The Burke Composite Squadron Team was awarded second place in the CyberPatriot All Service Division and third in the Cisco Networking Challenge All Service Division March 23 in Bethesda. From left, 2d Lt Caroline Ren, Cadet A1C Illia Shestiuk, Cadet Capt Zhang, Cadet Lt Col Zhang, Cadet 1st Lt Taiyo Lloyd, Cadet MSgt Holden Donohue, and TSgt Jonathan Groff. Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association
Civil Air Patrol cadets from Burke Composite Squadron, located in Springfield, competed in the CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Education Program. The team, nicknamed Cyber Monkeys, was one of the 11 All Service teams to compete in the CyberPatriot 18 National Finals held from March 21-23 in Bethesda.
The team finished third overall in the All Service Division. In the Cisco Networking Challenge, the team finished second in the All Service Division. This was the third consecutive year the team competed in the National Finals. Of the 4,787 teams that started the competition season, only 25 made the cut to attend the National Finals.
The CyberPatriot teams competed in increasingly difficult challenges that required them to learn more about computer systems and network infrastructure. These included systems such as Linux, Windows, Windows Server and Cisco networking.
The Cyber Monkeys competed in two qualifying rounds. In the State Platinum Tier Round, the team finished in first place. In the Semifinals Platinum Tier Round the team finished in second place among all Civil Air Patrol teams, qualifying them to compete in the National Finals. At the start of the competition, there were 1,342 All Service teams in the competition. The All Service Division includes High School JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, and United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps teams.
CyberPatriot is a program of the Air & Space Force Association (AFA). It is designed to attract students to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) - including cybersecurity-specific fields.
The Team Captain for the Cyber Monkeys is Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Zhang, a senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School. The other team members are Cadet First Lieutenant Taiyo Lloyd, a senior at West Springfield High School; Cadet Captain Clara Zhang, a freshman at Lake Braddock Secondary School; Cadet Master Sergeant Holden Donohue, a freshman at C.G. Woodson High School; and Cadet Airman First Class Illia Shestiuk, a junior at C.G. Woodson High School. The Team Coach is Second Lieutenant Caroline Ren and Team Mentor is Technical Sergeant Jonathan Groff.
Reflecting on Cyber Patriot, Team Captain, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Zhang stated, “As much as CyberPatriot is about learning technical skills — finding malware, removing backdoors, and fixing vulnerabilities — the soft skills learned from the process are more valuable. It is more about being able to see the problem through to the end, to motivate and support each other through tough times, and to continuously challenge and improve skills and knowledge. Good teams turn into great teams through collaboration, passion, and perseverance.”
Team Coach, 2d Lt Caroline Ren stated, “These cadets have learned how to take on complex challenges with perseverance and teamwork, even with limited resources. Through that process, and with the support of their mentors, they’ve grown into leaders who are ready to serve their communities.”
The Cyber Monkeys of the Burke Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol compete in the Cisco Networking Challenge at CyberPatriot 18 National Finals March 23 in Bethesda. From left, Cadet A1C Illia Shestiuk, Cadet MSgt Holden Donohue, and Cadet 1st Lt Taiyo Lloyd.