Marco Island Civil Air Patrol Squadron Scores Big At Florida Wing Conference

Pictured at top right are some of the local area attendees at the formal CAP Banquet. Front left to right: Lt Col Ray Rosenberg (USAF retired)-Former Marco Island Squadron Commander, now Group 5 Commander, Marco Squadron Lt Col Frank Damico (US Army Retired) Rear l to r: Lt Col Jim Kaletta (Commander Punta Gorda Squadron), Capt Steve Smith (Marco Deputy Commander-Seniors), partially hidden Capt Robert MacNeill (Marco Squadron Commander), Lt Col Lee Henderson (US Navy Retired and former Commander Marco Squadron), Marco Squadron’s Capt Ken Bardon, Lt Col David Moruzzi (US Air Force Retired), Heather and 2nd Lt Jesse Baker, Maj Cindy Dohm and Capt Robert Dohm (Retired United Airlines), Capt Orlando Ramirez (Florida Wing IG Staff) and Marco’s Capt Richard Farmer.

The CAP National Vice Commander Brigadier General Joe Vazquez presented Lt Col Ray Rosenberg with the prestigious Gill Rob Wilson Award. This Award is CAP’s highest award for senior member professional development. It recognizes members who have dedicated themselves to leadership and personal development in CAP. This award was first given in 1964 and honors the late Gill Robb Wilson, who is regarded as the founder of CAP and was its first executive director.

The 3-day conference also includes group and breakout sessions providing training, organizational news, operational coordination. At the formal banquet, the Florida Wing Commander presents

awards for outstanding performance of Florida Wing and Squadron members.

This year Marco Island Squadron members received a significant number of major Wing and national Awards:

Lt Col Ray Rosenberg received the prestigious Gill Robb Wilson national award

Capt Richard Farmer received the Wing Mission Pilot of the Year Award.

Maj Cindy Dohm received the Wing Personnel Officer of the Year.

Maj Joe Wilkins was awarded the Wing Professional Development Officer of the Year award.

Lt Col Frank Damico and Maj Cindy Dohm were also presented with a Wing Commander’s Commendation Award for their contributions to the Florida Inspector General.

If you have ever visited the Marco Island Executive Airport you will easily see the Civil

Air Patrol (CAP) 6,000 sq ft Hangar and office spaces at the North end of the Airport. This is the CAP Marco Island Squadron base of operations in support of our community. CAP supports our local boaters, disaster relief, Homeland Security, Aerospace education, and Cadet Programs. Marco Squadron air crews fly the 10,000 Islands, as weather permits, looking for stranded boaters, lost kayaks, unreported fires, and suspicious activities.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with over 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary mode, performs over 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search

and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 54 lives in fiscal year 2011. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief, and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state, and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to nearly 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 70 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, in initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U. S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com