By: Kevin Rought, Captain CAP USAF Aux. Polk County Composite Squadron, Deputy Commander [email protected]
On June 26, 2024, the Polk County Composite Squadron Color Guard had the honor of presenting the colors at a Tampa Bay Rays game. Given just a month’s notice, the cadets began training twice a week to prepare for this prestigious event.
The Color Guard team members who participated in the event were C/Lt Colonel C. Beebe from Brandon, FL; C/Major T. Rought from Lakeland, FL; C/Capt. T. Volker from Davenport, FL; and C/2nd Lt. C. Brown from Lake Alfred, FL. Among them, Cadet Major T. Rought, the Polk County Composite Squadron Cadet Deputy Commander for Operations and a 17-year-old incoming senior at Lake Gibson High School, shared his experience: “When I first stepped out onto the field and saw all the people, it was nerve-wracking, but I relied on my training and experience to overcome my nerves. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
The squadron’s Color Guard team is scheduled to travel to Orlando, FL, to present the colors for the PhilMu Fraternity national conference on July 10, 2024. This will be followed by their attendance at a four-day Color Guard Academy in Umatilla, Florida, in August, where they will hone their skills for future presentations at community events. These cadets have come a long way in a short time, working together as a team to represent the Civil Air Patrol in their community.
If you have a local event and need a Color Guard team, or for more information about joining the Civil Air Patrol, please contact the Polk County Composite Squadron at [email protected] .