The Civil Air Patrol has three primary missions: providing
emergency services; offering cadet programs for youth; and providing
aerospace education for CAP members and the general public.
Emergency services The Civil Air Patrol provides emergency services, including
search and rescue missions directed by the
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at
Tyndall Air Force Base. The Civil Air Patrol also performs disaster relief missions, including air and ground transportation and an extensive communications network; and humanitarian services, including transporting time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue, often on behalf of the
Red Cross when conventional methods of transport are unavailable. The Civil Air Patrol provides
Air Force support through the conducting of light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. In addition, CAP offers support to counter-drug operations. In 2014, the Wyoming Wing was activated to provide
aerial photography of flood damage for the
Wyoming National Guard. In May 2020, the Wyoming Wing assisted in Wyoming's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Wyoming Wing was charged with flying coronavirus test kits from
Sublette County to the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory in
Cheyenne. In June 2022, two Wyoming Wing aircrews were asked and answered the call to fly Disaster Relief aerial photography flights. Both aircrews spent the day photographing their assigned routes from the air to help provide a better overview of how bad the historic flood was and how much damage was done.
Cadet programs The Civil Air Patrol offers a cadet program to youth aged 12-21. Cadets take part in a 16-step program which covers aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness and moral leadership. The Wyoming Wing offers an
encampment which provides cadets with additional training.
Aerospace education The Civil Air Patrol offers aerospace education to two different audiences: volunteer CAP members and the general public. The internal aerospace education program for CAP members has two parts: cadet and senior. Cadets complete aerospace education as one of the requirements to progress through the achievement levels of the cadet program, while senior members are expected to familiarize themselves with the AE program for cadets and aerospace issues. CAP's external aerospace programs for the general public are conducted through the nation's educational system. Each year, CAP sponsors workshops focusing on advances in aerospace technology in various states across the United States. CAP's aerospace education members receive more than 20 free aerospace education classroom materials. ==Organization==