Tracy, California Dec 23, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Arsh Muhib of the California Wing’s Tri-Valley Composite Squadron 156 recently pinned on his new officer rank after earning the Gen. Billy Mitchell Award.
Muhib, a Civil Air Patrol member since December 2017, is a sophomore at Merrill F West High School where he carries a 4.16 GPA and is a member of the prestigious Space and Engineering Academy class of 2023. Lieutenant Muhib is also Principal Chair for Viola in the West High School Orchestra and has been part of the San Joaquin Honors Orchestra for the last 3 years in a row. He dabbles in robotics and is the project manager of the Tau Robotics Team at Merrill F West High School.
Lieutenant Muhib has actively participated in many engineering projects and engineering competitions since 2017. Among his accolades, he earned first place in the 2019 San Joaquin County Science and Engineering Fair and a special award by the International Society for Optics and Photonics at the California State Science Fair. He also earned the Raytheon Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Recognition Award at the California State Science Fair in 2017 and earned second place in engineering at the San Joaquin County Science and Engineering Fair that same year. In his free time, Lieutenant Muhib has been designing a 360-degree view periscope over the past three years.
Asked about his promotion, Lieutenant Muhib said, “When I had passed my promotion review board, I was stoked. It is difficult to articulate the joy and sense of accomplishment I feel. I am very grateful to my family, my squadron, my senior members, and the Civil Air Patrol for this amazing journey so far. It has been a great learning experience and I feel privileged and blessed.”
Lieutenant Muhib is the Bravo Flight Commander of Squadron 156 and the former Bravo Flight Sergeant. Lieutenant Muhib has also served roles inside of Civil Air Patrol as the squadron training flight sergeant, Recon Team Member for the California Wing Cadet Programs Conference and Public Affairs NCO at the California Wing Super Integrated Leadership Program, January 2020 in Fairfield, CA.
Lieutenant Muhib has earned the Civil Air Patrol Model Rocketry Badge and has earned the trainee rating for Ground Team Member 3 which allows him to contribute during emergency services exercises and real-world missions.
The Gen. Billy Mitchell Award has existed since 1964. This award honors the late Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, aviation pioneer, advocate, and staunch supporter of an independent Air Force for America. The award is earned after completing the first eight achievements of the cadet program. In addition, the cadet must pass an arduous 100 question examination testing leadership theory and aerospace topics. Since its inception 56 years ago, 72,000 cadets have earned this honor.
Being such an important milestone in the CAP cadet program, the Mitchell Award is normally presented by a CAP group commander or higher, the wing director of cadet programs, or a state or federal government official. Once the cadet earns the Mitchell Award, they are promoted to the grade of Cadet 2d Lieutenant. These cadets, who later enter the CAP's Senior Member program, are eligible for immediate promotion to CAP 2d Lt at age 21.
Those cadets who receive the Mitchell Award are also eligible for advanced placement in the grade of E-3 (Airman First Class) should they choose to enlist in the US Air Force. They are also eligible for advanced credit in the Air Force ROTC program. Mitchell Award cadets may also apply for a variety of scholarships and CAP special activities.
About Civil Air Patrol
Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and 1,944 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives in fiscal 2020. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief, and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state, and local agencies. As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. Members also serve as mentors to about 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually. Visit www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.
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