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last modified: Monday, February 7, 2005 |
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original release date:
2/07/05 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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Civil Air Patrol wins national award for hurricane response |
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| MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Civil Air Patrol has received national recognition for its volunteer work following hurricanes Charley, Francis, Ivan and Jeanne. The 60,000-member all-volunteer CAP has been selected for a 2005 Award of Excellence from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Washington, D.C. During August and September 2004, CAP members responded to continuous requests from emergency management agencies for ground and aerial hurricane impact assessment. Using CAP-owned satellite-transmitted digital imagery systems (SDIS) and CAP aircraft, members took high-resolution digital photos and transmitted the images via satellite phone and e-mail, using a laptop computer onboard the aircraft. State and federal officials used the images to assess affected sites and plan recovery efforts. CAP also helped locate and silence hundreds of Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) that were activated as a result of damage to aircraft and boats during the storms. CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless says CAP volunteers appreciate the recognition. "More than 1,000 of our volunteer members took time away from their jobs and families to help the communities affected by the hurricanes," Wheless said. "They made tremendous sacrifices, and that's typical of our members throughout the nation. This award validates the unheralded work of our volunteers -- and that includes every member who sacrifices his day off to chase down a false Emergency Locator Transmitter signal, take an inner city kid on his first airplane ride, or mentor a cadet who dreams of becoming an astronaut." Now in its fifteenth year, the prestigious Associations Advance America Awards program recognizes associations that propel America forward with innovative projects in education, skills training, standards-setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship, and community service. Although association activities have a powerful impact on everyday life, they often go unnoticed by the general public. "Many people think of CAP only in terms of its relationship to the military as the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force," said CAP Executive Director Al Allenback. "But CAP is in fact a nonprofit organization that faces the same challenges in recruiting, retention, funding and program development common to all associations. In addition, we also must comply with the requirements of the Air Force and our responsibilities as a grant recipient under the Department of Defense. To be recognized by the nation's most prestigious society of association executives is a true honor for CAP, and a tribute to the teamwork among our volunteer, Air Force and corporate leaders." “CAP’s program truly embodies the spirit of the Associations Advance America campaign. It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions associations are making to advance American society,” said 2004-2005 Associations Advance America Committee Chair David Gabri, President and CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International. ASAE will present the award to CAP during its sixth annual Summit Awards dinner Sept. 27, 2005 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with almost 60,000 members nationwide. It performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years. |
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