The first time you got promoted?

[Airplane girl]

I still remember my first promotion really well. There was only a C/CMSgt, a C/1st Lt, a few C/Amn, and a bunch of C/AB in my squadron when I joined. So even promoting to C/Amn meant that you were pretty high ranking (later, I was actually left in charge of the cadets for a meeting for the first time as a C/A1C). In one of my first meetings as an official cadet, a senior member showed me and another new cadet all of the cadet grade insignia and told us how we could promote. He asked us what our goals were for our first promotion. I said that my goal was to get my Curry in two weeks. He said that it was an ambitious goal.

I was a really shy, awkward 13 year old at the time, so I got really nervous during my first CAP tests. I was even more nervous during my first promotion board. But that just made the moment when I was promoted to C/Amn, two weeks after that conversation with the senior member, even better. Standing in front of the squadron, getting that insignia pinned on was so awesome.

[SPS]

Took 4 months for my Curry - solely because I was on the fence about the program, rather, I was on my way out but it was suggested I stick to it.
I did for five more years with one left in the cadet program now.

Not much was shared with me early on and when I was asked (via email) if I wanted to go to 'O'-flight I thought "[darn], this is a much bigger squadron than has been showing up - I'm in 'B' Flight now maybe I made someone mad and I am being sent to a flight I never see at the meetings."

Then I was told what an o-flight was: 4 months in.

CAP has offered me so many opportunities, taught me so much that I will be grateful forever to the people that helped me along the way and that were alongside for the ride, many cadets and SMs.

A nostalgic look back, it is amazing. 

[almostspaatz]

"Back in my day".....we still wore CAP cutouts, after I was promoted and the meeting was over I remembered them so i tracked down the sq CC and asked for them back since I had purchased them (this is why you should ask if your unit can issue items instead of shelling out money for everything)...

In the car on the way home my dad asked me why I needed to get them back, and I explained how i would need them for my service coat once I promoted to C/2d Lt...

I just thought about that the other day and high-fived myself for reaching one of my first goals in CAP