Unit History

1941 to Present.  SWR-TX-091 Brownsville Composite Squadron

• 1941 The Civil Air Patrol was founded as a civilian auxiliary to the U.S. Army Air Corp a few days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
• 1941-44 CAP establishes Coastal Patrol Base 12, first in Brownsville and later in San Benito. Base 12 CAP volunteer pilots fly over 30,000 hours of patrol missions along the South Texas coast looking for German U-boats and helping to secure the nation's border.
• 1942 Mary Astor, a prominent Hollywood actress best known for her role in “The Maltese Falcon” and for winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Great Lie.” After joining CAP in Los Angeles, she helped set up the Coastal Patrol Base 12 operations center in Brownsville, Texas.
• 1942 Henry King Jr., a noted Hollywood director from 1915-1961, helming such movies as “The Song of Bernadette,” “Twelve O’Clock High,” “Carousel” and “The Sun Also Rises.” He was one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. King served as deputy commander of Coastal Patrol Base 12, holding the grade of captain. In his final years, he was the oldest licensed private pilot in the United States.
• 1942 Les Mauldin was an early manager of the Brownsville Municipal Airport. He was appointed the Group Commander of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Bases.
• 1957 The Brownsville Composite Squadron was established at the Brownsville/ South Padre Island International Airport.
• 1969 The Brownsville Composite Squadron received its first CAP Unit Citation Award for meritorious service.
• 1971 The squadron received its second Unit Citation Award for outstanding service to the Texas Wing.
• 1987 Search and Rescue mission: In a rare incident, the Mexican Government asks for American assistance locating a missing aircraft.
• 1988 Search and Rescue mission: The Unit finds the wreckage of a missing plane in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
• 1994 Four Brownsville Squadron members fly to Los Angeles to work with 2,000 other C.A.P. members on earthquake relief. Their 9.4-hour flight is believed to be the longest by any C.A.P. aircraft taking part in this humanitarian mission.
• 1995 Search and Rescue mission: Search for an aircraft that disappeared. The aircraft was found.
• 1996 Search and Rescue mission: Search for an aircraft that disappeared. The aircraft was found.
• 1998 Search and Rescue mission: Help locate the Valley Air Care helicopter that crashed north of Edinburg, TX. Due to record heat and drought, the unit is utilized for aerial searches for distressed illegal immigrants in the King Ranch area; air crews fly dozens of sorties and locate several distressed individuals.
• 2001 Seven non-distress distress rescue beacons in ships and aircraft were located and deactivated.
  In response to the September 11 attacks, CAP began supporting missions for the new Department of Homeland Security.
• 2002 The Brownsville Squadron flew several homeland security missions, including flying over the Gulf of Mexico and transmitting aerial images of simulated oil spill cleanup operations in a unique U.S.-Mexican exercise. A U.S. Coast Guard report said these images greatly contributed to a real assessment of operations.
• 2003 Cadet Commander Rudy Noriega was awarded a scholarship to a CAP Flight Academy at Waco, where he soloed. He later joined the US Navy and is currently serving on the life support ground crew for the US Navy Blue Angels. Cadet Noriega commissioned as a Naval Officer.   
• 2004 Cadet Robert Basaldu was selected to go to the United Kingdom on the International Air Cadet Exchange. Cadet Basaldu earns CAP’s highest cadet award, the Carl A. Spaatz Award.
• 2006 Search and Rescue mission: A ground team and mission support staff drove, and the aircrew flew 200 miles to Carrizo Springs to search for a lost aircraft that had been found in Mexico.
• 2007 Brownsville Composite Squadron established a week-long, winter Search and Rescue School. The Texas Wing Ground Team School started on December 26, 2007.
• 2007 At a state-wide ground search and rescue competition near San Antonio, the squadron's ground teams won first, third, and fourth awards.
  The Brownville ground teams earn the number one rank in the state.
  The squadron develops and operates the Texas Wing Winter Ground Team School.
• 2008 Search and Rescue mission – ground search team leads a search effort in Giddings, TX for a missing aircraft. The unit’s ground team traveled over 400 miles to participate in the mission to locate the aircraft.
• 2009 Search and Rescue mission – Provides mission staff for a search for a missing plane lost in Mexico. The ground team locates a missing plane in Port Mansfield, TX.
• 2009 Brownsville ground teams were awarded the Best Ground Team in the Nation by CAP Headquarters.
• 2010 Brownsville Composite Squadron awarded Squadron of the Year, Cadet of the Year, Senior of Year for its accomplishments for 2009.
• 2010 The Texas Wing Ground Team School incorporated the LoneStar Emergency Service Academy (LESA) into the school and became LESA South.
• 2010 Brownsville Composite Squadron is granted a 5-acre site at the Brownsville airport for a new training site.
• 2011 Texas Wing Groups are reorganized, and the Brownsville Composite Squadron becomes part of the new Group VII.
• 2013 LESA South receives National Special Activity credit.
• 2013 Brownsville Composite Squadron awarded Squadron of the Year, for accomplishments in 2012.
• 2013 Brownsville Composite Squadron member 2nd Lt. Heidi Gomez was awarded Aerospace Education Officer of the Year for her accomplishments in 2012.
• 2015 Brownsville Composite Squadron received a grant of $69,999.00 to build a shower/restroom building from the City of Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC).
• 2015 April 7, Lt. Col. Juan Arredondo relinquished command of the Brownsville Composite Squadron to Capt. Robert Hofmann. Lt Col. Arredondo has outstandingly served as commander since June 2011.
• 2015 April 19, Lt. Col. Sean Crandall relinquished command of Group VII after establishing the newly formed Group VII in June of 2011. Lt. Col. Arredondo is sworn in as commander of Group VII, and Lt. Col. Sean Crandall is sworn in as the Texas Wing Vice Commander.
• 2019 Aug 5, Capt. Robert Hofmann relinquished command of the Brownsville Composite Squadron to Capt. Bryan Abanilla, after serving a successful term as commander.
• 2023 Jul 31, Capt. Bryan Abanilla relinquished command of the Brownsville Composite Squadron to Lt Col. Juan Arredondo after serving a successful term as commander.
• 2025 The Brownsville Composite Squadron creates a second National Cadet Special Activity School. The Space and Rocketry School is a 5-day immersive aerospace and rocketry training program designed for CAP cadets ages 14-20. It combines Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education, STEM education, hands-on rocketry engineering, aerospace leadership, and military-style discipline to prepare future innovators, engineers, and leaders in space exploration.
• 2026 Cadet C/1stLt Marius Altermatt graduated from the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Wings Program and obtained his FAA Private Pilot Certificate on 3 September 2026.

Awards 1941 - Present

• 1969 1st Unit Citation Award for meritorious service.
• 1971 2nd Unit Citation Award for outstanding service.
• 1995 Brownsville Squadron named Texas Wing Squadron of the Year.
• 2004 Cadet Commander earned appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
• 2007 Carl A. Spaatz Award, CAP highest cadet award to our Cadet Commander.
• 2007 Texas Wing Ground Team Competition 1st, 3rd, and 4th awards.
• 2008 Cadet Commander earned appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• 2008 3rd Unit Citation for Exceptional Service.
• 2008 Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team Award (Texas, Region, National awards)
• 2009 Cadet Commander earned appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
• 2009 Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team Award (Texas).
• 2010 For its many achievements, the unit is named the Texas Wing Squadron of the Year.
• 2010 Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team Award (Texas)
• 2011 Cadet Commander earned appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• 2011 Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team Award (Texas, Region).
• 2011 Cadet earned an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• 2011 Cadet earned an appointment to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
• 2011 Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team Award (Texas).
• 2011 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earned the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award.
• 2012 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earned the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (2nd)
• 2013 Brownsville Composite Squadron is awarded Squadron of the Year, for accomplishments for 2012.
• 2013 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (3rd)  
• 2013 Brownsville Composite Squadron member 2nd Lt. Heidi Gomez was awarded Aerospace Education Officer of the Year for her accomplishments in 2012.
• 2014 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (4th)  
• 2014 The Brownsville Composite Squadron is awarded the Texas Wing Squadron of Merit Award.
• 2014 Group VII is awarded Group of the Year.
• 2014 Mr. Larry Brown, Airport Director of the Brownsville / South Padre Island International Airport, is awarded the Frank G. Brewer CAP Memorial Aerospace Award, Category II.
• 2015 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (5th).
• 2016 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (6th). 
• 2017 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (7th).
• 2018 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (8th).
• 2019 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (9th).
• 2020 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (10th).
• 2023 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (11th).
• 2024 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (12th).
• 2025 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (13th).
• 2026 The Brownsville Composite Squadron earns the CAP National Quality Cadet Unit Award. (14th)

Texas Wing Awards - Present

National Commander's Unit Citation

Unit Citation Award

Past Texas Wing Commanders