First Air Force Commander Visits Headquarters
First Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Kirk S. Pierce (at right) visited Civil Air Patrol and CAP-USAF Headquarters on April 21. Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's National Commander and CEO, briefed him on CAP's missions and focus areas. Then Pierce visited the Aerospace Education and Cadet Programs office area, where Dr. Jeff Montgomery showed him CAP’s STEM Kits and Curt LaFond shared some of the great experiences CAP offers to help cadets be successful in life.

After that, Pierce visited the basement of National Headquarters, where the National Operations Center is moving over the next several weeks. In the new NOC area, John Desmarais and Austin Worcester (at left) showed the general several of CAP’s small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and one of CAP’s Airborne Extensible Relay and Over-the-Horizon Network (AERONet) systems used in hurricane- or earthquake-stressed environments where communications and internet infrastructure have been damaged.
National Cell Phone Forensics Team Marks 15th Anniversary

Fifteen years ago, a search and rescue mission for a missing airplane in Pennsylvania became the spark that later led to the establishment of Civil Air Patrol’s National Cell Phone Forensics Team.

At the time, then-1st Lt. Justin Ogden (at right) was a member of the Penn State Composite Squadron. Multiple wings and squadrons were involved in the search for a Maryland Wing member on a non-CAP flight.

The search lasted six days before cellphone data Ogden provided helped lead to the crash site just north of the Pennsylvania border, about 45 nautical miles northwest of Frederick, Maryland, the plane’s last known location.
Save the Dates: National Conference Scheduled
for Aug. 12-14; Change of Command, Aug. 26
CAP has set new dates for three national events this summer, including its 2021 National Conference and a change of command ceremony for National Commander/CEO and National Vice Commander.

The National Conference — to be virtual again this year — will be Aug. 12-14, while the change of command ceremony to swear in Maj. Gen. Mark Smith's successor will be the morning of Aug. 26 before the in-person Summer Command Council meeting. The change of command will be viewable live online and it also will be recorded.

Details, including conference and meeting times and the Command Council meeting's location, will be announced later in PROPS.
3 More Cadets Earn 'Wings' Through CAP Program
Now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased a bit nationwide, more CAP cadets have earned their private pilot certificates through the Cadet Wings program.

Here are the 77th, 78th and 79th candidates to receive their certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration:

  • Cadet Lt. Col. Sara Schofield (at top) of the Illinois Wing's Col. Shorty Powers Composite Squadron in Romeoville, received her certificate April 16.

  • Cadet Capt. Brenden Miller, a member of the Arizona Wing's Deer Valley Composite Squadron 302 in Phoenix, received his certificate April 20. Miller is pictured (above left) with his primary flight instructor, Capt. Frants Madsen. 
  • Cadet Lt. Col. Brian Di Mascio (at right), a member of the California Wing's San Fernando Cadet Squadron 137, received his certificate April 21.

Now in its second year, the Air Force-funded Cadet Wings program has 64 pilot candidates still enrolled. About one-third are close to receiving their certificates.
Salute to Volunteers Ends with New Video, Profile
National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Ed Phelka discusses the important role volunteers play in CAP's and thanks them for their service in a new video (above) on CAP's YouTube Channel.

Phelka's video puts a wrap on CAP's monthlong observance of National Volunteer Appreciation Month, which has also included social media posts profiling two CAP volunteers — Col. Frank A. Blazich Jr. and 2nd Lt. Jetro Da Silva.
11 NESA-MTT Instructors Honored by FEMA
Eleven members of Civil Air Patrol's “Global Campus” National Emergency Services Academy-Mobile Training Team (NESA-MTT) have been honored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute and designated as FEMA/EMI national instructors for five courses offered by the school.

Over the last 10 months the 11 instructors have taught over 30 classes to over 700 FEMA and other emergency management professionals from across the nation and 51 from around the world at the International Association of Emergency Managers Annual Conference.
NHQ News
National Commander Provides Retention Tips

National Headquarters' Marketing & Strategic Communications team is reprising National Commander/CEO Maj. Gen. Mark Smith’s Recruiting and Retention Series from 2018.

Smith's  “Introduction to Retention Video Series,” starting the second half of his 2018 series, is featured today.
Redesigned 'Volunteer' Magazine Now Online
The digital version of the Spring 2021 issue of CAP's biannual magazine, Civil Air Patrol Volunteer, is now live, reflecting a phased magazine refresh that includes a brand new cover format.

The cover story examines the exercises CAP conducts alongside the Air Force and other military services. The article profiles CAP's special training programs for the armed forces — with names like Cadet Wings, Falcon Virgo, Felix Hawk, Fertile Keynote, Green Flag, JSTARS, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Bird Dog and RPP.

A centerpiece story and photos from CAP’s virtual National Legislative Days campaign, entitled "Pandemic & Politics," is also featured.

Videos accompany both stories in the online version. A print version of the spring issue will soon be delivered to senior members.

Other highlights include:
  • 80th Anniversary remarks from Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, who wraps up a four-year term as National Commander/CEO this summer;
  • A legacy profile of then-Cadet Maj. Robert Barger III, the first person to celebrate an 18th birthday in Antarctica; and
  • New articles from CAP's Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Education and Training directorates.
New NCSAs Added and Spaces Still Available
Cadet Programs has just added several national-level activities, and a few slots remain unfilled for existing activities. (See the updated list below.) There is no “late” status this year so adding these preferences to an application will not affect your consideration for other activities for which you are an alternate. Go to ncsas.com for the complete list of activities and their prerequisites. Apply via eServices/Cadet Programs/Registration and Payment module.

  • National Flight Academy-Alaska Wing Glider Flight Academy, Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, May 28-June 6.
  • National Flight Academy-North Central Region Glider Flight Academy (new location), Yoder, Kansas, June 8-18.
  • National Flight Academy-Great Lakes Region Powered Flight Academy, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, June 12-20.
  • Cyberspace Networking Course and Cyberspace Operations Fundamentals Course, Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 27-July 3.
  • National Virtual Private Pilot Ground School Course, Virtual (Maine), July 5-Aug. 9.
  • Cyberspace Networking Course and Cyberspace Operations Fundamentals Course, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, July 25-30.
  • Great Lakes Region Cybersecurity Academy-IOT/OT Course, Great Lakes Region Cybersecurity Academy-Networking Course and Great Lakes Region Cybersecurity Academy-Systems Course, Virtual (Michigan), July 25-31.
  • Mid-Atlantic Region Honor Guard Academy Advanced, State Military Reservation (historically known as Camp Pendleton), Virginia Beach, Virginia, Aug. 1-7.
Numbered 80th Anniversary Coins for Sale
Newly designed coins commemorating CAP's 80th Anniversary are now on sale through Vanguard.

The coins are numbered 1-300, and are available for a 15% discount for a limited time with the promo code CAPMAG, listed in the Vanguard ad on page 51 in the new Civil Air Patrol Volunteer.
Registration Begins May 1 for Air Force Marathon
Registration begins May 1 for the Air Force Marathon, complete with a 15% discount for CAP members participating in any related event or distance.

The 15OFFCAP discount code applies to the in-person event Sept. 16-18 in Dayton, Ohio, or to virtual events throughout that month. It also applies to any or all of the six virtual Heritage Race series taking place every two months.  
For “This Week in CAP History,” we are spotlighting the Alabama Wing’s disaster relief efforts after a series of tornadoes devastated the Southeast in the spring of 2011. Members from Alabama and other states flew over the devastated areas to assess damage across the region.

Their efforts, which included nine aircraft and 20 sorties generating more than 2,000 photos, helped state officials and local first responders to better understand the situation on the ground.
 
Thanks to all Alabama Wing volunteers who participated in this critical mission.

Read the original article here on the Air Force website.
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