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Hawaii Wing, CAP Geospatial Team at Work in Maui Fires Aftermath
Civil Air Patrol’s response to deadly brush fires in Maui continued Aug. 13 as a Hawaii Wing aircrew broadcast a public service announcement informing people on the island they could obtain food, water, and supplies at Napili Plaza in Lahaina.
The message to those located on the ground between the Kaanapali and Kapalua areas was simple: “Attention, attention, food, water, supplies, Napili Plaza.”
The announcement was made using a CAP aircraft’s loudspeaker system.
“Civil Air Patrol always stands ready to serve our community, state, and nation,” said Lt. Col. Dana McLaughlin, Hawaii Wing incident commander. "In this difficult time for our Maui ohana [family], we are honored to share our tools, training, and resources. Even when faced with adversity, unity and support prevail."
At the same time the Hawaii Wing was aloft, the CAP Geospatial Team used open-source aerial photography and video, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to make critical geospatial damage assessments on affected homes and businesses, primarily in Lahaina and Kula.
More than 2,200 structures have been identified as destroyed or damaged.
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Dandridge, Former Command Chief, to Join Board of Governors
Chief Master Sgt. Robert M. Dandridge, former Civil Air Patrol command chief, has been chosen as the newest member of the organization’s Board of Governors.
“Chief Robert Dandridge brings a lifetime of selfless service to his new role as a member-at-large of the Board of Governors,” said Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, national commander/CEO, who announced the selection by the CAP Senior Advisory Group (CSAG).
“His experience at the most senior levels of the U.S. Air Force and Civil Air Patrol, along with his involvement in national strategic initiatives, will be of great benefit as the Board of Governors and CAP leadership teams work together to shape the future of CAP," Phelka said.
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Reid: From Tennessee Wing
Cadet to CAP-USAF Commander
Col. Aaron D. Reid, a former Tennessee Wing cadet in Civil Air Patrol, is the 33rd commander of Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF).
As CAP-USAF commander, Reid is responsible for ensuring CAP is organized, trained, and equipped to fulfill Air Force-assigned missions.
“I welcome this new assignment and look forward to building upon the strong relationships between Civil Air Patrol and CAP-USAF,” Reid said. “As our Total Force partner, CAP provides the Air Force with a wide range of support services that are vital to America and its communities.”
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2023 Cadet Officer School | Students Find 'I Am Always Learning' | |
Cadet Officer School marked its 52nd year this summer, welcoming more than 90 cadets from 33 wings — including 10 Canadian air cadets — to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, home of Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters.
The 10-day course, which ended July 27, is a rigorous, academically challenging leadership course patterned after the U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School. The program provides an in-depth academic and practical study of leadership and the intricacies of this evolving skill set.
“Cadet Officer School is an experience unlike any other cadet program, and we pride ourselves in calling it ‘CAP’s premier National Cadet Special Activity.’ Cadets show up expecting to learn more about leadership. What they end up learning goes far beyond the classroom,” said said Air Force Maj. Joshua A. Pete of CAP-USAF’s Southeast Liaison Region.
“I learned what it truly means to be a leader,” said Cadet Capt. Gavin Olson of the Michigan Wing. “The academic rigor of the week was intense but rewarding in every way. Through the classes, flight seminars, and people who were there, I advanced my leadership capabilities as well as myself as a person, knowing that no matter what, I am always learning.”
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EAA AirVenture Support Involves 300+ Members, 21,700 Volunteer Hours | |
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The Wisconsin Wing and National Blue Beret participants have wrapped up search support and other assistance as part of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, with more than 300 Civil Air Patrol members amassing over 50 flight hours and conducting almost 400 ground sorties as part of the mission, totaling an estimated 21,700 volunteer hours.
The CAP search teams also found 42 missing aircraft safe at their destination and deactivated seven nondistress beacons.
EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest fly-in, ended July 31 with record-setting numbers — 677,000 people in attendance at Wittman Regional Airport, over 10,000 aircraft flying into central Wisconsin with almost 22,000 aircraft operations, and a total of 3,365 show aircraft.
As part of the weeklong event, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center activated the Wisconsin Wing to monitor aircraft movement and listen for emergency locator transmitters within 50 miles of Oshkosh, which included Wittman Regional and four other surrounding airports as well as several lakes in the area.
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West Virginia Wing Again Assists with Jamboree | |
For the fourth time in the past decade, the West Virginia Wing assisted the West Virginia National Guard in its military and interagency support for the Boy Scouts of America’s National Jamboree, held July 19-28 at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve near Glen Jean.
This year’s event attracted more than 15,000 Scouts, Venturers, Explorers, staff, volunteers, and local community members to over 14,000 acres of forested mountains in southern West Virginia alongside the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Col. Rodney A. Moore, Civil Air Patrol’s incident commander and the West Virginia Wing’s director of emergency services, described the 10-day mission as “closely coordinated.”
CAP provided aerial photographs as well as full-motion video to help monitor traffic in and out of the Scout reserve. Five West Virginia Wing pilots flew 33.2 hours in support of the mission and were assisted by 14 wing volunteers on the ground.
“It went well. No big issues,” Moore said.
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Colorado Wing Aircrew Locates Missing Threesome | |
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A Colorado Wing aircrew located three missing campers and guided ground searchers to the trio July 30, the day after they were reported missing from a group of five camping in the Tom Bennet Campground area near Pingree Park.
The wing was assigned to participate in the mission after the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center for an aerial search. After the three wandered from their campsite area the evening of July 29, the two remaining campers were unable to get in contact with them with darkness approaching.
The Colorado Wing received the assignment at 11 p.m. The aircrew launched at first light the next morning.
The aircrew spotted one of the missing campers shortly after 9 a.m. and provided coordinates to sheriff’s office searchers on the ground. About 10:30 a.m. the aircrew located the other two missing campers and directed Larimer County Search and Rescue ground team to the site.
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CAP Hot-Air Balloon Returns to New York Fest | |
Civil Air Patrol’s hot-air balloon “Imagination” returned to New York for the first time since before the pandemic as New York Wing members continued their long history of providing support for Broome County’s Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally.
First Lt. Mike Gallant, a member of the Indiana Wing’s Bakalar Composite Squadron, drove 12 hours with the CAP balloon in tow to arrive just in time for the festival’s start.
The wing has provided assistance for the festival for nearly 30 years.
“Unfortunately, the weather in upstate New York didn’t cooperate as much as we would have liked, but the cadets got invaluable experience with the balloon and our pilot,” said Lt. Col. Frank Birt, the wing’s government relations adviser.
“We were able to get some tethered rides and one free flight."
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Maine Wing Member Achieves Highest Cadet Honor | |
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Cadet Col. Paul Southwick of the Maine Wing’s Waterville Composite Squadron has received the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, making him the wing’s 16th cadet to earn the pinnacle honor.
"This achievement has been my goal since I began my cadet career in CAP," said Southwick, who joined the organization in June 2014 at age 12.
Southwick (seen with Col. Blaine Cote, Maine Wing commander) was poised to begin the testing included in the requirements for the Spaatz award when the COVID-19 shutdown occurred in early 2020. Nationwide testing resumed just a few weeks before he left for Maine Army National Guard basic combat training.
"Despite the setback in 2020 I decided to continue pursuing the Spaatz award as I still had almost two years left as a cadet,” he recalled. ”After being away for almost a year it took a while to reacquaint myself with the cadet material and study to prepare for the exam.”
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Cadet Chooses Air Force Academy from 3 Appointments | |
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Cadet 2nd Lt. William H. Chen’s academic achievements left him with even more potential paths to choose from than most graduating high school seniors face as they head into the summer.
The Colorado Wing cadet, after all, had to choose from appointments to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Military, and U.S. Navy academies as well as acceptances to study biology at UCLA and at Texas A&M and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, along with full-ride scholarships from Air Force ROTC and Navy ROTC.
Chen wound up going with the Air Force Academy.
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Illinois, Tennessee Cadets to Lead Advisory Council | |
Cadet Lt. Cols. Soren Koh (left) of the Illinois Wing and Zachary Barker (right) of the Tennessee Wing are the new heads of the National Cadet Advisory Council, with Koh appointed chair and Barker vice chair.
The national council’s three purposes are to:
- Provide a forum where cadets gain leadership experience at higher organizational levels.
- Aid the national commander in monitoring and implementing the cadet program.
- Make recommendations to the national commander for improving and running the cadet program.
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Vermont Cadets Soar With Car Wash Fundraiser | |
Cadets in Colchester, Vermont, are getting closer to a trip to The Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York City after a recent car wash fundraiser.
“This is the plan we fell into as something we could put together quickly, and it would also be a good team building exercise for the cadets," Capt. Mark Emmons, Green Mountain Composite Squadron commander, told WVNY-TV, the ABC affiliate in Colchester.
“Seeing that stuff in real life is just really cool and inspiring, especially for cadets who want to be pilots in the future,” said Cadet 1st Lt. Ella Emmons.
Check out Zoe Petersen's report on ABC22 to learn more about the fundraiser and the cadets' planned trip of a lifetime:
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500+ CAP Members to Convene
in Washington State This Weekend
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More than 500 Civil Air Patrol members are expected for the 2023 National Conference Aug. 18-19 in Bellevue, Washington.
Registration includes admission to the keynotes, with the featured address Friday by Frank Kendall, secretary of the Air Force. The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne Bass, and Dr. Jason Womack, branch chief of development for the Space Force, will also share their perspectives.
Walk-up conference registration will be available at the host hotel, the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
This year's conference sponsors include:
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National Make-A-Will Month | |
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There’s an age-old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” so in August CAP invites you to create an essential plan for the future and create a legacy for your loved ones.
In just 20 minutes, you can create your own will with the help of our partner, FreeWill. And it’s completely free.
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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.
When you include CAP in your estate plans, you also become eligible to become a member of the Semper Vigilans Society.
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CAP in Focus Awards Competition Opens Sept. 1 | |
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The Marketing and Communications team is launching a new competition to find the best photos taken and videos produced by any CAP member.
Separate from the longstanding Balsem Awards competition, which is limited to public affairs officers, the CAP in Focus Awards are open to any CAP member, including cadets, except for those serving on a national volunteer staff. The goal is to support MAC’s needs for photographs and videos for a variety of marketing programs and products.
Submissions for the CAP in Focus Awards competition will be accepted from Sept. 1-30 via an online portal, which will open Sept. 1.
All work submitted for consideration for an award must have been completed from Sept. 1, 2022-Aug. 31. 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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This Week's Top Headlines | |
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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