This past Saturday, June the 26th, the Gilmer County airport hosted a charter presentation ceremony and open house for a new squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. A large crowd came out for the event, as well as county officials and emergency service personnel, to welcome Squadron 507 to the airport, which will serve as its base. Read on for pictures and video from the event.

CAP Officials at the Charter Presentation(L-R): Major Elise Whitworth; 1st Lt., Commander 507th Sam Burrell; and Colonel, Commander Georgia Wing Tonya Boylan

The Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit volunteer-based organization that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The CAP performs three congressionally chartered key missions: emergency services (as seen in its involvement in May’s missing plane search) and disaster relief operations; aerospace education for youth and the general public; and cadet programs for teenage youth. Recently, CAP has been tasked with homeland security missions.

Formed in the late 1930’s, the organization performed a great deal of important missions during World War II. From the Civil Air Patrol website:

In the late 1930s, more than 150,000 volunteers with a love for aviation argued for an organization to put their planes and flying skills to use in defense of their country. As a result, the Civil Air Patrol was born one week prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thousands of volunteer members answered America’s call to national service and sacrifice by accepting and performing critical wartime missions. Assigned to the War Department under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps, the contributions of Civil Air Patrol, including logging more than 500,000 flying hours, sinking two enemy submarines, and saving hundreds of crash victims during World War II, are well documented.

After the war, a thankful nation understood that Civil Air Patrol could continue providing valuable services to both local and national agencies. On July 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 476 incorporating Civil Air Patrol as a benevolent, nonprofit organization. On May 26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law 557 permanently establishing Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the new U.S. Air Force. Three primary mission areas were set forth at that time: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services. (www.gocivilairpatrol.com)

• The charter presentation was opened by Public Affairs Officer Don Murray, who gave an overview of the organization:

SM Don Murray: What is the Civil Air Patrol? from Fetch on Vimeo.
• Colonel Tonya Boylan, Commander of the Georgia Wing of the CAP, presents the charter for the newly formed CAP Squadron 507:

Cdr. Tonya Boylan presents Squadron 507 Charter from Fetch on Vimeo.
• Gilmer County Commissioner JC Sanford thanks the CAP for its role in the recent search operation, and welcomes Squadron 507 to Gilmer County:

Gilmer County Commissioner JC Sanford Welcomes the Squadron from Fetch on Vimeo.
• FYN had the chance to interview Mike Mullet, one of the CAP pilots who took part in the May search operation:

FYN Interviews CAP Pilot Mike Mullet from Fetch on Vimeo.

Squadron 507 is unique in that it features the Cohutta Search Dogs search and rescue team. Deputy Commander of Cadets Vee Burnham lends her dog training experience to the squadron by heading up this department. An employee of the county planning and zoning office before being laid off last year, Vee describes herself as a “full time volunteer”.

Deputy Commander Vee Burnham and Bosco.

507 is the first CAP squadron to feature a canine team