Utah Wing

Heraldic Blazon
On a shield Azure bordure Or, in fess a representation of Delicate Arch proper surmounted Sinister Chief a California Gull in flight proper. In Base the Civil Air Patrol logo proper.

Emblem Significance Statement
The design features Delicate Arch, located in Arches National Park in Southern Utah--one of the most recognizable natural geographic features in the world and a state treasure. Superimposed in flight against the arch is a lone California Gull, the official state bird of Utah. A common sight in Utah, the gulls saved the state's early settlers from a locust infestation which threatened to destroy their crops in 1848. Ever watchful from the skies, the gull represents Utah Wing's fulfillment of the Civil Air Patrol motto "Semper Vigilans". The gull is also an element of Utah Wing's original emblem dating back to the late 1940s/early 1950s, providing a sense of historical continuity.

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US Army JLENS Support Mission

This patch commemorates Utah Wing's flight support mission to the US Army's Joint Land-attack Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) radar system. This mission ran for 5 years, supporting systems integration testing for the JLENS system - the first time Civil Air Patrol has been employed in development testing of a major Department of Defense weapons system.

JLENS is an over-the-horizon surveillance and fire control solution designed to detect and defeat the battlefield threat of cruise missiles. The system applies one of the earliest uses of aviation--lighter-than-air semi-rigid "blimps" with cutting-edge radar technology to loft the radar arrays high into the sky, giving defensive systems a threat detection range of hundreds of miles.

Utah Wing flew over 120 sorties and more than 500 flight hours in support of this mission, contributing a total of over 3200 volunteer hours to the effort. The mission was featured in the January-March 2012 issue of Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine as the front cover story.

The patch was designed by CAP Lt Col Matt Johnson, a former commercial artist and graphic designer who has designed several patches for CAP use, including the official emblems for the Utah and New Hampshire wings. The patch features the elevated aerostats used to carry the radar systems aloft, along with a CAP Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane and symbolism representing several of the flight profiles flown by CAP aircrews on this mission. The National Commander's Unit Citation awarded to the entire Utah Wing for its performance on this mission is featured at bottom center.

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UT-003 Bountiful Senior Squadron

Background
In 2005 Lt Col Dan Stanton, Bountiful Squadron Commander authorized Lt Col Matt Johnson to design a squadron patch. Lt Col Johnson did a great job in providing several potential squadron patch designs which the squadron members reviewed and provided additional ideas. The squadron patch selected by the members was determined after votes were taken over the course of three subsequent squadron meetings. It was decided the primary mission of the squadron should be depicted on the squadron patch. High mountain searches are what members train for on a continuous basis not to mention missions flown in high desert, high density altitude conditions. The Bountiful Squadron also performs additional flying mission for different government agencies upon request therefore logo "Eyes of the Home Skies" was selected.

Symbolic Meanings
Squadron Name: The Bountiful Squadron is a senior flying squadron. The name is shown on the top of the squadron patch.
Squadron Number: The squadron number is shown below the squadron name.
Eyes of the Home Skies: A primary role of the Bountiful Senior Squadron is to provide search and rescue services and other flying missions as assigned.
Aircraft in Flight: The CAP Cessna 182 shown is the aircraft used by Utah squadrons. The additional engine horsepower provides added safety for crews when performing missions in the state’s high mountains and deserts.
The Find: The CAP aircraft is flying over a downed aircraft found in the high snow capped mountains. This represents a typical scene for mission finds in Utah.

Information provided by:
Major Dan Reisner, UT-003 Commander
January 04, 2008

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