Albany Civil Air Patrol squadron holds ceremony | PHOTO GALLERY

ALBANY — The Albany Composite Civil Air Patrol squadron, the state’s oldest, used the event of its cadet change-of-command ceremony to show off its new headquarters earlier this week.

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Maj. Gen. John Broadmeadow, the commanding general of Marine Corps Logistics Command at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, was guest of honor and took part in the ceremony, during which Cadet Lt. Col. Frederick “Trey” Broome III relinquished command of the squadron to Cadet Capt. Anthony Chase-Hill.

The ceremony was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the CAP squadron’s new headquarters at 1000 Pecan Grove Drive. The facility was donated by Equinox Chemicals CEO Mark Grimaldi, himself a senior CAP member, and his 13-year-old daughter Madison a cadet senior airman. The new building offers 7,000 square feet of space for Civil Air Patrol activities. That’s a big change for the 60-member squadron.

“This is so huge for the squadron because, mainly, we were out of room at our other facility (in the UPS building at Southwest Georgia Regional Airport),” squadron Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. James Shaw said. “We’re going from 700 square feet to 7,000 square feet. With 40 cadets and their full packs, it was quite a squeeze.

“We’re grateful that Mr. Grimaldi had the space available and allowed the squadron to move here permanently.”

Grimaldi said he’s seen first-hand the positive impact the Civil Air Patrol can have on young people and on the community.

“The squadron had outgrown their space at the airport, and this was a convenient move for them,” the businessman said. “We still use parts of the building as a (Equinox) training center and for office space, but I thought this would be perfect use for the part of the building we no longer needed.”

Broadmeadow, also a former Civil Air Patrol cadet, awarded plaques of recognition to Senior Capt. Clyde “JJ” Jordan for his decade of service to the CAP squadron and to outgoing Cadet Commander Broome, under whose command the squadron increased its membership tenfold.

Cadet Capt. Chase-Hill said hard work earned him the honor of replacing Broome.

“To be selected for this leadership role is quite an honor,” Chase-Hill said of his nomination by the senior and cadet members of the squadron. “It took a lot of hard work, and we will need to continue to work hard to maintain the positive momentum of the squadron.”

The Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It was chartered on Dec. 1, 1941, and currently has 60,000 members nationwide. The senior and cadet CAP members support American communities with emergency response, aviation and ground services, youth development, and promotion of air, space and cyber power. More than 30,000 CAP members are trained to FEMA emergency responder standards.

In 2014, CAP members contributed $158 million in man hours through disaster relief and emergency services. The cadet program, which includes students ages 12-20, educates its members in four program areas: leadership, aerospace, physical fitness and character development.

Senior volunteers like Sherry Crew work with the cadets to provide needed uniforms and equipment.

“We’ll go anywhere we can to find equipment that our cadets can use,” Crew said. “If it’s a piece here or there, that’s OK. I came across a BDU (battle dress uniform) blouse at a car show in Moultrie. I’m a member of the Officers’ Spouse’s Club at the (Marine) base, and I encourage members to bring us any equipment they have around their houses.”

Fourteen-year-old Cadet Lillian Frich, whose father, Lee County Commissioner Greg Frich, is a retired Marine and whose brothers Greg Jr. and Cole are considering careers in the Marine Corps, said that while she is not planning a military career, she has benefited from being a part of the CAP program.

“I’ve gotten valuable leadership training, organizational skills and teamwork through Civil Air Patrol,” she said. “What we do in the program is pretty amazing. I’m planning to be a veterinarian, but I’ll use the skills I’ve gotten here in everything I do.”

Students or adults interested in the Civil Air Patrol can contact Shaw at (229) 881-7744 or [email protected]. General information about Civil Air Patrol is available at www.gocivilairpatrol.com.