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| Norfolk Composite Squadron | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Civil Air Patrol | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Air Force Auxiliary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emergency Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has continued to strive to save lives and alleviate human suffering through a myriad of emergency services missions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Search and Rescue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAP participates in numerous search and rescue missions each year, involving missing persons and ELTs, among other missions. Usually the first on the scene and the last to leave, in 1993 alone CAP flew nearly 35,000 flight hours and 120 lives saved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overseas, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toby Carroll, the Corporate Safety Evaluation Director for Continental Airlines Guardian '91 Exercise states: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Civil Air Patrol is always the first unit in and usually the last unit out when a real disaster occurs. They are very well trained and always respond quickly." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disaster Relief | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Often overlooked, but vitally important, is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation as well as an extensive communications network, flies disaster relief officials to remote locations, and supports local, state, and national relief organizations with manpower and leadership. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In fact, CAP works with many humanitarian relief agencies such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, and the United States Coast Guard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Humanitarian Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A close relative to Disaster Relief is CAP's support of Humanitarian Services. Usually in support of the American Red Cross, CAP's air crews transport time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other means of transportation are not possible. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Air Force Support | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It's hardly surprising that CAP performs several missions in direct support of the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, CAP conducts damage assessment, radiological monitoring, light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint U.S. Air Force and CAP SAR exercises sharpen the skills of all participants and offer realistic training for a serious mission | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Counter Drug Initiative | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAP joined the "war on drugs" in 1986 when CAP signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Customs Service offering CAP resources to be used to curb the flow of drugs into and within the United States. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today, CAP has similar agreements with Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Forest Service. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ernie Preate, Jr., the former Attorney general for the State of Pennsylvania states: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The war on drugs is a battle of such vast proportion that we may not recognize its scale . . . We need mandatory drug education to get our youth pointed in the right direction. Our young people need to know how to resist peer pressure, to learn self-respect and pride -- just like Civil Air Patrol teaches its cadets." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAP has made major contributions to the counterdrug fight by providing aerial reconnaisance, airborne communications support, and airlift of law enforcement personnel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In 1994 alone, CAP units flew nearly 35,000 hours in support of counter-drug efforts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAP/ROTC Initiative | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint efforts are underway to conduct cross flow educational and orientation flights with the Air Force ROTC, benefiting both organizations through better use of one another's training resources. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Our Squadron's Role | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Norfolk Composite Squadron participates in emergency services missions throughout the Virginia Wing, primarily in Group 5, which covers the Tidewater region and a great deal of southern Virginia. Our Search and Rescue Officer is Lt. Col. Philip Grandfield. |
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| Links: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Links To Our Missions: Home Cadet Programs History of Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Squadron Staff How to Join Military & Government Links: Air Force Home AFRCC-Langley AFB Coast Guard Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol Links: CAP National Headquarters Virginia Wing Middle East Region THE CAP Officer: A Professional Journal for CAP Volunteers Associated Links: Air Force Association AOPA American Red Cross FEMA American Radio Relay League |
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