CAP, Evergreen Aviation partnership includes two new national cadet activities

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum celebrates the contributions of U.S. service men and women during the annual Veteran’s Day events Nov. 10-11.

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALA. - Thurs., Nov. 8, 2007 - Two new cadet activities -- an aviation academy and a wilderness academy – will be offered in the near future thanks to Evergreen International Aviation Inc. of McMinnville, Ore., and Civil Air Patrol.

Beginning summer 2008, the Capt. Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Academy will introduce cadets to the leadership, business, ethics and operational knowledge required for success in the aviation industry. In addition, the Evergreen Wilderness Survival Academy aims to give the cadets the self-confidence, team-building and leadership skills required not only to meet challenges in the wilderness, but also in life. Preparations for the world-class program will take place this summer, with expert survivalists building facilities, training approximately 30 instructors and performing other prep work for the academy’s expected launch in summer 2009.

Three cadets from each of CAP’s eight regions will be selected to attend the academies. Both will be held in McMinnville, Evergreen’s international headquarters, which is located approximately 40 miles from Portland.

The academies will complement more than 30 cadet special activities held each summer in locations across America. More than 1,250 youth participated in the program this year.

“Evergreen Aviation’s commitment to youth, as evidenced by the establishment of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and, now, these programs is impressive,” said CAP Interim National Commander Brig. Gen. Amy Courter. “The programs will ensure that 48 outstanding cadets annually have new opportunities to expand their horizons and, in the process, to soar like eagles. CAP is proud to partner with Evergreen Aviation in this endeavor.”

“CAP and Evergreen share similar key values,” said Delford M. Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and founder of Evergreen International Aviation, Inc. “We at Evergreen believe in living lives full of higher purpose, working hard and taking advantage of opportunities. CAP exemplifies the values we hold dear, so a relationship with CAP seemed a natural fit.”

Evergreen International Aviation, Inc., a privately held global aviation services company, is recognized as a world leader in air freight and aviation services. Customers include other air carriers, aviation companies and governmental agencies.

Evergreen’s relationship with CAP spans more than 15 years. The Oregon Wing’s McMinnville Composite Squadron participated in a private air show for Evergreen in its first major project as a squadron. From that initial involvement, a partnership flourished. The McMinnville squadron has since worked closely with Evergreen on several projects, including the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. As a result of this relationship, several key museum staff members are now CAP members, and many squadron members are registered museum volunteers. In addition, the local squadron often mans the CAP display at the museum, and the McMinnville squadron patch depicts the famous Howard Hughes Spruce Goose, which is on display at the museum.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 58,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 105 lives in fiscal year 2007. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 22,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 65 years.

# # #