last modified: Wednesday, August 27, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. —When Civil Air Patrol national leaders gather for the CAP annual conference Aug. 24-27 in Las Vegas, one of the top agenda items will be homeland security.

Last year the Air Force moved CAP, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, under the umbrella of the new Air Force Homeland Security Directorate. Leaders for the 64,000-member nonprofit organization met earlier this year with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to discuss ways its trained civilian volunteers can help protect their communities.

CAP’s presence as a civilian volunteer organization will be highlighted when CAP officially becomes an affiliate of the national Citizen Corps at a special ceremony during the conference. CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Richard Bowling will be on hand to meet with a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to sign the official agreement, which recognizes CAP as one of the 43 charter members of the Citizen Corps National Council. Citizen Corps was formed last year to engage citizens in homeland security and promote community and family preparedness across the country.

The CAP conference is expected to draw between 800 and 1,000 members from across the nation. To follow through with its theme, “Celebrating a Century of Flight,” the conference also will focus on aviation history and advances in powered flight.

One of those advances is the new GA8 Airvan, which CAP recently purchased from Gippsland Aeronautics in Australia. CAP will be displaying its first new Airvan, sporting the distinctive red, white and blue CAP paint scheme, during the conference. CAP plans to purchase five more Airvans specifically to support its homeland security missions.

Joining CAP members in Las Vegas will be former CAP cadet Kim Reed Campbell, now an active-duty Air Force pilot. Campbell, dubbed “K.C., the Killer Chick” by her fellow airmen, drew national publicity during the recent war with Iraq when she successfully landed her heavily damaged A-10 Thunderbolt after it had been disabled by enemy fire. Campbell will talk about her experience in Iraq and how her years as a CAP cadet led to a successful military career.

Also on hand at the conference will be Ashton Lewis Jr., driver of the NASCAR Busch Series #46 Monte Carlo, which is sponsored by CAP. Lewis, who has a degree in engineering promotes the importance of education and a drug-free lifestyle to CAP cadets.

During the conference’s annual recognition ceremony Aug. 27, CAP will present its 2003 national awards to outstanding members in such fields as operations, cadet programs, chaplain services and aerospace education. CAP will also honor the national senior and cadet members of the year. The Air Force will provide the “Mobility” band from Travis Air Force Base, Ca. to play during the formal awards banquet, which will include among its attendees retired Air Force Col. Leo Thorsness of Arizona, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam.

More than 35 aviation and technology companies and exhibitors will be showcasing their products and services throughout the conference in the 12,000-ft. exhibition hall on the first floor of the MGM Grand Conference Center.

Civil Air Patrol 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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