PROPS: Board of Governors Grateful for COVID-19 Response; 'Virtual' Nat'l Conference Planned

High Praise from Board of Governors for CAP's Performance During COVID-19 Pandemic:

National Conference Going 'Virtual' in August

When the 2020 National Conference for Civil Air Patrol membership convenes in August, it will be “ virtual, ” Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's National Commander and CEO, announced today.

“ I held off for as long as possible in making a Go/No-Go decision to see how the COVID-19 pandemic would evolve across the United States, ” Smith said. “ The bottom line is that I do not have confidence that this situation will be behind us to the point where we can reasonably safeguard our members’ health at a large, in-person conference.

“ As a result, we will present a virtual conference to our membership. We have seen exciting and robust capabilities offered for virtual conferences. I am convinced that we can offer an exciting and engaging event that even more of our members can enjoy than we would garner in a normal, in-person event. ”

Smith added he would like to stay with the originally scheduled dates of Aug. 14-15, but “ we will take enough time to work through the details to ensure we put on a first-rate event, ” he said. “ That might result in our need to slip the date a bit. ”

New Heights: CAP Totals 10,000+ Volunteer Days

Civil Air Patrol's nationwide response during the COVID-19 pandemic has been record-setting, totaling more than 10,000 volunteer days of support over the first 70 days of operations.

“As much of the nation settled in two months ago to withstand the unprecedented circumstances imposed by the novel coronavirus, our citizen volunteers rose up to serve,” said Maj. Gen. Mark E. Smith, CAP’s National Commander and CEO.

“They have banded together in recent weeks to perform a myriad of humanitarian missions as members of the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force."

Civil Air Patrol’s involvement in Operation Deepwater Horizon set the organization’s bar for emergency services in 2010 after the offshore drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the worst oil spill in American history. During that response, CAP aircrews and ground teams conducted more than 1,250 sorties, accumulating nearly 2,400 flight hours and more than 20,000 volunteer hours over 118 days of operation.

“We haven’t reached the 118-day record yet, but we have far surpassed the number of volunteer hours contributed,” said John Desmarais, CAP’s director of operations.

More About the Record Response

Mich. Wing Transporting COVID-19 Test Kits

The Michigan Wing has answered the call to help transport COVID-19 test kits and related supplies from Lansing to locations in the state’s Upper Peninsula.

The State Emergency Operations Center asked CAP to facilitate COVID-19 testing in remote areas of Michigan faster than traditional ground transport would allow. Aircrews from the Michigan Wing are flying the kits and supplies to and from Lansing, and state troopers are continuing the support with ground transport to specific locations.

Upon landing, the aircrews perform an exchange with the troopers, who were awaiting their arrival at the airports. The troopers receive fresh test kits and supplies to be distributed in the region, and the aircrews receive test kits to fly to labs in Lansing for processing.

More About the Test Kits Mission

Red Cross Honors Arizona Wing's

'Outstanding Service' with Blood Drives

The Arizona Wing’s efforts in support of American Red Cross blood drives during the COVID-19 pandemic have been recognized with a Certificate of Outstanding Service.

American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern conveyed the certificate in a letter May 15 to Lt. Col. Bob Ditch, incident commander for the blood drive support mission. The next day, the wing hosted its third emergency blood donation drive.

The 96 units donated at two previous drives and 28 units donated May 16 bring the total to 124 units collected since the first blood drive April 15.

“Thank you for stepping up to help collect and donate lifesaving blood, even as the circumstances of the coronavirus outbreak often made it difficult to do so,” McGovern wrote Ditch.

More About the Blood Drive Mission

Calif. Wing Aids Salvation Army with Food Distribution

California Wing members supported the Salvation Army last week by distributing about 600 meal kits in San Diego County and Eastern San Diego County.

As a trained disaster preparedness relief organization, CAP has been reaching out to government agencies and nonprofit organizations – like the Salvation Army – to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to assembling the meal kits, California Wing members assisted in organizing and storing frozen food, unloading trucks, breaking down boxes and performing many other needed tasks.

Some members of the community honked their car horns and yelled, “thank you,” as they pulled into the drive-through distribution locations to collect food.

More About This Mission

CAP's Morris Named to Women in Aviation Advisory Board

Former Arizona Wing Commander Col. Martha Morris (at left) has been appointed as one of 30 women to serve on the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB).

The appointees were announced May 15 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who named former U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to serve as chair of the board.

“ The Department of Transportation welcomes Dr. Wilson and these accomplished advisory board members, who share a commitment and passion for encouraging women to access opportunities in aviation, ” Chao said.

The WIAAB was established on October 3, 2019, under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which specially designated CAP as a stakeholder group and, thus, to have a representative on the board. Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's National Commander and CEO, nominated Morris.

“ Col. Morris brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as our proposed representative, ” he wrote. “ Since 1983, she has worked with our emergency services operations, youth programs and STEM/Aerospace Education support to teachers and schools in a range of increasingly responsible positions. She is also a highly experienced pilot (over 21,500 flight hours) with the airlines, business aviation and public service flying. ”

The purpose of the WIAAB is to develop strategies and recommendations that would encourage women to enter the field of aviation. The board also will assess education, training, mentorship, outreach and recruitment of women in the aviation industry.

NHQ News

Applications Taken for BoG Vacancy

Applications are now open for the Board of Governors' vacancy to be left by Lt. Col Thomas Vreeland, whose Member-at-Large term ends on Nov. 10, 2020.

The Board of Governors' four Members-at-Large serve three-year terms. Civil Air Patrol members may nominate themselves to fill these positions, as they are vacated.

Minimum requirements are:

Senior member in good standing
CAP grade of major or above
Earned the Paul E. Garber Award (Level IV)
Have at least five years Civil Air Patrol membership