Civil Air Patrol celebrates 40 years
Lt. Col. Robert L. Boucher (center) is presented with a plaque commemorating his lifetime achievement award by Washington Wing Civil Air Patrol Commander Col. Dave Lehman and ESTA Director Maj. Vickie L. Scholla.
EPHRATA - The Columbia Basin squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has been training cadets for 40 years at the Camp Robert L. Boucher Emergency Services Training Academy (ESTA).
The 40th anniversary was celebrated at the facility Sunday.
At the ceremony, Lt. Col. Robert L. Boucher - the facility's namesake, who has been involved with CAP for more than 50 years - received a lifetime achievement award. He is the only lifetime achievement recipient as given by the ESTA of Washington wing of CAP.
Boucher helped build the facility and helped run it for more than 40 years.
The Robert L. Boucher Emergency Services Training Academy is one of three CAP training academies for the Washington wing.
Boucher was presented with a plaque by Washington Wing Civil Air Patrol Commander Col. Dave Lehman and ESTA Director Maj. Vickie L. Scholla.
"This man is the cornerstone of our entire operation," said Scholla. "We really appreciate him. He deserves every respect and honor there is."
Mike Wren, manager of the Port of Ephrata Airport facility, accepted an outstanding service award on behalf of the port authority.
Forty years after Columbia Basin CAP's facilities were built, the organization is seeking new recruits.
Columbia Basin CAP currently has 28 active cadets, said 2nd Lt. Mark Beyer, but they would like more.
In addition, the organization needs more adult volunteers, he said. Many volunteers take on multiple roles because there isn't enough help.
In 1948, Congress passed a law permanently establishing Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force with three primary mission areas: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services.
The Columbia Basin squadron provides many educational and leadership opportunities for cadets, said Beyer. In addition to learning about the military and aviation, students participate in search and rescue missions, participate in model rocket demonstrations and work toward earning scholarships.
First Lt. Steven Hildebrand, 17, was introduced to the program when he went to Skyfest in Spokane with his father and ran into a booth representing CAP. Intrigued, he gathered more information and joined when he was 15.
"I've learned a lot of leadership, discipline, military bearing, CPR/emergency response and model rocketry," he said. "And I've flown in a plane a couple times."
CAP holds training exercises, called encampments, that simulate a boot camp. Encampments focus on team building and involve obstacle courses, drilling and marching.
Hildebrand said that while encampment was difficult, it was fun.
"Once you get there, people try to make it seem hard," he said. "It is. You have to work for it, but if you listen, it's fun. After encampment, it gave me the leadership abilities I needed to move on," he said.
Columbia Basin Composite Squadron holds meetings every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at their training facility at the Ephrata Municipal Airport, 50 Airport Street NE. They are accepting applications for membership in their cadet program.
Membership is open to boys and girls ages 12 to 18 enrolled in public, private or home-school.
For more information, visit www.cap.gov or call the squadron headquarters at 509-754-3273.
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