MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. – Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, will be awarded a World Peace Prize during a June 14 ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize and retired U.S. Rep. Lester Wolff announced CAP will be honored as the World Peace Corps Mission’s “Roving Ambassador for Peace” at the ceremony in Washington, D.C., which will also recognize top honor prize recipients H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and Benjamin A. Gilman.
“Civil Air Patrol makes a huge impact, going above and beyond to make a profound difference in America’s communities, saving lives and preserving liberty for all,” said Wolff, in announcing the World Peace Prize recipients for 2010.
The World Peace Prize is presented annually by the World Peace Corps Mission, an international evangelical missionary organization. Since its establishment in 1989, the prize has been awarded to individuals contributing to the causes of world peace by preventing regional conflicts or world war; by settling the disputes of political, diplomatic and economic matters; and by developing new inventions to minimize threats and confusions within mankind.
The awarding council for the World Peace Prize operates according to the core spirit of advancing peace and justice and inter-religious collaborations. Past recipients include President Ronald Reagan of the U.S., President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia and President Kuniwo Nakamura of Palau, amongst others.
“Civil Air Patrol is delighted to be chosen for this prestigious international honor,” said Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP’s national commander. “This reflects greatly upon our 61,000-plus members, who work diligently in their communities to serve their fellow citizens.”
In its Air Force auxiliary role, 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 113 lives in fiscal year 2010.
When natural or manmade disasters occur, CAP’s citizen volunteers are often the first on the scene, transmitting digital images of the damage within seconds while providing disaster relief and emergency services for victims. In the past decade alone, members have responded to such phenomena as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Texas and Oklahoma wildfires, tornadoes in the South and central U.S., flooding in the Dakotas and an earthquake and tsunami in Hawaii, as well as humanitarian missions along the U.S. and Mexican border.
CAP celebrates its 70th anniversary on Dec. 1. It has been conducting humanitarian missions from the early days of World War II and is considered by many as the world standard for aviation-oriented, volunteer emergency organizations.
Civil Air Patrol, a nonprofit organization whose members perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies, also plays a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 26,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. In addition, CAP is a major partner of Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. For more information on Civil Air Patrol, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com.
