Boy do we have your Number!

HISTORICAL NOTES NO. 16

July 1996

By COL Leonard A. Blascovich, CAP National Historian

“Boy, do we have your number!”

The where and why of Unit & Charter Numbers

In the Beginning:

When CAP was first started back in December 1941, it was determined to closely align our organizational structure to the Army Corps which was defined geographically by population numbers, and not alphabetically i.e. 1st. Army Corps area , first state, that is why Maine is 1-1 and so on. This numbering system mostly applied to one’s serial numbers, for Seniors it was the Army Corps designator 1-1-XXXX, whereas for cadets it was the without the dash i.e. 11-XXX

Civil Air Patrol 1941--1955

First Army Corps Area

Maine 1-1

New Hampshire 1-2

Vermont 1-3

Massachusetts 1-4

Connecticut 1-5

Rhode Island 1-6

Second Army Corps Area

New York 2-1

New Jersey 2-2

Delaware 2-3

Third Army Corps Area

Pennsylvania 3-1

Virginia 3-2

Maryland 3-3

National Capital 3-4

Puerto Rico 3-5

Fourth Army Corps Area

Florida 4-1

Georgia 4-2

South Carolina 4-3

North Carolina 4-4

Tennessee 4-5

Alabama 4-6

Mississippi 4-7

Louisiana 4-8

Fifth Army Corps Area

Ohio 5-1

Indiana 5-2

Kentucky 5-3

West Virginia 5-4

Sixth Army Corps Area

Illinois 6-1

Wisconsin 6-2

Michigan 6-3

Seventh Army Corps Area

Minnesota 7-1

Iowa 7-2

Missouri 7-3

Arkansas 7-4

Kansas 7-5

Nebraska 7-6

South Dakota 7-7

North Dakota 7-8

Wyoming 7-9

Eight Army Corps Area

Texas 8-1

Oklahoma 8-2

Colorado 8-3

New Mexico 8-4

Arizona 8-5

Ninth Army Corps Area

California 9-1

Oregon 9-2

Washington 9-3

Idaho 9-4

Montana 9-5

Nevada 9-6

Utah 9-7

Alaska 9-8

Hawaii 49-1

Note: In July 1942, the United States Army re-designated the numerical 1-9, Army Corps Area’s, to be now known as the 1-9, Army Service Command’s, with the addition of a separate Northwest Service Command which covered Western Canada, Alaska and the Yukon territories

Again, when CAP was first planned, it was thought advisable to place a Regional Commander in each of the nine Army Corps Areas-Army Service Commands, to act as coordinators for Wing activities. During the early organization stages, this plan helped a good deal in getting things started. However, only five of the nine posts were filled, three by Army Officers and two by civilians. It was found necessary in many instances to place these officers on field work outside their regions and in general direct contact between the Wings and National Headquarters for fast timing. Thus the Regional Commands were abolished.

CAP Historical: The use of these Army Corps Area’s - Army Service Command numbers usually wound up in official designation of Civil Air Patrol’s wing’s, group’s, squadron’s and unit’s as a organization number like i.e. Kenny Squadron 511-3 (Ohio), Squadron 918-3 (California) or Group 616 (Illinois) and occasionally in official correspondence during wartime and after. . And of course did find away to become a part of CAP (Wing) State Shoulder patches, many still contain Army Service Command numbers i.e. Rhode Island--16, New Jersey--22, Pennsylvania--31, Ohio--51, Indiana--52, Illinois--61, Wisconsin--62, and Michigan--63

CAP & USAF 1948 on.

9 Jun. 51 NEB Minutes. Regional Director's were established..

General Orders Number 9 - 24 April 1952

I. DESIGNATION OF CIVIL AIR PATROL REGIONS. Announcement is made of the designation of Civil Air Patrol Regions as follows:

*Note: 27 May 55 NB Minutes. Ratified National Executive Board (NEB) resolution to change name from Western to Pacific Region, and changed Regional Directors to Regional Commanders. it was also about this time that National Headquarters numbered the regions for ease of management, and cartography.

CHARTER NUMBERS:

With Civil Air Patrol becoming more computer orientated in the 50’s it was decided by National Headquarters to assign wings and regions a five place number, the first two digits . designated the wing or region, the others three digits were to represent internal units or various headquarters shred outs. CAPR 20-3 Organization Charters, 30 May 1955 established requirements and procedures. Minutes, National Board Conference, 22-24 May 1956, The National Commander MGEN Agee, announced out of 2300 units in CAP, only 685 units have been chartered as of 30 April 1956.

Later with the presentation of official charter certificates, designed in 1953 and signed by the National Commander, it was now designated as a unit charter number. But let me assure you that the number issued has no significance as to when membership in CAP originated, was approved or conferred. its totally alphabetical as only a computer can designate and sort. Unquestionably because Hawaii, Alaska had not obtained official statehood at the time (1955), but were still considered Territories and of course Puerto Rico a Commonwealth. They didn’t fall in state alphabetical sequence, they were numbered 50, 51, and 52 respectively..

WINGS Charters

Alabama 01000

Arizona 02000

Arkansas 03000

California 04000

Colorado 05000

Connecticut 06000

Delaware 07000

Florida 08000

Georgia 09000

Idaho 10000

Illinois 11000

Indiana 12000

Iowa 13000

Kansas 14000

Kentucky 15000

Louisiana 16000

Maine 17000

Maryland 18000

Massachusetts 19000

Michigan 20000

Minnesota 21000

Mississippi 22000

Missouri 23000

Montana 24000

National Capital 25000

Nebraska 26000

Nevada 27000

New Hampshire 28000

New Jersey 29000

New Mexico 30000

New York 31000

North Carolina 32000

North Dakota 33000

Ohio 34000

Oklahoma 35000

Oregon 36000

Pennsylvania 37000

Rhode Island 38000

South Carolina 39000

South Dakota 40000

Tennessee 41000

Texas 42000

Utah 43000

Vermont 44000

Virginia 45000

Washington 46000

West Virginia 47000

Wisconsin 48000

Wyoming 49000

Alaska 50000

Hawaii 51000

Puerto Rico 52000