Canon McMillan High School Senior Awarded Cadet of the Year by Local Civil Air Patrol Squadron

     Cadet Staff Sergeant Jeremy Soyring, a senior at Canon-McMillan High School, was named Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) Washington County Squadron 601 Cadet of the Year at the unit’s banquet on January 11, 2014 at the Washington Elks Lodge in Washington, PA. Cadet Soyring was also awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his achievement from Congressman Tim Murphy who served as keynote speaker for the event.  Cadet Soyring’s parents accepted the award on his behalf while he was at training exercises with the U.S. Army Reserves as part of their early enlistment program.

     “It is an honor to have achieved such high praise from my fellow CAP members, cadets and seniors both,” said Cadet Soyring. 

     Since January 2012, Soyring has been a member of the Washington County unit of Civil Air Patrol (CAP), an all-volunteer, civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force. Nationwide, CAP has more than 61,000 members who train and participate in search and rescue, emergency services, aerospace education and the organization’s youth programs. “Cadet of the Year” is voted on by all squadron members and awarded annually to a cadet who demonstrates exceptional commitment and service to his Squadron, Civil Air Patrol and the community.

     “Cadet Staff Sergeant Soyring is an outstanding member of our unit.  He goes above and beyond in his responsibilities, consistently volunteers for community service and squadron duties without being asked, and serves as a constant role model to his fellow cadets,” said Capt. Edward Silassy, Commander, Washington Squadron 601.  “He is an exceptional young man who is devoted to serving his community and his country.”

      Cadet Staff Sergeant Soyring works in joint ventures with CAP, the Salvation Army, and various other local charities.  In addition to his CAP service, Cadet Soyring is a Private (PV2) in the U.S. Army Reserves.  He joined during his junior year of high school as part of the early enlistment program and spent last summer before his senior year at Basic Training.  

     “We knew that Jeremy had been striving to be the best he could possibly be…it was an absolute honor to have accepted the award for him,” said Carolyn Soyring.  “We couldn't be more proud.”

     Cadet Soyring was one of only two Washington Squadron 601 members to receive a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Tim Murphy this year for their achievements.  In addition to awarding the certificates and serving as keynote speaker for 601’s banquet, Congressman Murphy is a co-sponsor of H.R. 755, which establishes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol in recognition of their honorable military service during World War II.  If signed into law, the Congressional Gold Medal would be on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

      Washington Squadron 601 holds their weekly meetings on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, 125 Goodridge Rd., Washington, PA.  For information on 601, visit them at one of their regularly scheduled meetings or go to https://sites.google.com/site/pasquadron601/ or facebook at CAP Washington Composite Squadron 601.

     In its Air Force auxiliary role, CAP performs 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 71 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.