In front of a packed hangar at Pearson Field, 17-year-old Andrew Roy, of Woodland, was promoted to cadet lieutenant colonel in the Fort Vancouver Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Along with the promotion came the prestigious Ira C. Eaker Award, a distinction earned by only about 2% of all cadets nationally.
The ceremony, which took place Monday, July 14, at Pearson Field in Vancouver, was attended by family, friends and fellow cadets. Washington State Representative Jim Walsh of District 19 presented the distinguished award.
“This is the second-highest rank a cadet can reach in the Civil Air Patrol, and one of the toughest to earn,” Deputy Commander Robert Siau said.
The Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The organization prepares youth ages 12 to 21 for leadership roles across a range of career paths through a military-style structure with a focus on aviation, emergency services and citizenship.
Roy’s journey in the Civil Air Patrol began six years ago when a family friend mentioned the program at church.
“I joined on my 12th birthday,” Roy said. “It just sounded like a really cool experience, and yeah, I’ve just gained so much from it.”
Reaching this point required years of commitment and self-improvement.
“I would say just overcoming… learning how to become a better leader, learning how to delegate, learning that it’s servant leadership that matters and not being a boss,” Roy said. “That’s been a long process, but it’s been very good.”
Roy, who is homeschooled and an avid trap shooter, is entering his senior year. He began to improve his leadership skills two years ago and has since led cadet teams through several training activities at both the local and state levels.
“About two years ago, I really started,” he said, referring to his desire to build leadership skills. “My ultimate goal is to get to the very top.”
Each Monday, Roy and his fellow cadets meet at the Fort Vancouver squadron, where training includes drill, aerospace education, character development and physical fitness.
“It’s teaching me good leadership, how to be a selfless leader,” Roy said.
Under the Civil Air Patrol, cadets run the program while mentors act as guides.
“For the most part we let the cadets run the program and we just like the guard rails on the road, let the sparks fly, but they’re still on the road and as long as they’re doing that and they’re continuing to help the other cadets grow, that’s that’s what we want,” Siau added.
Siau, who began mentoring in Vancouver three years ago, said Roy immediately demonstrated natural leadership from the start, often stepping up before he had any formal title.
“When other leaders couldn’t show up at a meeting, he would step up and become a leader informally,” Siau said. “We recognized that right away… and then we were able to move him into positions formally where we could train him.”
On Tuesday morning, hours after receiving his promotion, Roy traveled to Ephrata, Washington to begin a two-week national flight academy program, paid for by a U.S. Air Force scholarship.
“I’m going to be learning how to fly,” Roy said. “I hope to pursue aviation as a career, possibly become a certified flight instructor [or] maybe a cargo pilot.”
Roy said Civil Air Patrol’s aviation offerings, including free orientation flights and scholarships like the one he received, are opening doors for cadets.
“It’s really empowering the youth of today to pursue aviation,” he said.
His new rank places him in rare company. Nationwide, only 2% of CAP cadets make it to lieutenant colonel, and fewer still go on to the final cadet grade of colonel, which less than 1% achieve.
His message to others his age: don’t be afraid to try something unfamiliar.
“Even if you’re not sure, just try it out,” Roy said. “It’s going to help you just to be a better person, to develop your character.”
Looking ahead, Roy is setting his sights on the final cadet rank.
“My ultimate goal is … to get to the very top. And so yeah, this is just one step along the way,” Roy said.
The Eaker Award, which accompanies the promotion to cadet lieutenant colonel, is named in honor of World War II General Ira C. Eaker and represents excellence in leadership, aerospace knowledge and physical fitness.
“It’s just a very, very prestigious and just awesome, awesome award,” Roy said.
The CAP program has also challenged Roy in unexpected ways.
“Our encampment, a weeklong immersion into all the facets of cadet life, it pushes you far beyond your comfort zone,” Roy said. “You come out stronger and more confident.”
He credited mentorship as a turning point in his growth as a cadet.
“They really have been excellent mentors to me,” Roy said. “They’ve shown me how far I can go and encouraged me to grow beyond what I would have been.”
Roy also expressed gratitude for the community that’s supported him.
“I’m so thankful to the senior members,” he said. “They’ve invested so much of their personal time… and my family, they’ve put in so much that I could do here.”
