Danville CAP Squadron earns second consecutive Quality Cadet Unit Award

Virginia Wing Civil Air Patrol’s Danville Squadron was honored for achieving the 2021 Quality Cadet Unit Award for the second consecutive year.

Danville Squadron earned the award by demonstrating high standards of providing cadets with opportunities for learning leadership, character development, aerospace education and physical training. Danville Squadron offered valuable hands-on learning experiences to cadets like flights in Civil Air Patrol airplanes. The cadets also participated in public service projects in the area, including cleaning out delivery trucks at God’s Storehouse food bank and assisting with the delivery of COVID-19 testing equipment.

To be eligible for the annual Quality Cadet Unit Award, Squadrons must meet at least six criteria out of 10 during the time frame of August 2020 to August 2021. Examples of what the squadron accomplished for the recognition include maintaining at least 10 cadets on the roster, ensuring that 70% of all cadets earn their first achievement in eight weeks and a certain number of cadets must have transitioned from cadet airman to noncommissioned officer.

Additional examples of criteria included that cadets completed their first orientation flight, a percentage of cadets completed their week-long cadet leadership camp and the unit has participated in a STEM opportunity or an external aerospace education program.

“Danville’s Squadron’s Commander and a CAP pilot, Captain Michael Duncan, commented in a recent news release, “The hard work and dedication of the squadron, from both our adult leaders and our cadets, are evident in earning this award. Congratulations to all!”

Local leaders can use the award criteria to gauge the relative health of their Cadet program. Wing leaders can use the program data to identify squadrons that are flourishing, and perhaps use leaders of those outstanding units to mentor leaders in nearby units that did not earn the award.

With its second straight achievement of the prestigious Quality Cadet Unit Award, it’s evident that the Danville Squadron is thriving and its cadets are preparing for bright futures in aviation.