JBMDL -- Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, will celebrate its founding 75 years ago with the unveiling of a specially commissioned commemorative bronze marker to be installed at the former Bader Field. The special ceremony will take place during CAP’s Northeast Region/New Jersey Wing Conference <http://www.njwg.cap.gov/conference> at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel on March 9-12.
“Civil Air Patrol has kept a vigilant watch on the homeland since World War II,” said Col. Steven Tracy, New Jersey Wing Commander of the Civil Air Patrol. “The unveiling of this commemorative marker recognizes the historical significance of Bader Field but also pays tribute to an organization and its volunteers who have given more than seven decades of service to our nation.”
Bader Field was CAP’s first Coastal Patrol Base, established Feb. 28, 1942, to protect domestic shipping from German U-boats. From 1942-1943 CAP submarine chasers flew out of the base, later known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport which closed on Sept. 30, 2006. Eventually, 18 more bases were created, stretching from Maine to Mexico, before CAP's antisubmarine mission ended Aug. 31, 1943.
The Keynote speaker for the conference will be the Rev. Jill Robb Paulson, granddaughter of CAP founder Gill Robb Wilson <https://www.capmembers.com/cap_university/pd_awards/gill-robb-wilson-award/> . Other distinguished guests include:
* Donald A. Guardian, Mayor of Atlantic City
* Brig Gen. Larry F. Myrick <http://www.capvolunteernow.com/media/cms/Myrick_Bio__Aug_14_updated_11587BEFA9A39.pdf> , CAP National Vice Commander
* Col Michael D. Tyynismaa <http://www.au.af.mil/au/bios/CAP-USAF-CC_Col_Tyynismaa.pdf> , CAP U.S Air Force Commander
* Col Daniel M. Leclair, CAP Northeast Region Commander
* Col Frederick D. Thaden, Commander 87th Air Base Wing, Instillation Commander JBMDL
* Col Steven M. Tracy, CAP New Jersey Wing Commander
Conference attendance is expected to exceed 500 people. The conference will feature historical aviation exhibits and re-enactments, sessions on glider operations, drones, emergency services, CAP leadership and professional development, and cadet challenges and much more.
Prominently featured will be CAP’s stellar aerospace education program for grades K-12, including interactive STEM kits such as rocketry, robotics and flight simulators. Cadets and guests of all ages will enjoy the model-based Cadet Aerospace Competition demonstrating creative solutions to challenges with colonizing Mars.
Civil Air Patrol <https://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/P050_005_C3E62FDD0BD80.pdf> , the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide 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 currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com <http://www.capvolunteernow.com/> for more information.