Civil Air Patrol cadets gain insight on Nellis Published Aug. 20, 2014 By Senior Airman Christopher Tam 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Members of the 802nd Cadet Squadron, Civil Air Patrol from Jack Lund Schofield Middle School in Las Vegas, visited the Thunderbirds museum and the Threat Training Facility here to gain more insight about the Air Force Aug. 18. According to the Civil Air Patrol website, CAP is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, and is a nonprofit organization with voluntary membership. They focus on three primary missions which are aerospace education for youth and the general public, serve as mentors to young people currently participating in cadet programs and emergency services, which includes search and rescue and disaster relief operations. During the visit, CAP members expressed why they chose Nellis Air Force Base to tour. "We are very fortunate to be living in Las Vegas and have access to the Threat Training Facility and the Thunderbirds museum which are two unique facilities in the U.S. Air Force," said CAP Capt. James Grindstaff, 802nd Cadet Squadron commander. "Here, we are able to teach and show the cadets a lot about the very unique aspects of the military life and specifically what Nellis does to help in the community." Senior CAP members focus on building a bright future for the cadets. "The Air Force is a great career option and I hope many of them will choose the military in general as a way to serve their country," Grindstaff said. "For those not interested in the military, [visiting] Nellis helps them show what true leadership is and at the very minimum our main goal in the Civil Air Patrol is to ensure we are creating leaders for tomorrow." Senior members were not the only ones to enjoy the tour; cadets also had a good time. "I'm very simple," said CAP Cadet Maj. David Derasmo, 802nd Cadet Squadron cadet commander. "I enjoyed shaking hands with the Thunderbirds and getting to meet some of the pilots, crawling around in the tanks and picking up the guns." The CAP brought more than 20 members from their squadron on the Nellis tour which included stops at the TTF, Thunderbirds museum and Crosswinds Dining Facility. Tour programs at Nellis aim to showcase to the local community and other external stakeholders the professionalism and excellence of Air Force Airmen and the diversity of missions across the installation. For additional information and restrictions regarding tours, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/questions/topic.asp?id=2029 or call 702-652-2750.
