CAP Presents Air Force with Flight Intercept Painting Symbolizing Support, Anniversary
National Harbor, Md. (PRWEB) September 21, 2016 -- A painting by aviation artist Rick Broome, noted for his Air Force Academy class paintings, was presented Tuesday by Civil Air Patrol National Commander Joe Vazquez to the U.S. Air Force in commemoration of CAP’s 75th anniversary and its role in support of the Air Force as its Auxiliary since May 1948 and, since last year, as a member of its Total Force.
Vazquez presented Deborah James, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. David L. Goldfein, chief of staff, with the painting, entitled “Total Force Partners,” during the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. It will be permanently displayed at the Pentagon.
The painting features a CAP Cessna 182 from the Maryland Wing being intercepted near Washington, D.C., by an Air Force F-16 from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
“We are pleased that the painting will be on display at the Pentagon for many years, where it can be enjoyed by thousands of Total Force Airmen and Pentagon visitors,” the national commander said.
“Seventy-five years after Pearl Harbor our operational support to the Air Force takes place every day, around the clock. Our volunteers are trained, professional aviators who fly 550 aircraft on many of the same missions we flew during the war: homeland security, air defense training, search and rescue and disaster relief,” Vazquez continued.
“Over 1 million young Americans have learned about citizenship, leadership and teamwork in the CAP Cadet Program. Our program, with its Air Force, aviation and public service focus, prepares them well for both military service and civilian life.
“Civil Air Patrol has provided outstanding service to this country for 75 years, and we did not get to this point by ourselves. We stand on the shoulders of generations of volunteers whose service during times of national and local emergencies, especially World War II, remains our daily inspiration,” he concluded.
Broome, a former CAP cadet, was on stage for the presentation.
Video Shown
After the painting presentation Vazquez presented a 2:12 version of the organization’s 75th anniversary video. Both the two-minute version and a longer, 5:15 video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxRdZrI7vbA shown last month at CAP’s Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, were produced by Air Force Master Sgt. Scott Matthews. The Emmy Award-winning producer earned CAP’s top cadet honor, the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, as a California Wing member in January 1999.
“His video captures the history, evolution and excitement of your volunteer Air Force Auxiliary,” Vazquez said.
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and 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 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit http://www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.
Julie Debardelaben, Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters, +1 (877) 227-9142 Ext: 250, [email protected]
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