Military bases around the country have been subject to frequent incursions by uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones. Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is helping the U.S. Air Force (USAF) train for its growing mission to detect unauthorized drone flights and quickly locate the offending operators.

A case in point is a recent training and evaluation mission in South Dakota. Members of CAP’s South Dakota Wing flew 10 drone flights for the South Dakota Air National Guard 114th Fighter Wing as part of a larger Combat Readiness Inspection.

Maj. Tyler Gross, an FAA-licensed commercial drone pilot with the Civil Air Patrol’s South Dakota Wing, prepares a UAS during Operation EDGECRUSHER, a Combat Readiness Inspection near Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The outside-agency support provided a realistic training opportunity for the 114th Fighter Wing to evaluate coordination, communication and response procedures during simulated unmanned aircraft activity near the installation. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Luke Olson)

CAP: A Total Force Partner

This training directly aligns with U.S. Northern Command’s priority of defending the homeland. As the combatant command responsible for theater security,

USNORTHCOM maintains a joint focus on securing military installations and critical infrastructure across its Area of Responsibility against evolving asymmetric threats, including unauthorized UAS activity.

Some drone flights in restricted airspace near U.S. military bases are by hobbyists unaware of the restrictions or not intending harm, but across the country some have been by drug cartels and foreign agents. In Ukraine, similar drones have been used as offensive weapons.

This collaboration is operationally overseen by First Air Force (Air Forces Northern), which manages Civil Air Patrol’s federal auxiliary missions in support of homeland defense.

A South Dakota Wing UAS works on a training sortie in the rugged terrain of the Black Hills. Photo by Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing

CAP drone pilots Maj. Tyler Gross, left, and 1st Lt. Travis Robinson debrief following the simulated UAS scenario during Operation EDGECRUSHER. The scenario gave Airmen a realistic opportunity to practice coordination and response procedures with local mission partners. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Luke Olson)

Testing Base Security

The weeklong Combat Readiness Inspection tested the fighter wing’s ability to shift from normal operations to a wartime posture in many areas, including the drone response, while generating, defending, and sustaining combat airpower in what is called a contested and degraded environment. The CAP support provided a realistic training opportunity for the 114th Fighter Wing to evaluate coordination, communication, and response procedures during simulated unmanned aircraft activity near the installation. For operational security reasons, this article does not detail the 114th Fighter Wing’s counter-UAS response procedures or capabilities.

Civil Air Patrol was an early user of the now-common small remote-piloted photography drones. The South Dakota Wing used the then-new technology to perform CAP’s first actual missing person search and rescue drone flights in September 2019. CAP in Nebraska used a UAS system in a disaster relief mission to inspect a damaged dam that same year.

The wing has also used photography drones for partner agencies, such as wildlife tracking for the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks agency. For the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, CAP used Wingtra drones to collect and process over 786,000 multispectral images for environmental research.

That extensive experience made CAP a preferred partner for simulating airspace incursions.

“I found the Air Guard mission I participated in unique and exciting,” said Capt. Kurt Johnson, a CAP drone technician during the training. “First, launching a drone over a National Guard base and knowing that within minutes, the base is responding to our simulated threat was a great feeling. Although everything included the caveat ‘exercise, exercise,’ it was exciting to have been a part of this.”

Maj. Tyler Gross, one of the drone pilots for the CAP support mission, agreed.

“It was fulfilling to combine my passion for drone flying with an opportunity to provide our Air Guard partners with realistic training scenarios in the rapidly evolving world of unmanned aerial systems,” he said. “This is just one of the many unique opportunities CAP membership has afforded me; doing the things I love while helping my community.”

South Dakota Wing’s Skydio X10D UAS sits on the landing and take-off pad used for safe operations. Photo by Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing

UAS pilot Maj. Donny Weiand supervises the automatic landing of the CAP Skydio X10D, which had been used to map a hiking trail to look for a simulated missing hiker. The drone took hundreds of photos on a pre-programmed course, including visible light and infrared. Photo by Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing

Rich Opportunities for CAP Members

Civil Air Patrol members have diverse opportunities to serve national, state, local, and in some areas, tribal agency partners. CAP in South Dakota has a long partnership with the 114th Fighter Wing, including CAP airplanes serving as targets for F16 intercept training and surveying air guard low-level training routes.

CAP across the country performs similar air guard support missions, as well as for active-duty military bases. CAP in South Dakota alone has worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on missing person searches, with the Global Strike Command for damage assessment after a crash, and escorting Air Force MQ-9 remote-piloted drones through civilian airspace, as required by the FAA.

You Can Serve Too

What is Civil Air Patrol?

Civil Air Patrol is a global volunteer organization where young people and adults develop leadership skills, explore aviation and STEM, and serve their communities in emergency services.

Click here to learn more

Civil Air Patrol offers broad experience for both its adult and youth members. Young people from ages 12-20 have the opportunity to learn more about aviation, cyber, STEM and military careers while enhancing their leadership skills. Adult members work with day-to-day operations in their local units. Fewer than one-fifth of all CAP members are pilots or aircrew members. In emergency services and operations, adult and youth members may help with search missions, communications, taking photos, or transportation of relief supplies.

Adult members have the opportunity to help in all aspects of the youth program, providing the opportunity to have a positive influence in the lives of young people.

With more than 1,400 squadrons nationwide, a cadet corps of over 36,000, about 35,000 adult members, and more than 1,400 local units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands, and overseas American military bases, there’s a CAP opportunity near you.

To learn more about membership and find your local unit, visit this “how to join” page.

Civil Air Patrol in Washington state (Washington Wing) concluded a monthlong wildfire response mission in September supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state with disaster-assessment imagery across the eastern and north central sections of the state.

A total of 129 CAP volunteers from 37 units across five neighboring states came together to make this mission possible.

Preparing for the Mission

CAP began activating members for the disaster response Aug. 2, concentrating its specialized resources on fires outside the Spokane Complex, where additional support was needed, including the Sinlahekin, Modrite, Kaiser Canyon, Mitre Rock, and Little Giant fires.

FEMA provided hundreds of individual locations requiring assessment. CAP crews worked to collect geo-tagged imagery of fire-affected homes, businesses, and infrastructure while adapting to smoke, poor visibility, active firefighting operations, temporary flight restrictions, changing access conditions and weather.

Unlike CAP’s normal search and rescue missions that might last days, this level of response required a dedicated, long-term effort over the entire month. CAP volunteers flew, drove, operated unmanned aircraft and imaging systems, maintained communications, staffed the incident management team, supported logistics, processed imagery, and coordinated with partner agencies.

Coy Travers, the aerospace education officer for the wing’s Bellingham Composite Squadron, collaborates with Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Madison Kaiser to operate the new imaging system mounted to the top of a CAP vehicle. With the mobile cameras, the CAP ground teams provided useable high-resolution images in support of FEMA’s damage-assessment effort.

Mobile Imaging System in Use

One of the advanced technologies used during the mission was a vehicle-mounted imaging system capable of photographing an affected area while the vehicle was moving, rather than requiring a photographer to stop at each individual location.

“This system turns one of our vehicles into the disaster-response equivalent of a street-level mapping vehicle,” said Capt. Donald Morgan Jr., the wing’s director of emergency services. “In areas where flights were restricted, this let us continue getting photos to damage-assessment teams in a timely manner and gave planners another way to understand conditions on the ground.”

The Washington Wing ground teams also used vertical-takeoff, fixed-wing drones deployable from CAP vehicles as part of the response to wildfires in the state.

On-the-Job Training for Some

Civil Air Patrol’s mission extends beyond emergency services. Its congressionally chartered cadet program develops young people through leadership, aerospace education, fitness, and character development. Qualified cadets can also train for and participate in appropriate emergency-services missions alongside adult members.

Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Madison Kaiser from the wing’s Columbia Basin squadron spent her first day supporting ground-team operations before learning the new imaging system from deployment through final product delivery. She helped unpack and inspect the equipment, mount and connect the camera, establish satellite connectivity, operate the control system, download and process imagery, and upload finished products. She also learned the teardown, cleaning, inspection, and storage procedures needed to prepare the equipment for its next deployment.

Kaiser deployed alongside two ground teams composed of members from the Fort Vancouver and Bellingham squadrons, and Wiley, the director of operations. Members of Bellingham’s squadron had spent more than a year training for this type of rapid-response mission, and its commander, 1st Lt. Patrick Buckley, helped lead the deployed contingent.

Together, the teams brought both ground and unmanned-aircraft capabilities, including vertical-takeoff, fixed-wing drones and a mobile technology package with satellite connectivity, independent power, and vehicle-mounted 360-degree imagery collection.

Operating in the fire-affected region, the teams are among the first CAP units in Washington to put the new ground-imaging capability into operational use, processing and delivering imagery and other useful data in support of FEMA’s damage-assessment effort.

One CAP: Working Together

The Bellingham squadron’s contribution also extended far beyond the field. One of its members, Maj. Hayley Michelson, served as the mission’s finance officer throughout the monthlong response, handling the largely unseen but critical work of tracking expenses, processing costs, and helping ensure the administrative side of the 129-person operation kept pace with the crews in the field.

CAP coordinated its operations with FEMA, tribal authorities, local incident management teams, and wildfire air-operations personnel. When smoke, airspace restrictions, or access conditions prevented one collection method from operating, mission planners shifted personnel and equipment to other methods or locations where they could safely provide value.

The Civil Air Patrol mission was separate from the Spokane Complex response. CAP remained ready to assist in the Spokane area if requested, but the strong local volunteer and nonprofit response there allowed CAP to concentrate specialized aviation, imagery, communications, and emergency services resources on other assigned fire areas.

“We do not measure success by how many places we can put CAP uniforms,” Morgan said. “We measure it by whether the people who need help are getting it and whether we are putting our capabilities where they provide the greatest value.”

Col. Sid Wiggs, the Washington Wing commander, recognized the significance of the CAP mission.

“We’d like to thank our Washington volunteers and also express our thanks to the teams from California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon who gave their time and efforts to support us,” he said.

Serve Your Community Through CAP

What is Civil Air Patrol?

Civil Air Patrol is a global volunteer organization where young people and adults develop leadership skills, explore aviation and STEM, and serve their communities in emergency services.

whatiscap.org

Civil Air Patrol offers opportunities for people who want to support emergency response and community resilience. Its volunteers serve in a variety of ways, including disaster assessment, aviation support, communications, logistics, and emergency operations planning.

Members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, and no aviation experience is required. Those interested in community-focused service can learn more and connect with a local squadron by visiting whatiscap.org.

Through partnerships with FEMA and other agencies, CAP members continue to support disaster response efforts focused on saving lives, protecting property, and helping communities recover.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol 85th Anniversary Series. Each week leading up to CAP’s milestone anniversary on Dec. 1, we will be highlighting key operations and developments in the organization’s history, as depicted in this newly designed “Be a Part of the Story” historical timeline:

This is the second feature of the series based on the fourth and fifth tiles included in the timeline: “Becoming Civil Air Patrol: U.S. Air Force and its Auxiliary Tied Together from the Beginning.”

A series of congressional acts in the postwar 1940s set up a mutually beneficial relationship between a newly formed U.S. Air Force (USAF) and a newly incorporated Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

But it took the years during and after World War II to get there.

Early CAP volunteers flew coastal patrols, courier missions, aircraft warning, disaster relief, forest patrols, and missing aircraft searches during the war’s earliest years — officially forming Dec. 1, 1941, just six days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

With its success in helping defend the homeland, the fledgling organization and its civilian force was transferred to the War Department and placed under the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943. CAP's mission in the later years of the war was to partner with the military to patrol the homeland and provide various flight services to the Army, thereby freeing more active-duty pilots for combat duty.

On July 1, 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed Public Law 476 from the 79th Congress, which made Civil Air Patrol a federally chartered, nonprofit corporation. Observing the Oval Office signing was U.S. Army Air Forces Maj. Gen. Fred L. Anderson, standing left, and Army Air Forces Col. Earle L. Johnson, CAP’s national commander. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

On July 1, 1946, CAP was federally incorporated, chartered by congressional act as a nonprofit, benevolent organization devoted to aviation and humanitarian activities when it was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Further alignment for Civil Air Patrol would follow in 1947 when the National Security Act established the Air Force as a separate armed service, and most air units and assets were transferred from the Army to the new USAF.

By another act of Congress in May 1948, shortly after the creation of the USAF, Public Law 557 made CAP an official auxiliary of the Air Force. This law authorized the Secretary of the Air Force to assign military and civilian personnel to liaison offices at all levels of CAP.

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s current national commander and CEO, reflected on those humble beginnings in advance of the organization’s 85th anniversary.

“The congressional charter and auxiliary designation were historic milestones, but they are only meaningful because of the people who brought those responsibilities to life,” she said. “Every volunteer who has worn the uniform, mentored a cadet, completed a mission, or supported their community has added a chapter to CAP's story.”

Aye said CAP’s dual identity as a federally chartered nonprofit and auxiliary is unique.

“It allows us to leverage the passion and motivation of our volunteers while supporting critical national priorities and missions,” she said. “The combination of those roles is what makes us a force for good today.”

A Civil Air Patrol Cessna sits front and center among U.S. Air Force aircraft — a symbol of CAP’s support as a vital member of the Total Force — during a training activity in 2016 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

The Air Force Auxiliary

CAP has truly evolved over the decades in both its missions and its relationship with its primary partner, the USAF.

“To me, being designated as the USAF Auxiliary is significant because it publicly recognizes the trust our Air Force has in us to serve alongside them in support of our nation,” Aye said.

That relationship with the Air Force took on new meaning in August 2015 when then Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Mark A. Welsh III updated USAF doctrine to effectively include CAP as a formal component of the Air Force, adding the civilian auxiliary alongside the active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve. Their actions officially recognized CAP’s volunteers as “Airmen” when conducting Air Force-assigned missions.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visits Maj. Gen. Joe Vazquez in front of CAP’s exhibit at the 2015 Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference. During her visit, James congratulated the national commander and its Auxiliary “Airmen” on being part of the Total Force. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

James added, “As a strategic partner, these unpaid professionals have boldly served our nation, saving the Air Force almost 40 times the coast of using military assets for each hour served. Inclusion in the Total Force reflects the continuing key contributions of this highly trained and equipped organization.”

Aye witnessed the Total Force integration firsthand. “I feel like it affirmed CAP's value,” she said. “It recognized what many of us already knew: CAP volunteers are dependable, professional, and capable partners who multiply the Air Force's ability to serve communities across the nation.”

The inclusion of CAP allows for its 70,000 volunteers to support non-combat related Air Force missions within the U.S. As a Total Force partner, CAP members daily conduct emergency services missions for local, state, and federal agencies through search and rescue, disaster response, aerial reconnaissance, communications support, homeland security operations, and humanitarian missions.

CAP members also act as ambassadors to the Air Force to more than 1,400 communities nationwide, many that may not have consistent military exposure.

Find out more about the USAF Auxiliary’s Total Force efforts.

Learn about CAP’s 2016 Air Force Organizational Excellence Award.

Civil Air Patrol cadets visiting the Pentagon this past summer pause to look at a portrait of U.S. Air Force Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, who upon retirement became the first chairman of the CAP National Board in 1948. That same year, CAP began participating in what would become known as the International Air Cadet Exchange and the National Cadet Competition.

Chartered by Congress

The federal incorporation of CAP, like the auxiliary designation, was equally important.

“The congressional charter provided legitimacy and purpose,” Aye said. “It established the three pillars that have guided us: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services.”

And the Rest is History

In the years following its incorporation and its designation as the USAF Auxiliary, CAP focused on the core programs — aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services — while supporting civil defense, search and rescue, radiological monitoring, satellite tracking, and other Air Force missions.

In 1975, a civilian volunteer became CAP’s national commander for the first time, opening the door for other volunteers like Aye, who is now in the middle of a four-year term as the organization’s top executive.

In the years to come, CAP expanded its operational capabilities through military training route surveys, counterdrug reconnaissance, disaster support, organ transport missions, modern communications, GPS navigation, and a corporate-owned fleet of aircraft and vehicles made possible by yet another congressional act passed in 1985 — the CAP Supply Bill, which authorized direct federal funding and procurement for the organization through the Air Force. It also authorized members to be reimbursed for certain mission-related expenses.

In 1995, CAP stood up a fully corporate staff to serve the organization with the USAF drawing back to an advice, liaison, and oversight role. Before that, the USAF had administered the day-to-day operations of CAP and had developed its training regimen.

A Board of Governors was added in 2006 as CAP’s top governing body. The board provides strategic oversight, fiduciary stewardship, and governance direction for the organization’s congressionally chartered missions.

CAP’s daily operations are now coordinated through the Command Team and C-Suite and the corporate staff at National Headquarters.

Meet the members of the CAP Board of Governors and Command Team here.

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO, and Brig. Gen. R. Jason Bailey, national deputy commander, greet Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Richard L. Anderson at the 2026 National Conference in Kansas City. Anderson, like Aye, served CAP as a national commander (1993-1996). He also chaired the organization’s Board of Governors (2011-2013). Photo by Brad Nolan, CAP National Headquarters.

Opportunities to Serve

Fast forward to today, and the opportunities available to CAP’s adult and cadet members remain leading up to yet another organization milestone.

“As we celebrate our 85th anniversary, I think it is important to remember that what is compelling is that CAP’s story has always been a story of volunteers,” Aye said.

“Throughout our history, generations of volunteers have stepped forward to serve. They have flown missions, taught classes, mentored cadets, responded to disasters, cared for aircraft, managed programs, and worked behind the scenes to make our organization successful. The number of hours they have given is staggering.”

Learn more about the opportunities to serve through CAP’s emergency services and operations.

Find out more about the opportunities for youth and adults alike within CAP’s cadet programs.

Learn more about the aerospace education opportunities available through CAP.

Be a Part of the Story

What is Civil Air Patrol?

Civil Air Patrol is a global volunteer organization where young people and adults develop leadership skills, explore aviation and STEM, and serve their communities in emergency services.

Click here to learn more

Civil Air Patrol members, who fly an average of 100,000 hours per year performing disaster relief, search and rescue, fighter intercept training, aerial reconnaissance, and cadet orientation flights, are indeed now referred to as Airmen during their performance of Air Force-assigned missions. Their legacy of selfless sacrifice and service to country and community continues daily through its core programs of emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education.

You too can be a part of the story. To learn more about membership and find your local unit, visit this “how to join” page.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol 85th Anniversary Series. Each week leading up to CAP’s milestone anniversary on Dec. 1, we will be highlighting key operations and developments in CAP’s storied history, as depicted in this newly designed “Be a Part of the Story” historical timeline:

This is the first feature of the series based on the first three tiles included in the timeline: “Eyes of the Home Skies, Part 1: The Origin of Civil Air Patrol.”

Brave. Heroic.

They were the citizen fliers of America’s Greatest Generation, the “Eyes of the Home Skies” who, propelled by duty, honor, and love of country, sacrificed all in defense of America in the earliest, darkest days of World War II.

Their story is extraordinary, for these founding members of Civil Air Patrol — more than 1,500 strong at the beginning of the war — performed the most amazing feats. They hunted German U-boats and chased them from America’s shores. They searched for the lost. They saved lives. They made a profound difference.

Inspired by the highest sense of patriotism and pride, these fearless aviators relentlessly flew up and down the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines to protect their homeland. Without their coastal patrols during the first 18 months of the war, who knows what might have happened.

The marauding Nazi submarines were using torpedoes to sink ships, barges, and oil tankers in America’s shipping lanes, almost at will. And the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army did not have the ships, aircraft or manpower to prevent the attacks. From January to March 1942, 52 tankers were sunk, often within sight of civilians on shore.

The economic impact, not to mention the number of lives lost, was quickly adding up, prompting Army Gen. George C. Marshall to say, “The losses by submarines off our Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean now threaten our entire war effort.”

Something had to be done to stop the carnage. The stage was set for these civilian founders to come to the aid of their country.

“Eyes of the Home Skies" is an iconic World War II recruitment poster and historical moniker for Civil Air Patrol. The U.S. Office of Civilian Defense issued the poster in 1943 to recruit civilian aviators. It was designed by V. Clayton Kenney of Cleveland, Ohio, himself a member of squadron 511-3, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Source: U.S. Office of War Information, National Archives.

An Opportunity to Serve

In response to the ever-increasing submarine attacks, the Tanker Committee of the Petroleum Industry War Council urged the Navy Department and the War Department to consider the use of CAP to help patrol America’s sea lanes. While the Navy initially rejected this suggestion, the Army decided it had merit, and the coastal patrols began in earnest in March 1942. By late March 1942, the Navy also began using the services of CAP.

Oil companies and other organizations provided funds to help pay for some CAP operations, including vitally needed shore radios for monitoring the missions. But most of the aircraft and emergency equipment were furnished by the civilians who had taken up the cause of defending America’s shores. Their mission was to report enemy subs to the military and to drive them farther underwater, where they would be forced to slow down and use their limited battery power.

So many subs were spotted that the decision was soon made to arm CAP’s light aircraft with small bombs and its larger aircraft with 325-pound depth charges.

The planes of these “subchasers” — mostly Stinsons and Fairchilds — were painted red and yellow with special markings (a blue circle with a white triangle) to identify them as CAP aircraft. They were equipped with only a compass for navigation and a single radio for communication.

Patrols were conducted up to 60 miles offshore generally with two planes flying together. Flights were made daily despite the weather, and in all seasons, including the winter, when ditching an aircraft in cold seas could mean certain death to the aircrews.

Emergency equipment was often lacking, particularly during the earliest patrols, where inner tubes and kapok duck hunter vests were carried as flotation devices. At the time, ocean-worthy wet suits, life vests, and life rafts were unavailable.

The Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Inc. of New York-owned tanker SS Dixie Arrow burns off Diamond Shoals, N.C., after being torpedoed by U-71 on March 26, 1942. The loss of the Dixie Arrow and other American tankers spurred the Petroleum Industry War Council to advocate using the Civil Air Patrol for coastal patrol service. Source: Department of the Navy, National Archives.

A CAP aircraft patrols over an oil tanker in this World War II photo from 1942.

Immediate Success

Despite these conditions, the patrols were an immediate success. Renowned subchaser Eddie Edwards was perhaps the first CAP pilot to spot a Nazi U-boat. As instructed, he radioed the sub’s position to naval forces, prompting the vessel to crash-dive and head farther out to sea, where it was less of a menace to the nation’s shipping.

The subchasers flew daily from dawn to dusk, logging more than 24 million miles from 21 Coastal Patrol bases along America’s shores. They hunted U-boats “from Maine to Mexico.” And they were quite successful, reporting 173 suspected subs and attacking 57.

Their effectiveness at deterring coastal U-boat operations was instrumental in eventually making Civil Air Patrol the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. By mid-July 1942, German Adm. Karl Doenitz, commander of all Nazi U-boats, withdrew his last submarines from America’s shores after increasing losses and reduced success against merchant traffic.

Learn more about CAP’s founding members and how they stepped up to protect the homeland.

On Feb. 17, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Air Medals, given for valor in flight, to CAP 1st Lt. Edmund:”Eddie” Edwards (center) and Maj. Hugh R. Sharp Jr. (at right in U.S. Navy uniform after he joined the service) for their heroic rescue of fellow CAP member 1st Lt. Henry Cross, whose plane had crashed in the Atlantic 20 miles off the coast of Delaware. The presentation was made in the Oval Office and was the first of many Air Medals received by CAP volunteers for their service during World War II. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

A Daring Rescue

Along with his notoriety as one of the very first subchasers, Edwards held celebrity status within CAP as one of the first two Coastal Patrol pilots awarded the Air Medal for heroism during World War II. He and his commanding officer, Maj. Hugh R. Sharp Jr., each received the medal in February 1943 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt heard of their daring rescue of a fellow airman downed in bitterly cold high seas off the coast of Delaware.

Edwards, in an interview in 2006, clearly remembered the rescue of 1st Lt. Henry Cross, which earned him the medal and subchaser fame. “I got the call that one of our planes was down, and Maj. Sharp asked me to go with him,” Edwards said. “We had no trouble finding the crash site. We spotted a body, so we made an emergency landing and fished him out. He was alive, but we never found the other guy.”

The rescue on July 21, 1942, required that Edwards and Sharp land their aircraft, a Sikorsky S-39 single-engine amphibian piloted by Sharp, in 8- to 10-foot-high swells, which crushed the left pontoon. So, to get back to Base 2, Edwards accomplished a daring feat by climbing out onto the right wing and using his weight to level the plane. He clung there, half-frozen, through the night until early the next day when a Coast Guard boat water-taxied the unflyable aircraft to shore.

Though Edwards and Sharp were the first civilians to receive the Air Medal, they were joined by others from their own ranks. In 1948, 824 Air Medals were presented to CAP members.

The coastal patrols stood down on Aug. 31, 1943, but the fledgling organization’s other World War II missions continued. While Air Medals were issued for some of those participating in the coastal patrols, little other recognition was forthcoming for the myriad of humanitarian services CAP’s volunteers provided during the war.

“We who served asked for nothing in return and got nothing,” said Lester Wolff, who commanded a CAP squadron based at Mitchell Field on Long Island, New York, during World War II.

Often, “it was a perilous task,” Wolff said, recalling the loss of one of his squadron members. Remember; many of these civilian planes, though not built specifically for the task, had bombs and depth charges strapped to them.

First Lt. Margaret J. Bartholomew, the flight leader from Flight C of Squadron 5111-1 (the original Cincinnati CAP squadron based at Lunken Airport), was the first, and only female member lost in service during World War II. She died Oct. 18, 1943, during a snowstorm while returning to her base from a courier mission. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Sixty-nine CAP members died — 26 of them lost at sea — as a result of the war effort.

CAP Col. Robert Arn flew anti-sub missions out of Coastal Patrol Base No. 14 in Panama City, Florida, from September 1942 to June 1943. Of the 12 original pilots he served with at Panama City, “we lost six of them,” said Arn, who flew 179 missions totaling 557 hours of flight time over the Gulf of Mexico.

“So many people forget that our little effort contributed so much,” especially in terms of providing protection for shipping, Wolff said.

The coastal patrol service helped force the German Navy to move further offshore. It was a significant result from a newly formed civilian organization.

CAP aircrews from Coastal Patrol Base No. 3 walking the line of Stinson Voyagers at Lantana Airport, Fla., c. 1942-1943. Source: Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

An aircraft from the CAP Southern Liaison Patrol scans the U.S.-Mexican border for any signs of suspicious activity, circa 1943-1944. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

Civil Air Patrol Fatalities - 1941 to Present

Researched and compiled by Lt. Col. Seth D. Hudson with additional input from Lt. Col. Axel Ostling and Col. Frank Blazich

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Other Wartime Missions

The success of the coastal patrols spawned other missions on behalf of the war effort with thousands more joining the cause. Forest fire patrols, disaster relief, medical evacuation, radar training missions and observation flights to check the effectiveness of blackouts, industrial camouflage and smokescreens were but a handful of the other operations completed by the CAP.

Nationwide, CAP quickly established itself as a vital resource to the military and communities across the nation. These included 20,500 missions involving towing aerial gunnery targets for live-fire anti-aircraft gunnery training and nighttime tracking missions for searchlights.

Along the Rio Grande, CAP aircraft flew 30,000 hours to prevent illegal border crossings and report any unusual activities. A courier service serving three major Army Air Forces commands carried over 3.5 million pounds of cargo, flying more than 20,000 miles daily. A search and rescue service used CAP air and ground units to search isolated mountains and forested terrain for lost military aircraft.

Cadets in Grenier, Massachusetts, are briefed by a senior officer, circa 1942-1943. The cadet program was established in October 1942, about 10 months after the organization’s founding. Some 20,000 youth quickly joined, and by the end of the war their numbers had climbed to 80,000. Source: CAP National Headquarters

From All Walks of Life

The citizens who served in CAP came from all walks of life. Some were rich, bringing along their own planes. Others were not, but they all had a common thread: They were all volunteers eager to serve their country.

Their ranks, more than 200,000 strong at war’s end, included not only ordinary men, women and teenagers in communities throughout the country but also such prominent figures as a noted Hollywood director and a world-famous pianist, a Munchkin from “The Wizard of Oz” and a sitting state governor, a storied Wall Street financier and a pioneering African-American female aviator, future Tuskegee Airmen, the head of a major brewery and founder of a famous doughnut chain.

Hollywood A-Listers among notable Americans joining CAP during World War II.

Notably, Civil Air Patrol served as a pioneering opportunity for the nation’s women to serve the nation in uniform. Through CAP, countless women wore a uniform on behalf of their nation, representing a catalyst for increasing female participation in civil aviation. More than half of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) served in CAP during some part of the war. So did many of the members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.

By 1944, one in four members of Civil Air Patrol was a woman, and they were flying important inland missions.

Beginning in October 1942, a CAP cadet program allowed young men and women from 15 to 18 to serve in the organization. The cadet program extended the benefits of the senior program and prepared many young men and women through CAP training for military service. In 1943, CAP worked with the Army Air Forces to recruit aviation cadets and allowed 17-year-old members of the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve to receive CAP training while awaiting call-up to active military duty.

By war’s end, over 80,000 young Americans had served in CAP, providing the Army Air Forces with a pool of pilots and aircrew for the latter stages of the war and the postwar military.

Col. Steve Patti, pictured in CAP uniform in 2016 as a California Wing member and earlier during World War II, participated as an observer on border patrol missions along the Texas border, beginning in June 1942.

Recognition Would Come Later

CAP’s success with coastal patrol and other military-supported operations contributed to its transfer by executive order in April 1943 from the Office of Civilian Defense to the War Department. As the auxiliary force of the Army Air Forces (later the U.S. Air Force), CAP flew more than 750,000 hours with a total loss of 68 members and about 150 aircraft — a credit to the organization’s emphasis on organization and safety.

So hats off to Civil Air Patrol! Well, not exactly.

That recognition would come later — 70 years, to be exact.

“I personally never gave it any more thought after the war,” said Col. Steve Patti, who joined CAP in January 1942 and was stationed at Vail Field in Los Angeles. For five months he was assigned to the 12th Task Force Anti-Submarine Patrol in Brownsville and San Benito, Texas, as an aircraft mechanic. He also flew as a replacement observer on convoy escort, anti-sub, beach and border patrols, and later served at bases in Marfa and El Paso, Texas.

Patti and the other CAP volunteers who performed this highly unusual and extraordinary service, during a time of great need for America, just carried on with their lives after the war, not really expecting payback.

In a Dec. 10, 2015, ceremony on Capitol Hill, then CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Joe Vazquez, left, and Lester Wolff, a CAP veteran and former member of Congress standing next to Vazquez, accepts the Congressional Gold Medal from U.S. Speaker of the House John A. Boehner. Other congressional leaders participating in the program included, from Boehner’s left, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican leader of the Senate; Rep. Michael T. McCaul of Texas; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House; and Sen. Harry Reid, Senate majority leader. Source: CAP National Headquarters.

Congressional Gold Medal

At least until 2014, when the U.S. House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead and approved legislation to present the Congressional Gold Medal — the country’s highest civilian honor — to Civil Air Patrol for its World War II service.

After hearing the news, Patti added, “It’s a great honor to be brought into the limelight of recognition.”

Wolff made the trip to Washington, D.C., where the medal was presented. If fact, he was on stage with the leaders of Congress and CAP’s national commander, Maj. Gen. Joe Vazquez, accepting on behalf of the men and women of CAP who served during World War II. Unfortunately, a lot of their colleagues from CAP’s earliest days were not. Most had passed.

Regardless, the mission of those founding members continues, even today. Because they were such an incredible force, their story will not be forgotten. These pioneering members of CAP forged the path of an army of today’s volunteers that now serve as one of the nation’s premier humanitarian service organizations.

Learn more about CAP history — what’s happened since World War II.

Be a Part of the Story

What is Civil Air Patrol?

Civil Air Patrol is a global volunteer organization where young people and adults develop leadership skills, explore aviation and STEM, and serve their communities in emergency services.

Click here to learn more

Today, acting in its role as the Air Force auxiliary, CAP provides essential emergency, military, operational, and public service to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 1,400 communities nationwide. And, like their CAP counterparts, today’s members are equal to any task, willing to risk life and limb in their missions for America. They, too, are courageous.

And they also perform amazing feats, much like their forefathers — saving lives, finding the lost, helping in times of disaster, and working to keep the homeland safe.

The legacy of those brave, heroic subchasers from World War II lives on.

Find out more about CAP’s emergency services operations here.

Most 9-year-olds — when faced with a loooong international flight would be bored — with “Are we there YET?” on repeat, but not Samuel Ten, a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Wings graduate and instructor, senior member, and former cadet with the Burke (Virginia) Composite Squadron. Instead, that 2014 flight to his parents’ Malaysian homeland fueled a previously unknown aspiration to fly.

 And just like that, he was totally and completely hooked on flying.

That early interest in aviation led to a family friend introducing him to CAP. Ten said he was so eager to become a member that he started attending Burke squadron meetings when he was 11½.

“I was a stowaway for a little while,” he said with a laugh, “so when I turned 12, I had already attended the mandatory number of meetings to become a cadet.”

Then a new Civil Air Patrol cadet, Samuel Ten takes his first orientation ride on Sept. 24, 2017, with that same grin he had on that long ago flight to Malaysia. 

His ‘Cadet Life’ Experience

Ten jumped into cadet life without looking back. He became a cadet lieutenant colonel, the cadet squadron commander of his home squadron and earned his Gen. Ira C. Eaker Award. His favorite cadet memory stemmed from helping the Virginia Wing to a third-place finish at the 2022 National Cadet Competition.

“Seeing that many cadets, the esprit de corps and camaraderie, was beyond extraordinary,” he said.

To expand his CAP experience beyond the squadron level, he also took on the role of public affairs officer for the Virginia Wing. In July of 2025, he had the opportunity to travel to Australia as part of CAP’s International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE), which sends elite senior-level cadet ambassadors abroad to spend two weeks alongside cadets from over a dozen other nations to build global goodwill, tour aerospace and military facilities, and experience foreign cultures.

He is also the recipient of the Air Force Association’s 2026 CAP Cadet of the Year Award.

Then-Cadet 1st Lt. Samuel Ten takes his first solo on Jan. 2, 2022.

The Cadet Wings Program

And when he first heard of CAP’s Cadet Wings Program, he knew he wanted to apply. But first, he had to meet the qualifications — completion of encampment, participation in squadron and higher-level activities and leadership experiences, flight training and passing the solo check ride, and FAA knowledge and medical examinations.

“Cadets [like Samuel] are learning what makes an ideal candidate before they’re eligible to apply, giving them time to intentionally pursue CAP achievements and aviation experiences,” said Kathrine Schmidt, senior program manager for cadet aviation who oversees Cadet Wings. “As a result, the pathway to becoming a competitive candidate is increasingly embedded in the cadet experience.”

Ten’s chance to solo came right after winter encampment. “I was 16 and the anticipation was off the chart,” he remembered about the drive to the flight line.

 When Ten was in the air alone, he said he felt peace. “You have control of the whole airplane. It was pretty spectacular,” he said.

Find out more about CAP’s Cadet Wings Program.

Not One, but Two Certificates

He pursued the qualifications needed for the Cadet Wings aggressively and, on April 24, 2023, at age 17, became the 233rd graduate of the Cadet Wings program, achieving his private pilot certificate. Two years later on July 4, 2025, the day he left for IACE in Australia, he became a certificated flight instructor (CFI) — a rating he pursued on his own.

And, to Ten, being able to give back to CAP and share the experiences, friendships, and leadership opportunities he had as a cadet with those he now instructs is another dream come true. Just recently, Ten completed the Cadet Wings certifications for two cadets from his squadron.

“Younger cadets are watching older cadets in their own squadrons progress through Cadet Wings, earn their certificates and continue into advance aviation opportunities,” Schmidt said.

Samuel Ten, then a cadet major, received his private pilot certificate in April 2023.

‘The Resources You Need to Succeed’

Ten is actively pursuing a job with the airlines by graduating from college early with a bachelor’s degree in professional flights and building up his flying hours. He said Cadet Wings took the financial burden of learning to fly off the table.

“It’s a huge help not to worry about where the money will be coming from for the next lesson. All I had to focus on then was flight training.”

Ten took his parents up one day soon after earning his license to fly. “The smiles they had,” he said made their encouraging words of “you got this” even more meaningful. He added: “They are super proud.”

Ten has some advice for those wishing to apply.

“It’s an amazing, spectacular program that goes beyond what a flight school can provide — giving you all the resources you need to succeed.”

He said he does have one wish for the program’s future: an alumni group for the graduates. “I’d really enjoy that,” he said.

He relishes his new identity of being an inspiration and role model for his cadets and being able to share his love for Civil Air Patrol and the wide-open skies. However, so far his younger sister is immune to its lure. “She’s a dancer,” he said ruefully.

Senior Member Samuel Ten congratulates Cadet Capt. Luke Secrest, a recent Cadet Wings graduate, following his private pilot certificate check ride. Ten served as an instructor pilot for Secrest.

Entering a Second Generation of Cadet Flying

Now in its eighth year, Cadet Wings is a merit-based program for cadets pursuing a private pilot certificate. The program gives cadets a strong foundation over a variety of pathways rather than focusing on one specific aviation career.

Funding partners include the U.S. Air Force and the James C. Ray Foundation.

Training is completed at a local flight school or with CAP flight instructors using CAP Cessna 172 aircraft. By successfully progressing through the training and earning their PPCs, they then become role models and leaders for other cadets.

The program boasts an 89% completion rate — approximately three times the national average for flight schools. Over 29% of its graduates have earned an additional FAA rating beyond private pilot, and 56 graduates have earned their CFI ratings.

Want to See for Yourself?

Most CAP squadrons meet weekly, and visitors are welcome. The best way to understand what the organization does is to see it in person and ask questions. There is no obligation to stop by, and no experience required to start.

Learn more about how to join here.

Cadets interested in flying, and adults like Ten interested in supporting future events as pilots, ground staff, or mentors can learn more here.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with members nationwide. CAP performs emergency services and disaster relief missions, operates one of the largest cadet programs in the country, and provides aerospace education for both its members and the public.

Five lives saved across two states in less than 10 days. When a U.S. Army Black Hawk crashed in Colorado and an experimental plane vanished over West Virginia, Civil Air Patrol’s National Radar Analysis Team (NRAT) raced against the clock, pinpointing critical radar data that guided rescue teams directly to the wreckage and brought every survivor home alive.

In both responses, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) requested NRAT’s assistance in analyzing radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast (ADS-B) data to determine the crash sites’ exact locations after the Army helicopter flying out of Buckley Space Force Base on a training exercise went down in the mountains near Denver, and the hand-built aircraft was reported missing in a remote area of Jackson County, W.Va.

Using advanced tracking technologies and enhanced low-altitude coverage, the CAP radar team pinpointed the likely locations of the helicopter and the hand-built aircraft with remarkable precision — enabling first responders to rescue four soldiers aboard the downed helicopter within 45 minutes of impact and the pilot nearly 20 hours after his aircraft likely crashed.

This tracking location map provided by Civil Air Patrol’s National Radar Analysis Team led law enforcement authorities in Jackson County, West Virginia, to the wreckage of a missing experimental aircraft. They found the pilot seriously injured but alive.

The West Virginia Mission

The experimental aircraft had been reported missing at 3 a.m. Aug. 16 following a local flight from Jackson County Airport the previous day. Team CAP members Lt. Col. Mark Young and 1st Lt. Joe Ashworth started analyzing the data. The departure date and time in the alert was incorrect, so Ashworth started looking back in time. There was no ADS-B data for the aircraft so raw radar data was used.

“This was a local flight from Jackson County Airport,” said Lt. Col. John Henderson, the CAP radar team’s commander. “Joe found a suspicious track from Saturday afternoon that had no valid Mode-C, so there was no altitude data on the aircraft. But the parameters matched what we are looking for.”

The team passed a tracking location map to AFRCC, which passed it back to local law enforcement authorities who went to the area and found the wreckage. The pilot survived the crash with neck and back injuries and had to be extricated from the aircraft. He was trapped under the aircraft.

The pilot was the only person on board this experimental aircraft, believed to have crashed not long after taking off from Jackson County Airport during the afternoon of Aug. 15. The pilot survived the accident but had to be extricated from the wreckage.

This map from the CAP radar team, provided within 10 minutes of the call from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, showed the whole track of the Black Hawk and helped authorities find the downed Army helicopter in the Colorado mountains near Denver.

The Colorado Mission

The Black Hawk was easier to find, though it was not transmitting ADS-B data either. As a result, Henderson, Young, and Ashworth had to use raw radar data and their improved low-altitude tracking tools to locate the crash site. But they did so within 10 minutes of the call from AFRCC, again passing on a search area map for local law enforcement authorities to use.

The AFRCC formally recognized the CAP radar team with a “save” for its West Virginia response, acknowledging the team’s role in preserving life. Four more saves were credited to the team for its Colorado response.

This aerial photo shows the severely damaged Army helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The Black Hawk went down on the east side of Thorodin Mountain in Gilpin County, just outside of Denver, during a training exercise. All four soldiers on board.

That makes two more lifesaving missions for the CAP radar team, which can be rare in search and rescue missions involving aircraft. Of the nearly 1,100 missing aircraft missions the team has participated in since its formation in 2009, over 650 of the aircraft have been found but only 114 saved lives have been recorded.

Henderson emphasized the importance of speed in such missions: “The time from notification to rescue is what saves lives,” he said. “Our team can usually deliver actionable data within minutes.”

Learn more about the National Radar Analysis Team here.

Interested in Emergency Services?

Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, supporting search and rescue efforts nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii with assets that include the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft dedicated to emergency services but also technological assets like those provided by the National Radar Analysis Team.

The team’s 10 members have Air Force and FAA backgrounds and are equipped with accurate radar, ADS-B, uAvionix ADS-B, and real-time weather data and other analysis products. They provide their forensic services at no cost as CAP volunteers.

Click here to find out more about CAP and the emergency services its members provide or to join the team.

Check out this full story posted by Middle Tennessee University here!

Almost 60 Civil Air Patrol cadets from 31 states were selected to attend this year’s CAP National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy hosted and organized by Middle Tennessee State University’s colleges of Basic and Applied Sciences and Behavioral and Health Sciences, featuring majors ranging from aerospace to public health and mechatronics to criminal justice.

Fifty-four cadets, selected by CAP for the MTSU academy through a competitive application process, took part in classroom lectures, academic projects, hands-on learning and computer simulations during activities by the two science colleges, as well as supplemental opportunities provided by the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and the College of Education.

Civil Air Patrol cadets in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary’s National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy held July 18-25, 2026, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., use patient simulators to conduct drills in the School of Nursing in the College of Behavioral Sciences. (MTSU Photo by James Cessna)

Civil Air Patrol cadets in the National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy. tour the university’s School of Concrete and Construction Management Building. (MTSU Photo by James Cessna)

"The state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding faculty create exceptional learning experiences for the cadets,” said Missouri Wing’s Maj. Christina Ragain, director of the academy and lead for the 14 adults who guided the cadet activity. "Each year, the (James E. Walker Library) MakerSpace projects, aviation simulations, BAJA rovers, and meeting (retired) Lt. Gen. (Keith) Huber are highlights of the week.”

Going ALL In

Activities during the academy covered aerospace, agriculture, engineering technology, physics and astronomy, concrete and construction management, horse science, biology, chemistry, military science and mechatronics in Basic and Applied Sciences; fashion studies, social work, criminal justice, public health, physician assistant studies, athletics training and exercise science in Behavioral and Health Sciences.

Andrew Oppmann, MTSU’s vice president for marketing and communications and a CAP lieutenant colonel, urged cadets to take full advantage of the educational opportunities faculty crafted for the week.

“We at MTSU are honored to welcome you to our campus and congratulate you in your selection in this very selective academy,” Oppmann, a member of CAP’s Board of Governors, said during opening ceremonies.

Andrew Oppmann, at podium, Middle Tennessee State University’s vice president for marketing and communications and a Civil Air Patrol lieutenant colonel, welcomes CAP cadets attending the National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy on the MTSU campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Seated on stage, from left, are Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences; Beth Loughry, public relations specialist in Marketing and Communications; and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU. (MTSU Photo by James Cessna)

Making Mov(i)es

Cadets also learned about the recording industry in Media and Entertainment and used the television production studio shared by MTSU’s True Blue TV in the College of Education’s Center for Educational Media for video interviews. Also, Huber, the university’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, conducted a leadership seminar for the cadets.

“The MTSU faculty has carefully curated every facet of this week to ensure that cadets not only learn about engineering but also experience the full scope of opportunities MTSU has to offer,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Ava Zendejas of Washington Wing, the academy’s cadet commander.

CAP’s national commander and CEO, Maj. Gen. Regena Aye thanked MTSU for hosting the annual event, acknowledging that the university was also deployed that same week to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest aviation experience.

“Such a joy to get to speak about the great work that Middle Tennessee State University does, and our partnership with them, which is very impactful in the lives of our cadets,” Aye told Flying Magazine during an interview at the 2026 EAA AirVenture.

“We have about 60 cadets there now, learning about the aviation career field,” she added. “And when you are on a college campus, and you get to experience what college students get to see and do on a daily basis, that inspires you to see yourself in that environment.”

Civil Air Patrol, founded in 1941 just before the start of America’s involvement in World War II, has more than 70,000 volunteer members. Congress chartered the organization to support the Air Force, and it is best known for its aerial search-and-rescue missions; cadet program for youths ages 12 through 18; and commitment to aerospace education.

Civil Air Patrol cadets in the National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy construct projects in the MakerSpace in the James E. Walker Library. (MTSU Photo by James Cessna)

MTSU and CAP have been partners in aerospace education for cadets since 2014 and have hosted the academy since 2017. The two entities first partnered from 1948 to 1953, when CAP’s Middle Tennessee State College Squadron was organized by students taking flight training at the on-campus airport.

Ragain said CAP was already looking ahead to coming back to campus for next year’s academy. "We look forward to continuing to work with MTSU into the future,” she said.

Learn more about Civil Air Patrol and how you can shape not only your future, but those around you as well.

Civil Air Patrol’s Washington Wing is now in the fourth week of its response to fast-spreading wildfires in central and eastern Washington.

Starting on Aug. 4 at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft and personnel quickly arrived in the impacted areas. Since the mission began, more than 120 CAP volunteers have answered the call and responded to help conduct disaster assessments.

This photo taken by a Civil Air Patrol Washington Wing ground team shows infrastructure damage in the Kaiser Canyon area of the state.

On the Ground, and in the Air

Atmospheric conditions initially kept aircraft participation low. Ground teams, however, were able to operate with vehicle-mounted high-resolution cameras along with small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) also equipped with these specialized mobile cameras. The ground and sUAS teams have completed more than 70 sorties and collected tens of thousands of images, which have been provided to assist FEMA in evaluating the damage wrought by the fires.

Thus far, fixed wing aircraft have completed over 70 flights from 43 sorties.

Capt. Carl Wiley, the Washington Wing's director of operations, discusses a mission with part of the CALFIRE incident management team supporting the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Specialized Camera Systems in Use

This mission is one of the first uses of CAP’s newly purchased mobile camera systems. The high-resolution cameras usually are mounted on CAP’s powered aircraft.

Using these camera systems, the Washington Wing has completed most of its FEMA missions in the Kaiser Canyon area, and ground and sUAS teams were prepared to respond to other areas of the state as needed.

Throughout the mission outside influences have dictated which resources CAP put into use. Safety, visibility, flight restrictions, and accessibility issues often dictate which type of assets is placed into an area and on which day.

Col. Sid Wiggs, the Washington Wing commander, has been working at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) as a liaison officer during this response.

Wiggs also noted “the high level of professionalism and teamwork demonstrated in the SEOC.”

SUAS operators use a mobile camera to capture high-resolution images of the damage wrought by fires in Washington state.

Other CAP Members Involved Too

For over 20 days, CAP members from Washington, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada have come together to accomplish the mission. Many tasks are conducted behind the scenes in support of the overall mission, and every participant’s role contributes to the success of the disaster response.

Acting as a Total Force partner and the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, CAP helps First Air Force rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage, and provide humanitarian assistance.

The Washington Wing was legislatively integrated into the Washington Military Department earlier this year. The wing has opened its facilities at Cam Boucher in Ephrata to continue CAP’s support to the state and the federal response to fires still burning across vast areas of the state.

Serve Your Community Through CAP

Civil Air Patrol offers opportunities for people who want to support emergency response and community resilience. Its volunteers serve in a variety of ways, including disaster assessment, aviation support, communications, logistics, and emergency operations planning.

Members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, and no aviation experience is required. Those interested in community-focused service can learn more and connect with a local squadron by visiting gocivilairpatrol.com.

Through partnerships with FEMA and other agencies, CAP members continue to support disaster response efforts focused on saving lives, protecting property, and helping communities recover.

Over the past five years, Cadet Col. Catherine Eve Gardner has become one of the most recognizable and respected cadet leaders at Civil Air Patrol’s National Emergency Services Academy (NESA), held each summer at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

Her journey is a model of what dedication, professionalism, and perseverance can achieve within CAP’s cadet program and emergency services mission.

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, Civil Air Patrol’s national commander and CEO, has noticed the cadet’s development as a leader, so much so that she named her the cadet Year of Ownership champion for CAP in 2026.

Then-Cadet Lt. Col. Catherine Eve Gardner leads other CAP cadets on the Navigation Course during NESA 2025.

A Remarkable Cadet Journey

Gardner began her CAP career with the Curry Achievement in 2021, entering the program as a brand‑new cadet airman. In just a few short years, she advanced through every phase of the cadet program, ultimately earning the grade of cadet colonel, the highest rank a cadet can achieve, which occurs after a cadet earns CAP’s Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award.

This progression reflects not only academic and leadership excellence, but a deep commitment to service and personal growth. It is CAP’s highest cadet honor, achieved by less than one-half of 1% of those who have participated in the program.

Aye, a Spaatz recipient as a Kansas Wing cadet in 1992, flew to Indiana this summer to present Gardner with her Spaatz award.

This photo, taken in the pouring rain, shows Cadet Col. Catherine Eve Gardner at her Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award presentation with Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO, surrounded by Ground Search and Rescue School staff members who “played an important role in my time at NESA.”

Gardner said receiving her Spaatz award at NESA was “an incredible honor.”

“I first attended NESA as a recently joined cadet, fearful of an activity that would push me far beyond my comfort zone. I barely knew how to hold a compass,” she said. “Ultimately, that challenge is what brought me back year after year and encouraged me to pursue other National Cadet Special Activities [NCSAs].”

Learn more about the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award here.

Five Years of Impact at NESA

Gardner’s NESA career is a textbook example of steady progression, increasing responsibility, and exceptional performance:

• 2021 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue student (cadet airman) 
  Her first year at NESA, where she quickly distinguished herself through hard work and enthusiasm.

• 2022 – Advanced Ground Search and Rescue student (cadet master sergeant) 
  Returning as an advanced student, she demonstrated strong field skills and leadership potential.

• 2023 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue staff team leader, Week 1 (cadet chief master sergeant) 
  Her first year on staff, where she excelled in leading and mentoring new students.

• 2023 – Advanced Ground Search and Rescue staff, Week 2 (cadet chief master sergeant) 
  Supporting both basic and advanced courses in the same season — a rare accomplishment.

• 2024 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue staff team leader, Week 1 (cadet captain)
  A trusted and experienced staff member, she led with confidence and professionalism.

• 2024 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue assistant training officer, Week 2 (cadet captain)
  Learned the ropes of this role in preparation for being the training officer in 2025.

• 2025 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue training officer (cadet lieutenant colonel) 
  One of the most demanding cadet staff roles, responsible for training execution and student development.

• 2026 – Basic Ground Search and Rescue training officer (cadet colonel) 
  Returning for a second year as training officer, now as a cadet colonel, she brings unmatched experience and continuity to the program.

Then-Cadet Capt. Catherine Eve Gardner poses for a photo with Cadet Lt. Col. Greyston Harper, the Advanced Ground Search and Rescue School training officer, and Capt. Joshua Gauthier, the Basic Ground Search and Rescue School executive officer, during NESA 2024. Throughout her cadet career, Gardner said now-Lt. Harper has played a pivotal role as a mentor and teacher.

Learning to Lead

What makes Gardner’s story so compelling is how closely her growth mirrors the structure of NESA itself. She began as a cadet airman student, learning the basics of ground search and rescue. Year after year, she returned to give back. Her rise from student to team leader, to staff, and ultimately to training officer reflects a deep commitment to the academy and its mission.

“First and foremost, NESA has made me a better search and rescue practitioner in every role I have filled,” she said. “The skills I learned there have extended far beyond Civil Air Patrol.”

Gardner’s leadership style is consistently described as steady, mature, and mission‑focused. She sets high standards, mentors younger cadets with patience and clarity, and brings a level of professionalism that elevates the entire staff.

“Beyond the technical knowledge, NESA gave me an environment in which to develop my leadership,” she said. “I owe much of my ability to communicate clearly, manage stressful situations with poise, and my desire to serve others to the Ground Search and Rescue School.

She added, “Each year challenged me with greater responsibility and taught me that effective leadership is ultimately about serving and fighting for the people around you.”

CAP leaders outside of NESA rave about her growth and leadership ability.

Cadet Col. Catherine Eve Gardner (center) received her Spaatz award at NESA this summer. Here, she is congratulated by Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye (right), CAP’s national commander and CEO, and Maj. Elise Permann of the Ground Search and Rescue School.

Transitioning to Adult Membership

What words of encouragement did Aye and others at NESA pass on to her?

“Continue to serve,” said Gardner. “Although my cadet career is coming to an end, I have been encouraged not to let my service end.”

Gardner acknowledged the opportunities available as an adult CAP member are vast and provide countless ways to continue giving back to the organization that has given her so much.

Her career plans for the future?

“I am currently a junior chemistry major at the University of Cincinnati on a pre-medicine track,” Gardner said. “I work in the Emergency Department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and plan to pursue a medical degree after completing my undergraduate studies.”

Gardner said she has utilized skills and lessons learned at NESA in both EMT school and her work in the Emergency Department.

Within CAP, she hope to remain involved as an adult member “wherever I can be most useful, particularly by continuing to support encampments, NCSAs, and other summer activities.”

A Lasting Legacy

As she prepares to transition from cadet to senior member, Gardner leaves behind a legacy of excellence at NESA. She has trained hundreds of students, supported multiple course directors, and helped shape the culture of the Basis Ground Search and Rescue and Advanced Ground Search and Rescue programs. Her influence will continue through the cadets she has mentored and the high expectations she modeled.

For those who have worked with her, it has been a privilege to watch her grow from a brand‑new cadet airman in 2021 to a cadet colonel and two‑time Basic Ground Search and Rescue training officer. Her dedication, professionalism, and passion for service embody, as Aye, the national commander, said, “the very best of Civil Air Patrol.”

Be Like Cadet Col. Gardner

NESA is one of Civil Air Patrol's premier national summer activities providing hands-on instruction in ground search and rescue, mission aircrew operations, and incident command system management. Future cadets and adults interested in becoming part of an activity like this can learn more here.

It all starts at a squadron near you, and the best way to learn more about what the organization does is to stop by one. There is no obligation, and no experience required to start. Learn more about how to join here.

Find out more about CAP summer activities here.

This cadet is all smiles upon returning to Fort Worth Spinks Airport.

It was a fun Saturday for Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets in North Texas.

Thanks to some vigilant volunteers who handled the challenges of the day, more than 30 CAP cadets had the opportunity to do something a lot of them had been waiting a long time to do: fly for the first time.

The single-day orientation flight event at Fort Worth Spinks Airport was built as a "blitz," a concentrated effort to get as many cadets into the air as possible in a single day, with just a small fleet of CAP aircraft. Organizers made a deliberate choice to put first-time flyers at the front of the line.

The event was originally scheduled for six aircraft, but other needs cut the available fleet to just three three in the days beforehand. Rather than scale back the goal, the planning team rebuilt the entire flight schedule and prioritized cadets who had never flown a CAP orientation flight, holding remaining seats open for others as the day allowed.

By day's end, 32 cadets had flown for the first time, each earning a credited front-seat orientation flight leg, and many more cadets went up in the back seats over the course of the day. Every one of those flights came at no cost to the cadet or their family.

This “new” CAP aircrew poses for a photo on the tarmac before the cadets take their orientation flight.

Experiencing the Wonder of Flight

Cadet orientation flights are a cornerstone of CAP's cadet program, giving them the opportunity to experience the wonder of flight.

Each cadet is entitled to a series of flights in powered aircraft (as many as five front-seat and an unlimited number of back-seat flights), often with time at the controls under the supervision of a qualified orientation pilot.

Getting there took a team. CAP orientation pilots volunteered their Saturday to fly flight after flight, cycling cadets through the traffic pattern and the practice area over North Texas. Ground volunteers handled cadet check-in and the steady work of keeping the schedule moving so aircraft spent their time flying rather than waiting.

Before takeoff, a CAP pilot walks cadets around their orientation aircraft.

The Learning Does Not Stop on the Ground

An orientation flight day means a lot of cadets waiting for their turn, and the team made sure that time counted. While they waited, cadets took the opportunity to broaden their emergency services skills and their aerospace education.

Some learned how to operate emergency radio systems, getting hands-on time with the communications gear CAP relies on during real missions. Others had a look at what it takes to staff a mission base, the coordination hub that tracks aircraft, manages resources, and keeps a mission running safely from the ground.

And throughout the day, cadets had the ear of pilots and aviation professionals who were happy to answer questions, talk through what they were seeing, and share how they built careers and hobbies around flying.

For many cadets, that mix is the point. The flight is the highlight, but the hours around it are where they pick up the skills and the curiosity that keep them coming back.

Learn more about CAP’s cadet orientation program.

It Takes Volunteers, and There is Room for You

What made the day work was not one big thing. It was a roomful of volunteers who each did their part. Pilots flew, but they were only part of the event. Members on the ground ran check-in, tracked the manifest, kept cadets fed and briefed, worked the radios, and solved the small problems that popped up all day long. Not one of them started out knowing how to do any of it. They learned by showing up.

That is the part people tend to miss about Civil Air Patrol. You do not need to be a pilot, and you do not need a background in aviation or the military. CAP is looking for adults who want to mentor young people, run events like this, work communications, tell the organization's story, manage logistics, or simply lend a steady pair of hands on a Saturday. The training is provided. The mission gives it purpose.

For young people, the door is just as open. Cadets ages 12 through 18 build leadership, earn orientation flights like the ones flown at Spinks Airport at no cost to their families, and take on real responsibility long before most of their peers get the chance. For the adults who volunteer alongside them, watching a cadet grow into that responsibility is its own kind of reward.

Want to See for Yourself?

Most CAP squadrons meet weekly, and visitors are welcome. The best way to understand what the organization does is to walk into a local meeting, see it in person, and ask questions. There is no obligation to stop by, and no experience required to start.

Learn more about how to join here.

There are plans to build on the July momentum with additional orientation flight opportunities in the months ahead. Cadets interested in flying, and adults interested in supporting future events as pilots, ground staff, or mentors, can learn more here.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with members nationwide. CAP performs emergency services and disaster relief missions, operates one of the largest cadet programs in the country, and provides aerospace education for both its members and the public.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol America 250 series. We will be highlighting American hero members and their service leading up to the America 250 celebration. This is the seventh feature of that series: 1st Lt. Al Cerullo of CAP’s New York Wing. Catch up on the entire series here.

First Lt. Al Cerullo (seated in his Airbus Twin Star helicopter) ferries performers in 2015 to the Jones Beach Air Show, where he also helped man a recruiting booth for Civil Air Patrol. A legendary aviator from Long Island, he and his copter often drew a crowd as well.

Outside the bounds of New York City’s five boroughs, Civil Air Patrol 1st Lt. Al Cerullo may be the aviation legend you’ve never heard of.

But before dismissing the word legend as overworked and excessive, consider just a slice of Cerullo’s record:

A decorated helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Cerullo, now 81, flew in some of the most dangerous hot spots of the war, locales known to history like Chu Lai, Khe Sahn, Da Nang, the A Shau Valley, and Tet. He earned the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and awards for valor, while flying 1,605 air combat hours.

He was in a bunker for 30 hours at Khe Sahn in February 1968 during the siege of that Special Forces base.

“That was scarier than flying to be honest, because we could hear all these freakin’ rockets go off and all that.”

After the war, he went to work as an aerial cinematographer, filming commercials, TV shows like “The Sopranos,” rock videos with the likes of The Rolling Stones, and enough movie and TV credits to rival DeNiro, Duvall, Costner, and Cruise.

And, in 2017, he received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration in recognition for 50 years without a safety incident, the agency’s most significant honor. He is approaching 30,000 hours in the air.

That’s only part of the story.

In 2016, CAP members — from left, then-1st Lt. Mark Del Orfano, Cadet Master Sgt. Brendan Hondema, 1st Lt. Cerullo (wearing his Vietnam flight jacket), and Cadet Maj. Jared Del Orfano — take a tour of the New York Police Department Aviation Unit, which was arranged by Cerullo.

As a member of CAP’s Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Squadron on Long Island, Cerullo has mentored hundreds of cadets, primarily in aviation education. One of his former cadets, Ohio Wing historian Capt. Jared Del Orfano, tells a story justifying the legend of the plot of “355 Alpha Golf.” It happened a few years back. Using his connections, Cerullo arranged for his charges to tour the New York Police Department’s Aviation Unit. The police pilots were as wowed by meeting Cerullo as the cadets were meeting them.

Beginnings

Al Cerullo’s life reads a bit like a Hollywood script. It began in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He lost his mom when he was only 2 years old and was raised by aunts and uncles on Long Island. Like any good film, a plot twist set the course for his entire life.

His father remarried later and the family moved to Long Island. Cerullo was attending college part time when he was drafted. He started as a truck mechanic. His uncles owned two large auto repair shops in Brooklyn.

“While I was in that [truck maintenance] school, I saw guys in helicopter maintenance school, and I thought I’d try that. I got in and was a crew chief for a year. While I was doing that, I saw guys in pilot training and they needed pilots. So it’s history from there. I got in and here we are 30,000 hours later.”

As a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the late 1960s, Civil Air Patrol 1st Lt. Al Cerullo flew the large Delta model Huey to transport troops to and from the battlefields of Vietnam. He was a member of the 176th Assault Helicopter Company.

Vietnam and Blood on His Feet

One quality rings through Al Cerullo’s life, especially when reflecting on his wartime service:

Humility.

“He is such a humble guy,” Del Orfano said.

“We knew he’d been through some [stuff],” Del Orfano said, but his cadets really had no idea.

In Vietnam, Cerullo served in combat for 13 months, transporting fresh troops to the battlefield and the dead and wounded off the field, resupply, and other duties piloting the large Delta model Huey. He often flew in complete darkness, a natural camouflage from anti-aircraft fire.

“He told us the story where he was doing medevac flights and they would push the nose forward and blood would run up to their feet and pool in the front of the chopper,” Del Orfano said.

Cerullo said, “I picked up guys with their arms blown off, their legs blown off.”

He was shot once. In fact, his sidearm and holster bear scars from the round.

“I was shot when we were landing on a hilltop to drop some troops off. When we got three to eight feet away and we were ready to drop the troops off, all of a sudden, you see these rifles coming out of the holes.”

His chopper took 32 hits, including his wound. But the chopper still flew.

Cerullo’s combat service in the 176th Assault Helicopter Company ended on Nov. 9, 1968.

“My commander called me in after I went over 1,600 [hours],” Cerullo recalled. “He said, ‘You know what? Everyone else has 1,100 hours. You’ve got 1,605. I don’t know how that happened. Give me your helmet. I’ll give it back to you when you leave.”

In addition to his civilian career as a renowned aerial film pilot, 1st Lt. Al Cerullo has also been involved in military-related aerial work, as seen here assisting the U.S. Air Force A-10 Demonstration Team during an air show at Jones Beach. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter (RELEASED)

After the War, A New Career

Cerullo originally planned to fly helicopters in the petroleum industry. But when he returned home to Long Island, he earned his flight instructor rating and met a Californian, John Carroll, the owner of Continental Camera. That began his film cinematography career.

His hangar is filled with movie and television memorabilia. One of his favorites was “Sweet Liberty,” written, directed, and starring Alan Alda, who Cerullo described as “a sweetheart.” He also was a double for Alda and co-star Lois Chiles in the 1986 film that also included Michael Caine and Michelle Pfeiffer.

His first film was 1971’s “Klute,” starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland.

His aerial photography for films includes major blockbusters in the Marvel universe, “Home Alone II: Lost in New York,” “Goodfellas,” “The Other Guys” with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and many, many more movies, TV shows, music videos, commercials, and even print ads.

Cerullo also did film work for the U.S. Air Force, flying the A-10 Demonstration Team back and forth to air shows.

His credits as an extra includes shows like “Law and Order.” He is a founding member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association. In 2009, he received the Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Award.

He still does groundwork for the film industry as an aerial coordinator.

Learn more about his career in this news video, “Al Curello — Long Island’s Pilot to Hollywood.”

A Mentor and Legend

As a member of Civil Air Patrol, Cerullo oversaw growth of the Roosevelt squadron’s cadet program. Membership grew to some 60 members. He served as deputy commander and commander for a time.

“He demonstrated what it means to be a compassionate leader,” Del Orfano said. "He showed how to care for your teammates, regardless of their rank or experience in CAP. He would always give every single person the same time of day, always willing to talk to them about aviation and the military … and their career goals. He cared about every single person.”

Cerullo’s counsel to cadets: “Follow your dreams.”

First Lt. Al Cerullo still flies his twin-engine Airbus Twin Star helicopter, seen here in his hangar on Long Island.

Is Al Cerullo truly a legend?

“Yes, absolutely,” Del Orfano said. “We volunteered at the Jones Beach Air Show, and he would ferry the performers from the  airport to the beach where the show center was. He would be out there with our recruiting tent. And there was this kid out there taking pictures of Al’s helicopter.

“’I know this helicopter,’” the kid said. “’355 Alpha Golf. This is the one in all the movies and stuff.’ This random guy knew who Al was. So, yes, I would say he is a legend. He has been around for a long time and has done so many things. This guy has been everywhere and done everything. This guy probably downplayed all his achievements. But as a pilot and as a person, he is a legend, 100 percent.”

Cerullo still flies his twin-engine Airbus Twin Star helicopter — his kids won’t let him fly a single-engine aircraft — and he also owns a Cessna 421. He hits the car show circuit as well with either his 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with a seven-speed manual transmission or his 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

“When I go to car shows with [the Cadillac], they keep giving me trophies.”

And in another twist, he made a confession. While he obviously doesn’t have a fear of flying, he has one phobia.

“I’m not afraid of falling out of a helicopter. But I’m afraid of falling off a roof.”

Asked if he considers himself a legend, Cerullo answers with characteristic humility.

“No,” he said. “I’m just a normal person.”

Use Your Skills in CAP

Civil Air Patrol’s adult ranks consist of volunteers from all backgrounds, including service in the military like Lt. Cerullo.

He uses his flying and mentoring skills to teach cadets in CAP, the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. In its role as the Air Force auxiliary, CAP offers hands-on training, mentorship, and service opportunities in support of emergency services and disaster relief nationwide.

To learn more about membership and find your local unit, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Col. Joe R. Smith holds up his Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award as his wife, Col. Harriet Smith, looks on. The Federal Aviation Administration award recognizes his 50 years of safe flying in the U.S. Air Force and in Civil Air Patrol.

Col. Joe R. Smith of Wichita Falls, Texas, is the latest Civil Air Patrol member to receive the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

The Federal Aviation Administration bestows the honor — named for the fathers of motor-powered flight — to individuals “who have exhibited exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism, and steadfast commitment for at least 50 years of piloting experience in both piloting and supporting aviation operations.”

The Wright Brothers award is the agency’s highest honor, awarded to only 1% of the licensed pilots in the U.S. At its heart, the distinction honors safety and is given to pilots with a half-century without an FAA documented mishap. Smith, a former commander of CAP’s Southwest Region, the Texas Wing and the Oklahoma Wing, has been a pilot for nearly 51 years.

“I’m a little surprised, because I don’t feel like I’m that old,” Smith said with a laugh.

Learn more about the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

Past Recipients in the FAA’s Hall of Honor.

Early Connections to CAP

Smith, a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, was bitten by the aviation bug as a youngster growing up in rural central Florida and watching the classic television show “12 O’clock High.” Little did he know at the time, but flying was in his family tree.

“Not until I started the application process [to the academy] did I find out that my dad was in the Army Air Corps during World War II,” Smith said. “He didn’t discuss that. So there was this little bit of a legacy there if you will. He was a gunner in bombers but did not go overseas. He was still in training when the war ended.”

Smith recalled a story his father related, about seeing burning ships that had been torpedoed by German U-boats off the Gulf Coast, a link to early CAP history.

These photos show the Smiths during their earliest days of flight – Joe (above) at Craig Air Force Base during Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training in 1977 and Harriet (below) in 1979 in the mountains of California, where a helmet was also a requirement for safe Civil Air Patrol flying.

A 20-Year Career in the Air Force

Smith’s first flight was to Colorado Springs to enter the Air Force Academy as part of its last all-male class to graduate before the first women arrived in the Class of 1980. He was also part of the Air Force’s last Undergraduate Pilot Training Class at Craig Air Force Base in Selma, Alabama, before the installation closed. A sister UPT class 77-08 at Williams AFB, decommissioned in 1993, was the first to admit female pilots.

“I consider those important milestones for the Air Force,” he said.

Smith has more than 4,400 hours of flight time to his credit, most of it in the Air Force in part flying KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, specifically supporting the SR-71 reconnaissance planes. His first stop was at Beale AFB, California.

‘A Great Partnership’

The California stop was the best of his deployments. That’s where he met his future wife, CAP Col. Harriet Smith, at the time a CAP squadron commander. She followed him to Columbus AFB, Mississippi, where he served as an instructor pilot and the couple married. It was the beginning of “a great partnership.”

Col. Harriet Smith currently serves as the Southwest Region deputy commander.

“That was the best part of my assignments,” he said.

Both Smiths received a pin for the honor, along with Joe Smith’s plaque. Family plays a role in the award.

“I had tears in my eyes when I pinned it on him,” she said.

Then-Air Force Capt. Joe R. Smith and wife Harriet, pictured during his service as an Air Force instructor pilot at Columbus AFB in 1984.

A Shared Love of Aviation

The couple’s shared love of aviation has strengthened their almost 44-year marriage.

“He’s more than just my wing man; he’s my husband,” she said. “We trust each other with our lives, physically and emotionally. Flying is physical, emotional and mental, both on the ground and in the air.”

Along with stateside duty, Smith served 18 30-day deployments to Okinawa and 12 30-day deployments to RAF Mildenhall, England.

His work as an instructor would define his CAP and civilian service. As one of his many CAP roles, he has been an instructor to cadets and adult future pilots. The couple is active in the Rio del Fiero Composite Squadron.

Harriet Smith has had a distinguished CAP career since joining as a cadet in the 1970s.

Col. Joe R. Smith is a Civil Air Patrol mission pilot, but he says his favorite role is as an instructor pilot. Here he prepares to take CAP cadets on an orientation flight.

‘The Light Bulb Comes On’

Col. Joe Smith was surprised at the joy he found as an instructor. He described that special moment that every instructor — and seemingly every pilot — loves. It ranges from orientation rides to check rides.

“The light bulb comes on,” he said. “[The instructor] is not totally responsible for that. The student is so much in charge of how quickly they learn and how well they learn. We’re mentors and guides more than instructors, sometimes.”

For Col. Joe Smith, there is a cardinal lesson for new pilots: professionalism.

Joe Smith serves as CAP’s Southwest Region assistant director of safety and its standardization and evaluation officer.

For Civil Air Patrol Cols. Joe R. and Harriet Smith, flying has been a life-long endeavor. Here, as they often do, the couple shares the front seat of a CAP aircraft.

A Rewarding Journey of Flight

He reflected on the FAA award.

He added, “It’s been a wonderful journey. But that wonderful journey is because I got to experience it with professionals in the USAF and professionals in CAP that has made that a rewarding journey.”

Use Your Skills in Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol’s adult ranks consist of volunteers from all backgrounds, like Cols. Joe R. and Harriet Smith.

Their flying and mentoring skills in CAP — the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force — provides senior members and cadets in Texas and the Southwest Region with hands-on training, mentorship, and service opportunities in support of emergency services and disaster relief nationwide.

To learn more about membership and to find your local unit, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Capt. Sebastian Vargas became the 200th Cadet Wings pilot to benefit from a James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship June 24, when he successfully completed his FAA check ride from McCreery Aviation at McAllen Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas, and received his private pilot certificate.

“Being the 200th Ray scholarship cadet to earn my private pilot certificate feels amazing,” said Vargas, a member of the Texas Wing’s Wild Horse Desert Composite Squadron based in Edinburg. “Not only was the experience and the training amazing, but also the fact that I did it with the help of the Ray Foundation. That feels really good.”

Cadet Capt. Sebastian Vargas checks off the latest achievement in his journey of flight — his private pilot certificate — following an FAA check ride from McCreery Aviation at McAllen Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas,

Ray Scholarships Make a Difference

Chuck Ahearn, the Ray Foundation’s president, was elated to hear the news. “That’s terrific,” he said. “We’re so proud of what Civil Air Patrol is doing.”

The Cadet Wings Program was created in 2019 through funding from the U.S. Air Force with a long-term goal of training new pilots to help replenish America’s aging flying corps. Over the past four years, the Naples, Florida-based Ray Foundation has extended the reach of the program, giving $3.26 million to provide CAP cadets with James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarships.

The scholarships are named for the foundation’s co-founder, a distinguished World War II flier who believed American youth could benefit from the lessons learned in aviation — developing life skills such as self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-reliance.

Learn more about James C. Ray here.

A ‘Joint Venture’ with the Air Force

Ahearn called the foundation funding “an interesting partnership we have with the Air Force” — a “joint venture” that has helped account for more than 500 newly minted CAP pilots in the past seven years.

He added, “I believe the completion rate [for Cadet Wings student pilots] is nine out of 10, which is astonishing.”

Kathrine Schmidt, CAP’s senior program manager for cadet aviation, said the scholarships have made a difference.

She added, “The Ray Foundation has been fully invested in CAP’s youth aviation initiatives since 2022 and we are grateful. Without the James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarships, Cadet Wings would not be where we are today.”

Vargas is the second Cadet Wings pilot to reach milestone status within the CAP aviation program in the past month. Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis of the Idaho Wing’s Teton Valley Composite Squadron became the 500th CAP student pilot overall to graduate from the program. Otis, who just turned 17, earned her wings June 11.

“It took a load off of me and my family and enabled me to get the best training and instruction without the headache of having to handle all the logistics,” said Vargas, who has been in CAP since 2021.

As a result, he was able to focus on flying. “This made me a better and safer pilot and enabled me to greatly enjoy the experience,” he said.

Members of Cadet Capt. Sebastian Vargas’ family — from left, his mom, 2nd Lt. Leah M. Vargas, brother Cadet Senior Airman Gabriel Vargas, sister Aurora Vargas, and dad 2nd Lt. Melvin Vargas — were on hand to congratulate him.

CAP Expands His Flight Opportunities

Being one of CAP’s newest pilot is “an awesome feeling,” Vargas said. “I remember going on my first orientation flight in 2022 and now, realizing that I can solo and fly those planes by myself now. It's an amazing thing to look back at.”

His Cadet Wings experience started through the application process after he attended a powered flight academy in Wisconsin in June 2025. “After that I knew what I wanted to pursue, and I found that Cadet Wings would help me,” he said. “I finished the written test portion prior to attending the powered flight academy.

Vargas added, “It has taken almost six months in Cadet Wings but a total of 16 months of actual training and studying for the written test and making sure I was an ideal candidate during the application process. The hardest part of the whole journey was just the constant dedication to studying and the program. The easiest part was the actual flight time, but that is probably because that’s the part I love most.”

Find out more about the Cadet Wings Program here.

All Cadet Wings graduates are listed here.

His squadron commander and Ray Navigator, 1st Lt. Eric Madore, pins on Cadet Capt. Sebastian Vargas’ CAP wings, recognizing his achievement.

His Ray Navigator Played a Role Too

Schmidt says the scholarships provided by the Ray Foundation not only give CAP cadets access to flight training, but its recipients are also encouraged to connect with local Ray Navigators, who help them find success.

Vargas’ Navigator and mentor for Cadet Wings was his squadron commander, 1st Lt. Eric Madore, who watched him complete training milestones like solo, cross-country solo, and check ride.

“It was amazing to be able to see his confidence increase and celebrate those milestones with him,” he said, praising the young student pilot as “thorough” and “methodical.”

Madore, a CAP mission pilot and advanced ground instructor, said, “He is a highly motivated cadet and stuck with his training, never letting up and slowing down. When weather was bad, he would attend ground school with me or his instructor. He kept his objective in sight and stayed on his target.”

‘No Limit to What I Can Achieve Now’

“I still haven’t really realized that my mission was accomplished, as this is just a small part in a bigger plan,” Vargas said, “but it does feel amazing to have completed this major part of it and know that there is no limit to what I can achieve now.”

His current plans are to keep flying in CAP. “I'd like to build my hours while applying for the U.S. Air Force Academy, and then eventually fly C-17s in the Air Force,” he said.

After retiring, Vargas would like to fly for one of the airlines and eventually own a couple Cessna 182s and a Cessna Grand Caravan for “hunting, fishing, and emergency flights in Alaska or another place.”

Take Flight with Civil Air Patrol

You too can be like Cadet Capt. Vargas.

Civil Air Patrol's cadet program offers a variety of youth aviation initiatives, including orientation flights for young cadets, flight academies, and the highly competitive Cadet Wings Program for older cadets. Adult members with flight and instructor pilot experience, like 1st Lt. Madore, are also welcome.

Join CAP today and learn more about these flight opportunities, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Susanna Marking, in her role as deputy director for interagency communications for the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, enjoys the view at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, during a recent World Cup soccer match.

Little did Susanna Marking know when she joined Civil Air Patrol in 2000 that (almost) EVERYTHING she needed for her future life was right there for the learning. Emergency management training? Check. Public affairs experience? Check. Soccer? Eh … not so much. But the quest for public service in a mission-focused environment, discoveries about life and herself began in CAP’s South Dakota Wing.

Marking said joining CAP was preordained. Her father, mother, sister, grandmother, and grandfather (a pilot with the Air National Guard) were all in Civil Air Patrol. As a 5-year-old, her father brought her along to his squadron’s weekly meetings.

“I tried to keep up and march with the cadets, pretending to be one,” she said, unaware that one day she’d walk among them. “I owe a lot to my dad for getting me involved. That one decision ended up charting my entire future,” she said.

Susanna Marking supports Task Force leadership during media interviews at the White House press area nicknamed "Pebble Beach.”

A Year in the Making

A year ago, Marking was asked to join the White House Task Force on FIFA World Cup 2026, created by a presidential executive order to lead the federal government’s efforts to keep the largest sporting event in world history safe, secure, and memorable for the teams and the fans.

She explained this year’s World Cup is unique, as it is the first to be hosted across three nations (the United States, Canada, and Mexico), play a record-breaking 104 matches — with the majority being hosted across 11 U.S. cities — and feature 48 teams from around the world.

“For context, it’s like hosting multiple NFL Super Bowls in 39 days, making for an unprecedented level of federal coordination and security,” she said.

As the deputy director for interagency communications, Marking serves as the central coordination node for the U.S. government’s public affairs community on branding and messaging related to the World Cup.

She also plays a key role in preparing her leadership for media interviews on a national and international scale.

“Serving on this Task Force leveraged a foundation I had built through years of service in emergency management, homeland security, and public affairs — and it all began with experiences from my CAP days. I firmly believe all those roads led me to this specific role for the FIFA World Cup.”

Her Introduction to Public Affairs

Marking credits CAP for introducing her to the world of public affairs since one of her roles she held in the South Dakota Wing was the public affairs officer.

As a cadet, she gravitated toward the emergency services elements, conducting ground search and rescue operations, learning about the incident command system, looking for missing aircraft and helping with disaster relief efforts. She also loved the military environment, enjoying the challenge of completing obstacle courses with her teammates.

“I loved the discipline and having a lot of leadership responsibility at a young age, [learning to] trust my fellow cadets, my abilities, my instincts, being exposed to the concept of teamwork.”

Then-Cadet Col. Susanna Marking of the South Dakota Wing’s Crazy Horse Composite Squadron poses for a group photo after receiving her Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award in 2006. From left (behind her) are mother Victoria, father B.T., sister Libby) and grandmother Shirley — all of whom were CAP members. Standing to the right of Marking is Brig, Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Engelman of the North Dakota Air National Guard, and his wife Linda, who presented Marking with her Spaatz award.

Marking earned CAP’s highest cadet achievement, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award (number 1614), in 2006. She also led the Joint Dakota Cadet Leadership Engagement as cadet commander, attended Cadet Officer School, led a drill team to the National Cadet Competition, participated in the International Air Cadet Exchange Program, and received a National Commander’s Commendation for her work on the National Cadet Advisory Council.

She learned an important tenet from an earlier job: “You can’t tell someone’s story unless you are in the field and see what they are doing every day. That advice stuck — and I’ve kept that with me through every role since.”

Heeding the Call of Public Service

Although she loved South Dakota and CAP, the lure of becoming a public servant in Washington, D.C., was too great.

“I always knew I wanted to work for the federal government,” she said, and after graduating with degrees in communications and sociology from South Dakota State University, she moved to D.C.

She earned her master’s in public administration from George Mason University and was selected to become a Presidential Management Fellow.

Marking continued career growth, holding public affairs leadership roles for two high-profile federal law enforcement agencies. Expanding beyond traditional public affairs and into marketing, she eventually led the nationwide “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign, where she developed partnerships with several sports stadiums.

Susanna Marking, then-the South Dakota Wing drill team commander, leads her team at the National Cadet Competition in Washington, D.C. She’s the one up front during this uniform inspection, with her younger sister, Libby, pictured behind her on the far left. 

‘Forever Bonded’ Through CAP

Her message to Civil Air Patrol cadets?

She also stressed the importance of camaraderie.

“Hold onto those CAP friendships, because those shared experiences at encampments or in the iconic CAP white vans make memories that last a lifetime. I still keep in touch with my cadet friends … we’re forever bonded.

Marking lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband (a C-17 pilot and former CAP cadet she met at Cadet Officer School) and their two children. Next on her life’s journey? A Bernese Mountain Dog — “when the kids get a little older" — she said with a smile.

Then-Cadet Susanna Marking of the Crazy Horse Composite Squadron, seen rappelling during obstacle course day at the Joint Dakota Cadet Leadership Engagement — her favorite activity every year.

You Can Be Like Susanna

Civil Air Patrol offers youth from ages 12-20 the opportunity to learn more about aviation, cyber, STEM, and military careers while enhancing their leadership skills.

Susanna Marking got her start that way, attending CAP activities as a cadet, learning to lead, and finding her purpose — public service. You can too. With more than 1,400 squadrons nationwide and a cadet corps of about 34,000, there’s an opportunity near you.

Join CAP today.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol America 250 series. We will be highlighting American hero members and their service leading up to the America 250 celebration. This is the sixth feature of that series: Lt. Col. Phil Kost of CAP’s Texas Wing. Catch up on the entire series here.

It was 2012 and coalition forces spearheaded by the United States, were transferring Camp Alamo to Afghan troops.

The departing Americans had refurbished the former Soviet base — abandoned after the failed Communist invasion of that country — as part of the war on terror. On one courtyard wall, a large mural of The Alamo grabbed Afghan attention.

Unlike the Soviets, Americans would leave the base better than they found it.

“We asked if they wanted us to paint it over,” said Lt. Col. Phil Kost, who received a Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals, and two Army Commendation Medals and other awards for his service. “They asked the importance of the mural.”

Kost, a Texan to his bones and others from the Lone Star State, soon regaled their Afghan allies with stories of the 1836 stand and its heroes — Jim Bowie, William Travis, Davy Crockett, and others lesser known — who with their courage would transform the future of the North American continent.

The Afghan response spoke volumes about the reach and resonance of 250 years of American history.

“Don’t touch it. Leave it there,” the Afghans said.

The story of Camp Alamo is just one from Kost’s nearly 30 years of active-duty military service. Those years took him to Bosnia, the Sinai Peninsula, Afghanistan. the Czech Republic, and Japan, along with a number of stateside assignments.

“I’ve always wrapped my arms around a nomadic existence,” he said.

But regardless of the assignment, his heart of service — the same heart beating in the defenders of the Alamo — is unchanged.

As a 17-year-old still in high school, Phil Kost enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and attended basic training (pictured) the summer before his senior year. He was commissioned as an ROTC student at the University of Texas-Pan American, what’s now the University of Texas-Rio Grand Valley, in 1998. Soon after, his unit was deployed to Bosnia.

‘A Helluva Career’

Kost grew up on the Texas coast and lived in the same house for the first 20 years of his life, first attending Del Mar College, what’s now the University of Texas-Rio Grand Valley.

A ROTC student, Kost received his commission in 1998.

“I enlisted when I was 17 in the U.S. Army Reserves and did my basic training between my junior and senior year of high school,” he said.

After basic, his perspective changed.

In the reserves, he made maps.

‘I always joke with people that my original military occupation specialty was replaced with satellites and plotters. When I was in, it was surveyors and draftsmen,” he said. “We were the printing press.”

The First Deployment, 9/11 and a Changed World

In college, he won a two-year scholarship from the Texas Army National Guard. Upon graduation and commissioning, he would serve as a lieutenant with the same unit he served with as a cadet. By April 2000, he learned that his guard unit would be deployed to Bosnia.

As a first lieutenant, he and his unit touched down in the Balkans.

The date? Sept. 11, 2001.

He returned home in 2002.

“The world had changed,” he said.

With the help of a translator, then-Maj. Phil Kost participates in mission planning with his Japanese Defense Forces counterparts during Orient Shield.

He helped process units from Camp Mabry in Austin to go overseas. He would later supervise the training on new equipment. Later, he was sent to the Sinai, then home for several years before being sent overseas again to Japan as part of Operation Orient Shield, as part of the Third Battalion, 141st Infantry as operations officer.

At the end of 2012, he was sent to Afghanistan, where he served as deputy director of public works for the Kabul Base Cluster. Hopping from base to base, Kost was part of the base transition team, as the U.S. began to reduce its footprint in country.

For the last six years of duty, he served as base operations supervisor at Camp Swift in Bastrop, Texas, stateside. He would retire in 2021 as a lieutenant colonel after 29 years and six months of service.

“I always said I’d stick around ‘til the Army said I gotta go. The Army said I had to go, so I went. It was a helluva career.”

And it was not one he thought he’d have.

“When I was that 17-year-old kid raising my right hand, I tell people, I’m just a kid from Corpus trying to make the world a better place.”

Then-Maj. Phil Kost conducts operations in Afghanistan in 2013 from the pack of an MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle).

Rockets and Mortar Fire

As part of the base transition teams, Kost’s convoys were considered “soft targets,” vulnerable to Taliban attack as they traveled across Kabul. He also worked with more than a dozen international partners in the transitions.

“There are probably some countries where I wouldn’t be welcome because I couldn’t get them all they wanted,” Kost said laughing.

At Camp Phoenix near Kabul, as a staff meeting was about to begin, “the whole earth shook,” Kost said. “To the point that the light fixture above me was dangling. We discovered that a 500-lb. vehicle-borne improvised device had gone off. Luckily, there were no coalition casualties.”

Later, at Bagram Airfield, some 37 miles south of Kabul, a tent where Kost and other soldiers were in twilight between sleeping and waking.

Unfortunately, at every base he went to in Afghanistan, he heard, “the big voice” warning of incoming fire.

But he survived each incident unhurt.

A Place in American History

From Bosnia on 9/11 to his involvement in the transition in Afghanistan in 2012, Kost, eventual historian for the Texas Wing of CAP and the Southwest Region deputy chief of staff – cadet programs, had a unique perspective.

“We were part of that,” he said.

How will history view America’s involvement in Afghanistan? For Kost, time will tell.

Then-Maj. Philip A. Kost, left, of Joint Force Headquarters, Texas Army National Guard, and Richard B. Winders, Ph.D., curator and historian of the Alamo, ring a bell in a small room of the Alamo in San Antonio, Nov. 8, 2013. After Camp Alamo was transferred to the Afghan National Army, Kost brought the bell to Texas and offered it as a gift to the Alamo, on behalf of the Texas Army National Guard soldiers who served at Camp Alamo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Martha C. Nigrelle/ Released)

Camp Alamo’s Bell

Before Kost began his work at Camp Alamo, a previous unit placed a large silver bell on the base, in honor of the police and firefighters lost on 9/11. On each sad anniversary of the attack, a service would be held and the bell rung.

But as the camp was turned over to the Afghans, the question came, what to do with the bell.

Kost reached out to the Alamo. There, the bell permanently resides, along with a dark blue tablecloth bearing the silhouette of the storied Texas post and the words, “Camp Alamo.’

From the Alamo to Afghanistan, it seems, the thread of history continues.

Learn more about the Camp Alamo Bell here.

Lt. Col. Phil Kost conducts range surveys during his Texas Army National Guard tenure at Camp Swift Training Center. He retired in 2021 after nearly 30 years of active-duty military service that included a series of overseas deployments, including his stint at Camp Alamo in Afghanistan.

Service and CAP

Kost, a seminary graduate and former youth pastor, joined CAP in 2011. Ironically, a corps of cadets at a Winter Encampment drew him to the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary. As he likes to say, “Everything happens for a reason.”

Kost was working at Camp Mabry on a weekend. He began to hear cadence.

“I look out my office window, and I see this group of [Civil Air Patrol] cadets marching down the avenue with a guidon.”

Kost, who was about to take over at nearby Camp Swift, walked down to a CAP meeting, and offered to help. The next day, he received an email from the Texas director of Cadet Programs who asked about Camp Swift.

The following December at encampment, after watching cadets and senior members interact, Kost was hooked.

“This is an organization I could support,” he thought. He quickly recalled the mentors who had shaped him.

“Any organization that can help guide and mentor the next generation and help them not make the same mistakes we made, I’m all on board.”

The rest, like the Alamo, is history. Kost worked with CAP’s national historian emeritus, Col. Frank Blazich, to help ensure a standard of uniformity and decorum in CAP heraldry, the insignias that are a squadron and wing’s symbolic identity.

“Phil was the grandaddy of all that,” Blazich said. “Without him, I don’t think we’d be in the position we are now. It’s something we never had before. But since then, we have an appearance that aligns more closely … with the Air Force. Now we can do that with our insignia.

Now Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Phil Kost, he serves as historian for the Texas Wing and as the Southwest Region deputy chief of staff – cadet programs.

He takes joy in his CAP service. He’s now working in emergency services, and with small unmanned aircraft systems (drones), near his home in Waxahachie.

“While I’m not wearing the Army uniform, I can still put on [my CAP uniform] and still serve. It’s another way to give back. At the end of the day, it’s about service.”

Opportunities Abound in CAP

As America celebrates its 250th birthday today, Lt. Col. Kost’s story serves as a reminder that leadership is measured not only by accomplishments, but by the commitment to touch the lives of others.

Civil Air Patrol offers the opportunity to lead others, as he has as a wing historian and as an emergency services officer. CAP’s adult members consist of volunteers from all backgrounds, including the military.

To learn more about CAP membership and find a local unit, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

With its new organizational membership with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), Civil Air Patrol is strengthening its growing role within the national geospatial information, intelligence, remote sensing, and GIS community.

Aye added, “This partnership expands educational opportunities, strengthens our relevance within the geospatial community, and highlights CAP’s growing capabilities in supporting the nation through geospatially informed operations. It also reinforces our commitment to developing the next generation of aerospace leaders.”

Christine Devine, director of education and professional development with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation in Washington, D.C., talks to the 21 cadets attending CAP’s first-ever National Geospatial Academy. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)

What is USGIF?

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to advancing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) through collaboration between government, industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and professionals across the geospatial enterprise.

More than 300 corporate, federal, and academic entities — and now CAP — are organizational members of USGIF, where they gain insights from the nation’s brightest minds in the field and contribute to shaping the future of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT).

The foundation supports education, workforce development, professional networking, scholarships, conferences, working groups, and innovation focused on imagery analysis, mapping, GIS, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and spatial analytics.

Learn more about the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation here.

National Geospatial Academy cadets and cadre visit the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., June 26. (DoW photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Madelyn Keech and Tech. Sgt. Milton Hamilton)

Rapid Growth for CAP’s Geospatial Program

The CAP Geospatial Program has been in continuous development since the fall of 2018. Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, then-CAP’s national commander and CEO, officially approved it to become one of the organization’s national programs on July 31, 2019.

Led by the program's founder and volunteer manager, Maj. Scott Kaplan, and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, the program has made significant strides in advancing CAP's geospatial capabilities.

Over the past several years, CAP has expanded its use of geospatial technologies to support disaster response, emergency services, aerospace education, and STEM initiatives.

Today, more than 2,600 volunteers contribute to the program, supporting federal and emergency management partners through geospatial damage assessments and the analysis of aerial imagery, satellite imagery, and GIS data to provide decision-makers with critical situational awareness.

More recently, the program has expanded its focus to geospatial education and spatial learning, introducing cadets to GIS, remote sensing, and other geospatial technologies as part of CAP's Aerospace Education mission.

National Geospatial Academy cadets tour the FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)

More Than a Membership for CAP

For Civil Air Patrol, the partnership with USGIF represents more than a membership, it creates a bridge between CAP’s operational missions and the broader geospatial community to affect the future of GEOINT. The foundation serves as an organizational connector for the nation’s geospatial community, and CAP is very much a part of that community.

Check out the CAP Geospatial STEM Hub here for connections for each mission and component.

By joining USGIF, CAP gains additional opportunities to collaborate with leading geospatial organizations, technology companies, educational institutions, and government partners. And that excites Kaplan, who says the membership in turn will increase visibility of CAP’s missions and volunteer capabilities within the larger geospatial enterprise.

The benefits extend beyond CAP itself.

USGIF’s mission centers on “Building the Community, Advancing the Tradecraft, and Accelerating Innovation,” bringing together professionals and organizations from across the geospatial ecosystem. Through CAP’s membership, the broader USGIF community gains access to an organization that combines aviation, emergency services, STEM education, youth development, and operational geospatial capabilities in ways few organizations can.

In addition, the partnership creates opportunities for increased collaboration between CAP members and USGIF programs, including educational resources, scholarships, networking events, working groups, and conferences such as the GEOINT Symposium. These connections help expose CAP members to real-world applications of geospatial intelligence across disaster response, aviation, environmental monitoring, infrastructure, defense, public safety, and national security.

Cadets learn about geospatial tools at the National Geospatial Academy, held June 21-28 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)

Introducing America’s Youth to GEOINT

CAP’s cadet programs and Geospatial STEM initiatives also introduce younger generations to geospatial technologies and careers, helping develop future talent pipelines for the GEOINT workforce.

For instance, a CAP Geospatial Program goal was reached in June when CAP hosted its first-ever National Geospatial Academy, one of the organization’s 40 National Cadet Special Activities offered each summer.

Bringing 21 cadets from across the nation to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, the team introduced cadets to the entire geospatial community. It included discussion with some of the most senior leaders and connectors in the geospatial industry, and visits with agencies, industry, and academia involved in the geospatial ecosystem, including the USGIF.

Future Collaborations in the Works

CAP's partnership with USGIF will provide extraordinary opportunities for cadets. In 2027, a select group of CAP cadets will attend the GEOINT Symposium in Orlando, Florida, where they will engage with leaders from government, industry, and academia while exploring the cutting-edge technologies, innovations, and career paths shaping the future of geospatial intelligence.

As CAP continues to modernize and expand its geospatial capabilities, membership in USGIF reinforces a shared commitment to education, innovation, collaboration, and service.

Together, CAP and USGIF are helping strengthen connections between technology, geospatial intelligence, emergency response, and the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of the geospatial profession.

Join CAP’s Geospatial Volunteers

The CAP Geospatial Program and its damage assessment teams are open to any CAP member regardless of age or other diversity measure. Everyone is welcome.

Learn more about the program and how to get involved here.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol America 250 series. We will be highlighting American hero members and their service leading up to the America 250 celebration. This is the fifth feature of that series: Maj. Gary Lewis of CAP’s Missouri Wing. Catch up on the entire series here.

Then-U.S. Marine Sgt. Gary Lewis prepares for a sortie on a CH-46D (Sea Knight) military transport helicopter flying from Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam in the spring of 1969.

June 10,1969.

For Civil Air Patrol Major Gary Lewis, the date is burned in memory, searing like the shrapnel wounds he suffered during a fierce North Vietnamese rocket attack on his U.S. Marine Corps unit in Quang Tri province, near the DMZ.

“That day changed my life,” the Purple Heart recipient said.

That day, like his life, is a story of dedicated service and Divine Providence that began well before — and continued long after — that hellish night in Quang Tri.

Beginnings

In 1962, 16-year-old Gary Lewis couldn’t leave St. Louis fast enough.

“I was trying to get away from home desperately because I had a bad situation going on there,” he said. “The Cuban missile crisis was going on in October, and I got supercharged to get away by joining the military, but I was too young.

A year later, he enlisted in the Marines.

He wasn’t sure what his job would be in the corps, but at 13, he became a licensed ham radio operator.

In the days before cell phones and the internet, ham radios offered an
“invigorating” window on the world.

“Back then, it was exciting just to get out of your own neighborhood,” he said. The ham experience offered a vision for his military future.

“I thought I was going to get a job as a radio operator on a transport aircraft. That was really what I wanted to do.”

At Millington Naval Air Station in Tennessee, he scored highly on mechanics and electronics aptitude tests. The officer handed him a sheet of paper and asked him to read.

“Your diction is good,” the officer told him afterward. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to make you an air traffic controller.”

“I had no idea what that was,” Lewis said. Little did he know that moment would define his professional life for more than three decades.

But first, as for many of his generation, Vietnam intervened.

Then-U.S. Marine Sgt. Gary Lewis sits in his port gun position n a CH-46D (Sea Knight) military transport helicopter, prepared for combat in south Vietnam.

Vietnam

When he first arrived in country, Lewis served in a Marine Air Traffic Control Unit, providing air traffic services for Quang Tri and its cities, Dong Ha to the north and Khe Sahn to the west.

The siege, one of the most heroic actions in American military history was different, he said, from the siege at Dien Bin Phu in 1954, which led to the withdrawal of defeated French forces from the country.

“The reason [the French] gave up was they couldn’t get supplies in there,” Lewis said. “The thing that we had a Khe Sahn and all those other places was GCA (Ground Control Approach). GCA provided much-needed supplies to American forces.

In February 1969, a call came out for volunteers to serve as gunners on helicopters. Lewis went, flying supplies, troops, and medical evacuations.

“We were the heavy lifters as far as getting supplies in and out, because it wasn’t safe to go there any other way,” he said. He flew more than 300 missions. For him, it “was a way to give back.”

He then moved on to full-time Medevac, where he learned a key lesson.

“When the enemy is in range, so are you,” he said.

His first mission was uneventful.

“The second changed my life,” he said.

Not a War Movie

By the time he was 16 or 17, Lewis remembered, he had seen every war movie ever produced during World War II and Korea — starring John Wayne, Audie Murphy, Aldo Ray, and others.

“I was really gung-ho and super excited about doing that,” he said. But on that second mission, “In a moment, I learned a very hard lesson.

“There’s somebody out there who would love to see you dead,” Lewis said. “For the first time, probably ever, I got scared.”

Several more missions followed. He was shot down once and ran out of fuel once. Then came the night of June 10, 1969.

It was a hot, sticky night as Lewis lay in his hooch. Sleep was nearly impossible with the heat, humidity, and incoming rocket fire. A rocket exploded some 35 feet away.

He’d seen near-death stories on TV before, where stories of seeing light in a tunnel, or Jesus were common. Lewis, who had accepted Christ as a teen in 1963 at a St. Louis tent revival, saw none of that.

“I got scared because I wasn’t experiencing anything that I had seen on TV,” he said. “So, what seemed to be — I don’t know how long — that senseless feeling was, the first sense that came back was hearing.”

The first thing he heard were the cries of his friend, Jim Miller, who was five feet away when the fateful blast hit.

Miraculously, Miller survived and spent a year at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and other places. And despite all his wounds, Lewis would not only survive, but he returned to duty a short time later, recounting stories of soldiers dying in his arms on the battlefield.

By the way, Lewis was often chosen for Medevac missions for a reason: “They chose me [they said] because I was so lucky.”

This graphic shows the Marine Corps service record of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gary Lewis, whose service included 13 months of combat in Vietnam in 1968-1969.

More Opportunities to Serve

A chief warrant officer at the end of his active duty, Lewis has been part of the Civil Air Patrol mission for 16 years. He also served in the Marine Corps Reserves. He now serves as emergency management director for Kimberling City, Missouri and the assistant emergency management director for Stone County, Missouri.

He and a group of CAP members revived the local squadron, now known as the Table Rock Lake Composite Squadron. The flourishing unit includes 60 cadets. He is the Missouri Wing’s assistant director of communications and serves his squadron as its search and rescue officer and advisor to the commander.

His work in CAP has centered on communications.

“His professional abilities have played a key role in making sure our [communications] assets are ready,” said Lt. Col. Raun Hamilton, the wing’s emergency services director. “Gary is just a very dependable CAP member, who seems to always be there when needed for our comms needs.”

Hamilton praised Lewis, citing his humility, deep faith, and “servant’s heart.”

While on their way to Israel in 2008, Gary and Anna Marie are photographed at the Parthenon — an ancient marble temple in Athens, Greece.

‘You’re Worth It’

Health permitting, Lewis may return to Vietnam with a group of students from College of the Ozarks, but he has already taken what he called “a healing trip” as part of an Honor Flight with other veterans to see the war memorials in Washington D.C., including the Vietnam War Memorial.

A story from that trip speaks volumes about Lewis and his servant’s heart.

Standing near the back of the line to board the flight home, one of the trip’s coordinators said, “Thank you for your service.”

Lewis’s response?

“You’re worth it.”

The woman responded, “No one ever said that to me before.”

She then recounted her husband’s Vietnam-era story. He suffers from PTSD, she said, because of the way he was treated when he returned home from that unpopular war. Lewis’s response perhaps speaks to what drives his heart of service in CAP and beyond. For him, people are worth it.

Maj. Gary Lewis, in his CAP uniform, poses for a photo with Anna Marie before attending Table Rock Lake Composite Squadron’s annual banquet in Branson, Missouri, in 2023. Today, the squadron is one of the Missouri Wing’s largest with more than 60 cadets.

Not a ‘Rocking Chair’ Guy

Asked why he serves in CAP, Lewis was straightforward.

“I’m kind of a driven individual,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy who can go fishing and sit on a rocking chair. I gotta be involved in stuff.”

And it’s about structure, for cadets and adult members alike.

“It all ties together,” Lewis said. What your personal life is, your spiritual life, it all ties together.”

Asked what he hopes his legacy will be, Lewis said, “that [I] was firm, friendly, and fair. And that he loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength.”

Gary Lewis, then a retired Marine chief warrant officer, sits in the backseat of an F-15D during his final guest ride Aug. 22, 2000, with the Air Guard squadron at St. Louis Terminal Radar Approach Control, where he served as the operations manager. He had previously flown with the squadron when it flew F4 Phantom IIs.

Use Your Skills in CAP

Civil Air Patrol’s adult ranks consist of volunteers from all backgrounds, including service in the military, like Maj. Lewis.

His communications skills are of great benefit to CAP — the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, which offers hands-on training, mentorship, and service opportunities in support of emergency services and disaster relief nationwide.

To learn more about membership and find your local unit, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol America 250 series. We will be highlighting American hero members and their service leading up to the America 250 celebration. This is the fourth of that series: Capt. Angel Figueroa of the New York Wing. Catch up on the entire series here.

U.S Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Angel Figueroa

His desire to serve others began watching the late 1970s-1980s TV show “CHiPs” and wanting to be Ponch, a motorcycle cop played by Erik Estrada.

It grew when he was 9 and riding on the back of a friend’s bike, caught his leg between the spokes and the frame and was rescued by two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers.

“They helped get me unstuck, gave me a ride home in their police car, and put me on their shoulders to carry me up to our home on the 22nd floor,” he recalled.

That desire was planted deeper with a long-forgotten photograph taken during a teenage adventure with cousins in Puerto Rico. Although Civil Air Patrol Capt. Angel Figueroa, commander of the New York Wing’s Orange County Cadet Squadron, didn’t realize it then, his future course was set.

Listening to stories about his family’s military service (they’ve been represented in every major conflict since World War II) planted the seeds for his own military career and the love of service he now shares with others.

A Desire to Serve Others

Growing up in Manhattan and New Jersey, he considered many possible careers: auto mechanic, police officer, the U.S. Air Force, and becoming an astronaut. But what wasn’t on his radar was becoming a CAP leader, mentor, and … hero.

Currently, the vehicle maintenance section supervisor for the 213th Engineering and Installation Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, Figueroa is finishing his dissertation toward a doctorate in criminal justice: homeland security.

He’d always wanted to join the Air Force. But … when talking with the recruiter he confused basic training with the U.S. Air Force Academy and was told his grades weren’t good enough, so he went to college to study criminal justice and became a policeman.

Then-New York Police Department officer Angel Figueroa patrols Times Square.

9/11 and His NYPD Days

In 1995 he became an auxiliary police officer for the NYPD and when his “trial” period was over in 1999, began working a variety of beats in different precincts, the majority at the 41st Precinct in the Bronx.

When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks happened, he was asleep, having worked late the night before. Family members panicked when he didn’t answer his phone, but one cousin finally got through asking if he was. Confused, Figueroa turned on the news.

“I’m literally watching as the plane’s striking, and the tower’s going down,” he said.

Immediately, he threw on his gear and went into work. Looking out over the city, he realized the plume of smoke was close to where his father worked in Manhattan. Thankfully, his father was safe, but several of the police officers he worked with were not. For the next four months, he worked at Ground Zero assisting with search and recovery.

Then-NYPD officer Angel Figueroa works at Ground Zero in New York City following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But 9/11 had lasting effects on his initial enthusiasm to live in the city and work patrol. He moved away from the city with his family and, after serving as a street cop for 15 years, became a member of the NYPD ceremonial unit assisting with memorials, funeral services, and making flag presentations to grieving families.

Figueroa decided to retire from the ceremonial unit in 2023.

“It [started] getting to me because a lot of the funerals were 9/11-related,” he said. “I knew some of them … it could have been me, with my family out there [getting the flag].”

Side-by-side combat images show Tech. Sgt. Angel Figueroa (at right) during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2015, alongside a similar photo of his father in Vietnam in 1967.

Continuing the Family Legacy

Being an airman had stayed in his thoughts over the years. When he initially talked to the recruiter, he wanted to work on vehicles, not fly. In 2008, his wife Ruth convinced him to just stop thinking about it and continue his family’s military legacy.

“I’ve been in the Guard [working on vehicles] going on 18 years now,” he said.

As a member of the National Guard, Figueroa deployed many times. As the NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) of the Engineering and Installation Vehicle Maintenance Section at Al Udeid Air Base, he oversaw the vehicle and equipment assets throughout the Middle East.

Other deployments included Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan; Ali Al Salem and Al Jaber Air Bases, Kuwait; Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan; and Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.

His military decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal (Act of Courage with Exemplary Bravery), Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border (stationed in a designated combat zone), Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Service Star, and NATO Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Angel Figueroa (seated right) and his cousins dressed in CAP fatigues in Puerto Rico

A Forgotten Photo, a Premonition of the Future

It was while moving to their new home when Figueroa found the photo of his CAP connection.

Although he was never a cadet, as a teenager he did don the uniform, (he thought they were “just fatigues”) to go exploring with his Puerto Rican cousins.

He said he didn’t realize it at the time, but they were cadets in Puerto Rico’s Civil Air Patrol.

“What are the odds?” he asked.

Capt. Angel Figueroa with his daughters, Cadet Lt. Col. Angelina Figueroa (left) and Cynthia (a former cadet first sergeant, now a patron member) in their CAP uniforms.

Leading, Mentoring, and Serving Together

“When we moved, my older daughter Cynthia, [now 22], heard about CAP and wanted to join,” he said. During a squadron visit, when the commander found out Figueroa was in the Guard, he convinced him to become a member too.

His Orange County squadron consists of about 50 members — mostly cadets — and has also included his family.

Cynthia, currently a National Guard senior airman deployed to the Middle East and a patron CAP member, served as the squadron’s cadet first sergeant and cadet chief master sergeant. His wife, a patron member, also serves in the National Guard as a religious affairs apprentice. And his son Angel, 9, often attends meetings and activities since he “can’t wait to join CAP when he turns 12.”

Daughter Angelina (17), a cadet lieutenant colonel, is the squadron’s cadet commander. She says she first joined because her sister did, but the fellowship of the cadets and how they served the community drew her into the program.

As cadet squadron commander, she stresses staying humble through every phase and not being afraid to admit when you're wrong.

Angel Figueroa talks to the cadets about the importance of balance: “I want you to progress in CAP, but your schoolwork is more important. Follow your dreams and excel at everything you do … because no one will just give it to you. And when you fail, pick yourself up and … keep pushing forward.”

He said he truly enjoys mentoring the cadets and teaching them leadership skills, community service, aerospace education, and emergency services — something he knows first-hand.

A Hero and a Lifesaver

While out on patrol Dec. 21, 2017, Figueroa and his partner responded to a call about a man who was bleeding badly.

“A bakery machine had fallen on his arm, and it was cut pretty bad,” he said.

A co-worker had put on a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t working, so Figueroa and his partner grabbed a real tourniquet from their patrol car’s medical kit to replace it with.

When EMS came, the man told them he couldn’t feel his hand or fingers. EMS said that meant the tourniquet was doing its job. Afterwards, the ER doctor told Figueroa the man had severed his brachial artery, and their tourniquet saved his arm and his life.

For this act of heroism, Figueroa was later awarded CAP’s Certificate of Recognition for Lifesaving.

And That Other Wish to Become an Astronaut?

His son is expressing an interest in following his dad’s dreams there as well.

At age 14, Figueroa had attended Alabama’s U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp.

“Our team designed space stations and parts. And who knows, perhaps a bolt in our design could possibly be on the space station,” he said. “I’ve been dying to go back all these years, and now my son wants to attend with me.”

Figueroa truly has spent a lifetime of loving what he does — serving and protecting his country and leading his family and his CAP cadets. He is a true American hero.

You Too Can Be Like Capt. Figueroa

As America approaches its 250th birthday, Capt. Figueroa’s story serves as a reminder that leadership is measured not only by accomplishments, but by the commitment to touch the lives of others.

Civil Air Patrol offers the opportunity to lead others, like he has. CAP’s adult members consist of volunteers from all backgrounds, including the military.

To learn more about CAP membership and find a local unit, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis of the Idaho Wing’s Teton Valley Composite Squadron is the 500th Civil Air Patrol student pilot to earn her wings through CAP’s youth aviation initiatives. Here, she takes a “selfie” photograph commemorating her first cross-country solo flight in a powered aircraft.

Meet Civil Air Patrol’s newest pilot, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis of the Idaho Wing’s Teton Valley Composite Squadron — the 500th CAP student pilot to earn her wings.

Otis, who just turned 17, appropriately earned her wings through Cadet Wings, a CAP youth aviation initiative created in 2019 through funding from the U.S. Air Force with a goal of helping replenish America’s aging pilot corps, which is weathering a shortage in its ranks.

With the Idaho cadet’s milestone achievement, the CAP program is clearly reaching that goal.

“Cadet Wings is a testament to what happens when mentorship, support, and discipline come together to help cadets make their dream of flight a reality,” said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO.

Learn more about the Cadet Wings Program here.

All Cadet Wings graduates are listed here.

‘Truly Honored and Grateful’

Otis was elated to be a milestone graduate of the program.

“Last Thursday [June 11], the day I received my private pilot’s certificate, was a very special day,” she said. “So many friends, family, and mentors showed up to congratulate me, which meant a lot. For the rest of the day, I kept having these little moments where it hit me all over again, ‘Wait … wow … I'm actually a pilot.

“Becoming a pilot at 17 feels surreal and so exciting. I'm honestly still in a bit of disbelief that I can now legally act as a pilot in command.”

Nevertheless, Otis appreciates the significance of her accomplishment.

Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis says she knew she wanted to pursue powered flight after soloing in a CAP glider in 2024.

Cadet’s Quest for Flight Begins

Although her dad has been a pilot since she was young, Otis said “becoming one myself was always just an idea in the background, not something I actively dreamed about.”

That changed when she joined CAP in 2024 and, after several orientation flights, began flying gliders, which was then a part of CAP’s many aviation initiatives.

“The day I soloed a glider at 15 was the day I knew I wanted to pursue aviation seriously,” she said.

“Continuing my flight training through CAP has been an incredible opportunity.“

Otis began her CAP powered flight training on Dec. 1, 2024, at age 15. “My goal was to solo on my 16th birthday in May [of 2025] and earn my private pilot certificate the following year at 17. The weather didn't cooperate on my actual birthday, but I was ready and soloed shortly after.”

Thomas Kohler, an FAA designated pilot examiner, congratulates and presents Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis with her certificate following her June 11 check ride.

Her Mentor Broke the News

Learning about her feat was “a fun surprise,” Otis said, explaining her flight instructor and squadron commander, Capt. Chris Clarke, told her she was number 500 immediately after she passed her check ride.

“Being able to inform Cadet Otis that she had earned her private pilot certificate was already a memorable moment, but being able to tell her she was also the 500th graduate of the Cadet Wings program made it truly special,” Clarke said. “Sydney had worked extremely hard to reach this milestone and set a goal early in her training to be fully prepared to earn her certificate as soon as she became eligible at age 17.”

Clarke said seeing Otis accomplish her goal while simultaneously becoming part of such a significant CAP achievement was rewarding.

A Lot of Challenges in Her Journey

There were numerous challenges along the way, but two stand out.

“The first was timing,” she said. “Before I received Cadet Wings, I traveled a lot for my dad's job and would sometimes go months without flying. That first flight back after a long break was always tough. I'd have to rebuild my skills and confidence each time. The second was the sheer amount of time it took.”

Capt. Chris Clarke (right) served as the Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sydney Otis’ CAP flight instructor. Here, he proudly poses for a photo with her and FAA designated pilot examiner Thomas Kohler.

Commitment, and a Willingness to Learn

Clarke, a veteran commercial pilot who volunteers as a CAP check pilot and flight instructor, was impressed with Otis’ dedication, work ethic, and willingness to learn.

“As her flight instructor, the experience was particularly meaningful because Sydney demonstrated exceptional commitment throughout her training,” he said. “She consistently arrived prepared, completed her ground study assignments, and maintained a strong focus on continuous improvement.”

Like all student pilots, Clarke said Otis encountered challenges along the way, but she approached them with determination, maturity, and a positive attitude.

Otis, in turn, appreciated Clarke’s contribution to her success as well as to that of her family.

“I’m so grateful to have completed this journey and even more grateful for the people who helped me get there,” she said. “A special thank you to my very supportive family and my flight instructor, Capt. Chris Clarke, who has sacrificed so much of his time to help me reach my goals.”

Celebrating Cadet Wings’ Success

Clarke said he is thankful to Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force for the partnership forged just seven years ago that not only led to Otis’ achievement but to that of another Idaho youth — Cadet Wings graduate number 477 Jacoby Tegan, a cadet chief master sergeant who received his pilot certificate in May.

Find out more about Otis and Tegan’s achievements here.

“Programs like Cadet Wings create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach for many young people and are instrumental in developing the next generation of aviators,” he said.

Kathrine Schmidt, CAP’s senior program manager for cadet aviation, acknowledged the success of Cadet Wings, which has been augmented in the past four years through additional funding for training scholarships provided by the James C. Ray Foundation.

Looking Ahead to the Next 500 Pilots

“From the start, we believed in the power of this program to change lives and open doors to aviation opportunities. Every certificate represents a cadet who had a dream, worked hard, and achieved something extraordinary. While we're proud to celebrate the first 500 private pilots, we're already looking ahead with excitement to the next 500 and the future leaders in industry they will become."

Otis, meanwhile, has a flight plan of her own.

“My plan is to keep building ratings and become a CFI [certificated flight instructor] before I start college in fall of 2027,” she said. “I'd love to instruct while I'm in school studying aerospace engineering.”

Regardless, Otis is embracing her journey of flight. “Getting my PPC [Private Pilot Certificate] was just the beginning,” she said. “I’m excited to see where aviation takes me.”

Taking Flight with Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol's cadet program offers a variety of youth aviation initiatives, including orientation flights for young cadets and flight academies and the Cadet Wings Program for older cadets. Adult members with flight and instructor pilot experience are also welcome.

Aye, CAP’s national commander, said, “I am grateful for the selfless work of our CFIs who give their time and talent to help the next generation of pilots.”

To join CAP and learn more about these opportunities, visit gocivilairpatrol.com.

Cadet 1st Lt. Noah Mansoor is all smiles following the spring commencement at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Now armed with his second college degree, the 17-year-old Hawaii Wing cadet is already looking for a job in cybersecurity, thanks in part to Civil Air Patrol and his college degrees.

Two College Degrees as a Teen

Civil Air Patrol Cadet 1st Lt. Noah Mansoor has taken academic accomplishment to a new level, completing his undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies from Liberty University at 16 years of age and his master’s in cybersecurity from the same Lynchburg, Virginia school at 17.

In CAP, he is a recipient of the Gen. Billy Mitchell Award, following in the footsteps of his family. From his dad, Peter, a former Mitchell recipient when he was young, to his brother, Marcus, who is now a cadet major. His mom, DeAnna, is a CAP first lieutenant and the Hawaii Wing’s director of aerospace education.

At first, Mansoor saw CAP as an extracurricular event while a young homeschooler, dragged to meetings by his mom. But something changed.

He is a member of Wheeler Composite Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield on Oahu.

‘I Just Kept [Doing the Work]’

When it comes to his degrees, how did he do it?

“The Monday after I graduated eighth grade, my mom just gave me a lot of dual credit classes that count for high school and college credit and I just kept knocking those out, until I had enough credits to transfer to Liberty Online,” Mansoor said.

He was able to become an online student after only a year.

For his last semester, he became an on-campus residential student and the youngest member of Liberty’s Class of 2025.

Learn more about Mansoor’s first commencement ceremony here.

Then Cadet Tech. Sgt. Noah Mansoor says attending NCSAs, like this one at Joint Base San Antonio in 2023, prepared him for his recent pursuit of two college degrees. Here, Mansoor (third from right) discovered more about the career he is pursuing — cybersecurity.

A Keen Interest in Cybersecurity

The speed of cybersecurity sparked his interest in the high-demand field. It fits Mansoor, who seems to be a young man in a hurry.

As an indicator of just how motivated this CAP cadet is, the day after receiving his graduate degree, a time when most newly minted grads would be headed for the beach, Mansoor was job hunting. He hopes to return to the Lynchburg area to work in cybersecurity.

“There are expectations, not only from other people, but from myself,” he said. “After graduation, before even getting home we flew to Denver to visit my family. I started looking for jobs then. I just wanted to get out there and put my accomplishments to work and see what I could do.”

Then Tech. Sgt. Noah Mansoor works on computer cabling during the 2023 cyber academy at Joint Base San Antonio.

Coping with the Challenges of College

Along with overcoming the academic challenges of graduate school, Mansoor and his family dealt with the 4,700-mile distance between Oahu and Lynchburg.

“It was a little bit daunting when I first went out,” he said. “But I was confident in myself, and I’ve been in situations like this before, even in CAP when I went off to an NCSA [National Cadet Special Activity] or an encampment … a whole different world, different people, different culture. But I was used to it because of traveling, camps, and NCSAs in CAP that helped prepare me.

Peter Mansoor gave his son simple advice before he left for Lynchburg: “Do the right thing, even when no one’s watching. Be determined but be humble.”

Noah Mansoor said his CAP service had “a huge impact” on his academic success. “The discipline and leadership and communication skills I learned through Civil Air Patrol correlated to how it was in college and in education in general,” he said.

Spiritual Strength Fuels His Success

And in keeping with CAP’s Five Pillars of Wellness and Resilience, Mansoor’s spiritual strength, grounded in his Christian faith, also fuels his success.

An online post features a Mansoor quote: “You can do all this hard work, but if you’re not right with God, nothing matters.”

Asked to elaborate regarding his faith, he said, “Just having the fear of the Lord — not fear as in being afraid, but respecting Him and following His word, He gives us the Ten Commandments and tells us to work hard and toil, that pushed me a lot because the Lord commanded us to do that."

Learn more about the Five Pillars of Wellness and Resilience here.

All in the Mansoor Family

Mansoor has flight hours as a glider pilot and in powered flight. His dad, Peter, served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and was a OH-58 Kiowa helicopter pilot.

The father of six said all his kids are special.

“I think I knew he was special when he kicked me in the head when he was a baby,” Peter Mansoor said with a laugh. “They’re all special. God gives them the abilities and DeAnna helps them find all these programs and things and they run with it.”

First Lt. DeAnna Mansoor said Noah, the youngest of six, followed his siblings’ lead.

“He always wanted to do what they were doing,” she said. “He always wanted to be part of that.”

As for future goals, it’s about job, a house, and a wife and kids. He may want a job in Virginia, but “I want to raise my kids in Hawaii.”

‘Push Yourself to a Higher Standard’

Noah Mansoor has a message for his fellow cadets about achievement and moving forward:

“It’s all up to them,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s your hands and your mind that are going to do what you make them do. Push yourself to a higher standard than those around you have. If you approach your work as service to the Lord and to those around you, you can accomplish great things."

Jumpstart Your Career in CAP

Civil Air Patrol offers youth — starting at age 12 — to learn more about aviation, cyber, STEM, and military careers at National Cadet Special Activities (NCSAs) across the nation.

Noah Mansoor got his start that way, attending CAP cyber activities as a cadet. You can too. With more than 1,400 squadrons nationwide and a cadet corps of about 34,000, there’s an opportunity near you. 

Join CAP today.