2025 Kentucky Wing Conference and Banquet
2025 KYWG CONFERENCE AND BANQUET
During the weekend of March 14-16, members of the Kentucky Wing gathered at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center, in Shepherdsville, KY, for the annual KY Wing Conference. Two other Wings, along with Region and National, were represented, and there was a total of 192 attendees.
The format was a little different this year. Instead of breakout sessions taking place all day Saturday, everyone stayed together in the morning to listen to the State of the Wing address, by KYWG Commander Col. Henson. Civil Air Patrol National Command Chief Todd Parson welcomed the membership. There were also announcements, a safety briefing, cadet protection updates, and an awards ceremony, including an Eaker Award presented to Cadet Lt. Col. Rushing. The morning keynote speaker was Maj. Marybeth Slocum who talked about "Charging the Innovation Battery".
After lunch, members attended breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics from aerospace and cadet programs to communications and emergency services, to operations, information technology, and government affairs. The STEM kit café, uniform exchange, and silent auction were open all day.
The evening banquet was a time for members to dress up and come back together for food, fellowship, and traditions. Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Reagan served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, opening and closing the mess and leading the toasts. Chaplain (Capt.) Bryce gave the invocation, and both Col. Henson and National Command Chief Parson welcomed everyone to the banquet.
The Table of the Missing ceremony reminded us that there are service members that have never returned home, and it honors their ultimate sacrifice. Cadet Tech Sgt. Armentano gave a dignified showing of all the table’s items and their meaning, while Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Wilson narrated.
After food and a brief awards presentation, Bryan Grubert, former Top Gun pilot, delivered the evening’s keynote address.
The evening concluded with members clambering to write down one last bid on items before the silent auction closed. Many members walked away with gift baskets, model planes, and some unusual finds. Proceeds from the auction went to help fund the David A. Kantor Memorial Cadet Flight Scholarship.
When asked about the conference this year, KYWG Commander Col. Henson said, "The value of personal contact and in-person learning, sharing, and collaboration cannot be overstated or dismissed. The energy I get from the members of the Kentucky Wing makes all of the effort worthwhile."
Cadet 2nd Lt. Gledhill (Heartland Composite Squadron) added, “The best part about wing conference for me, was connecting with cadets from all over the wing. I love hanging out with old friends and making new friends.”
Please click the following link to view photos from the conference and banquet:
2025 KYWG Conference - Civil Air Patrol
