PROPS: IAEM, AETC Honor CAP Members; CAP 'Saves' Count Up to 120 for FY20

CAP Sweeps Emergency Services Honors

Civil Air Patrol captured the three highest national-level awards from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) in the areas of emergency services — the second time in three years.

National Headquarters was notified Aug. 12 that the organization, and two of its members, had secured the:

2020 IAEM Volunteer Emergency Management Organization of the Year Award; to CAP for extraordinary Emergency Management contributions during the 2019 calendar year.
2020 IAEM Volunteer Emergency Manager of the Year Award; to Lt. Col. Rick Woolfolk (at right), for exceptional contributions across the full spectrum of Emergency Management.
2020 IAEM U.S. Uniformed Services Auxiliary Emergency Manager of the Year Award; to Lt. Col. Eric Templeton (top left), for extraordinary Emergency Management volunteer contributions during the 2019 calendar year as a member of CAP or the U.S. Coast Guard.

This marked the second time in three years CAP swept the IAEM national Volunteer Emergency Services awards. The first was in 2017 when the Arizona Wing, Col. Brian Ready and Maj. Justin Ogden received the same awards. Last year, Col. Rick Fawcett, commander of the Wyoming Wing, received the Uniformed Services award.

Lt. Col. Bob Ditch, CAP's liaison to IAEM, said, “All these accounted for seven national-level awards attained, more than any other Emergency Management agency since the awards first were introduced.”

CAP Helps Save 19 More Lives in Active Week

A busier-than-usual past week for search and rescue missions has raised CAP's lifesaving total for the current fiscal year to 120. That's 19 more than recorded earlier this month, when CAP marked the fourth consecutive fiscal year it has passed the century mark in lives saved, as credited by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

CAP conducts approximately 90% of all search operations within the U.S. as assigned by the AFRCC.

During the past week, CAP’s National Cell Phone Forensics Team provided much of the support that helped find a 64-year-old woman searching for rocks in the Orleans Mountains in California, a missing hiker near Griffith Peak in Nevada and a 14-year-old boy in Wyoming. CAP was also credited with four saves when a Nevada family of four that had run out of gas was found near Cherry Creek in northeastern Nevada.

More About CAP's 100+ Saves for FY20

CAP Flies In Response to Iowa Windstorm

While thousands of CAP members were watching the first virtual National Conference this past weekend, Iowa Wing aircrews were taking photos (like the image above from Linn County) to document damage from a derecho — a powerful storm with straight-line winds that had reached nearly 100 mph in parts of the state on Aug. 10.

Responding to “high-priority” requests from the Linn County Emergency Management Agency and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 35 members from the Iowa Wing and neighboring Kansas and Illinois wings flew 37 sorties over 36 hours. They flew in nine CAP planes, collecting in excess of 3,500 photos.

The photos of property loss and crop damages throughout Linn County as well as 10 towns/cities in the state were critical to Gov. Kim Reynolds' request for a federal disaster declaration, which she received Aug. 17.

“We turned around the request for photos in the 10 towns/cities — needed by the next afternoon — in less than 24 hours,” said Col. Jonathan Lartigue, Iowa Wing commander, who acknowledged that at least one member of the mission staff was working on generator power because of storm damage.

“We operated as one Civil Air Patrol, got the assets we needed in place, and effectively executed a rapidly changing plan,” Lartigue said. “I am very proud of you all.”

Squadron Commander Named Top AETC Instructor

First Lt. Ralph "Bo" Korpman, an active-duty U.S. Air Force officer who also commands the Texas Wing's Rio del Fierro Composite Squadron, has been named the Air Education and Training Command's 2019 Instructor of the Year among 60,000 personnel.

Since joining CAP in 2014, Korpman has served as a squadron commander, deputy commander of cadets, orientation flight pilot and transport mission pilot.

“We are very proud that 1st Lt. Bo Korpman is being recognized for this award,” said Col. Arlinda Bailey, CAP's national executive officer. “He served as a mentor and role model for youth, paving the way for future leaders.

“In 2019 alone, he spent over 500 hours volunteering as a squadron commander and an orientation flight pilot,” Bailey said.

More About AETC's 2019 Instructor of the Year

Minn.'s Skjeveland 51st CAP Cadet to Earn 'Wings'

On Aug. 16, Cadet 2nd Lt. Sarah Skjeveland of the Minnesota Wing's Mankato Composite Squadron became the 51st cadet to earn her private pilot certificate via CAP's Cadet Wings program.

Like many recent Cadet Wings graduates, Skjeveland overcame significant barriers to achieve her certificate, doing so during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Cadet Wings Graduates

About the Program

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10,000+ Register for CAP's First Virtual Conference

Civil Air Patrol’s first virtual National Conference is one for the record books!

To date, 10,290 registrants have filled the online platform and participated in more than 150 sessions to connect, learn and celebrate. Highlights included the opening assembly with National Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, a focus on innovation by national speaker Dr. Todd Dewett (at right), a rollout of Volunteer University, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Julian Gluck, a CAP member who provided inspiration for the awards ceremony.

Attendees desiring conference credit for professional development have until Aug. 31 to view six sessions and complete a survey for each. Post-conference FAQs are available on the conference portal.

Missed out? You may still register through Aug. 31, and then the portal will close. Content will be available for registrants up to one year.

You can register today with access code CAPExcel2020. (Reminder: The code is case sensitive, so please type or paste as is here.)