Saturday is Wreaths Across America Day Every December, Civil Air Patrol takes part in a holiday tradition observed by all 52 CAP wings and even abroad. Thousands of CAP senior members and cadets from over 400 squadrons participate in Wreaths Across America observances to honor the nation’s fallen. They present the colors, deliver orations and place veterans’ wreaths on headstones at national cemeteries and war memorials. We salute those from our ranks participating in this worthwhile endeavor. Thanks for honoring America's heroes!

41st Cadet Receives Private Pilot Certificate Cadet 1st Lt. Gavin Swanson from the New York Wing recently became the 41 st cadet to earn his private pilot certificate through Cadet Wings. See Cadet Wings' Grad List More Info About the Program

'Star Wars'-Style Droids Boost STEM Approach These are the droids they're looking for ... as close as a Civil Air Patrol squadron meeting. That's the case at the National Capital Wing’s Challenger 1 Cadet Squadron on a STEM night. In the mix, after all, are 1st Lt. Justin Strait’s personally built R2-Q5 droid and Capt. Rachael Norberg’s Sphero BB 8 droids, along with various  STEM Kits  provided by CAP’s Aerospace Education program. A Closer Look at the Challenger 1 Cadet Squadron Droids

'Walk to Mars' Update: 585,000 Miles! Civil Air Patrol’s “Walk to Mars” national fitness challeng e  has already amassed enough virtual mileage to more than double the record distance humans have attained from Earth. Right now, the total logged for the Walk to Mars is about 585,000 miles – a figure amassed by less than 10 percent of CAP’s membership. (The record for greatest distance anyone has traveled from Earth dates back nearly 50 years – NASA’s Apollo 13 crew was 248,655 miles away when it reached the far side of the moon at an altitude of 158 miles in April 1970.) More About CAP's 'Walk to Mars'

NHQ News

National Cadet Special Activities Open for Registration When the temperatures drop it is time to think about summer! Apply for a National Cadet Special Activity (NCSA) and add fun to your sun this year! NCSAs are another way to explore aviation careers, get flying experience, enhance and use your leadership training, or build your emergency services skills. To be considered "on-time," apply by Jan. 15.

See Details on NCSAs and How to Apply

What's the benefit of applying by Jan. 15? Priority in placement. Your application is considered before any late applicants, greatly improving your chances of garnering one of these coveted slots. Get your application in now. Please note that some courses listed on ncsas.com are not open for registration yet. As soon as dates are confirmed we will add them to the lineup.

Partnerships Matter: Free Admission to AirVenture EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), a Civil Air Patrol partner, has a great deal for aviation enthusiasts. EAA has partnered with Boeing to offer FREE admission to AirVenture, one of the largest fly-ins and airshows, for anyone 18 and under. Get with your family or your squadron and make a plan to attend the best AE event of the summer. If you want to attend, tickets, lodging and campsites book up quickly, so you need to make a plan now.

More About AirVenture and EAA's Offer

Why Not Apply for Next Year's National Blue Beret? Did you know that our National Blue Beret cadets and seniors along with the Wisconsin Wing serve over 18,000 hours each year to support AirVenture? They do everything from marshaling aircraft and locating overdue airplanes to setting up tents at the Warbirds area, as well as serving during Honor Flights for veterans. Consider applying for this NCSA for an up-close and personal look at AirVenture and be part of an activity dedicated to developing servant-leaders.

Read About This Year's Blue Beret

Schedule Set for NESA's Mobile Training Teams CAP’s National Emergency Services Academy - Mobile Training Teams (NESA-MTTs) are an extension of NESA and provide ES training opportunities to members nationwide. The NESA-MTTs reduce the overall costs of training and education to the members and CAP enterprise. In most cases, CAP instructors exceed the certification/experience requirements of FEMA, offering quality curriculum with operational experience as well as lessons learned from actual disaster/emergency and search and rescue missions.

Take a Look at the Upcoming Schedule

CAPR 173-3 Interim Change Letter (ICL) An ICL to CAPR 173-3 was published Dec. 4 deleting the external customer charge for handheld camera usage.  The ICL  also addresses the process and cost associated with leased/deployable system. Read the ICL Here

Choose Civil Air Patrol as your charity of choice this holiday season!

Here's How You Can Contribute to CAP

You can also encourage donors to support your squadron before Dec 31. Two ways:

Donate to a Local Unit

Read Facebook Campaign Guidelines

The Week's Top Headlines "This B-52 Pilot - a Volunteering Powerhouse - is One of Forbes Magazine's '30 Under 30'" - Air Force Times "Civil Air Patrol Trains Pilots to Handle Emergency Situations" - Fox 34 (Texas) "There's Excitement in the Air for Humberto Caldelas" - MIT News (Mass.)

Picture of the Week

This week's photo comes from an Instagram post by Glenda Esperanza inviting youth to join the Florida Wing's Miami Springs Optimist Cadet Squadron. Insta Photo #CivilAirPatrol

Tweet of the Week

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