Sq. 11 Cadets featured in Community Newspaper

A story which ran last weekend featuring cadets from Squadron ran again this week in the Palm Springs Sun community weekly newspaper.

Civil Air Patrol cadets stay busy at summer programs
Friday, September 11, 2009 • Palm Springs Sun and MyDesert.com

Civil Air Patrol cadets stay busy at summer programs
Terria Smith • terria.smith@thedesertsun.com • September 11, 2009

Before 17-year-old Leandra Lee got her California driver's license last month, she had already piloted an aircraft.

“It was a lot of fun. It was very stressful. You had to be constantly paying attention. There wasn't any room for error,” said Lee, a resident of Landers and student at Copper Mountain College.

Lee, a cadet chief master sergeant, was among one of the nine cadets with the Civil Air Patrol U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Palm Springs Composite Squadron 11 to attend a National Cadet Special Activity during the summer.

Cadets are chosen for these activities through an application process, which includes age, rank, their Civil Air Patrol resumes and whether they have attended an encampment.

Lee spent two weeks in the National Flight Academy in Camp Ashland, Neb.

Three additional youths, including 13-year-old Joshua Tree resident Joshua Huntington, went to the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Basic Encampment in Marana, Ariz.

The Cadet Airman First Class spent a week at the program, waking up at 5 a.m., doing at least 30 minutes of physical training a day and spending his free time showering, ironing and making his bunk.

“Our days were pretty plain and straight,” Joshua said.

Denice Huntington, Joshua's mother, said she saw a positive difference in her son upon his return.

“(I) just felt it changed him and matured him and gave him a sense of purpose,” Huntington said.

Joshua, who hopes to become an Air Force pilot some day, said he is looking forward to participating in a special activity next year.

“Next summer I get to do the fun stuff,” Joshua said.

Don Cook, commander of the cadet squadron, said the group starts fundraising to send youth to summer programs at the beginning of the year.

“I think the kids are extraordinary in the fact that they're highly motivated. They have a community purpose to achieve,” Cook said.