New Cadet Commander for Putnam County Civil Air Patrol

Cadet Captain Alexxis Hoernes, of Poughkeepsie, NY, assumed command of Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Composite Squadron cadets at the unit’s Change of Command Ceremony held at the Paladin Center on July 14, 2017. Captain Elena MacDermant, Squadron Commander, presided over the ceremony.

Cadet Commander Hoernes joined Civil Air Patrol in October 2012. “I never knew that Civil Air Patrol existed until my father suggested I go to a meeting at the local squadron in Dutchess County. He was a cadet when he was my age and encouraged me to become one as well. At first Civil Air Patrol was just an activity, but once I made friends it became more than that. I became hooked on the program after my first year on staff at New York Wing Encampment where I had the chance to watch cadets mature into young adults,” said Hoernes.

Hoernes transferred to the Putnam County Composite Squadron in 2015, training and gaining experience by holding positions in the cadet chain of command. Hoernes noted, “I’ve held most executive positions, such as public affairs officer, aerospace, safety and training officer, as well as being a flight commander, training and mentoring cadets” She’s attended four New York Wing and three Connecticut Wing Encampments, attended Northeast Region Leadership School and served on color and honor guard teams, taking advantage of the opportunities to develop her leadership and command capabilities and becoming an effective leader along the way.

Hoernes earned the General Billy Mitchell Award and promoted to cadet captain in July 2015. The Mitchell Award is the second milestone in the cadet program that marks completion of the leadership phase. Only 15% of Civil Air Patrol cadets obtain the award, making them eligible for advanced placement to the grade of airman first class should they choose to enter the U.S. Air Force. She also earned the Amelia Earhart Award in April 2017 by passing a comprehensive examination covering aerospace topics, leadership theory and staff duties. Just three percent of Civil Air Patrol cadets nationwide earn the Earhart Award. Hoernes also lists earning the Aerospace Rocketry Award among her major achievements.

Asked about her objectives for the squadron, Hoernes said, “My goals are to retain the cadets we currently have as well as recruiting new cadets, increase our participation within the community, and focus more on the activities our cadets enjoy, such as rocketry, eServices and color guard.”

Members of the Putnam County Composite Squadron meet on Friday’s from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Paladin Center, located at 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY.

For additional information contact Captain Elena MacDermant, Civil Air Patrol, Putnam County Composite Squadron Commander at (845) 216-5433, email Elenamac@aol.com or visit www.facebook.com/PutnamCountyCompositeSquadron.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, 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 80 lives annually. CAP’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.