Introspection and Reflection

As a person, I have been shaped and molded by various aspects and experiences during my life. Family and friends, as well as organizations have had an impact on my memory, as well as my identity. One Organization that has helped me become who I am is the Civil Air Patrol. Without the CAP, I cannot fathom who I would be, what I would be like, and how my decisions might have changed.
One memory that is permanently etched into my brain relates to an activity called Pre-Encampment. Encampment is a week long boot camp for CAP cadets wanting to get promoted. Group 1 of CAP (our tri-county region) decided to organize a Pre-Encampment over a weekend to help prepare cadets for the real thing. It turns out that the real thing was a heck of a lot easier than Pre-Encampment was. At the Pre-Encampment, we were given old smelly military cots to sleep on and a recycling bin as a foot locker. We were rushed out onto the tarmac to be yelled at by the first sergeant, and bunked up in a small meeting room in the Blue Ash Air National Guard Base. We were awoken by an assault on the barracks by perpetrators wearing Gas masks and carrying massive supersoakers. All our bedding got wet, and we had to sleep the rest of the night on the bare cots. We had to wake up in the morning at 5am to run 2 miles, do countless numbers of push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Pre-Encampment broke up down and built us back up to be stronger, both mentally and physically, and more mature. I was 13 when I went through Pre-Encampment. I can still remember the smells, how it felt to be soaked all night long, and how great it felt to succeed. I look back and smile at those times.
My experiences in CAP shaped who I am today, and I am thankful that I was a part of such a wonderful program. After 5 years I was made Cadet Commander of GLR-OH-078 at the rank of Captain. I will never forget these memories. They were some of the best years of my life…so far!
-Michael Purvis Section 005