Delaware Wing Civil Air Patrol is the highest echelon of

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...

(CAP) in the state of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

. Delaware Wing

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

is located at Dover Air Force Base. It comprises seven squadrons from Claymont to Georgetown, and a unit just over the border in Elkton,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Delaware Wing is abbreviated as DEWG. As a federally chartered organization, CAP has 3 primary missions as instructed by Congress. The missions include providing

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

education and training for all of its members, teaching

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

skills to Delaware youth, and performing various domestic

emergency services Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while others deal wit ...

for the United States of America in a noncombatant capacity.

History

Delaware Wing has a long CAP history since CAP's inception in 1941. Delaware is home to one of the original "Coastal Patrol" units, based in Rehoboth Beach. Using private aircraft, the "Flying Minute Men" patrolled the Atlantic Ocean for German submarines. They operated off of a small, unpaved airport near Airport Road in Delaware. Civil Air Patrol planes that crashed in the line of duty while patrolling the

United States East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

were hauled to the historical Dover Post building, which was an aircraft

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

at the time.

Missions

Delaware Wing works in all three CAP missions: Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, and Emergency Services. Most notably, Delaware Wing regularly assists DelDOT through the use of CAP planes, including

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.

Skyhawks and

Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area. Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in a ...

Skylanes. Delaware Wing has 5 corporate aircraft. For example, CAP aircraft monitor traffic during the

Sprint Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...

Dover International Speedway Dover Motor Speedway (formerly Dover Downs International Speedway and later Dover International Speedway) is a race track in Dover, Delaware. The track has hosted at least one NASCAR Cup Series race each year since 1969, including two per yea ...

Dover, DE Dover () is the capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County and the principal city of the Dover, DE, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County and is part of ...

. In addition, CAP aircraft monitors daily traffic volume and reports to DelDOT road blockages from downed trees or a major accident, street and highway flooding, collapsed or washed-out bridges, and weekend beach traffic. By working closely with DelDOT, responders can be dispatched promptly and road crews can be summoned to block off accident sites while rerouting traffic if necessary.

Delaware Wing Cadet Advisory Council

Delaware Wing Cadet Advisory Council (CAC) consists of 10 cadets from across Delaware Wing to promote and further cadet activities in Delaware. Each of the 6 cadet and composite squadrons in Delaware Wing elects one primary representative and one alternate representative to attend the monthly CAC meetings. In addition, the CAC representatives elect the Chair, Vice Chair, and Recorder, who heads the monthly meetings and writes the agenda and minutes. Also, the Delaware Wing CAC elects members to the Middle East Region Cadet Advisory Council. The CAC organizes the extremely popular Cadet Ball, held annually at

Dover Air Force Base Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. 436th AW is the host wing and runs the busiest and largest a ...

Encampment and National Cadet Special Activities

Delaware Wing coordinates with Maryland Wing and National Capital to hold Tri-Wing Encampment every year at Camp Frettard in Maryland. Delaware Wing is one of the few wings who does not have its own encampment due to its small population and area. In addition, Delaware Wing cadets frequently attend

National Cadet Special Activities National Cadet Special Activities (NCSA) are Cadet Programs conducted by the Civil Air Patrol. NCSAs are designed to give cadets direct hands on experience with various aspects of the Civil Air Patrol program and provide meaningful insight into seve ...

, which gives cadets a diverse experience of military installations across America. Activities focus on career exploration, leadership development, search and rescue skills, aeronautical training, Air Force familiarization, government, and a variety of other topics.

Squadrons in Delaware Wing

Delaware Wing has eight typical squadrons registered to the state. Four are located in

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

, two in Kent County, one in Sussex County, and one in

Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was n ...

. There is two composite squadrons, four cadet squadrons, and one senior squadron. There are also three non-standard squadrons (000, 001, and 999) under Delaware Wing Headquarters.

Past Wing commanders

Delaware Wing has had 22 Wing Commanders since the inception of Civil Air Patrol. A list of each commander and their years of service are listed below.

Recognition and accomplishments

Overall, Delaware Wing has had 37 Spaatz cadets. In 2006, Delaware Wing received a Unit Citation. In the fiscal year 2005, they had the highest number of hours flown per aircraft than any other wing in Civil Air Patrol by over 60%, a wide margin. In addition, they have earned one of the best compliance Inspection grades in the country over the past 5 years. Delaware Wing's Lt Col John McGaha was featured in the Nov/Dec 2008 edition of CAP's Volunteer Magazine. He was named National Senior Member of the Year this past August. The story speaks of his lifelong dedication to the cadet program.

References

External links

Official Delaware Wing Website
{{US military navbox Wings of the Civil Air Patrol