The ceremony, called the Mil Ball, is when the nine squadrons that make up the Western New York group get together and cadets are awarded for their efforts for the year. This can include the Cadet of the Year, Non-Commissioned Officer of the year and the flying scholarship. The Mil Ball is held at the Classic Five Banquet Hall in Buffalo, and this year it was held on Feb. 11.

Besides Squadron of the Year, Jamestown Composite Squadron’s commander Lt. Col. Ellen Maternowski was also given the Lt. Col. Janet Schachner Memorial Award for Mentorship.

“The Lt. Col. Janet Schachner Memorial Award for Mentorship is from a person that was a cadet when she was 12 until she passed away,” Maternowski said. “Lt. Col. Janet Schachner mentored many, many people during her time in Civil Air Patrol and she mentored me also. I got this award for mentoring many, many people and cadets.”

Squadrons win Squadron of the Year by being picked by a committee. Each commander has to fill out a form and file a summary of the year, Maternowski said.

Maternowski was named the Lt. Col. Janet Schachner Memorial Award for Mentorship winner.

“(It looks at) what a Squadron has accomplished for the past year, like a competition,” Maternowski said. “We have forms to fill out like a summary of the year and a committee picks a Squadron out of nine. Every year we fill out the Squadron Summary sheets and have them in by a deadline.”

Maternowski said both she and her squadron — made up of seven cadets and two seniors — are proud of their accomplishments.

“We did a great job and accomplished a lot to win this award,” Maternowski said, “and the cadets are excited that we won the Squadron of the Year, especially after not doing this for over three years because of COVID.”