Cleveland Brown Jr. Earns Spaatz Award, Civil Air Patrol’s Highest Cadet Rank
For the second time ever, a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol’s Red Bird Composite Squadron in Dallas has earned the Spaatz Award for achieving the rank of Cadet Colonel, the highest a cadet can achieve in the organization.
Cleveland Brown Jr., a senior at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, earned the honor February 27 after completing a rigorous process that includes exams on leadership and aerospace, an essay and successful completion of the United States Air Force Academy Candidate Fitness Assessment. He has been a member of Civil Air Patrol since 2017.
“It has been a challenging journey, but when I found out I passed my last test I felt a sense of relief and pride at what I’d accomplished,” Brown said.
“The most rewarding aspect of my time in Civil Air Patrol has been the leadership skills and confidence that I’ve gained, as well as the people I’ve met, socialized with and learned from.”
Fewer than 3,000 cadets have earned the Spaatz Award since its inception in 1964, or roughly 1% of all cadets involved in Civil Air Patrol. Col Bill Schroder, Commander of CAP’s Texas Wing, commended Brown on his achievement.
“I am proud of all of our Cadets, especially Cadet Colonel Brown, for thriving while under adverse conditions. I look forward to the great things he will do, including those after CAP. I know America is in great hands,” Schroder said.
Brown serves as Red Bird Squadron’s Cadet Commander. He is Ground Team 3 certified for Civil Air Patrol search-and-rescue missions and has completed Airman Leadership School, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, and Officer Training School. In addition, he has competed as a member of the squadron’s CyberPatriot team.
Away from CAP, he is enrolled in AP classes in school and enjoys playing basketball and video games in his free time. He also practices the violin and piano in his leisure time.
Brown’s younger brother, Jacob, is the squadron’s Deputy Cadet Commander and was the first cadet from Red Bird Squadron to earn the Spaatz Award, in August. Joining his brother at the pinnacle of cadet achievements made the accomplishment even more meaningful, Brown said.
“Jacob and I have been through a lot and experienced a lot in Civil Air Patrol. Going through this process with him has been rewarding, and I’m happy for both of us. It was challenging, but it was good to know I had support from him, my parents and my relatives,” Brown said.
“I want to thank everyone who’s helped me get to this point, especially Maj. Lee Williams, Capt. Jerra Williams and Maj. Phil Gerke. They’ve guided me from the time I joined all the way through, and I appreciate it.”
Brown’s parents, Capt Cleveland and 1st Lt Shemitia Brown, are very involved in Civil Air Patrol, too. They joined the organization at the same time as their sons, and Capt Brown was later installed as the squadron Commander in 2019.
“I am extremely proud of C/Col Cleveland Brown Jr. He demonstrated significant self-improvement, evident through his dedication and commitment to complete the requirements for the Spaatz Award,” Capt. Brown said. “Moreover, C/Cols Jacob and Cleveland Brown Jr.'s historic achievements as the first cadets to earn the highest CAP Cadet award in Red Bird Composite Squadron's 27-year history begins a new paradigm for the Squadron.”
Carl “Tooey” Spaatz was the first to serve as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. One of the giants in the history of airpower, in 1929 Spaatz, together with a crew that included Ira C. Eaker, set an important flight endurance record of 150 hours and 40 minutes in the early days of aviation. During World War II, he commanded the Allied air campaign against the Nazis. In the Pacific Theater, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place under his command. After retiring from the Air Force, General Spaatz served as the first chairman of the Civil Air Patrol National Board.
