Three St. Louis area Civil Air Patrol units teamed up with the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation to host an Armed Forces Day Open House event on May 18 at Creve Coeur Airport. Wentzville Composite Squadron, St. Louis Flight and Gateway Senior Squadron provided informational exhibits and an aircraft as well as the cadet color guard, while the Foundation added their F-4 Phantom cockpit, helicopter static displays and flight simulation sessions in their state-of-the-art sim lab used for the Intro to Flight Program.
The Civil Air Patrol is the civilian United States Air Force Auxiliary with over 64,000 members that formed at the beginning of the U.S. involvement in World War II. During the war, the Civil Air Patrol conducted anti-submarine patrol, search and rescue and domestic support missions while the military services were mobilizing for global warfare. In the decades following the war and into modern times, the Civil Air Patrol added Aerospace Education and the Cadet Program. They are now a Total Force partner, receiving the latest training and equipment to perform expanded mission capabilities well into the future.
