OUR HISTORY
It all started in New Jersey!
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In December 1941, one week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the Civil Air Patrol was founded by citizens (in New Jersey) committed to using civilian aviation resources to help bolster the nation’s defense. Three months later, Coastal Patrol Base 1 was established at Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ .
Under the jurisdiction of the Office of Civilian Defense and later the Army Air Forces, CAP pilots flew more than 500,000 hours performing a wide variety of duties including coastal patrol for submarine activity as well as ships and personnel in strikes, forest and southern border patrols, target towing for the armed forces and courier flights.
On July 1, 1946 President Harry Truman established CAP as a federally chartered nonprofit corporation and Congress passed a law on May 26, 1948, designating AP as the Air Force Auxiliary and giving CAP three primary missions—emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education.
New Jersey Wing represents 23 squadrons throughout the state. Wing divides oversight for statewide CAP operations into three geographical regions. Group 225 ensures CAP’s objectives, policies, and operational directives are effectively executed in southern New Jersey. |
