Code of Federal Regulations Title 32. National Defense § 32.842.119 Definitions

(a) Civil Air Patrol (CAP). A federally chartered, non-profit corporation which was designated by Congress in 1948 as a volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force.

(b) Air Force noncombat mission. Although not defined in any statute, an Air Force noncombat mission is any mission for which the Air Force is tasked, by statute, regulation, or higher authority, which does not involve actual combat, combat operations or combat training. The Air Force, in lieu of using Air Force resources, can use the services of the Civil Air Patrol to fulfill these type missions. When performing an Air Force noncombat mission, the Civil Air Patrol is deemed to be an instrumentality of the United States. In order for a mission to be a noncombat mission of the Air Force under this part, it must either:

(c) CAP members. CAP members are private citizens who volunteer their time, services, and resources to accomplish CAP objectives and purposes. The two primary categories of members are:

(d) Liaison officers. Active duty Air Force officers assigned to liaison duty at the national, regional, and wing (state) levels of CAP.