Mercer Cadet Earns Spaatz Award

WV CADET RECEIVES SPAATZ AWARD UNDER THE DOME OF HER STATE CAPITOL    

CHARLESTON, WV. -- A West Virginia Wing cadet received Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet honor, the General Carl T. Spaatz Award, from former West Virginia Air National Guard Commander and Assistant Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Christopher Walker (USAF Ret.).  Specifically requested by the honored cadet, Walker made the presentation on Saturday, March 16 to Cadet Colonel Haley D. Tharp in the lower rotunda of the beautiful West Virginia State Capitol before an audience of approximately 50 people which included West Virginia Wing Staff members, Mercer Composite Squadron members, West Virginia Wing Cadet Advisory Board members, family and friends.

Tharp joined CAP in May 2018 and on January 6, 2024, completed all requirements to earn Civil Air Patrol’s pinnacle award.  She is a member of the Mercer Composite Squadron 093 in Bluefield, West Virginia. In June 2019, she earned the Outstanding NCO award from the West Virginia Wing Summer Encampment and was honored as the 2020 West Virginia Wing Cadet of the Year. She also served as the cadet deputy commander for the 2021 West Virginia Wing Summer Encampment.  In 2021, Haley received the Presidential Award and the Women of Excellence, majoring in Spaceflight Operations with minors in Human Factors and Computer Science.    Aspiring to work as a rocket launch control operator in the space industry, she attended the Space Force Operations Academy in the summer of 2022. She is now attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Overall, C/Col. Tharp is dedicated to leveraging her leadership abilities and making a lasting impact on the world around her and “her Civil Air Patrol training has empowered her to accomplish great things,” according to West Virginia Wing Commander, Col. Debbie Butler-Case.

After receiving the Spaatz certificate from Gen. Walker, C/Col. Tharp offered some advice to her junior cadets, “Cadets, don’t be afraid to put yourself out of your comfort zone.  Opportunities do not come to those waiting on the sidelines.”  She also spoke of the importance of her leadership training, “Always lead with kindness. Practicing servant leadership will keep you humble and earn the respect of those around you.”  

Tharp ended with a heartfelt “thank you to those who have helped motivate me throughout my journey.”  

During the Ceremony, former West Virginia Wing Commander, Col. Connie Moody presented C C/Col. Tharp with a very special Spaatz Challenge Coin which had her certificate number, 2505, engraved on it.  Moody commented that she had presented C/Col. Tharp with her Mitchell Award.  At that time, she challenged her to stay the course and earn her Spaatz Award.  Col. Moody pointed out that anything is possible if you “just believe.”  She ended by thanking C/Col. Tharp for meeting that challenge.  During a very heartfelt moment, C/Col. Tharp presented her father, Capt. Anthony Tharp with an identical Spaatz Challenge Coin symbolizing her appreciation for her parents’ love and support.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, there was a reception held at the West Virginia Wing Headquarters.

Less than one-half of 1% of CAP cadets receive the Carl “Tooey” Spaatz award which honors General Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. After completing the cadet program’s 16 achievements, cadets who earn this award must pass a rigorous cumulative battery composed of a strenuous physical fitness exam, a written essay on a persistent moral issue, and two 60-question cumulative exams on aerospace and leadership.

Col Debbie Butler-Case
West Virginia Wing Commander