The newly promoted cadets included (front row, from left) Cadet Airmen 1st Class Brett Smith, Orlando Clarke and David Frazier; Cadet Airmen Rachel Orlandella (second row, from left) and Jeremy Stubbs; Cadet Airman 1st Class Chris Eatmon; Cadet Airmen Cameron Stinson (third row, from left) and Ezekiel Crespo; Cadet Senior Airman Bailey Zindorf; Cadet Airmen 1st Class Bradley French and Austin Kelley; Cadet Staff Sgt. Maddie Sanchez; Cadet Airman Nick Farrin; Cadet Senior Airman Jessica Barnes; (fourth row, from left) Cadet Airman Daniel Farrin; Cadet Airman 1st Class Matt Murphree; Cadet Tech. Sgt. Tony Langone; Cadet Airman Brittney Hartley; Cadet 2nd Lt. Kaitlyn Barnes; Cadet Capt. Matt Sorcic; Cadet Airman 1st Class Logan Brown; and Cadet Senior Airman Samantha Aldana.
Photo by Mike Farrin
Lt. Col. Tom Schmid
Aerospace Education Officer
Gwinnett County Composite Squadron
Georgia Wing
GEORGIA – The Gwinnett County Composite Squadron recently snapped its former record – 17 – for cadet promotions in a single day when 29 cadets advanced to new ranks.
The previous record was set in March 1998. The squadron approached that mark several times in the meantime, totaling 15 or 16 promotions, but for more than a decade the record held firm.
Then, last year, the unit’s cadet officers decided to start mentoring the cadets in their leadership and aerospace studies. Soon after, the junior cadets were passing exams with such great frequency that the cadet leaders and senior members began to wonder if the squadron record was about to fall.
The night of the squadron’s Christmas Party, no one knew just how high the promotion count was going to be.
After the opening festivities, Lt. Col. Deb Schmid, deputy commander for cadets, asked a few distinguished guests to join her on the stage in preparation for the promotion ceremony:
- Georgia National Guard Lt. Col. Vernon Atkinson.
- U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Daniel Zarnik.
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Vice Commander Mike Fitch and Adjutant and Quartermaster Mike Brown.
- Lt. Cols. Thomas Schmid, squadron aerospace officer, and Patrick Zarnik, deputy commander for seniors.
- 2nd Lt. Luis Rivera, a former U.S. Army sergeant.
At that point the unit’s cadet commander, Cadet Maj. Melissa Thom, read out the names of those being promoted. They approached the stage as their names were called and received their rank from the distinguished guests.
After the ceremony, Deb Schmid pointed out that almost 15 cadets had been promoted in each of the previous two months, further evidence that the unit is going through a period of major growth. The Gwinnett County roster lists more than 80 cadets.
The promoted cadets, with new ranks:
- Cadet Capt. Matthew Sorcic.
- Cadet 2nd Lts. Kaitlyn Barnes and Joseph Peterka.
- Cadet Tech. Sgt. Anthony Langone.
- Cadet Staff Sgts. Madelyn Sanchez and Brittney Dixon.
- Cadet Senior Airmen Samantha Aldana, Jessica Barnes, Cole Swiszowski and Bailey Zindorf.
- Cadet Airmen 1st Class Joseph Brown, Orlando Clarke II, Ricky DeLatorre, Christian Eatmon, Jack Fontaine, David Frazier, Bradley French, Austin Kelley, Matthew Murphree and Brett Smith.
- Cadet Airmen Levi Adams, Ezekiel Crespo, Michael D. Farrin, Nikolas Farrin, Brittney Hartley, David Martin, Rachel Orlandella, Cameron Stinson, Jeremy Stubbs and Andrew Tran.
