2025 Fall Open House
Civil Air Patrol - Flathead Composite Squadron
Open House
Thursday, October 30, 2005
6:00-8:30 PM
Montana Army National Guard Armory
2989 US-93
Kalispell, MT 59901
The public is invited to learn more about Civil Air Patrol’s dynamic and engaging cadet and adult programs. Members of the squadron will be present to greet visitors and explain CAP’s missions for America. The event will kick off with a brief presentation of Civil Air Patrol’s programs and continue with various activities.
Youth between the ages of 12 and 18 can join the award-winning program as cadets, although there are also plenty of opportunities for adults over 18 as well. In many instances, cadets can recruit their parents or other family members once the adults see what's available to them, making the family aspect of CAP unique. Volunteers don't have to be pilots or veterans. Members come from all walks of life, and there is a place in CAP for most everyone. We need teachers, accountants, human resources specialists, marketers, medical personnel, and more. If you have an interest in emergency services or search and rescue, aerospace, STEM, or leadership training, CAP is the place for you. It's not just about flying.
The open house will cover an overview of Civil Air Patrol and its missions, the cadet program’s drill and ceremonies, physical training program, and aerospace education with STEM kits, flight simulators, model rocketry, and Civil Air Patrol drones on-site. There will also be an overview of emergency services capabilities, including ground teams, search and rescue and disaster relief, hands-on ES fun activities, and more.
The origins of the Civil Air Patrol story began in 1936, when Gill Robb Wilson, World War I aviator and New Jersey director of aeronautics, returned from Germany convinced of impending war. Wilson envisioned mobilizing America’s civilian aviators for national defense. The proposal for a Civil Air Patrol was approved by the Commerce, Navy, and War departments, and CAP national headquarters opened its doors on Dec. 1. In January 1942, U-boats started attacking the shipping lanes along our east coast. By June, enemy attacks destroyed nearly 400 merchant vessels and oil tankers off the U.S. Atlantic coastline, often within sight of our shores. Civil Air Patrol was called into action by a short-handed military. With privately owned airplanes armed with light bombs, civilian volunteers became the eyes of the home skies, flying a total of 244,600 hours patrolling and safeguarding America's coastline, aiding the safe movement of war material to the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. Today’s Civil Air Patrol may look different, but its core remains the same. We are volunteers serving America's communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
