March 14 Commander's COVID-19 Update

Members and Parents –

Our members’ safety is of the utmost importance to me personally, and to Civil Air Patrol as a whole. Without our volunteers in good health, we cannot perform our volunteer missions for America.

Although the CDC and Texas Department of State Health Services continues to assess the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as low, the presence of confirmed cases in nearby counties and the incubation period being 2 – 14 days requires proactive measures to minimize the potential for future spread, such as the cancellation of classes by Bryan and College Station ISDs and Texas A&M University.

Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and after consulting with the squadron’s leadership, I am cancelling in-person meetings and activities effective immediately through 31 March 2020.

We will continue to conduct squadron business and training during this period, as outlined below:

Cadet Members

- We will conduct online weekly cadet meetings through the squadron’s Google G Suite beginning this Tuesday, 17 March.

- All members that do not have a squadron Google account will receive one this afternoon.

- The squadron’s calendar (https://www.tx041cap.org/calendar) will include a link under each meeting day to the Google Hangouts Meet session for that day. You will need your squadron Google account to access the Meet session.

- A Google Classroom will be created for each program element where instructors and students can exchange documents that would normally be handouts in a class and discuss presented items outside of the live meeting.

- Cadets are encouraged to continue studying and taking online tests for progression towards their next promotion. In the event cadets are in need of only a physical fitness test or drill test to complete an achievement, I will address their needs on a case-by-case basis.

Senior Members

- For members in Level 1 or Level 2 training, I will identify areas of study for the duration we are unable to meet in person and send that guidance to you by this Tuesday, 17 March.

- Other squadron business will continue to be conducted by email.

Real-world emergency services operations will continue as normal. Training above the squadron level will most likely be rescheduled.

Members that will be conducting instruction are encouraged to utilize the resources at https://keepteaching.tamu.edu#teachgoogle and https://support.google.com/edu/classroom.

The squadron leadership will continue to monitor the situation, and based on guidance from higher Civil Air Patrol headquarters as well as local and state authorities, will announce our plans for the 7 April meeting and beyond no later than 31 March.

Any members with questions about this change to operation are encouraged to utilize their chain of command or may contact the squadron Facebook account directly.

Lt Col Nicholas McLarty, CAP
Commander