Entire family dons BDUs in support of CAP missions

  • Published
  • By Capt. Bill Pierce
  • 507th ARW Public Affairs
Tinker AFB, Okla. --  Technical Sgt. Jimmy Thompson’s entire family has taken up the mission of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) program. 

For the last few months the Thompson family has participated in the CAP program Cleveland County Composite Squadron, Westheimer Airpark, Norman, Oklahoma. “We
wanted to spend more quality time together so now we all participate,” said Thompson. 

For nearly three years at least one member of the Thompson family has been involved in the CAP program. According to Thompson, “our youngest daughter Rebecca has been
in the longest with about three years. I joined about two years ago and my wife Kimberly and our oldest daughter Heather joined a few months ago.” 

The Thompsons take something away from the program weekly. “Rebecca, the family’s
only cadet, joined because she wants to attend one of the military academies and CAP is a big stepping stone for entry into an academy. After she joined I went to a couple of meetings with her and thought that it might be kind-of fun to work with the cadets, so I joined about a year later. Kimberly and Heather both saw how much Rebecca and I enjoyed what we do and wanted to spend more quality time with us, so they recently joined and are having a blast,” smiled Thompson. 

Thompson trades his chevrons in for bars during his service to the CAP. He is the Deputy Commander for Cadets. In addition to his service in the CAP program he is a civil servant and member of the 507th AMXS. 

Kimberly Thompson, Senior CAP member, serves as the Aerospace Education Officer. Kimberly is no stranger to volunteering. People may know her from the Family Support Cell during the 507th Air Refueling Wing’s deployment in 2003. Kimberly served in numerous capacities reaching many families of deployed members. Her most notable service may have been the creation of the Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom T-shirts commemorating the efforts of the 507th Air Refueling Wing.

Heather Thompson serves as the CAP Public Affairs officer. 

According to Thompson, as a family we do it to spend time together. Others may want to participate because cadets can learn to fly, volunteers and cadets participate in real-world search and rescue missions, it’s an opportunity to give back to your community through various events and it is a chance to shape the life of a child. 

The CAP has three main taskings. According to Thompson, “The most visible is the Search and Rescue mission also known as Emergency Services. 

“The second mission we have is Cadet Programs. This mission involves both Senior Members and Cadets. Both gain leadership skills, learn survival and rescue skills among other things.” 

The third mission is Aerospace Education. This resource was established to educate both the CAP membership and the community. It provides support for collegiate workshops nationwide each year. Aerospace Education provides classroom materials,
teacher training and other educational aids at no cost to America’s teachers. These resources have enabled instructors at all levels the ability to use the education curricula provided through CAP. 

The CAP program was founded in December 1941, just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was started by over 150,000 citizens concerned about United State’s coastline defense. Flying under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Forces, CAP pilots flew over one-half million hours, were credited with sinking two enemy submarines and rescued hundreds of crash survivors during World War II. 

On July 1, 1946, President Truman established CAP as a federally chartered benevolent civilian corporation and Congress passed Public Law 557 on May 26, 1948. This law made CAP the auxiliary of the newly established U.S. Air Force. 

CAP was charged with three primary missions: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Emergency Services. 

For more information or to learn how you and your family can join the CAP, please visit www.cap.gov.