What We Do

Like all units of the Civil Air Patrol, the Mississippi Wing serves three primary functions -- emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education.

Emergency Services: Whenever an aircraft is reported missing or a disaster strikes our State, the Mississippi Wing is called into action. We work directly with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, FL. Senior members and cadets alike put in long hours of training in order to find people in distress. With aircraft in the sky and ground-based teams, individual squadrons use everything from sophisticated radio and navigation equipment, to the naked eye to complete its mission. Often the emergency is a distress beacon in an aircraft accidentally activated in a rough landing. But sometimes the emergency is real -- a missing person, a missing aircraft or both. Squadron flight crews and ground teams also operate during statewide natural or manmade disasters such as floods, earthquakes or oil spills such as Deepwater Horizon. Our squadrons have many highly trained and professional crews ready to serve in whatever capacity necessary to ensure the safety of others.

The Cadet Program: The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program is one of the best youth programs in the United States, if not the world. Built on over 75 years of experience in turning young people into leaders, the Cadet Program uses military drill, aerospace education, and the Emergency Services program to teach leadership and management skills to teenagers. Cadets can join as early as age 11. Through various activities and exercises they progress through a series of 15 Achievements, each more rigorous than the last. The United States military services recognizes the value of CAP Cadet Training -- Cadets who achieve the grade of Cadet 2nd Lieutenant are giving automatic promotions to the grade of E-3 when enlisting in the Army or Air Force.

Aerospace Education: Surely no single advance has changed our world more, or promises to make greater changes, than the advent of flight. The Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to the increased education of the general public regarding this vital aspect of America's current wealth and future stability. The Mississippi Wing not only trains young people through the Cadet Program, but it reaches out to all citizens of any age to make the world of aerospace more accessible through demonstrations, classes, and publications.