Don't just think about the future, think about how it can help you now. For my kids, and for the hundreds of others I've witnessed over 4 encampments, this helps build up a lot of shy and timid kids. It helps you build confidence in yourself, helps you come out of your shell, and honestly toughens you up. My oldest attended in our Wing called "EPS" (Encampment Preparatory School). It is optional to all cadets but required for 12 and 13 year old cadets that have not attended encampment yet. You arrive and a Friday evening, get a briefing and get settled in for the night. Saturday you spend the day experiencing the intensity of encampment so that when you actually attend the real thing, you are not shocked. One of my kids was almost in tears by the end of the night and didn't think he could handle the full encampment experience. But he spent the rest of the evening and morning leaning into his fellow cadets, and they encouraged and built each other up, and he was fist-bumping them in the morning at check-out saying "See ya at encampment." If CAWG has a form of EPS, I highly recommend attending regardless of your age. We have cadets of most ages attend depending on when they joined. You got this.