Danbury Mayor proclaims November 27 to December 3 Civil Air Patrol Week

DANBURY, Conn. - Dec. 1, 2016 - PRLog -- Mark D. Boughton, Mayor of the City of Danbury, issued a proclamation commemorating Civil Air Patrol for "75 years of Missions for America" and proclaimed November 27 to December 3 as Civil Air Patrol Week in Danbury, Connecticut.

Connecticut State Senator Michael McLachlan, a Major in Civil Air Patrol's Legislative Squadron, presented the proclamation to 399th Composite Squadron Commander, Major Joseph Bisnov, during a ceremony held by the squadron on November 29 at Danbury Municipal Airport.

The proclamation notes that Civil Air Patrol was founded on Dec. 1, 1941, to supplement the U.S. military during World War II and in 1948 designated as the U.S. Air Force's official auxiliary with three missions — emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education.

It recognizes Civil Air Patrol's contributions in locating enemy submarines during World War II, assisting rescuers and state agencies immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as aiding communities during natural disasters and providing vital homeland security missions. The proclamation also notes that Civil Air Patrol provides exceptional educational and growth opportunities for youth through its nearly 24,000-member strong cadet program, emphasizing leadership and teaching multidisciplinary aviation concepts.

Senator McLachlan said he was honored to be with the squadron for the presentation. Addressing cadet members, Senator McLachlan said, "You have a long list of members that have gone on to do great things and so we look forward to your service as cadets and wish you the very best in your studies, because your studies are important to take you to the next step." Senator McLachlan also expressed gratitude to senior members for working with cadets.

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.

For additional information about the 399th Composite Squadron visit http://www.facebook.com/399thCompositeSquadron.