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Civic Leadership Academy: Because Nothing Says ‘Vacation’ Like Seminars and C-SPAN

Twenty of Civil Air Patrol’s most promising cadets descended upon Washington, D.C., this February for a week of handshakes, policy jargon, and PowerPoints at CAP’s beloved Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) — a National Cadet Special Activity that dares to combine field trips with political science homework.

A “Premier Educational Experience,” Now With Bonus Acronyms

CLA, long praised for its academic value (and modestly high number of bow ties per capita), exists to give young leaders a behind-the-scenes look at how government decisions are made — and how they often aren’t.

“The goal is to show cadets how messy democracy really is,” said Lt. Col. James Keohane, academy director and part-time Capitol tour guide. “Also, we wanted to give them a reason to wear service dress in February.”

Cadets by the Numbers

This year’s attendees hailed from 16 wings, 7 regions, and even a squadron in Japan, because nothing says ‘global leadership’ like flying 14 hours to watch Congress adjourn early.

Honor Roll of Overachievers (a sample):

  • Cadet Lt. Col. Brodie Hendrick, AZ — received his actual USAFA appointment live in D.C., upstaging his entire Congressional delegation.
  • Cadet Col. Mason Teague, NC — once briefed three senators before breakfast.
  • Cadet Capt. Jayden Lavecchia, VT — likely now fluent in the language of polite political nodding.

What They Did (Besides Getting Blisters from Walking on Marble Floors)

From Feb. 9–16, the cadets took part in:

  • Legislative Day, where they told actual lawmakers about CAP while quietly trying not to fangirl.
  • A wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington, where cadets looked extremely solemn while sweating through their blues.
  • Meetings with leaders from the Department of Defense, State, and even the CIA, where they nodded at things they legally cannot talk about.
  • An evening roundtable with Maj. Gen. Regena Aye, CAP National Commander/CEO, which involved high-level discussion and possibly cookies.

They also toured all three branches of government, which gave cadets valuable insight into how each one blames the other for getting nothing done.

Curriculum: Death by Civics

Between walking tours and photo ops, cadets sat through lectures, seminars, and assigned readings so robust that at least one cadet tried to trade a Supreme Court brochure for caffeine.

All of this built up to the final project: presenting their experience back home, complete with slides, statistics, and at least one Lincoln quote for gravitas.

Staff of Champions

Running the show were four staff members who bravely volunteered to chaperone 20 ambitious teenagers around the most secure buildings in America, including:

  • Lt. Col. James Keohane – Master of logistics and calm amidst cadet chaos
  • Lt. Col. Beverly Scoggins – Wielder of the sacred CLA binder
  • 2nd Lt. Edward Sullivan – Character development instructor and moral compass
  • Lt. Col. Carlos Wilkinson – Commander and designated “don’t touch that” specialist

Final Thoughts

CLA 2025 wasn’t just a government crash course—it was a full-on leadership boot camp in the heart of bureaucracy. These cadets didn’t just survive a week of acronyms and airport security—they thrived, returning home with sharpened skills, a deeper understanding of public service, and probably a slightly inflated sense of civic duty.

Mission accomplished. Now back to algebra and drill.

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