PETERS TOWNSHIP MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INVITED TO CIVIL AIR PATROL'S ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE

Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) Washington County Squadron 601 will be hosting their annual Open House to welcome interested youth and adults from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at the Frank Sarris Library, 35 North Jefferson Ave., Canonsburg, PA.   The evening will include explanations of CAP’s training and educational opportunities, missions and cadet programs. All members of the community are encouraged to attend.  Squadron 601 members include students and adults from all over Washington County including Peters Township, Canonsburg, Washington and surrounding areas.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a civilian, all volunteer, auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that provides emergency and search and rescue services, aviation and aerospace education, youth leadership programs and more nationwide.  CAP is a non-profit organization founded by Congress that offers local youth (ages 12 and up) and adults the opportunity to learn leadership skills that will help them better serve their communities and nation.  Training includes flight time, search and rescue techniques for missing persons and downed aircraft, land navigation, radio communications, safety, first aid and more.  Cadets can use their training time towards community service and even earn college scholarships.  

Many alumni of Washington County Squadron 601 and Peters Township High School credit their Civil Air Patrol experiences with helping them achieve their goals, including getting into the college of their choice.  In fact, both West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy list participation in CAP as a plus for applying candidates.  Several Washington Squadron 601 cadets have successfully obtained Academy appointments and full ROTC scholarships.

Cadet Major Adam Parker, Cadet Commander of Washington Squadron 601 and a senior at Peters Township High School, has been volunteering with the organization since 2008.  “CAP is an experience one will not find anywhere else… It can help you become the best person you can be. The cadet experience not only involves learning from one’s self, but also from the rest of the outstanding young individuals that make up the cadet corps.  It is one of the greatest leadership and learning opportunities that a teen can find,” said Parker.  “Joining CAP helps you serve your community while developing all the tools you need to make a great future for yourself.”

Commander of Washington Squadron 601, Capt. Edward Silassy, agrees.

“Whether a student is interested in aviation, aerospace, emergency services, engineering or military service, Civil Air Patrol offers them a way to further explore that interest and others, and all while serving their community.”

Washington Squadron 601 meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, 125 Goodridge Lane, in Washington, PA.  Visitors are always welcome.  If you would like to attend a meeting or get more information on Washington Squadron 601, you can contact Capt. Edward Silassy at ESilassy@comcast.net, or Lt. Peggy Secunda at lt.secunda@gmail.com.   Or visit the 601 website at https://sites.google.com/site/pasquadron601/.  To learn more about CAP, go to www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com.