CAP Is in the Kitchen At Sky Ball XIII
By Kristi Carr
For anyone who thinks service in Civil Air Patrol is limited to flying, aerospace technology and emergency services, Cadet Col. Adam Eudy can put those thoughts right out of your head with a tasty bite of his signature shrimp and grits.
Eudy has used his CAP experience to further his passion for cooking, most recently as the sole CAP representative on the staff of military chefs serving some 4,000 guests at American Airlines’ Sky Ball, held in support of the Airpower Foundation.
About Sky Ball and the Airpower Foundation
Sky Ball XIII took place in Irving, Texas, last fall and saluted in particular members of the U.S. Air Force and veterans of the Vietnam War. With American Airlines as its title sponsor, Sky Ball is the premier fundraising event for the Airpower Foundation, a national organization dedicated to raising funds in support of U.S. military personnel and their families. This year, the event raised $2.2 million, which will be directed to various military contingency funds and other programs to assist military personnel, including:
- Heroes on the Water, which helps veterans heal through fellowship and fishing.
- Freedom Flight, which transports World War II veterans on visits to their memorial in Washington, D.C.
- Wounded Warriors Veterans Day Weekend in Las Vegas.
- Snowball Express, which assists children of fallen military.
- Gary Sinise Foundation, which builds homes for our nation’s most severely wounded veterans.
How a CAP cadet became involved
Sky Ball is actually a full weekend of events that includes a black-tie gala, career exposition and concert. “It is a massive event,” Eudy said. “Sky Ball takes place in American Airlines Hangar 5 at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The hangar is large enough to house three to four 767s at one time. This Sky Ball involved approximately 1,500 volunteers and 4,000 attendees for a single-sitting dinner.”
Those attending included retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger and 27 Medal of Honor recipients, plus several mayors, entertainers and former POWs from the Vietnam War.
Eudy, now a student at the world- renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, was asked to participate by U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Derrick Davenport. Davenport was then senior enlisted aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Eudy describes him as a longtime friend and life mentor with whom he consults regularly. Just last year, Eudy was on the team that supported Davenport in his successful bid to win the American Culinary Federation’s Chef of the Year award, making him the first military chef to capture this honor.
While celebrity chef Robert Irvine was the titular head of the Sky Ball’s culinary staff, many military chefs representing all branches were on board. Wolfgang Puck Catering provided assistance and equipment, and food for the event was donated by wholesaler Sysco.
How, what, and, most importantly, why
American Airlines, through its subsidiary Envoy, its regional carrier, donated the use of a charter flight out of Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, to transport the chefs and their assistants, along with veterans and wounded warriors. Taking off from work, Eudy paid his own way to Arlington, as well as all other expenses for the four days he devoted to the event. As soon as he boarded the flight, he realized it was money well spent.
“I met a young veteran on board,” Eudy recalled. “He had been amputated from the waist down, yet was so happy and humble. It brought tears to my eyes. It was then I realized he and his fellow service members are the reason we do this. While there is no way we can repay what was lost, we can sure let them know what they mean to us.”
Once he arrived in Dallas, Eudy divided his time between work in the kitchen and — drawing on his experiences in CAP — general event operations. Run by a retired “gunny,” Paul Bannerman, currently a Transportation Security Administration instructor at the airport and someone whom Eudy described as a “wonder guy,” operations tracked flights and vehicles for the event, weather, security, tickets, keys and even money.
Where CAP is always home
Eudy was home-schooled, and his parents used CAP resources in his education. He admits he wasn’t all that fond of CAP service at first.
He has since changed his mind.
“I’ve found I love instructing others about leadership and military structure,” he acknowledged. A member of the South Carolina Wing’s Low Country Composite Squadron, Eudy earned his Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award — CAP’s highest cadet honor in 2014 and currently advises his wing’s cadet program and most of its squadrons in addition to advising units in CAP’s Middle East, Northeast and Southeast regions.
Besides his home squadron, he has special ties to South Carolina’s Spartanburg Composite Squadron, which he said served as a second home for him when he was working nearby in North Carolina, and to the New York Wing’s Dutchess County Cadet Squadron, which is close to his school.
“When you are in this deep, it’s hard to get out!” Eudy said. “I’ve made my best and closest friends through CAP, so I definitely see CAP in my future.”
How CAP led to a career
Eudy explained how “CAP opened doors for me in a very unique way.” In addition to giving him confidence as a leader — “which at my age sets me apart” — Eudy recalled how CAP pushed him into what he called a “kitchen leader” position at wing events. “There are hands- on leaders (field leaders) and hands-off leaders (executive leaders),” said Eudy. “And then there’s that special blend of the two that can only come from leading a kitchen brigade.”
He started as a kitchen staff member at a South Carolina Wing encampment, soon advancing to commanding those kitchen assignments. From there he just kept on going. For the past five years, he has worked the military’s culinary show, the longest and largest such show in North America, in Fort Lee, Virginia. He has also worked at the White House and at military socials that support military diplomacy with foreign military officers, meeting numerous dignitaries along the way.
“Thanks to CAP I can go into any military branch and receive management roles,” Eudy said. “And with most civilian jobs in the hospitality industry wanting to see prior leadership experience, I can literally go anywhere in the world and have a job.”
Though his future plans are evolving, he said he is gravitating toward being an estate manager, the civilian equivalent to an enlisted aide in the military.
“I would also like to one day work full-time at the White House,” he added. “That would be pretty awesome.”
Originally published in April-June 2016 Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine.
