ASU ROTC cadet is top in nation

by 1st Lt. Nathaniel Roesler
17th Training Wing Public Affairs

9/3/2014 - SAN ANGELO, Texas -- The Air Force Association named Cadet Dylan J. Meador of Angelo State University's Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps Detachment 847 the Outstanding ROTC Cadet of the Year for 2014.

The AFA annually chooses one cadet from 13,400 nationally, based on academic achievement, physical excellence and military performance.

Detachment 847 selected Meador as the top ROTC student and put him up against the best cadets from the Southwest region, comprising of 36 schools. Once he won the regional award, he was compared to the best from the entire country and was selected as the top cadet.

Meador will attend an awards ceremony hosted by the AFA in National Harbor, Maryland Sept. 15th. The AFA is a nonprofit, independent professional military and aerospace education organization, according to their website, afa.org.

Meador sees this honor as a team effort.

"The detachment itself has an atmosphere that inspires people to go above and beyond," said Meador. "I had great mentoring from upperclassmen who set me up for success by challenging me constantly and continually pushing me out of my comfort zone."

Col. Jeffrey F. Staha, Southwest Region ROTC commander, agrees that Detachment 847 at Angelo State had a big impact on Meador being named cadet of the year.

"By his achievements and actions, Cadet Meador exemplifies excellence in every aspect of his academic and cadet life," said Staha. "He models the behaviors we want in our officers, and he has learned this at Detachment 847."

The award-winning cadet is also a leader in his home detachment.

"He's always been a go-to cadet," said Lt. Col. Pedro E. Matos, ASU Air Force ROTC Detachment 847 commander. "Cadet Meador's also a team player that younger cadets look up to."

Meador has been selected to attend pilot training after graduation and already has his private pilot's license. He hasn't been assigned a location, but he knows which state he'd like to train in.

"There are a few bases for pilot training, and I'd like to go to one of the bases in Texas," said Meador.