Multiple CAP Wings Respond to Flooding

In the wake of historic rains and flooding that walloped a portion of the nation’s heartland late last month, Civil Air Patrol members took to the skies in a massive relief effort that also included online examination from afar of the devastation.

The massive flooding affected half of Iowa and transformed sections of quiet streams into raging waters. Rising floodwaters covered all but the roofs of homes, drowned farmlands, and damaged hundreds of businesses in portions of Iowa, South Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.

The rainfall transformed areas that in times of drought are like small dustbowls, and waterways normally more like streams than rivers.

“In places, the Big Sioux River, which is a gentle, meandering prairie stream, was miles wide as it headed toward the Missouri River, inundating farmland as well as communities such as McCook Lake and Canton,” said Lt. Col. Todd Epp, South Dakota Wing chief of staff.

This Mississippi Wing recently held its annual summer encampment at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Hattiesburg, with 130 cadets from 12 wings attending the weeklong activity, featured in this news video. Go to this link to see a full list of the nearly 50 CAP encampments scheduled this year.

Maine, Utah Wings Welcome New Commanders

Two CAP wings welcomed new commanders in June — Col. Mark Hyland (center, top photo) and Col. Andreas “Baron” Wesemann (below, at right).

Hyland assumed command of the Maine Wing after a change of command ceremony June 21, succeeding Col. Blain Cote. “It is a great honor to take command of the Maine Wing. and I look forward to working with our dedicated volunteers to learn new skills and serve our communities,” he said. 

Wesemann became the new commander of the Utah Wing after a change of command ceremony June 8 at the Capitol Rotunda in Salt Lake City.

“In this capacity, I will support the entire membership of Utah Wing to achieve the missions of CAP, maintains liaison with local and state government officials, and represents CAP to the community,” said Wesemann, who succeeds Col. John Wagner.

ACE Program Exceeds 100K Students in 16th Year

Civil Air Patrol’s Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program for kindergarten-through-sixth-grade youth and educators marked its 16th year by exceeding 100,000 students for the 2023-2024 school year.

The milestone figure raised to more than 638,000 the number of youth involved since the program’s beginnings.

ACE’s origins date to 2006 during a lull in teacher membership and participation in CAP’s external aerospace education program, which included about 600 aerospace education members, aging curriculum products, and only three staff members.

Today, the ACE program is one of the reasons elementary and middle school teachers — now numbering 658 — join CAP. The online curriculum is ready-to-teach and includes background information, hands-on activities, assessment tools, and links to further explore lesson topics in an interactive manner for students.

NHQ News

Civil Air Patrol’s National Conference, set for Aug. 16-17 in San Antonio, is almost here.

Whether you're a seasoned member or new to CAP, this event is one you won't want to miss. Join us for inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, and opportunities to connect with fellow CAP enthusiasts.

Hurry, registration closes July 12.

Dallas Avionics, Inventr.io, Rhotheta, Skydio, and Wreaths Across America are five of CAP's bronze-level sponsors for the National Conference.

Sponsors and exhibitors are welcome. Gain visibility for your brand while making a meaningful impact on aerospace education, youth development, and emergency services across our nation.

CAP Foundation Accepting Scholarship Applications

Up to $1,000 in scholarship help for Civil Air Patrol activities, programs, courses, associated travel, uniform expenses, and other CAP-related costs is now available through a CAP Foundation Diversity Scholarship.

Cadets or adult members from historically underrepresented, underserved, and under-resourced communities are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Sept. 30.

Questions? Send them to DiversityScholarship@capnhq.gov.

Three Administrators Added to Logistics Team

CAP's chief of Logistics and Mission Resources, Mike Valdez, announces the recent promotion of a team member and two new hires:

• Jen Bellflower has been promoted to supply and real property program manager.
• Bill Kendrick is a new aircraft maintenance coordinator.
• Rico Vázquez is the new director of logistics and mission resources.

Artwork Series Continues with 'Cessna 150D'

Maj. Ron Finger's second series of vintage aircraft artwork — the Silvered Wings Series — continues with this 19th installment of the Cessna150D (1964).

Debuting in August 2022 and continuing into 2023, the Silvered Wings Series features the work and writing of Finger, a volunteer staff member on the Marketing and Communications team who serves as CAP's national artist.

Check out the latest vintage CAP aircraft in the series, as posted on CAP.news:

Can You Pass MAC's Brand Elements Quiz?

Logo. Emblem. Seal. Which should you use? Let's start with a quick test of your knowledge of using various Civil Air Patrol graphic elements (pictured, above). Which graphic element on the right is the correct one for each use on the left:

Go to this link to find the answers to our quiz and to learn more about CAP's updated graphics.

New Recruiting Resources Added to Brand Portal

Please note the Marketing and Strategic Communications team has added some additional recruiting resources to the Brand Portal guaranteed to make your booth or open house a success. We're talking table-top retractables, foam board collages, posters, and recruiting cards (pictured) — everything you need to turn heads and spread the word about the opportunities in CAP.

One of our most recommended items for recruiting, which can be used in lieu of CAP's suite of recruiting brochures, is the portal's recruiting card. It is a quick and affordable alternative to the brochures, which are available to commanders, recruiting officers, and public affairs officers through eServices but each CAP unit is limited to just two sets of the brochures per quarter.

Top Headlines

“Civil Air Patrol Conducts Emergency Training Exercise Preparing for 2024 Hurricane Season”

-WBRZ.com

“Positively JAX: Local Teens Take to the Skies Thanks to Program Aimed at Saving Lives, Shaping Futures”

-news4jax.com



“Osan CAP Squadron Hosts Youth Aviation Day”

-osan.af.mil

“Civil Air Patrol Pilots Enhance Skills at South Florida Flight Clinic”

-coastalbreezenews.com

“Cadets Take Flight at Civil Air Patrol Glider School”

-dchieftain.com

“The Tri-Cities Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol”

-WJHL.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.