Civil Air Patrol (
CAP) is a
Congressionally chartered,
federally supported,
non-profit corporation that serves
as the official civilian
auxiliary of
the
United States Air Force
(USAF). CAP is a
volunteer organization
with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all
backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations. It performs three
congressionally assigned key missions:
emergency services, which includes
search and rescue (by air and
ground) and
disaster relief
operations;
aerospace education for youth
and the general public; and cadet programs for teenage youth. In
addition, CAP has recently been tasked with
homeland security and courier service
missions. CAP also performs non-auxiliary missions for various
governmental and private agencies, such as local law enforcement
and the
American Red Cross. The
program is established as an organization by
Title 10 of the United States
Code and its purposes defined by
Title 36. While CAP is
sponsored by the USAF, it is not an operating
reserve component under the Air Force
or the federal government. Since CAP is not a reserve component of
a
uniformed
service of the military and its membership is made up of
volunteer civilians, CAP members are not subject to the laws
governed by the
Uniform
Code of Military Justice.
Membership in the organization consists of cadets ranging from 12
to 21 years of age, and senior members 18 years of age
and up. These two groups each have the opportunity to participate
in a wide variety of pursuits; the Cadet program contributes to the
development of the former group with a structured syllabus and an
organization based upon United States Air Force ranks and pay
grades, while the older members serve as instructors, supervisors,
and operators. All members wear uniforms while performing their
duties.
Nationwide, CAP is a major operator of single-engine
general aviation aircraft, used in the execution of its various
missions, including orientation flights for cadets and the
provision of significant emergency services capabilities. Because
of these extensive flying opportunities, many CAP members become
licensed
pilots.
The
hierarchical and quasi-military organization is headed by the
National Headquarters (with authority over the national
organization) followed by eight regional commands and 52 wings
(each of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
and Puerto Rico).
Each wing supervises the individual groups and squadrons that
comprise the basic operational unit of the organization.
History
Civil Air Patrol was created on December 1, 1941 by
Administrative Order 9, issued by
Fiorello H. LaGuardia in his capacity as Director
of the
Office of Civilian
Defense with Major General
John F.
Curry as the first National Commander. During World War II, CAP
was seen as a way to use America's civilian aviation resources to
aid the war effort instead of grounding them. The organization
assumed many missions including
anti-submarine patrol and warfare,
border patrols, and
courier services. CAP pilots sighted 173 enemy
U-boats and sank two.
After the end of
World War II, CAP
became the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force, and
its incorporating charter declared that it would never again be
involved in direct combat activities, but would be of a benevolent
nature. CAP changed command several times, to
Continental Air Command in 1959,
Headquarters Command, USAF in 1968, and Education Command,
Air University in 1976. Since
its incorporation charter, CAP has maintained its relationship with
the USAF, and has continued its three congressionally-mandated
missions.
Missions
Civil Air Patrol has three congressionally-mandated missions:
Emergency Services, Aerospace Education and the Cadet
Program.
Emergency Services
Civil Air Patrol covers several Emergency Services areas. The
principal categories include
search
and rescue missions, disaster relief, humanitarian services,
and
Air Force support. Other
services, such as
homeland
security and actions against
drug-trafficking operations, are becoming
increasingly important.
Civil Air Patrol is well-known for its search activities in
conjunction with search and rescue (SAR) operations.
CAP is involved with
approximately three quarters of inland SAR missions directed
by the United States
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air
Force Base
, Florida
.
Outside of
the continental United States, CAP directly supports the Joint Rescue Coordination
Centers in Alaska
, Hawaii
, and
Puerto Rico. CAP is credited with
saving an average of 100 lives per year.
CAP is
active in disaster relief operations, especially in areas such as
Florida, Mississippi
and Louisiana
that are frequently struck by hurricanes. CAP aircrews and ground
personnel provide transportation for cargo and officials, aerial
imagery to aid emergency managers in assessing damage, and
donations of personnel and equipment to local, state and federal
disaster relief organizations during times of need. In
2004, several hurricanes hit
the southeast coast of the United States, with Florida being the
worst damaged; CAP was instrumental in providing help to affected
areas.
Civil Air
Patrol conducts humanitarian service
missions, usually in support of the Red Cross
. CAP aircrews transport time-sensitive
medical materials, including
blood and
human tissue, when other means of
transportation (such as
ambulances) are
not practical or possible.
Following the September 11 attacks on the
World Trade
Center
in New York
City
when all general
aviation was grounded, one of the first planes to fly over the
destroyed World Trade Center was a CAP aircraft taking
photographs.
CAP performs several missions that are not combat-related in
support of the
United States Air
Force, including damage assessment, transportation of
officials, communications support and low-altitude route
surveys.
As a humanitarian service organization, CAP assists federal, state
and local agencies in preparing for and responding to homeland
security needs. In particular, the CAP fleet is used in training
exercises to prepare USAF pilots to intercept enemy aircraft over
the
Continental United
States. Civil Air Patrol aircraft are flown into restricted
airspace, where Air Force
F-16
Fighting Falcon and
F-15 Eagle pilots
may practice high-speed intercepts.
The Red Cross,
Salvation Army and
other civilian agencies frequently ask Civil Air Patrol aircraft to
transport vital supplies including medical technicians, medication,
and other vital supplies. They often rely on CAP to provide
airlift and communications for disaster
relief operations. CAP also assists the
United States Coast Guard and
Coast Guard
Auxiliary.
Civil Air Patrol assists the
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection,
Drug
Enforcement Administration, and
United States Forest Service in
the
War on Drugs. In 2005, CAP flew
over 12,000 hours in support of this mission and led these
agencies to the confiscation of illegal substances valued at over
US$400 million. Civil Air
Patrol makes extensive use of the
Airborne
Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance system,
mounted on the
Gippsland GA8 Airvan.
The system is able to evaluate spectral signatures given off by
certain objects, allowing the system to identify, for example, a
possible
marijuana crop.
Aerospace Education
The Aerospace Education Program provides aviation related education
and educational activities for members, including formal, graded
courses about all aspects of
aviation
including flight physics, dynamics, history, and application.
Courses covering the space program, and new technologies and
advances in aviation and
space
exploration, are also available. There are several programs for
CAP pilots to improve their flying skills and earn
Federal Aviation
Administration ratings.
The Cadet Program has a mandatory aerospace education program; in
order to progress, a cadet must take a number of courses and tests
relating to aviation. Cadets also have educational opportunities
through museum tours,
National Cadet Special
Activities, military and civilian orientation rides, and guest
speakers.
Senior members may study aerospace through the Senior Member
Professional Development Program. CAP encourages its senior members
to learn about aviation and its history, although this is not
mandatory. Those who complete the Aerospace Education Program for
Senior Members may earn the
Charles E.
"Chuck" Yeager Aerospace Education
Award.
Through outreach programs, including the External Aerospace
Education program, CAP helps schoolteachers integrate aviation and
aerospace into the classroom by providing seminars, course
materials and through sponsorship of the
National
Congress on Aviation and Space Education. Members also provide
their communities with resources for better management of
airports and other aviation-related facilities, and
promote the benefits of such facilities. The organization also
works with other groups, such as the
Boy Scouts of America, the
Girl Scouts of the USA and
4-H to fulfill the education goal set down in the
organizations congressional charter - to "encourage and foster
civil aviation in local communities."
Cadet Programs
Civil Air Patrol's first cadet program was started during World War
II as a way to provide training for future pilots. Since then, the
program has flourished, combining Aerospace Education with
Leadership and Career training.
Today, CAP cadets are those members who join between their 12 and
18 birthday. Cadets who turn 18 may either become a Senior Member
or remain a cadet until 21 at their own discretion. Cadets who join
the military automatically become senior members when they receive
their first orders.
As a Cadet progresses through the cadet program, they earn various
achievements by successfully passing both Leadership and Aerospace
Education tests. Test questions are derived from reading materials
supplied to cadets, but the program is also designed to allow
cadets to fill ever increasing leadership roles that are pertinent
to their Leadership Studies questions.
As cadets advance through the ranks, they also progress through
four stages of development. The first phase,
The Learning
Phase, introduces cadets to the CAP program, and cadets who
pass all requirements receive the Wright Brothers award. The second
phase,
The Leadership Phase, begins placing more
responsibility on cadets as leaders of newer cadets. Cadets who
complete
The Leadership Phase receive their Mitchell
Award, and are eligible for advanced promotion upon enlisting in
the military. The third phase,
The Command Phase, places
cadets directly in command of other cadets, allowing cadets to
accomplish tasks through their staff members for the first time.
Cadets who complete
The Command Phase are awarded the
Earhart Award.
The Executive Phase is the last phase of
the cadet program, and focus cadets on the operations of an entire
unit. Cadets completing the command phase are awarded the Eaker
Award, and may, upon passing an extensive cumulative test, may be
awarded the Spaatz Award.
As cadets progress through the program, they are placed in charge
of lower ranking cadets. Cadet's aren't given full reign over the
others, but instead are expected to instruct classes and mentor
each other. Senior Members, the adults of the program, also play a
large role in mentoring and evaluating cadets. The numerous awards,
achievements, and opportunities available to Civil Air Patrol
cadets allows them to foster their leadership in an academic and
forgiving environment.
Civil Air Patrol also has several cadet squadrons located in middle
schools. CAP's School Enrichment Program (formerly known as Middle
School Initiative) is a ready-to-use program for teachers and other
mentors conduct leadership training through Aerospace Education
classes. Students are introduced to the principles of flight, model
rocketry, and also leadership. CAP's SEP program is similar to a
Junior ROTC program. CAP has 47 units
located in Middle School classrooms throughout the country.
Membership
CAP has
some 57,000 senior and cadet members in over 1,600 local units
across the continental United States, in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and at numerous overseas Air Force
installations. CAP members are civilians and are not paid by
the
US government for their
service. Rather, members are responsible for paying annual
membership fees, and must pay for their own uniforms and other
related expenses.
Senior
membership is open to all US Citizens, and resident aliens aged 18 and over who are able to
pass an FBI
background check. There is no upper age
limit, nor membership restrictions for physical disabilities, due
to the number of different tasks which members may be called on to
perform. Cadet membership is open to those aged between 12 and 18
who maintain satisfactory progress in school, as determined by the
cadet's unit commander; upon their 18 birthday, cadets may become
senior members or remain in the Cadet Program until they are
21.
The Civil Air Patrol motto, to which all members ascribe, is
"Semper Vigilans",
Latin for "Always
Vigilant". All CAP members are also obligated by their service to
the organization to abide by its core values: integrity, volunteer
service, excellence, and respect.
Senior members
Senior members are members who are over 21 years old, who
joined CAP for the first time past the age of 18, or who are former
cadets who transferred to the senior member program. Senior members
who have not yet turned 21 years are eligible for Flight
Officer ranks, which include Flight Officer, Technical Flight
Officer, and Senior Flight Officer. There is no
retirement age for CAP members, and
there are no physical requirements for joining. The only physical
requirements an officer must follow are the grooming and weight
standards required of members who wear the Air Force-style uniforms
(these do not apply to members who choose to wear those uniform
designs unique to Civil Air Patrol).
Ranks up to
Lieutenant Colonel
reflect progression in training and organizational seniority,
rather than command authority. Because of this, it is not uncommon
for senior members commanding groups and squadrons to have members
of superior grades serving under them. Current, retired and former
members of the
United States
Armed Forces may be promoted directly to the CAP grade
equivalent to their military grade, although some choose to follow
the same standards as non-prior-service members. Except for a few
exceptional cases, senior members are only promoted to the grade of
CAP Colonel upon appointment as Wing Commander, responsible for the
administration of CAP units across an entire
state.
Senior members are provided with an optional Senior Member
Professional Development program and are encouraged to progress
within it. The professional development program consists of five
levels, corresponding with ranks from Second Lieutenant to
Lieutenant Colonel. Each level of development has components of
leadership training, corporate familiarization and aerospace
education, as well as professional development within chosen
"Specialty Tracks". There are many Specialty Tracks and they are
designed both to support the organization and to provide
opportunities for senior members to take advantage of skills they
have from their private lives. Available Specialty Tracks include
Logistics,
Communications, Cadet Programs,
Public Affairs,
Legal,
Administration, Emergency
Services,
Finance, and many more.
Additionally senior members with specific civilian professional
qualifications may be awarded rank on the basis of their
professional qualifications. Examples include FAA Certified Flight
Instructors, attorneys, medical professionals and clergy, who are
often promoted directly to
First
Lieutenant or
Captain.
Cadet members
Civil Air Patrol's cadet program is a traditional military-style
cadet program, and is one of the three main
missions of the Civil Air Patrol. CAP cadets wear modified versions
of Air Force uniforms, hold rank and grade, and practice military
customs and courtesies. They are
required to maintain
physical
fitness standards, and are tested on their knowledge of
leadership and aerospace subjects, at
each promotion opportunity.
Concept
The current CAP Cadet Program was designed by John V. "Jack"
Sorenson who held the position of Civil Air Patrol's Director of
Aerospace Education in the 1960s. This program is composed of four
phases (Learning, Leadership, Command, and Executive) each of which
is divided into several achievements. Achievements generally
correspond to grade promotions, while phases are tied to levels of
responsibility. The Cadet Program operates at a local unit
(squadron) level with weekly meetings and weekend activities, but
also has national and wing-sponsored events, including week-long
and multi-week summer activities and camps.
As Cadets progress through the program, they are given additional
responsibility for scheduling, teaching, guiding and commanding the
other cadets in their units. They also assist their Senior Staff in
executing the Cadet Program. It is not unusual for a cadet officer
to command an encampment of hundreds of junior Cadets. Cadets are
given many opportunities to lead and to follow; they may hold
leadership positions at squadron and wing activities, and are often
involved in planning these activities. Cadets may complete
paperwork, command other cadets, and teach at weekly meetings and
at weekend and summer events. The
U.S. Congress stated in the
Recruiting, Retention, and Reservist Promotion Act of 2000
that CAP and similar programs "provide significant benefits for the
Armed Forces, including significant public relations
benefits".
Organization
The Cadet Program is overseen and administered by senior members,
who generally specialize in the Cadet Program. At the squadron
level, the Cadet Commander's chain of command passes through the
Deputy Commander for Cadets before reaching the squadron commander.
There are 'Director of Cadet Programs' positions at all command
levels higher than squadron. In addition to the Deputy Commander
for Cadets, squadrons also have a Leadership Officer, a senior
member whose job is to see to the military aspects of the Cadet
program, such as uniforms, customs and courtesies.
Cadets have a
rank
structure similar to the
United States Air Force enlisted and
officer grades, excluding those of
General Officers. A Cadet starts as
a Cadet Airman Basic, and is promoted as he or she completes each
achievement. Unlike the regular Armed Forces, where it is possible
to enter as either a
commissioned or
non-commissioned officer, a cadet
must be promoted through every enlisted grade in order to achieve
the rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant. To complete an achievement, a
cadet must pass a physical fitness test as well as two written
tests, one for leadership and one for aerospace education. The only
exceptions to this rule are the promotion to Cadet Airman and Cadet
Staff Sergeant, which have no aerospace test. For some
achievements, an additional test of drill proficiency is
required.
The milestones in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program are the Major
General
John F. Curry Award,
Wright brothers Award, the General
Billy Mitchell Award, the
Amelia Earhart Award, the General
Ira C. Eaker Award
and the General
Carl A. Spaatz Award. As of January 29, 2009,
1,721 Spaatz Awards had been earned since the first was awarded to
Cadet Douglas Roach in 1964. Cadet Roach went on to an Air Force
career and later became a pilot in the
US Air Force Thunderbirds aerial
demonstration team.
Each milestone award in Civil Air Patrol confers upon a cadet
various benefits. Upon earning the Mitchell Award and the grade of
Cadet Second Lieutenant, a cadet will automatically be given the
rank of
Airman First Class upon
enlistment in the
United States
Air Force. Along with being awarded the Earhart Award and being
promoted to C/Capt a cadet may attend
International Air Cadet
Exchange.
According to the CAP Knowledgebase website, the percentages for
cadets receiving the milestone awards are estimated to be as
follows:
- Mitchell: 15%
- Earhart: 5%
- Eaker: 2%
- Spaatz: 0.16%
Cadets that transfer to the senior member side between the ages of
18 and 21 receive the rank of Flight Officer (if the highest cadet
award earned was the Mitchell), Technical Flight Officer (if the
highest cadet award earned was the Earhart) or Senior Flight
Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Spaatz). If the
cadet waits until their 21st birthday, at which point they are
required to transfer to the senior member program, they
are eligible for the rank of Second Lieutenant (if the highest
cadet award was the Mitchell), First Lieutenant (if the highest
cadet award was the Earhart), or Captain (if the highest cadet
award was the Spaatz).
Activities
Cadets under the age of 18 are eligible for ten orientation flights
in CAP
aircraft, including five
glider and
airplane flights. Glider flights can be
replaced by "Powered" flights at the discretion of the Wing
Commander, depending on the availability of the aircraft. Cadets
over 18 years of age can still participate in military
orientation flights, and some CAP wings have flight academies where
cadets can learn to fly. The
US Air
Force and
US Army also
frequently schedule orientation flights for CAP cadets in transport
aircraft such as the
KC-10 Extender,
C-130 Hercules and the
C-17 Globemaster III or, in the case of
the Army,
UH-60 Black Hawk and
CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
Civil Air Patrol's core cadet activity is the summer encampment.
Typically a week to ten day long event, cadets are put into an
intense, military-structured environment similar in certain
respects to USAF Basic Military Training (BMT) for enlisted
personnel, or the first few weeks of
USAFA 4th class cadet
training, college
Air Force ROTC
summer Field Training, or USAF
OTS for officers,
with emphasis on physically and mentally demanding tasks and
required classes and activities. These classes include aerospace
education, Air Force organization, cadet programs, and drug demand
reduction. Activities include the classroom courses, physical
training, and drill & ceremonies. Encampments are usually held
at the wing (state) level and, when available are usually at
military installations, preferably active Air Force,
Air Force Reserve Command or
Air National Guard installations,
with military support.
The Region Cadet Leadership Schools (RCLS) provide training to
increase knowledge, skills, and attitudes as they pertain to
leadership and management. To be eligible to attend, cadets must be
serving in, or preparing to enter, cadet leadership positions
within their squadron. RCLSs are conducted at region level, or at
wing level with region approval. The RCLS programs are more or less
modeled on USAFA upper classmen programs, the college Air Force
ROTC Professional Officer Course (POC) and latter stages of OTS.
One variation on this theme are CAP Cadet Non-Commissioned Officer
Schools and Academies, which are Cadet NCO schools designed to
teach basic leadership and principles to cadet leaders during their
earlier duty positions in the Cadet Program.
Oath
Cadets ascribe to the following oath during their membership:
- I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air
Patrol Cadet Program, and that I will attend meetings regularly,
participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my
uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to
prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and
nation.
One requirement for promotion in the Cadet Program is the ability
to recite this oath, verbatim, from memory.
Relationship to the military
As stated by , the Secretary of the Air Force may use the services
of the Civil Air Patrol to fulfill the non-combat programs and
missions of the Department of the Air Force. Additionally, the
Civil Air Patrol shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the
United States with respect to any act or omission of the Civil Air
Patrol, including any member of the Civil Air Patrol, in carrying
out a mission assigned by the Secretary of the Air Force.
Civil Air Patrol members are not subject to the
Uniform Code of Military
Justice and therefore do not have command or authority over any
members of the United States military. Similarly, military officers
have no command authority over CAP members. As part of recognition
of CAP's service to the USAF, however, senior members in the grade
of Second Lieutenant and above are allowed to wear "U.S." collar
insignia as an official part of their dress blue uniform. All CAP
members are required to render military courtesies to all members
of the US military and those of friendly foreign nations; however,
as CAP Officers are not commissioned by the
President of the United
States, military personnel are not
required to render
military courtesies to CAP personnel, though this can be done as a
courtesy. CAP members are expected to render military courtesies to
one another, though the implementation of this varies widely. Some
squadrons are more military-orientated, with saluting and
addressing by rank, while others are more informal.
Although CAP retains the title "United States Air Force Auxiliary",
clarifies that this Auxiliary status is only applicable when CAP
members and resources are on an Air Force-assigned mission with an
Air Force-assigned mission number. When CAP resources are engaged
in an Air Force mission they are reimbursed by the Air Force for
communications expenses, fuel and oil, and a share of aircraft
maintenance expenses. In addition, CAP members are covered by the
Federal Employees
Compensation Act in the event of injury while participating in
the mission. At all other times, such as when aiding civilian
authorities, the CAP remains and acts as a private, non-profit
corporation.
The USAF's
Air
Education and Training Command (AETC), through the
Air University, is the parent
command of CAP. In October 2002, the USAF announced plans to move
CAP into a new office for
homeland
security. While remaining under the command of the AETC, CAP
has a
memorandum of
understanding with the
1st Air
Force (1 AF), the
Air Combat
Command (ACC) numbered air force with responsibility for both
continental air defense and the
Air Force
Rescue Coordination Center. This memorandum allows each
organization to provide the other with mutual assistance.
Uniforms
CAP Cadet Officers in Air Force-style
service dress uniforms in 2004
In order to be permitted to wear CAP uniforms styled after those of
the US Air Force, CAP members must meet grooming standards and
slightly modified weight standards. Since CAP members are not
required to meet these standards for Air Force-style uniforms, CAP
has also developed a range of "corporate" (or "CAP distinctive")
uniforms for wear by senior members. These uniforms are an option
available to all senior members, but are the only uniforms
available to those who do not meet the grooming standards.
There are over ten uniform combinations. The basic ones worn by
most members are:
- Air Force-style
uniforms:
- Service Dress Uniform – the Air Force's service dress
uniform, consisting of dark blue trousers, light blue shirt with
tie, dark blue jacket, and a flight or service cap. Rank is
indicated on CAP-distinctive gray shoulder
marks (for senior member officers) or sleeve stripes (for
senior member non-commissioned officers). Cadets wear rank either
on shoulder marks or on pin-on
insignia (according to rank).
- Blues Uniform – identical to the service dress uniform,
except without the dark blue jacket. The tie is optional when in
short sleeves.
- Battle Dress Uniform
(BDU) - the old style Air Force "woodland camouflage" field
uniform, or blue field uniform, with blue name tapes, and metal
insignia on the collar for enlisted grade cadets, cloth insignia
for cadet officers and senior members.
- Flight Dress Uniform – a green Nomex
one-piece flight suit worn by Air Force flight crews, styled in a
manner similar to Air Mobility
Command flight crews, but with CAP insignia. This is worn by
CAP flight personnel only.
- Mess Dress Uniform – the dark blue Air Force mess dress
uniform with CAP-distinctive insignia and sleeve braid. This is
worn by senior members only.
- Corporate ("CAP distinctive") uniforms:
- Field Uniform – a dark blue version of the battle dress
uniform
- Aviator Shirt Uniform – an aviator white shirt with
epaulettes, worn with gray shoulder
marks and gray trousers.
- Flight Uniform – A dark blue version of the one-piece
flight suit. This is worn by CAP flight personnel only.
- Utility Uniform – A dark blue one-piece uniform similar
to, but distinct from, the Flight Uniform. Worn for similar duty to
the Field Uniform.
- Blazer Uniform – A dark blue jacket worn with a white
shirt, gray trousers, and a CAP or Air Force tie.
- Golf Shirt Uniform – A dark blue short-sleeve golf shirt
with the CAP seal screened or embroidered on the chest. This is
worn with gray trousers.
In March 2006, a number of new "corporate" uniforms were introduced
for senior members, with white shirts, Air Force blue trousers and
Air Force officer epaulettes without the "CAP" titling. Notably,
this uniform has a nameplate that only says "Civil Air Patrol" with
the member's last name; there is no mention of "United States Air
Force Auxiliary." At the 2006 National Executive Committee meeting,
a matching double-breasted blue service coat was approved, with
metal rank insignia and "CAP" collar insignia to match the metal
nameplate and CAP buttons. Only CAP ribbons and devices are
permitted; prior-service military ribbons and devices are not be
authorized for wear on this uniform (unless authorized to be worn
on civilian clothing by the awarding authority). The service and
flight caps will continue to be worn with CAP-distinctive
variations.
Equipment
A Civil Air Patrol Gippsland
Aeronautics GA-8 "Airvan" on takeoff during a mission following
Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Civil Air Patrol operates and maintains fixed-wing aircraft,
training
gliders, ground vehicles, and a
national radio communications network.
Civil Air Patrol owns and operates a fleet of over 550
single-engine aircraft, predominantly
Cessna
172 Skyhawk and
Cessna 182 Skylane
aircraft.
In 2003, the Australian designed and built eight-seat
Gippsland GA8 Airvan was added to the
corporate fleet. 16 of Civil Air Patrol's fleet of 18 Airvans carry
the
Airborne
Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance (ARCHER)
system, which can be used to search for aircraft wreckage based on
its spectral signature. Other aircraft types include the
Cessna 206 and the Maule MT-235. CAP also has a
number of gliders, such as the
L-23
Super-Blanik, the
Schleicher ASK
21 and the
Schweizer SGS
2-33, used mainly for cadet orientation flights.
In addition to CAP's own corporate fleet, many member-owned
aircraft are made available for official tasking by CAP's
volunteers should the need arise. Aircraft on search missions are
generally crewed by at least three qualified aircrew members: a
Mission Pilot, responsible for the safe
flying of the aircraft; a
Mission
Observer, responsible for
navigation,
communications and coordination of the mission as well as ground
observation; and a Mission Scanner who is responsible for looking
for crash sites and damage clues. Additionally, the Mission Scanner
may double as an
Satellite Digital Imaging
System (SDIS) operator. Larger aircraft may have additional
scanners aboard, providing greater visual coverage. Because of the
additional ARCHER equipment, the crew of a Civil Air Patrol GA8
Airvan may also include an operator of the ARCHER system, depending
upon the requirements of the mission and the capabilities of the
aircraft.
CAP owns over 1,000 vehicles (mostly vans for carrying personnel)
and assigns them to units for use in the organization's missions.
Members who use their own vehicles are reimbursed for fuel, oil and
communications costs during a USAF-assigned emergency services
mission.
CAP operates a national radio network of
HF (SSB) and
VHF (FM) radio
repeaters. There are over 500 of these repeaters
strategically located across the United States. Radio
communications are now facilitated under
NTIA
specifications, to which Civil Air Patrol directorates have applied
even more stringent standards. CAP's radio network is designed for
use during a national or regional emergency when existing telephone
and Internet communications infrastructure is not available.
Outside of such emergencies, most of CAP's internal communications
are conducted on the Internet.
CAP frequencies and specific repeater
locations are designated by the Department of
Defense
as Unclassified - For Official Use
Only information, and as such may only be released to those
individuals who have a recognized "need-to-know."
Some aircraft in the CAP fleet are equipped with the
SDIS. This system allows
CAP to send back real-time images of a disaster or crash site to
anyone with an e-mail address, allowing the mission coordinators to
make more informed decisions. There are approximately 100 federally
funded SDIS systems strategically located across the United States,
with more than 20 additional systems funded by state and local
governments.
The ARCHER imaging system, mounted aboard the
GA8 Airvan, uses visible and near-infrared
light to examine the surface of the Earth and find suspected crash
sites, evaluate areas affected by disasters, or examine foliage
from an airborne perspective in order to flag possible
marijuana plantations. Both the SDIS and
ARCHER systems were used to great success in the response to
Hurricane Katrina; ARCHER may be
used in coordination with the SDIS system.
A hand-held radio direction finder, the
L-Tronics Little L-Per, is used by ground teams to
search for downed aircraft.The ground teams carry equipment on
their person that they use while in the field. This equipment
includes flashlights, signal mirrors, tactical vests, safety vests,
and food that will last them at least 24 hours. The equipment
carried by ground teams varies much by the mission at hand. Urban
Direction Finding (UDF) missions necessitate only a small kit of
gear. But intensive mountain search and rescue can require packs
that provide for up to 72 hours of operational supplies and tool
for the location, rescue and extraction of lost or crashed parties.
This gear includes the above, plus additional water, meals, and
survival gear. Although a standardized list is provided by the
national command, many teams modify the list to match the needs of
the mission.
Organization
Civil Air Patrol is organized along a military model, with a
streamlined and strictly hierarchical
chain of command. There are several
distinct
echelons in this structure:
National Headquarters, regions, wings, and squadrons or flights. An
additional group echelon may be used that is placed between the
wing and the squadrons/flights, at the wing commander's
discretion.
Civil Air Patrol is headed by a National Commander, currently Major
General
Amy S. Courter. The organization is governed by a Board
of Governors, established by federal law in 2001 and consisting of
11 members: four Civil Air Patrol members (currently the National
Commander, National Vice Commander, and two members-at-large
appointed by the CAP National Executive Committee), four Air Force
representatives appointed by the
Secretary of the Air Force, and
three members from the aviation community jointly appointed by the
CAP National Commander and the Secretary of the Air Force. The
Board of Governors generally meets two or three times annually and
primarily provides strategic vision and guidance to the volunteer
leadership and corporate staff. The volunteer leadership consists
of the
National
Commander and his staff, comprising a Vice Commander, Chief of
Staff, National Legal Officer, National
Comptroller, the Chief of the CAP
Chaplain Service, and the CAP
Inspector General. The National Commander
holds the grade of CAP Major General; the National Vice Commander
holds the grade of CAP Brigadier General. The rest of the National
Commander's staff hold the grade of CAP Colonel.
CAP
National Headquarters is located at Maxwell Air
Force Base
outside Montgomery, Alabama
. The headquarters employs a professional
staff of over 100 and is led by the CAP Executive Director
(analogous to a corporate
Chief
Operating Officer), who reports to the Board of Governors. The
National Headquarters staff provides program management for the
organization and membership support for the 1,700+ volunteer field
units across the country.
Below the National Headquarters level there are eight geographic
Regions and a handful of overseas squadrons at various military
installations worldwide. Each region, commanded by a CAP Colonel,
encompasses several state-wide organizations referred to as
Wings. The eight regions are
the Northeast, Middle East, Southeast, Great Lakes, Southwest,
North Central, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific Regions.
The CAP units in each of the fifty states, and Puerto Rico and the
District of Columbia, are coordinated by the CAP Wing for that
state; each Wing has a commander who is a CAP Colonel and the sole
corporate officer for each state. Each wing commander oversees a
wing headquarters staff made up of experienced volunteer members.
Larger Wings may have an optional subordinate echelon of
Groups, at the discretion of the Wing
Commander. Each Group encompasses at least five squadrons or
flights.
Local units are called
squadrons or
flights; the latter normally
reserved for smaller units. Squadrons are the main functioning body
of Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol squadrons are designated as
either cadet, senior, or composite squadrons. A CAP composite
squadron consists of both cadets and senior members, who may be
involved in any of the three missions of Civil Air Patrol.
Composite squadrons have two deputy commanders to assist the
squadron commander: a Deputy Commander for Seniors and a Deputy
Commander for Cadets. A senior squadron includes only senior
members, who participate in the emergency services or aerospace
education missions of Civil Air Patrol. A cadet squadron is largely
made up of cadets, with a small number of senior members as
necessary for supervision of cadets and the proper execution of the
cadet program. Overseas squadrons operate independently of this
structure, reporting directly to the National Headquarters.
A CAP flight is a semi-independent unit that is used mainly as a
stepping-stone for a new unit until they are large enough to be
designated a squadron. Due to their transitory nature, there are
very few flights within the CAP structure at any one time. A flight
will be assigned to a squadron 'parent', and it is the job of the
flight and squadron commanders to work together to build the flight
into a full and independent squadron.
Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force (CAP-USAF) is an active
duty unit that operates under the joint jurisdiction of CAP
National Headquarters and the USAF
Air
University. Approximately 350 active duty, reserve, and
civilian Air Force personnel (all of whom are CAP members), 22 of
whom are stationed at National Headquarters, staff CAP-USAF. These
members advise, assist, and oversee Civil Air Patrol's operations
and provide liaison between CAP and the USAF. As of 2009, the
commander of CAP-USAF is USAF Colonel William R. Ward.
Funding
Civil Air Patrol is a
non-profit corporation established
by
Public Law 79-476. It receives its
funding from four major sources: membership dues, corporate
donations, Congressional appropriations, and private
donations.
Today, apart from member dues, Civil Air Patrol receives funding
from donations and grants from individuals, foundations and
corporations; from grants and payments from state governments for
patrolling and other tasks as agreed by Memorandums of
Understanding; and from federal funding for reimbursement of fuel,
oil and maintenance plus capital expenses for aircraft, vehicles
and communications equipment.
There are very few paid positions in Civil Air Patrol. Most are
located at National Headquarters, but a few wings have paid
administrators or accountants.
See also
Notes
- http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=163
- Promotion Requirements "" Promotion Requirements
- 106th Congress, 2D Session
(2000-04-06). Recruiting, Retention, and Reservist Promotion Act of
2000 (H.R. 4208). US Government Printing
Office. Retrieved on 2007-10-18
References
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