Three Morgantown Residents Honored in Civil Air Patrol Ceremony

By Capt. Janet Martin

Bowling Green Senior Squadron Assistant PAO
Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary

Three Morgantown residents, Charles Puma, Nicholas Greenman, and Alethea Greenman participated in a recent Civil Air Patrol awards and promotion ceremony July 29 at the Bowling Green/Warren County Regional Airport.

Both Charles Puma and Nicholas Greenman received awards while Alethea Greenman carried the American Flag in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Color Guard.

Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that works with local, state, and federal agencies to provide aerospace education, emergency services, and cadet programs.

Awards were presented to cadet and adult Civil Air Patrol members from the Kentucky Wing Group II made up of squadrons from across the western part of Kentucky.

Bowling Green’s Mayor, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Todd Alcott encouraged those in attendance to “be about something bigger than yourself” and to “go forth and make a difference.”

Civil Air Patrol Great Lakes Region Commander Colonel Curtis Boehmer who also spoke at the event saying, “you can’t own anything more important than your own progress and your own improvement, and those of you receiving awards tonight have done that with pride and respect and integrity.” He credited the Kentucky Wing for working diligently through all of the natural disasters experienced this spring.

Other distinguished guests included Lt. Colonel Mike Saile, Civil Air Patrol Great Lakes Region Education and Training Officer, Colonel Jamie Henson, Civil Air Patrol Kentucky Wing Commander, Lt. Colonel Wilson Polidura, Civil Air Patrol Kentucky Wing Chief of Staff, Lt. Colonel Mike Bryant, Provost, Civil Air Patrol Volunteer University, Lt. Colonel Pam Salie, Deputy Commander, Michigan Wing, Major Janet Bryant, Civil Air Patrol Kentucky Wing Group II Commander, and Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant.

The evening’s top award recipients were  Major Sarah Belk Kentucky Wing Director of Safety (Russellville), Major Harvey Diven Bowling Green Senior Squadron Commander (Franklin) and Major Nicholas Greenman Southern Kentucky Cadet Squadron Commander Morgantown)  who received Gill Robb Wilson awards for completion of the final level of CAP’s Education and Training Program.  Level 5 represents years of study and service and is the highest education and training award earned by a senior member and is for those officers performing duty as commanders or staff officers at the region or national level.  In Civil Air Patrol’s 83 year history, just over 4,000 members have earned this award.  Of the over 60,000 current CAP members, fewer than 1% have earned this award.

Brothers 1st Lieutenant Michael Bryant (Cincinnati) and 1st Lieutenant Nathan Bryant(Bowling Green) received the Grover Loening Aerospace Award for completing Level 3 training.  2nd Lieutenant Charles Puma  (Morgantown) Received the Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Award for completing Level 2.

Master Sergeant Roberto Amador (Smiths Grove) and 2nd Lieutenant Charles Puma received the “Chuck” Yeager Aerospace Education Award for successfully completing the senior member Aerospace education program.

Cadet membership is open to young people ages 12-20, and several cadets received promotions including Cadet Ava Belk, a SOKY Cadet Squadron member from Russellville who earned her Curry Award, the first achievement a cadet earns in the CAP Cadet program signifying the completion of the initial cadet training and marks the beginning of a cadet’s journey. Other cadet promotions include sisters Abigail and Bella Oakley (Bowling Green) who were promoted to Cadet Senior Airman.

Adult membership is open to people ages 18 and older.  Senior member promotions included:  Jeremy Hook to 2nd Lieutenant (Franklin), Michael Bryant to 1st Lieutenant (Cincinnati) , Stephanie Hook to Captain (Franklin), and Phillip Stagener to Captain (Woodburn).

The Southern Kentucky Cadet Squadron meets on Mondays and the Bowling Green Senior Squadron meets every Tuesday from 6:00-7:30 at the squadron building at the Bowling Green/Warren County Regional Airport from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information about the CAP Kentucky Wing Group II or this event, contact  Major Janet Bryant, jbryant@kywg.cap.gov   270-535-2885.

Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a valued member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft and 1,550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). It performs about 90% 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 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM/aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.