The New Jersey Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the state of New Jersey. New Jersey Wing headquarters are located at the McGuire AFB entity of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst.[1] New Jersey Wing consists of over 1,500 auxiliary airmen who are members of 25 squadrons across the state of New Jersey.[2]
The wing was founded on December 1, 1941. It styles itself "The Birthplace of Civil Air Patrol" as during CAP's inception in World War II, its first coastal patrol base was opened at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ.[3]
The Civil Air Patrol has three primary missions: providing emergency services; offering cadet programs for youth; and providing aerospace education for CAP members and the general public.[4]
The New Jersey Wing Civil Air Patrol maintains a fleet of 12 vehicles, 6 fixed wing aircraft, radio communications bases in North, Central and South Jersey and various other communication and SAR equipment and is tasked with aeronautical search and rescue missions for the state of New Jersey, coordinated by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. The Wing maintains trained incident command, ground search and rescue teams prepared to act in tandem with state and federal agency partners as well as the New Jersey National Guard and the US Coast Guard. The Civil Air Patrol also provides humanitarian support in support of the Red Cross, airborne imagery and communications support for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service, as well as the US Army Corps and Engineers and other agencies as well as counter-drug operations. The NJ Wing is also a member of New Jersey Task Force One, the State of New Jersey disaster relief and emergency response task force coordinated by the NJ State Police.[5] The CAP also provides Air Force support through conducting light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys.[6]
In November 2012, after Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast of the United States, the New Jersey Wing assisted in the disaster response. Aircrews flew aerial imagery missions providing more than 71,000high-resolution images of damaged areas throughout the state. NJ Wing also flew FEMA personnel for damage assessment and reconnaissance missions, . On the ground, more than 50 members provided over 1,500 man-hours supporting a Red Cross shelter in Pleasantville. Over the 52 consecutive days the Civil Air Patrol was mobilized in response to Sandy, 146 New Jersey Wing members contributed over 7,000 hours of volunteer service.[7]
The Civil Air Patrol offers a cadet program for youth aged 12 to 21.[8] The cadet program is organized around four main program elements: leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character. Cadets progress through the self-paced program to complete tasks in each program area in order to earn promotions and awards.[9]
The Civil Air Patrol promotes and supports aerospace education, both for its own members and the general public. Cadets are offered aerospace education as a part of the cadet program. Teachers can get free classroom materials and lesson plans from CAP through CAP’s Aerospace Education Membership program.[10]
| Designation | Squadron Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ001 | New Jersey Wing Headquarters | McGuire AFB | |
| NJ002 | Cumberland Composite Squadron | Vineland | |
| NJ003 | Raritan Valley Composite Squadron | Hillsborough | |
| NJ009 | Cape May Composite Squadron | Cape May | |
| NJ035 | Teaneck Composite Squadron | Teaneck | |
| NJ037 | Gloucester County Composite Squadron | Glassboro | |
| NJ058 | Lone Eagle Composite Squadron | Gladstone | |
| NJ059 | Jack Schweiker Composite Squadron | Cherry Hill | |
| NJ065 | Ocean Composite Squadron | Berkeley Township | |
| NJ067 | Bayshore Composite Squadron | Middletown | |
| NJ073 | Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron | Fairfield, Essex County | |
| NJ079 | Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron | Lumberton | |
| NJ082 | Allentown Composite Squadron | Allentown | |
| NJ086 | Maj Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite Squadron | McGuire AFB | |
| NJ090 | Walter M. Schirra Jr. Composite Squadron | Mahwah | |
| NJ092 | Twin Pine Composite Squadron | West Trenton | |
| NJ093 | Picatinny Composite Squadron | Dover | |
| NJ096 | Pineland Composite Squadron | Lakewood | |
| NJ097 | Teterboro Composite Squadron | Teterboro | |
| NJ102 | Captain "Bud" Jackson Composite Squadron | Edison | |
| NJ103 | General Jimmy Stewart Composite Squadron | Sayreville | |
| NJ105 | Atlantic County Composite Squadron | Egg Harbor Township | |
| NJ107 | Delaware Valley Composite Squadron | Whitehouse Station | |
| NJ112 | Jersey City Composite Squadron | Jersey City | |
| NJ613 | Lakewood Composite Squadron | Lakewood | |
| NJ999 | New Jersey Legislative Squadron | Trenton | |