Yukon Squadron is the only CAP Squadron in the remote Alaskan Interior Region, the "River Communities" along the Yukon River: Based in Galena, the squadron serves Ruby on the Yukon to the north, Koyukuk, Nulato and Kaltag along the Yukon to the south, Huslia and Hughes to the north. Air coverage extends halfway to Anchorage in the Denali area, east halfway to Fairbanks in the Tannana area, north beyond Huslia and west to the Bering Sea. With aviation being the only viable year-round lifeline to the region, CAP is a vital part of the region. Alaska's bush pilots joke that a good landing in the Alaskan bush is any one that you walk away from alive! Thus, CAP volunteers respond to places where most people would never dare go, in subzero temperatures, blinding snow and in terrain that includes grizzly bears, wolves and deadly weather. Though barges access the areas in warm weather months (late May-late Sept) and snow mobiles and dog teams access the area by land in the cold weather months (Oct-April), aviation continues to be the lifeline for mail, medicine, food, medevack flights and passerger travel.

YUKON SQUADRON HISTORY: The CAP had a squadron at Galena Air Force Base in the 1960's with a Beaver Aircraft, but the squadron disbanded in the late 60's. The current squadton was reactivated in OCT of 08 and now has 20 members, one of the largest squadrons in the state. It is an adult "Senior" member squadron with a chaplain, medical officer, radio technician, retired military personnel, military veterans and two flight instructors included with the seven pilots of the unit. Other personnel include teachers, technicians and assorted professionals.

CADET OPTIONS: The squadron hopes to expand to be a "Composite" squadron, to including cadets under age 21 in the coming year. The Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) public boarding high school located in the old Galena Air Force Base has 120 students from all over Alaska and also has a student flight traiing program. Over 40 local Galena youths are of age to participate in CAP also.

MISSIONS: CAP has three main missions: 1)Aerospace Education, 2) Emergency Services (largely search and rescue-SAR) and 3) Cadet Programs.

CAP has many responsibilities to the United States as the 7th largest "Air Force" in the world that is comprised of all-volunteers. CAP has many important missions that supplement the US Air Force and other four military branches. These volunteer tasks free up military aviators to focus on combat-related missions. CAP Pilots and personnel also directly assist aviation assets of the US Coast Guard, Air National Guard, Army Aviation, Alaska State Troopers and US Fish and Wildlife Service on Search and Rescue Missions (SAR) throughout the state and coastal waters of Alaska. Other missions include homeland security patrols and missions, support of Air Force and military missions, counter-drug patrols, fisheries patrols, disaster relief, unit training missions, state training missions, drills and community volunteer services.

ABOUT CAP: Civil Air Patrol is the official congressionally-chartered auxiliary of the US Air Force, Headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, it serves over 50,000 members nationwide. Members are volunteers, who pay annual dues of $67.00. All CAP members are good citizens who undergo an FBI fingerprint background investigation. Members undergo training at various levels as they advance in rank and position. Aside from aviators, members include all professional and experiential backgrounds. CAP personnel may wear the US Air Force uniforms, if they adhere to US Air Force regulations governing grooming, haircut, height-weight and appearance standards. There is also a CAP uniform option to those members who do not wear the Air Force uniform. Members are civilians who are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), though active, retired and reservists are all included in CAP ranks. CAP reasonably accommodates members with disabilities. CAP has an awards program similar to the awards of the US Armed Forces, to recognize service, achievement and heroism by members.

CAP AVIATION: CAP uses piston engine aircraft almost exclusively, no helicopters, turbine or jet engine aircraft. This harkens to the early years of CAP as an auxilliary of the US Army Air Corps, which later became the US Air FOrce in 1947 (see "CAP history" below). The Alaska CAP wing uses the Cessna 172 (most readily recognized), the Cessna 182, Cessna 208 Caravan (one at state HQ) and the classic Beaver Aircraft. In addition to the 30 assorted planes in its inventory, CAP also has six gliders. Pilots may fly personal aircraft in certain cases for mission support also.

HISTORY OF CAP: The CAP has a fascinating and unique history that began in 1941. CAP was chartered as a civilian auxilliary of the US Army Air Corps on 01 DEC, 1941, as war clouds were gathering over the United States, which hoped to stay out of another bloody world war.

WORLD WAR 2: After the devastating and cowardly Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on DEC 7th, Germany entered the war against the United States and began unrestricted submarine warfare with its U-boats. German subs worked in wolfpack squadrons as they did in WW1. Civilian merchant ships were being sunk at an alarming rate just off the US east coast. England was in danger of being strangled. The CAP planes with their distinctive red, white and blue, propeller-in-white-triangle emblem began patrolling for U-boats in late 1941. CAP planes were later fitted to carry bombs and depth charges. CAP planes directed Navy and Coast Guard ships to sub locations. They also directed Coast Guard, Navy and Army rescue seaplanes to downed fliers and foundering crew members at sea, saving countless numbers of lives.

In one case, CAP planes from the Rehoboth Beach Delaware Squadron interrupted a U-Boat attack in progress, rescuing a tanker off Cape May NJ and saving the lives of its crew. In the course of the war, CAP planes patrolled over 24 million miles and attacked 57 submarines in privately-owned airplanes.

This was a very dangerous assignment in an age prior to GPS or even LORAN. A compass, aviator skills and sheer nerve were all the volunteer civilian CAP pilots had as they flew into combat missions against trained and armed professional fighting men of the German U-Boat service. German U-Boats were armed with anti-aricraft machine guns and were quick to fire on CAP planes if they were caught on the surface recharging sub batteries.

CAP attacks on U-Boats hit and damaged at least ten subs and had confirmed sinkings of at least two more. Former German U-boat commanders conceded with grudging respect after the war, that they were forced to back away from the edge of the US Coast because of those "damned little red and yellow planes" of the CAP. The success of the anti-sub patrols led to the withdrawal of U-boats from US waters and an end to this unique mission in 1943.

By the end of the War, 64 CAP members had died in the line of duty, serving their nation as unpaid volunteers. Unlike other civilians who served in uniform in WW2, such as the female WASP pilots and Merchant Marine mariner, the brave volunteers of the CAP who fought and sometimes died in the battle of the Atlantic were never granted veteran status by the US Government and never received VA benefits or honors for their service in World War Two.

POSTWAR YEARS: Having proven its value in the war, the CAP remained as an acitve auxiliary of the US Army Air Corps after WW2.

COLD WAR YEARS: The US Air Force became an independent branch of military service in 1947. This new service took the CAP with it as its official auxiliary. The Army retained focus on helicopters in its inventory, one that expanded in the Korean War and during Vietnam on into today, as Army helicopters grew into an internal air force within the Army.

The Air Force took the Army's fighters and transport aircraft with it as its primary mission, with ground suport and air troop and cargo transport to support the Army being one of its core missions. Other primary missions included intercontinental nuclear bomber operations, with the B-36, B-47 and enduring B-52 bombers. Other nuclear asssets included intercontinental missiles and in recent years, space and computer missions under its direction.

CAP continued as an active auxiliary in the Cold War years, with the AK Wing remaining very active during this time period. In addition to conducting SAR misions, the AK CAP also kept a watchful eye for Russian recognizance aircraft and bombers that frequently violated US airspace and reported violations to the Air Force, which scrambled fighters from Galena and other locations, as AK was on the frontlines of the Cold War along the US-Soviet frontier.

The CAP continues to be a valuable asset to Alaska, not only saving lives in SAR but also standing ready to support the Air Force in defense of the northern United States in the wake of events such as 9-11, North Korea's missile and nuclear program and other missions assigned by the Air Force, the Dept. of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

The CAP has assets in all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The National Governing Board and CAP HQ at Maxwell Air Force Base direct the CAP nationwide. The National Commander, holding the rank of Major General is appointed by the Board.

The CAP in Alaska flies to look for lost and downed aircraft and for other SAR missions. From helping the Coast Guard at sea, to assisting the Air Guard, the Army, AK State Troopers, US Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies statewide, the AK CAP is ready, willing and able.