LIHUE — Civil Air Patrol Col. Roger Caires has been appointed as the Kauai Composite Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Ronald Victorino has been named as the squadron’s vice commander. The announcement was made by Hawaii Wing Commander Col. John
LIHUE — Civil Air Patrol Col. Roger Caires has been appointed as the Kauai Composite Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Ronald Victorino has been named as the squadron’s vice commander.
The announcement was made by Hawaii Wing Commander Col. John H. Felix Sunday in a release from the Civil Air Patrol Headquarters Hawaii Wing.
Both Caires and Victorino hold the distinction of being 50-year Civil Air Patrol members, and are rated pilots.
Caires is the owner of CLS Hawaii Land Surveying and is the Senior Land Surveyor for the Kamehameha Schools.
Victorino is the general manager for Aloha Isle Moving, Inc.
Caires invited all Kauai Composite Squadron members to attend the monthly Squadron Meeting on Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m. at a location to be announced via email. The meeting will discuss plans for the Kauai Composite Squadron.
“Participation in CAP activities must be fun,” Caires said in a letter to Kauai Composite Squadron members. “Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community. In Hawaii, it is an opportunity to make a difference with an emphasis on the unique historic Hawaii Wing Mission of tsunami warning.”
The Kauai Composite Squadron is based at the Lihue Airport with 80 volunteer members supporting three aircraft as part of the CAP mission of emergency services which includes search and rescue as well as a role in tsunami warning.
The tsunami warning mission is central to CAP’s role in Hawaii with 10 aircraft stationed throughout the state, ensuring rapid response during tsunami warnings.
Historically, the Hawaii Wing has launched its aircraft during tsunami alerts to broadcast warnings along the shorelines via a speaker system attached to the lower portion of each aircraft’s fuselage.
“The Hawaiian value of kuleana, responsibility and obligation must be emphasized for all missions,” Caires said. “The Kauai Composite Squadron, as an organization, must have a strong sense of purpose, service and teamwork.”
Some of the Kauai Composite Squadron activities include the CAP Cadet Program for young people from age 12 through high school. The CAP Cadet Program is unique in that it uses aviation as the cornerstone of its program, allowing many cadets the opportunity to fly on airplanes and gliders.
Cadets are eligible for orientation flights in both CAP and military aircraft while progressing at their own pace through a program which includes aerospace education, leadership training and moral leadership.
The CAP is the auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
