Members from Across Civil Air Patrol Flock

to Wisconsin for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Members of Civil Air Patrol's Wisconsin Wing and National Blue Beret cadets were on the job at and near EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this past week, with participants based at five airports in central Wisconsin to provide search support and other assistance.

CAP was tasked to locate all overdue aircraft and emergency locator transmitters within 50 miles of Oshkosh during AirVenture — the world’s largest fly-in, attracting more than 650,000 aviation enthusiasts and 10,000 aircraft each year. Members also provided flight line marshalling and other support activities for the event.

Civil Air Patrol's social media coverage during AirVenture included Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka and National Blue Beret cadets participating in an Honor Flight event and one of CAP's GA-8 aircraft on display in Boeing Plaza for Public Benefit Flying Day.

Maryland Cadets Lead Way as CAP Teams Sweep UAS4STEM Top Beginner Spots

Civil Air Patrol cadets swept the Beginners Division of the Academy of Model Aeronautics' UAS4STEM national drone competition at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, with teams from the Maryland, Alabama, and Tennessee wings taking the top three positions in results announced July 26.

The Maryland Wing's St. Mary's Composite Squadron team (pictured above) finished first, the Alabama Wing's joint entry from the Redstone and Mountain Lakes squadrons placed second, and the Tennessee Wing's Greeneville Composite Squadron cadets came in third.

UAS4STEM is the Academy for Model Aeronautics’ Unmanned Aerial Systems for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program. 

Additional cadets from the Alabama Wing’s Redstone Composite Squadron, which reached the national finals for the third straight year, represented CAP in the Advanced Division of the competition. 

National Cadet Special Activities

At Engineering Technology Academy, 'You Get

to Figure Out What You're Passionate About'

About 40 Civil Air Patrol cadets converged this summer at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro for CAP’s National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy, also known as E-Tech.

Participating as students and staff, the cadets hailed from as far away as the Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, and Texas wings — and even, in one case, Ramstein Cadet Squadron in Germany.

Activities covered aerospace, engineering technology, physics and astronomy, data science, concrete and construction management, geosciences, biology, chemistry, and mechatronics.

Check out this E-Tech video, with cadets in attendance telling what they liked best about the academy:

Cadets Explore Cyber Concepts at Academy

Cadets and adult members devoted two weeks recently to exploring and working to master some of the latest developments in the ever-shifting realm of cyberspace, as presented at the National Cyber Academy in Hampton, Virginia.

The academy, led by Senior Master Sgt. Jared Mast of Virginia Wing Group 2 for the third year, aimed to provide cyber-focused career exploration and training courses with the goal of fostering cybersecurity and information technology knowledge, increasing awareness, and generating greater interest in the field.

Civil Air Patrol, Army National Guard Collaborate

Increased collaboration was the focus when officials with the Alabama Wing and the Alabama National Guard met recently.

Cols. Brian Williams, Alabama Wing commander; Todd Wheeler, Alabama National Guard chief of plans; and Joshua Cloud, Alabama National Guard chief of staff, discussed working together during disaster response missions and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) training, along with the use of Army National Guard facilities for Civil Air Patrol activities. Robert Griffith, CAP-USAF Southeast Region liaison, participated in the conversation as well.

Selph Takes Command of New Mexico Wing

Col. Andrew Selph is the new commander of the New Mexico Wing and its more than 650 members.

Selph, who succeeds Col. Annette Peters, was sworn in July 22 during a hangar ceremony at Kirtland Air Force Base.

“The honor of leading our volunteers across the state is mine, and I’m grateful for their volunteer service,” Selph said. “This organization has been part of my life for over 40 years, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve in this position.” 

New York Cadet Receives Spaatz

at Encampment He Commands

Cadet Col. Evan Regan of the New York Wing received Civil Air Patrol’s top cadet honor this month at the encampment where he served as cadet commander.

Regan (at right) received the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award at Hancock Field National Guard Base, site of the New York Wing’s Basic Summer Leadership Encampment. Making the presentation was Maj. Gen. Denise Donnell, New York Air National Guard commander.

A CAP member since October 2018, Regan has been active in all aspects of the cadet program. He started in the Connecticut Wing’s 801st Cadet Squadron, then transferred in June 2019 to the New York Wing’s Putnam County Composite Squadron , where he served as cadet commander from 2021-2022. He also served as cadet executive officer, communications officer, and public affairs officer.

Last year he was cadet executive officer of the wing encampment.

Arizona Wing's Educator Member Numbers Surge

The Arizona Wing’s educator member ranks have grown by more than 70% — to 225 from 131 — after the aerospace education team wrapped up a series of six presentations to teachers completing a professional continuing education program offered by Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

The team was invited to share the story of Civil Air Patrol, provide information about the educator membership program, conduct an aerospace education activity, and invite educators to join CAP as education members.

The Arizona Wing's director of aerospace education, Lt. Col. Ron Marks (pictured above), collaborated with the university to develop the summer outreach effort as part of a training program known as ASSET, Accelerated Summer STEM Educator Training. The training program incorporated four days of workshops, including the session headed by CAP aerospace education officers.

NHQ News

National Make-A-Will Month

Join thousands who are making a will in August to:

• Dictate your vision for the future and your assets.
• Show your loved ones just how much you care about them.
• Create a legacy to shape the next generation of service leaders through Civil Air Patrol.

In just 20 minutes, you can create your own will with the help of our partner, FreeWill. And it’s completely free.

By using this service today, you’ll get lifetime access to make updates and changes to your plan at no cost. And if you choose to include a gift to CAP, we are so grateful for the generational impact you’ll make for our cadets and community.

When you include CAP in your estate plans, you also become eligible to become a member of the Semper Vigilans Society.

Learn More About Wing Command Through Seminar

Have you ever considered being a wing commander one day? Ever wonder what a wing commander's role and responsibilities are? Wish you had an opportunity to learn more? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then you should consider attending this Leadership Development Virtual Seminar offered by Volunteer University.

The purpose of the seminar is to provide answers to those questions for CAP members interested in being a wing commander. The seminar will be presented Aug. 26-27. Each day of this weekend will consist of a variety of topics relevant to a wing commander's success, including wing and National Headquarters' directorate interactions.

In addition, those considering application for a wing command will be assisted in assessing their development needs and then be paired with the right mentor to guide them if requested.

The deadline for registering for this seminar is Aug. 19.

This Week's Top Headlines

“Civil Air Patrol to Assist with Safety at 2023 Spiedie Fest”

-WBNG.com

(Dickinson, N.Y.)

“Laughlin Air Force Base Hosts Civil Air Patrol Cadets for Immersive Week-Long Tour”

-Laughlin.AF.mil

(Laughlin AFB, Texas)

“CAP Cadets Seek Glider Pilot Licenses”

-DChieftain.com

(Socorro, N.M.)

Tweet of the Week @Civil Air Patrol

InstaPhoto 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.