North Dakota Cadet Receives Spaatz Award
Cadet Col. Zackery M. Leath of the North Dakota Wing has joined the less than one-half of 1% of Civil Air Patrol cadets receiving the organization’s top cadet honor, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award.
A member of the 119th ANG Cadet Squadron in Fargo, Leath joined CAP in 2019 less than three weeks after turning 12, driven by his passion for aviation and emergency services. He has since distinguished himself through extensive service and leadership, serving as his squadron’s cadet commander from November 2021-October 2022 and staffing numerous CAP events, including encampments and National Blue Beret in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Throughout his CAP career, Leath has remained active in emergency services, earning qualifications in Ground Team operations, Urban Direction Finding, Mission Radio Operator, Mission Staff Assistant, and Community Emergency Response Team. Most recently he completed training as a small Unmanned Aircraft Systems pilot.
Leath was recognized as the North Dakota Wing’s Air Force Association Award cadet recipient in 2023. He has also been awarded a Commander’s Commendation for outstanding service and exceptional duty performance.
He serves as a mentor to his squadron and holds the position of assistant representative to the National Cadet Advisory Council for the North Central Region.
Outside CAP, Leath is an avid sportsman who enjoys marksmanship and fishing. Still a high school student, he is actively preparing for a career in law enforcement while also serving as a volunteer firefighter.
The Spaatz award recognizes exemplary performance in leadership, character, aerospace education, and physical fitness. Recipients must complete the cadet program’s 16 achievements and then pass a rigorous cumulative battery consisting of a strenuous physical fitness exam, a written essay on a persistent moral issue, and two 60-question cumulative exams on aerospace and leadership.
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