Maryland Wing, Civil Air Patrol (abbreviated MDWG) is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the U.S. state of Maryland. Its headquarters (HQ) is located in Granite, Maryland on the site of a former Nike Missile Base (BA-79). Granite is a tiny unincorporated community just northwest of Woodstock; the missile base and HQ have a listed mailing address of 3085 Hernwood Road Woodstock, MD. The Maryland Wing oversees 26 primary subordinate squadrons located throughout the state, including four school enrichment programs. The wing currently has a fleet of 11 aircraft made up of Cessna 172s and 182s. More than 1,800 members serve in Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing.

Mission

The Maryland Wing performs the three missions of Civil Air Patrol: providing emergency services; offering cadet programs for youth; and providing aerospace education for both CAP members and the general public.

Emergency services

Civil Air Patrol provides emergency services, which includes performing search and rescue and disaster relief missions; as well as assisting in humanitarian aid assignments. CAP also provides Air Force support through conducting light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. Civil Air Patrol can also offer support to counter-drug missions.

Cadet programs

Civil Air Patrol offers a cadet program for youth aged 12 to 20, which includes aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness and moral leadership.

Aerospace education

Civil Air Patrol offers aerospace education for CAP members and the general public, including providing training to the members of CAP, and offering workshops for youth throughout the nation through schools and public aviation events.

History

Two Maryland Wing aircrew members die in search of military jet

On 6 April 1954, at 1:05 p.m., Capt. Anthony J. Synodinos, CAP, and Chaplain (1st Lt.) Edward G. Conrad, CAP, died when their open-cockpit Ryan PT-22 airplane crashed into the water near Havre de Grace, MD. The two men, both members of the East Baltimore Squadron, were conducting a search and rescue mission for a missing T-33 military jet that was reported as missing and was never found. The search area was long, stretching from Long Island, N.Y., to Langley Field (now Joint Base Langley-Eustis), VA. Synodinos, serving as mission pilot, and Conrad, mission observer, had been searching the upper Chesapeake Bay in heavy fog.

In 1960, Maryland Wing dedicated a plaque in Havre de Grace, MD; to memorialize these two Civil Air Patrol members who died in service to their country.

On 3 April 2004, the Harford Composite Squadron relocated the marker and established a new plaque which commemorated the 50th anniversary of their deaths. Commanded by Lt. Col. Gerard W. Weiss, the Harford squadron held a ceremony installing the new plaque at the War Memorial in Millard Tydings Memorial Park near Commerce Street at S. Washington Street in Havre de Grace, MD. (39° 32.308′ N, 76° 5.372′ W).

The plaque reads:

In memory of Capt. Anthony J. Synodinos, CAP Chaplain (1 Lt.) Edward G. Conrad, CAP

They died April 6, 1954, in an airplane crash off this point while performing a search and rescue mission. Service like theirs with thoughts more for others than themselves will lead to a far better world to live in.

Original plaque dedicated by the Maryland Wing, Civil Air Patrol, 1960

New plaque dedicated by Harford Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Auxiliary.

Buzz One Four – B-52 Bomber Crash – 13 January 1964

A B-52D Stratofortress, from the 484th Bomb Wing, carrying nuclear weapons with its five-man crew crashed near Lonaconing, Md., near the Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland. The aircraft left Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts on its way to Turner Air Force base in Albany, Georgia, but disappeared from contact. It was determined the B-52 crashed due to a blizzard resulting from two storm fronts converging while flying over Maryland. During the turbulence created by the fronts, the aircraft’s vertical tail fin snapped off the plane, hitting the left horizontal stabilizer and tail gunner’s pod. This resulted in the aircraft rolling onto its back and descending into a spin.

Civil Air Patrol was alerted and Maryland Wing aircrews spotted the B-52's co-pilot, who had ejected, Capt. Parker Peedin, about two miles from Grantsville, MD; and directed ground teams to rescue. The pilot, Maj. Tom McCormick, also ejected and, after walking nearly two miles, was located and transported to Cumberland for medical treatment. Sgt. Mel Wooten, tail gunner, who was riding up front; not in the tail, ejected, but was injured by parts of the aircraft and landed near the Casselman River near Salisbury, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately he did not survive. Maj. Robert Payne, navigator, parachuted from the aircraft but fell into a partially frozen stream where his body was found by rescuers. The fifth crew member, Bombardier Robert Townley, died in the plane.

Maryland State Police took command of the area due to the two, 24-megaton nuclear bombs the aircraft was carrying. The bombs were recovered and taken to Cumberland Municipal Airport for transport.

Memorials have been erected in memory of the crew members. A large memorial can be seen along U.S. Route 40, about a mile east of Grantsville, MD. The Grantsville Community Museum has artifacts on display from the crash.

Squadrons

+ Squadrons of the Maryland Wing Group Designation Squadron name Location Awards — MD-001 Maryland Wing Headquarters Squadron Granite, Maryland Granite — MD-308 Maryland Wing Howard County Squadron Howard County, Maryland — MD-999 Maryland Legislative Squadron Annapolis 1 MD-038 Howard Composite Squadron Laurel 1 MD-071 Bethesda–Chevy Chase Composite Squadron Gaithersburg 2012 CAP Squadron of Distinction AwardGroup 1 Squadron of the Year 2015, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006MDWG Squadron of the Year 2015, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2000MDWG Squadron of Merit 2010, 2007MER Squadron of Distinction 2007, 2012 1 MD-073 Montgomery Senior Squadron Gaithersburg Unit Citation Award 1 MD-332 Upper Montgomery Composite Squadron Germantown 1 MD-801 Parkland Middle School Cadet Squadron Rockville 2 MD-008 Harford Composite Squadron Bel Air Group 2 Squadron of the Year 2019, 2016, 2007MDWG Squadron of the Year 2019 2 MD-013 Towson Composite Squadron Towson 2 MD-023 Arundel Composite Squadron Glen Burnie 1994 CAP Squadron of Distinction AwardGroup 3 Squadron of the Year 2018, 2017MDWG Squadron of Merit 2019 2 MD-031 Glenn L. Martin Composite Squadron Middle River Unit Citation Award Group 2 Squadron of the Year 2018, 2015, 2011 2 MD-879 Granite Cadet Squadron Granite 2024 CAP Squadron of Distinction AwardMAR Squadron of Distinction 2024MDWG Squadron of Merit 2023MDWG Squadron of the Year 2023Group 1 Squadron of the Year 2023 3 MD-007 Calvert Cadet Squadron Prince Frederick Group 3 Squadron of the Year 2022, 2014, 2010MDWG Squadron of the Year 2014, 2022MDWG Squadron of Merit 2015 3 MD-019 Charles Composite Squadron Indian Head 3 MD-011 College Park Composite Squadron College Park Unit Citation Award Group 3 Squadron of the Year 2007 3 MD-089 St. Mary's Composite Squadron California Unit Citation Award Group 3 Squadron of the Year 2020, 2019, 2013, 2011, 2006MDWG Squadron of the Year 1982, 1984, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2020MDWG Squadron of Merit 2001, 2003, 2005 3 MD-890 Esperanza Middle School Flight Lexington Park 4 MD-003 Frederick Composite Squadron Frederick Unit Citation Award Group 1 Squadron of the Year 2016, 2014, 2013 4 MD-004 Hagerstown Composite Squadron Hagerstown MDWG Squadron of Merit 2004, 2002 4 MD-039 Carroll Composite Squadron Westminster Unit Citation Award Group 2 Squadron of the Year 2013, 2010, 2008, 2004MDWG Squadron of the Year 2010, 2004MDWG Squadron of Merit 2006MER Squadron of Distinction 2006 4 MD-065 Cumberland Composite Squadron Wiley Ford, WVUnit Citation Award Group 1 Squadron of the Year 2019, 2017, 2018 MDWG Squadron of the Year 2017, 2018MDWG Squadron of Merit 2018MER Squadron of Distinction 2018 4 MD-091 Mount Airy Composite Squadron Mount Airy Unit Citation Award MDWG Squadron of Merit 2008, 1998 Group 1 Squadron of the Year 2020, 2021, 2022Group 4 Squadron of the Year 2024MDWG Squadron of the Year 2024 5 MD-028 Col. Mary S. Feik Composite Squadron(formerly Annapolis Composite Squadron) Edgewater Group 3 Squadron of the Year 2016, 2015MDWG Squadron of the Year 2016, 2015 MDWG Squadron of Merit 2016 MER Squadron of Distinction 2016 5 MD-052 Bowie Composite Squadron Bowie Group 3 Squadron of the Year 2009, 2008MDWG Squadron of the Year 2009MDWG Squadron of Merit 2009 5 MD-079 Easton Composite Squadron Easton MDWG Squadron of Merit 2017 5 MD-085 Apollo 1 Senior Squadron Fort Meade 5 MD-086 Wicomico Composite Squadron Salisbury Group 2 Squadron of the Year 2014MDWG Squadron of the Year 2005MDWG Squadron of Merit 2013, 2006MER Squadron of Distinction 2013

Disbanded squadrons

+ Former squadrons of the Maryland Wing Charter number Squadron name Location 18002 Naval Academy Senior Squadron Annapolis 18002 Hyde Field Senior Squadron Clinton 18006 Chesapeake Bay Cadet Squadron 18007 Foxwell Composite SquadronPikesville 18010 Fred V. Cherry Composite Squadron Baltimore 18012 Great Falls Cadet Sq Tysons Corner, VA 18014 Harford 18014 White Marsh Composite Squadron Perry Hall 18018 Catonsville Composite Squadron Catonsville 18021 Middle River Composite Squadron Essex 18021 Chesapeake 18023 Phoenix Composite Squadron Jacksonville 18023 Glen Burnie Composite Squadron Glen Burnie 18025 Eastern Baltimore Squadron 18026 Gunpowder Composite Squadron Fork 18030 Gray Manor Composite Sq Dundalk 18031 Group I 18044 Gwynn Oak 18044 Northwest Composite Squadron Randallstown 18045 Odenton Cadet Squadron Odenton 18049 Lanham Composite Squadron Lanham 18053 Deale Senior Squadron Deale 18054 Suburban 18066 Westside 18069 Linthicum Cadet Squadron Linthicum 18072 Rosedale Composite Squadron Rosedale 18075 Peninsular Composite Squadron Severna Park 18077 Reisterstown Composite Squadron Reisterstown 18078 Queen Anne's County Squadron Centreville 18084 Calvert County 18086 General Foulois 18087 223rd Cadet Sq 18088 Salisbury Composite Squadron Salisbury 18088 Wicomico County 18090 Star-Trac 18090 Indian Head Composite Squadron Indian Head 18091 Tolchester Composite Squadron Chestertown 18092 Blackhawk 18092 Francis M. Wood Cadet Squadron Baltimore 18092 Southwestern 18093 Patterson Park 18094 Group 5 18095 Emmitsburg-Liberty Composite Sq Emmitsburg 18105 Group V 18141 Chesapeake Bay Senior SquadronMD-022Osprey MD-092 Southwestern MD-096 Chesapeake Bay Senior Squadron Bethesda MD-140 Fort McHenry Composite Squadron Catonsville MD-800 Southwestern MD-802 Spring Ridge Lexington Park MD-808 The SEED School of Maryland Cadet Squadron Baltimore Chesapeake Composite Squadron Baltimore Peoria Cadet Squadron Waldorf Waldorf

Past Wing commanders

+ Commanders of the Maryland Wing Commander's name Period of service Lt Col Arthur C. Hyde 1941–1945 Lt Col Edward R. Fenimore 1945–1948 Col Allan U. Bevier 1948–1951 Col Bennett Crain 1951–1954 Col A. Paul Fonda 1954–1958 Col William D. Turner 1958–1959 Col Willard D. Gilbert 1959 (Acting)