Patience and Leadership: Lessons Learned in the Civil Air Patrol

High school student Gabe has acquired valuable skills in his three years with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. As a Senior Master Sergeant, he holds multiple duty titles and trains a squadron so they can earn certifications in CAP tasks. He has four duty assignments as a non-commissioned officer (NCO). To qualify for these roles, he demonstrated leadership, knowledge, fitness, and character through a series of exams and activities.

To achieve the emergency services NCO position, he participated in a search and rescue exercise where he walked in a line with several others, gradually moving forward. They looked for aircraft debris and evidence of missing people. It’s a simple but reliable technique. Sometimes, police collaborate with CAP on such missions. He also knows how to carry a wounded person on a stretcher and apply a tourniquet. For his other duty assignments, he operates CAP’s radio systems and conducts safety briefings. Without a doubt, these roles offer beneficial experiences in addition to his PA Cyber education.

Gabe wants to get his squadron certified so they can fly missions. He will be eligible to obtain his pilot's license through CAP next year. So far, he has flown with a pilot three times. It's worth noting that CAP utilizes the largest single-engine fleet in the world for activities such as search and rescue, disaster relief, and homeland security.

Of all the skills he has gained while in CAP, Gabe is most proud of his increased patience. “When I’m training people, they’ll mess up,” he said. “I mess up a little bit all the time. But I learned patience so I could stay calm in those situations. And I can talk to them in a respectful manner instead of yelling.”

Gabe has been attending weekly CAP meetings since he was 12, which is the earliest anyone can join. His squadron is in Northeastern Pennsylvania. His mom encouraged him to join, as she belonged to CAP herself.

When he graduates from high school, he wants to get his Commercial Driver’s License. He is also considering opportunities through CAP. If he achieves a high enough rank in CAP before turning 21, he said he could join the military at a higher pay grade right out of boot camp. He is interested in driving armored tanks for the Army.

In his seventh year at PA Cyber, he says he has everything he needs to attend his high school classes and clubs from home, and he likes not having to dress to fit in. We’re so proud to have Gabe in the PA Cyber community!