Civil Air Patrol marches in New Fairfield Lions Club July 4th Parade

NEW FAIRFIELD, Conn. - July 8, 2016 - PRLog -- Members of Civil Air Patrol's 399th Composite Squadron (Danbury) and 801st Cadet Squadron (New Fairfield) marched in the New Fairfield Lions Club July 4th Parade.

The combined contingent, directed by 399th Commander, Major Joseph Bisnov, consisted of twenty one cadet and senior Civil Air Patrol members. The 399th Composite Squadron Color Guard Team, comprised of cadets Senior Airman Cassidy Murphy, Technical Sergeant Liam Waldron, Airman Jessica Pereira and Airman Elizabeth Croxford, led Civil Air Patrol marchers along the route.

Participants proceeded south on Pembroke Road to the center of town to the applause of hundreds of spectators who waved American flags and cheered the marchers on. The parade then turned west onto Brush Hill Road and terminated at Memorial Field where hot dogs and beverages were served to marchers, courtesy of the New Fairfield Lions Club.

Civil Air Patrol members had the honor of meeting New Fairfield's First Selectman Susan Chapman, U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 5th congressional district Elizabeth Esty, Connecticut State Representatives Jan Giegler (House District 138) and Richard Smith (House District 108), and Connecticut State Senator Michael McLaughlin (Senate District 24). Cadets also had the privilege of speaking with New Fairfield Veterans who related stories of being in the military and graciously posed for pictures.

Civil Air Patrol, 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 http://www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.

To learn more about the 399th Composite Squadron visit  http://www.facebook.com/399thCompositeSquadron