Civil Air Patrol group formed in Gallup

Civil Air Patrol cadets Chris Martinez, right, Megan Heaton and John Prieto practice saluting to National Guard PFC Brandon Hood Tuesday at JFK Middle School. Martinez was named as squardron leader for the new Civil Air Patrol program. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — Megan Heaton, 11, looked like one of the few, the proud, the chosen.

She walked down the hallway of JFK Mid School in combat fatigues tucked into black combat boots. That was one reason she joined the Civil Air Patrol.

“It seemed like fun,” she said and continued marching down the hallway.

Christopher Martinez, 12, said he joined CAP because his family members were in the military. “I wanted to learn about flying an airplane,” he said.

According to Maj. Gen. Amy Courter, CAP National Commander, the CAP handles 90 percent of inland search and rescue missions, with approximately 75 lives saved each year. Members are generally the first on the scene transmitting satellite digital images of the damage within seconds around the world and providing disaster relief and emergency services following natural and man-made disasters, including such phenomena as Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, Texas and Oklahoma wildfires, tornadoes in the south and central U.S., North Dakota flash flooding and the October 2006 earthquake in Hawaii, as well as humanitarian missions along the U.S. and Mexican border.

In addition, CAP members are dedicated to counter-drug reconnaissance and to teaching a new generation about aerospace and its impact on our future.

The Civil Air Patrol cadets meet at JFK every Tuesday and Thursday after school. Tuesday, they listened to Lt. Col. Rich Herlocker of Jamestown talk about his experiences as incident commander in search and rescue activities.

Herlocker has been in CAP since 1951 and his specialty is communications. He assists when there are people lost in the forests and when planes go down.

He talked about exercises that the CAP participates in to keep there skills up to par and he described the equipment CAP uses and what activities they helped with during Hurricane Katrina.

Herlacker had Heaton stand next to him, and he explained the difference between their uniforms and what the patches meant. He explained what a few years in the CAP can do for a cadet if he or she joins the Air Force. Then the cadets practiced their marching outside.

“They signed up but we’re just getting started,” said Civil Air Patrol organizer Tom Payton. “Next year they will be seventh-graders and we will sign up new sixth-graders. As they move up they get rank and learn to assume responsibility. Some have bought their battle dress uniforms, which are woodland camouflage uniforms and we’re waiting for books, uniforms and the things we need to get started.”

Payton had a list of activities for the cadets to do. May 14 the cadets will help organizers for the Run For The Wall, May 16 there will be a fly-in to give the cadets free rides on airplanes, May 25 is the Memorial Day Parade. “Hopefully, we’ll all have our uniforms,” Payton said to the group. He explained the cadets will not be throwing candy at the parade, they will be marching and working with the American Legion.

Information: Tom Payton at JFK Mid School (505)-879-6885