Change of Command On Tap for Thursday
Maj. Gen. (select) Edward D. Phelka will assume command of Civil Air Patrol the morning of Aug. 26 in his home state of Michigan. Phelka and newly appointed National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. (select) Regena Aye will be sworn in during a private change of command ceremony in Detroit limited in attendance because of COVID-19 precautions.

A video of the ceremony will be available to members and the public at 7 p.m. Central on CAP's YouTube Channel. A link to the video will be sent out Thursday.
Phelka will be the National Commander and also Chief Executive Officer. The former National Vice Commander succeeds Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, who has led Civil Air Patrol for four years.

Aye will assist Phelka as National Vice Commander, following a year as the chief of CAP's Education and Training program. She previously served as North Central Region Commander and Kansas Wing Commander.

Phelka and Aye are former cadets and both earned CAP's top cadet honor, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award.
N.C. Wing sUAS Team Credited with Helping Save Missing Woman

CAP’s small Unmanned Aerial Systems program has recorded its first life saved, thanks to a successful North Carolina Wing search Aug. 17 for an elderly dementia patient.

The sUAS team — (from left) Majs. Ricky Jones, Capt. Robert Rimmer, team leader, and Maj. Doug Moody — was deployed to join the search in Scotland County, North Carolina, along with two ground teams. The state Emergency Management System requested CAP assistance after a 78-year-old woman wandered away from her senior living home, and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center authorized the mission.

After the woman was located, the sUAS and ground teams were recognized by First Air Force's AFRCC for their contributions in saving her.
Ariz. Squadron Celebrates Collection of 900th Unit
Members of the Arizona Wing's Falcon Composite Squadron 305 (at left) celebrate the collection of their 900th blood unit since beginning its support of CAP's Operation Pulse Lift COVID-19 response.

The milestone was reached last week during the squadron's 31st COVID-19 blood donor center activity — the highest such number in CAP during the pandemic. The donor was retired U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Armando Ramirez (seated).
Fla., N.Y. Cadets Earn 'Wings' Through CAP Program

Within the past week, two more Civil Air Patrol cadets have earned their FAA private pilot certificates through the Cadet Wings program, becoming the 121st and 122nd cadets to do so.

Cadet Maj. Ramffys Paniagua (#121) of the Florida Wing's Treasure Coast Composite Squadron, pictured above, received his certificate Aug. 13. Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Zachary Derck (#122) of the New York Wing's Rochester Composite Squadron, pictured below, received his certificate Aug. 16.
Minn. Cadet Encampment Combines Fun, Discipline
More than 70 Minnesota Wing cadets attended wing encampment this summer, participating in activities ranging from classroom instruction and physical training to a leader’s reaction course and an obstacle course that taught problem-solving under stressful conditions.

Cadet Senior Airman Megan Greshowak of the St. Cloud Composite Squadron shared her biggest takeaway from the activity at the Army National Guard’s Camp Ripley in Little Falls: “Having fun and being disciplined are not two completely different things. That’s what I thought before I came here, but now I know I can have fun and be disciplined at the same time.”

Her observation inspired the central theme of a CAP.news photo essay, with each image showing ways Greshowak and cadets from other units around the wing learned the same lesson in different ways.
NHQ News
How Has Your Life Changed?

Over the past year, we’ve all learned that life can change quickly — and through it all, your support has aided American communities with emergency response and supported cadets and continuing aerospace education with an eye on the future.
 
It's National Make-A-Will Month, and Civil Air Patrol is here to thank you by helping you support your own loved ones. If you are in the majority of people who do not have an up-to-date legal will in place, you can use FreeWill, a free, secure online service resource that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will in 20 minutes or less.
 
This month, take care of all the changes in your life.
'Wingman Safety' Encouraged for Senior Members
CAP's Safety Program explores “Wingman Safety” in this member feature written by 1st Lt. Olivia Higgins, Safety Officer for the Maryland Wing's Harford Composite Squadron. The feature focuses on senior members and encourages them to use the I'm Safe Checklist in caring for each other.
In addition, the Safety Program is urging all members to be mindful of CAP's Safety Spotlight over the next three months:
As Civil Air Patrol approaches its 80th anniversary, it’s important to remember our roots during World War II.

On “This Week in CAP History,” the Tennessee Wing’s Jackson Composite Squadron opened for operations in 1944, and the Jackson Sun covered it with an entire page of articles. The Sun reported on CAP’s cadet programs and emergency services capabilities. The newspaper also cited praise from senior leaders (including Gen. Hap Arnold) and mentioned the organization's inclusivity.
This Week's Top Headlines
“Connecticut Air Guard Welcomes Local Civil Air Patrol Cadets”
(East Granby, Conn.)

“Flying With a Purpose: Teen Pilot Transports School Supplies to Those in Need”
(Leesburg, Va.)

“Teens Welcome to Become Civil Air Patrol Cadets”
(Lakewood, N.J.)
Tweet of the Week_@CivilAirPatrol
Insta Photo of the Week #CivilAirPatrol

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