Civil Air Patrol a member of USAF’s Total Force Published Sept. 18, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. -- Civil Air Patrol officially joined the active duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees as a member of the U.S. Air Force’s Total Force Aug. 28. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh made the announcement the same day, acknowledging the all-volunteer Air Force auxiliary’s long history of national service through search and rescue, disaster relief, homeland security, drug interdiction, and aerospace education. “A lot of people in the civilian world and even the active duty Air Force don’t have a sense of who we are and how much we really do,” said CAP Maj. Andrew Beattie, Clovis High Plains Composite Squadron commander. “There is more to our mission than most people know.” As a part of the Total Force, CAP volunteers will benefit from greater consideration when senior Air Force leaders are looking at how to achieve missions. “We are a force of 58,000 volunteers trained to national standards,” Beattie said. “Why not use us?” For Beattie, the new CAP designation is a victory that he hopes will encourage more Airmen and community members to join their local squadron in addition to encouraging more leaders to utilize the volunteer force. “Our people are highly trained and motivated,” said Beattie. “They go out to save lives. As volunteers working with a fleet of light aircraft, we can often operate at pennies on the dollar compared to the price of utilizing the active duty Air Force to achieve the same mission.” The benefits of joining CAP go beyond the practical, according to Beattie. “We train our youth to be tomorrow’s leaders,” he said. “We guide our adults to expand their social network and gain a stronger understanding of their community. Everyone who participates has opportunities for professional development.” Beattie said becoming a part of the organization means joining a legacy that stretches back to World War II and offers a future brimming with chances to grow. “For people who are looking for a challenge,” he said, “who are looking to step out of their comfort zone and learn something new, our squadron is a great opportunity.”