July 14 marks the start of Civil Air Patrol’s National Cadet Competition, with more than 100 cadets on 16 teams from 14 wings representing all eight Civil Air Patrol regions at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
The three-day competition for the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Outstanding Team Championship Trophy tests cadets’ performances in physical challenges as well as their knowledge of aviation and leadership and their demonstrations of precision and teamwork in posting the colors.
The cadets train for months and sometimes years to demonstrate excellence in a wide range of activities in leadership, aerospace, physical fitness, and character.
The teams finished first and second in their respective regional competitions after emerging as top finishers at the wing level.
Nearly half – seven – of the squadrons represented are making return trips to the national stage: the Boise, Chevy Chase, Kodiak Island, Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr., and Viking composite squadrons and the Dr. Cesareo Rosa-Nieves and Tangipahoa cadet squadrons.
The teams are:
Great Lakes Region
- Anderson Composite Squadron, Indiana Wing
- Shelbyville Composite Squadron, Indiana Wing
Mid-Atlantic Region
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron, Maryland Wing
- 111th Search and Rescue Composite Squadron, North Carolina
North Central Region
- Table Rock Lake Composite Squadron, Missouri Wing
- Viking Composite Squadron, Minnesota Wing
Northeast Region
- Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Composite Squadron, New Jersey Wing
- Twin Pine Composite Squadron, New Jersey Wing
Pacific Region
- Overlake Composite Squadron, Washington Wing
- Kodiak Island Composite Squadron, Alaska Wing
Rocky Mountain Region
- Broomfield Composite Squadron, Colorado Wing
- Boise Composite Squadron, Idaho Wing
Southeast Region
- Dr. Cesareo Rosa-Nieves Cadet Squadron, Puerto Rico Wing
- Brandon Cadet Squadron, Florida Wing
Southwest Region
- Tangipahoa Cadet Squadron, Louisiana Wing
- Thunderbolt Composite Squadron, Texas Wing
Great Lakes Region 
Indiana Wing – Anderson Composite Squadron
- Cadet 1st Lts. Elliot Dearing and Cameron Milleman
- Cadet 2nd Lts. Keira Orth and Benjamin Mast
- Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Mast
- Cadet Staff Sgt. Carson Tice
Indiana Wing – Shelbyville Composite Squadron
- Cadet Lt. Col. Trevor Bagnall
- Cadet Maj. John Zwirn
- Cadet 1st Lt. Zoe Bagnall
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Isaac Zwirn
- Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Jediael Allender
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Jabin Mexin
- Cadet Senior Airman Layla Bagnall
Mid-Atlantic Region 
Maryland Wing – Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron
- Cadet 2nd Lts. Amelia L. Lutz and Dylan Rosia
- Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Hanna Antonina Syska and Elias Whitcomb Wigle
- Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Myra Boppana
- Cadet Master Sgt. A. Ucles
North Carolina Wing – 111th Search and Rescue Composite Squadron
- Cadet 1st Lts. Velamir Karnaukh, Clayton Thompson, and Joseph Whitney
- Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Grayson Afshar
- Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Ethan Carr
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Elijah Fath
North Central Region
Missouri Wing – Table Rock Lake Composite Squadron
- Cadet Lt. Cols. Taran Fletcher and Bradley Henderson
- Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Allison Dillon and Rhian Fletcher
- Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Abigael Nievar
- Cadet Master Sgt. Clyde Cassady
Minnesota Wing – Viking Composite Squadron
- Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Saisree Dhavileswarapu
- Cadet Master Sgts. Bennet Nii and Devon Wyatt
- Cadet Airman 1st Class Akshay Jampuram
- Cadet Airmen Adam Colainni and William Thompson
Northeast Region
New Jersey Wing – Maj.. Thomas B. McGuire Composite Squadron, Twin Pine Composite Squadron
Pacific Region
Washington Wing – Overlake Composite Squadron
Alaska Wing – Kodiak Island Composite
Squadron
Rocky Mountain Region
Idaho Wing – Boise Composite Squadron
- Cadet Maj. Spencer McConnell
- Cadet 1st Lt. Sihu Hwang
- Cadet 2nd Lt, Ethan Alexander
- Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Nathan Pearl
- Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Hudson Rocke
- Cadet Tech. Sgts. Amber Doolittle and Derek Greenwood
- Cadet Senior Airman Hailey Darling
Colorado Wing
– Broomfield Composite Squadron
- Cadet Capt. Micah Jungling
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Gavin Carter
- Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Kaia Pope and Mateo Pope
- Cadet Master Sgt. Abigail Barreaux
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Sadie Schwartz
Southeast Region
Puerto Rico Wing – Dr. Cesareo Rosa-Nieves Cadet Squadron
- Cadet Lt. Col. Rayesh Figueroa
- Cadet Capts. Jarielys M. Rosario and Mary E. Rosario
- Cadet 1st Lt. Saul G. Andino
- Cadet 2nd Lts. Ian Y. Acosta, Andres A. Casiano, and Jose L. Medero
Florida Wing – Brandon Cadet Squadron
- Cadet Maj. Suzi L. Meldrum-Green
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Jean-Carlos Zapata
- Cadet Staff Sgt. Ricky J. Zeng
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Lila S. Morgan
- Cadet Airman 1st Class Jayna Filakosky
- Cadet Senior Airman Leah N. Rill
Southwest Region
Louisiana Wing – Tangipahoa Cadet Squadron
- Cadet Lt. Col. Seth Herrington Cadet Maj. Josiah May
- Cadet 1st Lts. Dave DeMatteo and Katherine Price
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Andrea Sherman
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Sarah Strickland
Texas Wing – Thunderbolt Composite Squadron
- Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Jashwanth Bandlamudi, Athindra Sathishkumar, Lennon Medina, Tara Schroeder, Daksha Srinivasan, and Logan Vasquez