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ROANOKE COMPOSITE SQUADRON
Roanoke, Virginia
MER-VA-048
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SEMPER VIGILANS - Always Vigilant
1st Lt. Leon K. Harding, CAP - Commander
Leon.Harding@vawg.cap.gov
Please Click Here for the Latest Squadron News and Information
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 WELCOME!
This site is the official website of the Roanoke Composite Squadron, representing the Civil Air Patrol in the Roanoke Valley of Southwestern Virginia. Since 1946, Civil Air Patrol has served as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force, charging its members with three missions. First, CAP promotes the benefits of general aviation. Over the years, that mission has expanded to include aerospace education, both internally to our members and externally to the general public and surround community. Second, CAP provides a cadet training program to support the nation’s youth in contributing to society and preparing for successful adult lives. Finally, Civil Air Patrol provides emergency services and disaster relief, the work for which CAP is often known for today.
The Roanoke Composite Squadron is a group of adults and youth who share a common interest in one of the three missions of CAP. Within that framework members over the age of 18 can be involved as a senior member/officer. Youth over the age of 12 and in 6th grade or higher may participate as a cadet member.
Cadets are involved with activities such as training in emergency services, model rocketry, orientation flights, encampments, leadership training and weekly meetings where cadets learn moral leadership and train for their various tasks. Promotions are earned when specific testing goals are met. The cadet program is designed to be an interesting and challenging experience for young adults. Through their experiences as CAP cadets, young people develop into responsible citizens and become tomorrow's aerospace leaders. The leadership skills, self-confidence, and discipline cadets gain through CAP prepares them to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves in life.
Within CAP, we provide a community service via our emergency services training. These resources are available to the region and state utilizing a communications network, ground teams and air crews. Many may be aware of our search and rescue activities as CAP conducts over 80 percent of all inland searches within the lower 48 states. We also are involved with homeland security, disaster relief, and counter drug operations. Finally, CAP has a program designed to promote science and aerospace by providing local teachers access to aerospace resources and lesson plans, as well as other opportunities for youth and community aviation education.
We would like to invite you to visit one of our meetings and meet us. Youth or adult, we have a place for you to be involved! The Roanoke Civil Air Patrol Squadron meets at the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center located just off of Peters Creek Road at 312 Whitwell Drive, Roanoke, VA 24019, starting at 7:00 pm. Click here for directions, or contact us for more information.
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 ABOUT US
The Roanoke Composite Squadron is an active Civil Air Patrol Squadron serving the Roanoke, Virginia area and surrounding counties. We are comprised of cadet and senior members with a passion for aviation and community service.
In addition to CAP's missions of Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services, we strive for excellence in the community and work with local schools and law enforcement agencies to send a message of responsibility and adherence to a drug-free lifestyle.
Our unit has a proud history that includes participation in several search and rescue missions as well as other CAP missions. Members of our squadron assisted in the response to the Great Dismal Swamp fire near Suffolk, VA, which was the state's largest emergency service mission in history. We have also participated in several missing person/aircraft searches, and Roanoke members have been credited with several "finds" over our squadron history.
Our squadron shares Cessna 172 and Cessna 182 aircraft on a rotating basis with the Lynchburg, Danville and Blacksburg, VA squadrons and we have an pilot cadre that provides aerial support to CAP emergency service and counter-drug missions as well as providing flight instruction and orientation flights to CAP cadets and Air Force ROTC students.
Our cadet program is very active, and many of our cadets have achieved the highest level of CAP cadet accomplishment - earning the General Carl A. Spaatz Award, which requires proficiency and study in numerous areas as well as a commitment to physical and moral excellence. Many of our former cadets have gone on to great things: appointments to military service academies, success in business, political office, judicial appointments- one former cadet even went on to be the national commander of the Civil Air Patrol!
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL AIR PATROL
 The Civil Air Patrol was conceived in the late 1930s by legendary New Jersey aviation advocate Gill Robb Wilson, who foresaw aviation's role in war and general aviation's potential to supplement America's military operations. With the help of New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, the new Civil Air Patrol was established on December 1, 1941, just days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
The CAP insignia, a red three-bladed propeller in the Civil Defense white triangle in a blue circle, began appearing on private aircraft everywhere. CAP initially planned only on liaison and reconnaissance flying, but the civilian group's mission expanded when German submarines began to prey on American ships off the coast of the United States and CAP planes began carrying bombs and depth charges."
 A CAP crew first interrupted a sub attack on a flight out of Rehoboth Beach, saving a tanker off Cape May, N.J. Since radio calls for military bombers were often unproductive, unarmed CAP fliers dived in mock attacks to force subs to break and run.
The CAP coastal patrol flew 24 million miles, found 173 submarines, attacked 57, hit 10 and sank two. By Presidential Executive Order, CAP became an auxiliary of the Army Air Forces in 1943.
 A German commander later confirmed that coastal U-boat operations were withdrawn from the United States "because of those damned little red and yellow airplanes."
In all, CAP flew a half-million hours during the war, and 64 CAP aviators lost their lives in the line of duty.
The U.S. Air Force was created as an independent armed service in 1947, and CAP was designated as its official civilian auxiliary the following year. Today, nearly 57,000 volunteers participate domestically or internationally as member to continue the missions of Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services.
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