Oregon Civil Air Patrol evaluated by Air Force
More than 80 people volunteered this weekend as Oregon’s Wing of Civil Air Patrol was evaluated by a team of U.S. Air Force officers.
A team of Air Force personnel from California, Oregon and Washington tested and evaluated the people who respond when an airplane is missing among other missions this weekend.
The volunteers of the Oregon Wing gathered at three airports: Aurora State Airport, Redmond Municipal Airport and Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford. They were tasked with simulated emergencies and assignments to help the public while the inspectors observed.
Oregon Wing was declared “Ready” by the visiting official. The rating system includes Ready, Ready with exceptions and Not Ready. Every two years, the air crews, ground teams, mission base staff and other volunteers are looked at by the Air Force to ensure operations are safe, efficient and effective. The Air Force provides CAP with aircraft, vehicles and radios to perform its various functions.
CAP is called upon by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center to do 90 percent of the searches for downed or missing aircraft in the continental United States. Nationally, CAP is responsible for 147 lives saved to date for fiscal 2018, according to the AFRCC.
In addition, CAP can be called in to help local sheriffs on searches. It also does other missions for our community, state and nation. During the eclipse this year, CAP aircraft flew for four days to monitor traffic on highways and at airports before, during and after the celestial event here in Oregon. This assisted the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Aviation.
This weekend, simulated earthquake, volcanic eruption, ash clouds, flooding and a missing pilot and airplane were part of the scenarios handed to leaders to respond to. Photographic teams were dispatched in airplanes to the coast and along rivers in the affected areas. Some areas were closed due to Temporary Flight Restrictions as the simulated ash cloud minimized visibility, similar to what wildfire smoke has done this summer throughout Oregon.
The CAP volunteers train to Federal Emergency Management Administration standards so they can work side-by-side with police, fire, county and state emergency responders. They utilize their aircraft to search where others cannot and cover more territory than vehicles can.
“Our teams responded quickly and accomplished their tasks efficiently,” said Lt Col Ira Rosenberg, the incident commander for the weekend. “We were safe, efficient and effective, meeting or exceeding the Air Force standards. I am proud of our team.”
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, 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 AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.
