Local Civil Air Patrol squadron joins nationwide 80th anniversary observance
File Photo
From staff reports
ALBANY — The Albany Composite Squadron joined other Civil Air Patrol units across the nation in observing the organization’s anniversary, according to Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Robert Chappy Kelly.
Civil Air Patrol was founded Dec. 1, 1941, by a group of aviation enthusiasts and private pilots who wanted to donate their time and aircraft to protect the nation’s coastlines during World War II and to perform other critical civil defense missions.
“A number of activities have been planned for the occasion to make more people in our community aware of Civil Air Patrol and our contributions to this community,” Kelly said.
Among the events tentatively scheduled for Civil Air Patrol Week, Nov. 28-Dec. 4, are a proclamation from the mayor of the city of Albany.
To learn more visit, gocivilairpatrol.com.
Now celebrating its 80th year, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and more than 2,100 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and performs about 90% of all search and rescue operations within the contiguous United States as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives during the past fiscal year.
CAP’s 56,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education resources. Members also serve as mentors to more than 22,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.
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