Aurora teen earns Civil Air Patrol milestone

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Andrea Lyonsford was promoted to cadet second lieutenant and received the General Billy Mitchell Award on Tuesday, April 16.

Lt. Colonel Gerry Baumgartner, Commander of the Colonel Shorty Powers Squadron, presented the award and congratulated Lyonsford on her outstanding achievement.

Cadet Lyonsford, a 15-year-old student at Metea Valley High School and member of the Colonel Shorty Powers Composite Squadron, is committed to service before self, excellence in character, and professional development.

Lyonsford has been a member of the Civil Air Patrol since June 2015. She has served in a variety of positions in the squadron including flight commander and first sergeant. She is currently the cadet deputy commander as well as an Illinois Wing Cadet Advisory Council member which affords her the opportunity to develop leadership skills while advising commanders on ways to improve the cadet program. She most recently attended the Illinois Wing Spring Encampment at Great Lakes Naval Training Center where she served as a flight commander and will be competing in the the Great Lakes Region Cadet Competition next month.

Lyonsford is also actively involved in her high school speech team and is member of Women in Aviation as well as Girl Scouts.

After high school, she aspires to be an Air Force pilot.

The General Billy Mitchell Award has existed since 1964. This award honors the late General Billy Mitchell, an aviation pioneer, advocate, and staunch supporter of an independent air force for America.

Cadets who receive the General Billy Mitchell Award are eligible for advanced placement to the grade of E-3 (Airman First Class) should they choose to enlist in the US Air Force. They are also eligible for advanced credit in AFROTC, various CAP scholarships, and CAP special activity opportunities.

Colonel Shorty Powers Composite Squadron meets on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bolingbrook's Clow International Airport in the Illinois Aviation Museum.

Have a passion for aviation, dream of flight, are considering a career in the military? Want to serve your community and enhance your leadership skills?

Youths, ages 12 to 18, parents and adults interested in the cadet and/or senior program are always welcome to visit the meetings and talk with staff.

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, it 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 80 lives annually.

Civil Air Patrol's 61,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, it plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 26,000 young people participating in CAP's Cadet Programs.

Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.