A Civil Air Patrol squadron in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been deactivated following months of disagreement between its local leadership and the Wyoming Wing, taking with it a Cessna 206 that had supported search-and-rescue and emergency operations in the area for decades.
According to a Jackson Hole News & Guide report, The Teton Squadron’s former commander, Steve Foster, told the Teton County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 17 that the squadron had effectively been dissolved and that the Wyoming Wing had removed its aircraft from Jackson Hole Airport.
The Cessna 206 had been based at the airport for about 30 years. According to Foster, the Air Force-owned aircraft had been used for search-and-rescue missions and responses to natural disasters, including flooding.
Foster attributed the squadron’s closure to disputes with new Wyoming Wing leadership. He said the state organization had imposed what he described as “unachievable and discriminatory demands” and created a punitive environment. Three pilots were also removed from the organization, he said.
The Wyoming Wing offered a different explanation.
Col. John Rhoades, commander of the Rocky Mountain Region, which oversees the Wyoming Wing, said local squadron leaders had been given opportunities to address concerns involving the unit’s long-term sustainability and operational readiness.
“Despite those efforts, no viable long-term solution emerged,” Rhoades told county officials, according to the Jackson Hole News&Guide.
He characterized deactivation as a last resort.
The Cessna 206 has not been removed from Civil Air Patrol service. Rhoades said the aircraft was reassigned to another location where it could have a greater operational impact.
He also pointed to the geographic distribution of the squadron’s members as a factor, saying that having a substantial portion of a unit’s membership outside the community where it is based can make local leadership, accountability and oversight more difficult.
The dispute also involves money provided by Teton County to support the squadron. County commissioners said approximately $17,000 remained in the squadron’s account when it was dissolved and requested that the funds be returned.
Whether another CAP unit or aircraft will eventually assume the squadron’s local role remains unclear.
