Officers, Cadets On Trading Room Podium To Ring Opening Bell

Civil Air Patrol was front and center Friday morning at the New York Stock Exchange, with high-ranking CAP officers as well as cadets perched atop the podium on the trading room floor to open the third day of business for the new year. The CAP bell-ringing team was led by National Commander Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, who touted the 61,000-member organization and its missions for America during the brief stock exchange appearance.

“This was a very unique opportunity for Civil Air Patrol,” said Carr, who officially rang the opening bell along with former National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter and three CAP cadets. “We were delighted to get this chance to tell more about our world-class public service organization, which has been performing missions for America for more than 70 years.”

The cadets, members of CAP’s New York Wing, were on hand to call attention to the organization’s cadet program, which provides young people between the ages of 12 and 21 with a well rounded program of leadership development, aerospace education, physical fitness and moral and ethical decision-making. In addition to educating more than 26,000 cadets, CAP’s adult leaders also provide training and resources to teachers who reach out to students of all ages across the country. CAP also performs emergency services missions – like search and rescue for downed planes and missing people and disaster relief to communities throughout the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The bell-ringing ceremony was featured on the NYSE Euronext website and on television networks such as CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News, reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

Courter helped organize this morning’s ceremony and, as board president of the International Air Cadet Exchange, also represented that association. The IACEA is a 20-nation consortium that provides annual air cadet exchanges involving more than 500 young people worldwide, including CAP cadets. Other CAP dignitaries on the podium included National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Joe Vazquez, New York Wing Commander Col. Jack Ozer and Chief Operating Officer Don Rowland.

(Photo courtesy of Dario Cantatore/NYSE Euronext)

FMI: www.gocivilairpatrol.com