http://www.ssa.org • August 2019 • Soaring 41I
can’t believe we are half way through
the year already! Since I started
the column in January, I have writ-
ten a little bit about the founding of
the Civil Air Patrol and its early his-
tory and, over the last 5 months, writ-
ten a lot about the Glider Program.
The fact is that the Glider Program,
while important, is a very small part
of CAP’s activity.
The Civil Air Patrol is a public ser-
vice organization conducting emer-
gency services and disaster relief
missions nationwide. As the auxiliary
of the U.S. Air Force, CAP’s 60,000
volunteers selflessly devote their
time, energy, and broad expertise to
finding the lost and providing com-
fort in times of disaster, while also
promoting aviation and related fields
through aerospace education and
helping shape future leaders through
CAP’s various cadet programs.
The Civil Air Patrol performs
emergency services for state and lo-
cal government agencies as well as
the federal government, acting as the
civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force
and as a non-profit organization for
states/local communities. Thousands
of downed pilots, hikers, flood, and
other natural disaster victims have
the CAP to thank for their survival.
The terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001, ushered CAP into a new
era of homeland defense. The follow-
ing day, a CAP Cessna 172, the only
nonmilitary aircraft allowed in the
nation’s airspace, provided emergency
management officials the first high
resolution images of the World Trade
Center site.
On August 28, 2015, Gen. Mark
A. Welsh III, Air Force chief of staff,
officially pronounced CAP a member
of the U.S. Air Force’s Total Force,
joining the regular, guard, and re-
serve forces as American airmen.
CAP’s work in response to hurricanes
Katrina and Sandy, the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill, and other emergen-
cies has continued to demonstrate
the cost-effectiveness and potential
of dedicated volunteers who embody
the CAP motto: Semper Vigilans ...
Always Vigilant.In 2018, the CAP saved a record
155 lives as credited by the Air Force
Rescue Coordination Center. The
majority of those saved were found
by CAP’s cell phone forensic team.
CAP’s total team effort for search
and rescue, which also includes the
National Radar Analysis Team and
state and locally based ground teams,
totaled 1,044 missions for fiscal 2018.
The cell phone team participated in
373 of those missions, compared
with 78 for the radar team. In addi-
tion to saves, the AFRCC credited
CAP with 640 finds for fiscal 2018,
of which 199 involved the cell team
and 53 the radar team.
If you are lost, who are you going to
call? Clearly the answer is the CAP!
Civil Air Patrol’s awarding-win-
ning aerospace education program
promotes aerospace, aviation, and
STEM-related careers with stan-
dards-based, hands-on curriculumand activities. This program often
changes the lives of young men and
women. It shapes the experiences and
aspirations of youth both within and
outside of CAP’s cadet program.
Civil Air Patrol’s cadet program,
which includes the National Glid-
er Program, focuses on leadership,
aerospace, fitness, and character. As
cadets participate in these four ele-
ments, they advance through a series
of achievements, earning honors and
increased responsibilities along the
way. A significant portion of youths
accepted at the U.S. Air Force Acad-
emy had their interest in aviation
cemented by their experience with
the Civil Air Patrol. Many of the na-
tion’s astronauts, pilots, engineers,
and scientists first explored their
careers through CAP.CaP COrNEr
BY IAn McFA LL
(CAPTAIn, CAP)