Florida Senate - 2013 SR 1824 By Senator Ring 29-03077-13 20131824__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing April 19, 2013, as “Florida 3 Wing, Civil Air Patrol Day” in the State of Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol was established on December 6 1, 1941, 1 week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, by 7 citizens who were concerned about the defense of America’s 8 coastline, and 9 WHEREAS, under the jurisdiction of the United States Army 10 Air Forces, Civil Air Patrol pilots flew more than 500,000 hours 11 and were credited with sinking two enemy submarines and rescuing 12 hundreds of crash survivors during World War II, and 13 WHEREAS, President Harry Truman established the Civil Air 14 Patrol as a federally chartered benevolent civilian corporation 15 on July 1, 1946, and on May 26, 1948, the United States Congress 16 passed Public Law 557, which permanently established the Civil 17 Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the United States Air Force and 18 charged the patrol with three primary missions: cadet programs, 19 emergency services, and aerospace education, and 20 WHEREAS, in October 2000, Congress passed Public Law 106 21 398, which designated the Civil Air Patrol as a volunteer 22 civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force when its 23 services are provided to any department or agency of the Federal 24 Government, and 25 WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol’s cadet program offers 26 children and young adults from ages 12 to 21 training in the 27 areas of leadership, ethics, decisionmaking, and physical 28 fitness and endurance, as well as the opportunity to fly in 29 military aircraft and compete for scholarships toward earning 30 pilot licenses, and 31 WHEREAS, the goal of the Civil Air Patrol’s aerospace 32 education program is to foster and cultivate student interest in 33 aerospace through the promotion of aviation, technology, 34 engineering, and aerospace studies in the classroom and behind 35 the controls of powered and glider aircraft, this year setting a 36 record for more than 550 glider flights, a first in Florida 37 Wing, and 38 WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol’s emergency services program 39 provides crucial services for United States citizens, such as 40 inland search and rescue operations, reconnaissance for homeland 41 security, and disaster relief and support to local, state, and 42 national organizations, and 43 WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol is composed entirely of 44 volunteer members from all walks of life, including medical and 45 business professionals, law enforcement officers, clergy 46 members, educators, and others, whose sole purpose is to serve 47 the citizens of the United States and the State of Florida, and 48 WHEREAS, one of the largest and most active Wings in the 49 Civil Air Patrol is the Florida Wing, with more than 4,100 50 members, and 51 WHEREAS, Florida Wing, Civil Air Patrol has flown more than 52 6,000 hours over the past year in support of its task to serve 53 the citizens of the State of Florida and has executed more than 54 330 missions in the state, including United States Air Force, 55 Florida National Guard special training, and reconnaissance 56 missions, NOW, THEREFORE, 57 58 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 59 60 That April 19, 2013, is recognized as “Florida Wing, Civil 61 Air Patrol Day” in the State of Florida. 62 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 63 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Florida 64 Wing, Civil Air Patrol as a tangible token of the sentiments of 65 the Florida Senate.