Col. John Paul Connor, commander of the 35th Mission Support Group, poses with Civil Air Patrol cadet Cayne Redmond at Misawa Air Base, Japan, May 27, 2026. Redmond had just received the General Carl A. Spaatz Award. (Sparx Media)
A Civil Air Patrol cadet in Japan has ended a nearly 42-year drought by earning the organization’s highest honor and its highest rank.
Cayne Redmond, 17, of Misawa Air Base, earned the General Carl A. Spaatz Award and now holds the rank of cadet colonel.
The award — named for the Air Force’s first chief of staff and first chairman of the Civil Air Patrol National Board — has gone to 2,625 cadets since its inception in 1964.
Redmond is only the fourth cadet in Civil Air Patrol history to earn the Spaatz Award at an overseas location, and the second ever to earn it in Japan, according to the Spaatz Association’s website.
The last person to achieve this milestone in Japan was Jeff Morris, who earned his award in August 1984, the site states.
Redmond is a rising senior at Robert D. Edgren Middle High School, where he also runs track, plays soccer and serves as a student representative on the school advisory committee, according to the school’s website.
His father, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Robert Redmond, said he’s proud of his son for accomplishing an “exceptionally difficult goal.”
“Through hard work and determination, he made it a reality,” he wrote in a June 12 email. “As parents, watching him achieve this — among his many other milestones — has been an amazing journey.”
The Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered, federally funded civilian auxiliary of the Air Force, according to the program’s website. In addition to receiving an aerospace education, its members take part in emergency services missions for public agencies through search and rescue, disaster response, aerial reconnaissance and other missions.
To earn the Spaatz Award, cadets must progress through 16 program achievements and pass a comprehensive, four-part exam consisting of a physical fitness test, an aerospace education exam, a leadership essay and a moral character evaluation.
The Misawa Civil Air Patrol’s deputy commander, Air Force Master Sgt. David Roark, said Cayne provided vital leadership to cadets when they needed it most.
“It proves to our cadets that they can accomplish the impossible if they set their minds to it and strive for excellence,” he said in a June 12 email.
Cadets who earn the Spaatz Award are highly sought after by military academies, Cayne wrote from an Air Force Academy seminar in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“For me, the Spaatz Award represents both a culmination and a commencement,” he said in the June 12 email. “It honors five years of hard work where I learned to lead with tenacity, support my peers, and adapt to challenges.
“Now, I’m ready to dig in for the next chapter. This achievement is a vital steppingstone toward the Air Force Academy and a lifetime of service,” he said.
