Westover Composite Squadron

Westover Air Reserve Base, then known as Westover Field, was built in 1939 in anticipation of its need under the looming threat of war.[3] As a national organization, the Civil Air Patrol was created on December 1, 1941 in response to an observed need to support civil defense and general aviation during the war.[4] References to Civil Air Patrol at Westover can be found, but the most recent charter for the Westover Composite Squadron is dated in the 1960s, so it can be inferred that there were a few decades where Westover Air Reserve Base did not have a Civil Air Patrol presence.

As the war ended, Civil Air Patrol's focus shifted from the coastal patrols of World War II to search and rescue and other civil defense engagements. Sensing this shift and recognizing a need to create highly trained search and rescue teams, then Pennsylvania Wing Civil Air Patrol commander Colonel Phillip Neuweiler observed some pararescuemen at Westover Air Base. This relationship lead to the organization of a Civil Air Patrol Ranger School on Westover Air Base in 1953, which eventually moved back to Pennsylvania Wing and became Hawk Mountain Ranger School [5]

Westover Composite Squadron has celebrated a large, dedicated cadet corps throughout its existence. In 2010, the squadron's Color Guard competed in the Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition after earning a victory at the regional level of competition.[9]

Each summer, the squadron sends a handful of cadets to Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol's encampment at Ft. Devens in Massachusetts where they learn advanced leadership skills and teamwork. Cadets who graduate encampment are able to advance further in the cadet program and often choose to return to encampment as staff members or attend a National Cadet Special Activities, with National Blue Beret and the National Emergency Services Academy at Camp Atterbury in Indiana the most popular choices.

In order to join as a cadet (members aged 12–21 years old), prospective members are grouped together as a cohort to observe three meetings and gain a deeper understanding for Civil Air Patrol. At the conclusion of the observation period, if cadets are still interested in joining, they are all processed together and form a "Tango" flight where other cadets and senior members mentor the new members. Within this program, cadets are to strive and earn their first achievement within three months, after which they are promoted to either alpha or bravo flight.

Westover Composite Squadron has a robust emergency services department with a bit under one-half of all personnel holding at least a General Emergency Services (GES) rating, allowing its members to respond to disaster relief efforts or participate in a SAREX.[10] The unit has custody of a Cessna 182T aircraft with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, allowing Civil Air Patrol members to conduct their missions with precision.

In 2011, the squadron directly assisted in the clean-up of the aftermath of an EF3 tornado that hit Springfield, Massachusetts [11]

The squadron is dedicated to its aerospace education mission and informing both the public and its own members about flight. Members have given various presentations at CAP and non-CAP engagements, including encampment, rotary clubs, and other charitable organizations. The squadron is also very active in orientation flights, where cadets are taken through a syllabus and are taught the basics of flight under the tutelage of a certified orientation flight pilot.

Cadets also participate in the model rocket program, learning the basics of flight and chemistry as they build and design increasingly complex rockets.