U.S. Representative Talks Leadership with New CAP Flight
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TALKS LEADERSHIP WITH NEW CAP FLIGHT
by 1st Lt. Brandon Lunsford, Sr, CAP, Oklahoma Wing
Pictured after the congressman’s address, U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern (center left) with Broken Arrow City Councilor Debra Wimpee (middle row, far left), Jenks City Councilor Cory Box (center right) and Riverside Flight (Photos: 1st Lt. Brandon Lunsford, Sr, CAP, Oklahoma Wing)
TULSA, Okla. – On October 14, 2019, U.S. Representative Kevin Hern visited with Civil Air Patrol’s Riverside Flight at their evening meeting. The congressman spoke to cadets about the importance of continual personal leadership development and modeling in their personal lives what CAP teaches them. He spoke briefly about his membership in the Oklahoma Wing Civil Air Patrol with his son Kelby from 2012 to 2013.
“You can be doing a lot of things, other than being here tonight,” Hern said. “What you are learning about service and service to your fellow man is really a special thing. You also get a true appreciation for leadership and responsibility, and I would say also followership. Rank knows no age; it knows no gender. It’s about hard work and determination.”
“This was a special night for our unit,” said Cadet 2nd Lt. Jeremiah Groves, Riverside Flight’s new cadet commander. “To get to hear leadership wisdom from not only a successful businessman, but also a congressman; that’s special. I am glad he came out to speak to our members.”
“Life is about serving others, it really is,” Hern said. “You are learning this at the youngest of ages in a very structured program. It gives you an opportunity when you graduate high school, whether you go into the military or not, to use military ideas and military procedures to guide and organize the rest of your life.
The squadron’s Aerospace Education Officer Tamara Shannon said, “I was impressed by his overall message, that you can be both professionally successful and serve others at the same time. He encouraged the cadets to try new things, to never give up, and to strive to be the best at whatever they do without losing sight of service to others.”
“You will never forget this experience your entire life,” Hern added. “It’ll make you stay squared away, and make you appreciate organization.”
Follow the adventures of 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.
