Commander
1st Lt. Ashley Panzica Tolbert
Commander
Granite Cadet Squadron
1st Lt. Ashley Panzica Tolbert assumed command of Granite Cadet Squadron on February 22, 2024. She joined the squadron about a month after her son, C/CMSgt Andrew Tolbert, in September 2021. One of her favorite things about Granite Cadet Squadron is its family-first culture so as soon as she felt assured that her daughter Amelia, who was just a baby at the time, handled all the excitement just fine, she signed up.
1st Lt. Tolbert thoroughly enjoys teaching STEM classes, so when she found out that she could start an ACE Program, she jumped right in. The ACE program (Aerospace Connections in Education) is a monthly class that teaches younger siblings of Granite cadets a variety of STEM topics. This love of STEM teaching goes all the way back to her high school days when she would recruit girls into the sciences through Project Lead the Way. She carried this passion into her journey as a homeschooling mother of three, cherishing those “aha” moments when everything suddenly clicks, and a child truly grasps a concept.
In the fall of 2022, 1st Lt. Tolbert established our color guard team. She was accustomed to drill from her time in the Army, but it was the rewarding experience of teaching Army ROTC Drill and Ceremony and working with their color guard at SUNY Brockport that led her to take on this challenge. The color guard team she launched is making steady improvements and they competed in their first Maryland Wing color guard competition in the spring of 2024. Additionally, they have had the honor of being part of flag-raising and other ceremonies on over a dozen special occasions, both internal and external to Civil Air Patrol.
Before joining Civil Air Patrol, 1st Lt. Tolbert was an Intelligence NCO in the Army and a Military Science Instructor for Army ROTC at SUNY. Her husband, Capt. Mathew Tolbert, is currently serving as a Warrant Officer in the Army and 1st Lt. Ashley Tolbert has spent countless hours volunteering at military bases around the world, both while in the Army and as a spouse. She has earned multiple awards for her volunteer service contributions such as the Presidential Points of Light award for her work with the USO and the Commanders Commendation for her service in both Fort Cavazos and Fort Eisenhower.
1st Lt. Tolbert has completed CAP professional training level II and has achieved technician ratings and operation qualifications in the following tracks: Aerospace, Professional Development, and Safety. She was awarded Maryland Wing Aerospace Officer of the Year in 2022, Training Officer of Encampment for Tri-Wing Summer Encampment in 2023, and Granite Cadet Squadron Senior Member of the Year in 2023 as well. Additionally, she received the Charles “Chuck” Yeager Award in 2022, and the Benjamin O. Davis Award in 2023.
1st Lt. Tolbert is deeply committed to facilitating the growth of cadets, both as leaders and as young adults. She supports CAP’s mission of Cadet Programs because it allows cadets the chance to explore potential careers in a safe, yet challenging environment. She firmly believes in CAP’s motto of “Excellence in all we do” and strives to see our cadets grow up to be resilient, well-rounded adults who serve their families and communities with distinction.
In addition to her passion for mentoring cadets, she is committed to training and supporting our growing number of senior members. Civil Air Patrol offers a wealth of opportunities to members of all ages, and she actively encourages our senior members to pursue their passions and interests. (She is personally enrolled in a GIS course that supports FEMA in analyzing aerial photography and creating up-to-date maps.) 1st Lt. Tolbert is also committed to helping our senior members progress through their professional training and specialty tracks. To do this she has become certified to teach the modules required for completion of Level I and assignment of officer roles.
1st Lt. Ashley Panzica Tolbert’s husband of 19 years, Capt. Mathew Tolbert, serves as our Finance Officer and is the leader of our CyberPatriot team which is about to go into its third competition year. They have 3 children together, C/CMSgt Andrew Tolbert, who is our Alpha Flight Sergeant, and Alexander and Amelia Tolbert.
2d Lt. LaKeshia Davis
Commander of Lima Flight
Granite Cadet Squadron
2d Lt. LaKeshia Davis became acting commander of Lima, our evening flight, on September 7, 2023. By this time, she had been a very active member of Granite Cadet Squadron for 4 years. She served primarily as its safety officer, but also as a test proctor, a member of the finance committee, and in just about any other capacity as needs arose. She was elected Granite Cadet Squadron Senior Member of the Year in 2022, and Maryland Wing Safety Officer of the Year in 2023.
In the summer of 2022, she, along with several other senior members, drove 23 cadets all the way to Norwich University, Vermont, where they completed the week-long New Hampshire Wing Summer Encampment. Due to COVID restrictions at the time, completing an encampment would have been impossible for many of our cadets if it wasn’t for her resourcefulness.
While we now can’t imagine our squadron without her, she had very little idea about what CAP was or what it did when she first signed up for a field trip at the Maryland Wing Headquarters in the spring of 2019. That field trip, initiated by 2d Lt. Kathryn Nordvedt, was the catalyst that launched our squadron. Very much intrigued by the potential benefit a CAP squadron might offer homeschoolers, she inquired what it would take to officially charter a squadron from Col. Brenda Reed, who hosted the field trip on behalf of Maryland Wing. Upon learning the specifics, she went to work and within two weeks she had assembled all the required cadets and senior members to launch their first flight in September 2019. Just a few months later, on February 27, 2020, the squadron officially chartered, with Col. Reed as its commander.
2d Lt. Davis knew from an early age that she wanted to homeschool her children. She loves networking with other homeschool families, sharing resources, setting up field trips, and other enrichment activities. It was this passion that led her to start her own nonprofit, Boundless K.I.D. Collective, which is about to go into its fourth school year and teaches 157 students a wide variety of classes every week. 2d Lt. Davis credits most of the organization’s success to the people who have come alongside her ‘big picture ideas’ and rolled up their sleeves to address the specific needs to make this program run smoothly.
Her vision for the evening flight is to grow it to the point where it will need at least 2 regular flights, at which point it will have to charter as an independent squadron. For now, though, one of her favorite parts of leading this flight is its smaller size. While she has the uncanny ability to surround herself with exceptional people, she is actually an introvert at heart. She sees unmet needs as opportunities, figures out what it takes to make them a reality, and then prefers to serve quietly outside of the limelight.
As is the case with many parents who join CAP for their children’s benefit, 2d Lt. Davis did not expect that she would learn so much about the military, its customs and courtesies, or aviation history. But now that she has been involved for a few years, she takes real pride in being part of this community of patriotic people who are so dedicated to our country.
2d Lt. Davis serves alongside her husband of 18 years, senior member Nathaniel Davis, and is mother to 5 children. Her oldest daughter, C/2d Lt Nechamah (Chami) Davis, serves as the cadet commander for Lima flight. Her son C/SMSgt Efrayim (Efi) and daughter C/A1C Batya (Emunah) are Granite cadets as well. They will likely soon be joined by Neschaya (Chaya) and Matai when they are old enough.
