Milestone: Civil Air Patrol members give squadron a boost

By Olympic Peninsula News Group • March 20, 2019 1:30 am
Two Civil Air Patrol members, senior member Sauni Holt and cadet CMSgt. Carson Holt, show certificates they received with challenge coins for their recent donation to the organization’s unit in Sequim. Photo courtesy of Civil Air Patrol Two Civil Air Patrol members, senior member Sauni Holt and cadet CMSgt. Carson Holt, show certificates they received with challenge coins for their recent donation to the organization’s unit in Sequim. Photo courtesy of Civil Air Patrol
Two Civil Air Patrol members, senior member Sauni Holt and cadet CMSgt. Carson Holt, show certificates they received with challenge coins for their recent donation to the organization’s unit in Sequim. Photo courtesy of Civil Air Patrol Two Civil Air Patrol members, senior member Sauni Holt and cadet CMSgt. Carson Holt, show certificates they received with challenge coins for their recent donation to the organization’s unit in Sequim. Photo courtesy of Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol’s Olympic Peninsula unit, Dungeness Composite Squadron, recently offered its thanks to two members for a large and helpful donation.

Maj. Mark Swanson, CAP, the unit commander, thanked senior member Sauni Holt and cadet CMSgt. Carson Holt for their donation of more than $950 in uniform items.

Holt is an employee of the Sequim School District and her son, Carson, is a junior at Sequim High School.

For the past several years, with help from his family, Carson Holt has grown pumpkins for sale. Each year, the Civil Air Patrol cadet has donated the proceeds to his unit and Captain Joseph House, a respite facility for Gold Star veteran families in Port Angeles.

“We’re indebted to the Holts,” the unit commander said. “Civil Air Patrol regulations prohibit units from spending their own funds on uniforms and we had an unusually large number of new middle school-age cadets join last fall.

“It’s difficult and expensive to get U.S. Air Force battle uniforms (ABUs) for kids who are a lot smaller than the usual airman.”

The Holts, Swanson said, “really stepped up for us this year” by purchasing the uniforms directly in place of a cash donation.

Swanson presented the Holts with certificates of appreciation from the squadron along with Civil Air Patrol challenge coins in a ceremony March 5.