The Civil Air Patrol unit will host an informational event Tuesday at the American Legion for its youth program, which serves children ages 12-18.
While the cadet program is catered toward youth, Cortez CAP Squadron Commander Jeff Bynum told The Journal that CAP is not just a youth program.
“Basically, Civil Air Patrol has three elements to it,” Bynum said. “Cadet programs, emergency services and aerospace education.”
In the cadet programs, cadets take part in aerospace education, as well as orientation flights. Because it is an auxiliary of the Air Force, cadets are given uniforms to wear and work to reach different “levels” cadets as they go through the program. The program is held weekly and go in eight-week cycles.
“The core values are integrity, volunteer service, excellence and respect,” Bynum said. “So, in the program, we’re trying to teach the youth about those core values, and whatever interests them in the spirit of excellent and respect. At the same time, we’re able to connect them with some of the components of what the Air Force does and how they do it.”
At the start of the eight-week cycle, cadets are put in a certain level and rank, and then they run and do other activities that encourage them to reach certain standards so they can move to the next level.
“That encourages them to be eating healthy, living healthy, exercising, all those things. As they learn and engage with some of these core values, then they slowly but surely progress through the program,” Bynum said.
CAP also spearheads most search and rescue efforts in the United States.
“Most people don’t know that CAP has the largest fleet of single-engine Cessnas in the world,” Bynum said. “That connects mostly with the emergency services part of things, where CAP responds typically to the greater majority of search and rescue operations in the contingent United States.”
So far in fiscal year 2024, CAP has saved the lives of 29 people.
According to CAP’s official website, the organization conducts 90% of inland search and rescue in the United States, as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and others.
Bynum said the group is in need of staff and volunteers to keep the program running and active. It’s gotten to the point that Bynum shared they are “teetering” on the brink of no longer being able to offer the program.
“For it to continue, this meeting on the 20th is imperative for anyone who would like to see it continue. Not only just to come and support the unit, but actually willing to come on board with us and train alongside us,” Bynum said.
He added that special training or knowledge of topics like aerospace were needed to volunteer.
“All the protocol in the program itself is contained and very straightforward,” Bynum said. “All we need is trained adults to present the program and make sure cadets are doing things safely. It can span from being a teacher to accounting. We need a finance officer, we need a safety officer.”
“We basically just need people who have a vision for what CAP is for themselves and what it means for our community to be able to plug in and do a bit of training and come together. It’s imperative that people come, because if we don’t gather up a few more willing people, then the charter will have to be turned off,” Bynum continued.
Bynum finished by sharing that he hopes people who participate in the program are able to learn how to serve their community and better themselves.
“There’s so much available to anyone who comes on board,” he said. “I just hope every body finds what they’re looking for when they come into CAP, a way to serve their community and serve the youth that we have and help them figure out which direction they want to move and keep moving forward with it.”
For more information, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or contact CAP senior member Stephanie Forsyth at (360) 631-9524.
