Civil Air Patrol Update: National Blue Beret

By: Casey Robinson on Mar 11, 2020 | Categories: General, Clubs

This past week, C/1st Lt Colvin, Civil Air Patrol, was selected to attend the 2020 National Blue Beret Activity in OshKosh, Wisconsin. National Blue Beret (NBB) is a National Cadet Special Activity in the Civil Air Patrol. The event is two weeks long and is set up so that the second week will overlap with the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event, the largest air show in North America. Cadets must go through a competitive selection process in order to attend the event. Participants help conduct event operations, including flight marshaling, crowd control, and emergency services. The most famous tradition of the event is for cadets to receive a blue beret towards the end of the event. Though the beret is considered to be the most widely known symbol of NBB, it is actually considered by attendees to be less important than the emblem that is pinned on the beret. When participants receive the blue beret, they also receive a pin of St. Alban's Cross that pins onto the beret. The crest is in the shape of a shield, representing the mission of the Blue Berets as "protectors" of human life, their strength in adversity, and the military heritage of the organization. The crest design is a gold cross superimposed on a dark blue background. The crest is worn on the beret, centered over the left eye.