Who We Are
CIVIL AIR PATROLS CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY. Integrity is the willingness to do what is right, even when no one is looking. Integrity is wholeness. You’re a whole person, not a split person, so how you act in uniform should match how you act out of uniform. A person of integrity is honest and morally courageous. They can be counted on to fulfill their responsibilities, even in difficult circumstances. They don’t blame others for their mistakes, and they don’t take credit for someone else’s work.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE. This Core Value teaches us that the needs of the team and of the people we help take priority over our individual wants and desires. To put it more simply, Volunteer Service is about “selflessness.” It’s the difference between “giving” and “taking.” This Core Value is extra important because CAP is entrusted with performing life-saving missions. Volunteer Service is also evident when experienced Aimen mentor and train new Airmen.
EXCELLENCE. Being an Airman means you value Excellence. No matter what challenge is facing you, you will give it your best effort. If you value Excellence, you demonstrate teamwork and know that teams accomplish more than individuals do. Moreover, to display this Core Value, you must make a commitment to continuous self-improvement – you must study, train, and work to better yourself and fulfill your potential in every aspect of your life.
RESPECT. This Core Value challenges Airmen to defend human dignity. Someone who is respectful treats others as they would like to be treated. They are polite and kind. They assume their friends and even strangers act in good faith, so they give them the benefit of the doubt. Likewise, a respectful Airman understands that each individual is unique and accepts them for who they are.
LAFAYETTE COMPOSITE SQUADRON
Since 1957 the Lafayette Composite Squadron (LCS) has served the citizens of the Acadiana Area of South Louisiana. A squadron is the community‐level organization of CAP, charged with recruiting, training and developing individuals to accomplish CAP’s missions. The Squadron is also responsible for stewarding CAP resources to prepare for use in CAP’s missions. The Lafayette Squadron is of a type called a Composite Squadron. A Composite Squadron is a Unit that’s membership is made up of both Cadet (Youth) and Senior (Adult) personnel. This type of unit focuses on all three Missions of CAP equally.
OUR MISSIONS
Aerospace Education - Encourage and aid citizens of the United States in contributing their efforts, services, and resources in developing aviation and in maintaining air supremacy, to provide aviation education and training, and to promote AE and cyberspace to our members and the general public.
Cadet Programs - Transforms youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders through a curriculum of leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character. The program follows a military model and emphasizes Air Force traditions and values.
Emergency Services - Conducts operational missions primarily in the areas of Emergency Services (Search And Rescue (SAR), Disaster Relief (DR)), Counterdrug (CD), and Homeland Security (HLS) for authorities at the National, State and Local levels.
OUR UNIT INSIGNIA
DESCRIPTION
The Lafayette Composite Squadron emblem is a disc divided at an angle from top right of the emblem to bottom left. Green filling the top left and maroon the lower right. A gold fleur-de-lis is centered on the disc. Three silver deltas in V-formation are placed in the top right and facing to the right of the disc. The lead delta rests on both the maroon and green with the remaining two deltas placed in trail to the left and right of the lead. One in the green and one in the maroon.
THE SYMBOLISM
Field of Green and Maroon: A round field divided at an angle, from top right to bottom left, in 2 equal parts. This represents our equal commitment to the programs of Emergency Services and Cadet Programs.
Fleur-de-Lis: The Fleur-De-Lis was adopted in the 12 century as a symbol of French Royalty. When France claimed the area of the North American continent that would eventually become the state of Louisiana, they used a blue flag depicting gold fleur-de-lis to show its French ownership. The Acadiana area of Louisiana, which includes Lafayette, still uses a fleur-de-lis to represent its French heritage. We depict it as a symbol of our history.
Three Deltas: The Delta represent Aerospace. We depict three deltas, each representing one of our congressionally chartered programs and how aerospace is an integral part.
V-Formation: The V is a formation that allows fliers to see one another, communicate by hand signal and has good defensive characteristics. It allows pilots, looking inwards, to maintain formation and to watch over one another.
Depicting the deltas in a V-formation represents how we are committed to working as a team and to safety by watching out for our wingmen.
THE COLORS
Maroon (Red) – Red is associated with determination, excellence and patriotism as well as passion, desire, and love. Maroon, a shade of red, the color of berets worn by Air Force Para-Rescue, represents their mission of Search and Rescue. Even in Civil Air Patrols history Maroon epaulets were worn to represent our Emergency Services program. Our emblem has a half field of maroon to represent our patriotism for these United States, our core value of Excellence and our determination and passion to protect its citizens through Emergency Services.
Green – Green is symbolic of Joy, Youth and beauty. A half field of green depicts the Cadets of our unit and the Cadet Programs mission of CAP.
Silver/Gray – Silver represented as the color white in heraldry represents Charity. Charity is the voluntary giving of help to those in need. Represents our core value of Volunteer Service.
Gold – Gold is associated with Honor (Integrity) and loyalty. Respect, which would not exist without honor, is also represented by gold. We enclose our emblem in a gold band of honor representing our Core values of Integrity and Respect.
OUR MASCOT
The Red Wolf.
Is a North American Canid that once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States from the Atlantic Coast to Eastern Texas. Historical habitats included forests, swamps and coastal Prairies. It is a social animal, traveling in packs. The basic social unit of a wolf pack is the mated pair (the Alphas), accompanied by the mated pairs’ adult offspring and Juveniles. Wolves are highly territorial, and generally establish territories far larger than they require and defend their territory from other packs. They defend their territories through a combination of scent marking, direct attacks and howling.
By Comparison the Airman of the Lafayette Composite Squadron Is a North American human that roams South Central Louisiana. Their habitat includes the Southern Kasatchie National Forrest, The Atchafalaya Basin and Coastal areas to include Pecan Island, Avery Island, Weeks Island and the Atchafalaya Delta. An LCS Airman is a social animal that conducts its missions as a unit (packs). The basic structure of the unit is the commander and Deputy Commander (The Alphas), the senior (adult) Personnel and cadet (juvenile) Personnel. LCS Personnel are highly territorial and defend their territory from other units that border on its own. They defend their territories through complaining to higher headquarters why another unit is operating in its area (howling).
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Lafayette Composite Squadron — A force of citizen volunteers serving the team to Serve Acadiana by Training Future Leaders, conducting Emergency Services and promoting Aerospace Education.
OUR MOTTO
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack!
