Civil Air Patrol Opens Senator’s Oath of Office Ceremony

PEEKSKILL, New York – January 6, 2019 – Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Composite Squadron Color Guard Team, from Carmel, opened the Oath of Office Ceremony for Senator-elect Peter Harckham at Peekskill High School.

The cadet team, introduced by Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey, marched in unison to center stage with the American and New York State flags and stood to attention during the invocations. They then marched out in order after the Pawling Girl Scouts recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Squadron members observed as Harckham, who represents the 40th state Senate District which includes parts of Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester counties, was officially sworn in to office by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“Through their experiences as Civil Air Patrol cadets, young people develop into responsible citizens and become tomorrow's leaders,” said Major Elena MacDermant, Putnam County Composite Squadron Commander. “Observing local government in action provides cadets with a better understanding and appreciation of the American system of government.”

Notable Civil Air Patrol officers present included Colonel Thomas Carello, New York Wing Commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Wooley, South Eastern Group Commander.

Members of the color guard team are Cadet Airman First Class James Sullivan; Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Eduardo Gonzalez; Cadet Staff Sergeant Nick Ahern and Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Diego Gonzalez. Cadet Second Lieutenant Brian Kelleher and Cadet Airman Corinne Taylor were on hand to welcome visitors and dignitaries to the event.

Members of the Putnam County Composite Squadron meet on Fridays, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Paladin Center, 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY. For squadron information email elenamac@aol.com or visit www.facebook.com/PutnamCountyC...

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.