SENATE RESOLUTION 59

(By Senators Romano, Facemire, Sypolt, Stollings, Swope, Hamilton, Maroney, Jeffries, Hardesty, Boso, and Baldwin)

[Introduced February 25, 2019]

Designating February 25, 2019, as Civil Air Patrol Day at the Legislature.

Whereas, The Civil Air Patrol, also known as CAP, was founded on Dec. 1, 1941, to supplement the U.S. military during World War II; and

Whereas, In 1948, CAP was designated as the U.S. Air Force’s official auxiliary with three missions: Emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education; and

Whereas, In 2016, CAP was placed on equal footing as part of the Air Force’s “Total Force”, along with the active-duty elements, the Air National Guard and the Air Force reserve; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Wing of the CAP has 14 units throughout the state with a total of more than 600 volunteer cadet and senior members; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Wing of the CAP performs vital homeland security missions that help ensure the protection of our citizens, infrastructure, and the state as a whole, performing search and rescue, photographic, and other homeland security-related missions and operations in support of the West Virginia Army and Air National Guard, West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and other state and local emergency and law-enforcement agencies; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Wing of the CAP, with single engine aircraft, vehicles, and its all-volunteer force, trains for and is prepared to immediately respond to search and rescue, disaster relief, and other emergency and homeland security missions here in West Virginia; and

Whereas, CAP also operates one of the most effective Drug Demand Reduction programs in the nation, assisting units at all levels to instill an aggressive, positive, drug-free attitude in CAP members and school-age children through a comprehensive program; and

Whereas, CAP provides exceptional educational and growth opportunities for youth through its nearly 26,000-member strong cadet program, which annually provides access to top national summer flight academies to learn to fly powered or glider aircraft, as well as to more than 30 national programs emphasizing leadership and careers in aviation; and

Whereas, CAP’s Aerospace Education Program annually touches more than 1,800 educators, more than 200,000 youths — cadets and others in classrooms across America — teaching multidisciplinary aviation concepts which emphasize aviation’s connection to history, math, science, government, and economics; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates February 25, 2019, as Civil Air Patrol Day at the Legislature; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.