The Iowa Wing of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the state of Iowa and is part of CAP's North Central Region. The Iowa Wing headquarters is located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa Wing consists of over 360 cadet and adult members at 9 locations across the state of Iowa. They operate a total of 7 single-engine aircraft and 1 glider, which flew a total of 975 flight hours in 2022.

Mission The Iowa Wing performs the three missions of Civil Air Patrol: providing emergency services; providing a cadet program for youth; and offering aerospace education for both CAP members and the general public.

Emergency services

Civil Air Patrol conducts emergency service missions, including: inland search and rescue missions, disaster relief missions including aerial surveillance missions, and air evacuation of the sick and injured. Civil Air Patrol maintains a network of radio stations to maintain communications during an emergency. Civil Air Patrol has also conducted homeland security missions by providing airborne reconnaissance of critical infrastructure.

Notable Emergency Services Missions

In June 1942, a squadron located in Sioux City, Iowa warned local residents of a coming flood, due to rising waters in the Missouri River, by painting "FLOOD" on the bottom of their aircraft and flying overhead.

In June 2008, the Iowa Wing provided aerial surveillance in the aftermath of the Iowa flood of 2008, where 80 of Iowa's 99 counties were federally declared disaster areas due to the extent of the damage. The Iowa Wing conducted 16 sorties, totaling 31.6 flight hours, supporting the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service. The Wing gathered approximately 1,800 aerial photographs of the damage caused by the flood. They notably flew then-Iowa U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D) and Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R) on survey missions over: Ankeny, Mason City, Charles City, Nashua, Waverly, and Des Moines. Then-Iowa U.S. Representative Steve King (R) also participated in a CAP aerial survey mission with the Iowa Wing.

In August 2020, the Iowa Wing provided aerial surveillance in the aftermath of the August 2020 Midwest derecho. The derecho severely damaged several parts of Iowa, most notably Cedar Rapids. Starting on 14 August, over the course of 36 hours, the CAP Wings of: Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois conducted 37 sorties and gathered approximately 3,500 aerial photographs of the damage caused by the derecho.

In March 2022, the Iowa Wing provided disaster relief in the aftermath of an EF-4 tornado touching down in Madison County, Iowa. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a state disaster declaration for Madison County. The disaster resulted in 6 deaths and was the costliest tornado in the United States in 2022, with $220 million in damages.Officials: Tornado kills 6, including 2 children, near Des Moines, Iowa, News 7 Boston, March 6, 2022

In May 2022, the Iowa Wing, along with the Michigan Wing, Missouri Wing, and Minnesota Wing, took part in a wing-wide search and rescue exercise (SAREX) at Iowa City Airport. The exercise involved aircrew, ground teams, and drone teams and was conducted in conjunction with the Johnson County emergency management director.

In December 2022, the Iowa Wing was recognized for its participation in Operation Pulse Lift, CAP's humanitarian blood-donation mission in twelve states; launched to assist the American Red Cross in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 13 December 2022, Operation Pulse Lift had lasted 1,000 days and had resulted in the collection and transport of 17,416 units of blood by CAP.

Cadet programs Civil Air Patrol offers a cadet program which provides leadership training, technical education, scholarships and career education to youth aged 12 to 21. The program includes CAP encampments and access to glider and powered aircraft flights. The Iowa Wing encampment is generally held in the summer at Camp Dodge in Johnston. The North Central Region Encampment has also historically been held at Camp Dodge.

Iowa Wing cadets also participate in National Wreaths Across America Day, an annual nationwide event in December for placing wreaths on veteran's graves in military cemeteries.

Notable Iowa Wing Cadet Program Accomplishments

In December 2021, the Osage Flight of the Iowa Wing won the All Divisions 1st Place State Award, Gold Tier, in the 14th National Cyber Patriot Competition, a cyber defense competition held annually by the Air & Space Forces Association where the Civil Air Patrol, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps compete.

Aerospace education Civil Air Patrol provides aerospace education to both its members and the general public. Teachers may receive educational materials through the CAP's Aerospace Education Membership program.

History World War Two The Iowa Wing was established on 1 December 1941, as part of the newly formed Civil Air Patrol. Six days later, after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, it was called into service to support the home-front following the start of American involvement in World War Two. By 27 January 1942, the Iowa Wing had 575 members.

Missions involved surveying fields in Iowa for abandoned tractors and scrap piles that could be repurposed, along with simulating bombing runs on maneuvering ground troops using quarter pound bags of flour with the then-active Iowa State Guard. Scrap survey missions also involved letter dropping campaigns in order to garner local support and donations of scrap, which are noted in historical documents to have had considerably positive results in Iowa. Simulations of bombing runs using bags of flour are also noted to have drawn large crowds of spectating locals.

The Iowa Wing was also involved in anti-saboteur exercises for local authorities. This included conducting air interception drills, red teaming, and assisting authorities with inspections on explosives storage.

Organization The Iowa Wing does not utilize CAP's optional "Group" structure. Instead, all squadrons report to the Iowa Wing directly.

+ Active Squadrons of the Iowa Wing Designation Squadron Name Location NotesNCR-IA-001Iowa Wing HeadquartersWest Des MoinesActive 1942–PresentNCR-IA-002Des Moines Composite SquadronDes MoinesActive 1942–PresentNCR-IA-003Southwest Iowa Composite SquadronAtlanticPreviously known as the Red Oak Optimist Composite Squadron Active 2010–PresentNCR-IA-004Black Hawk County Composite SquadronWaterlooPreviously known as the Waterloo Composite Squadron & Black Hawk Composite Squadron. Active 1942–2005; 2020–PresentNCR-IA-005Burlington FlightBurlingtonPreviously known as the Burlington Composite Squadron. Active 1942-???; 2020–PresentNCR-IA-041Davenport Composite Squadron DavenportActive 1942–PresentNCR-IA-043Dubuque Composite SquadronDubuqueActive 1942–1983; 1993-PresentNCR-IA-129Cedar Rapids Composite SquadronCedar RapidsSplit into East Iowa Cadet Squadron and Cedar Rapids Senior Squadron in 1976. Those two units were then merged back into a Composite Squadron in 2012. Active 1942–1976; 2012–PresentNCR-IA-130Osage FlightOsageActive 2020–PresentNCR-IA-999Iowa State Legislative SquadronDes MoinesActive 1942–Present

Former Units Charter numbers were not assigned to squadrons in CAP until 1955. Prior to 1955, units used numbers based on Region, Wing, and Group. Iowa was the second Wing under the seventh Region. Groups were the third number and squadrons were assigned a number after the hyphen. Flights did not receive their own unit numbers. Instead, flights acted as detachments of squadrons who held unit numbers. Squadrons sometimes moved locations without changing their unit number. Other times, unit numbers were reused following a previous unit with the same squadron number being deactivated. Some of these units may have continued under different names after being assigned individual charter numbers after 1955. + Former Squadrons of the Iowa Wing Before 1955 Squadron Number Known Locations Known Flights Known Active YearsSquadron 721-1Des MoinesA flight in Decorah was attached to this unit.Activated 1942Squadron 721-3Council Bluffs Clinton Clarinda ClarionA flight in Clermont & a flight in Washington were attached to this unit.Activated 1942, 1943, 1949, & 1951Squadron 721-4Ottumwa Pella Red Oak -Activated 1942, 1943Squadron 722-1Cedar Rapids Chariton -Activated 1942, 1945Squadron 722-2Oxford - Activated 1942Squadron 722-6WashingtonA flight in Morning Sun was attached to this unitActivated 1942Squadron 723-?Ames Battle Creek - Activated 1942, 1952Squadron 723-?Sioux City Storm Lake Traer - Activated 1942, 1946, 1951Squadron 723-2Mason City -Activated 1942Squadron 723-3Fort Dodge Guthrie Center Galena, Illinois Harlan -Activated 1942, 1943, 1651, 1954Squadron 723-8Sheldon Sac City SpencerA flight in Rock Rapids (1946) & a flight in Orange City (1943) were attached to this unit.Activated 1943. Squadron 723-14Boone Burlington Carroll -Activated 1942, 1943 Squadron 724-?Independence Iowa City Iowa Falls -Activated 1943, 1945Squadron 724-1WaterlooA flight in Wesley was attached to this unit.Activated 1942Squadron 724-2DubuqueA flight in Estherville (1942) & a flight in Dyersville (1943) were attached to this unit.Activated 1942Squadron 724-3Marion -Activated 1942Squadron 724-4Marshalltown -Activated 1942Squadron 724-6Oelwein -Activated 1943Squadron 724-8Cedar Falls -Activated 1943Squadron 725-1Davenport -Activated 1942Squadron 725-2Muscatine Oakland -Activated 1942, 1949Squadron 725-3 (All-Girls Squadron)Davenport -Activated 1945Squadron 725-6Jefferson Le MarsA flight in Manchester (1953) was attached to this unit.Activated 1942, 1943

+ Former Squadrons of the Iowa Wing After 1955 Designation Squadron Name LocationNotesNCR-IA-007Northwest Iowa Composite SquadronFort DodgeActive 2004 - sometime after 2014NCR-IA-029Ottumwa Composite SquadronOttumwaActive 1942 - 1982NCR-IA-032Iowa Group II Headquarters???Active ???-???NCR-IA-033Iowa Group III Headquarters???Active ???-???NCR-IA-033Sheldon Composite SquadronSheldonActive 2008-2010 (Reused Charter Number from Former Iowa Group III HQ)NCR-IA-035Iowa Group IV Headquarters???Active ???-1970NCR-IA-044Sioux City Composite SquadronSioux CityActive 1942-1971NCR-IA-048Maquoketa Composite SquadronMaquoketaActive ???-1971NCR-IA-049Des Moines Senior SquadronDes MoinesActive ???-1970NCR-IA-051Cedar Rapids Senior SquadronCedar RapidsActive 1976-2012NCR-IA-052Ames Composite SquadronAmesActive 1942-1973NCR-IA-053Iowa City Composite SquadronIowa CityActive 1973-1980NCR-IA-057Council Bluffs Cadet SquadronCouncil BluffsActive 1953-1973NCR-IA-058Burke Composite SquadronAtlanticPreviously known as the Atlantic Composite Squadron Active ???-???NCR-IA-062Ankeny Composite SquadronAnkenyActive ???-1970NCR-IA-063Carter Lake Composite SquadronCarter LakeActive ???-1970NCR-IA-064Delaware County Composite Squadron???Active ???-???NCR-IA-065Ames-Boone Composite SquadronBoonePreviously known as the Boone Composite Squadron Active 1969-1984NCR-IA-066Morning Sun Composite SquadronMorning SunActive 1970-1975NCR-IA-067Estherville Composite SquadronEsthervillePreviously known as the Iowa Lakes Composite Squadron Active 1971-1997NCR-IA-068Muscatine Composite SquadronMuscatineActive 1971-???NCR-IA-069Council Bluffs Composite SquadronCouncil BluffsActive 1971-???NCR-IA-070Fairfield Composite SquadronFairfieldActive 1971-???NCR-IA-071Webster City Composite SquadronWebster CityActive 1972-???NCR-IA-072Group IV Headquarters???Active 1972-???NCR-IA-072Des Moines Metro Cadet SquadronDes MoinesReused charter number from Former Group IV HQ. Active 2006-2014NCR-IA-073West Iowa Senior SquadronAudubonPreviously known as Audubon Composite Squadron