Photo By Lt. Col. Nicole M Reigelman | Airman 1st Class Matthias Krauter, right, a materiel management apprentice with the...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - To say Airman 1st Class Matthias Krauter was excited to meet with Civil Air Patrol cadets participating in their annual encampment at Fort Indiantown Gap last month is an understatement.
When Krauter, a materiel management apprentice with the 193d Special Operations Wing, entered the room full of young cadets and their cadre, he knew exactly the message he wanted to share.
Krauter, who spent years as a Civil Air Patrol cadet, credits the organization with introducing him to the military and preparing him for challenges that are part of the military lifestyle.
“If it wasn’t for Civil Air Patrol, I wouldn’t be in the military,” Krauter said. “CAP prepared me for the military by teaching me about respect, effective leadership and followership, and helped me gain confidence, learn how to accept criticism and get comfortable with the uncomfortable.”
Krauter said it was important to visit and speak with the cadets to continue to invest in them, because the organization had invested so much in him. He wanted to use his experience of transitioning from CAP cadet to Air National Guard Airman, and to share an important message with them.
“CAP provides cadets with many great opportunities. If you give it your all, you get what you put in. Work hard and get great results,” Krauter said. “I wish I had taken more of those opportunities when I was a cadet.”
Krauter looks back fondly on his years in the Civil Air Patrol. It wasn’t always easy, but he grew to appreciate the value of the lessons he was learning, and made lasting friendships with other cadets, some he still connects with regularly. He remembers the encampment as a week full of excitement, and still imagines himself as one of the cadets, not the person in the front of the room presenting.
“I was happy to see the program is still up and going strong,” Krauter said, since the 2020 encampment had been cancelled due to COVID-19. “CAP attracts people who aim for high goals, and future cadets, no matter who the leader is, still have strong principles and doctrine.”
The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and has a longstanding relationship with Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Airmen and cadets routinely work alongside one another in disaster and emergency response like weather events and COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
| Date Taken: | 07.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2021 08:30 |
| Story ID: | 400433 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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