Civil Air Patrol cadets visit F.E. Warren

  • Published
  • By Airman Nicholas Rowe
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  

Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, July 1, 2025, as part of an encampment experience.

To advance further in the CAP program, cadets must attend an encampment, a week-long, intensive training experience designed to immerse them in a structured, military-style environment.  

“The encampment is designed to be an age appropriate Air Force basic training in our Civil Air Patrol cadet program,” said Lt. Col. Charles Young II., Wyoming CAP deputy wing commander “It’s designed to build their character, their discipline, their confidence, their life skills, and prepare them for a better future.”

Cadets began at the base theater, where they received a briefing by Col. Richard Harrop, 90th Missile Wing deputy commander, before being divided into four flights of thirty cadets and cadre to tour the base and gain insight on F.E. Warren’s nuclear deterrence mission. 

Each flight visited U-01, a simulated missile launch facility used for training, then toured the base museum with curator Daniek Long, and had lunch with Col. Terrance Holmes, 90th Missile Wing commander, a previous CAP cadet himself, at the Chadwell Dining Facility.

They also toured the Missile Procedures Trainer, a realistic Launch Control Capsule simulator that supports both initial and ongoing missileer training by offering a safe environment to practice procedures, learn skills, and make mistakes without operational risk.

After their visit, the flights met back at the 90th Operations Group to make final preparations before heading out to Camp Guernsey.

“I think its the discipline and the self-reliance,” said Col. Rodney Burnett, Wyoming CAP wing commander. “I think it teaches the military style, teaches them how to make it in society when they grow up.”

The skills cadets gain from programs like this and from experiencing a military base firsthand, help prepare them for the real world and their future careers.