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The Civil Air Patrol, or CAP, is the auxiliary service of the United States Air Force (USAF). It performs three key missions:
The Civil Air Patrol was authorized on December 1, 1941, when former mayor of New York City, Fiorello LaGuardia, and the director of the Office of Civilian Defense, signed an order creating the CAP as the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. CAP began operations to patrol the coasts of the United States shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor five days later. CAP pilots, flying modified civilian aircraft, were credited with saving lives at sea, radioing the position of German submarines to the U.S. Army and Navy, and attacking several submarines, sinking two. In April 1943 the CAP was placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Forces.
At the end of the war, the United States Congress enacted CAP's status as a public corporation. The United States Congress passed Public Law 557 on May 26, 1948 which permanently established the Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
CAP's relationship with the Air National Guard, as it is with all other components of the US military, comes only through CAP-USAF headquarters. CAP does not have a combatant role, and is not authorized to be used in law enforcement except for reconniasance and transportation roles. The parent unit of CAP is the Air University of the Cessna 172 and Cessna 182 aircraft, and recently has added the Gippsland GA-8 Airvan to the fleet. Some members use their own airplanes. CAP also has several dozen gliders primarily for cadet flying.
In addition, CAP owns and assigns several hundred vans to local units for use in the cadet program and by CAP's ground teams. Members may use their own vehicles and be reimbursed for fuel, oil, and communications costs during a USAF-authorized mission. Most CAP members are unpaid part-time volunteers.
One issue facing the CAP has been the requirement to retire most of the organization's HF and VHF Radios to be replaced by digital radios compliant with NTIA specifications. CAP's radio network of thousands of Amateur Radio equipped stations are being replaced with equipment meeting the new specifications. A portion of the conversion has been funded by the USAF, but the task has been monumental, with final deadlines between 2006 and 2008 for conversion, it appears that the task may only be partly completed in time.
The Civil Air Patrol carries out the search-and-rescue tasks of the USAF in the Continental United States, through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Civil Air Patrol Disaster Relief work is authorized by the USAF AFNSEP Emergency Preparednes Office and under an Memorandum of Understanding with FEMA.
CAP aircraft and its extensive radio network have been used not only by the USAF, but by other Federal, state, and agencies in a variety of civil emergencies. The state of Maryland, for example, uses CAP aircraft to regularly patrol the waters of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for boats in distress and to detect water pollution. Floods of the Mississippi River in 1995 led to the greatest deployment of CAP assets since the Second World War.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, CAP aircraft were used for homeland defense by several states, such as New York and Maryland. A CAP aircraft was the first to overfly the wreckage of the World Trade Center. CAP aircraft also carried blood supplies to the sites of the disaster.
Civil Air Patrol's develops America's youth into leaders. The program is executed at the local unit (squadron) level with weekly meetings and weekend activities, along with national and wing sponsored week long and multi week long summer activities.
The Cadet program consists of:
A cadet will progress through the cadet ranks upon completion of formal testing and minimum participation as well as taking on greater responsibility in actually running the local cadet program. One of the features of the Cadet program is that the cadets actually learn to function in a military structured cadet organization. As the cadets progress they are responsible for scheduling, teaching, guiding and commanding the cadets in their unit.
As part of the program cadets are eligible for five powered orientation flights in CAP aircraft, and five glider flights in CAP sailplanes. Some CAP wings have flight academies for cadets to learn to fly.
The USAF also frequently schedules orientation flights for CAP Cadets in aircraft such as the KC-10, C-130, C-17, etc. (Sorry not many F-15 flights!)
Civil Air Patrol's Aerospace Education program obviously serves the CAP Cadet and adult member population. The program includes formal graded courses for our members to become very knowledgable about all phases of aviation - military, business, and general; about the history and direction of aviation and the importance of air power. The course work includes all aspects of the space program and new technologies that make advances in aviation and space exploration possible.
Civil Air Patrol shows kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers how to integrate aviation and aerospace into their classes to enrich the learning experience and improve the preparation of students for careers in the aerospace industry. This outreach program includes seminars, course material and sponsoring the National Congress on Aerospace Education.
Civil Air Patrol members also help municipalities better understand the needs and benefits of airports and other aviation related facilities to their communinities, and how to better manage them.
Ther are also many programs for CAP pilots to improve their flying skills and FAA ratings so that the CAP flying program safety can be enhanced.
The Civil Air Patrol is organized in the following manner:
CAP members are civilians (unless they are also serve as active duty military, reservists, or guardsmen) and are not paid by the U.S. government; however, they may wear a modified version of the USAF uniform and practice military courtesy and customs such as saluting.
A person must be at least 18 to join CAP as an adult member. National dues are $30 per year, plus region and wing dues that vary in cost. For the protection of cadets, prospective members must undergo a fingerprint screening, and complete a Cadet protection training course to recognize child abuse.
CAP's cadet membership program is open to those between 12 and 18 years of age.
Local units may be found using the [https://creports.capnhq.gov/unitlocator/ CAP Unit Locator].
Under the UCMJ, CAP members do not have command authority over members of the United States military. Similarly, military officers have no command authority over CAP members. As part of recognition of CAP's service to the USAF, however, CAP members are allowed to wear "U.S." as part of their uniform and most members of the U.S. military will render military courtesy to CAP officers. CAP members are required to render military courtesy to all members of US and friendly foreign military personnel.
CAP has over 64,000 members in over 1,700 local units across the United States.
Senior members are over twenty one years old, or who joined CAP for the first time past the age of eighteen. There is no retirement age or physical requirements to join. Many successful CAP members have been physically challenged.
For a CAP member to wear the USAF style uniforms weight and grooming standards must be met. For those not meeting the standards there are attractive and unique CAP uniforms (Aviator Shirt, Blue BDU and Flight Suits).
Senior members are eligible to hold the following ranks:
US Military officers (current, retired and former) may be authorized CAP grade equivalent to their military grade through Lt Col. Members who hold enlisted grade in any branch of the military may hold that grade in CAP.
The National Commander is a CAP member, and is often a retired USAF officer.
Rank is normally used as a sign of progression in training and experience. First Lieutenants may often command squadrons, with lieutenant colonels working under them.
Cadets have a rank structure similar to the USAF enlisted and officer ranks. A cadet starts as a Cadet Airman Basic and are promoted as they complete each achievement. To complete an achievement a cadet must pass a physical fitness test, and two written tests, one for leadership and one for aerospace education. The achievements and their corresponding grade are listed below, however there are more achievements than there are cadet grades. (Note: the C/ prior to each grade is read as 'Cadet', so C/AB would be Cadet Airman Basic and is the first grade any cadet will hold before passing the first achievement.)
The major awards in Civil Air Patrol's cadet program are the Wright Brothers Award, Gen. Billy Mitchell Award, Amelia Earhart Award, Gen. Ira C. Eaker Award, and the Gen Carl A. Spaatz Award. To date (July, 2004) there have only been 1533 Spaatz cadets in the history of CAP (a current list is maintained on the .)
Cadets take part in all CAP missions, including practice and actual search-and-rescue missions. In addition, cadets take part in summer encampments, honor guards, and drill and ceremonies competitions, and may take part in an international exchange with cadets from Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and several other nations.
Cadet members do not incur a military obligation upon leaving CAP, but may enter the Air Force as an Airman First Class (E-3) with sufficient experience. Several former CAP cadets have become astronauts and leading Air Force and Navy pilots, including Shawn Osborne, who was pilot of the United States Navy EP-3 Orion aircraft that collided with a Chinese fighter in April 2001 and Capt. Scott O'Grady, who's F-16 was shot down in Bosnia in 1995.
The USAF's Air Education and Training Command, through the Air University, has been the parent command of CAP. However, in October 2002, the USAF announced plans to move CAP into a new office for homeland security. In addition, CAP's National Commander was promoted to the rank of major general from brigadier general.
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