Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition - International Drill Competition

International Drill Competition

In 1947, based upon the cadet training program which required proficiency in standard drill "without arms," General Lucas V. Beau, Civil Air Patrol's National Commander, instituted the National Drill Competition. Rules were drafted by the US Drill Competition Committee, United States Air Force Ceremonial Detachment located at Bolling AFB, Washington DC and practices used by the Army ROTC program.

Major General Lucas Victor Beau, Commanding General of the Civil Air Patrol, was a well-known figure with countries having aviation cadet programs or showing an interest in establishing one. General Beau was well liked and had a longtime association with the Air Cadet League of Canada, an organization started in 1939 and one that the CAP Cadet program was modeled after when it began in October 1942.

Beau was attending a planning meeting in April 1947 in Canada to help organize the first International Air Cadet Exchange program which was to start in the summer of 1948 between the United States and Canada. When it was mentioned that CAP was establishing a National Drill Competition along the lines of the annual drill competition and exhibition that was held in Canada for the Air League. A point was made that the CAP Cadets were excellent marchers, and the Canadians counted that they too were suburb drill men; thus, a challenge.

Beau donated in 1948 for presentation at the first meet held in conjunction with the New York City Jubilee at Idlewild Airport Jamaica, Long Island, a heavy Sterling Silver trophy which is shaped in the form of the circular CAP Shoulder patch, it is 12 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick, the top of the circle is an arc with engraved relief block letters that spell out the words "CIVIL AIR PATROL". The trophy center piece is a highly polished raised isosceles triangle set on a circular blue background with raised 1⁄₄-inch border; within its center is a raised red three-bladed propeller, and the raised block letters "US" is centered on the lower half of the blue. The circular emblem is mounted on an 18-inch-long (460 mm) by 6-inch-wide (150 mm) and 2-inch-high (51 mm) base, which has across its front and back sides three raised triangles, each end has two triangles, for a total of 10 triangles all around, on each of these triangles is engraved the year (above) and the country (below) of the winner, i.e. "1949 CANADA".