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.

FMI: http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com