Denton’s Nighthawk Lands Squadron of the Year Honor

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Denton, TX (Mar. 01, 2016) – The Nighthawk Composite Squadron was recognized as the 2015 Squadron of the Year. The Denton-based squadron was chosen in the annual competition from among 66 other Civil Air Patrol units in Texas.

“Being part of this squadron has been amazing,” said Capt. Mark Hammack, the commander of Nighthawk.  “Seeing the cadets mature into the leaders that I know they will be is more rewarding than I could have imagined.  Working with the senior members during training and missions has shown me how focused these people are.  The senior members that work with cadets are some of the most dedicated people I have had the opportunity to work with.  I may be the squadron commander, but it is the members, both cadet and senior, who devote their time to learning, training, and performing that make this squadron what it is and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Hammack was recognized with the Col. Edwin W. Lewis Incident Staff Member of the Year. This award acknowledges cadet or senior members who have contributed significantly to the success of CAP’s emergency services and operational mission on the incident staff level. Hammack played a prominent role working as the incident commander for CAP assets used in support of the disaster relief efforts during the catastrophic flooding in Central Texas.

Maj. Stephen Robertson received the Senior Member of the Year award. Recipients of this prestigious award are selected from among the 1600 senior members in the Texas Wing. Awardees are chosen not just on the member’s accomplishments during the year awarded, but on the member’s life-time body of work in support to CAP’s mission to support emergency services, aerospace education and cadet programs.

Nighthawk Composite Squadron is located at 4633 Spartan Drive at Denton Enterprise Airport.

More information on the Civil Air Patrol is available at the national website at www.gocivilairpatrol.com or the Nighthawk Composite Squadron at www.dentoncap.org.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of Regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 85 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 70 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 58,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its Airmen additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Civil Air Patrol received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. Congressionally chartered 74 years ago, the nonprofit organization also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.