The Amelia Earhart Award has existed since 1964. This award honors the late Amelia Earhart, aviatrix, advocate, and pioneer, who set many records for women aviators in aviation's infancy, and who was lost while attempting to be the first women to circumvent the globe.
Civil Air Patrol, the official Auxiliary of the United States Air Force, has a three fold mission: aerospace education of the American people, emergency services and disaster relief for those in distress, and the cadet program. The cadet program provides opportunities for the learning, maturing, accepting, and nurturing of leadership to approximately 18,000 young Americans from 12-20 years of age. With advice and assistance from CAP members at national, regional, state and local levels and the US Air Force, cadets are exposed to a structured program of aerospace education, leadership, physical fitness, moral and ethical values through a structured program.
This structured program is divided into 15 segments called achievements, involving study and performance in the five program areas. Upon completion of each achievement, the cadet earns increased rank, decorations, awards, eligibility for national and international special activities, and opportunities for both flight and academic scholarships.
The second milestone of the program is the Amelia Earhart Award which is earned after completing the first eleven achievements of the cadet program and receipt of the General Billy Mitchell Award. In addition, the cadet must pass an arduous 100 question examination testing aerospace topics, leadership theory and staff topics. Since its inception over 30 years ago, 9200 cadets have earned this prestigious award.
In accordance with its importance within the cadet program, the Earhart Award is normally presented by a CAP Wing Commander or higher, or a state or federal government official. Once the cadets earn the Earhart, they are promoted to the grade of Cadet Captain. These cadets who later enter the senior member program, are eligible for immediate promotion to CAP 1st Lieutenant at age 21.
Those cadets who receive the Earhart Award also enjoy all the benefits of the Mitchell Award (advance placement as E-3 in the US Air Force, scholarship and activity opportunities, etc.) and also are eligible to apply to the International Air Cadet Exchange. IACE is an organization dedicated to fostering international understanding, goodwill, and fellowship among youth of the world, using the common bond of aviation. Approximately 100 cadets per year are asked to participate in this extraordinary program.
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