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Because who else can fly 3,000 hours, spot a pickup truck, and still make it home for dinner?

Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force’s most dedicated volunteer squadron of science nerds, aviation buffs, and retirees with pilot licenses, has been officially drafted into U.S. Northern Command’s mission to bolster security at the southern border.

This marks yet another historic moment where CAP is told: “We don’t have enough people, can you help?” and they proudly reply, “We brought snacks and high-vis vests!”

What’s Going On?

As part of its Total Force Partner role—which sounds like a buddy-cop movie starring a Cessna and a Predator drone—CAP is working with federal agencies like:

  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • Joint Task Force North (who may or may not communicate entirely in acronyms)

Their mission? Fly over Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas to help detect and monitor illegal cross-border activity and maybe snap a few cool aerial photos while they’re at it.

The CAP Playbook: Eyes in the Sky, Reports in the Inbox

Each time CAP is activated, their team springs into action with:

  • Situation reports
  • Flight logs
  • Official-sounding acronyms
  • At least three people asking “Do we get a patch for this?”

Reports include the number of missions flown, flying hours logged, and how many snacks were consumed per sortie (probably).

“We’re like the neighborhood watch of the sky,” one unnamed CAP pilot probably didn’t say, “except our neighborhood is four states wide, and we have actual radios.”

CAP’s Border Résumé: Keeping Watch Since the ‘80s

Long before drones and infrared cameras, CAP was already patrolling the skies with their trusty Cessnas and can-do spirit. Since the 1980s, they’ve been flying along the southern border, providing:

  • Trained volunteers
  • Aerial support
  • Mildly sarcastic commentary about weather conditions

By the Numbers: Fiscal 2024

  • 275 CAP personnel
  • 1,350+ sorties
  • 3,300+ flying hours
  • Countless sunburns and squinted eyes

Between Oct. 1 and Feb. 27, CAP racked up:

  • 759 sorties
  • 1,152 flying hours
  • A few extra miles because someone took the scenic route over El Paso

Force Multiplier or Just Really Committed?

By adding CAP to the roster, Northern Command essentially gave the mission a helpful upgrade: more planes, more people, and more awkward radio call signs like “Vigilant Cessna 23.”

And sure, CAP doesn’t carry weapons, but they do carry a deep sense of responsibility, a box of forms in triplicate, and more laminated maps than you knew existed.

“We’re not just flying—we’re helping protect the nation,” says absolutely every press release. And honestly? They’re not wrong.

In conclusion: CAP is out there, logging hours, reporting sightings, and making the sky just a little more secure—all with volunteer power, aviation fuel, and the unstoppable force of coordinated calendar invites.

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