CIVIL AIR PATROL PREPARES MEMBERS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES
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Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Amie Huynh (left), a Parkland Cadet Squadron, passes a practical evaluation during communications training from Civil Air Patrol 1st Lt. Vanessa Muñiz (right), Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron, April 6, 2019 at the Maryland Wing headquarters. (Photo by David McNally) |
By Senior Member David McNally, Harford Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol
WOODSTOCK, Md. -- Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing offered a weekend of emergency services training to its members April 6-7.
More than fifty cadets and senior members from squadrons across the state gathered for the wing’s Emergency Services Academy to learn how to operate radios, proper radio etiquette and gain hands-on experience on the first day, and develop Basic First Aid and CPR skills on the second day.
Officials said there is a “significant amount of education and training required for the varied missions Civil Air Patrol supports.”
“We always need communicators,” Civil Air Patrol instructor Lt. Col. Richard Hoerner told the class. “Get as much training as you can.”
A key Civil Air Patrol mission is emergency services. Hoerner told the class members that knowing how to operate and communicate on a radio is an important skill because “radios will still work during an emergency while commercial cellular services may fail or become overloaded.”
Civil Air Patrol’s mission is to support America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power.
“This training prepares you to go into a field like emergency services,” said Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Amie Huynh, a Parkland Cadet Squadron member attending the training. “Not only do you learn about the basics of emergency services, you also learn more about radios and air crew. It will help you later on in life, not just in the Civil Air Patrol.”
Following a morning of classroom instruction, instructors gave students a practical test using mobile radios installed in the organization’s vehicles.
“Practice, practice, practice,” Civil Air Patrol 1st Lt. Vanessa Muñiz, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron member, advised students as she quizzed them on radio operations and etiquette. The training, known as ICUT, or Introductory Communications User Training, is required for members to move up in emergency services because every other qualification within the speciality is grounded in this basic training qualification.
Muñiz said the second day of training, on first aid, is also very important for anyone interested in emergency services.
“The Maryland Wing Emergency Services Academy is dedicated to providing the best education and training possible for each student,” said Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Bob Midkiff, emergency services director for the wing. For any Maryland Wing cadet or senior member interested in future training opportunities, Lt. Col. Midkiff suggested visiting the Wing’s website to sign up.
Huynh, 13, who has been a Civil Air Patrol cadet for almost two years, said she has a goal to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“I would recommend the Civil Air Patrol,” she said. “Not only do you learn about emergency services and aerospace education, you get to learn about customs and courtesies and learn self-discipline.”
Harford Composite Squadron features both adult and youth programs. The unit meets Mondays from 7-9 p.m. at the Aberdeen Proving Ground STEM Center, Building 4508, 6483 Wayberry Road.
Do you have a passion for aviation, dream of flight, or are considering a career in the military? Do you want to serve your community and enhance your leadership skills? Join us. Youths, ages 12 to 18, as well as parents and adults interested in the cadet and/or senior program are welcome to visit meetings and talk with the staff. Follow the squadron on Facebook.
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, 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 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for information.
More than 1,500 members serve in Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing. Last year, wing members flew 13 actual search and rescue missions. Overall, the Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland, flying 2,245 hours in all mission categories, and was credited with four finds. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For information, contact the Maryland Wing at mdwg.cap.gov or follow the wing on Facebook.
