West Essex High Student, CAP Member Earns Aerospace Victory

Five local cadets from the Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol emerged victorious at the Cadet Aerospace Competition of the annual NJ Civil Air Patrol Wing Conference earlier this month.

According to a news release, the competitive challenge included entries from squadrons from around New Jersey.

The 2016 competition challenge theme was to “create a model and envision how artificial intelligence will impact aerospace in the next twenty years.”

The winning Curtiss-Wright cadets collaborated to envision a space vehicle that will include military, medical, transport and civilian aspects.

The teams were judged on their research, a written essay, an oral presentation to the judging panel and the physical model.

The award was announced and presented at the Annual Conference Banquet at Liberty Science Center, with Air Force dignitaries and hundreds of Civil Air Patrol members in attendance.

The winning members included:

• Cadet Lt Col. John Rogacki, a graduating senior at Seton Hall Prep who will attend the USMA at West Point
• Cadet 1st Lt Jordan Behrle, a junior at West Essex High School
• Cadet Technical Sergeant Charles Marashlian, a sophomore at Seton Hall Prep
• Cadet Technical Sergeant Ilayda Vural, a seventh grader at Roosevelt Middle School in West Orange
• Cadet Staff Sergeant, Michael Primamore, a sophomore at Hanover Park High School

The cadets are members of the Civil Air Patrol Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron, which meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings at the American Red Cross in Fairfield. Prospective cadets, ages 12-18, and their parents are welcome to attend.

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Photo courtesy of Alisa Vural