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Top CAP cadets headed for spotlight in national competition

Color Guard members raise the American flag
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The Maryland Wing Color Guard will represent the Middle East Region at the upcoming Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition, to be held in Dayton, Ohio, June 22-27. (From right to left) C/CMSgt. Megan Bassett, C/SSgt. Keith Lohoefer and C/CMSgt. Joshua Flanick raise the flag during the Outdoor Practical. (Photo Credit: C/2nd Lt. Melissa Weinhold, CAP)

Maryland Wing Color Guard to represent Middle East Region

By Public Affairs Team
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters

6/19/2011–Maxwell Air Force Base, AL–A total of 152 highly skilled Civil Air Patrol cadets from across the nation will compete in the 2011 National Cadet Competition from 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, 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 group, wing and regional competitions. Each of CAP’s eight regions will be represented by a four-member color guard and a 13-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, including top written score and fastest mile run, will also be honored.

This is the fifth year the completion has been held in Dayton. The competition typically moves every two years.

The 2009 and 2010 competitions were 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.” 

Editor's Note:  The Maryland Wing Color Guard will represent the Middle East Region of the Civil Air Patrol.  The team hails from the Mount Airy Composite Squadron.  The team is comprised of: 

Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Megan Bassett, Aaron Huie and Joshua Flanick
Cadet Staff Sgt. Keith Lohoefer
Alternate: Cadet Sr. Airman Ashley Petersen

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, 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 113 lives in fiscal year 2010. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 26,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for 69 years. It is the largest sponsor annually of Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. For more information on the Civil Air Patrol, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com.

There are more than 1,600 members of CAP in Maryland. Last fiscal year wing members flew 42 search and rescue missions and were credited with 31 finds. For more information about the CAP, visit www.mdcap.org.