An auxiliary organization for the U.S. Air Force continues to operate in Emporia, and is looking for new members, both young and old.
The local Civil Air Patrol squadron has a long history in Emporia. It was created on Dec. 1, 1941, just days before the Japanese air force bombed the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“To our knowledge, there has been a squadron in and around Emporia since 1941 or 1942, in some form,” said CAP Capt. Derek Montgomery.
The group meets weekly at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the National Guard Armory at 18th Avenue and Merchant Street.
CAP members perform search-and-rescue and disaster relief, among other duties, and provide aerospace education and cadet training to help youths become leaders, Montgomery said.
Approximately 20 youngsters aged 12 to 21 are on the squadron’s cadet roster, and about 20 are part of the senior roster, which ranges in age from 18 to “beyond retired,” Montgomery said.
The squadron is made up of Emporia area residents and a “flight,” or auxiliary unit, from Pittsburg. Together, they make the 77th Composite Squadron.
“They actually come up and see us about once a month,” Montgomery said of the Pittsburg members.
Although the organization can be a prelude for a career in the Air Force, it is not a military organization.
“That’s very much not the case,” Montgomery said. “We take a lot of people. ... There’s always something for someone to do.”
The command structure of the organization, though, follows Air Force command structure with Maj. Philip Aye commanding this area.
CAP cadets’ experience gives them an edge in getting into the military and can bring a bonus along with it.
“If they complete certain levels of the program, they will get pay benefits,” Montgomery said.
Adults in CAP work with the youngsters as they develop knowledge and leadership skills. Montgomery said that senior members approved to work with cadets have undergone background checks, including fingerprinting.
Local members this month completed training at Brookings, S.D., with members of CAP members from the North Central Region, which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota.
The search-and-rescue exercise (SAREX) coincided with actual activities the local CAP members had participated in, such as helping at Greensburg, sandbagging to prevent flooding and performing aerial photography. The missions are something even cadets can take part in.
“As long as they’ve got permission and meet specifications, they absolutely can,” Montgomery said.
A weeklong winter encampment is scheduled in late December in Salina.
No formal training sessions are held during meetings, he said, but leadership and moral leadership training does take place once a month. At that meeting, members wear the dress blue uniforms of the Civil Air Patrol, which are provided new as part of membership dues. Dues for cadets are approximately $41 annually; seniors pay approximately $60.
Membership is open to anyone age 12 or over. People who want to know more about the organization are welcome to attend a meeting, Montgomery said.