Join volunteer missions with Civil Air Patrol
The Fox Valley Composite Squadron - the local unit of the Civil Air Patrol - is the largest squadron in the state, offering many activities, projects, classes, mentors and opportunities. They welcome everyone to help with volunteer missions.
The squadron meets at 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays (except July 5) at DuPage Airport, 32W581 Tower Road in West Chicago. They welcome anyone interested in learning more about participation to attend a meeting.
The Cadet Program is for youth age 12-21 interested in military, aviation, aerospace, science, technology, engineering and math. They also seek adult members to help with the aerospace education and emergency services (search and rescue and disaster recovery).
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force's Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees.
The Civil Air Patrol, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center with saving an average of 78 lives annually.
Civil Air Patrol's 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the cadet program.
Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, the Civil Air Patrol received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. The Civil Air Patrol also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans.
To learn more, visit foxcap.org or www.facebook.com/FoxValleyCompositeSquadron/.