SMOKEY POINT Theyre got mission objectives. Theyve got career and educational opportunities. Theyve got means of serving their community and their country. But what the Arlington Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol needs most is more members.
Civil Air Patrol Maj. Mike Talley explained that they are an official Auxiliary of the Air Force, and their branch has started a recruitment drive for cadets, from the middle school grades on up to adults.
Youngsters can join the Civil Air Patrol as early as 12, Talley said. We jokingly call ourselves the best-kept secret around, but we certainly have no intentions that it be kept secret. Its such a great opportunity for our young people, whether they plan on a career in the military or not.
Talley identified the Civil Air Patrols objectives as performing homeland security and humanitarian missions on the local, state and national levels, as well as developing the countrys youth and educating citizens on the importance of air and space power.
Talley elaborated that the Civil Air Patrol supports the Northwest Experimental Aircraft Associations annual Arlington Fly-In, as well as fly-ins at the Concrete, Bremerton, Skagit, Olympia and Anacortes airports.
Our cadets help with aircraft marshaling and crowd control, Talley said. We camp out at the Arlington Municipal Airport for a week to help with the show. The dates for the show this year are July 6-13.
Talley added that the Civil Air Patrol conducts an annual flight academy every July, at their facility in Ephrata, Wash. Cadets who are at least 14 years old can learn to fly a glider, while those that are at least 16 can learn to fly Cessna powered aircraft.
If students meet all their requirements, they may be allowed to make one solo flight, Talley said. The academy is about two weeks long and runs from July 16-27 this year, while our basic training encampment is a week-and-a-half-long event held in Fort Lewis in August.
The Arlington Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol meets at Weston High School every Thursday at 6 p.m., and at their Jan. 17 meeting, a few of their cadets were willing to share their reasons for signing up and staying on.
Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Royal Overman is an Arlington native currently attending Everett Community College, while Cadet Master Sgt. Adam Stobbe is a high school senior who hails from Marysville, and Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Josh Sinyaed is a junior who comes from Stanwood. Both Overman and Stobbe joined the Civil Air Patrol at the prompting of a friend, but all three expressed an interest in the military.
I applied at a bit of a late age, laughed Overman, whos considering a career in the Army. If you want to apply for a military academy, this gives you great leadership experience. You get to be part of an organization whose other members are like-minded, while serving your country. Plus, the uniforms are cool.
Doing things like search-and-rescue for downed aircraft sounded cool, said Stobbe, whos already joined the Marine reserves.
I just like the military, said Sinyaed, whos interested in the Navy. The drills, the uniforms, the search-and-rescues and the aerospace education all appealed to me.
Overman has enjoyed supporting the fly-ins, as well as taking part in flight academies and statewide cadet activities, while Stobbe is aiming to earn a Mitchell Award, which could promote him one pay grade immediately after boot camp. As for Sinyaed, he feels hes benefitted from the Civil Air Patrols lessons on both leadership and followership.
Overman has appreciating meeting a diversity of personalities in the Civil Air Patrol, just as Stobbe and Sinyaed both praised the encampment program as hardcore for its emphasis on military discipline.
The Civil Air Patrol is for those who desire an organization, rather than just a club, Overman said. You have to have patience, but the rewards can be amazing.
To learn more, you may contact Talley by phone at 425-359-0133, or via e-mail at m.talley@juno.com.