About Civil Air Patrol
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) traces its roots to just prior to the U.S. entry into World War II.
Mr. Gill
Robb Wilson, who at the time was head of the New Jersey Division of Aeronautics, collaborated
with New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia on the need to organize the nation's civilian pilots in
preparation to the threat of war. On December 1, 1941, just six days before the attack on Pearl
Harbor, CAP was founded and placed under the direction of the Office of Civilian Defense.
In the years after World War II, the CAP was chartered by Congress as a benevolent nonprofit organization and shortly thereafter became the auxiliary of the United States Air Force. For more details on the history of the Civil Air Patrol, visit www.caphistory.org.
Today CAP is governed
by the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors, which is comprised of representatives from the Air Force,
CAP and industry. Management of the organization lies with the CAP National Board, which
comprises the corporate officers of CAP and includes wing and region commanders as well as the
national command staff. The Air Force provides assistance and manages the CAP through the Air
Education and Training Command's Air University.
CAP has three main missions:
- Emergency Services - This includes air and ground search and rescue, disaster relief, homeland security, assistance to law enforcement, and Air Force operational support missions.
- Cadet Program - Young men and women, ages 12 to 21, participate in the cadet program to develop their leadership skills in preparation to become tomorrow's leaders in an aerospace-oriented world.
- Aerospace Education - CAP educates CAP cadets and senior members in a variety of topics related to aerospace topics, and also provides support to school teachers to incorporate aerospace education in school classrooms.