CAP Mission on 9/11

Started by Archer, August 04, 2013, 09:19:50 AM

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Archer

This probably doesn't meet the hysterical requirement for hysterical history, but I'm interested to learn about Civil Air Patrol's response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I know several sources have touched on this general subject, but they focused more on singular efforts of small teams or solo efforts of Civil Air Patrolmen. I'm more focused on the total force response of CAP. I want to know what we did to help.

Edit: I know there's another thread on this forum of a very similar title, but that thread only links two stubby articles and pretty much nothing else; I'm hoping for this thread to be a central compilation point(or link to a central compilation point if one already exists) of information on our mission on that fateful day.

Pylon

Civil Air Patrol's response was limited to just a handful of members in limited numbers doing key missions only.  There was not a mass mobilization of CAP.  NYWG as a whole did receive a Unit Citation for our collective response during 9/11 and the following months, but still most of it was limited. 


NYWG had one aircrew that did a nearly immediate response mission and were in the air when all the planes in the US were still grounded (other than military) and took aerial photographs of ground zero.  Most of us in NYWG at the time, even those well qualified in various ES missions, stayed home and dealt with everything like any other American that day.
Michael F. Kieloch, Maj, CAP

MIKE

It wasn't just NYWG, it was NER that received a Unit Citation for 9/11.
Mike Johnston

Private Investigator

Quote from: Archer on August 04, 2013, 09:19:50 AM
This probably doesn't meet the hysterical requirement for hysterical history ...

... but they focused more on singular efforts of small teams or solo efforts of Civil Air Patrolmen.

Well you asked the question and then you answered it. NYWG and NER is well documented in what they did and the Unit Citation they received.

What is hysterical is what they did at Bum Falls Senior Squadron or at Forrest Gump Cadet Squadron, 2000 miles away knowing that 9/11 may be a diversion.

diversion 
4. (Military) Military a feint attack designed to draw an enemy away from the main attack (from The Life of PI)  8)


Eclipse

Patrolman is not a term for members of CAP.

"That Others May Zoom"

Luis R. Ramos

Pylon, your recollection is faulty.

September 11 saw two aircrews doing photo recce. Long Island Group airplane did a photo shoot the next day. Three members. New York City Group airplane did a photo sortie the Sunday after. Two or three members. I was involved in the planning for the second sortie the Friday after, as myself and a Major were tasked with setting up a mobile comms point. Eventually the Sunday sortie was carried out without the ground comms support.

The two days immediately after Sept 11 I supervised some cadets preparing food boxes out of donations at a food pantry in the city.

There was a squadron at either Scottia Air National Guard Base or at Stewart that was preparing food for relief workers coming down the Thruway. These guys were kicked out of the base "since they were civilians, and had no business being in a military airbase" according to a JAG. Back then there was support by an Air Force liaison who found out where in the Air Force regs the "civilians" were allowed then.

There were no CAP volunteers at Ground Zero unless they also worked for a first responder. For instance, the New York City Group Chaplain was also a NYFD Chaplain, he had to work there.

There was a major upsurge of volunteers at least in my squadron in the weeks and months that followed.

Take care,

Flyer
Squadron Safety Officer
Squadron Communication Officer
Squadron Emergency Services Officer

FW

NER's response was immediate and far reaching.  Aircrews were put on alert and, Wing HQ's across the region were activated with personel sent to man desks at FEMA and state EMA operation centers.  In the weeks that followed, CAP's missions expanded with the Air Force and DoD.  State EMA's were calling on CAP for many missions.  When the D.C. restrictive zone was established, CAP was there to "test" things out.  The events of 9/11/01 changed the way we do business in CAP, and the effects are still being felt 12 years later.  It is, IMHO, the main reson we still get funded...

Luis R. Ramos

#7
I recall something like FW states, but could not give exact recollection other than what I posted in my message.

By the way, I still see or hear some of the aircrew of the initial air sortie. Col Heinich is still active in LIG. Yesterday I asked him whether any of the airplanes being used at this weekend's SAREX was the airplane he flew then, he said no as that one was a 172 or 173. I (Flyer) have a problem retaining some information as I am 58. Feldman is still active in NY Wing HQ but I do not see him, just read his signatures...

Of NYCG aircrew that flew over Ground Zero, those are retired or moved to other things.

[edited for clarity]
Squadron Safety Officer
Squadron Communication Officer
Squadron Emergency Services Officer

PHall

Quote from: flyer333555 on August 04, 2013, 07:17:21 PM
I recall something like FW states, but could not give exact recollection other than what I posted in my message.

By the way, I still see or hear some of the aircrew of the initial air sortie. Col Heinich is still active in LIG. Yesterday I asked him whether any of the airplanes being used at this weekend's SAREX was the airplane he flew then, he said no as that one was a 172 or 173. I (Flyer) have a problem retaining some information as I am 58. Feldman is still active in NY Wing HQ but I do not see him, just read his signatures...

Of NYCG aircrew that flew over Ground Zero, those are retired or moved to other things.

[edited for clarity]


I would trust FW's version. He was one of the "mover and shakers".

Luis R. Ramos

#9
There we go once again. PHall being a jerk. I have no reason to lie, and if I wanted to, I could give you more names that could verify this story.

Pm sent.

Flyer
Squadron Safety Officer
Squadron Communication Officer
Squadron Emergency Services Officer

capmaj

NER also had at least 3-4 a/c stationed at Hanscom AFB under direction of Col Eric Shullman, the MAWG CC at the time. A command post trailer was brought in and, in conjunction with a section of AF Loadmasters who happened to be training on the Base at the time, the American Red Cross loaded two truckloads of blood plasma onto the a/c.

When it became apparent that there was not going to be a lot of survivors, the plasma was off-loaded and several pieces of ground-sonar detection equipment was picked up from a local manufacturer and then flown by MAWG personnel into JFK. This was under escort by USAF fast-movers.

The Hanscom Composite Squadron then maintained a radio net for the next three days, rotating personnel in and out of the Base.

bosshawk

I think that I described all this in another part of this forum, but here goes an abbreviated version. CAWG, ORWG and perhaps WAWG flew a number of missions the day after 9/11, supporting the Red Cross blood transport program.  I personally flew a Bonanza full of blood from Watsonville, CA to Medford, OR, where ORWG picked it up and flew it further north.  As far as I remember, that was about it for a few days.

I certainly don't remember any CAP-wide effort to do anything: individual wings did things as they were tasked.

The thing about my flight that sticks in my memory was flying directly over San Francisco Bay at 8 or 9 thousand feet with me being the only airplane in the sky in the middle of the day.  Really eerie.
Paul M. Reed
Col, USA(ret)
Former CAP Lt Col
Wilson #2777

a2capt

Quote from: a2capt on September 15, 2011, 03:39:26 AMPalomar Airport Information Tango - One Ate Fife Zero Zulu, observation - Wind two fower zero at seven, visibility one zero, sky condition overcast at one thousand four hundred. Temperature one niner degrees celsius, dew point one six degrees celsius. Altimeter two niner niner fower.

Attention All Aircraft - By Order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports, aerodromes are not authorized for (ops?) or takeoff until further notice. Advise initial contact you have information Tango

http://17500mph.com/M3/CRQATIS.mp3 <-- From 1850Z 11-Sept, 2001.
From a previous thread/post: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=13809.msg250229#msg250229


That was a creepy quiet day, while getting ready for work, before I had put the TV on, I noticed a quietness about the sky above me. It seems that the skylight above the reading room .. is right on the VOR approach, so I hear and see aircraft right overhead all day, and the mornings are usually a bit busy. But not that day.  The grounding order had recently been given and with the plethora of airports in Southern California, it didn't take long for everything to find a place to go.

flyboy53

#13
Actually, you've all got it a little wrong. The NHQ list of bullet points showing CAP missions in the wake of 9-11 to be three pages long and shows related missions as far away as the California Wing.

Here's the list from NHQ, last updated 19 Sept. 2001:

* North Carolina CAP crews flew 50 cases of blood from Raleigh, NC to the ARC in Baltimore, MD.
* Florida CAP personnel were tasked by their state to monitor airports and provide advisories to pilots at uncontrolled fields -- 61 airports/284 CAP personnel.
* California CAP aircrews transported government officials. The actual extent of the mission(s) were not publicized.
* New Mexico CAP was put on alert for blood transport.
* Kentucky CAP flew blood platelets from Kentucky to New Jersey on the afternoon of 9-11.
* Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island CAP crews flew 12 sorties, delivering 300 pounds of blood and medical supplies to JFK for delivery to Mount Sinai Hospital and then remained on standby to provide support as needed.
* Idaho CAP transported blood and medical supplies to California for the ARC.
* Virginia CAP personnel manned the state EOC.
* Pennsylvania CAP personnel provided personnel and communications support to the Allegheny County Emergency Management Agency and the FEMA mobile EOC and then stood standby to provide aerial imaging of the crash site of the fourth airplane.
* NER provided communication support and other coordination to FEMA Region I ROC.
* South Carolina CAP provided communications support of their state EOC.
* FEMA Region III placed the Delaware Wing on one-hour, rapid response standby.
* NYW continued aerial digital photography of the WTC site for state authorities (I understood this was a frequent or possibly daily mission -- I work for NYS). Wing personnel also provided communications support and manned the State EOC, assisted the ARC with food distribution, shelter and logistical support of the ARC, transported federal and state officials, and then air-delivered equipment to rescue workers.
* Arizona CAP provided communications support and manned the state EOC.
* Georgia CAP transported robotic supplies for robots used by U.S. Army DARPA personnel at the disaster site from Dobbins AFB to Hanscom AFB.
* Illinois CAP assisted with commercial flights diverted into local airports and were on standby for additional support.
* Michigan CAP manned and provided communications support of the state EOC.
* New Jersey, Wisconsin and West Virginia CAP did the same.
* Oregon CAP transported blood and platelets to San Diego via relay with the California Wing.
* Pacific Region alerted each of its wings -- especially aircrews -- and then manned command posts.
* Southwest Region did the same and then activated its communications net.
* Texas Wing alerted its aircrews for blood transport missions.
* New Mexico CAP flew blood supplies daily from Albuquerque to Phoenix.
* Californian Wing started airlifting federal officials.
* Utah Wing flew blood daily from Salt Lake City to San Diego until Sept. 20.
* New Mexico CAP provided aerial photography of two power plants.
* Louisiana and Texas CAP provided air support and aerial photography to USCG port security.
* Oregon Wing flew 33 sorties, 106 flying hours, in support of ARC blood transport.
* Arizona Wing member Ken McLeod used his company's Citation jet to transport blood supplies from Tucson to Portland.
* An unknown number of CAP chaplains (most for the NYW) ministered to first responders --most on the first three days following the attack.
* One other thing that I remembered was that about month or six weeks later, NYW CAP personnel were mobilized under a region-wide exercise (SAREX) to visit each airport and document by photo each runway or helicopter landing pad. I personally visited 11 airports/helicopter landing pads across three counties in about four hours time that day.
Did I forget anything?

Private Investigator

Quote from: flyboy1 on August 05, 2013, 11:58:12 AM
Actually, you've all got it a little wrong. The NHQ list of bullet points showing CAP missions in the wake of 9-11 to be three pages long and shows related missions as far away as the California Wing.

Here's the list from NHQ, last updated 19 Sept. 2001:

...


Did I forget anything?

Nothing added since 9/19?

For hysterical history, I was wondering if anyone, for example, CAP Squadrons located on a GA airport, showed up armed to protect the planes?   8)

Critical AOA

Actually since a lot of what was done was a result of the hysteria of the day and the weeks shortly thereafter, it does qualify as hysterical history.  There were a lot of knee jerk reactions all around the country. 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."   - George Bernard Shaw

FW

Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on August 07, 2013, 09:47:12 PM
Actually since a lot of what was done was a result of the hysteria of the day and the weeks shortly thereafter, it does qualify as hysterical history.  There were a lot of knee jerk reactions all around the country.
Since we weren't sure what was up back then, I guess you could call the response "knee jerk", however there can be no denying CAP's mission expanded over the years because of our efforts.  Yes, these related missions are limited in scope, but we have become more valuable in the "fermament"...  It is hysterical history that, we actually performed above expectations during those trying times.

Private Investigator

Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on August 07, 2013, 09:47:12 PM
Actually since a lot of what was done was a result of the hysteria of the day and the weeks shortly thereafter, it does qualify as hysterical history.  There were a lot of knee jerk reactions all around the country.

Roger that, nearly 12 years later, thinking about it. We had some humorous responses.   8) 

MisterCD

What everyone here is telling me is that there is a definite need to put together a monograph on CAP's response to the 11 September 2001 attacks. I dare say the history program is up for the task.

Critical AOA

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."   - George Bernard Shaw