Jenks Civil Air Patrol cadets train to honor tradition.
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Reyes, Cadet Staff Sgt. Burt, Cadet Senior Airman Kuerbitz, Cadet Staff Sgt. Shannon, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Daves and fellow color guard teammates end the night’s training with a team chant. (Photo: 1st Lt. Tamara Shannon, CAP)
by Capt. Brandon Lunsford Sr., CAP, Oklahoma Wing
JENKS, Okla. – On March 12, 2020, Riverside Flight cadets began their first training to join the unit’s color guard team. The training, which took place at Tulsa Technology Center’s Riverside Campus, focuses on paying tribute to our nation’s colors and the hard work and loyalty of all service members. The initial training began with physical conditioning and team building exercises.
“We need to be on our game at all times during ceremonies,” stated Staff Sergeant Daniel Golden, one of the unit’s Leadership Officers. “You never know what curve balls will be thrown at us,” Golden continued. “We can practice for hours before a ceremony and then the venue might change something. It’s up to us to adapt to pay the utmost respect to those individuals we are honoring by pulling off that ceremony with precision.”
Cadets that make up a color guard play an important role in paying respect to both those who currently serve and those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Reyes (right) prepares to drill cadets during color guard training at Tulsa Technology Center’s Riverside Campus. (Photo: 1st Lt. Tamara Shannon, CAP)
“Being a part of the color guard helps you to become an effective leader,” stated Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford. “Learning to communicate verbally and nonverbally is a very valuable skill. I encourage all cadets to experience color guard training.”
The unit’s color guard team has rallied around the sixth line of the sentinel’s creed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The sixth line of the creed reads, “My standard will remain perfection.” The youth who train to serve on the color guard learn, through striving for personal perfection, about duty, honor and respect. This shapes each one to be an individual whose character and actions are fashioned to reflect the honor that the colors deserve.
Follow the adventures of Jenks Riverside Flight at Facebook.com/RiversideOK.CAP.
Find an Oklahoma Civil Air Patrol unit near you here:
https://bit.ly/2JsJu9h
For More Information:
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 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 more than 80 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.
