2 minute read

The Cadet Commander That Could

In an era where leaders are a dime a dozen, Col. John Rhoades, the man who climbed the ranks from a humble Civil Air Patrol cadet to a Navy intelligence czar, is about to take the proverbial wheel of the functional juggernaut known as CAP’s Rocky Mountain Region. Apparently, transforming eight quarters of leadership wisdom gathered over 30 years into five territories is no small feat, but someone has to do it. Oct. 4 will mark the revolution at the Colorado Wing Conference when Col. Jason R. Hess passes the torch with fanfare and a side of pomp.

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, in between polishing her accolades, announced, “Rhoades is practically the poster boy for discipline and operational excellence.” His résumé is littered with enough fancy terms to make one’s head spin: from being part of NORAD’s cerebral cortex to navigating missiles while simultaneously decoding space secrets with a magnifying glass, Rhoades has done it all. “This man gets out of bed just to boost accountability and safety,” Aye continues, utterly convinced that Rhoades could probably command an aircraft with a paperclip and sheer willpower.

Rhoades, when he’s not writing “How to Lead with Humility” on his forehead, moonlights as an astronomer, teaching children to both aim for the stars and hit them with amazing precision. His main operating principle? Elevate others, one CAP cadet at a time. A strategic genius, he swears only by the sacred Year of Ownership which, legend has it, was foretold by oracles from CAP’s ancient prophecies.

“He doesn’t just want to be a cog in the machine; he wants to be the turbine that sends the ship into hyperdrive,” Aye hinted, probably foretelling his vision of increasing CAP’s might tenfold. Meanwhile, Rhoades makes it sound as though running 4,000 volunteers spread across $30 million worth of assets is child’s play. “Let’s not ignore the Herculean task of sustaining CAP’s signature trifecta of emergency services, flying metal birds, and grooming tomorrow’s captains,” he quips with a nonchalant flair.

But wait, there’s more! As if dabbling in military art wasn’t enough, Rhoades once flew PPE right into the clutches of COVID-19 itself. When he joined CAP back in 1994, the world was simpler, and now he’s orchestrating a sectional symphony across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. This stalwart once gallivanted with the International Air Cadet Exchange Program, spreading goodwill and CAP charm across Israel.

If you thought his list of accomplishments ended there, you’d be mistaken. This caped crusader has also chalked up over 13,500 flight hours, soared through United Airlines as the technical captain of the B757/767, and still finds time to give CAP pilots winged evaluations. He’s a veritable Swiss army knife of aviation certifications — essentially a superhero with a pilots’ union card.

Reflecting on his cadet days, Rhoades laughs at the notion of free time as he imparts his flying skills to his offspring. “I found my airborne beginnings as a CAP cadet, and now, in this predictable plot twist, I’m teaching my daughter to take to the skies.”

This man’s walls are likely lined with awards, from Distinguished Service to the infamous golden statuette of Meritorious Service — a shrine to his conquest of adulthood in CAP. At home, he is the patriarch of a future flight dynasty, with two daughters already donning CAP uniforms and a son, who waits eagerly on the cusp of 12, ready to ink his name into this unfolding saga.

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