The Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol (abbreviated INWG) is the highest echelon of
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
in the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. Its headquarters is located in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...
. The Indiana Wing involves 1,354 adult and youth volunteers organized into five group headquarters, a legislative squadron, and twenty-five total subordinate squadrons located throughout the state, including four School Enrichment Programs. Civil Air Patrol's 2nd largest cadet squadron, the Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron (GLR-IN-803), is located in Anderson, Indiana.
Missions
Indiana Wing performs Civil Air Patrol's three key missions: emergency services, which includes search and rescue (by air and ground) and disaster relief operations; aerospace education for youth and the general public; and cadet programs for teenage youth.
Indiana Wing supports Civil Air Patrol's Emergency Services missions by flying eight Civil Air Patrol aircraft, small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and operating twenty vehicles. The Wing operates 19 high-frequency (HF) stations, and 16 very high-frequency (VHF) repeaters and 177 VHF base and mobile radios. Indiana Wing is involved in search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
Indiana Wing offers the CAP Cadet Program in a number of communities across the state, and provides a free orientation flight program that flew 277 cadets in 2023. Of the 2023 flights, cadets were provided 348 powered orientation flights and 52 glider orientation flights.
Support for CAP's Aerospace Education mission includes outreach to schools, education for cadets, and participation in local aviation events. As part of CAP's Aerospace Education program teachers who join Civil Air Patrol as an "Aerospace Education Member" may receive a flight in CAP aircraft as well as free national academic-standard aligned books, STEM kits, and award programs. The AEM program has a one-time only fee with no requirement for meeting attendance and uniform wear -- and is available for home schools. Additionally, Indiana Wing maintains a hot air balloon for aviation education and community outreach.
Organizational structure
Indiana Wing is organized into a wing headquarters unit, five group headquarters overseeing 25 squadrons, and a legislative squadron. In addition, the Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron reports directly to the wing headquarters.
Four group headquarters are aligned with Indiana's Department of Homeland Security districts and have oversight for the squadrons within those districts. The fifth group headquarters oversees units within school districts.
* Indiana Group I: IDHS Districts 1, 2, and 4
* Indiana Group III: IDHS Districts 3 and 6.
* Indiana Group V: IDHS District V.
* Indiana Group XII: IDHS Districts 7, 8, 9, and 10.
* Indiana Group 800: Indiana Wing Schools Group
Past Wing Commanders
Spaatz Award Recipients
The General Carl A. Spaatz Award is the highest award in the
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
cadet
A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
program. The award honors
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Carl A. Spaatz, who was the first
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The chief of staff of the Air Force ( acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is the service chief of the United States Air Force. They are the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to the Air Force. They are a m ...
and the second
National Commander of Civil Air PatrolAir Patrol.
First awarded in 1964, only 0.5% of CAP cadets ever earn the Spaatz award. Indiana Wing ranks 18th among the 50 U.S. states in the number of Spaatz awards earned. Award recipients from Indiana include:
Legal protection
Under Indiana law, private employers whose businesses are within the borders of Indiana are forbidden from disciplining their employees who are members of the Indiana Wing, if those employees miss work in order to respond to an emergency as a part of Civil Air PatrolAir Patrol. Private employers are only exempted from this rule if they designate an employee as an "essential employee to the employer," and the state commander of the Indiana Wing must be notified.
The State of Indiana and all political subdivision of the state do not have a right to seek an exemption to giving Civil Air Patrol employees leave time by designating them an "essential employee to the employer." Rather, they are forbidden from penalizing any employee who takes leave from their work responsibilities to respond to a Civil Air Patrol mission.
All Indiana
secondary school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
students, whether public or private, are entitled to leave from school to participate in Civil Air Patrol training and missions. Schools are forbidden by law from marking these students as absent or penalizing them in any way.
See also
*
Indiana Air National Guard
The Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG) is the aerial militia of the Indiana, state of Indiana, United States, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of ...
*
Indiana Guard Reserve
The Indiana Guard Reserve (IGR), formerly the Liberty Guard and the Indiana Legion, is the state defense force of the state of Indiana. The Indiana Guard Reserve serves under the exclusive authority of the governor of the State of Indiana throug ...
*
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
References
External links
www.inwg.cap.govofficial site
{{US military navbox
Wings of the Civil Air Patrol
Education in Indiana
Military in Indiana