Holm Center Commander To Address 500-plus CAP Members
More than 500 Civil Air Patrol
members are heading for California's South Coast for the
all-volunteer organization's 2010 Annual Conference and National
Board. The 2010 conference is set for September 1-4 at the San
Diego Marriott Marina.
"The conference is a celebration of our members for their
service to America and their extraordinary achievements above and
beyond the call of duty," said Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP's
national commander. "I am looking forward to the chance of greeting
each and every one in attendance, honoring them with much-deserved
awards and participating alongside them in training seminars
customized to fulfill their unique needs."
CAP volunteers participating in the conference will hear remarks
from U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Teresa A.H. Djuric, keynote speaker
for the conference banquet at 1900 September 4.
Djuric is commander of Air University's Jeanne M. Holm Center
for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development at Maxwell AFB, and
acts as a liaison providing assistance and oversight for Civil Air
Patrol, in its role as the Air Force's auxiliary. CAP's 60,000
senior and cadet members operate a versatile fleet of 550 aircraft,
perform emergency services, foster youth development through cadet
program activities and provide aerospace education support for
federal, state and local agencies.
Djuric is expected to talk about an administrative shift last
year by Air University that realigned CAP and CAP-USAF, the liaison
between CAP and the Air Force, under the Holm Center. The
supervisory realignment has already proven to be effective,
streamlining Air Force and CAP youth programs and allowing the
110,000 Junior Air Force ROTC cadets and 24,000 CAP cadets to now
attend the same encampments, greatly expanding the programs for
both groups.
The commander's son, Cadet Capt. Hayden Djuric, is a member of
CAP's Maxwell Composite Squadron in Montgomery, AL.
Other conference highlights will include:
- Ten preconference courses September 1-2 and nearly 60 learning
labs September 3-4. The seminars will target topics of interest
such as chaplains, cadet programs, finance, disaster relief,
homeland security, communications, safety, aerospace education and
public affairs.
- A prayer breakfast from 0700-0800 September 3.
- An awards ceremony honoring exceptional CAP members from
0830-0945 September 4. Honorees will include the Cadet of the Year
and Senior Member of the Year.
The California Wing, host of this year's conference, boasts
nearly 3,500 members - 2,002 adult volunteers and 1,413 cadets - as
well as a full fleet of CAP's signature red, white and blue
single-engine Cessnas. In fiscal year 2009, the California Wing's
127 pilots flew more than 5,500 hours. With its 27 aircraft, the
wing supported space shuttle landings at Edwards Air Force Base,
assisted with wildfire suppression efforts and participated in
counterdrug programs.
Each year, California Wing members also locate lost aircraft,
find and turn off electronic locator beacons and save pilots in
aircraft mishaps. In 2009, wing aircrews were credited by the Air
Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, FL, with 142 finds
and 11 lives saved.