Cmdr. Marlene Johnson shows Civil Air Patrol cadets the distinguished award given once a year to the most deserving squadron in Hawaii. Out of 11 squadrons Kona was selected because of the number of new recruits, individual merit awards and participation in search and rescue activities. The squadron is trained in all phases of ground search and rescue as well as military procedures and aerospace education. The cadets are trained to become leaders with strong moral values and character.
Cmdr. Marlene Johnson shows Civil Air Patrol cadets the distinguished award given once a year to the most deserving squadron in Hawaii. Out of 11 squadrons Kona was selected because of the number of new recruits, individual merit awards and participation in search and rescue activities. The squadron is trained in all phases of ground search and rescue as well as military procedures and aerospace education. The cadets are trained to become leaders with strong moral values and character.
The all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary is the newest member of the Air Force Total Force, which consists of Regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. Civil Air Patrol, in its total force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 85 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center with saving an average of 70 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol has 58,000 members nationwide, who also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program.
Members of the community are invited to visit the squadron from 6-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday across from the Aloha cargo building at Kona International Airport. The senior members meet on the first Tuesday of the month. The group is recruiting seniors and cadets ages 12-17.
Info: Capt. Michelle Carver, 989-3008, gocivilairpatrol.com.