News

As the historian for the South Dakota Wing (SDWG), I often receive calls from people hoping to donate items related to Civil Air Patrol (CAP) history. Every so often, one of those calls turns out to be a rare and priceless find.

One such call led me to the legacy of Lt. Col. Thomas Brownfield Roberts Jr., the first commanding officer of the South Dakota Wing. Appointed on December 1, 1941, Roberts led the Wing through its developing years and the duration of World War II, stepping down on October 15, 1945.

The South Dakota and North Dakota Wings of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) are set to host the 2025 Joint Dakota Encampment (JDE) from June 21 to June 29 at Camp Rapid.

This premier training event will unite over 150 cadets and senior members from 10 states, marking it as one of the largest encampments in the region. The encampment offers cadets an immersive experience in military-style discipline, leadership, and aerospace education.

On June 9th, South Dakota Wing acquired a brand-new Cessna-182 from the Cessna factory in Independence, KS. Wing members Justin Johnson, Craig Goodrich, and Jeremy Langrock flew the new aircraft back to its new home in South Dakota.

The Civil Air Patrol’s North Central Region held its regional small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) training exercise in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, bringing together nearly 20 members from five of the seven states in the region.

When a B-1 Bomber crashed during landing at Ellsworth AFB last year, the accident board called on South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol for fast-turnaround airborne photography of the accident site. CAP photography was included in the Air Force accident investigation report, showing the site and CAP’s rapid response capabilities.

Aberdeen has a Civil Air Patrol squadron, again! After a 12-year gap, the Aberdeen Composite Squadron (NCR-SD-020) was officially rechartered on May 8. To gain status as a composite squadron, the community must have a minimum of 15 current or new CAP members to form the unit. The state CAP commander then approves a formal request to CAP national headquarters for activation of the unit.

South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, has received a rare National Commander’s Unit Citation award. The award, recognizing four notable accomplishments during 2024, was presented at CAP’s joint South Dakota Wing and North Central Region conference, May 3 in Spearfish.

South Dakota Wing received a “highly effective” evaluation from an inspection team from the Air Force and CAP national headquarters. South Dakota Wing is the first to receive this highest possible rating in the current cycle of inspections.

Big Sioux Squadron Commander, Captain Jacob Roth, earns Private Pilot License on the 31^st of March, after dreaming of earning it for years.

South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, is supporting an effort by Swiss drone manufacturer Wingtra to develop “human recognition” software to search for missing people on the ground. SD Wing is the first unit in CAP to have photos processed with the Beta version of this new software.