Though some may have spent their Saturday at one of the many Easter egg hunts going on throughout Lewis County, members of the Lewis County Civil Air Patrol (CAP) composite squadron spent the day hosting an open house at Centralia Christian Church.
Cadets showcased what they learn as CAP members, which ranges from engineering, robotics, astronomy, aerodynamics and piloting drones, to camping, marksmanship, survival and even flight training. They also go on field trips to aerospace and science museums.
Once a cadet reaches age 21, they can either age out and go on to their next phase in life or remain with the CAP as a senior member, participating in missions.
Though it is a civilian-run nonprofit, the CAP is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. And though not all cadets are set on military careers after the CAP, the Air Force does offer incentives for cadets to join, including early promotion opportunities.
Should a cadet choose to remain in the CAP, the missions they will perform will range from carrying out search and rescue missions for lost hikers to providing assistance to the U.S. National Guard during national disasters. CAP’s website states, “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 … of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training and education.”
For those who missed Saturday’s open house but still wish to learn more about how to get involved with the Lewis County CAP composite squadron, email the squadron’s Deputy Commander for Cadet Members Zack Bell, zack.bell@wawg.cap.gov.
For more information on the Lewis County composite squadron, visit https://www.lewiscountycap.org/.
A total of 26 CAP auxiliary squadrons currently exist in Washington. For more information, including how to get involved, visit https://wawg.cap.gov/.
