Civil Air Patrol's "Spirit of Tuskegee" Squadron Gets New Patch

SAYVILLE, N.Y., January 1, 2018 – Members of Civil Air Patrol's Spirit of Tuskegee Squadron are exuberant after receiving approval for their own squadron patch. The squadron has joined the fold as the eighth to be chartered in Long Island. Other units are located in Bethpage, Northport, Holbrook, Bayport, Shirley and Westhampton Beach.

The Brentwood-based unit was recently chartered last summer and is the successor to the former Suffolk Cadet Squadron 4, hostorically based at. Its commander, C.A.P. Major Miguel Moreno, had made the announcement at a recent meeting of Long Island C.A.P. squadron commanders. Major Moreno, who had recently taken command of the new unit in the summer, expressed gratitude to all members who helped the fledgling unit get on its feet and toted the new insignia as a morale booster. The unit takes his name from the famed "Tuskegee Airman", the group of African American pilots who formed the 332nd Fighter Group during World War II.

The Spirit of Tuskegee Squadron attracts cadet members, aging from 12 to 21 and senior members starting from age 18. The unit meets on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Brentwood Legion Ambulance Building, 29 Third Avenue, in Brentwood.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force's Total Force. In this role, C.A.P. operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, 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 80 lives annually.

C.A.P.'s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. C.A.P. also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in C.A.P.'s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.