Hawaii Wing Mourns Loss of Pilots On Training Mission

Two Civil Air Patrol pilots participating in a Hawaii Wing tsunami alert training mission perished Sunday in an accident on Kaua’i.

“We lost two valued members of our CAP ohana this weekend,” said Col. Chantal Lonergan, wing commander. “Our hearts remain with their families.”

Lt. Col. James E. “Jim” Degnan and Capt. David J. Parker, both retired military pilots, were taking part in the wing’s monthly U.S. Air Force-assigned exercises when the accident occurred over land about 3 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time — just 11 minutes into their flight.

Fire Air 1 responded and located the wreckage of their CAP aircraft on a ridge near the Pihea Trail in Koke’e State Park on the island's northwest side. Rescuers were unable to reach the crash site because of the mountainous terrain on that side of the island and inclement weather that moved into the area. The bodies of the pilots were recovered Monday morning.
Nelson Named Pacific Region Commander
Col. Virginia M. Nelson will continue her service as Pacific Region commander, officially accepting the appointment made last week by Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP’s national commander and CEO. She will be sworn in March 26 at the joint Pacific Region-Washington Wing Conference in Olympia.

Nelson, the region’s former chief of staff, has served as interim commander since Jan. 5 after Col. George Ishikata's death Dec. 30.

“Col. Nelson is a highly accomplished volunteer with a history of success at all levels of Civil Air Patrol,” Phelka said.
Colorado Cadets Take Third Place at CyberPatriot XIV
The Colorado Wing’s Air Academy Cadet Squadron team placed third nationally March 20 in the Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition finals, giving Civil Air Patrol teams 11 top-three finishes in 14 years, including three overall titles.

Members of the Air Academy Cadet Squadron team, with National Commander/CEO Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka (left) and National Command Chief Master Sgt. Todd Parsons, are (from left) Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Isabella Olivarez; Cadet 1st Lt. Racheal Johnson; Cadet Lt. Col. Jenna Jones, team captain; Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Brylon Broughton; and Cadet Airman Natalie Feng.
Celebrating Women's History Month
During its observance of Women's History Month, Civil Air Patrol takes a look back at former Illinois Wing cadet and CAP alumnus Mary Kay “MK” Higgins — one of the first female navigators in the U.S. Air Force.
NHQ News
Open House Materials Available to CAP Recruiters
The Marketing & Strategic Communications team is now providing an online Open House Kit for volunteers involved in their units' recruiting and retention efforts. The kit includes banner designs, tabletop pieces, cards, etc.

Each of the CAP products offered in the Open House Kit are brand compliant.

Also available for a limited time are 16-inch-by-36-inch Timeline Flight posters (pictured above, offered and shipped free of charge but only in quantities of 25). Extra copies of the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine — the Spring 2021 Issue and the 80th Anniversary (Fall 2021) edition — are also available.

Please send requests for posters and magazines here. Be sure to include a street mailing address and phone number with your order.
Cyber Activity Set This Summer at Air Force Academy
CAP Cyber Programs will be hosting an in-residence cyber program in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Region at the U.S. Air Force Academy the week of June 13-18. This program is limited to 20 cadets with a cost per cadet of $225.

This will be the inaugural year for the new Cyberspace Advanced Administration Course. During the week, participants will learn about application stacks (LAMP stack with WordPress), domain controllers, and distributed security policies and configuring an email server with all the necessary protocols and programs.
Safety Program's March Newsletter Published

This month’s Safety Beacon, online newsletter of CAP's Safety Program, focuses on upcoming changes to CAP Regulation 160-2, Safety Reporting and Review, as well as an airplane parking case study and information from the National Weather Service for this spring.
This Week's Top Headlines
“Tillamook Family Learns to Fly Together”
(Tillamook, Ore.)

“Bell County High School Students Learn About Aviation”
(Middlesboro, Ky.)

“Civil Air Patrol Members Answer the Call for Help in Their Communities”
(Enid, Okla.)
Tweet of the Week @Civil Air Patrol
Insta Photo of the Week #Civil Air Patrol
Every unit of blood collected through the combined efforts of Civil Air Patrol volunteers saves three lives. During its 23-month response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Operation Pulse Lift has collected this number of units:
Operation Pulse Lift's two-year COVID-19 anniversary (April 15) stretch goal is 12,000 units.

CAP Marketing & Strategic Communications

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