Air Force Association Announces New Partnership with Civil Air Patrol

Membership Statement, Signed Today, to Support Aerospace Education Initiatives

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Air Force Association announced today a new partnership with Civil Air Patrol designed to advance the mission of both organizations to promote aerospace education in communities nationwide.

The statement of mutual support, signed by Air Force Association President Gen. Larry Spencer and Civil Air Patrol National Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, calls for AFA and CAP to pair CAP squadrons and AFA chapters for the purpose of advocating for aerospace education at the local, state and regional level.

“Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force Association have made strides in promoting national defense for decades, even before the inception of the Air Force,” said Spencer, a retired U.S. Air Force general. “In an era so intensely focused on national security, it is crucial that our two organizations partner to make sure the Air Force’s voice is heard.”

“This is an exceptional opportunity for both organizations,” Smith said. “Partnering with the Air Force Association will open doors for both CAP and AFA to impact local communities.”

As part of the statement of mutual support, Civil Air Patrol is giving AFA members who “opt in” two years of free enrollment in its Friends of CAP program, which offers interested individuals a way to stay connected with CAP without the obligations or commitments involved with regular membership. As a Friend of CAP, AFA members will also receive an electronic subscription to Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine and an invitation to visit a local CAP squadron or special CAP event.

AFA is providing similar benefits, including full AFA e-memberships for two years to every current and new CAP member who opts in, as well as providing unit and educator grants to support CAP squadron initiatives in aerospace education and STEM and continuing to provide CAP with opportunities to participate in AFA’s national CyberPatriot program. AFA will also promote CAP’s Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program with AFA chapters nationwide.

To learn more about AFA, CAP and this special partnership in aerospace advocacy and education, visit www.afa.org or www.CAP.news.

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 80 lives annually. CAP’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.