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Maj. Gen. Regena Aye assumed command of Civil Air Patrol on Aug. 17 in a time-honored ceremony steeped in military tradition.
Aye became CAP’s national commander and CEO during the organization’s National Conference at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. More than 800 CAP members gathered in Texas for the conference, and they were treated to a rousing acceptance speech from Aye after she officially became a two-star general.
“My vision is that of a strong, relevant Civil Air Patrol,” Aye said, outlining a plan to meet the CAP Board of Governors’ objectives over the next three years.
Aye encouraged each segment of CAP, the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, to work together “as one team, one Civil Air Patrol” to attain her vision.
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Top Members Honored for CAP Service | |
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An Idaho Wing colonel with decades of service in Civil Air Patrol and a high-achieving Illinois Wing cadet took top honors at CAP’s 2024 National Conference this weekend in San Antonio.
Col. Merle V. Starr (left) was recognized as CAP’s Senior Member of the Year, while Cadet Lt. Col. Soren Y. Koh (second from left) was named CAP’s Cadet of the Year at the conference.
“I’m very honored,” Starr said. “There are many great senior members in the organization who deserve the award.”
Other top CAP national awards presented at the conference included the Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year, received by Maj. Nancy R. Parra-Quinlan (third from left) of the Arizona Wing, and the Squadron of Distinction, the Maryland Wing’s Granite Cadet Squadron, founded by Col. Brenda Reed, now serving as Maryland Wing commander.
As commander of the Granite squadron, 1st Lt. Ashley E. Panzica-Tolbert (right) was the recipient of the F. Ward Reilly Leadership Award.
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AFNORTH Award Recognizes Operation Pulse LIft | |
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Civil Air Patrol’s blood collection and transport mission, Operation Pulse Lift, has been recognized with the 2024 Air Forces Northern Command (AFNORTH) Commander’s Award.
Lt. Col. Jean-Marie Nixon accepted the award — presented annually for the most meritorious CAP mission of the previous year — on the mission’s behalf from U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Daniel C. Clayton, First Air Force (AFNORTH) deputy commander. The presentation occurred Aug. 16 during the CAP National Conference in San Antonio.
The accompanying citation recognized CAP’s achievement in carrying out “one of the most exhaustive and effective life-saving missions in its storied 82-year history,” potentially saving more than 36,000 lives last year “with the unprecedented donation, collection, and transportation of blood using more than 800 members nationwide.”
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Fourteen volunteers from the Delaware and Texas wings supported the collection of 30 units of blood on the final day of the National Conference. The donated blood will be used to assist military personnel as part of Operation Pulse Lift. | |
Board of Governors to Add New Members | |
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Two longtime Civil Air Patrol members have been announced for the Board of Governors, bringing decades of experience serving on boards and leading other organizations.
Col. Rajesh “Raj” Kothari (left) and Lt. Col. Andrew J. Oppmann will officially join the board — CAP’s top governing body — in December as members-at-large selected recently by CAP’s Senior Advisory Group.
Kothari and Oppmann will succeed Cols. Brian Ready and Curtis Boehmer, whose service on the board ends Aug. 27 and Nov. 2, respectively.
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Wing Operates Drones for Earthquake Exercise | |
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Missouri Wing members flew a pair of small unmanned aerial systems, or drones, helping conduct simulated building damage during a multiday, multi-agency Dense Urban Terrain Exercise in downtown St. Louis.
Facilitated by the Michigan National Guard’s Task Force 46 in cooperation with the Missouri National Guard, the three-day training event allowed local and military emergency responders to coordinate, deploy, and mitigate dangerous scenarios set in the days after a catastrophic disaster.
Occurring in the vicinity of St. Louis’ Busch Stadium and the Missouri River between Grafton and St. Charles, the exercise involved reconnaissance, urban search and rescue, mass casualty decontamination, and structural and infrastructure damage assessment following a simulated 8.4 magnitude earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. More than 40 agencies participated.
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Cadet Presents Challenge Coin to Gen. Van Ovost | |
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Cadet Airman 1st Class Alina Polzin of the Wyoming Wing’s Cheyenne Composite Squadron took advantage of a rare opportunity July 19 — delivering a squadron challenge coin to a U.S. Air Force four-star general.
The presentation took place when Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, flew through Cheyenne on an official visit within the region.
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New Jersey Wing Command Changes Hands | |
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Col. Amy Myzie (left) assumed command of the New Jersey Wing with a ceremony July 13, succeeding Col. Andrew Liput after five years.
Myzie, the wing’s vice commander since July 2022, expressed her honor at taking on the role of commander and her commitment to continuing the wing's legacy of excellence, innovation, and service.
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Cadet Adds Spaatz Award to Accomplishments | |
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Cadet Col. Connor Kazemi (right) of the Georgia Wing’s Forsyth County Cadet Squadron has added Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet achievement to his array of accomplishments.
Kazemi received word while attending Cadet Officer School last month at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force, Alabama, that he had passed the Spaatz award exam. He had recently returned from back-to-back trips to Boys State, followed by the 2024 Georgia Wing encampment, where he served as cadet deputy commander of operations.
And a few weeks earlier, on April 7, he had graduated from CAP’s Cadet Wings program for young pilots.
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Pair Honored with Virginia Aviation Awards
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Two members of the Virginia Wing received top recognition at the state Department of Aviation’s annual conference:
- Second Lt. Carley Walker, assistant testing and activities officer for the Winchester Composite Squadron, was honored as Person of the Year.
- Lt. Col. Daniel “Bud” Oakey, commander of the wing’s Legislative Squadron, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Engineering Tech Academy Focuses 50+ Cadets on STEM | |
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More than 50 Civil Air Patrol cadets from 27 wings devoted a week to academic experiences in mostly STEM-related fields — plus a few extra surprises — at the annual National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy.
The cadets, selected by CAP for the academy through a competitive process, took part in activities covering aerospace, engineering technology, physics and astronomy, data science, concrete and construction management, geosciences, biology, chemistry, data sciences and mechatronics. The activity was organized by Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences in Murfreesboro.
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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Hosting 9/11 Celebration for Civil Air Patrol Exhibit | |
A celebration of the Civil Air Patrol Exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is set for Sept. 11 in Dayton, Ohio.
The museum exhibit features the recently retired CAP aircraft (pictured) that took to the skies over lower Manhattan on Sept. 12, 2001, to take aerial photos in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York City.
A public day of remembrance will be held during museum hours Sept. 11, followed by a CAP ceremony that evening. Watch for more details. RSVPs for the evening event will be required.
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'Coaching for CyberPatriot Coaches' Offered by CAP
Coaching a CyberPatriot team, or doing so for the first time? CAP Cyber has an opportunity to help you kick start your CyberPatriot program.
Although this is intended for new coaches, any coach or prospective coach can attend to learn about the program. Maj. Bill Blatchley, Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters Cyber Mission Team deputy for education and awareness, is hosting biweekly coaches' meetings to help get you started.
Dates: Every other Thursday starting on Aug. 29
Time: 7 p.m. Mountain Time
Location: Microsoft Teams
Pre-register here to receive the meeting link by Aug. 28.
Questions? E-mail cyber-programs@cap.gov for additional information.
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Observe National Make-A-Will Month with CAP | |
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Join thousands who are making a will in August to:
- Dictate your vision for the future and your assets.
- Show your loved ones just how much you care about them.
- Create a legacy to shape the next generation of service leaders through Civil Air Patrol.
In just 20 minutes, you can create your own will with the help of our partner, FreeWill. And it’s completely free.
By using this service today, you’ll get lifetime access to make updates and changes to your plan at no cost. And if you choose to include a gift to CAP, we are so grateful for the generational impact you’ll make for our cadets and community.
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When you include CAP in your estate plans, you also become eligible to become a member of the Semper Vigilans Society. | |
Capture CAP Awards Competition Launches Sept. 1 | |
The Marketing and Communications team will launch its second annual photo and video contest in September. The entry portal will open Sept. 1 and can be found at the top of this link.
The contest is open to every CAP member, adult or cadet, regardless of duty position.
The goal is to support MAC’s needs for photographs and videos for a variety of marketing programs and products.
Submissions for the Capture CAP Awards competition will be accepted from Sept. 1-30 via the online portal, which will open Sept. 1.
All work submitted for consideration for an award must have been completed from Sept. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2024. Photos will be judged in five categories: community service, education, activities, fleet, and technology. Videos may cover any relevant topic and will be judged in two categories: video shorts (one minute or less) and three-minute videos.
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Volunteers Sought to Fill Volunteer Staff Positions | |
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National Headquarters is accepting applications for 11 national volunteer staff positions in Development, Logistics, and Operations.
For details and the desired requirements for these and other volunteer positions, visit this link.
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Top Headlines
“CAP Cadets Experience a Day in the Life at Altus AFB”
-Altus.AF.mil
“Civil Air Patrol's Marco Squadron Hosts Camp Mackle Rocketry Camp”
-MarcoNews.com
“Elevating Civil Air Patrol with Ham Radio Prep Training”
-HamRadioPrep.com
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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. | |
CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications
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