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Scott employee recognized for Civil Air Patrol support

  • Published
  • By Col. Joseph S. King
  • Civil Air Patrol, Illinois Wing Headquarters
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Civil Air Patrol members are used to volunteering their expertise, time and financial resources in support of their country and communities. However, the organization can't successfully accomplish its emergency services, aerospace education and the cadet program missions without some help.

The bulk of the support of CAP comes from the Air Force. But, there are a number of other agencies who support CAP.

Many CAP wings receive financial and logistical support from state governments, private sector entities and military associations. There are also a number of "unsung heroes," like Jett Cates of the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office at Scott Air Force Base.

According to CAP Illinois Wing vice commander, Lt. Col. Rick Oeth, "(Jett Cates) has been of great assistance in getting our excess logistics and communications inventory turned in. Indirectly, he is responsible for our outstanding survey audit results. He has gone way beyond what is expected of him to assist CAP."

Mr. Cates served 24 years in the Air Force. He worked as an aircraft mechanic from 1974 until 1986, and then as a first sergeant from 1986 until his retirement as a master sergeant. He joined the DRMS in 2003. In 2007, he was appointed to his current position as a disposal service representative.

The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service was formed in 1972 in response to a Congressional mandate to consolidate and centralize the disposal of DoD property. DRMOs are the actual physical location where materiel can be acquired or disposed.
Colonel Oeth praised Mr. Cates for his willingness to go beyond the call of duty to help the wing clear the inventory of unserviceable items. Repeatedly, he has developed creative solutions to what had previously been logistical log jams.

As a token of the wing's appreciation for Mr. Cates' efforts, Colonel Oeth presented him with a commemorative communications coin provided by CAP Illinois Wing Communications Director, Maj. David Picek.

With the combined efforts of the wing's logistics section, Illinois CAP, the DRMO, and the wing's squadron and group headquarters, the Illinois Wing received another Outstanding rating on its 2010 Survey Audit conducted in June. This is the third year in a row that the wing's Survey Audit received an Outstanding, the highest grade possible.