ASU Student Named Air Force Association's Cadet of the Year

Dylan J. Meador, a cadet colonel in Angelo State University’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 847, has been named the Air Force Association’s (AFA) 2014 Outstanding ROTC Cadet of the Year.

A Wall High School graduate, Meador will be honored during the AFA Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept. 15 in National Harbor, Md. He was chosen for the award from the more than 13,400 college AFROTC cadets in the U.S. He became eligible for the award by winning the William Randolph Lovelace Award in February as the top cadet in the Southwest Region and was then chosen for the top award from the field of four regional winners.

“Being selected for this award is a huge honor,” said Lt. Col. Pedro Matos, Detachment 847 commander.  “It is also an accomplishment for the officers and non-commissioned officers of the detachment who spend countless hours mentoring our cadets. Winning at the national level adds to the list of accomplishments Cadet Meador has achieved at a very young age. He is a remarkable individual and a great addition to our university and the AFROTC program.”

Each Air Force ROTC detachment nominates its top cadet for the award. A selection committee bases its decision on academic achievement, physical fitness and military performance.

“This award is a direct testament to our amazing ROTC program,” Meador said, “and all of the people who work hard, day in and day out, to make it the best in the Southwest. I am simply a byproduct of this exceptional environment.”

A senior criminal justice major, Meador earned his private pilot’s license at age 17 and decided to pursue his love of flying in the Air Force through ASU’s ROTC program. He is scheduled to graduate in May of 2015 with his bachelor’s degree, and has already been selected for Air Force pilot training. He currently serves Detachment 847 as vice commander of the cadet wing. 

Meador has also received numerous other honors during his time at ASU. He has been on the Dean’s List and the Professor of Aerospace Studies Honor Roll every semester, and he has also won the AFROTC Academic Honors Award and the Physical Fitness Award each semester. At Field Training in 2013, he ranked second of 24 cadets, winning Distinguished Graduate and the peer-nominated Warrior Spirit Award. His military awards include the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Award, the Society of the War of 1812 Award and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Award.

The AFA is a nonprofit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. Its members publish Air Force Magazine, conduct national symposia and disseminate information through outreach programs. They also sponsor professional development seminars and recognize excellence in the education and aerospace fields through national awards programs.

More information on AFA is available online at www.afa.org. More information on AFROTC Detachment 847 is available online at www.angelo.edu/dept/rotc/.