Civil Air Patrol Maryland Wing Honor Guard Supports Wedding Celebration

By Second Lieutenant Mary Ann Alvarado

The Civil Air Patrol Maryland Wing Honor Guard was invited to help celebrate the marriage of Rebecca McCullers and Phillip Carpio at the St Mary Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA. The bride, Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca McCullers, who works on Joint Base Andrews, wanted a “military influence on her special day” and wanted to highlight her twenty-two years of military service. As part of the ceremony, the Honor Guard provided door openers, escort, and program distributors. The newly married couple departed the church through a military cordon, a tunnel of raised rifles provided by the honor guard. Honor Guard cadet participants represented Carroll Composite, Hagerstown Composite, Col Mary Feik Composite and Mt Airy Composite squadrons.

“ . . . While performing, I stand sharp and crisp; motionless by choice, for I have voluntarily chosen to represent every member, past and present, of the United States Air Force Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol. I am a Ceremonial Guardsman. “ Honor Guard Creed

Maryland Wing encourages cadets to join; participate; perform. If you are interested in excelling, investing in your personal growth and in serving your community, Maryland Wing Honor Guard is willing to help you achieve your goals. Monthly meetings include basic armed and unarmed drill, advanced weapons handling techniques, service protocols and light classroom work. MDWG Honor Guard meets at Maryland Wing Headquarters, 3037 Hernwood Road, Woodstock, MD. Meeting time and dates are posted on the Maryland Wing CAP website, mdcap.org.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.