New Civil Air Patrol unit takes flight at Mount Vernon Airport

MOUNT VERNON — Two friends decided a year ago, after the Knox County Regional Airport Authority announced it was breaking ground on the new aviation educational center, to bring the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) to Mount Vernon.

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Craig Cox and John Morgan developed a friendship over several years, as well as a strong CAP squadron in Newark that worked with, educated, and served the community.

Cox and Morgan stepped away from CAP for a few years, until Cox decided to try for a Mount Vernon unit.

Morgan, who lives in Centerburg, said he always hoped a unit would open in the area. So when Morgan got wind of Cox, a Mount Vernon resident, starting a new unit closer to him, it seemed like the right time to return.

Cox gave a presentation about bringing CAP to Mount Vernon in front of the airport authority’s board. He then spoke with higher-ups within CAP. Both groups were fully on board with having a unit in the area, Morgan said.

“[The board] unanimously voted to approve the Civil Air Patrol using one of the classroom spaces when the aviation educational center is completed, and that’s supposed to happen this spring,” Morgan said.

However, the duo got approval to start CAP even before they had a space in the new center. Suddenly, Morgan became the finance and public affairs officer for the unit.

“The first official meeting we had was in August, and I think there were five adult members and a number of young people who were interested in joining our cadet program,” Morgan said.

The unit has taken off since then with nine adult volunteer members and 14 cadets from Fredericktown, Danville, Howard, Marengo and Mount Vernon. The group meets in the terminal building of the airport while they wait for the completion of the aviation center.

“We both knew the need, and [Cox] followed up on it,” Morgan said. “When he saw the opportunity coming to the airport, he just said, ‘We have to pursue this.'”

What is CAP?

“Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered, federally funded, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force,” a CAP fact sheet states.

There are 37 units with 774 cadets and 598 adult members in the Ohio Wing of CAP, Morgan said.

Since the Mount Vernon unit is so new, Morgan said they haven’t done much outside of developing the cadet program. The unit just finished what CAP calls the “Great Start Program,” which is an in-depth introduction for the cadets to learn about CAP’s values.

“It is all about getting the cadets used to the different phases of the cadet program, which are aerospace education, physical fitness, character development and leadership,” Morgan said.

Additionally, there are three categories for a CAP unit: a flight, a squadron and a composite squadron.

A flight requires eight members, with three of them being adult members. A squadron requires 15 members, with three of them being adult members.

A composite squadron is different from a normal squadron because it has a cadet program and an adult program.

The unit in Mount Vernon’s official title, for now, is the Knox County Airport Cadet Flight. Since they have the required members and resources to be a composite squadron, that change is coming soon.

Once the unit officially moves into its space at the new center, Morgan said the promotion from flight to composite squadron will follow soon after.

The two sides of CAP

For community events, the unit operates under the nonprofit side of the organization.

Case in point: The unit will walk in the Mount Vernon Christmas Parade on Nov. 30 with some CAP vehicles, and then partake in Wreaths Across America on Dec. 13 at a Mount Vernon cemetery.

On the other side of the organization, or when the Air Force calls upon CAP, most of what the civilian units do pertains to emergency services or search-and-rescue.

“I remember in 2008, we had the remnants of a hurricane come through that took down a lot of trees. So, our cadets went through a neighborhood in Newark and removed debris from the yards of those who couldn’t do it themselves,” Morgan recalled.

He added the Mount Vernon unit recently started taking on CAP’s emergency services training program, and hopes to have all cadets reach the first level of the program by spring.

The logistics of the unit

To become a cadet, Morgan said those interested have to be between the ages of 12 and 18. Adult participants need to be older than 18, and the unit does not have an age limit.

The Mount Vernon unit has cadet and adult members between the ages of 12 and the late 60s.

“We have a very extensive training program [for adult members], we call it the cadet protection program, and it is very strict about certain behaviors that adults have to follow to work around the youth,” Morgan said.

He added that CAP requires adult members to complete a refresher course every year, pass background checks, and submit fingerprints to join or remain members.

Additionally, a cadet can never be alone in a room with an adult member; there has to be two cadets and an adult member, or two adults and a cadet.

Monetarily speaking, both adult and cadet members pay annual dues and purchase uniforms similar to those of the Air Force. The unit generates funding through fundraising events and its members’ dues; CAP does not receive funding from the Air Force.

“They [the Air Force] provide the aircraft that our senior members use, vehicles and some of that, but as far as day-to-day stuff that we need, we have to do fundraising and things like that on our own,” Morgan said.

Teaching the next generation of leaders

Unlike other youth military-related organizations, CAP does not require cadets to serve in the military when they come of age.

Yet, CAP has a military-like rank system that cadets can progress through over time, which can help those who do want to serve.

“There’s one level, it’s when you go from being a cadet non-commissioned officer to the cadet officer, like a cadet second lieutenant,” Morgan said. “For any young person who reaches that point, they can enlist in the Air Force at a higher pay grade, an E-3, once they are old enough.”

Morgan said about 10% of each incoming Air Force Academy class are Civil Air Patrol cadets.

“Basically, the goal of the cadet program is to create young leaders with high character, good citizens and develop STEM opportunities for aviation careers or other sciences,” Morgan said.

“As far as adults go, we get the benefit of volunteering for one of the greatest organizations in the country, to be honest with you. We can have impact, not only with the youth, but with our communities as well.”

Morgan didn’t serve in the military, and at times regrets that — but he feels he still has been able to properly serve his community and his country, thanks to CAP.

To learn more about CAP, check out the organization’s fact sheet below: