Before Super Bowl LIX, Civil Air Patrol participated in exercises with the U.S. Air Force to help the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) ensure the safety and security of airspace around the game, held Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. In one of those exercises, an aircraft from CAP's Louisiana Wing acted as a “target of interest,” helping capture much of the fighter video featured in this Fox News video.

Boehmer Tapped for Great Lakes Region Command

Col. Curtis Boehmer, former Michigan Wing commander and a CAP Board of Governors member emeritus, is adding Great Lakes Region commander to his record of service over more than 53 years in Civil Air Patrol.

Maj. Gen. Regena Aye, national commander/CEO, appointed Boehmer to succeed Col. Rickey Oeth, interim commander, as head of the region. The Great Lakes Region consists of the Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin wings.

“Col. Boehmer’s long list of accomplishments at the local, wing, and national levels made him an obvious choice to lead the Great Lakes Region,” Aye said. “I look forward to the region and its members, as well as their communities, benefiting from his experience and leadership.”

Legislative Day

Civil Air Patrol was front and center Feb. 13 on Capitol Hill as hundreds of adult members and cadets (pictured) from 51 wings joined with National Headquarters staff in Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress.

The in-person Legislative Day resulted in 454 meetings with U.S. representatives, senators, and/or their staffs — giving CAP members an opportunity to highlight CAP's accomplishments over the past year and share how our missions support communities nationwide.

Legislative Day, which began in the 1980s, is one day of a modernized 30-day hybrid National Legislative Day campaign. This year it began Feb. 10 and will continue with virtual meetings with members of Congress through March 14.

“Our goal is to meet with literally every office on the Hill, and last year we met with 99.6% of the offices in Congress,” said John Swain, CAP's director of government relations.

New Jersey, Virginia Teams Return to Finals

Both Civil Air Patrol cadet teams reaching this year’s CyberPatriot 17 finals are making return trips to the youth cyber education program competition's national stage, with the New Jersey Wing’s Raritan Valley Composite Squadron mounting a third attempt and the Virginia Wing’s Burke Composite Squadron a second try at capturing the All Service Division overall crown.

Two of the Burke Valley cadets (top photo) will be making return visits when the team competes March 14-18 in Bethesda Maryland. The Raritan Valley team members are all first-time competitors.

Davis Named Next Kansas Wing Commander

Lt. Col. Eric Davis is the Kansas Wing’s next commander, Col. Thomas Theis, North Central Region commander, has announced. Davis will succeed Col. Mark Lahan, wing commander since May 2022.

Davis joined Civil Air Patrol as a cadet in 1980 in the Oklahoma Wing’s Stillwater Composite Squadron, where he attended several encampments, participated in National Blue Beret in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and earned his solo wings.

After serving a tour of duty with the U.S. Army, he rejoined CAP as an adult member, serving as deputy commander of cadets for the Oklahoma Wing’s Broken Arrow Composite Squadron as well as a pilot and mission observer until he graduated from college.

Davis returned to CAP in 2012, followed by stints as a squadron commander in the Iowa and Kansas wings as well as in several Kansas Wing staff positions, including deputy commander.

Utah Wing Adds First New Squadron in 7 Years

The Utah Wing has launched its first new squadron in seven years with the activation of the Diamondback Cadet Squadron at the Utah Military Academy in Lehi.

First Lt. Casey Smith (at right) accepted the guidon symbolizing Diamondback Cadet Squadron command from Col. Andreas Wesemann, Utah Wing commander as cadets and adult members from the Phantom Composite and Phoenix Cadet squadrons gathered with their Diamondback counterparts for the activation ceremony to offer their congratulations and assist with various tasks.

Also present were various dignitaries, including active and retired military personnel, local and state public officials, Utah Military Academy school officials, and local and state media representatives.

NHQ News

Extreme Leadership the Focus of Civil Air Patrol's Next 'Year of Ownership' Keynote

Civil Air Patrol’s “Year of Ownership” continues March 1 with a keynote address planned by Rob Jones, a retired U.S. Marine, combat leader, Paralympian, and now Echelon Front instructor and speaker.

Time remains to register for Jones' address, which will provide valuable insights into the principles of Extreme Leadership and how they can be applied to enhance leadership and operational effectiveness within CAP.

The “Year of Ownership” initiative was launched last month with a keynote address from Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP's national commander/CEO.

Celebrate Matching Gifts Month with CAP

February is Matching Gifts Month, and we’re excited to share how you can double the impact of your volunteer hours dedicated to Civil Air Patrol.

Did you know many companies provide grants for their employees' volunteer hours match their employees’ donations or volunteer hours? This means your contribution can go twice as far in supporting our mission.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Check if your employer offers a volunteer hours grant program.
2. Spread the word about these volunteer hours grants. They can be designated to squadrons or programs. Together, we can make a bigger difference.

Top Headlines

“Ambitious Teens Soaring to New Heights: Misawa CAP Cadets Take Flight”

-japan.stripes.com

“Cadets Take to the Skies at Redding Regional Airport”

-krcrtv.com

“Vermont Teen Seeks Balloon Pilot License”

-walb.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.