Our speaker at our most recent club meeting was our own club member A.W. Pickel, III.
A.W. is a Lieutenant Colonel with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). A.W. shared what CAP does and how civilians can volunteer and get involved.
The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Volunteers with CAP, both on the ground and in the air, help with things like search and rescue, wildfire and tornado response support, Red Cross blood transport, and MUCH more. A.W. volunteers as a pilot in the Kansas Wing of CAP and shared there are opportunities for civilians to help with both ground and air support. One specific area of need A.W. mentioned is for volunteers who enjoy taking pictures to join the flight crew and take pictures from the sky!
A.W. also shared information about the CAP Cadet Program, open to young people from 12-18 years old. According to the CAP youth website, CAP cadets participate in a year-round program where they fly, learn to lead, hike, camp, get in shape and push themselves to new limits. Also, CAP cadets who may be interested in joining the Air Force as adults may be able to enter at an advanced grade if they achieve the appropriate level (cadets are NOT obligated to join the military, though). More information about the CAP cadet program can be found here: https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/join/youth-in-cadet-program
Interested in learning more about volunteering? Send us a message and we'll get you in touch with A.W.!
