12 February 2007
The newly-formed Socorro squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) will receive its charter in a ceremony on Tuesday, February 20, at 3:30 p.m., at Socorro Municipal Airport. The public is invited to the ceremony.
The new squadron's charter will be presented by the top CAP officer in New Mexico, Col. Frank A. Buethe, commander of the New Mexico Wing. The Socorro unit joins 19 other CAP units in New Mexico with a combined membership of more than 750.
The new Socorro unit is a "composite squadron," consisting of both CAP cadets, ages 12-21, and senior members, adults over 21.
"We're all very excited about bringing the outstanding program of the Civil Air Patrol to Socorro. We intend for this squadron to be a valuable resource for the community by providing a proven educational and leadership program for young people in addition to a variety of volunteer assistance such as emergency services," said Dave Finley, squadron commander.
The squadron also actively seeks new members, both cadet and adult, Finley said. "There is a large variety of volunteer job specialties within CAP, and we need people in all these areas," he emphasized. "While we always encourage pilots to join CAP, we also have many other rewarding jobs," Finley added.
The Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit corporation chartered by Congress as the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. With more than 56,000 members in 1,700 units, CAP has the world's largest fleet of single-engine, piston aircraft, in addition to the nation's most extensive communications network and a fleet of emergency services vehicles.
The programs of the CAP include education on aerospace topics for youth and adults, cadet programs focused on multi-step leadership training, and operations that include search and rescue, disaster relief, aerial reconnaissance for homeland security, counter-narcotic missions, and transport for time-sensitive medical materials. The CAP performs 95 percent of the inland search and rescue in the U.S.
The CAP was formed on December 1, 1941, just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the U.S. into World War II. During that war, CAP members flew more than a half-million hours in service to the nation. The CAP coastal patrol flew 24 million miles, found 173 enemy submarines, attacked 57, hit 10 and sank two.
"With the formation of this squadron, Socorro members become part of a long and proud tradition of service to our nation," Finley said.