Cadet Gray earns Billy Mitchell Award
Cadet Gray earns Mitchell award
Middle River, MD. – Cadet Matthew Gray from the Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol earned the General Billy Mitchell Award.
Gray, who recently began his senior year in high school and is homeschooled, joined CAP in August 2016. He graduated from Tri-Wing Encampment in 2017 and plans to attend as staff in an upcoming year. Cadet Officer School and Aircraft Manufacturing are two of the primary National Cadet Special Activities Gray wants to apply for. Gray has held many cadet roles at the squadron, such as Public Affairs, Flight Sergeant and Flight Commander, and wants to continue to grow into other roles. He enjoys working with the new cadets and wants to help further their development for the coming years.
After graduating, Gray wants to start a career in either aviation or automotive, using CAP’s program to help him along towards both areas. His focus would be in aircraft systems and maintenance, or aerodynamic design. He also has a strong interest in military and aviation history.
The Mitchell award is the second milestone in the CAP cadet program. To earn the award, cadets must attend a week-long basic encampment, complete a physical fitness test, and pass a written test on leadership and Aerospace Education. The written tests are comprehensive and include material from several books and modules. Cadets who earn the Mitchell award are promoted to Cadet Second Lieutenant. Cadets are also eligible to apply for special scholarships and can receive a special promotion to E-3 if they decide to join the military at a later date. Gray earned Mitchell award number 70,490. Approximately 15% cadets who join CAP earn the award.
Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron meets every Thursday from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Martin State Airport. For information on the squadron, including meeting address and contact information, visit www.glmcscap.org. Follow the squadron on Facebook at www.facebook.com/glmcscap and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/glmcscap.
Nearly 1,500 CAP members serve in Maryland. Last year wing members flew 13 search and rescue missions. The wing was credited with four finds. Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland. Members flew 2,245 hours in all mission categories. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For more information, contact the Maryland Wing at www.mdcap.org or follow the wing on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarylandWingCivilAirPatrol.
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.
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Lt. Col Christopher Roche
Public Affairs Officer
Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron
