Miss the Watch Party? Here's Another Chance |
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A Civil Air Patrol 80th Anniversary Watch Party on the evening of Dec. 1 proved to be a fun and effective way to celebrate. More than 3,000 CAP members tuned in for the virtual birthday celebration, led by the CAP History Program and National Headquarters' Marketing and Strategic Communications team.
The watch party included messages from both U.S. Air Force and CAP dignitaries and greetings from overseas squadrons and viewing of "Ambassadors With Wings," a 1958 CAP documentary about the International Air Cadet Exchange narrated by Air Force Maj. Gen. and Oscar-winning actor Jimmy Stewart. The event opened with a game of trivia to test members' knowledge of CAP history and ended with a montage of vintage CAP photos.
If you're late to the watch party, no need to fret. It is still available on CAP's YouTube Channel and can be enjoyed for the first time or again here:
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Alabama Wing Hosts Maxwell AFB Celebration |
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The Alabama Wing hosted an 80th birthday celebration for Civil Air Patrol on Dec. 4 just a few blocks from National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base. |
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U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. James B. Hecker, Air University commander and president, and Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP national commander/CEO, participated in the celebration at Maxwell's Honor Guard Hangar. Others in attendance included airmen from the 42nd Air Base Wing, about 20 cadets from the Alabama Wing and such CAP dignitaries as Southeast Region Commander Col. Andrea Van Buren and Wing Commander Col. James Harris as well as Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force Commander Col. Mark Wootan and CAP Chief Operating Officer John Salvador.
“Congratulations on your 80th birthday,” said Hecker, who told the story of Civil Air Patrol’s founding just before World War II and described the organization’s volunteer wartime service before wrapping up his talk by addressing CAP’s longtime role as the Air Force auxiliary and its recent role in the Total Force.
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80th Anniversary News Heard Around the World
News of Civil Air Patrol's 80th anniversary spread quickly through stories posted on the AF.mil and First Air Force websites. Here are some of this week's top headlines mentioning CAP, which were viewed by millions of people across the globe:
“'Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Anniversary”
(Washington, D.C.)
“Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Anniversary”
(Tyndall AFB, Fla.)
“Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Anniversary”
(Washington, D.C.)
“Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Anniversary”
(Kalispell, Mt.)
“Civil Air Patrol Notes 80th Anniversary”
(Orange Park, Fla.)
“Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80 Years”
(Binghamton, N.Y.)
“Glenn Leads House in Marking 80th Year of Civil Air Patrol”
(Midland, Mich.)
“Civil Air Patrol Celebrates 80th Birthday”
(New York, N.Y.)
“Assemblyman Manktelow Honors Civil Air Patrol on 80th Annniversary”
(Geneva, N.Y.)
“'Civil Air Patrol Marks 80th Anniversary”
(Montgomery, Ala.)
“'Commentary: Civil Air Patrol's Role Continues to Evolve 80 Years Later”
(Charleston, S.C.)
The 348th Reconnaissance Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota also wished CAP a belated birthday in this video posted on the 319th Operations Group Facebook page.
Here's a full recap of the many organizations that mentioned CAP and posted best wishes via Twitter last week. |
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'Birthday On the Air' Puts CAP Comms in Spotlight |
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The communications event celebrating CAP's 80th anniversary was a success. Here are some preliminary results from the North Central Region-Rocky Mountain Region CAP Birthday On the Air event:
- 143 stations checked in on three frequencies.
- 83 unique stations responded.
- 33 wings from eight regions, national staff, and the Congressional Squadron was represented.
- Two first-time HF stations participated.
- Cadets from Idaho and Nebraska also participated.
North Central Region Commander Col. John O'Neill participated in the celebration. Rocky Mountain Region Commander Col. Jeffrey Johnson was unable to participate, but he made the following statement: “I think it's marvelous that we were able to use HF to involve so many people, especially cadets, in this 80th anniversary celebration. HF radio is growing and evolving, and this is a good example of its versatility.”
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CAP Upgrades National Operations Center |
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The National Operations Center (NOC) moved to a new home in CAP’s main headquarters building with an informal ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 3 by National Commander Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka and CAP-USAF Commander Col. Mark Wootan (pictured here).
“Our team has really been looking forward to moving into its new facilities, as this not only brings them back under the same roof with the rest of the NHQ team but also gives them an upgraded workspace designed to allow them to meet the changing missions of CAP,” said John Desmarais, CAP's director of operations.
The new space shown in the photos below provides workspace for the NOC staff to monitor and provide support around the clock for CAP activities nationwide ranging from cadet orientation flights to FEMA disaster support missions.
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NESA-MTT Helps Train Total Force Partners
During the past week, three instructors from Civil Air Patrol's National Emergency Services Academy-Mobile Training Team delivered two Federal Emergency Management Agency Incident Command System courses at Travis Air Force Base, California, to 23 active-duty Air Force members from the 621st Contingency Response Wing (pictured here).
“We were so fortunate to have instructors who had so many years of experience to educate our airmen,” said Col. Jeff Krulick, commander of the 621st Contingency Response Wing and also an attending student.
This was the first time the NESA-MTT had traveled to Travis AFB to provide face-to-face training. In October 2020, 22 of the contingency response wing's members received the training through the MTT's virtual delivery program.
Recognized for their nationwide support to CAP and also FEMA, this was the NESA-MTT's fourth deployment to support the emergency services training of Active, Guard, and Reserve members of the Air Force.
Instructors from CAP for last week's training were:
- Chief Master Sgt. Mark Lahan, North Central Region (course lead).
- Maj. George Gadd, California Wing.
- 2nd Lt. John Owen, California Wing.
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Attention, Cadets: Registration for Spring, Summer NCSAs, Flight Academies Open |
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Registration for spring and summer National Cadet Special Activities (like the Space Operations Academy pictured here) as well as the National Flight Academies opened Dec. 1. Apply through eServices by Jan. 15 for priority consideration.
Winter registration remains open. Be sure to check out the NCSA homepage on GoCivilAirPatrol.com for details on how to apply, financial assistance, requirements for selection, and program goals.
The cadet program is looking for senior members to apply for staff as well. Initial cadet placements will be announced around March 1, while staff hires will be notified individually throughout the winter as the activity directors build their teams.
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Air Force Marathon Unveils 'CAP 80th Anniversary' Medal for 2022 History & Heritage Race Series |
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The first featured aircraft of the U.S. Air Force Marathon's second annual History & Heritage Race Series will be the J-3 Cub.
“It is with great excitement that we are partnering with Civil Air Patrol to celebrate their 80 years of proud service to our country. The J-3 Piper Cub has long been an instrumental aircraft in the success of Civil Air Patrol's mission and thus a fantastic addition to the History & Heritage Race Series,” said Brandon Hough, Air Force Marathon director.
Each registered participant will receive a finisher's medal, commemorative patch, and informational card portraying the featured aircraft. Learn more and register for your next race here.
The History & Heritage Race Series powered by the Air Force Marathon features historical aircraft in order to begin to highlight all the great aircraft that have shaped the Air Force’s airpower throughout history. Six aircraft will be featured in 2022, revealed one at a time.
The History & Heritage Race Series is a virtual race series, which allows participants from all over the world to participate right from their home. You have the option to choose to participate in the marathon, half marathon, 10K, or 5K.
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Last Chance to Order Northern Lights Greeting Cards |
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Don't forget to order your Civil Air Patrol holiday greeting cards, available this year through Vanguard Industries Inc.
The Northern Lights cards can be ordered from Vanguard in packs of five cards/envelopes for $10.
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Magazines Designed to Use as Recruiting Resource |
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Recent enhancements to CAP’s award-wining Volunteer magazine were designed to make the publication more entertaining and informative as a tool to help engage and educate those unfamiliar with the organization.
Extra copies are always available for units to distribute to flight schools, FBOs, education institutions, and businesses and to use for open house, airshows, tradeshows, and more. The Marketing and Strategic Communications team has both 2021 issues available, the Special Edition Fall anniversary issue (right) and the Spring issue with the Proud Past-Remembering the Future poster.
f you’d like a supply of magazines to distribute, simply email MAC@capnhq.gov and request a quantity. Minimum quantity is 20, so consider 10 of each issue to help tell a diverse CAP story.
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Online Communications Conference Set for Dec. 11 |
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This is a reminder that the Pacific Region will be conducting a virtual Communications Conference on Dec. 11, from noon-4 p.m. PST.
The region's first virtual communications conference will feature presenters from within CAP, industry, federal agencies, and the state of Oregon. The conference will include presentations about the new CAP HF radio equipment, the GETS program, FirstNet, and interoperability. There will be opportunities to ask questions. The conference will also be recorded.
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In 1966, members of the Massachusetts Wing were winding down their celebrations for CAP's 25th birthday when the Williamstown squadron hosted an open house.
The program included speeches from a number of local dignitaries and featured a film about the cadet program.
Read more about the open house in this article in the North Adams Transcript.
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Operation Pulse Lift
Every unit of blood collected through the combined efforts of Civil Air Patrol volunteers saves three lives. This year, Operation Pulse Lift has collected:
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CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications
877-227-9142
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