Civil Air Patrol is the newest addition to the U.S. Air Force’s Total Force, joining the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve in bolstering the military branch’s ability to carry out its mission in the most effective and efficient manner possible. CAP has been the Air Force’s official auxiliary since May 1948. With a founding date of Dec. 1, 1941, the volunteer organization actually predates the Air Force’s existence. Its subsequent role in protecting the homeland during World War II earned it the Congressional Gold Medal in December, as CAP members on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts flew patrols for and eventually stopped German U-boat attacks on U.S. oil tankers during the conflict. In the heartland, others --including members at this base in Lansing, Michigan, in 1942 -- towed targets for military trainees, spotted forest fires, conducted search and rescue missions, provided disaster relief and emergency transport of people and parts and conducted orientation flights for future pilots.