CAPITAL CLOSE-UP

Act of 2007, sponsored by Rep.
Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.
For CAP members, that meant
hustling to the Metro from their
hotel, zipping up to Capitol Hill,
and then hustling up and down
the halls of House and Senate
buildings to meet with their senators
and representatives.
Relying on cadets during a day
that required high energy was a
given.
Pennsylvania Wing Lt. Col.
Bob Meinert, the wing’s executive
director, couldn’t say enough
about the importance of cadets
who made a lasting impression during
visits to Reps. John Murtha,
Robert Brady and Chaka Fattah, as
well as Sen. Arlen Specter.
“You’ve got to see them in the
meetings with the congressmen and
the senators. When they sit down
and they start talking and their eyes
light up, it really engages the representative
or the senator,” said
Meinert.
“The cadet presence actually
makes Legislative Day,” he added.
“In Pennsylvania, they’re a basic
part of all our emergency services, as
well as the cadet program, so they’re
intrinsically involved, and when
they’re involved and they’re
engaged, then the senators and the
representatives are engaged.”
Delaware Wing Commander
Col. Russell Opland said, for the
exact same reason, he takes the
wing’s cadet of the year to
Legislative Day every year.
So this year, along with other
wing members, Opland
brought cadet Justin
McCullough to meet with
Delaware U.S. Rep. Mike
Castle and U.S. Sen.
Thomas Carper.
“Without exception, the members
of Congress are excited to see
our cadets and always take the time
to engage them in conversation, and
they offer to take pictures with
them,” said Opland.
“The cadets are outstanding
ambassadors for CAP, and I would
strongly encourage all my fellow
wing commanders to consider having
a senior cadet accompany them
on their congressional visits,” he
said.
Castle met briefly with Opland,
who informed the lawmaker of the
continued assistance the wing is
providing the Delaware Department
of Transportation by flying traffic
management flights above Interstate
Fitzhugh Lee, a legislative fellow in U.S. Sen. John
McCain's office, left, meets with CAP National Vice
Commander Brig. Gen. Amy Courter, second from
left; cadet Col. Christine Johnson of the Georgia
Wing; and Lt. Col. Jorge Del Rio of the Florida Wing
in the senator’s Washington, D.C., office.
95 and other major state routes.
Delaware’s delegation also asked
Castle to support Dent’s homeland
security act.
In addition to promoting CAP
issues, the congressional visits also
gave members like Opland the
opportunity to thank legislators.
For instance, Castle helped the
wing get a hangar on Dover Air
Force Base.
“I thought all of the staffers
seemed generally interested in the
issues. In the past I’ve left feeling
some of the staffers we met were
just being polite, but all of the ones
we met this time seemed engaged
and sincere in their desire to follow
up on the issues we presented,”
Opland said.
Civil Air Patrol Volunteer 9 May-June 2007