PRINTER'S NO. 2988
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
748
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MALONEY, CORBIN, BARRAR, QUIGLEY, BAKER, KILLION,
READSHAW, REGAN, DUSH, SONNEY, CALTAGIRONE, HENNESSEY,
KIRKLAND, LONGIETTI, STAATS, R. BROWN, MACKENZIE, MAJOR,
MILLARD, COHEN, WHITE, BENNINGHOFF, SAINATO, HARHART,
SACCONE, HAHN, NEILSON, COX, WATSON, PASHINSKI, MURT,
SCHLOSSBERG, VEREB, TOOHIL, BOBACK, METZGAR, BIZZARRO,
O'NEILL, WARD, WHEELAND, D. COSTA, KINSEY, ROZZI, PHILLIPS-
HILL, GIBBONS, ELLIS, IRVIN, McGINNIS, A. HARRIS, TOEPEL,
SAYLOR, ROSS, MARSICO, PAYNE, MILNE, DiGIROLAMO, BRADFORD,
FARRY, DEASY, GOODMAN, GILLEN, GROVE, MAHONEY AND EVERETT,
MARCH 18, 2016
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 18, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol.
WHEREAS, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official civilian
auxiliary of the United States Air Force; and
WHEREAS, On December 1, 1941, CAP was created by an
administrative order of the United States Director of Civilian
Defense; and
WHEREAS, For 75 years, CAP has fulfilled its congressionally
mandated missions of providing emergency services, aerospace
education and cadet programs; and
WHEREAS, CAP's 75th anniversary theme is "Civil Air Patrol -
Always Vigilant for America, 1941-2016"; and
WHEREAS, Anniversary activities and displays are planned
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throughout 2016, including at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's
World War II Weekend in Reading, Berks County, with observances
culminating in a 75th anniversary gala at the Smithsonian
Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on December 1, 2016;
and
WHEREAS, CAP is a federally chartered nonprofit organization
with 56,000 members nationwide; and
WHEREAS, CAP operates a fleet of 550 aircraft, one of the
largest fleets of single-engine piston aircraft in the world,
with pilots flying more than 98,500 hours annually; and
WHEREAS, CAP performs approximately 90% of continental United
States inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the United
States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which credits CAP
with saving an average of 78 lives annually; and
WHEREAS, CAP's unpaid professionals also perform homeland
security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the
request of Federal, State and local agencies; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, CAP contributed more than $164 million in
man-hours by serving the disaster relief and emergency services
needs of communities, states and the Nation; and
WHEREAS, The members of CAP play a leading role in aerospace
education and serve as mentors to 24,000 young people currently
participating in the CAP cadet programs; and
WHEREAS, CAP continues a myriad of emergency services,
disaster relief services and homeland security missions, each
focused on the well-being and protection of American citizens;
and
WHEREAS, In 2015, CAP maintained a fleet of more than 1,000
emergency service vehicles for training and mission support; and
WHEREAS, CAP provides chaplains and character development
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instructors who minister to youth and adult members and help
comfort survivors and victims of disasters; and
WHEREAS, Since 2010, CAP has responded to both natural and
man-made disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on
the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Sandy on the Eastern seaboard,
flooding in the Midwest, tornadoes in the South and Southwest,
wildfires in California, a mudslide in Washington State and a
blizzard in South Dakota; and
WHEREAS, CAP aircrews have also provided tsunami warnings in
Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, CAP's search and rescue efforts, aided by advances
in technology, have resulted in nearly 400 lives saved
nationwide in the past six years; and
WHEREAS, CAP's homeland security missions include aerial
reconnaissance conducted near shipyards on the waterways of the
Unites States, air defense exercises for United States Air Force
fighters protecting this nation's airspace and assistance in
training troops before they deploy overseas; and
WHEREAS, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in
honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans; and
WHEREAS, CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an
initiative to remember, honor and teach the sacrifices of United
States military veterans; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the Pennsylvania Wing (PA Wing) of the CAP
was comprised of 1,053 adult members, 923 cadets, 152 aircrew
personnel and 1,181 emergency responders, with 49 squadron
locations Statewide, 11 single-engine aircraft and 36 vehicles;
and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the PA Wing engaged in 15 search and rescue
missions, with nearly 40 members participating in each mission;
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and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the PA Wing provided more than 700 cadet
orientation flights, with 2,538 hours flown; and
WHEREAS, Counterdrug flights by the PA Wing in 2015 uncovered
illicit substances with a street value of $4.5 million; and
WHEREAS, Wreaths Across America observations were held at
eight locations in this Commonwealth in 2015, with approximately
450 members in 21 local units participating; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the value of the PA Wing's volunteer hours
were estimated at almost $5.5 million; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
75th anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol; and be it further
RESOLVED, That residents of this Commonwealth be encouraged
to learn more about CAP and its long history of service,
sacrifice and love of country.
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