Gabrielle Brown Promoted to Cadet Colonel With Prestigious Award

Gabrielle Brown received the distinction on October 3, joining a club of less than 2,500 throughout the history of the CAP.

A member since 2017, Brown is cadet commander of the Georgia Wing's Gwinnett County Composite Squadron, and has participated in three encampments, National Blue Beret, and Region Cadet Leadership School. 

Earned by less than one-half of 1% of cadets, the General Carl A. Spaatz Award represents the highest achievement a Civil Air Patrol cadet can attain. Created in 1964, it has only been presented to 2,000 cadets in total. Meant to convey the highest merit of the CAP, it requires high skill in leadership, dedication to service, and a comprehensive understanding of the CAP program. Cadets must complete a battery of tests for consideration.

Firstly, a physical fitness test to ensure the candidate can exemplify the ideal standard of a superb CAP member, then an essay to gauge their moral compass and ethical reasoning. Then, cadets are tested through comprehensive written exams, one on the requisite aerospace education needed in the service, and the other in the necessary qualities of good leadership. On average, the process takes four to five years to complete. 

The award’s namesake, Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, was the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. An early pioneer in aviation, Spaatz was among the era’s endurance pilots, making his mark by completing a 1929 flight that totalled almost 151 hours aloft. As a foundational member of military air service, he commanded a portion of the Allied air campaign in Europe during WWII.

The final bombings of Japan took place under his command, and he later retired from the Air Force, where he served as the first chairman of the Civil Air Patrol National Board. 

FMI: www.cap.gov