h/t Capt. Karl Falken for the sharing the below release and photos – Capt Karl Falken Congratulates C/SSgt Nicholas Stong
Lander, Wyoming – On January 28th, 2020, the Fremont County Element of the Yellowstone Regional Composite Squadron promoted their first cadet Non-Commissioned Officers. Brothers Nicholas and Tim Strong were recognized with the Civil Air Patrol’s Wright Brothers Award. The award is named after American aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright. According to the WBA fact sheet, “Cadets earn the award upon completing Phase I, ‘The Learning Phase,’ consisting of the Cadet Program’s first three achievements. As such, the award recognizes excellence in all four areas of cadet life: leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character. In addition, Wright Brothers Award recipients have passed a challenging, closed-book examination testing leadership knowledge and proficiency in drill and ceremonies.” This also means they are the first local members to achieve NCO status since the element was formed early in 2018. NCOs are a necessary part of the cadet staff that helps run the congressionally chartered cadet programs under supervision of adult members. The brothers joined in April of 2018 and have been regular active members of the squadron.
Also promoted were Ciely Daly to Cadet Senior Airman, and Clark Bailey to Cadet Master Sgt.. Ciely is a student at Wyoming Catholic College. Clark and his parents, Capt James and 2d Lt Angel Bailey, recently transferred into the Wyoming Wing from West Virginia. The latter promotion makes C/MSgt Bailey the new Cadet First Sergeant for the element. According to Wikipedia, “The roles of the Cadet First Sergeant are to relay information to Flight Sergeants and other NCOs or Airmen from the command staff, be the eyes and ears of the cadet commander, be the voice of the cadets to the commander, and to be a mentor and example for all NCOs in the squadron.” 1 Cadet Senior Airman Daly was recognized by former Squadron Commander Capt. Jerry Cowles for excellence in her leadership and organizational skills. Another recent promotion was for senior (adult) member Lynn Baxter to 2nd Lt. Cadet Commander, Cadet Capt John Swindell was honored for his outstanding service with the Fremont County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Outstanding Cadet Medal. The OCM recognizes a cadet that has distinguished him or herself through outstanding leadership, honor, service, courage, and patriotism.
