Bronze Medal of Valor Honors Oregon Member's Fire Response

First Lt. Joseph L. Boyd Jr. has been recognized with Civil Air Patrol’s Bronze Medal of Valor for his actions June 22, 2020, when he discovered the fourplex he was living in was on fire.

Boyd, also a member of the U.S. Air Force, received the medal Nov. 14 in Aurora, Oregon, from Col. Virginia Nelson, Pacific Region commander.

“Civil Air Patrol gives the Bronze Medal of Valor only once every year or two,” Nelson said. “It goes through a lengthy review and approval process.”

Puerto Rico Mission Points to Potential Pre-Storm Assessments for FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency request for a 20-area aerial photo assessment of neighboring Caribbean islands came in on Tuesday — and by Thursday, Civil Air Patrol’s Puerto Rico Wing mission was underway.

There was little time to waste: Hurricane Lee was due to arrive in a matter of days.

Unlike previous FEMA-initiated aerial missions in Region 2, this one was intended to document coastal and inland infrastructure in densely populated areas before the storm’s arrival. It had to be done quickly and at a low-enough altitude to provide the detailed imagery crucial for disaster response and recovery efforts.

'Tis the Season

CAP Pilots Support Navajo Christmas Airlift

Five Arizona Wing pilots participated in the 39th Navajo Christmas Airlift on Nov. 10, bringing donated toys, clothes, household items, and food for distribution to Navajo Nation families during the holidays.

Maj. David Roden (pictured in video screenshot, above), flying the airlift for the fifth time, and Capt. John Giddings, on his third airlift flight, were interviewed by Fox10 Phoenix on the morning of their flight. Lt. Col. Wayne Lorgus also flew a CAP plane in this year’s airlift. Capt. Phil Jossi, Maj. Kerry MacPherson, and Capt. Gary Stark participated with non-CAP planes.

New Mexico Wing also scheduled seven aircraft to fly in support of the airlift.

Cadet Serves as Virginia Toys for Tots Youth Ambassador

Turns out Santa, Mrs. Claus, and all the North Pole elves aren’t necessarily the busiest people in the world during the holidays after all.

Instead, one leading candidate for that distinction is Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Morgan Raymondson of the Virginia Wing’s Southside Composite Squadron. Here are some of the things that will keep Raymondson, a long-distance runner, on his toes in December:

• He’ll turn 17 on Dec. 27.
• His dad’s birthday is Dec. 29.
• He leads the local Toys for Tots campaign and involves his fellow Civil Air Patrol cadets in the program.
• Oh, and the family squeezes in Christmas between birthdays.

Effort and commitment are required to make sure everything gets done, but the family is up to it, said the cadet’s father, Jack Raymondson.

“We’ve always tried to make it an exceptionally big deal,” he said.

Morgan Raymondson was recently recognized for his efforts by being named Virginia Youth Ambassador for Toys for Tots from September 2023- September 2024.

Endowment Honors Former New Hampshire Wing Commander

A comment from Col. Darin Ninness when he was only 14 explains much about his commitment to Civil Air Patrol and why people still admire him for his service all these years later.

That’s how old Ninness was in 1981 when he learned about CAP and decided to join. He told his dad about his decision. Much to the young man’s surprise, his father said that he, too, had been a cadet in the late 1950s.

“Hey, could you have told me?” he asked in amazement. “I could have been doing this earlier!”

That fervor has never waned for Ninness, who ended his 3½-year tenure as commander of the New Hampshire Wing in October. And it played a part in inspiring an admirer to establish the Col. Darin Ninness New Hampshire Wing Endowment.

His leadership skills and a dedication to others earned Ninness that honor.

“He not only advocates servant leadership, he practices it,” the anonymous donor said.

The initial endowment of $30,000 will provide approximately $1,000 annually. The donor hopes others will contribute to grow the unrestricted fund, which will be used to enhance the New Hampshire Wing.  

Meeting Focuses on Mountain Flying Practices

Directors of operations and standardization/evaluation officers from four Civil Air Patrol regions convened Nov. 4 with a purpose likely last pursued in the late 1990s — to discuss changes to the way CAP trains and flies in the mountains.

The North Central, Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, and Southwest regions were represented at the session in Ogden, Utah.

CAP has long provided regions and wings with the flexibility to develop their own mountain flying programs. The result has been a safe and effective program, but with little standardization from wing to wing and region to region.

That means flying between regions and wings with different training plans and requirements could create unintended risks. To address the issue, the 21 participants gathered for the meeting in Ogden.

Aerospace Education Stages ACE Program Liftoff

Civil Air Patrol's Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program took center stage Nov. 15 in central Florida as the 2023 National CAP ACE School of the Year and the National CAP ACE Teacher of the Year hosted the program liftoff for 2023-2024.

Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School in Sanford and its STEM teacher, Robert Wakeland, did the honors in hosting the launch for the program, found in more than 500 schools across the nation. Principal Chris Mulholland led the liftoff program, which featured STEM exhibits and activities for the students as well as special guests and speakers.

CAP’s Aerospace Connections in Education program is a K-6 multidisciplinary educational experience that uses the aerospace theme to promote academics with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), character education, and physical fitness for living a healthy and drug-free lifestyle. The program is in its 17th year and has impacted three-quarters of a million students nationwide since its inception.  

South Dakota Wing Cadet Receives Spaatz Award

Cadet Col. Keon den Hoed of the South Dakota Wing’s Sioux Falls Composite Squadron has received the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award — Civil Air Patrol’s highest cadet achievement.

Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing commander, presented den Hoed with his award certificate in a ceremony Nov. 2.

Den Hoed joined CAP in June 2018 with the intention of becoming a private pilot after attending a home school conference where the wing had a recruiting booth. He earned his pilot's wings Feb. 7 through CAP's Cadet Wings flight scholarship program. He plans to become a commercial pilot.

Wisconsin Cadets Train at Air National Guard Base

One hundred cadets from across the Wisconsin Wing devoted a weekend to training in leadership and U.S. Air Force-style drill and ceremony while receiving a crash course in opportunities available to them in fields like aerospace engineering, computer science, defense, and aviation.

The weekend Airman Training School at Volk Field Air National Guard Base provided them with a deeper look at the program’s demands and enabled them to return to their home squadrons better prepared to learn to lead.

NHQ News

Save the Date: Giving Tuesday is Nov. 28

Elevate dreams!  Support Civil Air Patrol on Giving Tuesday to help save lives and shape futures. CAP counts on funds raised through Giving Tuesday and the holidays to support our cadets and activities throughout the year.  

Join the fun on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Follow CAP on social media throughout the day. Interact with us and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 

Photos, Videos That 'Capture CAP' Recognized

Photos and videos spotlighting Civil Air Patrol's members and missions earned recognition for their creators in the inaugural Capture CAP contest, with public affairs officers and others from 11 wings cited in eight categories.

The competition, covering photos and videos taken from Sept. 1, 2022, through this Aug. 31, drew 212 entries spanning 33 wings across all eight CAP regions.

Second Lt. Jessica Schaefer, Wisconsin Wing assistant PAO, accounted for three of the first-place submissions. Her daughter, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Lily Schaefer of the wing's Stevens Point Composite Squadron, was recognized for a fourth.

In all, 16 members were recognized, including eight runners-up and four honorable mentions. Four are cadets. 

New Holiday Greeting Card On Sale Now

Each year Civil Air Patrol's national artist, Maj. Ron Finger, paints a beautiful CAP holiday scene that we use as a greeting card.

While previous cards have been aviation-centric, this year’s edition (at right) offers a more human touch featuring a mission pilot from the North Pole Composite Squadron.

The holiday greeting card is available once again through Vanguard Industries.

A Tax-Smart Way to Give: Qualified Charitable Distributions

If you're interested in supporting Civil Air Patrol with a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) , you can do so by donating directly from your IRA.

QCDs are a tax-efficient way to support CAP's missions, as they may be excluded from your taxable income and help you meet a Required Minimum Distribution for 2023, if you have one.

Spaatz Dinner and Awards Gala Set for March 2

The Spaatz Association Midwinter Dinner and Awards Gala is resuming in 2024 after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is scheduled for March 2 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Activities begin immediately following the conclusion of Civil Air Patrol's 2024 Winter Command Council meeting.

What's on the agenda? Spaatz award presentations, the unveiling of a new lifetime achievement award (years in the making), and remarks from a soon-to-be-announced guest speaker are planned.

The event is open to all. Register now. The cost is only $99 for those who sign up before Dec. 1.

CAP Serving on General Aviation Joint Safety Committee

Civil Air Patrol is a member of the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee — a government industry partnership working to improve general aviation safety.

The committee focuses on proactively assessing data to identify new emerging issues and threats to general aviation safety, analyzes them, and develops mitigation strategies to address and prioritize safety issues to prevent accidents.

As a member, CAP is one of 20 partners.

This Week's Top Headlines

“Civil Air Patrol Sets Flight-Time Record in Fiscal 2023”

-Aero-News.net

“Young Eagles, Civil Air Patrol: Flight Groups are Eager to take Alamogordo to the Skies”

-AOL.com

“[Civil Air Patrol's] Finley: Veterans Are the Guardians of Freedom”

-DChieftain.com

“Celebrating the Civil Air Patrol's Oak Ridge Squadron”

-Yahoo.com

“Cadets Soar in Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue Exercise”

-Alaska-Native-News.com

For more information, go to Operation Pulse Lift's new webpage on GoCivilAirPatrol.com. There you will find the latest Blood Donation Center schedules, instructions on how to set up a BDC, and other mission information.