CAP's Hurricane Ian Response | |
|
More than 400 Civil Air Patrol members are wrapping up Civil Air Patrol's multi-mission response to Hurricane Ian, including Lt. Col. Larry McConnell of the Florida Wing's Pinellas Senior Squadron.
His work, as well as that of other CAP volunteers, is chronicled in this NBC report by Evan Dean of WBBH-TV in Naples, Fla., who took a media flight with McConnell during the height of the response.
| |
CAP Credited with Rescue in South Florida | |
|
Images supplied by Civil Air Patrol’s small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) team for the Federal Emergency Management Agency resulted in the rescue Oct. 4 of a person trapped in a boat in a mangrove swamp in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The rescued individual received medical attention. According to FEMA, which credited CAP with a life saved, the victim wouldn’t have been found anytime soon without the sUAS imagery.
Information and imagery provided by the sUAS team, dispatched from the Missouri Wing, enabled search and rescue workers to rapidly and effectively locate people in need of life-saving assistance, particularly in difficult-to-access areas.
| |
The Civil Air Patrol Response Fund enables CAP members and supporters to donate funds to assist our personnel in Florida and Puerto Rico recently affected by hurricanes Ian and Fiona. | |
For CAP, the Numbers Tell the FY2022 Story
By all accounts, fiscal 2022 was a banner year for CAP. Consider these significant yearend milestones:
-
60,125 members, including 25,000 cadets. That’s a 6.5% increase in membership over the previous Sept. 30. Most notably, it pushes CAP back over the 60,000 mark and indicates a complete rebound from the membership decline experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
151 lives saved. That speaks for itself. Because of CAP technology that includes cellphone forensics and radar analysis, along with search and rescue aircrews and ground teams, 151 people are alive today. As credited by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, that’s the fourth-highest year for lives saved in our recorded history.
-
9,202 units of blood collected. This milestone is also a high mark for CAP, by a large margin. These blood units collected by Operation Pulse Lift over the past year also saved lives — up to three per unit, according to the American Red Cross — and moved the mission closer to its goal of 16,667 units by the end of the calendar year.
-
2,540 certificated VFR pilots and 62 new Cadet Wings pilots. CAP’s pilot proficiency program has added about a hundred experienced pilots, and dozens more earned their private pilot certificates through the Cadet Wings Program.
| |
Overseas Cadets Introduced to Unpowered Flight | |
|
The cadets of the Spangdahlem Cadet Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, recently experienced a rare opportunity for Civil Air Patrol’s overseas members: the chance to experience flight in a glider.
Thirteen cadets, including Cadet Master Sgt. Isabella Parker (above), and five senior members met with the pilots and ground crew members of the South Eifel Glider Club, operating out of a small grass runway called Utscheid Air Field about 6 miles from the Luxembourg border. Glider club president Leonie Collin agreed to host the Civil Air Patrol cadets for the day and enable them to learn about unpowered aviation.
| |
Cadet Trailblazes with Willing Hands, Tender Heart | |
|
This profile of Cadet Lt. Col. Dana Surwill is sixth in a regular series of articles showcasing how CAP and its members make an impact throughout the nation.
Surwill, a member of the Nevada Wing's Henderson Composite Squadron, is a real trailblazer. Her achievements are many, while making life brighter and better for CAP, for veterans, and for her community. This fall, Surwill became Nevada’s first recipient of the Serving Veterans Youth Award, presented by Gov. Steve Sisolak.
But that’s only part of the 19-year-old college senior’s remarkable story.
| |
Alabama School Hosts National ACE Liftoff Event
| |
|
Civil Air Patrol held its 2022-2023 National CAP ACE Liftoff on Oct. 14 in Hoover, Alabama, at Bluff Park Elementary School, which was recognized as the 2022 National CAP ACE School of the Year.
In addition, Bluff Park Elementary's STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) teacher, Geri Evans, was awarded for National CAP ACE Sustained Excellence.
“Bluff Park Elementary School is so fortunate to partner with Civil Air Patrol and to be recognized as the National Aerospace Connections in Education School of the Year,” Principal Ami Weems said. She praised Evans for “a phenomenal job creating innovative lessons that inspire children to learn more about STEM careers.”
Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) is a K-6 multidisciplinary program that uses the aerospace theme to promote academics with a STEM focus, character education, and physical fitness for a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.
| |
Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame Flyer Presented With Patch for Namesake CAP Squadron
Retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Maj. Gen. Robert Nester, for whom one of the Indiana Wing’s four school-based squadrons is named, was honored Oct. 8 at the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame Honors Banquet in Carmel along with his fellow 2022 inductees into the shrine.
During the gathering, Cadet Capt. Fred Griffith of the Weir Cook Cadet Squadron presented Nester with his namesake squadron’s unit patch. The Maj. Gen. Robert A. Nester Cadet Squadron is based at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis — Nester’s alma mater. The patch design reflects the emblem of the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Grissom Air Reserve Base, where Nester served.
| |
How to Improve Your Cybersecurity Posture | |
|
From the National Cyber Programs team and the National CyberSecurity Alliance, here are four things you can do now to improve your cybersecurity posture:
Update Your Passwords and Use a Password Manager
Having unique, long, and complex passwords is one of the best ways to immediately boost your cybersecurity. Yet only 43% of the public say they “always” or “very often” use strong passwords. Password cracking is one of the go-to tactics cybercriminals turn to in order to access sensitive information. And if you are a “password repeater,” once a cybercriminal has hacked one of your accounts, they can easily do the same across all of your accounts.
One of the biggest reasons individuals repeat passwords is that it can be tough to remember all your passwords. Fortunately, by using a password manager, individuals can securely store all their unique passwords in one place. That mans they have to remember only one password. In addition, password managers are incredibly easy to use and can automatically plug in stored passwords when you visit a site.
Enable MFA
Enabling multifactor authentication (MFA), which prompts a user to input a second set of verifying information such as a secure code sent to a mobile device or to sign-in via an authenticator app, is a hugely effective measure anyone can use to drastically reduce the chances of a cybersecurity breach. In fact, according to Microsoft, MFA is 99.9 percent effective in preventing breaches. So it's a must for any individual looking to secure their devices and accounts.
Activate Automatic Updates
Making sure devices are always up-to-date with the most recent versions is essential to preventing cybersecurity issues from cropping up. Cybersecurity is an ongoing effort, and updates are hugely important in helping to address vulnerabilities that have been uncovered as well as in providing ongoing maintenance. Therefore, instead of trying to remember to check for updates or closing out of update notifications, enable automatic update installations whenever possible.
For more information on CAP’s cyber programs, check out cyber.cap.gov or the cyber programs' Facebook page.
| |
Balloon Challenge Awards Ceremony Scheduled | |
|
The awards ceremony for the second annual National Aerospace Education High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for CAP Cadets will be held at 4 p.m. Eastern Oct. 22. It can be viewed afterward on the AE YouTube Channel of the activity's director, Capt. Bob Roberts, who also serves as AE director for the South Carolina Wing. (The live link to the event will be posted on that channel Saturday.)
CAP leaders will be congratulating the winners of the Col. Joe Kittinger Cup and Kittinger’s $5,000 award donation. In addition, winners of several categories of the challenge will be announced: digital and hand-drawn mission patches, prelaunch video, science experiment analysis report, and final documentary video.
Cadets from 122 squadrons worked for several months to design and submit over 500 science experiments launched in August in Indiana (pictured) to the edge of space in high-altitude weather balloons.
| |
New Resource to Create Your Plan, Your Legacy | |
|
The year end is approaching, along with the giving season. If you’re hoping to make a positive impact on our missions or deepen your commitment to Civil Air Patrol, consider creating a legacy with us.
Oct. 17-23 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. It’s the perfect time to reflect on and secure your loved ones' future through an estate plan.
Your estate plan is your opportunity to protect your loved ones and create a meaningful legacy with the causes you value. While creating your plan, you can even establish a legacy that will allow us to continue our work for years to come.
| |
Full Slate of Safety Updates in New 'Beacon' | |
Interested in Learning More About CAP's BoG? | |
|
Two weeks are left to register for a one-day virtual seminar for CAP volunteers interested in applying to be a member of Civil Air Patrol's Board of Governors.
Those who attend the seminar, set for Nov. 12, will hear from experienced current and former BoG members, national commanders, and national staff on a broad array of topics. The day will conclude with a panel discussion with current and former BoG members and national command staff, who will discuss the day's topics and answer any questions.
Registration for the seminar is open through Oct. 31.
| |
Magazines, Info Sheets Available for Recruiting | |
|
The Marketing & Strategic Communications team has extra copies of both 2021 Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine issues — including the 80th Anniversary Edition — available for use as handouts for CAP squadrons' fall festivals, open houses, and other recruiting activities.
To order a box of either the 2021 Spring or 2021 Fall issues, please send your request to us. Be sure to include your street mailing address and please specify which issue you prefer.
In addition, a limited number of printed CAP Info Sheets are available. This is a new product produced by the MAC team, which can also be downloaded from the Brand Portal.
Printed versions of some of the Info Sheets can be ordered here in quantities of 50. Please specify which sheet you need (one version only) and include a street mailing address for delivery.
| |
This Month's Top Headlines | |
|
“Air Force Program Teaches Airmen Basic Aviation Skills”
-EnidNews.com
“Missouri Civil Air Patrol Participates in Statewide Disaster Training”
-STLToday.com
“Arkansas Civil Air Patrol Cadets Study Roller Coasters”
-Stuttgart Daily Leader
| |
|
Col. Dean Gould of the Mid-Atlantic Region took this eye-catching photo of aircraft on the tarmac at the Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF) flight clinic in Danville, Virginia.
“New pavement and good rain” were the right combination for the shot, said Gould, former commander of the Virginia Wing.
Do you have a photo worthy of publication in PROPS? If so, send it to us, along with some background information.
| |
Every unit of blood collected through the combined efforts of CAP volunteers saves three lives, according to the Red Cross. So far in fiscal 2023, Operation Pulse Lift has collected this number of units: | |
|
During its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Operation Pulse Lift has collected a total of 16,508 units of blood. That total was bolstered significantly last week by individual CAP members' donation of 404 units in just 72 hours after the American Red Cross issued an urgent request.
The mission's current stretch goal for the end of the 2022 calendar year is 16,667 units, which would potentially save 50,000 lives.
| |
CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications
| |
| | | | |
