The Eaker Award • The General Ira Eaker Award was introduced in 1995 to award completion of the four phases of the Cadet Program. (The Spaatz is outside of the phases.) It became a milestone award in 1998. • Cadets are promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel. • Prior to the Eaker, the recognition for completing all four phases was the addition of a silver triangular clasp on the Earhart ribbon, which was authorized in the early nineties. • In addition to phase completion, cadets must attend Cadet Officer School or a regional cadet officer school, and satisfy a speech/writing requirement.
The Eaker Award. The General Ira Eaker Award was introduced in 1995 to award completion of the four phases of the Cadet Program. (The Spaatz is outside of the phases.) It became a milestone award in 1998. Cadets are promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
The Eaker Award• The General Ira Eaker Award was introduced in 1995 to
award completion of the four phases of the Cadet Program. (The Spaatz is outside of the phases.) It became a milestone award in 1998.
• Cadets are promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel.• Prior to the Eaker, the recognition for completing all four
phases was the addition of a silver triangular clasp on the Earhart ribbon, which was authorized in the early nineties.
• In addition to phase completion, cadets must attend Cadet Officer School or a regional cadet officer school, and satisfy a speech/writing requirement.
1996
• National Flight Encampments return
• NCC includes Color Guard Competition
1998 New National Activities
• Hawk Mountain
• National Ground SAR School
Summary of the Cadet Program that ended in 1998:
• 15 achievements, 3 “milestone” awards
From “preflight training” to a multitude of activities.
Since 1942, the CAP Cadet Program has evolved from a war-time training program, to a multi-faceted volunteer organization. Members can choose from a litany of aviation, military, and emergency services activities. Some of them can become careers.
Whatever their focus in CAP, Cadets gain self-confidence, poise, leadership experience, and character.
CAP Cadet training is life-training, no matter what course the cadet takes through life.
Why stop at 1998?
• The current Cadet Program was introduced in 1998. While it is another iteration of the 1964 program, the changes were significant enough to set it apart from the previous versions of the Sorenson program. These changes included removal of C/FO, addition of senior NCO grades, NCO insignia changes, addition of milestone awards, and major testing changes.
• Multiple changes have been implemented since 1998.• It is also not yet history. It can easily be researched
Neprud, Robert E. Flying Minute Men: the Story of the Civil Air Patrol. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1948. Print.
“New Cadet Program to Begin July 1.” Civil Air Patrol News. May 1970: 8-9. Print.
Perrenot, Preston. Civil Air Patrol Uniform Insignia Since 1941. 3rd ed. Lexington: 2011. Print.
United States. Headquarters Army Air Force, Office of Flying Safety. Preflight Study Manual. Print.
United States. Office of Education. Victory Corps Series. Washington: GPO, 1942. Web. 7 June 2012.
United States. Uniform for the Civil Air Patrol Male Cadet. CAPP 6. Washington: GPO, June 1954. Web. 25 May 2012.
Personal Notes
A word about the National Special Activities photos:
• I have only tried to hit the high points of National Cadet Special Activities, and have not included all of them. I barely scratched the surface of Wing and Region activities.
• I have also used them to illustrate the changes in American mores since the beginning of the Cadet Program. A good example is the Stewardess Orientation Course.
• Some of the best pictures in the Annual Reports are of special activities. The photos provide a glimpse into the uniforms and fashions of the past.
• An exhaustive discussion of National, Wing, and Region activities is worthy of another project.
• When it comes to dates remember that I have been limited by what I can find on the internet, and by my memory.
• IACE 1980-1998: The participant countries were, for the most part, the same as in 1979. However, they were not listed in the Annual Reports after the early 1980s, so it is difficult to verify the exact countries that participated every year.
If I recall correctly: dusty memory warning
Soon after I joined CAP as a cadet in 1988, there was a big flap over color guards carrying parade rifles. The rumor was a Congressman had seen a cadet color guard in the Annual Report carrying rifles, and freaked out. We assumed he got upset over the fake weapons everyone carried, and thought he was making a big deal over nothing. My Wing was serious about it, and we were told sternly “No more rifles for color guard.” After a few years, we were allowed to carry them again.
For decades it was standard practice for color guards to march unarmed, or carry dummy rifles, usually nothing that resembled the “real deal”. I think the regs back then allowed “facsimile or deactivated” firearms, but you typically saw the fakes. This photo was in the 1988 ARC. Color guards are conspicuously absent from the Reports 1989-1990, then reappear with parade rifles in 1992.
I think I just got the whole story… 24 years later.
Or maybe it was just my Wing…
About the author:• I joined CAP in August 1988.• COS: 1992• IACE - Australia: 1996• I tried as many cadet activities as I could. I was on 2 Wing drill teams, a million color guards, 8 encampments, earned the GT badge… you get the idea.• I was also a Senior Member for 2 years. My father and I, August 1993
Rappeling (or “abseiling”) in Australia, 1996
Recommended Websites
• History of USAF uniforms: Usafflagranks.com• Nationalmuseum.af.mil• Lt Col Bobby Thomas’ website: Txsgair.org• Maj Ace Browning’s site with Civil Air Patrol patches,
insignia, history: incountry.us/cappatches/• CAP Annual Reports:
capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/cap_reports/• 1977 CAP recruiting video: