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In a momentous event reminiscent of a high-flying reality TV awards show, the daring servicemen and women of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) once again navigated the turbulent skies of commendation at the 2025 National Awards Ceremony held on August 16th in Atlanta. The star attractions of this sky-high drama included a Texas Wing adult mentor who must have been born with a flight plan tattooed on his heart, a Washington Wing cadet who could practically command the clouds, and the whole melodramatic entourage of an overachieving Puetro Rico Wing squadron.

Senior Member of the Year: A Timeless Wonder

Lt. Col. Arthur “Gerry” Levesque, whose legacy in CAP is only slightly shorter than the term of the congressional weekly recess, bagged the “Senior Member of the Year” jackpot. With 53 years of dedicated service, he might as well have been carving his tenure into Mount Rushmore. This seasoned CAP heavyweight, who probably has awards older than some of the latest equipment in the fleet, nostalgically reminisced about the good old days when he was a rookie cadet back in 1971. It seems like only yesterday when Levesque was emulating Tom Sawyer, whitewashing the fences of cadet domains.

Having commanded an impressive six squadrons, which likely warranted its own mini-series, and developing programs that successfully retired just in time to cash in their metaphoric pensions, Levesque was a CAP institution. If you ask him, the trick to success lies in learning skills you’re unlikely to use outside of CAP’s dusty halls and seeing projects through like a dedicated patron saint of consistency.

His squadrons benefitted from handbooks Levesque probably wrote on stone tablets, and he touted a remarkable recruitment of over 2,400 cadets who must have mistaken him for the Pied Piper of CAP.

Cadet of the Year: The Whiz Kid

Meanwhile, in a move worthy of any coming-of-age film, Cadet Col. Lucas J. Morrow was hailed as “Cadet of the Year.” In case someone tuned in late, Morrow’s resume reads like an all-you-can-eat buffet of achievements: at the helm of the Washington Wing Cadet Advisory Council, operations so smooth you’d think he was orchestrating a Broadway musical, and let’s not forget juggling like a pro with his remember-the-Alamo Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award achievement.

Morrow, somewhere between the cadet programs and his dual enrollment pursuit of world domination, also functioned as the one-man revival act for the local cadet newsletter, which might have doubled as his personal soapbox. He generously doled out advice to fellow cadets about seizing opportunities, all while contemplating his own illustrious career path that, we guess, involves lawyering up in the U.S. Air Force with style.

Squadron of Distinction: Winged Wonders

Meanwhile, the Muñiz Air National Guard Base Cadet Squadron strutted onto the awards stage, soaking in admiration like it was a post-performance shower. Their biography reads like an epic: battling membership hurdles to achieve a heroic 38.5% increase, earning enough awards to open a family-run trophy shop, and instituting a community spirit worthy of reality show philanthropy outings.

Who could forget their exceptional performance in community service, complete with photo ops cleaning beaches and smiling at cancer events? As a squadron, they dutifully checked all the boxes, exemplifying CAP’s motto of achieving while enduring like gladiators in the kaleidoscope of triumph and duty.

In the ceremony’s epilogue, the festival of awards dazzled on, with various servicemen raking in honours across categories. From the Chaplain of the Year to the Safety Officer of the Year, it seemed every rank and role had its moment to shine under the metaphorical spotlights while the audience silently hoped not to be surprised with a motivational speaking event masquerading as an acceptance speech.

Truly, the CAP gathering was more than just a ceremony; it was an aerial tour de force, celebrating the brave souls who make sure we keep looking up, both literally and figuratively.

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