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Spaatz Awardees

Civil Air Patrol · Delaware Wing · Cadet Programs

The Carl A. Spaatz Award

Honoring the cadets of Delaware Wing who have earned Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet achievement.

About the Spaatz Award

The General Carl A. Spaatz Award is the highest honor a Civil Air Patrol cadet can earn. Named for General Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and a charter member of CAP's Board of Governors, the award marks the successful completion of the entire CAP Cadet Program — a progression built around leadership, aerospace education, character development, and physical fitness.

To earn the Spaatz Award, a cadet must complete every achievement in the Cadet Program, pass a comprehensive written examination covering leadership and aerospace topics, meet rigorous physical fitness standards, and complete an oral interview board with senior members. It is a multi-year journey that few who join CAP as cadets ever finish — historically, fewer than one cadet in a hundred earns the award. Recipients are promoted to the grade of Cadet Colonel and are permitted to wear the Spaatz Award insignia for the remainder of their military or civilian careers, including on U.S. Air Force and Space Force uniforms if they later join the Armed Forces.

Earning the Spaatz Award is a lifelong distinction. It reflects years of sustained commitment, discipline, and service — qualities that continue to define Spaatz recipients long after they leave the cadet program.

Delaware Wing's Spaatz Award Recipients

Since 1967, 39 cadets of Delaware Wing have earned the Spaatz Award — a testament to the strength of cadet programming across the Wing's squadrons, from Brandywine and New Castle to Dover, Newark, Sussex, Middletown, and the Delaware Air National Guard Cadet Squadron. The list below is presented in chronological order, beginning with Delaware's first Spaatz recipient, Leo P. Quill Jr., in 1967, through the Wing's most recent honoree.

39DE Spaatz Recipients

1967First Awarded

2026Most Recent

7DE Wing Squadrons Represented

Delaware Wing Spaatz Award Roll of Honor

Listed chronologically · DE No. 1–39

Leo P. Quill Jr.

Spaatz No.: 37
DE No.: 1
Date Awarded: July 21, 1967
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Thomas E. Richardson

Spaatz No.: 59
DE No.: 2
Date Awarded: March 23, 1968
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Judy A. Masarik

Judy A. Masarik

Spaatz No.: 68
DE No.: 3
Date Awarded: August 26, 1968
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

John R. Stewart

Spaatz No.: 130
DE No.: 4
Date Awarded: October 30, 1970
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Phillip A. Van Veen

Spaatz No.: 186
DE No.: 5
Date Awarded: October 10, 1972
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

WD
Photo Pending

William D. Ryan

Spaatz No.: 222
DE No.: 6
Date Awarded: June 22, 1973
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

Amy P. Gier (Baldwin)

Spaatz No.: 237
DE No.: 7
Date Awarded: September 19, 1973
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

RL
Photo Pending

Robert L. Caulk

Spaatz No.: 240
DE No.: 8
Date Awarded: October 9, 1973
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Steven A. Doerner

Spaatz No.: 261
DE No.: 9
Date Awarded: February 4, 1974
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Kent D. Hiestand

Spaatz No.: 436
DE No.: 10
Date Awarded: July 22, 1977
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

PB
Photo Pending

Patrick B. Houghton

Spaatz No.: 467
DE No.: 11
Date Awarded: March 20, 1978
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

Christopher A. Coleman

Spaatz No.: 489
DE No.: 12
Date Awarded: June 14, 1978
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

SJ
Photo Pending

Susan J. Liedlich

Spaatz No.: 538
DE No.: 13
Date Awarded: January 28, 1980
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

John W. McGaha

Spaatz No.: 666
DE No.: 14
Date Awarded: September 22, 1983
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

JB
Photo Pending

John B. Brown Jr.

Spaatz No.: 794
DE No.: 15
Date Awarded: April 16, 1986
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

JD
Photo Pending

John David Lewis III (David Lewis)

Spaatz No.: 853
DE No.: 16
Date Awarded: August 11, 1987
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

JL
Photo Pending

Jerry L. McKinney

Spaatz No.: 916
DE No.: 17
Date Awarded: December 13, 1988
Unit: Dover CDT SQ (#07006)

David G. Carpenter Jr.

Spaatz No.: 937
DE No.: 18
Date Awarded: May 16, 1989
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

BS
Photo Pending

Brian S. Shannon

Spaatz No.: 986
DE No.: 19
Date Awarded: March 12, 1990
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

JC
Photo Pending

James C. Herrera

Spaatz No.: 1012
DE No.: 20
Date Awarded: July 16, 1990
Unit: Dover CDT SQ (#07006)

Aaron D. Burgstein

Spaatz No.: 1045
DE No.: 21
Date Awarded: January 23, 1991
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

GD
Photo Pending

Gordon D. Wilkie

Spaatz No.: 1125
DE No.: 22
Date Awarded: July 29, 1992
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

BM
Photo Pending

Brian M. Campbell

Spaatz No.: 1219
DE No.: 23
Date Awarded: August 29, 1994
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

JW
Photo Pending

John W. Hedrick

Spaatz No.: 1411
DE No.: 24
Date Awarded: September 1, 1999
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#07004)

DJ
Photo Pending

Daniel J. Boone

Spaatz No.: 1425
DE No.: 25
Date Awarded: March 31, 2000
Unit: Dover CDT SQ (#07006)

JO
Photo Pending

Jonathan Offen

Spaatz No.: 1467
DE No.: 26
Date Awarded: July 22, 2002
Unit: Sussex Composite Squadron (#07019)

MR
Photo Pending

Michael R. Quashne

Spaatz No.: 1500
DE No.: 27
Date Awarded: May 22, 2003
Unit: Newark Cadet Squadron (#07008)

TR
Photo Pending

Travis R. Ahrens

Spaatz No.: 1508
DE No.: 28
Date Awarded: June 23, 2003
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

CE
Photo Pending

Casey E. Drosehn (Gough)

Spaatz No.: 1509
DE No.: 29
Date Awarded: June 20, 2003
Unit: Newark Cadet Squadron (#07008)

JD
Photo Pending

Jeremiah D. Ewing

Spaatz No.: 1564
DE No.: 30
Date Awarded: June 27, 2005
Unit: Newark Cadet Squadron (#07008)

KE
Photo Pending

Katie E. Offen (Nelson)

Spaatz No.: 1580
DE No.: 31
Date Awarded: January 1, 2006
Unit: Coastal Patrol Base 2 Memorial Squadron (#07019)

YC
Photo Pending

Y. Clement Ng

Spaatz No.: 1744
DE No.: 32
Date Awarded: October 30, 2009
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

Karen M. Chinnery (Johnson)

Spaatz No.: 1760
DE No.: 33
Date Awarded: June 16, 2010
Unit: New Castle CDT SQ (#07011)

Nathan W. Buxton

Spaatz No.: 1854
DE No.: 34
Date Awarded: August 15, 2012
Unit: Delaware Air National Guard CDT SQ (#008)

Michael McLaughlin

Spaatz No.: 2028
DE No.: 35
Date Awarded: February 20, 2016
Unit: Middletown Cadet Squadron (#025)

Justin G. Desrosiers

Spaatz No.: 2076
DE No.: 36
Date Awarded: December 12, 2016
Unit: Middletown Cadet Squadron (#025)

Curtis Shivery

Joseph J. Klosiewicz

Spaatz No.: 2387
DE No.: 37
Date Awarded: March 21, 2022
Unit: Coastal Patrol Base 2 Memorial Squadron (#019)

Curtis Shivery

Evan Michael Lightfoot

Spaatz No.: 2549
DE No.: 38
Date Awarded: August 29, 2024
Unit: Delaware Air National Guard CDT SQ (#008)

Curtis Shivery

Curtis Shivery

Spaatz No.: 2626
DE No.: 39
Date Awarded: March 20, 2026
Unit: Brandywine Cdt SQ. (#004)

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