Posted on: Sunday, June 19, 2005
Encampment a test for air patrol cadets
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
At this camp, the day's activities begin at 5 a.m. and everyone has to be in bed by 9 p.m. Cell phones, music, snacks and sodas are prohibited.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser Thirty-one basic cadets and 13 cadet staff are participating in Hawai'i Civil Air Patrol's weeklong miniboot camp at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i in Kane'ohe, which ends tomorrow. The youngest cadet is 12 years old, the eldest 20. Fourteen of the 31 cadets are from O'ahu, including 12 from Hickam; eight are from Hilo, five from Kona and four from Maui. Nine of the basic cadets and five cadet staff are girls.
CAP Maj. Valorie Hoke of the Kona Squadron is among 14 volunteer adult senior members overseeing the camp, which is run by the cadet staff. Cadet Maj. Jonathan Punio from O'ahu turned over the command of the camp Friday to Fumi Hedlund, 16, of Kohala after celebrating his 21st birthday Thursday, making him too old for cadet status.
CAP is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and has been called upon in the past to assist Hawai'i Civil Defense with tsunami warnings and disaster relief efforts.
For the cadets or noncommissioned officers, advancement in CAP starts with boot camp.
"Encampment 2005 is where our future cadet officers hone their leadership skills, learn the three missions (aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services) of CAP, and understand our core values of integrity, volunteer service, respect and a commitment to excellence," said Hoke, whose 14-year-old daughter, Megan, is participating in her second camp.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser "I'm a physical person and they had a physical test the first time I went," Hedlund recalled. "We did a mile run, situps and pushups."
Hedlund said she has learned much about aerospace and the military lifestyle from CAP and plans to join the Air Force in two years.
"The most incredible, fulfilling feeling is the impact you have on the cadets, knowing that you're passing on knowledge and that they're all going to be leaders," Hedlund said. "CAP on paper, looks good on a college application, but what I like best about it is all about how to follow orders and how to lead."
The Hawai'i Wing is commanded by Col. Jeffrey N. Stickel. Lt. Col. Tom Brehm, a retired USMC colonel, is its deputy commander. Physical training and class work are part of the camp routine. On the second day of camp, 43 cadets and staff received their certification for CPR. On the fourth day, they ran a physically challenging obstacle course in the morning and had a weapons session in the afternoon.
Friday's activities included a "leadership reach course" in which teams have to clear obstacles in cubicles measuring 50-foot by 25-foot without touching the ground and an aircraft firefight exhibition.
Yesterday they were scheduled to go up in CAP planes with final physical fitness testing and drill competition scheduled for today. They'll break camp tomorrow.
Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com. Correction: Col. Jeffrey N. Stickel is commander of the Hawai'i Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, and Lt. Col. Tom Brehm is its deputy commander. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Brehm's position.
It's called "Encampment 2005."
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Ashley Brizee, 16, gets a helping hand while struggling on the obstacle course during "Encampment 2005."
Hedlund lives in Pololu Valley on the northern tip of the Big Island and has been homeschooled. She learned about CAP two years ago from her friend Anna Flaherty, now 19, who is at the National Flight Academy.
Cadet Audrey Martin, 14, left, hugs CAP Maj. Valorie Hoke after completing the obstacle course at Marine Corps base in Kane'ohe.
