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Exciting Rocketry Weekend in Burlington

Cadets with rockets
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Cadets with the Burlington Composite Squadron hold their rockets prior to launch on 28 October 2017. Photo Credit: 2d Lt Elmer Bennett III, CAP (click image to view full size)
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Burlington Composite Squadron cadets earn rocketry badges

11/5/2017––The Burlington Composite Squadron (NC-022) held a Rocketry Weekend on 27-28 October 2017 in Burlington, NC.

After the exciting and educational weekend, a number of cadets earned their rocketry badge and patch. Cadets participating were: C/Amn Thomas Altman, C/MSgt Brad Bennett, C/Amn William Kime, C/CMSgt Kody Mathery, C/MSgt Gavyn Morton, C/CMSgt Cooper Morton, C/SMSgt Jacob Steinbruegge and C/2dLt Isaac Vermillion. 
 
At the NC Wing headquarters on 27 October, the cadets completed building the Alpha single-stage rocket and the Lodestar two-stage rocket. It was impressive to see how quickly and efficiently they worked.  
 
On the 28th, the cadets and senior members traveled to the launch site - 2d Lt Frances Shepherd's land in Gibsonville. As preparations were made to launch the rockets, the squadron was joined by Major Patrick Bass, CAP-USAF. Maj Bass is the Reserve Assistance Officer for the CAP-USAF program. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering and is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the Citadel. 
 
The thing that was the most impressive to Major Bass and the program administrators was that when the cadets had non-perfect launches of either type of rocket, the cadets broke down the process of what worked and what didn’t and used that knowledge to improve the next rocket being launched. Much was learned from the launch failures and it was great to see the cadets constantly critiquing and continuously improving the design and process to create successful launches.  
 
With the achievements of the weekend, the cadets are eligible for the CAP rocketry badge to wear on their Blues and a rocketry patch for their BDUs.