Iowa Civil Air Patrol Cadet Flying High with Air Force Academy Appointment

1st Lt Betsy Becker
Public Affairs Officer
Northwest Iowa Composite Squadron

FORT DODGE, IA –  Cadet Capt Felix Knutson of the Northwest Iowa Composite Squadron (NWICS) Civil Air Patrol has received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy’s class of 2016.

Knutson joined Civil Air Patrol in 2008.  He attended the Nebraska Wing Encampment in 2009, served on the Iowa Cadet Advisory Council for one year and was the squadron cadet commander for the NWICS in 2010-11.  Knutson led many of the aerospace studies mentoring sessions at the squadron meetings.

After graduation from high school in 2011 and not receiving an appointment to USAFA, Knutson enrolled at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.  There he studied Aerospace Engineering with a Russian Studies minor.  Knutson also joined the Iowa State University Air Force ROTC program.  He is currently serving as the Public Affairs Officer for the Arnold Air Society of the ISU ROTC.

“I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity that’s been given to me,” stated Knutson, “I know that life at the academy is going to take a lot of hard work, but it’s going to be worth it in the end.”

Knutson may have an idea how difficult life may be at the academy.  He has an older brother, Brady Knutson, who is in the class of 2012 at USAFA.  The brothers also have an uncle, Clark Knutson, who also graduated from USAFA.

Knutson’s advice to cadets is, “Don’t let failure drag you down.  Let it be the very thing that pushes you to success.  I didn’t get into the academy when I applied the first time.  That drove me to work harder in school and in ROTC when I came to Iowa State University, because I knew that USAFA was where I wanted to be.”

Competition for an appointment to USAFA is extremely high.  Knutson was one of roughly 1,050 candidates to receive an appointment out of an initial group of 10,000.  Approximately ten percent of USAFA cadets have CAP experience.

Knutson’s parents are Dallas and Danielle Knutson of Hubbard, IA.  He reports for in-processing at Colorado Springs June 28, 2012