National Cadet Competition

 

2011 Participants Website

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Brought to you by PAO Captains Paul Creed and Jeri Gonwa, and Major James Kalemis, PAO Chief.

 
 

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Sunday 26 June 2011

2011 National Color Guard Team PCR

2011 National Drill Team SER

Saturday 25 June 2011

With the sun shining brightly above them, the drill teams ran their mile run to start the last day of the competition.  With the blow of the whistle, they were off taking four laps around the track as the spectators cheered them on to the finish line.  As an encouragement to the cadets, Lieutenant Colonel Ned Lee, National Cadet Advisory Council senior advisor and a member of the Civil Air Patrol’s Board of Directors, ran the mile with each of the eight regions, staying directly behind them.  During the last lap, Lee pulled up alongside the last cadet, encouraging him onto the finish line.  As the cadet approached the last 100 yards, Lee pulled back waving his arms in the air encouraging the crowd to cheer on the cadet as he sprinted to the finish line.

The afternoon was met with high anticipation from the spectators as they were able to see the cadets all dressed in their blues ready to do what they know best – perform.  For the Drill Teams, that meant doing the Standard Drill in which every team must perform the same routine with set drill movements.

Then it was time for the Drill Teams to show off their Innovative Drill routine.  Teams were allowed to use their imagination as they put together a routine of their own making.  Allowed to only use authorized drill movements, the cadets clicked their way through the complexities of their drill weaving in and out of each other never missing a step.  With the attention of the crowd focused on the cadets, it was no wonder that the cadets dazzled their spectators with amazement.

Honoring the flag is always done with respect,  so much care goes into the preparation of the Color Guards activities.  The main goal as a Color Guard is to always present the colors with honor, respect, and dignity.  It is the symbol of our country and should always be presented with care.  Silence filled the room as the Color Guard began their Indoor Presentation.  The cadets are given time to read their instructions and prepare the room for presenting the colors.  Though this may appear to be an easy task, the team must first make certain that the room is set up properly.  They then must decide the appropriate manner in which to enter the room, present the colors, as well as retreat the colors when finished.

Standard Drill for the Color Guard is a figure eight set of motions that they must perform with precision. Knowing exactly where to stop and report to the head judge is crucial in this two and a half minute drill.  The flag bearers, as well as the gun bearers, must work together to move at the same time.

The Outdoor Presentation requires Color Guards to know how to raise and lower a flag on an outside flagpole. The venue is never known beforehand in order to give everyone the same playing field.  Outdoor flagpoles and their surroundings are always different, being opportunities for innovative thinking.   As with the indoor presentation of colors, this too is performed with the utmost care.

With the competition portion finished, tonight they get to enjoy a picnic where they can mingle with new friends and finally relax.  Tomorrow is another day, but a fun one as they will visit the National Museum of the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  And tomorrow night is the finale - the Awards Banquet and announcement of the National Color Guard and Drill Team winners.

Stories by Capt. Jeri Gonwa, PAO staff.

Additional photos from the day are at the NCC 2011 Photo Page.

Friday 24 June 2011

With tensions mounting with the pending activities for the day, the cadets knew that of all days, this day would probably be the most stressful.  While the Color Guard teams ran the mile on the new track at Stebbins High School in Dayton, Ohio, the Drill Teams were busy inside with Panel Quiz.  As the cadet commander for the  Rocky Mountain Region Color Guard, C/CMSgt Jensyn Reece, so appropriately stated, “Panel quiz is nerve wracking.”  Cadets took turns at the buzzers, seeing who would be first to “buzz in” with the answer to both aerospace and leadership questions.  The best way to explain this game is to say it is much like Jeopardy.  The team with the quickest thumbs and sharpest minds were the ones who finished on top.  Teams rotated until the winning team was victorious.

After lunch, it was the Color Guard's turn at Panel Quiz while the drill teams were inspected in their Air Force blues uniform.  Attention to detail is critical in this category in which you need to make sure that every piece of lint is off your clothes, your shirts tucked in properly with the military tuck, shoes shined, hair trimmed and ribbons in the proper order.  And just in case the judges ask, it is advisable to know what a particular ribbon was given for.  Looking sharp in their uniforms, the cadets reported to the judges who measured the distance between devices and edge of collars and covers to make sure they were properly placed.  Covers also needed to be resting on their heads properly and belts through each loop.  Attention to such detail is all part of becoming a leader, and these cadets are well on their way.

The team from Puerto Rico stated with big smiles on their faces that their favorite part of competition was, hands down, volleyball and they could not wait. Having finished with the knowledge portion of the competition, all of the cadets were ready to let loose with their skills on the court.  Excitement and enthusiastic shouts were in the air while the eight drill teams battled it out on the court for top honors.

The color guard teams finished their day with the inspection of their uniforms, and thankfully, the sun decided to make an appearance for a while. This made it possible for the judging to be held outdoors where parents were able to watch. Judges carefully looked over the cadets and judged them on their attentiveness to detail.

Tomorrow it is the Drill Team's turn to run the mile while the Color Guard perform their Indoor Presentation. The afternoon activities will be Standard and Innovative Drill for the Drill Teams while the Color Guards compete in Standard Drill and Outdoor Presentation.  The cadets and staff will wrap up the day with a picnic for an evening of relaxation as well as a time to get to know their new friends.

Additional photos from the day are at the NCC 2011 Photo Page.

Thursday 23 June 2011

By Wednesday night, all sixteen teams arrived safely by air and ground, and though some teams have stories to tell of their adventure with delays at airports due to maintenance or weather issues, the excitement of being here was overwhelming.  Many cadets, having flown for the first time on a commercial airline, preferred the smaller CAP planes that they receive orientation flights in.

Upon arrival to the university, final preparations were underway in the pressing of uniforms, polishing shoes, studying for both written and oral quizzes, and that last minute polishing of their drill maneuvers.  Trying to concentrate on the tasks at hand and not get nervous or stressed is something that all the cadets had to work on.  By keeping busy, it helped to keep their minds off of the upcoming events.

Goals are something that these cadets are used to in CAP.  Part of learning leadership is goal setting - from when to promote, to what one wishes to accomplish at an event such as drill or color guard competition.

Cadet 1st Lieutenant Joshua Phillips, Texas drill team commander for the Southwest Region, stated that his overall goal for his team this year was not necessarily to win first place.  Phillips stated, “I want my team to gain more confidence, thus making them a stronger team.”  This quiet yet confident 18 year-old commander has led his team by setting the example.  Being a cadet of a middle school initiative CAP program in Houston, TX, Phillips has been able to promote every month.  His own confidence in what he can do has helped him to set the goal of earning his Spaatz Award by March of 2012.  Recently graduating from high school with a 4.3 GPA, he plans on attending college to get a degree in mathematics and chemistry and has the intention of staying in CAP for a very long time.

By now, the camaraderie in the teams as they have practiced over the past one-half year or more, has become second to none.  For the North Carolina drill team, their hope of making new friends during this experience is a priority on their list.  When asked what they hope to take away from this competition, the entire team’s response was to hold up their index finger and smile.  Their confidence in themselves was evident when they were asked what part of competition made them the most nervous.  As they went through the list of what events they thought they were good at, they did admitted they were a little nervous about their innovative drill.  There is little doubt that this team, as well as others, have come to do their best and win.  That is all that one can ask of them.

After the morning's briefing of what the next few days would bring for these teams, it was time for the written test.  The knowledge portion of competition is sometimes more stressful than performing the drills.  Looks of “I should know this answer” or “I should have studied that more” were evident in the cadet’s faces as they sat at the tables, often times rubbing their heads.  If one were to ask the cadets now, they would no doubt be glad this portion of the competition is over.

Dinner had a special treat tonight, but not in the way of food.  The cadets were able to personally meet the CAP National Commander, Major General Amy Courter and the Vice Commander, Brigadier General Chuck Carr,  as they filed in the dining hall.  After dinner, Courter spoke to the cadets and fielded questions from the eager audience.

“Competition is not just about competing against the other teams,” mentioned Courter, “but about competing against yourself.”  She went to explain that setting goals for yourself is how the cadets will improve, always pushing yourself to the next level.  “You are all winners just by being here,” she went on to say. “It is your opportunity to challenge yourselves.”  Courter, a true believer in the cadet program, mentioned that it was the National Cadet Competition that kept her involved in CAP many years ago.  Not that it is the end-all of the cadet program, but that it “helps keep the missions of CAP together.”  At the end of her presentation, she presented to each cadet and senior escort a remembrance of her time with them.  A challenge coin in the shape of a two-sided flag with the Major General’s two stars on one side and the CAP emblem on the other.  The coins were purchased by her personally.

Tomorrow brings another day and the competition heats up with quiz bowl, the final portion of the knowledge testing, as well as inspection of uniforms, volleyball for the drill teams and the mile run for the color guards.

Additional photos from the day are at the NCC 2011 Photo Page.
 

Wednesday 22 June 2011

The teams will be flying into Dayton Airport and driving to the Wright State University housing.  There are no events scheduled for today as some teams will be arriving late.  Below is a summary of the events.  A detailed scheduled is located at the Participants website .

© 2011 Civil Air Patrol   Major James Kalemis, PAO Chief