Joseph Shoer

Civil Air Patrol

United States Air Force Auxiliary

The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian volunteer organization that serves as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It began during World War II, when concerned citizens with piloting and aviation skills organized airborne patrols to deter German submarines from venturing too close to the US coast.

Missions

Now, CAP has three main missions: Emergency response services, aerospace education outreach, and a cadet program. Our membership consists of over 50,000 people, including both adult members and cadets aged 11-21.

The emergency services mission includes both ground- and air-based search and rescue (SAR), disaster recovery efforts, and missing person searches. Our members train to locate distress beacons mounted on civil aviation aircraft. In fact, CAP handles over 90% of inland SAR in the United States - including searches such as those for John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Steve Fossett. Our disaster relief efforts involve responses to flooding, wildfires, tornadoes - including Hurricane Katrina and the attacks on 11 Sep 2001. In fact, on that date, the only aircraft allowed in the air within the continental United States were military jets and CAP aircraft.

Aerospace education includes science and technology activities at regular CAP events with a focus on aviation and space, historical, contemporary, and future. As the aerospace officer of my squadron, I have lectured on recent discoveries on other planets in the Solar System, led activities to design gliders and hot-air balloons, and brought cadets to visit an active research lab with spaceflight hardware. CAP also conducts an orientation flight program for cadets, during which they can learn to pilot general aviation aircraft.

The cadet programs are in many ways at the heart of CAP. Many CAP squadrons center their meetings around the cadets. Cadets learn leadership and teamwork skills, with increasing amounts of responsibility as they progress through the cadet program. The program progression is styled after the Air Force grade system, beginning with Cadet Airman Basic and ending with Cadet Colonel. Cadets (and adult members) wear USAF-style uniforms and observe military customs and courtesies to learn and demonstrate respect for one another and emphasize CAP's connection with the Air Force.

My experience

I joined CAP as a Cadet Airman Basic in 1999 at the Lt Col Frank Pocher Minute-Man Squadron in Stow, MA. Over my high school years I pushed my CAP career until I reached the cadet officer grades, leaving the squadron as a Cadet Second Lieutenant. I participated in many activities, including leadership schools for cadets, Massachusetts Wing conference aerospace education competitions, week-long encampments at Otis ANGB, orientation flights on a Grumman Tiger, C-130 Hercules, UH-1 Huey, UH-60 Blackhawk, and KC-135 Stratotanker, and search and rescue missions.

My senior member experience began at the Ithaca Composite Squadron in Ithaca, NY. I served as the Deputy Commander for Cadets and Aerospace Education Officer. Currently, I am a First Lieutenant.

I participate in CAP because it provides a meaningful, nonviolent way for me to give back to the community and serve my country. In the emergency services mission I can make a profound difference to individual lives. As my unit Deputy Commander for Cadets, I can work with local youths to develop their leadership abilities in the same way that the adults at Minute-Man squadron worked with me. And the aerospace education mission is a perfect way for me to promote science and engineering to middle- and high-schoolers.