Civil Air Patrol is part of a world-wide Search and Rescue System and official
Auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil
Air Patrol has continued to strive to save lives and alleviate human suffering
through a myriad of emergency service missions.
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CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, performs 95 percent of all
continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air
Force Rescue Coordination Center located at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
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More
than 56,000 volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and
counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.
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And members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors
to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet
programs. CAP has been performing "missions for America" for more than 60
years.
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Search and Rescue (SAR)
Perhaps best known for its
search and rescue efforts, CAP now flies more 95 percent of all
inland SAR missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
at Langley AFB, Va. Overseas, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination
Centers in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP
missions?
More than one hundred people are
rescued every year by CAP members.
"Civil Air Patrol is always the first unit in and usually
the last unit out when a real disaster occurs. They are very
well trained and always respond quickly."
Toby Carroll Corporate Safety Evaluation Director, Continental Airlines Guardian Angel '91 Exercise
Disaster Relief
Often overlooked but vitally
important is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP
provides air and ground transportation, and an extensive communications
network. They fly disaster relief officials to remote locations, and
support local, state and national disaster relief organizations with
manpower and leadership.
In fact, CAP has formal agreements with many humanitarian relief
agencies such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, and Coast Guard.
Humanitarian Services
Closely related to
disaster relief is CAP's support of humanitarian missions. Usually in
support of the Red Cross, CAP aircrews transport time-sensitive medical
materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other
means of transportation are not possible.
Other Related Missions
CounterDrug
CAP joined the "war on
drugs" in 1986 when CAP signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and
U.S. Customs Service offering CAP resources to be used to stem the flow
of drugs into and within the United States. Today, CAP has similar
agreements with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Forest
Service.
"The war on drugs is a battle of
such vast proportion that we may not yet recognize its scale...We
need mandatory drug education to get our youth pointed in the right
direction. Our young people need to know how to resist peer
pressure, to learn self-respect and pride -- just like Civil Air
Patrol teaches its cadets."
Ernie Preate, Jr.
Former Pennsylvania Attorney General
CAP has made major
contributions to the counterdrug fight by providing aerial
reconnaissance, airborne communication support, and airlift of law
enforcement personnel. In 1994 alone, CAP units flew nearly 35,000 hours
in support of counterdrug efforts.
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Air Force Support
It's hardly surprising that
CAP performs several missions in direct support of the U.S. Air Force.
Specifically, CAP conducts damage assessment, radiological monitoring,
light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys.
Joint U.S. Air Force and CAP SAR exercises sharpen the skills of all
participants and offer realistic training for a deadly serious mission.
CAP/ROTC Initiative
Starting in 1993, CAP became more closely involved in direct support of
the Air Force ROTC. Joint efforts are underway to conduct crossflow
educational and orientation flights with Air Force ROTC, benefiting both
organizations through better use of each one's training resources.
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