Teens Build Character, Strength at Civil Air Patrol Training

Sgt. First Class Kaaba Jones stood securely at the top of a 100-foot rappelling tower at Camp Fretterd, a military reservation in Reisterstown, securing one young anxious Civil Air Patrol cadet after another to ropes that would get them back down to solid ground.

As a breeze and the ascension of more cadets up the steep sets of stairs swayed the wooden tower just slightly, Jones gave firm instructions on how to control the speed of the cadets’ descent down the perfectly vertical wall.

With complete trust in Jones and the strength of the slim ropes, the cadets one by one turned their backs to the open air, placed the toes of their boots at the lip of the platform and began lowering their bodies into the L-shaped position they were expected to maintain all the way down.

“Knees straight! Knees straight!” Jones shouted. “Are you ready?”

“Yes sir!” said one young man, shifting his legs.”But my mouth is a little dry.”

With that, the cadet started a slow descent using his right hand to control his speed and pushing back with his legs from the wall to gain a little momentum.

Each of the 177 young men and women at the Tri-Wing Encampment for the cadet Civil Air Patrol is expected to complete this and other character-building tasks as part of a 10-day basic-training-type program.

The cadets, who represent nine states, will graduate Sunday, July 3.

While many teens are whiling away their summer breaks by sleeping in, playing video games or hanging out by the pool, the cadets are up at daybreak and going through the rigors of physical training, drills, classes and team-building exercises.

“This is the greatest activity that any young person in America can be in,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Kathleen Crockett, chief of staff for the program and a rising sophomore at Texas A&M University.

Crockett, 18, oversees a group of fellow cadets who make sure everything is running as it should behind the scenes. All of the training and organization for the camp is run by Civil Air Patrol cadets, with adult counterparts serving as mentors and supervisors.

The Civil Air Patrol cadet program is a national organization for youths ages 12 to 21, and focuses on leadership, aerospace education, fitness and character development. The all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and functions in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. It oversees the cadet program, and provides emergency services and aerospace education.

Cadets know they’re in for an intense experience when their parents drop them off, and are often nervous and stumbling over their words in the beginning, Crockett said. But 10 days of getting up at 5 a.m., improving their physical stamina and learning to be leaders make a noticeable change in the cadets, she said.

“We want to instill the confidence in them that they could do something that’s hard,” said Crockett, who is from Frederick. “They accomplish something that will have a lasting impact.”

The cadets also learn the basics for emergency services, take orientation flights at Warfield Air National Guard Base in Middle River, take aerospace classes and learn how to make sharp hospital corners on their mattress sheets.

“We want them to get a sense of dignity and pride and an acute sense of discipline,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Jason LaPre, the cadet vice commander.

LaPre, 18, will enroll at Penn State in the fall and participate in the Air Force ROTC.  He credits his involvement in the Civil Air Patrol with helping him learn leadership skills and gain confidence in public speaking. He is one of the youth leaders in charge of training at the camp.

“How often do you see 18-year-olds in charge of more than 200 young people?” Crockett asked.  “This is just a phenomenal experience.”