Civil Air Patrol Holds Graduation at Stratton Air Guard Base to Mark End of Week-Long Camp Sat. July 21

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA ,N.Y. (07/20/2018) (readMedia)-- One hundred and eighty Civil Air Patrol cadets from New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut, ages 12-21, will mark the conclusion of their week-long encampment with a graduation ceremony on Saturday, July 21.

Members of the media are invited to attend the event.

The encampment included flights in various military aircraft, including an aeromedical evacuation training flight on a C-17 Globemaster III from the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York.

WHO: 180 Civil Air Patrol Cadets from New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut with the Civil Air Patrol

WHAT: Civil Air Patrol Encampment Graduation Ceremony.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Saturday, July 21

WHERE: Stratton Air National Guard Base, 1 Air National Guard Rd., Scotia, N.Y.

Members of the media MUST contact SMSgt Willie Gizara or MSgt Catharine Schmidt by calling or texting (518) 701-4312 in order to gain access to the secure facility. Media are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to event time.

Media Opportunity:

The graduation ceremony will be approximately two hours long. Following the ceremony, media will be able to speak to cadets and encampment leaders about the Civil Air Patrol program and encampment.

Background:

The Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit corporation and is also the auxiliary service of the Air Force. Civil Air Patrol volunteers conduct search and rescue missions, assist the Air Force as required, and assist in disaster relief missions.

The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program allows young people -- ages 12 to 21-- to progress at their own pace through a 16-step program including aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness and moral leadership. Cadets compete for academic scholarships to further their studies in fields such as engineering, science, aircraft mechanics, aerospace medicine, meteorology, as well as many others.

Those cadets who earn cadet officer status may enter the Air Force as an E3 (airman first class) rather than an E1 (airman basic).

Stratton Air National Guard Base is the home of the 109th Airlift Wing. The wing flies the largest ski-equipped aircraft in the world, the LC-130, and provides support to research in the Antarctic and in Greenland.