Monticello Live

Cadet Second Lieutenant Emily Garrison has been a member of the Civil Air Patrol’s 67th Composite Squadron located in Monticello, Arkansas since February 2023. She is the first cadet in her squadron to receive their Mitchell Award, since the squadron reformed at the beginning of 2023.

The Mitchell Award is named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, a fearless pilot whose patriotism, foresight, and tenacity helped to surpass the ridicule he faced. He is known as the “Father of the Independent Air Force”, having led an aerial bombing demonstration resulting in the sinking of the surplus German battleship Ostfriesland in 1921. The Navy said such a feat would be impossible and the Army remained skeptical toward airpower. Mitchell continued his campaign for airpower, even facing court-martial for his persistence on the matter. It wasn’t until World War II that the U.S. military realized the true importance of airpower, with Congress awarding Mitchell a gold medal posthumously.

When a cadet has earned their Mitchell Award, it marks their completion of Phase II of the CAP Cadet Program and recognizes the commitment that the cadet has made in the four areas of cadet life; leadership, aerospace, fitness and character. Cadets who have achieved their Mitchell Award have done so by having passed comprehensive tests and completing a weeklong encampment.

Cadet Garrison has worked hard to continue her education and advance in areas that have interested her within the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. She is a member of her squadron’s ground team, that is tasked with helping to find downed aircraft and missing persons, should the need arise. She has worked hard to maintain her ground team status, by attending courses and training throughout the years to further her education in urban directional finding and land navigation.  Having attended four encampments and planning on attending her fifth this winter, she loves being part of an organization that prioritizes the growth of one’s education and experiences by making it possible to do anything you set your mind to.

Cadet Garrison leads as the Cadet Commander and the primary Cadet Advisory Council member for her squadron, helping to lead fellow cadets to success in the CAP program. She is a freshman at Monticello High School and is the daughter of Daniel and Kirstin Garrison and the sister of Peyton, Daniel and Harley.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 27th, 2024 at 12:39 am and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.