Pinerio named Cadet Commander of local Civil Air Patrol squadron

Cadet Second Lieutenant Kevin Pinerio accepted command of Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Composite Squadron cadets during a change of command ceremony held on June 22 at the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services in Carmel, New York.

Pinerio joined Civil Air Patrol in March 2013. “My dad showed me a news article about the squadron that caught my interest,” said Pinerio. “Drill and ceremonies, as well as leadership prospects, increased my interest in the cadet program and after attending a few meetings I decided to join.”

Since becoming a member Pinerio has fostered notable leadership skills by holding positions on the cadet chain of command with increasing levels of responsibility. Beginning as an element leader, Pinerio progressed to flight sergeant, first sergeant and deputy cadet commander. He attended the 2015 NY Wing Encampment as cadet basic and returned in 2017 to serve as an encampment flight sergeant, taking advantage of the opportunity to develop his command skills.

Pinerio serves on the squadron color guard team, is a participant in the Air Force Association CyberPatriot program, and a recipient of the Community Service Award which is presented after cadets complete 60 hours of community service outside of Civil Air Patrol. He earned the Wright Brothers and Brigadier General Billy Mitchell Awards, and recently promoted to cadet second lieutenant, advancing to the command phase of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program.

“A few goals I have for the squadron include recruiting new cadets, helping them to promote and making sure they value and understand Civil Air Patrol core values,” said Pinerio. “I’d like to see cadets fluent in drill and ceremonies in accordance with the Air Force Drill Manual and will personally work towards promoting to major.”

Members of the Putnam County Composite Squadron meet on Friday’s from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Paladin Center, 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY. For squadron information 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 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.