Nevada’s Civil Air Patrol will honor its top members at dinner

Shaunta Grimes

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 1999 | 9:32 a.m.

The Nevada wing of the Civil Air Patrol will honor its members during the annual Wing Conference and Awards Dinner at Palace Station Friday.

The Civil Air Patrol is the civilian volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force. The Nevada wing has 13 squadrons and more than 600 members. The Civil Air Patrol is involved with search and rescue and aerospace education. It also oversees a group of student cadets, Lt. Col. Doris North said.

The conference begins at 8 a.m. Friday with seminars on its main programs, as well as seminars on communications. Awards will be presented at 8 p.m. to the pilot, observer, cadet officer, cadet airman and squadron of the year.

Brig. Gen. James C. Bobick, national commander of the Civil Air Patrol, will speak during the conference, North said.

The Civil Air Patrol was founded by 150,000 citizens in December 1941, just one week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The founding members were concerned about the defense of America's coastline. In May 1948, Congress passed a law that made the Civil Air Patrol an auxiliary of the Air Force.

The Civil Air Patrol is the largest civilian fleet in the world. Its members own and operate more than 5,000 light aircraft and fly about 130,000 hours each year on patrol missions.