The Air Force Association Sponsors National Cadet Award
Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Cadet of the Year
The AFA recognizes one CAP cadet for outstanding aerospace education contributions with its
national CAP Aerospace Education Cadet of the Year Award. This is an annual award that
goes to the most deserving cadet in the nation who has made significant contributions by
promoting aerospace education within CAP and the local community.
Anyone in a CAP squadron/unit may nominate a deserving cadet. This award timeline follows
all CAP awards timelines, but the AE Officers at each level will be the POC for this award. By
15 January, unit commanders will submit nominations to the wing DAE for consideration. By
15 February, wing DAEs will screen nominations from unit commanders within their wings and
the wing commander will forward the best nominee to the region DCS/AE for consideration. By
15 March, region DCS/AEs will select the best of the wing nominees and the region commander
will forward one nomination to National Headquarters/AE for consideration. (Send to
afa@capnhq.gov.) National Headquarters AE staff will convene a selection committee for final
determination of the award.
The selection criteria at each level should be based on significant aerospace education
accomplishments during the past year. These accomplishments should include support for CAP's
aerospace mission within the unit and with community involvement, as well.
This award is a separate award from the Brewer Cadet AE Award and CAP’s National
Cadet of the Year Award. Thus, there is the opportunity for three outstanding cadets to receive
national awards! Nomination packages should contain the completed form, below, and a written
narrative describing the cadet's accomplishments during the past year. The package should be no
longer than three pages.
These directives are found on pages 45-45 in CAPP-15, The Aerospace Education Officers
Handbook at
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/P0501_Aerospace_Education_Officer_H_15FABF
AE3F4CC.pdf.
The award will be presented at the AFA’s Annual Air and Space Conference and
Technology Exposition, typically held in September in Washington, D.C.
