Civil Air Patrol's involvement in NORAD's aircraft intercept exercises from Homestead Air Force Base in Florida is explained in this news video from the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach. CAP aircrews and aircraft participate in the exercises as “tracks of interest,” helping the pilots at Homestead practice to secure no-fly zones in South Florida. The pilots are on high alert to intercept general aviation pilots who stray into the area and violate restricted airspace.

National Command Chief Reflects on Service

Chief Master Sgt. Todd H. Parsons' term as Civil Air Patrol's national command chief ends in August.

He has served on the CAP Command Team since 2022. In that role, he has led the organization's noncommissioned officer corps, which has grown to about 500 NCOs, and advised two national commanders while participating in the command team's decision-making, as appropriate, on technical, operational, and organizational issues.

Recently Parsons reflected on that service and shared his thoughts about his three-year term as national command chief.

National Headquarters is currently accepting nominations for the next national command chief, but only through 11:59 p.m. CST today.

Visit this GoCivilAirPatrol webpage to find out more about the selection process and its requirements.

Illinois Wing Cadet Flying for Civil Air Patrol

Cadet Capt. Ruthie Wriedt of the Illinois Wing’s Rockford Composite Squadron is now flying Civil Air Patrol missions as a certified CAP pilot — a role usually filled by adult members, not cadets.

Wriedt (pictured at the controls during a CAP qualifying flight) has also obtained Mission Scanner status and continues to make proficiency flights.

Her accomplishments in and outside CAP continue. Last month she passed the Amelia Earhart Award exam to advance to cadet captain, and she’s also a Federal Aviation Administration-licensed airframe mechanic.

Virginia Cadets Take Second in Cisco Challenge

Cadets from the Virginia Wing's Burke Composite Squadron placed second nationally this year in the Cisco NetAcad Challenge, a component of CyberPatriot 17, the Air & Space Forces Association's youth cyber education program competition.

The Burke Composite cadets made up one of two Civil Air Patrol teams competing in CyberPatriot's All Service Division national finals, joining an entry from the New Jersey Wing’s Raritan Valley Composite Squadron. The New Jersey Wing team reached the national stage in Bethesda, Maryland, for the third straight year, while its Virginia Wing counterpart appeared for the second consecutive year.

The Cisco challenge involved teams demonstrating their networking knowledge through a quiz and a virtual networking exercise based on Cisco Networking Academy training materials. 

Georgia Wing Supports National Guard Bureau, Other Agencies in Mass Disaster Response Exercise

Georgia Wing members joined forces with the National Guard Bureau and federal, state, and local emergency agencies for PATRIOT 25, a full-scale disaster response exercise held through March 29 at multiple locations across Georgia.

PATRIOT 25, which began March 16, simulated the aftermath of a catastrophic 6.9-magnitude earthquake centered in Savannah. The exercise focuses on readiness and interoperability among emergency responders during large-scale disaster scenarios.

NHQ News

CAP Participating in National Pause for General Aviation Safety Initiative

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association issued a National Pause for General Aviation Safety initiative this morning at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida — encouraging every GA pilot in America to reflect on safety in an effort to further drive down the accident rate.

Michael Nunemaker, CAP's chief strategy officer, simultaneously announced Civil Air Patrol's participation in the five-month initiative, inviting every CAP pilot to join in the National Pause for GA Safety. CAP is one of 22 participating pilot organizations, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

Participating is easy. Simply go to GAsafe.org, select the type of flying you enjoy, then select and review at least one of the many safety resources provided on that website. You can also earn FAA WINGS credit. Additional details are provided in AOPA's Open Letter to General Aviation Pilots.

CAP Observes Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to reaffirm Civil Air Patrol's commitment to youth protection: not just in words but in action.

“As we gear up for a busy summer of encampments, National Cadet Special Activities (NCSAs), and Cadet Special Activities (CSAs), it’s the perfect time to reflect on how we, as members and stakeholders of Civil Air Patrol, can strengthen our culture of safety and accountability,“ said Katie Thurson, manager of CAP's Youth Protection Program.

Registration Open for Aerospace Education's High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets

Registration for CAP Aerospace Education's fifth annual Col. Joe Kittinger CAP National Aerospace High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets opens today and continues through May 11. 

Any cadet or composite squadron may register for this national STEM challenge at no cost. 

Teams work to select one or more science experiments to test the effects of high altitude on that experiment to determine how humans can live and work in space. The experiments will be launched to the edge of the stratosphere in high-altitude weather balloons.

Details are available on the High-Altitude Balloon Challenge webpage. Address questions to hab@capnhq.gov. 

Textron Returns as National Title Sponsor

Textron Aviation is returning as CAP's 2025 National Title Sponsor.

Gain visibility for your brand while making a meaningful impact on aerospace education, youth development, and emergency services across our nation.

Contact capsponsor@gocivilairpatrol.org for more information.

Applications Sought for Volunteer Staff Positions

National Headquarters is accepting nominations for two volunteer staff positions — AeroNet Section Lead and Team Awareness (TAK) Section Lead.

Visit this link to find the position descriptions and application information.

Applications for both positions must be received by 11:59 pm CST April 27.

Top Headlines

“Lancaster [Pa.] Civil Air Patrol Cadets Honored for Response to Plane Crash”

-wgal.com

“One of the Last Mississipppi Coast World War II Veterans Honored for Birthday, Iwo Jima Anniversary”

-aol.com

“Shasta County [Calif.] Cadets Shine with Pride Presenting Colors at NCAA Tournament”

-krcrtv.com

“Misawa AB Civil Air Patrol to Host Open House”

-japan.stripes.com

“Minot [N.D.) Civil Air Patrol Cadets Head to Regional Competition”

-kfyrtv.com

For more information, go to Operation Pulse Lift's 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.