Chilton County Civil Air Patrol cadets visited the YMCA of Chilton County on Tuesday to talk to children in the afterschool program about the benefits of joining the organization.

Five cadets demonstrated drill marching, presented the American flag and took turns talking through a PowerPoint presentation about the history and services of the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, and how to get involved in the CAP cadet program.

“Essentially, it’s a community awareness, recruitment type thing,” Major Sam Ogilvie said of the cadets’ presentation. “What we present is character development, aerospace education and leadership skills. In Chilton County, our main focus is the cadet program.”

Ogilvie said the cadet program has nearly 55,000 members ages 12–20 nationwide.

Chilton County’s cadet program was formed in the early 1990s and currently has 18 members.

Meetings are held every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Chilton County Rescue Squad, which is located at 550 Airport Road near the Chilton County Airport.

The local Civil Air Patrol unit is the Chilton County Composite Squadron.

“I’ve been in it for 17 years,” Ogilvie said. “I started as a cadet just like them.”

Children who saw the group’s presentation at the Y on Tuesday ranged from kindergarten to seventh grade.

“Cadet programs are what take the cadets and do amazing things,” 1st Lt. Micah Laatsch said. “If you like to travel, cadet programs will take you all over the world. If you like working with your hands, there are a lot of activities. You can help build military planes.”

Tech Sgt. Ethan Laatsch talked about encampment, which prepares cadets mentally and physically for becoming officers in the program.

“One of the big things you do is drill,” Ethan Laatsch said.

1st Lt. Austin Jones talked about the emergency services the Civil Air Patrol provides concerning missing persons and missing aircraft.

Other cadets presenting were Chief David McGowin and Airman Nathan Patterson.

Cadets also talked about the aerospace aspect of the Civil Air Patrol that centers on piloting airplanes in a military-like environment.

At the end of the program, Ogilvie and the cadets took children outside to demonstrate a rocket launch using a small rocket constructed from a hobby kit.

The four steps to getting involved with the Civil Air Patrol cadet program are as follows: find a local CAP squadron, contact the squadron, visit a meeting and conduct a membership application process.

For more information, call the Chilton County Composite Squadron at (205) 280-1501.