About
Our Emblem
Gettysburg Composite Squadron’s emblem combines Civil Air Patrol’s missions with the unique historical
significance of our location. Around the border of the emblem are the Latin words, “In Libertate
Conceptam,” and “Semper Vigilans.” These are some of the famous words found in the opening of
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this
continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created
equal.” The second is “Always vigilant,” the motto of the Civil Air Patrol.
The emblem contains two fields, blue and gray, representing the two armies that fought each other
during the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. The blue field is above the gray, representing the
triumph of the Union Armies under General George Meade over the Confederates under General Robert
E. Lee. The crossed caplock rifles symbolize the clash of armies.
The ten stars represent the famous ten roads leading into Gettysburg.
At the center, the Keystone represents the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the three bladed prop is
the emblem of Civil Air Patrol. The orange color represents our emergency services mission.
Our Squadron
Gettysburg Composite Squadron was chartered in 2015 as NER-PA-308. The first commander was Maj.
Christopher Folster. In 2018, Maj. Rob Clark assumed command. We are part of PA Wing’s Group 2,
which includes other squadrons such as York and Capital City.
The mission of our squadron is to serve the local communities and achieve the wider goals of the
Pennsylvania Wing by providing Aerospace Education, Emergency Services, and Cadet Programs. We
pride ourselves on being a small, but highly effective, squadron that carries out any mission we are
assigned safely, effectively, and professionally.
New cadets are always welcome in our squadron. Candidates must be at least 12 years of age and
willing to accept a challenge! If you are interested in STEM subjects, aviation, space, rocketry, military
style training and structure, and a friendly squadron to call “home,” you are in the right place.
We especially pride ourselves on our excellence in aerospace education. Many of our members are
pilots and flight instructors and we regularly take field trips, work on building airplanes, fly remote
controlled and UAV aircraft, flight simulator, and do other fun activities.
We have a great track record with our cadets going on to college. A recent cadet is now attending the
Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and another received a full scholarship in Air Force ROTC at the
University of Florida. Even if you are not interested in a military career, CAP training will teach you
confidence, leadership, and discipline.
We hope to see you at a meeting!