Cadet Programs

Through Civil Air Patrol's Cadet Program, young people develop leadership skills, investigate the fundamentals of aerospace science, acquire the habit of exercising regularly, solidify their character, and participate in exciting hands-on activities that prepare them to become responsible citizens. 

Youth the ages of 12-18 may join the CAP Cadet Program and remain in cadet status until they turn 21. Middle school students may join before turning 12, if  their school participates in the CAP School Program.

Drill: Is used for demonstrating team work in professional setting
Emergency services: Use for the recovery of downed aircraft
Aerospace education: The learning of the world and history of aviation.

Cadet Oath

"I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program and that I will attend meetings regularly, participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and nation."

Emergency Services

Search and Rescue (SAR): Perhaps best known for its search and rescue efforts, CAP now flies 95% of all federal inland SAR missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley AFB, Virginia. Outside of the continental United States, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP missions? More than 100 people are saved every year by CAP members!

Disaster Relief: Often overlooked but vitally important is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation, and an extensive communications network. They fly disaster relief officials to remote locations, and support local, state and national disaster relief organizations with manpower, leadership and other valuable and needed resources.

Humanitarian Services: Closely related to disaster relief is CAP's support of humanitarian missions. Usually in support of the Red Cross, CAP air crews transport time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other means of transportation are not possible

Air Force Support: It's hardly surprising that CAP performs several missions in direct support of the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, CAP conducts damage assessment, radiological monitoring, light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys.

AEROSPACE EDUCATION
Teaching Ordinary Subjects in Extraordinary Ways

Civil Air Patrol (CAP) promotes and supports aerospace education, both for its own members and the general public. CAP educational programs help prepare American citizens to meet the challenges of a sophisticated aerospace society and understand its related issues.

CAP offers national standards-based educational products, including a secondary textbook, Aerospace: The Journey of Flight, and the middle-school-level Aerospace Dimensions. Teachers can get free classroom materials and lesson plans from CAP by joining CAP’s Aerospace Education Membership program.