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Squadron
Visiting Information
If you are interested in attending a meeting
(anyone can come; there's no pressure to join when you
attend your first meeting), you should know where and when
we meet. Our squadron is located at the 282nd CBCS Air
National Guard Base in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The
address is 274 Old Oxford Road. We meet at 1900-2100 (7:00
PM to 9:30 PM) every Thursday night. If you are not
familiar with the area, you may want to check out the
directions below:
Route 146 North (South) to Pound Hill Road Exit. At the
bottom of the exit, turn left (right) and take a left onto
Pound Hill Road. Go about 2 miles, passing through Route 5
to Old Oxford Road. Take a left onto Old Oxford Road. Go up
the hill for about 1/2 a mile and look for the RIANG sign.
Turn left. Park at the first building on your right (P102).
 History
of the Civil Air Patrol
"Civil Air Patrol was conceived in the late 1930s by
legendary New Jersey aviation advocate Gill Robb Wilson, who
foresaw aviation's role in war and general aviation's
potential to supplement America's military operations. With
the help of New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, the new
Civil Air Patrol was established on December 1, 1941, just
days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
The CAP insignia, a red three-bladed propeller in
the Civil Defense white-triangle-in-blue-circle, began
appearing on private aircraft everywhere. CAP initially
planned only on liaison and reconnaissance flying, but
the civilian group's mission expanded when German
submarines began to prey on American ships off the coast
of the United States and CAP planes began carrying bombs
and depth charges.
A CAP crew first interrupted a sub attack on a
flight out of Rehoboth Beach, saving a tanker off Cape
May, N.J. Since radio calls for military bombers were
often unproductive, unarmed CAP fliers dived in mock
attacks to force subs to break and run.
The CAP coastal patrol flew 24 million miles, found
173 submarines, attacked 57, hit 10 and sank two. By
Presidential Executive Order, CAP became an auxiliary of
the Army Air Forces in 1943.
 A
German commander later confirmed that coastal U-boat
operations were withdrawn from the United States
"because of those damned little red and yellow
airplanes." In all, CAP
flew a half-million hours during the war, and 64 CAP
aviators lost their lives in the line of duty.
The U.S. Air Force was created as an
independent armed service in 1947, and CAP was
designated as its official civilian auxiliary the
following year."
Operations (Emergency Services)
The Civil Air
Patrol carries out search-and-rescue tasks that are
assigned by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Through the use of
aircraft and ground teams, CAP is accredited with saving
thousands of lives.
Also notable
is the fact that the CAP is involved in counter drug
activities as well as coastal patrol for vessels in
distress.
All CAP
members, including seniors and cadets, participate
actively in emergency services.
Cadet
Programs
The cadet program of the
Civil Air Patrol is designed to transform today's youth
into productive, exemplary leaders. The program consists
of four major parts: aerospace education, leadership
training, physical training and moral leadership. A
cadet may earn grades from Cadet Airman Basic all the
way up to Cadet Colonel. They may also earn ribbons and
participate in encampments, competitions, international
cadet exchanges, and other opportunities.
One of the major
opportunities for cadets is to ride and control Civil
Air Patrol aircraft in orientation flights. Currently,
Rhode Island Wing has several Cessna 172 Skyhawks that
are used for both orientation flights and for missions.
To join the cadet
program, one must be at least 12 years of age but has
not yet reached his or her 18th birthday. A cadet may
stay in the cadet program until he or she decides to
become a senior member (between the ages of 18 and 21)
or turns 21.
Aerospace
The Civil Air Patrol's
Aerospace Education module serves both the community and
itself in promoting and embracing aerospace and
aviation. Within CAP, members can take courses and tests
to familiarize themselves with aircraft and aerial
systems. Some regions and wings offer courses to members
to learn how to fly or how to get a higher pilot rating.
In the community, the Civil Air Patrol promotes
aerospace education in the classroom and provides
teachers with materials in order to incorporate aviation
into the learning environment.
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