UPDATE: SEE THE NEWSCAST ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA’S MCOLS FROM WVNS, CHANNEL 59 ON YOUTUBE HERE

West Virginia’s Mountaineer Cadet Officer Leadership School (MCOLS) is one of several summer leadership programs run by AF Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) units across the country, with financial support from the US Air Force’s JROTC headquarters in Alabama.  

Cadets and units selected for these events are considered the “cream of the crop” — only the very best units and cadets are invited. West Virginia’s MCOLS serves those cadets in the Central East area, including West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. 

MCOLS  provides cadets with opportunities to enhance their leadership and teamwork, academics, military drills, survival skills, as well as physical fitness and American Flag Honors courses. Held at Concord University, Athens, West Virginia, MCOLS has been the highlight of the summer AFJROTC calendar for 22 years. This year, MCOLS saw a total of over 240 cadets, divided in to eight flights, two flights per squadron.  

The 2024 Yeager Leadership Seminar

Each year, the Air & Space Forces Association’s Chuck Yeager Chapter arranges for speakers for the Yeager Leadership Seminar, an hour-long opportunity for cadets to engage in a one-on-one environment with notable Air Force and Space Force leaders, on topics of leadership, ethics, and the challenges associated with leading groups of people in today’s cultural climate. AFA’s Central East Region, covering Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C., provides additional operational, logistic, and financial support to the Seminar. 

Our speaker this year was Maj Gen (Ret) Kimberly “Kim” Crider of the US Space Force. Gen Crider was commissioned through the ROTC program at Duke University and she finished her career as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Space Command.  She spoke to the cadets about the “Five Cs of Leadership,” using her life experiences, coupled with the main characters of the “Wizard of Oz”: Courage – the Cowardly Lion (facing the unknown), Compassion – the Tin Man (having heart), Commitment – Toto (dedicated), Competence – the Scarecrow (wisdom), and Cause – Dorthy (to get where she needs to go). To commemorate her outstanding presentation, Gen Crider received a plaque from the Yeager Chapter, presented Chapter president Peter Jones, with CER President Linda McMahon in attendance.  

The plaque reads “With sincere thanks to Maj Gen Kimberly Crider, Keynote Speaker, Yeager Leadership Seminar, Mountaineer Cadet Leadership School, Air Force Junior ROTC, Concord University, Athens, West Virginia, June 20, 2024.”

The Yeager Chapter greatly appreciates the contribution of Gen Crider, and the support of the MCOLS leadership in making this Seminar a resounding success.

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MCOLS GRADUATION

The highlight of the MCOLS program is graduation — a full-up military parade and awards ceremony. This year, we had both unit and individual awards presented to the highest-performing cadets and organizations.

The Chuck Yeager Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association, representing AFA in all of West Virginia, is proud to be a sponsor of MCOLS, as we have for over 20 years. The Yeager Chapter provides funding for all the individual awards presented at graduation.

UNIT AWARDS

The following MCOLS awards were announced and will be presented at the cadet’s home unit:

• All cadets earned the AFJROTC Summer leadership school ribbon.
• Many have earned the Physical Fitness Ribbon.
• The Orientating Competition Ribbon is awarded to the top three two-person teams competing in the Orientating Exercise.
• The Academic Ribbon top three cadets scoring the highest on the academic tests.
• The highest overall scores from all evaluations receive the Outstanding Cadet Award for each cadet their Flight and the AFJROTC Achievement Ribbon.

HONOR FLIGHT AWARD

The MCOLS Honor Flight Award goes to the Flight that had the highest combined score in inspection, drill, athletics, and academics. This year, Foxtrot Flight earned the coveted Honor Flight streamer for their guidon. Cadets in Foxtrot Flight earned the AFJROTC Outstanding Flight Ribbon; Flight cadre members earned the Outstanding Cadet Ribbon.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

The 2024 MCOLS graduation video may be found on the MCOLS Facebook page.