Photos: Patchogue Color Guard Team Wins Regional Competition

The Colonel Francis S. Gabreski Squadron Color Guard team of Patchogue recently won the Long Island Group Cadet Competition held at , earning the right to compete at the next competition at Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate Newburgh on April 9.

The squadron is made up of Patchogue-Medford students that are part of the Civil Air Patrol.

“This is the seventh year I have directed this competition and I am totally impressed at the level of commitment and preparation shown here today,” said Lieutenant Colonel Louis Fenech, Jr., the squadron’s commander.

This is the squadron’s sixth win in nine years of competition. Judged in three event categories including written exam, indoor standard and outdoor standard contests. The two other Long Island squadrons who competed were Leroy R. Grumman Squadron of Northport who came in second place and Suffolk County Cadet Squadron 10 of Ronkonkoma, the 2010 Long Island Group Champions.

The Gabreski color guard was commanded by Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Theresa Nelson who earned individual awards for highest written exam and best overall commander. The team included Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Aysha Ozyilimaz, Cadet Staff Sergeant Lauren Lindgren, Cadet Airman Chau Le and alternate Cadet Technical Sergeant Paul Dowty.

Check the for highlights from the competition.