Every day, Civil Air Patrol members across the nation are supporting local communities. In Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, the St. Croix Squadron provides support during natural disasters and emergencies, teaches future leaders in aerospace education, and supports the Air Force with its training and missions.
The St. Croix Squadron has been a part of our community since 1986, supporting the local community for more than 30 years. Our emergency services have helped search and rescue missions from the air, assisting in the search for people during floods or blizzards. So far this year alone, 101 people have been saved by Civil Air Patrol squadrons across the United States.
Our aerospace education program introduces a new generation of future pilots and fliers to aerospace education, providing summer camp education, model rocketry and cyber training to more than 200 youth over the past 10 years. The critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills gained by youth through these programs will benefit them the rest of their lives.
And our cadet program is developing the next generation of leaders who learn discipline, teamwork, tenacity, and other qualities. Our senior members are dedicated to shaping the next generation, many of whom go on to have successful careers in aerospace.
Prior to Covid from 2019 Enactment
For decades, the St. Croix Squadron enjoyed the use of a private hangar for our training and flight needs, for which we are grateful. However, the hangar’s owner had to make changes in his life and the facility is no longer available for our use. Since last fall we have been desperately searching for a new home.
Fortune shined on us when we learned that the Metropolitan Airport Commission has precious space available for us to build a new hangar and training center at the Lake Elmo airport.
We need to build this new home for our squadron.
Without a place to carry out our mission, there will be no cadet programs, no training flights, no educational programs for students. Without a training center there is no Civil Air Patrol in our local area, a huge loss for hopeful local youth who want to explore aerospace technology and careers. We would not be able to assist local law enforcement during search and rescue missions.
I am asking you to help us build this new home.
The minimum expense of the training center is $150,000 for four walls and a bay door. The estimated cost for the additional amenities required to carry out our mission, a conference room and other training space, is an estimated $50,000.
