Civil Air Patrol’s Riverside Flight, based out of the R. L. Jones Airport, Tulsa Technology Center campus, rallied at 5:30 in the morning on October 5 at the Air National Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing to serve during the Fighter Wing’s family day.

“The 138th Fighter Wing tries to have a Family day event every year,” said Connie Hurt, the Airman & Family Readiness program manager for the Wing. “With the workload that our service members have, we need to make sure we work in a down day so that we can show appreciation to the service members and their families. These events are great for getting military families to network with other military families, and to learn what resources are available for service members and their families.”

She added, “This is also a good time for our service members to invite their civilian employers out to show them where they go and where they work when they come to drill. We also tell our service members that it is a great time for them to invite anyone that they think might be contemplating joining the Air National Guard.”

“It was early, but it was worth it,” Riverside Flight’s Cadet Commander Cadet Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford said. “We had 38 members from our unit. and several from other units assisted as well. Seeing the smiling faces of our heroes in the Guard just enjoying their families was all the thanks we needed.”

Oklahoma Wing members worked directing cars for parking, serving food, assisting with games, and dressing up in costumes to amuse younger and older guests alike.

“The Guard does a lot for us,” Riverside Flight Master Sgt. Faun Daves said. “It is hard work, and a lot of the times it is a thankless job.”

Having served in the Army and Army National Guard, Daves retired with 28 years of service. His last assignment was as a leadership instructor at the Regional Training Institute with the Oklahoma National Guard. He taught the Basic Noncommissioned Officers (NCO) Course for two years and the Advanced NCO Course for two years. He also served as a TAC Sergeant for the Officer Candidates Course for two years. Daves has been a CAP NCO member since April 2018, and serves as his Riverside Flight’s first sergeant.

“To see these cadets come out and support these airmen like they do,” Daves continued, “Well, it’s a blessing to see.”

At the event were Wing Vice Commander Col. Brent Wright and Command Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Kaase of the 138th Fighter Wing, who mingled with the Oklahoma Air National Guard Airmen and their families at the Wing Family Day.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of more than 80 lives annually.

CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.