`Flying Minutemen': stand ready to defend homeland: best known for search and rescue, the Civil Air Patrol is poised to play a crucial role in defending the home front

VFW Magazine, Jan, 2003 by Max Macauley

Ready to help in America's homeland defense is a little-known civilian auxiliary of the Air Force called the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). It includes 3,000 volunteers who pilot their own planes.

Having distinguished themselves during WWII in defending America's shores, what are CAP volunteers doing today? What role can CAP play in thwarting terrorism? How will it fit into homeland defense plans?

CAP pilots perform four peacetime missions: search and rescue, disaster relief, assisting law enforcement and providing cadet training for young people ages 12 to 20. The young cadets learn leadership skills, and many who take flight training later become civilian and military pilots.

With congressional approval of the Homeland Security Department, CAP will add homeland defense as another important mission. CAP will carry out airborne reconnaissance of isolated areas, borders, remote landing fields, coastal zones, power plants, ports and harbors, bridges, roads and highways to identify suspicious activity.

In addition, CAP members also will provide training in: civil defense, first aid, terrorist threat indicators and preparations for nuclear, biological and chemical threats.

Originally conceived in the 1930s by aviation advocate Gill Robb Wilson, the first CAP volunteers were organized on Dec. 1, 1941, just a few days before the first sneak attack on Americans that fateful day at Pearl Harbor.

Honoring the Sacrifices

These days, defending his country comes easily to northern California resident Steve Taylor, 43, a typical CAP volunteer pilot. A career state government employee, Taylor has been flying since he was 16. He joined CAP as a cadet when he was 13 or 14. He flies his own four-passenger single engine Cessna, mostly carrying out search and rescue missions.

Taylor says nearly half the CAP pilots he knows are Air Force veterans. "We're expecting to play a major role in the new homeland defense plan when it's approved," said the family man with two children. "We're looking forward to it."

CAP pilots like Taylor are among today's "Flying Minutemen" and women, serving much like their predecessors during WWII. In those days, CAP pilots flew more than 500,000 hours, logging 24 million miles in their own planes. They lost 64 aviators and 90 aircraft flying often dangerous missions around the country and offshore. They spotted 173 enemy submarines, attacked 57, hit 10 and sank two.

Air Force records on CAP casualties since its reorganization in May 1948 are sketch and unreliable, according to Gary Woodsmall, CAP's safety chief.

"There were 14 fatalities between 1996 and August 2002," he said, "Two CAP flyers were killed in North Carolina as recently as July 17, 2002, and three more on Aug. 10 in Tennessee. All were engaged in Air Force-sponsored missions."

Sacrifices made by CAP aviators killed have been recognized by memorials around the country. The principle one is at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, dedicated Dec. 1, 1992. (It does not list names.)

Vital Homeland Security

Leading CAP's homeland security mission is a career Air Force officer.

"Civil Air Patrol is uniquely positioned to assist in homeland security efforts," said national CAP Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Bowling. "We have more than 530 aircraft, 950 vehicles and thousands of trained volunteers. They stand ready to meet the challenge by preparing, preventing and responding to internal and external threats to the United States."

From CAP's national headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, Bowling commands a civilian flying force of 60,000 trained volunteers in 1,700 units in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. CAP's air and ground outfits perform 85% of the Air Force's stateside search and rescue missions.

Flying is second nature to John J. Kittle, 55, a retired Air Force colonel and Vietnam War veteran who flew 210 combat missions. Kittle serves as CAP's chief of Counterdrug and Homeland Security from his office in Alexandria, Va. He's held that position since 1998, serving as liaison between CAP and federal agencies in the nation's capital.

Father of three children, Kittle said, "CAP will play a major role in homeland security. There is enthusiasm in Congress for CAP to get involved. Senators Tom Harkin and Joe Biden are strong supporters of our involvement. We can field an aircraft with highly trained volunteer air crews for an average cost of only $90 per flying hour."

Indeed, the most active CAP member in Congress is Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, commander of CAP's Congressional Squadron.

According to Kittle, "CAP also may receive funding at the state level for homeland security as well as at the federal level since the Department of Homeland Security has been approved."

Kittle said CAP can provide support for each of the six critical missions in the President's national security plan: intelligence and alarm warning, border and transportation security, domestic counter-terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure and key assets, defending against catastrophic threats and emergency preparedness and response.