Ellijay CAP cadets receive Spaatz Award

Two young cadets with Gilmer County’s Civil Air Patrol (CAP) composite squadron recently achieved a feat reached by a very small number of CAP cadets.

Last week, twin brothers George and Noah Powell both received the prestigious Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award. To receive the honor, cadets must work through 16 specific achievements, eventually reaching the rank of Cadet Colonel.

“Less than 1 percent of cadets in the Civil Air Patrol ever achieve this level,” said Jeff Seargeant, commander of Ellijay’s 507th CAP Composite Squadron.

Both George and Noah also had to pass a four-part exam that includes written and physical components, confirmed Seargeant.

“It’s a very tough test. They have to run a mile in a certain amount of time and do so many sit-ups and so many push-ups. They have to pass a 60-question, closed book test on leadership and a 60-question test on aerospace. They also have to write an essay on a leadership topic,” he added.

  The Spaatz Award has been recognized as the highest CAP cadet honor since its inception in 1964. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz was the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. In 1929, he and another pilot set a flight endurance record of 150 hours and 40 minutes. In World War II, Spaatz led the allied air campaign against the Nazis.

The Powell brothers, both of whom have attained 4.0 GPAs, live in Alpharetta. They’ve been with Ellijay’s “Flying Bobcats” CAP squadron, which welcomes membership from Gilmer and other counties, since 2017. They credit their recent achievements to “positive sibling rivalry,” as well as their family, fellow squadron members and different members of the CAP organization.

“We joined as 12-year-olds,” Noah said. “I had no leadership experience, no public speaking and no personal bearing. I have those now. Upon learning about the Spaatz, I immediately set a goal to achieve this highest award. The requirements push your personal limits and help you realize what you can achieve. CAP molded me and encouraged me every step of the way. I encourage all cadets to look at this award as a goal.”

“For me, the exposure to all phases of leadership was an unbelievable experience,” George said. “I felt challenged and rewarded at each step. The required physical fitness portion alone was daunting, but I never let myself think I would do anything but succeed. That goal got me started, but the habits I developed due to CAP kept me going. I’ll continue in life to set goals and use that strategy. There is no end to the good we can do with these skills and dedication.”

Maj. Gen. Edward Phelka, CAP National Commander and CEO, said the Powell brothers are “an inspiration and a reminder of how Civil Air Patrol encourages us all to give back” during the official award ceremony.

“As twin brothers, they inspired each other in tandem, supported by their family, squadron and a host of other CAP members who touched their lives,” said Phelka.

Four other cadets with the Ellijay squadron previously completed the Spaatz Award requirements, Seargeant noted. Coincidentally, the previous honorees were two pairs of siblings, he said. There are currently less than 30 cadets in the entire squadron.

“We are kind of unique. A lot of times, a squadron doesn’t have (any) Spaatz graduates,” Seargeant said. “Last year, there was a brother and sister, (Kay and Leland McAbee), who got their Spaatz. We seem to be a little ahead of the curve, and we’re pretty proud of that fact. Our cadets work hard to get to that (level).”

“This squadron is truly unusual, with six Spaatz winners,” said Phelka at the award ceremony. “That is quite a record. And all these recipients will affect the world in a very positive way.”

CAP is the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Its cadet program teaches various skills and training that are beneficial for cadets who wish to enter the military, but military service is not a requirement, noted Seargeant.

“CAP is a little different from ROTC, which prepares them to go right into the Army.We’re a composite squadron, which is part senior members and part cadets,” he added.

“A lot of our members have military backgrounds, but there are also some without military backgrounds. One of the biggest elements we teach is leadership and preparing them to be leaders. We are also an actual search and rescue organization. We’re all volunteers, but we will go and do missions, (like) if someone is lost on the Appalachian Trail. Cadets can be trained to do search and rescue, and the senior members are on the air crew.”

Seargeant noted that George and Noah have expressed an interest in becoming professional pilots.

“We teach aerospace, because we want to get the cadets interested in flying. All of our cadets have opportunities to go up on orientation flights. They get to take control of the plane, fly it and see if they like it. There’s a lot of good opportunities here,” he added.