Senate Concurrent Resolution 601

(As Adopted by Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL AIR PATROL.

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol was founded December 1, 1941, by a fledgling group of volunteers led by civilian pilots who flew their own planes at their own expense to support America's efforts in World War II, primarily by flying reconnaissance missions near the country's coasts to protect cargo ships, especially vital oil tankers, being sunk at an alarming rate that, according to United States Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall, "now threaten our entire war effort"; and

WHEREAS, so many subs were spotted by these "subchasers" that a decision was soon made by the military to arm their light aircraft with small bombs and their larger aircraft with 325-pound depth charges, putting these brave civilians at great risk because they were often flying 100 miles or more from shore in all kinds of weather; and

WHEREAS, over the next year and a half, these subchasers played an integral role in the defense of America's home front during World War II, spotting 143 German submarines, attacking 57 and sinking two, while directing shore-based fighting units to their targets and forcing the German Navy to move further offshore; and

WHEREAS, the wartime effort, which included border patrol operations, search and rescue, disaster relief, forest fire patrol, emergency transportation of personnel and critical cargo and towing practice targets for the United States military, also resulted in the loss of 26 members and 90 aircraft in the war's beginning stages and 64 deaths and 150 lost aircraft by war's end; and

WHEREAS, the Coastal Patrol was heralded as a great success, prompting President Harry Truman to sign Public Law 476 in 1946, which made CAP a benevolent, nonprofit organization and, nearly two years later, in 1948, the Congress of the United States passed Public Law 557, permanently establishing CAP as the auxiliary of the new United States Air Force with the three primary missions of Emergency Services, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education; and

WHEREAS, since that auspicious beginning, a modern-day Civil Air Patrol has emerged to become one of the Nation's premier humanitarian service organizations, saving lives, finding those who are lost, helping fellow citizens in times of disaster, working to keep America safe, preparing future leaders, offering aerospace education to inspire our Nation's youth and honoring our military; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol, forged by a late-century revolution in search and rescue technology, became known worldwide for its unique emergency services operations, performing vital search and rescue, disaster relief and other important emergency missions for what now numbers more than 1,600 communities across America and the 50 states, as well as the Nation's capital and Puerto Rico; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol, supported by the world's largest fleet of single-engine aircraft equipped with high-tech toolboxes like full-motion video, infrared cameras and glass cockpit aircraft, has established itself among the Nation's search and rescue elite, now participating in up to 90 percent of the Air Force's inland search and rescue missions; and

WHEREAS, in the past year alone, many of the Civil Air Patrol's professional volunteers left their families and their homes, often in adverse weather conditions, to participate in 1,016 search and rescue missions in which they were credited with saving 113 lives; and

WHEREAS, as a top resource for disaster relief, the Civil Air Patrol is often first on the scene, providing aerial photography and damage assessment to help emergency officials pinpoint critical infrastructure needs in real time; and

WHEREAS, recent high-visibility Civil Air Patrol missions in Mississippi have included responses to tornadoes that ravaged communities across Mississippi and the Southeast; Hurricanes Katrina and Ike; and counterdrug missions that have helped remove illegal drugs from our communities; and

WHEREAS, the aircraft of Civil Air Patrol were the only nonmilitary planes allowed in the skies over the United States in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks in 2001, and CAP has since performed admirably in other homeland security missions, including responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a 118-day continuous effort, by taking tens of thousands of aerial photographs necessary for assessing environment damage, deploying containment assets and successfully working side-by-side with numerous state and federal agencies all the while saving the federal government an estimated $22 Million to $38 Million for these services with Mississippi volunteers providing over 2700 hours of service; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol's youth program currently includes more than 26,500 cadets who benefit from a curriculum that trains them to be leaders; offers them opportunities for flight, including pilot training; and teaches emergency services techniques, including lifesaving; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol reaches tens of thousands of the country's school-age children and their teachers, regardless of their membership in Civil Air Patrol, with a comprehensive selection of academic programs that stress the subjects of science, technology, engineering and math, in addition to programs that encourage a drug-free lifestyle; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol's membership includes an 868-member Chaplain Corps that fulfills critical needs for deployed United States military chaplains and provides counseling services for soldiers and their families, as well as disaster victims; and

WHEREAS, in its partnership with Wreaths Across America, the Civil Air Patrol annually honors military veterans by helping sponsor and place tens of thousands of wreaths at the graves of fallen soldiers at United States' cemeteries nationwide and overseas; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi Wing has 336 officers and 179 cadets volunteering in the thirteen local squadrons; with 101 aircrew personnel and 276 emergency responders performing 12 search and rescue missions resulting in nine finds; six counterdrug missions; and 34 other state and local missions for a total flying time of 1,589 hours in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi Wing pilots flew 280 cadet orientation flights in 2011 for Civil Air Patrol and Air Force ROTC programs; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol nationwide and members of the Mississippi Wing are celebrating 70 years of performing these "Missions for America":

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby honor the men and women who have served and those who continue to serve their fellow citizens through Civil Air Patrol, a noble and patriotic organization.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to Colonel Carlton Sumner, Commander of the Mississippi Wing, Civil Air Patrol, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.