CAP 80th Anniversary
Youth Leadership programs in Fresno
MADERA, CA, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Civil Air Patrol Squadron Plans Open House
Fresno, CA, Squadron 112
The Fresno Civil Air Patrol Squadron 112, a local unit of Civil Air Patrol, is hosting an open house at 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM, September 30, 2021, at 3585 N. Blythe Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722, located at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Building.
According to COL Neil Kuykendall, squadron commander, the entire community is welcome to attend and learn more about CAP.
Members of the squadron will be present to greet visitors and explain CAP’s missions for America. Squadron 112 is celebrating Civil Air Patrol week Nov.28–Dec. 4. The open house is part of the 80th anniversary observance designed to create a greater awareness of CAP’s presence and contributions in the community.
The origins of Civil Air Patrol’s story began in 1936, when Gill Robb Wilson, World War I aviator and New Jersey director of aeronautics, returned from Germany convinced of impending war. Wilson envisioned mobilizing America’s civilian aviators for national defense. The proposal for a Civil Air Patrol was approved by the Commerce,Navy and War departments, and CAP was founded Dec. 1.
In January 1942, Germany U-boats started attacking the U.S. shipping lanes along the East Coast. By June, enemy attacks destroyed nearly 400 merchant vessels and oil tankers off the Atlantic coastline, often within sight of its shores. Civil Air Patrol was called into action by a short-handed military. Using privately owned airplanes armed with light bombs, civilian volunteers became the eyes of the home skies, flying a total of 244,600 hours patrolling and safeguarding the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines, aiding the safe movement of war materiel to the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific.
Today’s Civil Air Patrol may look different, but its core remains the same. It continues to support America’s communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power.
To learn more about CAP visit gocivilairpatrol.com.
About Civil Air Patrol
Now celebrating its 80th year, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and more than 2,100 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of all search and rescue operations within the contiguous United States as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives during the past fiscal year.
CAP’s 56,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.
As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education resources.
Members also serve as mentors to more than 22,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.
Squadron 112, Fresno CA
2nd Lt George Ohan
george.ohan@cawgcap.org
George Ohan
Civil Air Patrol
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