Students Trained by NESA-MTT Top 1,000

On June 17, the National Emergency Services Academy-Mobile Training Team (NESA-MTT) broke through the 1,000-member ceiling of Civil Air Patrol students trained. 

Beginning with three pilot courses conducted in Arizona in 2015, this academic program gradually accelerated in both classes offered and students taught, peaking with 32 classes and 558 students in 2019. This year, despite COVID-19 limitations, the program has taught 216 students, with another 76 scheduled for training in the past two weeks.

"Some have said that NESA was canceled this summer; however, all evidence to the contrary. It just expanded its reach with virtual deliveries into the members’ homes," said Lt. Col. Bob Ditch, NESA-MTT coordinator.

NESA-MTT transitioned to a series of seven virtually delivered classes. Virtual deliveries were accomplished with students participating from across the nation, including attendance by National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Ed Phelka. These included Incident Command System (ICS), Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Chaplain Support Team course deliveries. It also included CAP providing instructor augmentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its delivery of four EOC courses this summer, as well as the future delivery of ICS courses for active-duty Air Force members. 

"As CAP's academic leader, its successes have not gone unnoticed, and have been followed closely by FEMA, U.S. Customs and Border Control, the U.S. Air Force and Army, and also the state Homeland Security offices in Alaska, Ohio and New York, all who have asked how they could model the academics," Ditch said.