DENISON, Texas – On March 31, 2014, a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadet from the Texoma Composite Squadron in Denison was presented an award in recognition of her achievements in the CAP Cadet Program in ceremonies held in the squadron’s facilities at the North Texas Regional Airport.
Cadet 2nd Lt. Catherine Flood received the General Billy Mitchell Award. Named in honor of the aviation pioneer and advocate for an independent air force for the United States following World War I, the Mitchell award is the second milestone in the CAP Cadet Program, and is awarded to cadets who have completed 8 of the 16 achievements in the program. This award also signifies a cadet’s transition from a non-commissioned officer into the cadet officer ranks. Approximately 15 percent of all cadets nationwide receive this award.
On hand to present the award was Judge Amos Mazzant. Mazzant is the U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, and is based in Sherman.
Judge Mazzant noted, “In my job I preside over civil and criminal cases, and sometimes have to send people to jail. When I get asked to make presentations like these, it’s really a highlight of my job. This is the first time CAP has asked me to do this, and it’s a great honor for me.”
Also attending the presentation was Maj. Fletcher Sharp, Deputy Director of Cadet Programs for CAP’s Texas Wing. Sharp presented Cadet Flood with a CAP challenge coin in recognition of her accomplishment.
For more information about Texoma Composite Squadron and its Cadet Program, please call (903) 786-6227 or visit www.captexoma.org
Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs about 85 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 71 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.