Semper Vigilans

Since one of Civil Air Patrol’s missions is ES we, as a unit, have taken that mandate very seriously by taking part in various training protocols from Aircraft Marshalling to Radio Operations to Direction finding to Ground Team training. It is our firm belief that cadets as well as senior members should be ready to make positive contributions and provide aide should an emergency arise. In past years we have participated in real-time, real-world activities. These have ranged from aiding the city Santa Fe in a search for a little boy to looking for several missing private aircraft to a ground team assignment from the U. S. State Department looking for a lost glider. In every instance CAP cadets, in full cooperation with the State Search and Rescue Teams, have been a vital resource to the mission.

Ever since CAP's inclusion of young people, it has used its cadet cadre as more auxiliary than primary resources. While it is true that young people may lack thoroughly developed thought processes and problem solving skills it is important that the young people of today, as well as the adults, be properly and thoroughly trained to take on complex situations calmly, rationally and to attain specific goals within set boundaries. Proper training will certainly allow cadets to move from these auxiliary positions to positions of first responders.

Most important to any operation is safety. This would include not only physical safety but also long term psychological safety too. CAP strives to never put its resources, equipment or personnel, in harms way. We train to that end. Proper equipment selection and use is stressed. Proper training before assignment is taught. And, for those in critical assigning positions, how to best use resources yet protect personnel is paramount.

Personnel must be trained in advance if expected to perform in real emergencies. Only through practice and training can anybody expect to contribute to a positive outcome of any mission. Ongoing relative training, both in the classroom and the field is maintained in the unit so that if “the call” ever comes in, we will be prepared.

Every mission is different yet every person of any rank and age can be a vital link in that mission. Every mission could need pilots, radio operators, message runners, aircraft marshalers, air operations staff, ground operations workers, people in logistics, and many more too numerous to name. Not every body is cut out to be a “ground pounder” and indeed there are a lot of organizations that do a fine job in that area. No other civilian entity is better equipped to communicate and work both in the air and on the ground.

Rather than withdraw from active participation because of a feeling of neglect, train to be part of an active vital ES program. From Air Ops to Zealous training we will be ready when called upon to help out wherever or whenever needed.

Very specific training is needed in today’s modern high tech world. No longer is it enough to just rely on eyesight and leads provided by untrained observers. Today’s ES active person must know the complexity of computers, radio usage and language, and understand how to use other rapidly developing technologies. Who better to train in these areas than our future leaders – our youth? We must never forget that our present day leaders were young once and had to learn strange skills to succeed.

In every way possible let us be ready to respond to emergencies properly trained and equipped. Let every member, senior and cadet, be ready to render aide wherever needed and to ready to blend into a team, ready to fulfill any part of an assigned operation.

Gladly we will take on even the most mundane tasks for the common good to promote a positive outcome of a mission.

In no way should any member expect to be the hero of any mission, it will always be a group effort.

Long hours of training and repetition will be expected lest we stagnate and stumble in our efforts to be helpers and become part of the problem not the solution.

Always look back to learn from your and others mistakes. Never pointing fingers of blame but using those fingers to lend a helping hand.

No one person is more important than any other person on a team. No plane flies without support. No mission goes forward without communication. No one succeeds without help from others.

Safety, training, accomplished goals – such things always add up successful Emergency Services missions