Cadets and senior members from the Tehachapi Composite Squadron 46, Civil Air Patrol, Air Force Auxiliary were awarded the National Commander Unit Citation Award this past week for their humanitarian assistance during the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The California Wing received the award on Oct. 2 at the California Wing Conference in Sacramento, Calif. In the 80-year history of the Civil Air Patrol, this is the first time that the California Wing received this award. The award was for all of California Wing's hard work during the outbreak of the pandemic and for assisting in the wildfires that ravaged parts of our state that included assisting with aerial imaging of fire areas that was used by firefighters on the ground to help allocate resources. California Wing also performed tasks such as distributing food at local food banks, distributing meals in hard hit and needy communities, loading and unloading aircraft with test kits and vaccines, transporting test kits and vaccines via aircraft and ground vehicles.

We would like to thank all members that assisted with this momentous task for stepping up and serving our communities. Our members are 100% volunteer and receive no type of compensation other than being of service when communities are in need across California. Squadron 46 recipients of this prestigious award were, Cadets: C/Amn Paxton Caudle, C/A1C Wyatt Dalton, C/SrA Jacob Espinoza, C/Amn Damien Johnson, C/SrA Jayden Kaczmarczyk, C/A1C Justin Kerr, C/SMSgt Nathaniel Loftus, C/SrA Ryan Megrdle, C/Amn Brodie Napier, C/Amn Gannon Renehan, C/Amn Logan Renehan, C/TSgt. Michael Robles, C/A1C Jonah Shugart, C/Amn Sean Sweeney and C/SrA Delilah Trejo. Senior members: Captain Sharon Agold, Major Alan Baumgartner, 2d Lt. Linda Baumgartner, 1st Lt. Ruben R. Del Portillo, SM Elizabeth Espinoza, SM Gilbert Espinoza, Major Carl Gehricke and Lt. Col. Michael Lynch.

Tehachapi Composite Squadron 46 invites potential adult volunteers to come and visit our squadron to learn more about what we do in the community and possibly join our squadron. Our squadron could use experienced volunteers in Public Affairs, Aerospace Education, Pilots, Personnel, Administration, Logistics and more. If you have a passion for serving your community and enjoy working around youths 12 to 18 years of age, we would like to meet you.

Squadron 46 meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Tehachapi Airport Terminal Building located at 314 N. Hayes St., Tehachapi.

Visit http://www.CAP.news or http://www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.