The General Carl A. Spaatz Award, Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet award, has existed since 1965. The award honors the late General Carl A. Spaatz, who became the first Air Force chief of staff on Sept. 26, 1947. General Spaatz was also CAP's first National Board chairman, a position he held from May 26, 1948, to April 27, 1959.
The Civil Air Patrol, the official Auxiliary of the United States Air Force, has three primary missions; the cadet program; aerospace education; and search and rescue. The cadet program provides opportunities for learning, maturing, and accepting leadership to approximately 20,000 young Americans from 12 to 20 years of age. With advice and assistance from the U.S. Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, and the CAP senior members at the national, region, state and local levels, cadets are exposed to a structured program of aerospace education, leadership, physical fitness, moral, and ethical values through group and individual activities. As a cadet passes through this structured program, he or she accomplishes a series of 15 achievements, each involving study and performance in the five areas. Upon completion of each achievement, the cadet earns increased cadet rank, decorations, awards, eligibility for national and international special activities, and an opportunity for both flight and academic scholarships.
The last milestone award is the Spaatz Award which is earned after completing all 15 achievements and then passing a rigorous four-part examination. The exam consists of written exams in aerospace education and leadership, a written essay, and a physical fitness test. The Spaatz examination is very difficult and demanding; and is earned by less than 20% of the examinees have achieved passing scores to date, and it is earned by less than one percent of all CAP cadets who enter the program. To further highlight the difficulty in achieving this goal, currently 1305 have been earned since 1965.
The first cadet to earn this award was Douglas C. Roach, of the Michigan Wing. Cadet Roach was presented his Spaatz Award on Jan. 25, 1965. The Michigan cadet later became an Air Force pilot and flew with the U.S. Air Force aerial team, the Thunderbirds.
As CAP's most prestigious cadet award. the Spaatz Award is normally presented by an Air Force or CAP general, an elected state or federal official, or a cabinet level official. Once cadets earn the Spaatz Award they are promoted to the rank of cadet colonel. Those cadet colonels, who later enter the senior member program, are eligible for immediate promotion to CAP captain at age 21.
| Certificate Number | Name | Issue Date | Squadron |
| 55 | David H. Adams | Nov 1967 | Dubuque |
| 302 | David J. Froiseth | Dec 1974 | |
| 400 | Scott B. Zima | Sep 1976 | Ames-Boone |
| 466 | Eric. D. Vander Linden | Mar 1978 | Des Moines |
| 499 | Thomas J. Ackerman | Jan 1979 | Des Moines |
| 602 | Dean A. Westpfahl | Apr 1982 | Cedar Rapids |
| 638 | Erich A. Bridges | Apr 1983 | Davenport |
| 742 | Randy W. Goodson | Apr 1985 | Waterloo |
| 760 | Edward C. Kellogg | Jul 1985 | Cedar Rapids |
| 805 | Julie R. Plummer | Jun 1986 | Des Moines |
| 922 | Bryan P. Birchem | Dec 1988 | Des Moines |
| 951 | Kevin B. Johnson | Aug 1989 | Red Oak |
| 1067 | Jude R. Sunderbruch | Jun 1991 | Muscatine |
| 1088 | Joseph S. Gadzik | Dec 1991 | |
| 1134 | Lance W. Lange | Sep 1992 | |
| 1400 | Douglass R. Jansen | Jun 1999 | Ames |
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