Natl. Commander Extends Pandemic-Related Travel, Meeting Restrictions

Continuing concerns about COVID-19 have prompted Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, Civil Air Patrol national commander and CEO, to extend restrictions on CAP-related travel and meetings – previously set to expire May 11 – to June 30, Smith announces in his latest letter to members and staff.

In the interim, “we are rolling out guidance on how wings can carefully ease out of their current sets of restrictions,” Smith says. “My target date for rolling out this guidance is on 12 May. The happy news is that we will have a careful migration for CAP from more restrictive to less restrictive stances very soon.

“Some wings will be able to progress more quickly and move past the existing set of restrictions. Other wings will need to move more slowly, and so the original restrictions will apply for a longer period.”

Echoing previous sentiments, the national commander also expressed concern for the pandemic’s and associated restrictions’ impact on CAP members. “As a leader, I worry about people in our organization,” he says. “Is everyone doing okay? Are some people struggling? In earlier messages I urged us to reach out to others – engage – to help make sure that our wingmen are persevering okay through these trying times. Please keep reaching out and connecting.”

“Let’s continue to take care of one another,” Smith concludes. “After all, this is a long haul we are enduring."