Local boy becomes Eagle Scout

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Nathan Van Loon
  • 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  On Jan. 5, 15 year-old Austin Cogil took the oath to become an Eagle Scout, and in doing so, reached the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America organization. The Court of Honor ceremony was held in the Northern Lights Club here.

The official event was the culmination of many years of determined efforts by Cogil, whose father, Master Sgt. Brian Cogil, is a member of the 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout is a long and demanding process, requiring Scout members to climb their way through the different Boy Scout ranks. Current prerequisites to become an Eagle Scout include holding several leadership positions within the Troop, earning more than 20 merit badges, and successfully completing a substantial community service project.

After spending several hours volunteering at the base thrift shop, Cogil recognized the need for renovation to help better organize the items available there for military personnel and their families. He then decided that he wanted to undertake an overhaul of the facility as his service project for Eagle Scout.

"I saw the need and thought I should do something about it," Cogil said. He spent several hours developing his plan and soliciting funding for the project. He then led a team of nearly 25 scouts and supportive parents in painting the walls of the thrift shop and installing new shelves, pegboards, and hook racks.

"It really opened up the floor space and gave them extra room to store new, larger donations from people," added the high school sophomore. "Overall, our team volunteered a combined 238 hours of work towards this project."

"We are so proud of Austin," said the new Eagle Scout's mother, Gail Cogil. "He has certainly put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this accomplishment. We know he will continue to do great things in the future."

The rank of Eagle Scout is achieved by less than two percent of young men who join Boy Scouts and is an achievement that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives. As an Eagle Scout, Cogil joins the ranks of several notable American leaders, including former President Gerald Ford, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and current U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Troop 319 meets every Monday evening on Grand Forks Air Force Base and is always eager to welcome new members to its ranks. Boys are eligible to join the Boy Scouts once they reach 11 years of age. For more information, those interested can contact the Troop 319 Scout Master, Senior Airman Chad Kellum at (701) 330-9240 or Assistant Scout Master, Master Sgt. Rich Ewers at (701) 594-9112.