Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Ground Team Introduction this Thursday

This week's Squadron 150 meeting will focus on Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Ground Team operations. Ground Teams form a crucial part of CAP's search and rescue operations, working in conjunction with CAP air teams to find the target. Squadron 150 Emergency Services Training Officer 2d Lt. Craig Roalf will be facilitating this presentation.

(Official Civil Air Patrol photo)
As a reminder our squadron meeting begins at 1930 hours (7:30pm) and is at 3976 Constitution Ave on Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base. We look forward to seeing you there!


Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Dandridge Named New CAP National Command Chief

This article originally appeared on www.CAP.news on 29 March, 2018

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Chief Master Sgt. Robert M. Dandridge of the Missouri Wing will be Civil Air Patrol’s next national command chief.
Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP’s national commander and CEO, announced the appointment Wednesday.
As national command chief, Dandridge will head CAP’s noncommissioned officer, or NCO, corps, which has about 200 members.
In his new post, he’ll serve as a representative to the national commander, participating in the decision making process, as appropriate, on technical, operational and organizational issues. He will be responsible for reviewing U.S. Air Force, CAP-USAF and CAP wing instructions and policies and providing input and recommending changes for those instructions and policies affecting CAP members.
“I have confidence that Chief Master Sgt. Dandridge will excel in this position,” said Smith. “He had a distinguished 30-plus year career in the Air Force, which included service as the command chief to multiple installations throughout the United Kingdom and Norway, combatant command first sergeant to the U.S. Transportation Command and inspector expertise to a major command. In CAP, his assignments have included serving as the command chief for both the Illinois and Missouri wings.”
Dandridge retired from the Air Force in 2008 as a command chief master sergeant, following three decades of distinguished service, much of it abroad. He joined CAP in 2004 and has served as the Missouri Wing chief master sergeant since 2016. Previously, he served as the Illinois Wing’s chief master sergeant, handling a variety of assignments from 2012-2016.
“With the inherent diversity of Civil Air Patrol and military, I have developed excellent managerial and human resources techniques with which to best deal with a diverse volunteer workforce,” said Dandridge. “The subjects of employee and volunteer satisfaction and developing a positive workplace climate are two of my strongest suits, as well as exhibiting and living the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary core values.”
Dandridge said he looks forward to working with members of CAP’s NCO corps. “I believe our great cadets and officers should have the opportunity to witness NCOs in both categories of cadet and senior membership,” he said.
Dandridge replaces Chief Master Sgt. Dennis H. Orcutt Jr., who has served as national command chief for nearly a year. He is stepping down because of personal and professional obligations.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The Symbols of Civil Air Patrol: Part Three-Logo

(This post was originally published August 30, 2016)
Over the past few weeks we have been discussing the various symbols used by Civil Air Patrol. 

These include the Civil Air Patrol Seal, which is used on CAP official documents, letterhead and the CAP Corporate Working Uniform (blue polo shirt):

The CAP Command Emblem which is used on on CAP vehicles, aircraft and on flight duty uniforms:


The last symbol currently in use by Civil Air Patrol is the logo. The logo was approved in 2012 by the CAP National Executive Committee and is generally used for used for advertising, marketing, recruiting and promotional purposes.



The logo maintains the heritage and history of CAP's previous emblems with the use of the red propeller within a triangle, while also presenting a simple, clean and modern symbol representing CAP's future. 

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

Air Force Organizational Excellence Award Ribbon OK'd for Wear

(This post was originally published on www.CAP.news on 2 March, 2018
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Civil Air Patrol members eligible to wear the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award ribbon on their CAP Air Force-style service uniforms can now do so.
“I am delighted that CAP was recognized by the Air Force through the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's national commander and CEO. “To my knowledge, this award is a first, never having previously been given to an organization outside the Active, Guard or Reserve components of the Air Force. This speaks to the value that CAP brings to the Air Force as one of its Total Force partners.”
The award, presented to CAP by the U.S. Air Force in September 2016, honors the organization for its service from Oct. 1, 2012-Aug. 31, 2016. Every member who was a cadet or senior member in good standing for at least a day during that 47-month interval are authorized to wear the corresponding ribbon.
The citation accompanying the award makes note of CAP’s “exceptionally meritorious service” during the period covered by the award – described as a time in which the organization “emerged as a true Total Force partner, flying 34,367 operational sorties as the Air Force Auxiliary.”

During those years, the citation said, CAP:
  • Served as “the cornerstone of Air Force rescue operations” in carrying out 2,943 search and rescue missions for the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, flying 5,040 hours and saving 272 lives;
     
  • Functioned as “an integral part of our homeland defense” in the course of conducting 1,950 flights as targets during intercept training for military jet pilots;
     
  • Provided 158,000 images for emergency agencies’ use in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a massive mission in which aircrews from 21 states made 696 flights in 73 planes;
     
  • Participated in 959 exercises in which aircrews simulated unmanned aircraft systems for training of Air Force, Army and Navy joint terminal attack controllers; and
     
  • Totaled 29,395 flight hours assisting law enforcement agencies in the seizure of illegal drugs valued at $2.9 billion.
“I am extremely proud of the contributions our members make every day," said Smith, “and am pleased that the Air Force recognizes these contributions as well.”
The award also recognized CAP’s aerospace education program, praised for reaching 20,000 elementary schoolchildren and promoting academics and fitness through an engaging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum. CAP’s performance in the Air Force Association’s annual CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition was cited as well, with teams of CAP cadets finishing second overall in 2015 and third in 2016 in national fields exceeding 3,000 teams. CAP cadets took first place nationally in 2011, 2012 and last year.
In addition, the citation hailed CAP’s Cadet Encampment Assistance Program, which has provided financial assistance for 3,700 cadets to attend wing encampments and has increased participation in those activities by 20 percent.
The ribbon may not be worn by those who served as cadet sponsor members, patron members, retired members, aerospace education members or legislative members. In addition, CAP members who are members of the U.S. armed forces, including active and reserve components such as the National Guard and Air National Guard, are prohibited from wearing the ribbon on their armed forces uniform.
National Headquarters has issued guidelines for wear and placement of the ribbon.