Skills Tests Emphasize Teamwork And Precision
A total of 152 highly skilled Civil Air Patrol cadets from
across America will compete in the 2011 National Cadet Competition,
a prestigious team event that spans seven decades. This
year’s competition is set for June 22-27 at Wright State
University in Dayton, Ohio. Special guests will include senior Air
Force personnel, elected representatives and members of the general
public.
“As is tradition, Civil Air Patrol is proud to once again
showcase the best CAP color guards and drill teams in the 2011
National Cadet Competition,” said Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter,
the organization’s national commander. “For more than
60 years, this contest has inspired generation after generation of
cadets to strive for excellence.”
Cadets participating in the national competition earn the right
to attend by winning local, state and regional competitions. Each
of CAP’s eight regions will be represented by a four-member
color guard and a 12-member drill team. Each team also includes an
alternate member for the national competition.
Cadets will demonstrate their skills in events that involve
precision and teamwork, such as innovative and standard drill
movements and indoor and outdoor posting of the American flag.
Other activities test 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 a team
including senior CAP officers and members of the U.S. Air Force
Honor Guard; the volleyball competition will be judged by
volleyball professionals according to USA Volleyball Domestic
Competition rules.
Top cadets in several categories will also be honored, including
the top written score and fastest mile run.
This is the fifth year the completion has been held in Dayton.
The competition typically moves every two years. For the past two
years, it has been held at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in
McMinnville, Ore., as part of CAP’s partnership with
Evergreen International Aviation Inc.
“CAP is excited to come back to Ohio,” said Lt. Col.
Roger Middleton, director for the competition. “The civic,
academic and business communities, along with the folks at Wright
Patterson Air Force Base, always give us outstanding
support.”
The National Cadet Competition is one of more than 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 2010, more than 1,100 youth participated
in CAP-sponsored summer activities.