The Civil Air Patrol’s Southern Kentucky Cadet Squadron honored 15-year-old Parker Lewis of Allen County during an awards ceremony at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport.

The senior-most member of the KY-300 Cadet Squadron was promoted to the rank of cadet second lieutenant and earned the Civil Air Patrol’s Billy Mitchell Award on Thursday.

The award is presented to cadets who complete all of the achievement levels of the leadership phase of their CAP program, which includes leadership, aerospace, physical fitness, character development, drill and ceremony and public speaking requirements.

Only 15% of the 24,000 Civil Air Patrol cadets nationwide earn the award.

“I’ve been in CAP for three and a half years and joined to pursue a career in aviation,” Lewis said. “I want to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force.”

Maj. Andrew Miller, the squadron’s commander, said in a news release, “Lewis has shown a passion for flight and excellent leadership skills for someone of such a young age. He did an impressive job of organizing a Kentucky-wide drill weekend for his fellow cadets.”

Lewis, a rising home-schooled 10th grader, has earned numerous CAP achievement awards, served in several leadership roles and is first sergeant in the squadron. He has also served as the chairman of the Kentucky Wing Cadet Advisory Council.

“The award is the first step to becoming a cadet officer,” Miller said. “He will now be managing NCOs and will have a larger leadership role throughout the wing.”

Lewis recently returned from a CAP encampment at the Harold L. Disney National Guard Training Facility in Artemus, where he led the honor flight which Miller said is “another testament to his leadership.”

He has also served as an aide-de-camp, flight commander and aerospace education NCO and participated in the National Emergency Services Academy.

On Friday, Lewis left for his second year at the CAP Glider Flight Academy in Tullahoma, Tenn., where he is working on earning his glider pilot license. He said that while he is there, he hopes to fly one of the glider planes solo.

“The fact that he wants to fly solo is an amazing feat and takes incredible maturity,” Miller said.

Lewis said receiving the Billy Mitchell Award was an honor.

“It feels really good because all of the hard work over the past three and a half years has finally paid off,” he said.

Also receiving awards at the ceremony were Cadet Joshua Martin of Bowling Green, who was promoted to chief master sergeant, and Cadet Angina Corbett of Franklin, who received the Cadet of the Quarter award.