Hidden Heroes of the Gallatin Valley

The Civil Air Patrol, or CAP for short, is the civilian branch of the Air Force. Founded on December 1st, 1941 its original purpose was to be used as a domestic protection agency that would allow civilians to use their planes to drop bombs on the Nazi U-boats during World War 2 and patrol the coastlines. This program has now grown into three main missions including the cadet program, emergency services (search and rescue), and aerospace education.

The squadron based out of Bozeman was founded a few years later in 1964 and has been a valued part of the community ever since. During the 2022 Paradise Valley floods, CAP was credited for saving the lives of 88 individuals.

The cadet program aims to help civilians in the program learn leadership and followership skills, as well as military traditions. All U.S citizens or permanent residents who are 12-18 years old (18+ members receive an active senior membership) are eligible to participate in the cadet program. On the Gallatin Valley Civil Air Patrol website, they explain how “As a cadet they participate in a year round program where they learn to lead and partake in opportunities such as flying, hiking, camping, and overall pushing themselves to their limits.” This program allows youth citizens to transform themselves into aerospace leaders.

The second mission that CAP strives to accomplish is their emergency service and search and rescue program. This includes involving cadets and their senior members in emergency search and rescue situations. The emergency service mission in the Gallatin Valley focuses on forming a relationship with the sheriff and local C.O.A.D. as well as the community. Squadron activities revolve around volunteering in our community and helping with local fundraisers including Huffing for Stuffing and the President’s Plunge.

The third focus of the Gallatin Valley CAP is aerospace education, including lessons on rocketry and flights in one of the 182 Cessna aircrafts in the Gallatin Valley. The Civil Air Patrol has the largest fleet of single-engine Cessna’s in the world. The aerospace education program also includes training on atmospheric flight and space travel, encouraging young citizens to pursue a career in aviation, and most specifically try for their pilots license. This education program includes opportunities for national activities, most of which are free or at a very low price for admittance , and allow cadets to learn with like-minded individuals. The program even allows those dedicated to the program to receive their full pilot’s license.

If you’re interested in joining the Gallatin Composite Squadron they meet from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at Belgrade Middle School. There is no obligation to join on your first night there, in fact, they prefer if you go to at least three meetings to make sure you enjoy the program. Meeting days are currently on Tuesdays but are in the works to change to Monday nights. For more information or any questions please visit the Gallatin Composite Squadron website (gallatin.cap.gov) or visit their Instagram page @gallatincap.