Three Teams to Represent CAP in Final Round

of National Youth Cyber Defense Competition

The California Wing’s Fullerton Composite Squadron 56 has reached the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition national finals for the third straight year and the fifth time in six years, joined by a pair of first-time finalists from the Idaho Wing’s Boise Composite Squadron and the New Jersey Wing’s Raritan Valley Composite Squadron.

This is the 15th CyberPatriot competition, created and administered by the Air & Space Forces Association to spur high school and middle school students’ interest in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Cadet Wings Pilots Talk About Experience: 'Indescribable Feeling of Satisfaction'

Cadets from Civil Air Patrol's Florida, Kentucky, and Minnesota wings recently earned their private pilot certificates through the Youth Aviation Initiative's Cadet Wings program.

Read this CAP.news feature to see what (above, from left) Cadet Maj. Ben Allen of the Kentucky Wing's Louisville Cadet Squadron, Cadet Lt. Col. Ashton Mark Campbell of the Florida Wing's 463rd Composite Squadron, and Cadet Airman Miles Flack of the Minnesota Wing's Mankato Composite Squadron have to say about the experience.

National Capital Wing's Cooper Recognized for Lifetime of Dedicated Service to Civil Air Patrol

Born and raised in the District of Columbia, Col. Richard J. Cooper Jr. can look back on a lifetime of contributing to his local community and Civil Air Patrol’s National Capital Wing. He’s focused on giving back as a volunteer by helping provide youth development, leadership, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Cooper has participated in the D.C. National Guard Youth Challenge Academy twice a year since 2015. He routinely addresses young students and instills a sense of self-worth and motivation. He’s also a familiar face at career fairs and student forums at Archbishop John Carroll, Cardoza, and Ballou high schools and St. Augustine Elementary School. He is a role model, especially to students of color.

“I think having role models like me offers the cadets a greater view of life challenges,” Cooper said. “We can act as pathfinders for the cadets with our life experiences.

“Also, with some of our connections, we can help the cadets obtain some of their objectives.”

California Wing Provides Weather Damage Photos

California Wing members responded in the air and on the ground after torrential rainstorms drenched their state in January.

Beginning Jan. 12,  11 Civil Air Patrol aircraft carried out 65 flights. In all, 125 members participated, and 1,500 photos were generated for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The wing provided damage assessment imagery to FEMA for 25 locations from Ventura all the way up the coastline and the Sacramento area.

Women in Aviation International Convenes This Week

Female flying will be the focus from Feb. 23-25 at Civil Air Patrol partner Women in Aviation International’s national convention in California.

Several CAP National Headquarters staff members will exhibit at and attend the conference at Long Beach Convention Center. Those in attendance are invited to stop by the CAP booth — No. 536. On Feb. 24 the conference spotlight will shift to young aspiring pilots with a local Girls in Aviation Day.

NHQ News

New Recruiting Brochures Now Available

Civil Air Patrol's Marketing and Strategic Communications team recently updated a variety of recruiting materials into a cohesive family of brochures.

The brochures can be ordered on eServices from the Material Orders page. Simply go to Administration>Material Orders>Order Request>and select Recruiting Materials and complete the form.

In order to cast the widest net possible, we’d prefer you order packs of all four brochures — cadet, adult, teacher, and pilot — and use them as a set in a single brochure rack (available for $12-$15 online or at most office supplies stores). The brochures are formatted to a standard rack card size (4 by 9 inches), which also fits nicely into a standard business (#10) envelope.

When used as a set, the brochures also reveal CAP’s mission statement —Serving America, Saving Lives, and Shaping Futures.

Title Sponsor Announced for National Conference

Textron Aviation, which supplies the majority of CAP's aircraft, will be the title sponsor for the 2023 National Conference this summer in Bellevue, Washington.

This conference brings together CAP members from across the country and features a full slate of activities, including exciting keynote speakers, learning sessions from members and national staff, Hangar Time in the exhibit hall with sponsors like Textron Aviation and CAP programs, and social events to spend time networking and engaging with other members.

The conference is also the time when Civil Air Patrol recognizes members' fantastic work in a wide range of roles and responsibilities, highlighted by recognition of the CAP Senior and CAP Cadet Members of the Year.

Registration for the conference will open in early April, so save the dates — Aug. 17-19 — and start planning now to join us in Bellevue.

Start 2023 with an Act of Care

It’s not too late to start 2023 on the right foot by completing your free estate plan with a simple and intuitive tool from our friends at FreeWill.

Prioritizing this simple act of self-care extends your self-love even further by supporting CAP’s mission. Take a moment to invest in your own future with this resource.

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Since the beginning of Operation Pulse Lift, a total of 19,758 units have been collected.