Local Youth Receives Air Force Association Award

LANSING, IL. –

On April 5th, Peter Pattara of Civil Air Patrol’s Thunder Composite Squadron was presented with the Air Force Association’s “Civil Air Patrol Outstanding Cadet of the Squadron” award for 2016 by Gerald Ashley, President of the Air Force Association’s Chapter 142. This award is presented annually in a special awards ceremony to recognize the achievements of the most accomplished cadet that year.

The Air Force Association (“AFA”) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting aerospace education to the community. As a long-term partner with the Civil Air Patrol (“CAP”), the AFA has established grants and awards to recognize the efforts of CAP members in their leadership skills and promotion of aerospace education to today’s youth.

Peter Pattara has been a CAP cadet since 2010 and a member of Thunder Composite Squadron since February 2014. Since that time not only has he progressed steadily through the program, but he has held several leadership positions, most recently including Cadet Deputy Commander in 2015 and Cadet Commander in 2016.

Currently serving as the unit’s Cadet Emergency Services Officer, Cadet Pattara has used his personal training gained from the program to become a Ground Team Leader and Trainer to help teach not only Thunder cadets but also other cadet and adult members across the U.S. as a Ground School Instructor at CAP’s National Emergency Services Academy held at Camp Atterbury in Indiana each July.

This past year however, Cadet Pattara achieved something no other cadet in Illinois had accomplished before. Under the training and guidance of Lieutenant Colonel Al Reynoso, Cadet Pattara became Illinois Wing’s first Cadet Incident Commander, a role that focuses on the development of mission plans and use of resources to carry out Air Force assigned missions. He has also now set up an alternating Ground Team response plan which has helped Thunder Composite Squadron respond more quickly with full teams for Air Force assigned search and rescue missions. His leadership and example to the other cadets has inspired many of them to challenge themselves to learn more about how to serve the community in CAP’s Emergency Services and taken on leadership roles themselves.

The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program aims to teach today's youth to become tomorrow's leaders. It opens the door to a variety of experiences that these cadets can then use when they go on to college or enter the job market. Cadets are given the opportunity to learn more about aviation which includes hands-on flight instruction in one of our Cessna aircraft. They are also encouraged to take part in additional training opportunities provided, such as First Air/CPR certification, so that they can assist the organization in Emergency Services missions but that additional training can also help them know how to react and assist their family, friends and the community.

Thunder Composite Squadron meets every Wednesday from 6:30-9pm at Heritage Middle School in Lansing, Illinois with members from surrounding communities such as Calumet City, Mokena, Lynwood, Dyer, Munster and Schererville.

To learn more or find a Unit close to you, visit: http://www.gocivilairpatrol.co...