Virginia Civil Air Patrol provides response to Hurricane Helene aftermath
RICHMOND, Va. (Sep 28, 2024) – Virginia Wing launched aircraft from Roanoke and Newport News to provide aerial reconnaissance and photography of southwest and southern Virginia at the request of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management today. The photos will be used for damage assessment purposes. The wing activated its virtual Incident Command Post to coordinate any further requests for support from neighboring wings or state agencies. Several members from the wing are also assigned to FEMA’s National Rescue Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. to coordinate requests at the federal level. In addition, Virginia Wing members of Civil Air Patrol’s Geospatial Program are actively working with FEMA to assess the resultant damage from flooding and winds in the hurricane's wake.
The wing Director of Emergency Services, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Van Etten, encouraged the entire wing to review their personal preparedness and mission readiness posture for the potential for future missions.
Colonel Patrick Fulgham, the wing’s Commander, shared, “The Virginia Wing is postured well to support any requests within or outside of our state. I am proud of our dedicated members who quickly respond to the call and support our communities, state, and nation.”
About Virginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing is home to 21 squadrons spread throughout the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,300 members, 12 light aircraft, 6 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), and 28 multi-mission vehicles. These assets are available to federal, state, and local governments, as well as to emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to perform search and rescue, homeland security, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and counter-drug missions. For more information on Virginia Wing, visit the wing’s website at https://vawg.cap.gov.
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.
For More Information:
Maj Jacob Bixler, pa @ vawg.cap.gov
