aerospace-related topics, including a written exam and
panel quiz, as well as physical fitness challenges involving
volleyball and a mile run.
Inspections and drill competition will be judged by the Air
Force Honor Guard; and volleyball professionals will judge the
volleyball competition according to USA Volleyball Domestic Indoor
Competition rules.
The overall winners of color guard and drill team competitions
will earn the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Sweepstakes Trophy. Top
cadets in the various individual categories will also be honored.
Last year's champions were the Southeast Region's color guard and
Southwest Region's drill team.
"CAP is proud to once again showcase the best CAP color guards
and drill teams in this contest that has, for more than 60 years,
inspired generation after generation of cadets to strive for
excellence," said CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S.
Courter.
This activity is among nearly 30 National Cadet Special
Activities being sponsored by CAP across the nation this summer.
These activities allow cadets to hone their skills in a variety of
areas, including search and rescue, flight and emergency services,
science, leadership fundamentals, citizenship and military
courtesies, and to explore aerospace technology and aviation
careers. In 2008, 1,064 youth participated in CAP-sponsored summer
activities.
Through its cadet program, CAP builds strong citizens for the
future by providing leadership training, technical education,
scholarships and career education to young men and women ages 12 to
20.
Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air
Force. It is a nonprofit organization with 55,600 members
nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland
search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue
Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 91
lives in fiscal year 2008.