CAPNYNEWS ONLINE

By Capt. Chuck Hereth

The New Year is here and holiday celebrations are over. Now what do we do? What does the New Year hold for us? These questions were posed to the cadet staff at the Utica Cadet Squadron planning meeting for 2008. Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the United States Air Force, is charged with several distinct missions, one of which is Cadet Programs. People young as 12 are invited to join the program. As cadets, they learn physical fitness, teamwork, organization, leadership skills, and have opportunities to participate in activities that will expand their views of the world helping, them become tomorrows leaders.

The unit-level cadet program is largely run by the cadets themselves as part of their organizational and leadership training. Mentorship and guidance is provided by the adult members. Seeing this group of senior cadets circling a table interacting like adults left me proud to be a part of this organization. Like most units, ours is continually evolving and changing. Senior cadets move on to college, military service or vocational training. Current cadets progress in the program and move up in rank, responsibility and authority. New cadets join and begin learning. In each group, the challenges that lie ahead in the New Year are varied. It is great to see cadets taking an active interest in their program and having input into how it is run.

Activities currently planned include team building exercises, land rescue training such as compass orienteering, and day and night land navigation. Cadets can learn to participate in Honor Guard activities involving military drill and ceremony, stressing teamwork and precision. Many cadets will fly an airplane for the first time. Its going to be a busy year!

To those cadets that are just starting out, I say, learn all you can. Get your education and don't waste time. The work you do today will have a direct impact on the rest of your lives. To those cadets that will graduate this year, I ask you to take what you have learned here and use these skills to make the best decisions, to be the best you can be, and to influence others to be the best they can be. That's leadership. That's the challenge.

If you are interested in becoming involved with the Civil Air Patrol then go to www.utica162.org or www.cap.gov to get more information on the cadet program or to volunteer.

EDITORS NOTE: Captain Hereth, commander of Utica Cadet Squadron, wrote this reflection for The Griff, a weekly newspaper covering the former Griffiss Air Force Base (now Griffiss Technology Park) and the Rome, NY area.

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