CdA composite squadron honored

In a remote building at the Coeur d’Alene Airport, a group of Civil Air Patrol cadets stands taller.

The squadron was named the best composite squadron in Idaho for the second year in a row during the Idaho Wing Conference in Idaho Falls in September. Squadrons are judged on their performance in emergency services, cadet activities and aerospace education.

The group also earned recognition as the squadron of merit for 2004 because it has the best cadet program in the state. The squadron also earned a safety award for having an accident-free year.

“These kids really work their hearts out,” said Lt. Col. David Coppom, the squadron’s public affairs officer.

Coppom said each member of the squadron puts in hundreds of hours each year to train and learn about aerospace. As they gain rank in the squadron, they qualify to help out in search-and-rescue missions or take helicopter rides and flights in a KC-135, Air Force simulators at Fairchild Air Force Base.

The Coeur d’Alene composite squadron has 50 cadets age 21 and younger and 38 senior members. Two members of the squadron received awards for their achievements during the Wing Conference. Lt. Col. Mike Arnold was named the best safety officer in Idaho for 2004, and Lt. Bill Green was named the best operations officer.

The group trains and responds to emergencies, such as helping law enforcement in anti-drug activities and flying in search-and-rescue missions for lost aircraft or people. Part of the training includes drill, uniform inspections and weekend campouts. The squadron color guard marches in the Fourth of July parade each year.

“It amazes me at times when I sit back and look at what they do,” Coppom said.

The duties also come with false alarms, he said. This year, a few electronic transmitter locater boxes went off, putting the squadron on alert and sending a few qualified cadets on a hunt for the boxes.

Each box was located and the alarms were shut off.

“If I were down there in the wilderness waiting to be rescued, I’d want friends from CAP out there looking for me,” Coppom said.

Michael Kohl, chaplain and mission pilot with the senior squadron, has three kids in the program. He hears many comments from parents about Civil Air Patrol bringing out the best in their children.

“It gives them opportunities to experience and to grow and to have leadership,” he said.

His son, Zach, is deputy commander and has been acting as commander of the cadet squadron for about two months. His older brother, John, was cadet commander before going to college on an Air Force ROTC scholarship at Auburn University in Alabama. Kohl’s youngest son, Sam, 12, joined the squadron last year. Kohl’s daughter, Tucker, is a senior member working on her scanner rating to spot plane crashes or lost hunters.

Zach has been involved for three years and approached the squadron with leadership in mind.

“The cool thing about the cadet program that’s unlike other programs is the leadership opportunity,” he said. “The amount of responsibility given to the kids is unbelievable.”

At 16, he is leading the weekly meetings and taking care of weekly details like arranging guest speakers. He said the squadron’s mission readiness, military bearing and responsibility come through at each meeting and emergency call.

He said the hard work is paying off and sees the awards as proof of an up-and-coming cadet squadron.

“It shows we are one of the best and we have an awesome program here – not just a bunch of talk,” he said.

His sights are now set on making the squadron the best in the nation, a recognition which the squadron earned in 1996 and 1997.