Friday, March 21, 2025
Azle Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol will host an open house event at Cornerstone Community Church in Springtown, 2233 E. Highway 199, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21. The entire community is invited to walk through the parade of displays and learn more about Civil Air Patrol. Members of the squadron will be present to greet visitors, explain CAP’s mission and provide demonstrations related to aerospace, communications, emergency services and youth leadership.
There will also be an opportunity to sign up for the next Cadet Great Start Class beginning Feb. 4. Azle Composite Squadron serves youth from Azle, Springtown, Weatherford and surrounding areas. Class size is limited and signups are required to ensure proper planning of resources. Interested teens may sign up through the squadron website at azle.cap.gov, on Facebook or by sending the squadron an email at azle@txwg.cap.gov. Texas Squadron 456 holds these classes twice each year. Students in this class will begin with a training flight and work through their first rank of airman with the John Curry Award at the end of the five-week course.
“We challenge these future leaders academically while building their life skills and experiences using curriculum materials and opportunities provided by Civil Air Patrol,” a recent press release from Capt. Ronda Kilian said. “Our focus for cadets is on character development, leadership, fitness, emergency services and aerospace education/STEM. As cadets learn about these areas, they advance through a series of achievement levels, earning honors and increased responsibilities along the way.”
The group meets weekly Tuesday evenings from 6:30–9 p.m. throughout the year. Civil Air Patrol has been an integral start for many astronauts, pilots, engineers and scientists. Homeschooled cadets can even earn high school credits for their work in the program. The group encourages involvement in local communities by recognizing volunteer work performed outside of Civil Air Patrol. The squadron supports Wreaths Across America at both Azleland Memorial Park and Holder’s Chapel Cemetery and assists the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars with flag placement for Memorial Day. In addition, it provides a color guard for various events and ceremonies throughout the community and are available by request.
Adult members are the foundation of the squadron, providing support to perform the squadron’s missions in cadet programs, aerospace education and emergency services. Adult members who are pilots can become qualified to provide orientation and mission flights. They also volunteer to fill roles in administration, personnel, communications, public affairs, information technology, aerospace education, logistics, transportation and training. CAP provides a structured education and training program to teach adults how to perform these tasks.
Civil Air Patrol Offers Youth (12-18):
Civil Air Patrol Offers Adults (18+):
