Twin Pine Squadron, New Jersey Wing, Civil Air Patrol

Staff:

Maj Norman Stewart, Emergency Services Officer

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 service and operational missions.

Search and Rescue (SAR): Perhaps best known for its search and rescue efforts, CAP now conducts 95% of all federal inland SAR missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley AFB, Virginia. Outside of the continental United States, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP missions? More than 100 people are saved every year by CAP members! At right, a CAP ground team member equipped for a typical search mission, with '24 hour pack.'

Our aviation assets are a key part of our search and rescue and other emergency services missions (and cadet training). Our squadron supplies highly qualified and motivated aircrews to support the CAP missions.

Disaster Relief: Often overlooked but vitally important is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation and an extensive communications network. We fly disaster relief officials to remote locations and support local, state and national disaster relief organizations with manpower, leadership, and other valuable and needed resources. In fact, CAP has formal agreements with many government and humanitarian relief agencies such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and United States Coast Guard.

Humanitarian Services: Closely related to disaster relief is CAP's support of humanitarian missions. Usually in support of the Red Cross, CAP air crews transport time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other means of transportation are not possible.

Counterdrug: CAP joined the "war on drugs" in 1986 in an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Customs Service offering CAP resources to be used to stem the flow of drugs into and within the United States. Today, CAP has similar agreements with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Forest Service. CAP has made major contributions to the counterdrug fight by providing aerial reconnaissance, airborne communication support, and airlift of law enforcement personnel. Each year, CAP units fly tens of thousands of hours in support of counterdrug efforts.

Air Force Support: It is 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 search and rescue exercises sharpen the skills of all participants and offer realistic training for a deadly serious mission.

CAP operates a fleet of aircraft, such as the Cessna shown above, to fulfill its emergency services, disaster reflief, and counter drug missions (joint operations with the Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs, U.S. Coast Guard, and law enforcement agencies) and to provide cadet orientation flights, cadet flight encampments (pilot training), and senior member aircrew training.