Danbury Civil Air Patrol cadet appointed second lieutenant after receiving Mitchell Award

DANBURY, Conn. - July 7, 2015 - PRLog -- Cadet Sarah Eriksson, a member of Civil Air Patrol's 399th Composite Squadron, recently received the rank of second lieutenant after earning the General Billy Mitchell Award.

Eriksson, a Civil Air Patrol member since July 2011, earned the Mitchell Award after completion of the first eight achievements in the CAP cadet program, passing a physical fitness test, and a comprehensive examination covering leadership theory and aerospace topics. Cadets study and demonstrate competence in five program areas encompassing aerospace education, leadership, physical fitness, and moral and ethical values. The award honors General Billy Mitchell, an early aviation pioneer and advocate for an independent air force.

"This accomplishment definitely means a lot to me," said Eriksson. "The most influential experience I have had was talking to legislators in Washington D.C. during Civil Air Patrol's Legislative Day 2015. According to Eriksson, the experience gained gave her the confidence to speak with others regarding political matters and helped her secure the position of secretary of state during the American Legion Auxiliary's Laurel Girl's State program. The week long program, which Eriksson attended from June 27 - July 2, 2015, is highly selective and teaches the responsibilities of citizenship and the principles of democracy in our representative government. Eriksson, who has been on six orientation flights, attended two Encampments where she served as Flight Sergeant as well as First Sergeant. Currently she serves as Flight Sergeant and is an active leader in the 399th Composite Squadron.

Only 15% of Civil Air Patrol cadets achieve the award, making them eligible for advanced placement to the grade of airman first class (E-3) should they choose to enter the U.S. Air Force. Cadets can also apply for CAP scholarships, cadet officer school and Leadership Academy, and are authorized for promotion to second lieutenant as a senior CAP member at age 21. Captain Joe Bisnov, commander of the 399th, presented Eriksson with the grade of cadet second lieutenant.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 73 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit  http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com or http://www.facebook.com/399DanburyCAP for more information.