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CAP cadets take flight Saturday
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:22 pm
Local Civil Air Patrol cadets will take to the sky, some for the first time, as they earn their training wings as part of the United States Air Force Auxiliary unit designed to groom young adults for a military way of life as a pilot. The air show is set for 8 a.m. on Saturday at the Virgil Craven Memorial Airport in Fulton, Ky. Cadet programs are offered for youth attending the 6th grade to age 21. Currently, there are more than 23,000 cadet members across the states. The Civil Air Patrol training program is a multi-step program that encompasses aviation and aerospace activities. Cadets are taught military customs, courtesies and marching skills. Second Lt. Deputy Commander of Cadets Sylvia Mallard said the local CAP is growing more and more each day, but the unit is in need of volunteers to help train cadets. She said they are also seeking children between the ages of 12 and 18 to enroll in the local Civil Air Patrol. CAP members are required to meet USAF standards of dress and grooming while in uniform. The CAP was founded in December 1941, one week before the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor, by over 150,000 citizens concerned about the defense of America's coastline. Flying under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Force, CAP pilots flew over one-half million hours, were credited with sinking two enemy submarines and rescued hundreds of crash survivors during WWW II. Pres. Harry Truman established CAP as a federally chartered benevolent civilian corporation on July 1, 1946. There are now approximately 1,200 units nationwide. For more information about the local CAP or to become a volunteer, contact Capt. Commander Chuck Young at 1-270-627-1306. Weather-permitting, the cadets will fly at the Fulton, Ky. airport at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The public is invited to attend. WCP 6.18.09
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