Starting next week, about 150 Civil Air Patrol cadets from all over the state and Northwest region will gather at Camp Murray for the organization's annual summer encampment.

The encampment will include tours of various facilities on McChord Field and Camp Murray, more than 40 hours of classroom instruction on Air Force and Civil Air Patrol functions and provide a basic introduction to life in the barracks.

The encampment is for cadets ages 13 to 21 and also includes a flight on a C-17 Globemaster III.

"They know about a lot of things they're going to be doing already, but it's a very fun experience for them anyway," said Lt. Col. Lorraine Robertson, the McChord squadron's executive assistant who has helped organize the encampment for the last 15 years.

Cadets typically rise at 5 a.m. each day and take to the streets to perform drill.

Overall, it is an intense week filled with hours of drill and ceremony, customs and courtesies and hard work. Cadets have very little down time, and their schedules are strictly regimented so that they can complete all the required basic training in a one-week period.

"Most cadets find that participation requires self-discipline, stamina, and old fashioned ‘true grit' as they try to please the seemingly never satisfied first sergeant," said Capt. Ruth Peterson, a public affairs officer on CAP Washington Wing Staff. "They can look back on their success at finishing the basic encampment and know that the week made them a stronger person both in body and spirit and equipped them to be better able to face future hurdles."

In addition to building their personal stamina in a variety of areas, cadets also get a chance to learn about the many different career fields within the Air Force. During the encampment they get to see demonstrations from the McChord Field explosive ordinance disposal unit, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Fire Department and security forces Airmen.

"It gives them a better idea of what they might want to do if they choose to join the Air Force," Robertson said.

At the end of the week, the encampment hosts a Pass in Review parade so cadets can display to family members and friends all that they have learned.

"When they have successfully completed the week, they all know that they have accomplished more than just training," Peterson said.

The Civil Air Patrol is a federally chartered civilian volunteer nonprofit organization designated by statute as the official civilian auxiliary of the Air Force.