New heights achieved through Civil Air Patrol

Getting ready to plan Cable Airport’s 4th of July’s Light Up The Night event, some factors that pop into senior Sean Vu’s head include food, advertising, crowd control and safety—planning is just one of the many responsibilities entailed for serving as Director of Leadership and Resiliency. 

Vu is a part of Civil Air Patrol, a nonprofit volunteer organization that serves as the auxiliary branch of the United States Air Force. For the past five years, he has been able to participate in programs offered by the organization, developing leadership-oriented experience. He has served roles such as flight sergeant and flight commander, helping to lead groups of 18 Cadets through team marches, physical training, academic courses such as aerospace and character development and inspections—instruction from flight staff on skills such as making shirts and beds.

“In these positions, I lead people by instilling military discipline and help ensure all Cadet members work as a single team and to not only think for themselves,” Vu said. “These roles have helped me a lot with my leadership philosophy and it’s helped me to foster a culture of caring within the people that I’m around. Also, I have definitely created some of the best friends that I’ve ever had, because everyone there is really hardworking.”

Civil Air Patrol exposes youth aspiring for a career in the military to opportunities such as encampments, National Cadet Special Activities, search and rescue exercises and more. This summer, Vu spent one week at the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, taking the Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Familiarization course. There, he gained both academic and hands-on experience in the Air Force, also meeting pilots from different places, including the Philippines, Africa and Europe. Civil Air Patrol also offers encampments—week-long military immersions that provide the youth with basic military training. Vu has attended numerous encampments, climbed up the leadership ladder and this year served as the Director of Leadership and Resiliency at Camp Roberts in San Miguel, Calif. 

“I had to carefully approach [team conflicts] and talk to both sides [of the issue]. Some situations were borderline and dangerous, but that’s what was good about the position because you get to work and help people with their problems,” Vu said. “Planning is also a really big thing. Taking into consideration [various aspects for an event] is something that gives you a little glimpse into adulthood and having a leadership role.”

Vu’s passion for the Air Force began when he was 3 years old and watched the movie “Planes” (2013) for the first time. He began to attend many air shows and when he was 12 years old, he visited the Air Force Academy, where he was recommended to begin his involvement. Given his family had no military experience, this was something that he was excited to do on his own. His family looked highly upon his participation, inspiring his two sisters, freshmen Amber and Kathleen Vu, to follow in his footsteps.

“He’s very open-minded, takes in information quickly and he’s fine with other people, no matter their rank, giving him ideas,” Kathleen Vu said. “He is also very confident in what he does, making him a really good leader, because he’s not overly confident or unconfident.”

Upon hearing of Vu’s heavy involvement, junior Serena Li took an interest in the program as well. Li now serves as a part of the program’s ground team—a team that focuses on emergency services—and finds great joy in it.

“[Sean] introduced me to the program, and I joined because I wanted to meet new people and [experience new things]. The program has been really positive so far,” Li said. “Sean has definitely been an inspiration because of his relatability as a leader—he also has been thriving in different fields and he does not let obstacles stop him.”

Outside of the base, he has been able to carry over many skills aside from leadership to his everyday life. Public speaking, making a resume and cover letter and doing job interviews are just a few of the tasks that are no longer foreign to him. In the future, he can see himself joining the military and also has other aspirations such as working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

In addition to the skills he has gained, he has also earned notable awards including Congresswoman Judy Chu’s Certificate of Congressional Recognition, for assisting with the Annual Artistic Discovery Congressional Art Competition, and the Billy Mitchell Award for obtaining the rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant—a milestone that allows him to enlist in the Air Force one rank higher.

“What excites me the most about [the military field] is the people,” Vu said. “Everyone goes through sort of the same amount of struggle in the program, and the way it’s set up is so that you’re going to fail at some point. However, I feel that being in an environment where you have the opportunity to fail is really beneficial and struggling with people together really bonds you together.”