Pandemic Response Passes 1-Year Mark |
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Civil Air Patrol reached another mission milestone March 24 — 365 continuous days in support of America’s humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These missions are making a big difference in our local communities, our states and our nation,” said CAP National Commander/CEO Maj. Gen. Mark Smith. “Over 41,000 volunteer days have been logged in our biggest endeavor since World War II."
During the past year, CAP has delivered 2,803 units of blood, 8,209,955 meals, 1,154,861 pounds of food, 2.6 million-plus masks, 177,407 test kits, 116,792 test samples and 7,493 vials of vaccine.
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Stranded Couple Rescued with Cellphone Info |
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CAP’s National Cell Phone Forensics Team guided searchers March 25 to a missing couple stranded 29 hours in their vehicle in a remote area of northwest Oregon in temperatures that fell below freezing.
The couple, ages 59 and 60, set off March 24 from their hotel in Enterprise, Oregon, in a rented sport utility vehicle to revisit some of their old hunting areas. They became stranded but were found the next day, thanks to a "hot spot" point the CAP team provided searchers.
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Pioneer for CAP, Marine Corps Women's Reserve Remembered During Women's History Month |
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As part of Women's History Month, CAP remembers Col. Ruth Cheney Streeter, a founding member who also served during World War II as the first director of the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve.
Streeter’s contributions to CAP actually predate the organization’s creation Dec. 1, 1941. She was one of the first members of the New Jersey Civil Air Defense Services — the immediate model for what became CAP.
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60 Officers, Airmen Participate in Tex.-Based RPP |
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Now entering its third year, CAP's Rated Preparatory Program is ongoing at Denton Enterprise Airport in Texas with 40 Air Force officers and 20 Air Force enlisted airmen who aspire to become pilots.
The students are working to increase their flight knowledge through the program, with the goal of improving their Airman's Pilot Candidate Selection Method score for a rated assignment.
“Each student is mentored on-site and remotely by Air Force-rated officers as well as CAP pilots who are also current or former Air Force-rated officers," said Lt. Col. Eric Templeton, CAP's senior program manager for operations.
CAP provides approximately 7.5 hours of flight instruction with associated ground instruction. The program also includes the use of flight simulators that use artificial intelligence to assist with training and test preparation.
Following this week's second session in Texas, the program is scheduled to continue in September at Columbus Municipal Airport in Indiana, where 60 more officers and enlisted airmen have been invited to participate.
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Commander Offers Recruiting and Retention Tips
National Headquarters' Marketing & Strategic Communications team is reprising National Commander/CEO Maj. Gen. Mark Smith’s Recruiting and Retention Series from 2018.
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New FEMA Course Preparing EOC Staffers
for Upcoming Hurricane and Wildfire Season
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Over the weekend, CAP's Director of Operations John Desmarais launched the 2021 Hurricane and Wildfire Season Preparedness Initiative with the delivery of a new FEMA course — K2300 Intermediate Emergency Operations Center Functions.
Eight Joint FEMA/CAP National Emergency Services Academy-Mobile Training Team instructors from six regions provided the instruction, along with course facilitators from National Headquarters and FEMA.
The latest session was conducted virtually for 17 hand-picked members from CAP's Southwest and Northeast regions. It will be made available to other affected regions the weekend of June 4-6. Region commanders interested in providing wing state EOC representatives as participants should contact DOSI@capnhq.gov.
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Virtual 'Gathering of Diamonds' Planned in April |
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The Spaatz Association's 2021 Mid-Winter Dinner and Awards Gala will be held online from 7:30-10 p.m. EDT April 24 — its first online event and 19th annual “Global Gathering of Diamonds.”
Guest speaker will be retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy S. Hardy (in photo with former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein). Hardy served nearly 25 years as a pararescue superintendent and participated in numerous special operations, combat rescue and humanitarian operations.
For more information or to register, go to this link on the Spaatz Association website. If you are a former CAP cadet and/or Spaatz award recipient, click here to join the CAP Alumni & Friends Group.
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Register Now for Second Cisco NetAcademy Cohort |
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As part of CAP’s ongoing partnership with Cisco NetAcademy, a second cohort is now open for CAP members to register. The cohort will run April 1-June 30 with two additional courses now available for learning, NDG Linux Unhatched and NDG Linux Essentials. Six course options are available for senior members and cadets 13 and older.
Over 200 members enrolled in the first cohort. Members are also encouraged to work through the material together and complete the quizzes individually to receive completion credit. Visit cyber.cap.gov for more information.
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National Diversity Team Presenting Leadership Development, Space Career Exploration Panels |
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CAP's national diversity officer and the Education and Training program are offering a leadership development panel at 8 p.m. EDT April 7 on “Leading Through Times of Crisis.”
The online discussion will feature a diverse panel of CAP leaders and is intended for senior members, who can register here. Those who sign up will receive a link the day before to join the event.
A week later the national diversity officer will join with CAP-USAF and CAP Aerospace Education to present a virtual Space Careers panel featuring several new members of the U.S. Space Force and an Air Force Reserve pilot who's active in the commercial space industry. Register here for the Space Careers panel, set for 8 p.m. EDT April 14 via Teams. |
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Chaplain Corps Observing Newfound Birthday Next Week |
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Civil Air Patrol’s Chaplain Corps, created in 1950, has long used CAP’s anniversary of Dec. 1 in marking its own formation. Recently, however, Col. Frank Blazich, director of the Col. Louisa S. Morse Center for CAP History, discovered a copy of the corps’ founding document — General Order 350, dated April 4, 1950.
“We now know our birthday,” Chaplain (Col.) John B. Murdoch, chief of chaplains, informed his colleagues.
Since April 5 this year is Easter Sunday, CAP’s chaplains will celebrate the corps’ 71st anniversary Monday, April 5.
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“Busy as a bunch of bees in a bucket of tar” well describes the local squadron of Civil Air Patrol, for no sooner than members close the books on one assignment, Uncle Sam tosses another into their laps.
For “This Week In CAP History,” we revisit “CAP Lends Helping Hand to Uncle Sam,” originally published to highlight the Nebraska Wing in 1945.
Read the original article here.
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This Week's Top Headlines |
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“New Opportunities in National Capital Region: Civil Air Patrol Stands Up New Squadron”
“Family of WWII Veteran Robert Humberson Miller Jr. Accept Medal for Civil Air Patrol Service”
“Bennington Cadets Join Vermont's Civil Air Patrol”
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CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications
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