"For the past three years, 2LT Ralph 'Paul' Koons has held the staff position of Recruiting and Retention Officer and each of those years he has faithfully and consistently discharged his duties in that position.
During the award qualification period, 2LT Koons took on the role as the Recruiting Officer and is very active in his community promoting CAP at every opportunity he can find, recruiting people of all walks of life. His outreach efforts include the following:
(1) Regularly visiting and attending events at the Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Paul ensures that there is an abundant availability of Civil Air Patrol recruiting literature available in the display racks. Moreover, he works with the museum personnel to amplify CAPs presence in that facility.
(2) Every year -- especially during the evaluation period -- 2LT Koons serves as a liaison and works with the Los Alamitos JFTB committees charged with planning and holding the annual Wheels, Wings, and Rotors show at that facility. It is by dint of Paul's efforts that this unit is afforded this annual chance to meet and recruit prospective members in its own backyard.
(3) Additionally, 2LT Koons works with those organizations that hold air shows and expositions at the Long Beach air port. As with the Wheels, Wings and Rotors event, Paul regularly sets up an Easy-Up and sees to it that CAP and Squadron 150 have a presence there. He also has done this at the Fullerton event and other get-togethers.
In Paul's own words:
"I do air shows like the one at the Long Beach Airport, at the Wings, Wheels, and Rotors event, and at the Fullerton Air Show. We take our EZ-Up, our chairs and table and pass out a lot of literature, provided by Maxwell AFB, to educate the people about the Civil Air Patrol. Also, the Long Beach Airport lets me have a table for CAP if they have a special event and they bring in outside people. I have provided guest speakers to speak about the Civil Air Patrol on several occasions to different groups. I talk with college students who want to get into the aviation field during the Long Beach tours. This can happen three or four times a year"
'"Over the last year, I can't say how many people I have brought into Civil Air Patrol because many people may go to different squadrons. My best guess is that over two dozen have joined the Civil Air Patrol through my recruitment efforts."
The results of Paul's efforts have been impressive. During this evaluation period, this unit averages one legitimate prospect per month and fully 80% of them have gone on to become staff officers or assistants with promising abilities and futures in CAP and California Wing.
Of course, Paul's recruiting efforts are not limited to Squadron 150. He has provided members to other units where there membership might be more appropriate owing to geography or age. Squadron 40 and 153 have benefited from 2LT Koons' conscientiousness.
2LT Koons' unselfish effort and performance of his duties and responsibilities in this and other areas exemplify the highest standards for CAP's Core Values, principally volunteer service and excellence. He exemplifies the ideal of 'Service above self'."
