Florence Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol cadet receives award

The Florence Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol announced the promotion of Cadet Benjamin Petereit of Darlington to the officer rank of 2nd lieutenant. Petereit has also received the Billy Mitchell Award.
Petereit is a senior in high school and is taking dual credits from Francis Marion University. He is also active in his church, Family Worship Center. A few of his responsibilities include being a member of the media/stage team and maintenance teams.
The Billy Mitchell Award, which marks the completion of Phase II of the Civil Air Patrol’s Four-Phase Cadet Program, was recently presented to Petereit, the Cadet Deputy Commander of the Florence Composite Squadron, which meets at the Florence Airport.
The Mitchell Award marks completion of Phase II of the CAP Cadet Program, recognizing sustained excellence in all four areas of cadet life: leadership, aerospace, fitness and character. Further, Mitchell cadets must have passed comprehensive examinations on leadership and aerospace topics and have completed a weeklong encampment immersing them in a challenging Core Values and STEM environment.
The Air Force respects Mitchell Award recipients’ accomplishments. Mitchell cadets who enlist in the Air Force enter the service at the advanced grade of E-3, Airman First Class. The service also looks favorably upon Mitchell cadets when evaluating AFROTC and Academy applicants.
Once a cadet earns the Mitchell Award, he or she becomes a cadet officer, is promoted to the grade of cadet second lieutenant, and is challenged to lead and serve junior-ranking cadets, while continuing to develop into a “dynamic American and aerospace leader.”
Petereit has been a member of Civil Air Patrol for three years; he has attended two South Carolina Wing Encampments. He has attended Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCOA), Region Cadet Leadership School (RCLS), Recently, Petereit was a member of the Civil Air Patrol National Legislation Day to Washington.
“I joined Civil Air Patrol l because I am homeschooled. I needed something for my PT credit. When I was in elementary school, I tried sports, but I didn’t care for them. I found Civil Air Patrol when I was 15, in 2017. At first, I thought it was a local organization. Then I learned that that it was a national organization and has squadrons across the world. Since I joined, I have loved every aspect of Civil Air Patrol and I am glad I have found something I actually enjoy.”
The Florence Composite Squadron has recently earned the Quality Cadet Unit Award designation from Civil Air Patrol’s National Headquarters for the third consecutive year. The unit meets weekly at 100 Cap Drive just behind the Florence Airport.

Author: Stephan Drew

Share This Post On

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
x
6
Posts Remaining