Florida Wing's Brinkman Establishes Cadet Flight Scholarship

From the first time he heard about Civil Air Patrol, Richard Brinkman was hooked.

He was 13 and a junior high school student in Orlando, Florida, when he and two buddies heard a presentation about CAP and decided to join. Brinkman’s mother was a single mom and signed the papers granting permission. It was a decision both would be grateful for as the youth grew into a man. He credits his CAP mentors with keeping him on a straight path.

“I think Civil Air Patrol gave me the guidance I needed so I would do the right thing,” he said.

Today Brinkman, who retired May 1 from a career in accounting and investment planning, lives in Clermont, near Orlando. He did well in his career and now is giving back in the form of a $100,000 gift to the Civil Air Patrol Foundation to establish the Lt. Col. Richard Brinkman Jr. Florida Wing Cadet Flight Scholarship Fund.

Already, two young people in the Florida Wing have benefited from his gift with $1,000 scholarships each: Cadet Lt. Col. Ashton Campbell of the 463rd Composite Squadron in Orlando and Cadet Capt. Joseandres Hernandez of the Pines-Miramar Cadet Squadron. In the future, many more Florida cadets will benefit, two Civil Air Patrol officials said.

Working with Brinkman to use his gift was a pleasure, said Kristina Jones, president/executive director of the Civil Air Patrol Foundation and CAP’s chief growth officer. “He has so many positive experiences of his own,” Jones said, “and to see him create a legacy for future cadets to create their own memories is a true gift.”

Col. Raj Kothari, chair of the Civil Air Patrol Foundation board, said gifts such as Brinkman’s represent the reason the foundation was established. A growing number of CAP members and alumni have been affected by creating opportunities for cadets. “Thank you, Lt. Col. Brinkman, for fulfilling dreams with flight scholarships for Florida Wing cadets for decades to come,” Kothari said.

One of the first recipients of the Brinkman scholarship, Campbell, is 17 and already making everyone who knows him proud. By taking dual credit courses, he graduated from high school and from Valencia College in Orlando in May 2021. He’s now a junior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, majoring in information technology.

Campbell finished one college course this summer while working part-time at a grocery store. He’s back at UCF this fall, getting closer to a degree. He has never met Brinkman but is thrilled to receive the gift that bears the donor’s name. “I’m very grateful,” Campbell said. “He has my thanks.”

Campbell joined Civil Air Patrol in 2016 at age 12. His dad is an airline pilot, but Campbell won’t be following in his footsteps. Instead, he plans a career in either the military or federal law enforcement.

He also plans to fly for Civil Air Patrol and recently soloed, thanks to the $1,000 scholarship. Campbell’s solo expedited his enrollment in the Cadet Wings program in July, said Margarita Mesones, CAP’s cadet aviation career activities manager.

Hernandez received his private pilot certificate in June, thanks to flight training he received through the Brinkman scholarship and Cadet Wings.

In a thank-you letter to the scholarship committee and the CadetInvest team at National Headquarters, the recent U.S. Air Force Academy appointee said, “So far through my flight training, I have found a more profound love and desire to have a flying career within the military. As I enter the Air Force Academy, I hope to continue learning all about airmanship and, to my ability, become the best possible pilot.”

Brinkman was pleased to be able to fund the scholarships, giving back to an organization that has meant so much to him in his lifetime. Unlike many young people who join CAP, Brinkman wasn’t particularly interested in becoming a pilot.

“What excited me was ground search and rescue,” he said.

And he excelled at it, putting his skills to use following hurricanes and tornadoes and searching for downed aircraft and missing children.

One incident still stands out. He was driving a field ambulance searching for a plane that had crashed. He saw the pilot staggering out of a swampy area, reminding Brinkman of a mummy from an old horror movie. The man—very much alive—was thrilled to see his rescuers. “Thank God for the Civil Air Patrol,” he said. “I knew you would find me.”

Brinkman used the leadership skills he learned in CAP as a volunteer firefighter and a former three-term mayor when he lived in Edgewood, Florida. He hopes his scholarship fund will benefit future generations just as he benefited from CAP as a youngster.

“It’s a great organization,” Brinkman said, “and I love it.”