Subcommittee on Defense
House Committee on Appropriations
H-405, the U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Peter Visclosky
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Defense
House Committee on Appropriations
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky,

We write today in support of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and to respectfully request consideration of our funding request for Fiscal Year 2018. We request $30.8 million for CAP’s operations and maintenance account, $10.6 million for aircraft procurement, and $1.7 million for vehicle procurement. CAP plays an integral role in supporting critical defense and homeland security missions. As the Air Force’s official auxiliary force, investments in CAP contribute to enhancing our overall defense posture and augmenting our nation’s air superiority.

The requested funding for CAP’s operations and maintenance account would amount to a $2.8 million increase over the previous fiscal year while the requested amount for aircraft procurement represents a $300,000 increase. The increase for CAP’s operations and maintenance account is critical due to a federal stipulation requiring all aircraft within the United States to upgrade to ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) by 2020. Currently, CAP maintains 550 aircraft, and upgrade costs are estimated to range from $6,172 to $6,626 per aircraft. In addition, this funding would support necessary cyber security upgrades as well as the replacement of non-repairable radios that are critical to sustaining CAP’s lifesaving operations. Without this increase in funding, CAP’s ability to respond to emergency situations could be severely diminished.

To maintain a functional and responsive fleet, sustained funding for CAP’s aircraft and vehicle procurement programs is also important. A $300,000 increase in CAP’s aircraft procurement will enable CAP to purchase up to 15 additional Cessna 182/206. These low-cost aircraft will provide advanced capabilities in emergency response situations and ensure that CAP remains capable of undertaking increasingly complex missions in the future. Similarly, the $1.7 million in CAP’s vehicle procurement account will enhance overall mission readiness. The funds will be used to replace aging vans, pickup trucks and SUVs that support a range of operational and emergency missions as well as cadet programs each week in more than 1,500 communities across the country.

CAP’s all-volunteer force of 56,000 provides a solid return on investment. CAP aircraft cost on average $165 per hour to operate, compared to military aircraft that cost thousands. In Fiscal Year 2016, for example, CAP saved the Air Force about $10 million in search and rescue costs, $3 million in air defense training costs, and $500,000 in military aircraft escort costs. In total, the time and resources CAP’s all-volunteer force of professionals contributed last year was more than $167 million nationwide, which amounts to a more than 4 to 1 return on investment.

The range of missions undertaken by CAP are vital to supporting our local communities. In 2016, for example, CAP saved 29 lives using state-of-the-art search and rescue aircraft along with ground search teams. Today, CAP is also helping to train interceptor pilots and unmanned aerial vehicle operators under realistic conditions, supports aerial observation missions and counterdrug operations, provides aerial photo reconnaissance to FEMA, and assists regularly in forest fire patrols. CAP’s weekly youth and aerospace education programs have also introduced thousands of young students to aviation and the importance of national service. Its outstanding youth, citizenship and educational programs reach 24,000 young adults, known as CAP cadets, providing schools with STEM education materials and workshops to train America’s youth for the future.