OUR HISTORY
CAP was founded in December
1941, one week before the
Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor by over 150,000
citizens concerned about the
defense of America’s
coastline. Their efforts
were led by Gill Robb
Wilson, writer and aviator,
and supported by Gen. Henry
“Hap” Arnold.
In 1943, CAP
was assigned to the War
Department under the
jurisdiction of the Army Air
Forces. Assisting the War
Department, CAP pilots flew
over one-half million hours,
were credited with sinking
two enemy submarines, and
rescued hundreds of crash
survivors during World War
II.
On July 1, 1946,
President Truman established
CAP as a federally chartered
benevolent civilian
corporation.
On May 26,
1948, Congress passed Public
Law 557, which made CAP the
auxiliary of the new United
States Air Force. CAP was
charged with three missions:
Aerospace Education,
Cadet Programs, and
Emergency Services.
The
tragic events of September
11, 2001 drove home an
important lesson, that CAP's
original missions of
homeland security are
still viable today. This
area will be a key focus for
CAP in the years to come.
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History of Civil Air Patrol"
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