To Our Veterans: Thank You for Your Service
Civil Air Patrol is made up of many diverse members who are also veterans or members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have served our nation or still currently serve. They are among the more than 25 million men and women who have served in the nation's military in its 244-year history.

As Americans, we are forever grateful for their service and thank each one every day of the year for their sacrifices. Please make sure you take that sentiment to heart on this Veterans Day — Nov. 11. Take the time on Wednesday to thank a veteran for their service.
One of those former CAP veterans is Col. Gail Halvorsen, the "Candy Bomber" from the Berlin Airlift following World War II. who just celebrated his 100th birthday and is currently being considered for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Before his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force, Halvorsen was one of the first pilots in Utah to join CAP in December 1941. He later conceived Operation Little Vittles, where over 23 tons of candy was dropped to hungry children from U.S. aircraft in 1948-1949. During his subsequent career he was involved in the development of the Titan family of rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory project.

Throughout the years, Halvorsen has also maintained a close relationship with CAP, most recently lending his name to the Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Center being built in his hometown of Spanish Fork City, Utah. He also attended a banquet in the nation's capital on Dec. 10, 2014, where he and other founding members of CAP received a replica of the Congressional Gold Medal (pictured above). The medal was awarded to CAP for those members' service during World War II.

The Utah Wing is assisting in the process of collecting the 100,000 signatures needed for Halvorsen to possibly receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. More information on the petition can be found here.
Ore. Wing's Longley to Serve on Board of Governors
A former commander of the Oregon Wing will serve on CAP’s Board of Governors.

The 11-member Board of Governors, or BoG, is CAP’s top governing body. It consists of four U.S. Air Force appointees, three members appointed jointly by the secretary of the Air Force and CAP's national commander, and four members-at-large selected by the CAP Senior Advisory Group.

Col. John R. Longley Jr., Oregon Wing commander from October 2012-September 2016, was chosen for the BoG by the Senior Advisory Group this past weekend. He will replace Col. Brad Lynn as an at-large member when Lynn's term ends early next year.

Longley’s three-year term begins on March 1.
Hurricane Season Spurs Multiple La. Wing Missions
The Louisiana Wing recently capped a busy hurricane support season that began in late July with Hurricane Hanna, which was followed by hurricanes Laura, Sally, Beta, Delta and Zeta.
For much of the three-month period, Louisiana Wing members flew photo-gathering missions over wind- and flood-battered areas of southwest and central Louisiana under the direction of Air Forces Northern.

After hurricanes Laura and Delta, the wing delivered more than 2,730 high-resolution aerial photographs taken with precision cameras with embedded GPS capabilities.

“We provided the services in response to Department of Defense-approved requests from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP),” said the wing’s commander, Col. Patrick Yglesias.
ACE Program Holds 2020-2021 Liftoff at Fla. School

CAP's Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program for grades K-6 has launched for the 2020-2021 academic year, with this year’s annual national liftoff held at Silver Sands School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Silver Spring School hosted the liftoff after being named CAP’s 2020 National ACE School of the Year out of more than 517 schools. The school, which serves special needs students from pre-K through 12th grade, interwove the ACE program throughout its classes, adjusting lessons to accommodate all the students.

When COVID-19 closures halted in-person instructional programs in the spring, Silver Sands continued to provide ACE lessons to students via YouTube videos created by the school’s ACE coordinator, Marian Gilmore. Principal Stephanie Wheat joined Gilmore in the videos and was instrumental in ensuring the students continued with engaging STEM activities until school began in August.

During the liftoff, special guests joined the students to observe a helicopter landing and the entrance of ACE mascots Cappy and Air Bear.
Learn-A-Thon Draws Nearly 1,000 CAP Participants
Nearly 1,000 CAP members participated in the first ever Learn-A-Thon with Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad).

In August, CAP announced a partnership with Cisco NetAcad giving all members free access to its cybersecurity training materials and resources. To kick off the arrangement, a Learn-A-Thon was launched Sept. 14 for members to complete the Introduction to Cyber Security course.

Wings and regions were challenged to compete to have the highest number of course completions.

The North Dakota Wing placed first with 11.11% participant completions, followed by the Montana and Kansas wings. Illinois, Arkansas, Vermont, Maine, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia rounded out the 10 wings.
NHQ News
CAP General Provides Tips for Effective Leadership
National Headquarters' Marketing & Strategic Communications team is reprising National Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Smith’s Tips for Effective Leadership Video Series from 2019.
Nat'l Commander to Address Royal Aeronautical Society
Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's national commander and CEO, will deliver the 17th annual Assad Kotaite Lecture to members of the Montreal Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society on Nov. 24. The online presentation begins at 7 p.m. EST.

Smith's address is part of a lecture series named for the late Dr. Assad Kotaite of Montreal, acknowledged as one of international civil aviation's most prominent and respected figures.

There is no charge for the Nov. 24 lecture, and outside partners and their members are welcome. Those interested, however, are asked to pre-register online by Nov. 22 or earlier, as the society's webinar platform is limited.
17 Region, Wing Commanders Hone CAP Leadership Skills
CAP's virtual 2020 Region and Wing Commanders College ended Nov. 10 with 17 rising CAP leaders successfully completing the coursework.
 
The training focused on how to help the commanders be successful in their new leadership roles. It was led by activity director, Col. Rose Hunt, past commander of the Wisconsin Wing and mentoring chair for Volunteer University, CAP’s new Education and Training Program. 
 
The 2020 class of the RWCC consisted of:
  • Col. John O’Neil, North Central Region commander
  • Col. Jeff Johnson, Rocky Mountain Region commander
  • Lt. Col. George Ishikata, incoming Pacific Region commander
  • Col. Richard Fawcett, Wyoming Wing commander
  • Col. William “Nick” Ham, Oregon Wing commander
  • Col. Nicholas Gengler, South Dakota Wing commander
  • Col. Robert Freese, Indiana Wing commander
  • Col. Edward Angelovich, North Carolina Wing commander
  • Col. Spencer Gilschrist, Montana Wing commander
  • Col. Jonathan Lartigue, Iowa Wing commander
  • Col. Roger Eaton, Kansas Wing commander
  • Col. Darin Ninness, New Hampshire Wing commander
  • Col. Wes LaPre, Maryland Wing commander
  • Col. Kenneth Schuler, North Dakota Wing commander
  • Col. Robert Pinckard, Arizona Wing commander
  • Col. William Hienz III, Minnesota Wing commander
  • Lt. Col. Leonard Cassell, interim Nebraska Wing commander
Now Accepting Applications for Nat'l Staff Positions
National Headquarters is accepting applications for the following national volunteer staff positions:
  • National Traffic Net (NTN) HF/ALE Station Operator
  • National Grants and Research Manager
  • Grants Specialist - Multiple Positions Available
  • National Public Affairs Staff Assistant
This Week's Top Headlines
“Stanton (Minn.) Civil Air Patrol Wins 1st Place Overall at Cadet Competition”

“Rated Preparatory Program Now Accepting Applications for FY21 Spring Class”

“97-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman Gets Wish to Help Dyslexic Students”

“'Beverly (Mass.) Brothers Receive First Civil Air Patrol Promotions”
Tweet of the Week @CivilAirPatrol

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