On the first Saturday of the month at Cherryland Airport, the Civil Air Patrol meets for Door County. CAP has been around since World War II and it has a rich history as a civilian air unit who answers the call in tough times. Squadron Commander David Fish says CAP is perhaps best known for its service during Hurricane Katrina doing damage reconnaissance. Studies found CAP did the job at a fraction of what it would have cost the Air Force to conduct a similar mission. Since then, CAP has been elevated from auxiliary to part of the U.S. Air Force’s Total Force. The Civil Air Patrol is broken into senior members, 18-21 years and older, and cadets. Fish says there are tangible benefits for cadets if they pursue regular military service as adults.

Fish says the Door County Composite Squadron is still a secret to most and all members of the community are encouraged to join to further the three main missions which are the Cadet Program, emergency services, as well as STEM and aerospace education.