On March 1, 2019, Willie Composite Squadron Cadet Major Jacob Kottraba was notified that he has been selected to attend Cadet Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama this summer.
CAP.news explains that:
COS is a rigorous, academically challenging leadership course patterned after the US Air Force Squadron Officer School. The program provides an in-depth academic and practical study of leadership and the intricacies of this evolving skill set.
The goal of COS is to contribute to cadet officers’ growth as mature leaders and responsible citizens. It’s an introduction to strategic perspectives in leadership, consistent with CAP Cadet Programs’ leadership education goals for Phase IV of the program.
Most cadets arrive at COS having developed good leadership skills, with two or three years’ experience leading small teams in the tactical arena. That means they’ve been focusing on enacting plans developed by their superiors, and their chief concern has been to achieve immediate results. COS builds on that foundation, providing valuable leadership insights via lectures, reading assignments, projects and seminar discussions.
Cadet Officer School is regularly attended by cadets from all over the country, as well as young people in similar programs from other countries. This is the second year in a row that Willie Composite Squadron has had a cadet selected for this program.