SOUTH CAROLINA -- The Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron played host to thousands of visitors this past Saturday at “Wings Over Charleston” Air Expo 2008 at Charleston Air Force Base.

According to the base’s chief of media, “We had more than 100,000 in attendance”, and almost 3,000 of them stopped by the Civil Air Patrol display. In addition to the information booth, the CAP unit also displayed their corporate aircraft, a Cessna 172.

Cadets and Seniors from the squadron were on hand to answer questions and provide hands on opportunities to interested area youngsters wanting to sit in the unit’s aircraft. “It was a real chance for us to reach out to aviation interested adults and youngsters and tell them the Civil Air Patrol story”, said squadron commander, Colonel Bob Townsend

The Air Expo is a yearly chance for the military to display is latest aircraft and this year the open house was capped off with dozens of hair-raising maneuvers by the Air Force’s demonstration team, The Thunderbirds.

The South Carolina (SC) Wing had the second largest number of awards among region wings at the Middle East Region (MER) Conference on 26 April 2008.

Major Lavonne Adams won as Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) Officer of the Year. First Lieutenant Shawn Gloria won as Logistics Officer of the Year. Major Mike Reynolds won as Communications Officer of the Year. And the SC Wing won as DDR Wing of the Year.

Colonel Charles Glass, Interim MER Commander said, "South Carolina always comes to the top in honors. The Middle East Region is proud of the quality of the members in the South Carolina wing and their commitment to the missions of the Civil Air Patrol.

"These honors, in competition with the other wings in the region, are the work not only of these individuals but of the cadets and seniors who support these members in doing their work", said Colonel Emerson Smith, the SC Wing Commander.