Neighbor News
Cadets Excel At Prairie Voice
Ten Cadets from the Scott Composite Squadron excelled at the Prairie Voice Communications exercise conducted by the Civil Air Patrol
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 8/11/2026
Ten Cadets from the Scott Composite Squadron excelled at the Prairie Voice Communications exercise conducted by the Civil Air Patrol which simulated communication challenges following a major New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake, testing coordinates across state agencies and volunteer radio operators using diverse radio frequencies and modes. Other Key Participants were the Illinois National Guard, Emergency Management Agency, Illinois State Police plus city and county emergency agencies, including Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES/AUXCOMM) operators and disaster relief groups. Communication Channels Used High Frequency (HF): Voice and data transmissions and VHF/UHF standard short-range voice frequencies.
The exercise took place on July 31st and August 1st, 2026, with Civil Air Patrol and the Illinois State Police using aircraft armed with sophisticated communications equipment to repeat messages to first responders. Operations were led at Camp Lincoln in Springfield with remote operating locations in West Chicago, Marseilles, and Marion.
Find out what's happening in Scott AFBfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a 150-mile-long major structural fault system located in the central Mississippi Valley, making it the most active earthquake zone in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Spanning across five states—southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois—the zone poses a significant geological risk to major metropolitan hubs including Memphis, St. Louis, Little Rock, and Evansville.
26 Civil Air Patrol personnel participated and were responsible for the success of the exercise.
Find out what's happening in Scott AFBfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.