CADET CHANGE OF COMMAND
CAP’s Sullivan Country Cadet Squadron
SWAN LAKE, NY. – Civil Air Patrol’s Sullivan County Cadet Squadron recently had
the honor of holding a Cadet Change of Command where Cadet Captain Galen Ferrara
relinquished the position of Cadet Commander to Cadet Second Lieutenant Christian Vargo.
The ceremony was held virtually due to COVID restrictions.
Reflecting on the position he has held since September 2019, Cadet Captain Ferrara said, “My time as
Cadet Commander has been a blast. Designing and running programs the cadets enjoyed was
always the highlight of my weeks. The experiences I had, things I learned, and people I met,
made every obstacle I encountered well worth it.”
The Squadron Commander, Captain Bill Mason, praised Cadet Captain Ferrara as “a great Cadet
who has done an excellent job as Cadet Commander during an especially challenging situation.
The COVID crisis has forced us to go virtual which is inherently less satisfying but he made the
best of it and kept our meetings interesting.”
Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Vargo joined Civil Air Patrol in August of 2018. He thanked C/Capt Ferrara “for all
that you have done for our squadron and for being a good friend and mentor.”
The Cadet Commander is in charge of planning squadron meetings, training cadets and advising
the Squadron Commander on matters that concern the cadre of cadets. The position is held by
a responsible cadet and is rotated among senior cadets.
Those interested in learning about Civil Air Patrol can visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or contact
the Sullivan County Cadet Squadron via their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ny387cap.
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 1,994 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 60,000 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 about 25,000 young
people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.