Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol
The Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol, commonly referred to as "Mass Wing", is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its headquarters is located at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts. MA Wing reports to CAP, which reports to CAP National Headquarters.
Emergency services
Training for all Emergency Services functions is based on the Incident Command System. The most basic qualifications require certification in the course available online.Members of the wing assisted in the search for John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash site. A few Massachusetts Wing members aided with Incident Command at the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster. More recently, several Massachusetts Wing members participated as members of CAP's by performing damage assessments after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
In April 2020, members of the Massachusetts Wing began assisting the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by helping to load and unload trucks, inventorying personal protective equipment and other needed medical supplies, and assembling orders of those items for delivery to local municipalities around the state.
Aerospace Education
Aerospace Education includes a monthly aerospace education class, up to 5 in powered aircraft, and 5 Orientation Flights in glider aircraft for Cadets under 18. Cadets may participate in a host of AE STEM activities, such as model rocketry, flight simulation, robotics, and astronomy, to name a few. Cadets may also participate in a display competition based on the STEM principles, which is judged at the annual Conference. may gain access to CAP AE and by becoming an for a one-time fee of $35!Cadet Program
In addition to being a fun and rewarding activity for youth from 12 - 18 years old who join CAP and become cadets, the focuses on four main areas: Leadership, Aerospace Education, Fitness, and Character. Annually, the Cadet Program culminates each summer in an 8-day, cadet-led and cadet run encampment. In recent years, encampments have been held at Joint Base Cape Cod, normally in the month of August.Massachusetts Wing has credit for 18 Spaatz-earning Cadets, who completed the four phases of the Cadet Program as depicted on the .
Squadrons
There are currently 11 local area Squadrons in the Massachusetts Wing.- Beverly Composite Squadron MA-019
- Boston Cadet Squadron MA-002
- Bridgewater State University Squadron MA-005
- Coastal Patrol 18 Composite Squadron MA-044
- Essex County Composite Squadron MA-070
- Brigadier General Arthur J. Pierce Squadron MA-013
- Goddard Cadet Squadron MA-007
- Hanscom Composite Squadron MA-043
- Pilgrim Composite Squadron MA-071
- Westover Composite Squadron MA-015
- Worcester Cadet Squadron MA-022