South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol hosted South Dakota’s adjutant general, Major General Mark Morrell, for a training flight on June 25. The flight allowed the adjutant general to witness first-hand the role CAP has played in recently conducted flood damage assessment photography and other CAP communications and search and rescue capabilities.
Cadet CMSgt Dominic Clement soloed on June 19. His instructor, Lt. Col. Craig Goodrich made the announcement of the solo and presented a certificate.
SD Wing members gathered in Pierre and Sioux Falls this weekend to hone emergency services skills, both refreshing existing skills and accomplishing tasks need for additional ES specialties.
Close to 30 Civil Air Patrol members from across South Dakota assisted the organizers of the Let Freedom Fly International airshow in Pierre May 25-26. CAP’s Pierre Composite Squadron and SD Wing staff assisted the air show organizers by helping with parking, traffic, and food and beverage sales. CAP also had a static display of a Pierre-based CAP Cessna 182 as well as a recruiting booth.
FEMA praised SD Wing for the quality of its drone photography after responding to a call for aerial imaging after deadly tornados in Iowa in May. Iowa Wing requested support from the South Dakota drone (UAS) team. A FEMA official said the Wingtra results were the best UAS imagery they've ever seen from Civil Air Patrol, yielding a resolution of less than two inches per photo pixel.
Members of South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, recently assisted in a multi-agency search for a Lakota teenager who has been missing for over 50 years.
East River aircrews participated in an aviation SAREX in Sioux Falls on 5/11/24. Worked on finding ELTs, airborne photography, and flying skills.
CAP Lt. Lauri Ziebarth assumed command of Rushmore Composite Squadron on May 9 in a change of command ceremony during the squadron meeting at Ellsworth AFB. The traditional passing of the flag ceremony was officiated by Col. Michael Marek, SD Wing commander.
Civil Air Patrol provided essential aircrew services, allowing an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft to visit Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD.
Civil Air Patrol’s Lookout Mountain Composite, Spearfish, held an open house and memorial service commemorating for family members of one of the men who died in an aircraft accident 30 years ago. Family members returned to Spearfish to mark the anniversary.
