Spaatz Association Winter Dinner Event

2009 Spaatz Association Mid-Winter Dinner Recap

With sincere appreciation for our 2009 corporate sponsors:

THANK YOU for your support!

Crystal City, Virginia - The Spaatz Association held its seventh annual dinner and awards event on Saturday, February 28, 2009. The Marriott Gateway Hotel was the setting for ceremony, awards presentations, camaraderie, and remembrances of the Civil Air Patrol founder, General Carl A. Spaatz. This year's event celebrated the 45th anniversary of the modern Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. Over 100 dignitaries and guests gathered in the nation's capital for the Association's largest dinner event to date.

Lt Col Edward F. "Ned" Lee served as the evening's master of ceremonies. With a mastery of wit and a detailed knowledge of both the Spaatz Association and Civil Air Patrol, Colonel Lee presented history of both organizations and charming bons mots of the guests and featured speakers.

The evening's keynote speaker was Major General Amy S. Courter, National Commander, Civil Air Patrol. General Courter began her remarks with acknowledgements of appreciation to the Spaatz Family and assembled dinner participants on their service to country and to the Civil Air Patrol. The general briefly described the history of the modern CAP cadet program and noted its successes in developing leaders for America and the uniformed services for the past 45 years. She described how the Cadet Program's architects, led by John V. "Jack" Sorenson, then Director of Aerospace Education at CAP's National Headquarters, Brigadier General Lyle W. Castle, planned and made aerospace education, leadership, and character development the central features of cadet pedagogy. General Courter indicated that the programs' features of aerospace education, moral leadership, and command have provided CAP cadet participants the opportunity to focus on key elements of excellence in life since 1964. The CAP Commander also expressed her hope that the U.S Air Force could further participate in cadet program development based on their current administration of the Spaatz examination with additional cadet mentorship.

Through out her address, General Courter expressed her appreciation to the Spaatz Association for its intellectual and financial support of Civil Air Patrol's cadet program. She proudly pointed to the success of Spaatz Cadets Hila Levy, who recently graduated first in her class at the Air Force Academy, and NASA Astronaut Eric Boe as examples of how the cadet program of today can help America's youth succeed. Courter also recognized the academic excellence and rigorous training of all CAP currrent and past cadets by describing them as "The best trained youth leaders in the United States." She also expressed her desire to have all former cadets re-engage with Civil Air Patrol and help maintain its high standards.

General Courter summarized the current and future success of CAP in the mission statement: "Supporting America's communities with emergency response, diverse education, ground services, youth development and promotion of aerospace power."

The Honorable Bobby J. Wilkes (Maj Gen, USAF, Ret), former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Central Asia, also provided remarks to the Spaatz Dinner gathering. Secretary Wilkes was eloquent and lavish in his praise of Civil Air Patrol. He acknowledged the role his CAP squadron commander and cadet comrades played in his life and successful development as a leader. Wilkes also briefly described his position and the myriad of issues in Central Asia which must be considered for the U.S. to successfully maintain its presence in that region of the World.

The awards segment of the evening saw two cadets recognized for achieving the Spaatz Award. Colonel Lee pronounced this as the truly exciting part of the evening and Major General Amy Courter returned to the podium along with Brigadier General Richard Anderson, former CAP National Commander and current President of The Spaatz Association, as well as members of General Spaatz immediate family. Maryland Wing's C/Col Wayne Mowery, Jr. received his General Carl A. Spaatz and Spaatz Association commemorative challenge coin. Also acknowledged for her recent receipt of the Spaatz Award was C/Col Natasha Cohen of the New York Wing. C/Col Cohen was presented with a Spaatz Association commemorative challenge coin and a round of applause, having previously received her Spaatz Award certificate. As per custom, both cadets had their Spaatz Award numbers engraved onto the challenge coins they received.

General Anderson also presented Spaatz Association commemorative challenge coins to General Courter, Catherine Gresham and Secretary Wilkes for their support of the Spaatz Association. The mementos were proudly presented and humbly accepted.

The evening was topped off with the presentation of Spaatz Association Aerospace Leadership Scholarships awarded to three CAP cadets to continue their pilot training. Each $2,500 scholarship is financed by donations and the proceed from TSA events, like this annual dinner.

The Spaatz Association's Mid Winter Dinner of 2009 closed with the same positive fellowship and esprit with which it opened. There was laughter, a sense of purpose, and as one of the event planners, C/Col Syed Karim indicated, "its great we get to do this again next year!"

Special thanks and appreciation to event manager Lt Col JD Ellis, C/Col Syed Karim, Capt Guilford Queen and their staff of volunteers who made the event possible.