AFMC Command News

Edwards hosts 2006 National CAP Cadet Week

  • Published
  • By Civil Air Patrol 1st Lt. Joel Mehler
  • Civil Air Patrol Squadron 84
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Edwards hosted the third annual National Civil Air Patrol Cadet Week July 26 to 29 with nearly two dozen CAP cadets and adult members participating in the event.

The event highlighted Edwards' mission to the cadets and was brought to life for the cadets with visits to NASA Dryden and Air Force Flight Test Center facilities.

"The base really came together to put on a fantastic set of tours and hands-on dem­onstrations that these cadets will remember for years to come," said CAP Maj. Jason Markiewitz, Squadron 84 commander.

The Edwards Cadet Week participants came from more than a half dozen CAP squadrons around Southern California and incorporated a variety of skill levels and experience in the program.

The participants visited the 95th Air Base Wing Explosive Ordnance and Disposal Division where they observed the mission and objective of EOD. They also saw the 95th Security Forces Military Working Dog facility, the Security Forces Squadron armory and the 412th Operation Support Squadron Life Support shop.

The group also learned about and visited the Air Traffic Control Tower with a driving tour of the flight line that ended with an up-close-and-personal look at the F-22 Raptor.

The cadets then learned about the enlisted and officer system and how each support the mission. Col. H. Brent Baker, 95th Air Base Wing commander, also provided a leader­ship message that stressed the importance of, "leading by example."

The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Week started in 2003 with a proclamation from Air Force chief of staff Gen. John P. Jumper. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, mandated that a week in July be a dedicated week for CAP cadets. The goal is to provide CAP cadets with an introduction to the many great things the Air Force does daily.

In his Cadet Week memorandum, General Moseley said, "The CAP cadet program is a recruiting tool for the Air Force and as such, I ask that every installation continue to conduct activities like tours of aviation, maintenance and support facilities, as well as instructional session, to help ca­dets think more about the Air Force as a potential career."

Cadet Week was highly successful and, as an annual event, is already being heralded as one of the best activities of the year for the cadets, Major Markiewitz said. Those who participated in the event were able to experi­ence the best the Air Force has to offer.