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Civil Air Patrol Offers Unique Training Opportunities

By 1st Lt. Allison Sywyk-Hanson

Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, offers volunteer members opportunities to serve national, regional, statewide and local missions in aerospace, emergency services, volunteer causes and cadet programs. 

One such example is the work that CAP aircrew handle. With the largest fleet of Cessna airplanes in the world, CAP tasks itself on supporting and training aircrews for various missions. Locally, these aircrew are based in New York, at Rome Airport, Westchester County Airport and Islip Long Island Airport. Training is provided periodically and includes aircrew mission observers, scanners and photographers, and on-the-ground radio operators and staff assistants. 

There is also training for ground teams handling search-and-rescue missions for missing persons in the Catskill mountains to plane crash incidents. These members work on the logistics of searching and rescuing, which include mission radio operations. 

Airborne reconnaissance and delivery of imagery to varied users, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is another way CAP supports the Air Force with assigned missions. With the use of imagery from Cessna planes in the aftermath of a natural disaster, CAP works with FEMA using geospatial information systems technology in locating structures within a disaster area that need varying degrees of FEMA support. 

This type of mission training follows the FEMA incident management system used by federal, state and local governments during disaster situations. It is standard practice and learned through FEMA online classes available to all CAP members, both cadets and adults, as requirements for mission training programs.

The Putnam County Composite Squadron, located in Carmel, includes both cadets – youth age 12 to 18 – and adult members with no age limit to join. Members from this squadron participate in a variety of training provided directly by CAP. 

This squadron also has a CyberPatriot team, National Youth Cyber Education Program, sponsored by the Air & Space Force Association, offering cadets a unique opportunity to be a part of this highly challenging technical competition on the All Service division. The Putnam County Composite Squadron continues year after year scoring in the top ranks.

Learn more at www.civilairpatrol.gov or email Putnam County Composite Squadron Commander Maj Elena MacDermant at 033@nyw.cap.gov for information.

The Putnam County Composite Squadron meets Friday evenings at the Putnam County Emergency Services Building in Carmel.

Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a total force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search-and-rescue, disaster relief, training and education.

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