Over 200 Civil Air Patrol Cadets conduct week-long training event at Stratton Air National Guard Base

Annual encampment begins on July 20 and runs until July 27

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Civil Air Patrol cadets boarding a C-17 during the 2018 Civil Air Patrol Cadet encampment at Stratton Air National Guard Base.

SCOTIA, N.Y. (07/18/2019) (readMedia)-- Two hundred and thirteen Civil Air Patrol Cadets will attend the annual Civil Air Patrol encampment hosted by the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base from July 20 to July 27.

The encampment will be run by 61 staff cadets overseen by 46 senior Civil Air Patrol members.The cadets come from several northeastern states.

Attending the annual week-long encampment is a requirement for Civil Air Patrol enlisted cadets who want to transition to the cadet officer ranks.

The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force. Members of the 51 Civil Air Patrol wings perform search and rescue operations and aid in domestic response.

The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program, open to young men and women aged 12 to 21-- promotes aviation and aerospace education through youth development training.

The week will consist of military aircraft flights on UH-60 Helicopters from Rhode Island Army National Guard and a C-17 Globemaster III from the 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh NY.

The cadets will also complete various leadership challenges to accomplish specific tasks efficiently, climb a rock wall, give briefings on professionalism and discipline and learn about radios, planes and unmanned aerial vehicles. The week culminates in a pass in review, a long standing military tradition where a unit marches past a reviewing party for inspection.

The benefit of holding the encampment at Stratton ANGB is the availability of resources and the examples of leadership and hard work that happens on base every day, according to Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Dave Panzera, the commander of the the New York Wing Encampment.

Panzera also served 31 years in the Air Force and retired as a LC-130 pilot from the 109th Airlift Wing.

"There could not be a better place to showcase a possible future for these cadets should they consider military service and to showcase the capabilities of the military to these young men and women" Panzera said.

"We want to have competent, smart, sharp young men and women come in, not only learn how to be leaders, but learn the critical elements of search and rescue" Panzera added.