By Peggy Howe| April 2004

• 1: Introduction
• 2: Cadet and Education Programs
• 3: First in Flight
• 4: My Time With the Civil Air Patrol
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Cadet and Education Programs

The state’s CAP division, led by Lt. Col. Aaron Harper, is an agency of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. In addition to disaster relief and many other volunteer activities, members attend regular practice sessions for upgrading skills in all three areas where CAP focuses its mission: Emergency Services, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education.

In its cadet programs, CAP offers young people age 12-21 opportunities for educational and professional development, including everything from their first airplane ride to scholarships for flying, educational programs, even leading up to scholarships to the U.S. Air Force Academy. There are almost 27,000 cadets nationwide. Three cadets in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Wake squadron have received 4-year Air Force ROTC scholarships. CAP offers an introduction to virtually any career related to flying “from music to meteorology.”

The Aerospace Education arm of CAP extends to both its members and the general public. CAP’s national headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama provides materials for the educational program. CAP is active in local schools and colleges, supporting curricula in aerospace technology and related fields. The programs are now reaching down into the elementary grades with field trips, science fairs, art contests and model building, plus teacher recognition for participation. Each year CAP supports more than 100 college, university and NASA workshops, reaching hundreds of thousands of educators across the country. Teachers are eligible to attend the annual National Congress on Aviation and Space Education. More recently, these educational activities have been extended to the growing home school population.