last modified: Wednesday, August 27, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — The Tennessee Wing of Civil Air Patrol has been named to the 2003 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Washington, D.C.

The all-volunteer group received the award for their work helping local communities after devastating tornadoes swept through the eastern part of the nation last November.

The Tennessee Wing flew three sorties for the American Red Cross and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and also provided ground crew to assist residents in Morgan County, Tenn. Forty members of CAP’s ground team searched storm debris for 14 missing persons, ultimately identifying six who had moved to safe quarters and eight who had died. The ground team assisted Federal Emergency Management Agency in surveying residents about the extent of their property damage and also helped victims recover personal items from the debris.

Once weather permitted, the Tennessee Wing flew a storm expert from the National Weather Service to damage sites in the state to document the storms path and strength.  In Indiana, CAP members flew a National Weather Service expert on a similar assessment sortie.

Now in its 13th year, the prestigious Associations Advance America Awards program recognizes associations that propel America forward – with innovative projects in education, skills training, standards-setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship and community service. Although association activities have a powerful impact on everyday life, they often go unnoticed by the general public.

“The Tennessee Wing’s program truly embodies the spirit of the Associations Advance America campaign,” said ASAE President Michael S. Olson, CAE. “It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions associations are making to advance American society.”

In all, 36 people were killed in the string of tornadoes that swept through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. In Mississippi, CAP volunteers from the state’s wing assisted the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency in assessing damage in the Columbus area. CAP personnel in Alabama were placed on alert, but were not called to active duty.

Maj. Gen. Richard L. Bowling, CAP national commander, who lives in Knoxville, saw first-hand the importance of the organization’s work in his home state. “CAP volunteers all over the country make outstanding contributions to the nation and their states every single day,” he said. “Our volunteer work with the tragic aftermath of tornados from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico was no exception.  I am extremely proud of the way our members responded in a time of great need.”

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force Auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with more than 64,000 members nationwide. It performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

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