Civil Air Patrol cadets visit Travis AFB

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jonathon Carnell
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – It can be heard from neighboring communities - the whistling and roaring sounds coming from Travis AFB’s flight line. A pilot ramps the engine’s idle to maximum power and, within a matter of seconds, an aircraft weighing almost 1 million pounds is in the sky.

Seven Civil Air Patrol cadets from Northern California toured Travis AFB July 19-23, and witnessed the powerful thrust of the engines of a C-5M Super Galaxy.

One cadet said it couldn’t be compared to anything he had experienced.

“Listening to the air traffic control Airmen communicate back and forth with the pilots was really cool,” said Cadet Raenen Mathen. “The aviation world has always been something I want to get involved with. Being out here today, I know this is my career path.”

The tour’s main purpose was to educate cadets on career possibilities within the Air Force through science, technology, engineering and mathematics, said Mark Fridell, Senior Squadron 188 instructor, Oakland, California.

The cadets were given demonstrations by units within the 60th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron and 60th Operations Support Squadron.

From aircraft departing the flight line to EOD members educating cadets on their mission, Fridell said every role Airmen execute is influential to the cadets.

Cadet Mathen, who joined CAP in January of this year, joined because he is fascinated by aviation and aerospace.

“This was my first trip to a base,” Mathen said. “I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but seeing Airmen do their jobs really inspires me.”

The CAP program is a self-paced, 16-step, multi-faceted program with focuses in aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness, and moral leadership. Cadets are eligible to join the program between ages 12-21.

“We want young people to know what our organization is and encourage them to get involved,” Fridell said. “For cadets to be able to see all of this truly makes a difference.”

To find more information about the CAP program visit https://www.cawgcap.org/