Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and resc
ue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. The origins of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) date to World War II. Having been founded in 1941, CAP was highly successful in patrols to deter, report and prevent submarine attacks off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. CAP also provided aircraft warning, southern liaison patrol duty along the Mexican border, courier service, missing aircraft searches, disaster relief, tow target and tracking operations, forest patrols and much more. In the following decades, CAP focused its efforts on three core missions – Cadet Program, Emergency Services and Aerospace Education. CAP has supported the nation in numerous disasters including, but not limited to, the Exxon Valdez oil spill; hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, and Harvey; the Oklahoma City bombing; the disintegration of the Columbia space shuttle; and the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. For more on the history of Civil Air Patrol, please visit: https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/about/history-of-civil-air-patrol/
Civil Air Patrol Today
CAP, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. CAP performs homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. By the numbers, CAP:
Operates 550 aircraft
Performs ~90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions (as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC))
Saves an average of 78 lives annually (credited by AFRCC)
Maintains 56,000 members nationwide
Mentors 24,000 youth in the CAP Cadet Program
Has served the United States for 75+ years
To see more about what we do, please visit: https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/about/civil-air-patrols-three-primary-missions/
