Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has
continued to save lives and alleviate human suffering through a myriad
of emergency services and operational missions.
ES Missions
Search and Rescue
Perhaps
best known for its search-and-rescue efforts, CAP flies more than 85
percent of all federal inland search-and-rescue missions directed by the
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fl.
Outside the continental United States, CAP supports the Joint Rescue
Coordination Centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how
effective are the CAP missions? Nearly 100 people are saved each year by
CAP members.
Disaster Relief
Another important
service CAP performs is disaster-relief operations. CAP provides air and
ground transportation and an extensive communications network.
Volunteer members fly disaster-relief officials to remote locations and
provide manpower and leadership to local, state and national
disaster-relief organizations. CAP has formal agreements with many
government and humanitarian relief agencies including the American Red
Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation
Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast
Guard.
Humanitarian Services
CAP flies humanitarian
missions, usually in support of the Red Cross-transporting
time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue, in
situations where other means of transportation are not available.
Other Operations Missions
Air Force Support
It's
hardly surprising that CAP performs several missions in direct support
of the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, CAP conducts light transport,
communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. CAP also
provides orientation flights for AFROTC cadets. Joint U.S. Air Force and
CAP search-and-rescue exercises provide realistic training for
missions.
Counterdrug
CAP joined the "war on drugs" in
1986 when, pursuant to congressional authorization, CAP signed an
agreement with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Customs Service offering CAP
resources to help stem the flow of drugs into and within the United
States.