Donate

Gallery

Inside the squadron

Every photograph on this page is the Clearwater Composite Squadron — our cadets, our senior members, and the places your support has taken them.

Normandy, France — the D-Day commemoration

One of the trips the Booster Club helped fund. Cadets traveled to Normandy to take part in the D-Day commemoration, standing color guard alongside communities that have marked the anniversary every year since 1944.

The squadron color guard carrying the American flag through a crowd-lined street during a commemorative parade in France
The squadron color guard carries the colors through the commemoration route.
A cadet in service dress shaking hands with a supporter before a commemorative parade in France
A cadet is thanked by a spectator before the parade steps off.
Clearwater Composite Squadron color guard standing at attention in a village street in France
Posted and waiting for the order to march.
Squadron cadets and senior members in service dress lined up at a coastal overlook in Normandy, France
The squadron in service dress on the Normandy coast.
Cadets standing in front of a preserved World War II gun casemate on the Normandy coast
At a preserved wartime gun casemate overlooking the invasion beaches.
Cadets and chaperones gathered at a rooftop city overlook during the squadron trip to France
Above the city — a first trip abroad for most of the cadets who went.
Cadets sharing a meal together at a restaurant during the squadron trip to France
Dinner together at the end of a long day.
A senior member and cadets at a sidewalk cafe table during the squadron trip to France
A stop for lunch between commemoration events.

In the community

Parades, community events, and ceremony — the squadron is a familiar sight around Clearwater and the wider Tampa Bay area.

The Clearwater Composite Squadron gathered behind a Civil Air Patrol banner at a Florida community event
The squadron gathered at a community event in Clearwater.
Clearwater Composite Squadron cadets marching behind the color guard in a Florida community parade
Marching behind the color guard in a local parade.
Squadron members staffing the Clearwater Composite Squadron booth at a community event
Answering questions at the squadron’s recruiting booth.
Clearwater Composite Squadron cadets standing at attention with squadron guidons during an evening flag ceremony
An evening flag ceremony.

Training and emergency services

Ground team work, first aid, and communications. This is the readiness your giving keeps funded — the supplies, the equipment, and the training hours behind it.

Cadets in high-visibility vests and orange caps taking a briefing from a ground team leader on a wooded trail
A ground team briefing before moving out on a training search.
A cadet practicing with an automated external defibrillator and a CPR training manikin
Practicing with an AED and a CPR manikin.
Two adult senior members fitting an antenna mast to the roof of the squadron communications van at dusk
Senior members fitting an antenna to the squadron communications van.
A Civil Air Patrol cadet grinning up at the camera while crawling through a drainage culvert during field training
Field training — not every part of it is glamorous.

Ceremony and achievement

Cadets advance through a structured progression of achievements, and the milestones along the way are marked properly.

Two cadets holding framed award certificates alongside two squadron senior officers at an awards ceremony
Cadets recognized for their achievements alongside squadron officers.
Cadet honor guard members posted around a remembrance table during a squadron banquet
Cadet honor guard posted at a squadron banquet.
A table of Florida Wing Civil Air Patrol awards waiting to be presented at the annual banquet
Florida Wing awards waiting to be presented.

Thursday nights in Clearwater

The squadron meets every Thursday evening. Cadets train on the squadron’s flight simulator, build aerospace projects, and take turns leading one another.

A senior member instructs a cadet at the squadron flight simulator
A senior member instructs a cadet at the squadron flight simulator.
A cadet leading a classroom lesson at the whiteboard during a weekly squadron meeting
A cadet leads the evening’s lesson.
Cadets building a model aircraft together during a squadron STEM activity
An aerospace build during a STEM activity.
Cadets taking turns flying the squadron flight simulator
Taking turns on the simulator.
Clearwater Composite Squadron cadets and senior members gathered in the squadron classroom
The squadron classroom at the end of a meeting.

Support the Squadron

You paid for some of these photographs.

The trips, the training, the uniforms, and the equipment in these pictures were funded by people who gave. Every dollar stays with the Clearwater Composite Squadron.

See Ways to Give