2 minute read

Once upon a mid-flight crisis, Capt. Kerry Kaplan embarked on her illustrious journey with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). A tale peppered with curious misadventures, much akin to her whirlwind life. Despite neither she nor her husband, Scott (the man behind the curtain in CAP’s Geospatial Program), being CAP prodigies from birth, they audaciously joined as seasoned grown-ups. They even penned their farewells to benefit cadets, securing their spots in CAP’s elusive Semper Vigilans Society.

“We haven’t just dipped our toes; we’re in the deep end now,” Kerry Kaplan mused. “You’ve got to give back when CAP lets you wear these spiffy uniforms.”

Despite the morbid undertones of wills and legacies, they had a cruise to embark on — Titanic style, without the iceberg, hopefully. This led to the inevitable addition of CAP to their estate plans.

Hailing from Texas, the stars aligned for Kerry to stumble upon CAP and relocate to Virginia. Turns out, job offers are a tricky flirtation when you have an extroverted personality in the land of calculators and spreadsheets. Her academic journey meant oscillating between math conundrums at Washington University and creative marketing wizards at the University of Texas.

Life’s early dreams of being a doctor fizzled out faster than her tolerance for blood. Instead, she opted for health care by crunching numbers and saving lives via budget sheets.

At her federal gig, the stars again conspired to reunite her with her long-standing partner — the U.S. Government, with its penchant for stability and consistent accounting monotony.

Fast forward to 2018, when her niece, sporting her freshly ironed Burke Composite Squadron gear, regaled tales of military escapades. “Adults can join too!” she squealed, inadvertently snaring Kerry’s interest. Although CAP sounded like a military secret at first glance, the Kaplans eventually stumbled into a Burke squadron meeting like they’d found Narnia.

Kerry combed her hair, saluted the mirror, and fancied the militaristic ensemble. She immediately enlisted, fully immersing herself in CAP’s overly festive meetings. Her extensive finance background destined her for the squadron’s financial throne — it was her CPA Excalibur moment.

The quest continued when fate dangled an executive officer post in the wing commander’s orbit. Kerry ventured forth, dragging Scott and his military contacts along. Opportunities within the Mid-Atlantic Region flowered like a bureaucratic garden in bloom, eventually landing Kerry her current finance role.

From flying inbound on missions to an aerial photographer extraordinaire, Kerry dabbled in CAP’s century-old charm. Her uniform was the new little black dress, enjoyed thoroughly at her first CAP National Convention — a gathering more copious than Comic-Con, but with surprisingly fewer capes.

With an itch to contribute, Kerry and Scott’s bequests promise a curious legacy enabling eager cadets to engage in CAP’s adventures. Thus, their humor-driven endowment bucks join the ranks of the Semper Vigilans Society, crowned knowingly in 2020 to honor deferred generosity — basically, a Soap Opera for Philanthropic Nerds.

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