National Commander Leads By Example
The state of the nation’s blood supply is critically low, prompting the American Red Cross to declare, for the first time, a National Blood Crisis.

Much of the nation is nearly at or below a one-day supply, forcing some surgeries to be postponed.

Civil Air Patrol National Commander/CEO Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka (pictured here) responded to the news by making an appointment to donate blood Sunday and asked others to follow suit. “Join me in participating in Operation Pulse Lift and help save lives,” he said.

With the Red Cross declaration, now is the time for CAP to show its resilience and continue to assist in stabilizing the nation's blood supply. Through Operation Pulse Lift, CAP will host 13 blood donation centers in four states over the next 30 days.

“I encourage CAP members to make an appointment to donate blood,” Phelka said. “Scheduling an appointment is easy at redcrossblood.org,”
Every unit of blood collected through the combined efforts of Civil Air Patrol volunteers saves three lives. During its 21-month response to COVID-19, Operation Pulse Lift has collected this number of units:
Because of its COVID-related efforts, Civil Air Patrol has reached National Premier Partner status — the highest honor for an outside organization that supports the Red Cross' blood mission.

Operation Pulse Lift's new stretch goal is 10,000 units by Feb. 14.
'Nick News' to Feature
Civil Air Patrol This Week

CAP’s cadet program will be featured on the Nickelodeon channel at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time Jan. 19.

Tune in Wednesday to watch Nickelodeon’s “Nick News” host Gabrielle “Gabby” Green be a Civil Air Patrol cadet for a day. She visited the California Wing for an orientation ride, learned about CAP's aerospace education program, and talked about the organization's emergency services missions.

After the CAP feature airs, the episode should be available for viewing here.
Nebraska Governor Meets with CAP Volunteers
Members of the Nebraska Wing got a jump Jan.14 on the National Legislative Day (NLD) Campaign during Gov. Pete Ricketts' visit to North Platte Regional Airport.

Ricketts was at Lee Bird Field — home of the wing's new headquarters — for a news conference (at right). Afterward, he stepped into the Wing Headquarters office for an impromptu conversation with (below, from left) 1st Lt. Tom Moore, Lee Bird Composite Squadron vice commander; wing administrator Donna Tope; and 2nd Lt. Dean Dike, Lee Bird squadron commander

Because of COVID-19, the NLD Campaign will be a mostly virtual event this year, held over a series of weeks from Feb. 14-March 18. It's an opportunity for CAP members to meet with their congressional offices to inform and educate them about the U.S. Air Force auxiliary's operations and programs across the nation.

Questions can be sent to DCOffice@capnhq.gov.
Hunt Takes Command of Great Lakes Region
This past weekend, former Wisconsin Wing Commander Col. Rose Hunt became the new commander of CAP's Great Lakes Region. She succeeds Col. Matthew Creed, who had led the region since January 2018.

In her new role, Hunt is responsible for the command and administration of more than 6,600 volunteers, 66 powered aircraft, 110 vehicles, and six gliders across the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin wings.

She accepted the appointment from Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP national commander/CEO, who said, “Col. Hunt brings a wealth of experience from all of CAP’s missions, C-suite business leadership experience, and a proven talent for mentoring to the role of region commander. I’m excited for the future of the Great Lakes Region, and I’m thrilled to have Col. Hunt join the CAP Senior Advisory Group.”
New CAP Aerospace Education STEM Kit Available
The newest addition to CAP's STEM Kit Program is Engino' s Mechanics Cams & Cranks (pictured here). It teaches cadets and students how to transmit power using cams and cranks and how they can be used to convert reciprocal to linear motion. Students discover how these mechanisms are crucial elements of many machines even though they're not considered “simple machines.”

With the new kit, cadets and students can build eight working models, such as a fishing crane, an oil pump, a moving figure, a moving bridge, a sewing machine, and a flying eagle.

Easy-to-follow building instructions for all models can be found either online or in the included booklet. The booklet provides detailed explanations of the scientific principles applied and incorporates innovative experimental activities for hands-on learning. A quiz section is also available to challenge newly acquired knowledge.

Students can conduct thorough experiments and discover how the handle's position affects force and speed, how the crank's position affects force and speed, and how to switch between different types of motion by using cams.
Participants in CAP's Youth Development Conference Focus on 'Interactions in Action'
Cadet Programs hosted the third annual Youth Development Conference online Jan. 14-16, drawing 90 participants — including wing- and region-level cadet program directors, CAP-USAF liaison region staff, national cadet team members and positive youth development experts — to explore “Interactions in Action.”

The conference focused on leveraging the experiential learning cycle and choice theory strategies to help leaders think about program development and explore how the simple habit of reflection can significantly affect youth development, elevating cadets' experiences from fun and memorable to meaningful, substantial moments of growth.
NHQ News
Does Your Employer Match Your Contributions?
Many corporations match employee and retiree contributions, including volunteer hours. Others have volunteer grant programs that recognize your work with a financial donation. It’s a win-win for your squadron while maximizing your CAP support.
Safety Program's January Newsletter Published
The latest edition of the Safety Beacon, online newsletter of Civil Air Patrol's Safety Program, is now available. This month’s edition focuses on information needed for a successful Safety Risk Management Day, updates to National Safety Officer College 2022, upgrades to CAP’s Safety Information Reporting System, and how safety is linked to stewardship.
Applications Sought for Mentoring Program Director
The Education & Training program is accepting applications for a director of the Mentoring Program. Visit GoCivilAirPatrol.com for details on this and other national volunteer staff positions.
This Week's Top Headlines
“Livermore (Calif.) Civil Air Patrol Member Awarded National Lifesaving Award”

“180th Fighter Wing Made a Mighty Roar Wednesday Afternoon”

“NAFI Board Gets New Chair”
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