Homeland Security
Staff
Homeland Security Officer: Major Ronald Sharer
Overview
The Pennsylvania Wing, Civil Air Patrol is a part of the national level effort to conduct operations in support of national level Homeland Security initiatives. Our capabilities include providing airborne reconnaissance and imagery, disaster and damage assessment, airborne transportation of personnel, equipment and critical supplies, and multi-layered communications support. CAP can provide manpower for communications and emergency operations centers, search and rescue teams, and ground support teams, in support of Homeland Security missions.
http://www.cap.gov/visitors/about/our_programs/homeland_security.cfm
The National Homeland Security/Counter-Drug Committee has released a publication for Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers to use in planning for and requesting assistance from CAP. It is the CAPabilities Handbook: A Field Operations Resource Guide for Emergency Managers (U)//FOUO.
Operations Security Training
Below is an excerpt from Gen Pineda's Operations Security letter. OPSEC Training is now required. Please read the letter and take the training at the earliest opportunity. OPSEC Training Letter (PDF)
The OPSEC Training course is available at: https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec/
Excerpt from General Pineda's letter:
"I am very pleased to announce another initiative which will help position CAP for more Homeland Security responsibilities. One of the key aspects of our mission preparedness will be training. Specifically we need to educate our members about how to handle sensitive information concerning our missions, our capabilities and our partner agencies. For this purpose our staff has developed an OPSEC training program tailored to CAP. I've reviewed the program and I think you and your members will find it both entertaining and informative. It will help all of us be more thoughtful about dealing with sensitive information."