Record Number of Flying Hours Devoted to CAP Cadet Orientation Flights in Past Year: 14,451

Civil Air Patrol broke its record for cadet orientation flight hours in fiscal 2023, with CAP pilots accumulating 14,451 hours over the past year. This represents an increase of 19.5% over the 12,096 hours flown in fiscal 2022.

The record number of “O-ride” flying hours helped CAP break the 100,000-hour flight mark for the first time since 2017. Pilots logged 101,446 flying hours for all its missions in fiscal 2023, up 7% over the previous year's total of 95,242.

Annular 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse

Civil Air Patrol's annular solar eclipse mission over the past weekend was a massive success with 191 teams from across North America collecting data for NASA.

CAP ended up with teams from 36 wings and all eight regions represented. Overall, more than 300 cadets and adult members were involved.

One of those teams hailed from Utah Wing's Phoenix Cadet Squadron, featured above in a KSL-TV report before the Oct. 14 eclipse.

North Carolina Members Assist Unconscious Man

Members of the North Carolina Wing’s Iredell Composite Squadron quickly put their emergency services training into action when they came across an unconscious man in his car after their weekly squadron meeting at Statesville Regional Airport.

The cadets at the scene worked together to contact 911, direct traffic to ensure emergency responders had a clear path to the site, and help adult members as needed. 

Georgia Squadrons Hear From Author, Former Flyer

History was the main focus when the Georgia Wing’s Lake Country Composite Squadron heard from author, historian, and former Naval aviator Bruce Gamble as guest speaker at the squadron’s weekly meeting Sept. 28.

Gamble (pictured with Cadet Maj. Mason Honea, who’s holding Gamble’s 2000 volume “Black Sheep: The Definitive Account of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II”) has written extensively on World War II in the Southwest Pacific and on U.S. Marine Corps Gregory “Pappy” Boyington and VMF-214, the famed “Black Sheep Squadron.” 

His presentation to Lake County members included video of his flight operations from the U.S.S. Carl Vinson in the 1980s as well as an overview of his writing.

Virginia Wing's Gluck Honored as One

of 10 Outstanding Young Americans

U.S. Air Force and Civil Air Patrol Maj. Julian Gluck (at right with National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Regena Aye) is among the 2023 recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans award from Junior Chamber International USA, recognizing his contributions to the fields of military leadership and volunteer service.

Gluck, cadet programs officer for Virginia Wing Group 2, received the award Sept. 9 in Minneapolis.

Since 1934, the award has recognized and celebrated young individuals like Gluck between ages 18-40 who have excelled in various fields while creating positive change in their communities and exemplifying leadership, innovation, and service.

Command Chiefs Visit CAP National Headquarters

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass toured CAP National Headquarters on Sept. 25 along with Chief Master Sgt. Todd H. Parsons, CAP's national command chief.

Here, Bass talks to Air Force Col. Aaron D. Reid (second from right) and Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF) staff in the headquarters lobby before touring the building with Parsons and John Desmarais (left), CAP's chief operating officer.

Bass represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force and supports CAP and its auxiliary airmen. On several occasions during her headquarters visit, she credited CAP and its youth programs for their efforts in developing “good citizens.”

Magazine Profiles Reservists Serving in CAP-USAF

Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF) is featured in the October-November issue of Citizen Airman, the official magazine of the Air Force Reserve.

CAP-USAF provides support, advise, and liaison to CAP members and employees and oversight for CAP's programs, its 1,500 squadrons, and a fleet of 540 aircraft with emphasis on safety and program requirements. CAP-USAF personnel are also the functional interface between other federal agencies and CAP.

CAP-USAF is staffed with about 200 active-duty airmen, reservists, and civilians at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and 50 locations throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and several overseas Air Force installations.

Oregon Air Show Leads to Recruiting Opportunity

The Oregon Wing carried out a multifaceted approach Sept. 30 at the 35th Annual Oregon International Air Show at McMinnville Municipal Airport, with members focusing on recruiting, aerospace education, and meet-and-greet opportunities.

Capt. Patrick Wineman, Washington County Composite Squadron commander and event project officer, oversaw the effort along with his staff of seven adult members and 12 cadets.

Parked next to the pop-up tent used for recruiting and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) displays, including a table-top robotics demonstration, was one of the wing’s Civil Air Patrol aircraft.

The members “were able to cultivate 15 confirmed cadet and adult member prospects,” Wineman said.

NHQ News

Estate Planning ... It's Not Just About Assets

This week is National Estate Planning Week. It’s the perfect time to reflect on and secure your loved ones’ future through an estate plan. CAP offers free resources to help. Whether you're just starting or revisiting your plan, estate planning, here are a few steps you can consider:



1. Create or Update Your Will: Ensure your wishes are known.
2. Establish a Trust: Protect your assets and streamline distribution.
3. Designate Beneficiaries: Clearly outline who should inherit your assets.
4. Power of Attorney: Appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf.
5. Healthcare Directives: Specify your medical preferences.

'Resilience is Not a Skill, but a Community'

Did you miss the 2023 National Conference? Dr. Ben Houltberg, a conference keynote speaker, recently hosted a virtual session for Civil Air Patrol's cadet program. The recording is posted, compliments of CAP's Education and Training program, and only available until Nov. 8.

“Resilience is not a skill, but a community,” says Houltberg, explaining that developmental relationships are the roots of thriving and resilient young people. Through these relationships, young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with, and contribute to, the world around them.

Check out this session recording for practical application on how to help youth live resilient lives.

How to Improve Your Cybersecurity Posture

As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Civil Air Patrol's National Cyber Missions Team and the National Cybersecurity Alliance are recommending four things you can do now to improve your cybersecurity posture.

These recommendations include updating passwords and using a password manager, enabling multifactor authentication, and activating automatic updates.

Access Date Set for Wing Website Unification Project

Access and training materials for Civil Air Patrol's Wing Website Unification Project will be available for public affairs officers and information technology directors by Oct. 18. When you’re ready to begin importing content from the SiteViz Resource Library (any time after Wednesday), notify us here and the MAC team will create a copy of your website where you can then make updates in SiteViz.

Details for the project will be listed on the CAP Websites page on GoCivilAirPatrol.com.

Having a unified web presence as One CAP is critical for our digital footprint. It’s also a key piece in modernizing the brand as a dynamic 21st century organization, which is needed to align CAP as a Total Force partner for the future.

CadetInvest 2024 Application Period Underway

CadetInvest is now open through Jan. 15 to provide scholarships and financial assistance to Civil Air Patrol cadets in 2024.

Check out the CadetInvest page for details and application information on the following opportunities:

• Academic scholarships;
• Flight scholarships;
• LIFT/TOP: NCSA and NFA financial assistance; or
• NCSA and NFA activity scholarships.

National Volunteer Staff Positions Open in Logistics

National Headquarters is now accepting applications for two new volunteer staff positions on the logistics team — National Aircraft Maintenance Officer and National Supply Manager. The deadline for applying for these logistics positions is 5 p.m. CDT Nov. 20.

Cadet Programs also has added three new national staff positions — Digital Course Designer, Video Content Creator, and Podcast Creator.

Details and the desired requirements for these five new positions as well as others are available here.

This Week's Top Headlines

“New Conroe [Texas] Memorial Unveiled to Honor Dallas Air Show Crash Victims, WWII Aviators and B-17 Bomber”

-TimesUnion.com

“'Col. Garrett in Command of Civil Air Patrol's Southeast Region”

-MSN.com

“Sibling Civil Air Patrol Cadets Honored in Joplin [Mo.]”

-FourStatesHomepage.com

Tweet of the Week @Civil Air Patrol

For more information, go to Operation Pulse Lift's new webpage on GoCivilAirPatrol.com. There you will find the latest Blood Donation Center schedules, instructions on how to set up a BDC, and other mission information.