The Civil Air Patrol received the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award during the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference here Sept. 20 in honor of their 75th anniversary.

“The Air Force Auxiliary is extremely proud to be recognized for our service with the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Vasquez, the CAP national commander. “This prestigious honor is an inspiration to our 56,000 volunteer Airmen. Seventy-five years after Pearl Harbor, our operational support to the Air Force (continues to) take place every day, around the clock.”

The award recognizes the CAP for its exceptionally meritorious service from October 2012 to August 2016.

During that four-year period, CAP supported the homeland defense mission by flying more than 36,000 operational flights and executing approximately 3,000 search and rescue missions for the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which resulted in 272 lives saved. In addition, they assisted emergency response officials in times of natural disasters by providing real-time aerial imagery for mission planning purposes.

The CAP-sponsored Aerospace Connections in Education Program impacted 20,000 elementary school children by elevating academics and fitness with an engaging science, technology, engineering and mathematics-themed curriculum.

The organization’s long history of public service was recognized in December 2014 with the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal for its volunteer service with helping protect Allied shipping and the U.S. Homefront during World War II.

CAP was established six days before the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 1, 1941; one of their first missions was to deter submarine operations near America’s coast. By the end of the war, CAP flew more than 24 million over-ocean miles, reported 184 submarine sightings and dropped 82 bombs.  However, they weren’t officially designated the official Air Force Auxiliary by Congress until May 1948 when they also identified CAP’s three core missions – emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education.

In 2015 CAP became part of the Air Force’s total force, which also includes active-duty, Guard and Reserve members.

“The Civil Air Patrol is extremely proud to be considered a member of the total force,” Vasquez said.

On Dec. the 1, CAP will celebrate their 75th year of service to America. During that time, the Air Force has looked to CAP to help train its own and augment its mission.^.

Approximately 56,000 members make up CAP which is broken down into eight geographical regions, composed of 52 separate wings -- one in each state, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.