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Neighbors | Zack Shively .Austintown citizen Virginia Volpe has been with the local Naval Sea Cadet Corps, the Knighthawks, for three years and has reached the rank of petty officer. She is pictured with her father, Joe Volpe, and a booklet of her achievements with the Knighthawks.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively .The Naval Sea Cadet Corps local unit, the Knighthawks, met on Sept. 9 and 10 for training and awards at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna. Pictured on the ends are the two most senior cadets, Chris Grahovac (left) and Virginia Volpe (right).
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Neighbors | Submitted.A commander congratulated Volpe after an award ceremony at Camp Perry in Port Clinton where she won Honor Cadet for petty officer leadership advancement.
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Neighbors | Submitted.The Naval Sea Cadets are pictred at master-at-arms training at Fort Custer training center in Michigan. This training focuses on law enforcement.
by ZACK SHIVELY
Petty Officer Virginia Volpe, 14, of Austintown and other cadets went to monthly training on Sept. 10 at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, Ohio as members of the local U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps (USNSCC).
Volpe belongs to the Knighthawks, the squadron that meets at the air reserve in Vienna. She had always been interested in the military, but her interest grew while at a Browns game where they honored the women in the military during pregame.
Her father, Joe Volpe, assumed that the family would need to travel for his daughter to become a Naval cadet. He was surprised to see how close the Knighthawks trained. Without any travel issues, he signed her up.
The Knighthawks, as stated on their website, offer training for the Navy League Cadet Corps for children 11 to 14 and USNSCC training for young people aged 13 to 18. Their instruction covers general military training to more specific training such as culinary, robotics and scuba training.
Virigina Volpe has been in the cadets program for three years and plans to train in the medical area. She has also had training in underwater drone robotics and master-at-arms. She will test for petty officer, second class in October. The rank obtained at the end of the program will carry over to the Navy.
“She is the perfect example of leading by example,“ said Lieutenant Commander Douglas Cabarle, commanding officer of the Knighthawks Squadron. He said that she works hard and always goes the extra mile. He also said he has a great deal of confidence in her.
Volpe and fellow Cadet Chris Grahovic were the most senior cadets present at the drill, meaning that they took charge over the younger, less experienced cadets. For example, when they lined up for a picture, the two of them walked around and corrected the other cadet’s stances.
Her fellow cadets also view Volpe as a leader and an example. Grahovic said that he hopes others see in him the amount of accountability he sees in her. Cadet Nicolas Mahan called her a great leader, and Cadet Haley Buckley said she has great ideas. All three cadets said they strive to be like her and reiterated Cabarle’s sentiment of her hard work.
Cabarle said the USNSCC program focuses on creating better citizens, not on recruiting for the Navy. As commander, he aims to instill respect and leadership qualities in his cadets. Because the program offers so much training in various fields, he said none of his cadets leave the program at 18 without a plan for the future.
Volpe demonstrates that Cabarle’s statement rings true. She plans to head to the Naval Academy and study in the medical field upon graduating.
Joe Volpe finds the program comforting as his daughter heads into high school at Austintown Fitch. He called the program amazing and said he feels confident that she “will go down the right path” in life, as the program promotes respect and hard work.
Cabarle emphasized the cadets’ lives at home and in school. He said that their “schoolwork is paramount” and that they need passing grades to remain in the program. He wants his cadets to have a critical thinking perspective and follow their maxim, which states, “I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those among us that do.“
Virginia Volpe said that she has had no issues balancing her cadet training and schooling. She earned Honor Cadet at her Petty Officer Leadership Advancement training.
The USNSCC began in 1958, and the Knighthawks unit opened in 2008. Commander Cabarle will retire in October and Victor Rogers will take over. For more information on the Knighthawks, visit their website at http://www.knighthawksquadron.org/.