The Civil Air Patrol was founded on December 1, 1941, to supplement the civilian defense organization and the U.S. military during World War II. In 1946, Congress incorporated the Civil Air Patrol as a nonprofit, volunteer civilian organization. The Civil Air Patrol’s aerospace education program annually touches more than 1,800 educators and more than 200,000 youths — cadets and others in classrooms across America — teaching multidisciplinary aviation concepts that emphasize aviation’s connection to history, math, science, government and economics.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex was the backdrop for Apollo 14 – 50th Anniversary Gala, produced by Back To Space’s, Danielle Dallas Roosa, granddaughter of Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart Roosa. Danielle Roosa established the Back To Space organization “to be a bridge between entertainment and space.” She elaborated by saying, Back to Space’s goal is “to ignite the imagination” for space exploration.
There was a running theme during the stage presentations and interviews during the Apollo 14 – 50th Anniversary Gala that paralleled the Civil Air Patrol mission of youth development and promotion of air and space for cadets – that there are all types of jobs in the air and space career field. Gerry Griffin, Apollo 14’s Flight Director, said, “There are many jobs that make space flight possible.”
Griffin went on to say, “The most important thing for us was leadership and to trust the people above and below us.” Meaning they trusted their leadership team and all the team members and stakeholders that made the mission possible from mission control, people in the mission evaluation room, to vendors and parts suppliers. Stuart Roosa, Jr., said his grandfather Astronaut Stuart Rosa, kept telling him, “how everyone was so crucial in their role” up and down the line to make the Apollo 14 mission flight possible.
Griffin and Duke were asked what lessons they learned that they would pass on to cadets. Griffin replied, “Prepare academically, work and study hard.” as well as, “Keep knocking on doors.” Astronaut Charlie Duke said, “Study hard and do something that you like, work at what you want to do.”
Civil Air Patrol’s Lake Composite Squadron meets every Tuesday at 6:00 pm at the Leesburg International Airport squadron building. New members are welcome – for more information regarding meetings, call (860) 605-0738.
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ABOUT CIVIL AIR PATROL:
Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and more than 2,000 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of all search and rescue operations within the contiguous United States as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives during the past fiscal year. CAP’s 54,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Members also serve as mentors to over 20,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.
