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Montana teen receives Civil Air Patrol's "Amelia Earhart" award

Roman Jacobson receives Civil Air Patrol "Amelia Earhart" award
Posted at 2:16 PM, Jun 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-24 16:22:22-04

HELENA — On Tuesday afternoon, Roman Jacobson received the Civil Air Patrol's "Amelia Earhart" award in front of his family and friends.

Jacobson, a high school student in Helena, is now a part of the just three percent of CAP cadets that have received the award for their exemplary leadership skills, knowledge of aerospace dimensions, and outstanding physical fitness.

In addition to receiving the award, Jacobson was also promoted to cadet captain, and said being able to have his father present the Earhart award and his mother be a part of his promotion was a special moment for him.

“I'm pretty thankful that they were able to come here and do that," said Jacobson. "We weren't really planning on having a ceremony because like a ton of things fell through, but that just having them there, that was more than enough for me.”

The Earhart award was created in 1964 to commemorate the first woman to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight and in a note to the Civil Air Patrol, Earhart's sister termed it "the kind of award Amelia would choose herself."

Jacobson said receiving the award was a great honor and hopes to fulfill it's duties as a now cadet captain.

“It's definitely a big step up in my own personal leadership. I get to teach a broader spectrum of cadets," said Jacobson.

What's next for Jacobson? He hopes to earn the Civil Air Patrol's coveted Spaatz award, an award that only five in every 1,000 cadets will achieve, before attending the United States Air Force Academy, and eventually serving in the Air Force.

The Civil Air Patrol not only helps out in disasters, search and rescues, and other emergencies, but members also play an important role in aerospace/STEM education through its cadet programs.

Click here to learn more about the Civil Air Patrol.