LEWISTON — The Maine Wing Civil Air Patrol welcomes members to attend the Wing Conference on Saturday, March 23, at the Green Ladle on East Avenue. L/A 077th Composite Squadron will assist as hosts.

Senior members and cadets will participate in seminars concentrating on training and new information to keep Maine Wing members up to date for missions for America. There will be breakout sessions for pilots and aircrews, public affairs, emergency services, photography training, aerospace education presentation, CORE values with cadets and even a cooking class with Chef Dan Caron. Cadets will travel to the National Weather Service in Gray. Later in the evening a banquet will be held with entertainment, awards and a military ball.

Members of the Maine Wing support diverse missions at a local level as well as national.

Maine Wing aircraft flew 212 hours per aircraft in 2012. This total includes air support for U.S. Air Force, the state of Maine and other government agencies. One area Maine Wing provided security to escort for Bath Iron Works when they launched the USS Michael Murphy. Maine Wing worked in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard, providing anti-terrorism and force protection for the ship’s safe passage.

Maine Wing continues to support the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in its marijuana eradication mission, removing drugs from streets of Maine.

Members patrolled the forests in Maine with fire patrols, which have saved numerous dwellings and many acres of forest. The Maine Wing continues to participate with the Wreaths Across America, the Maine Wing’s largest community service project.

Maine Wing members and aircraft joined other wings to provide support during the Hurricane Sandy disaster. The CAP aircrews provided more than 158,000 photos of hurricane destruction, one of the largest missions in CAP history.

Congressionally there are three chartered missions: emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education. Maine Wing have 12 Squadrons within the state, 70 aircrews, 240 emergency responders. The total hours flown by the Maine Wing in 2012 was 1,153 hours. One hundred sixty-five cadets were flown. The value of Maine Wing volunteer hours amounted to $753,439.

Maine Wing also holds a National Flight Academy for cadets who travel to Maine from all over the nation. Many new cadets began their flying experience hands-on with “O” flights with CAP pilots, who are highly trained and proud to share their love of flying. Aviation education is taught in the classrooms and the cockpit.

The Maine Wing will celebrate its 72nd year of service to the community, the state of Maine and the nation.