New Hampshire Wing Debuts New Official Emblem

CONCORD, N.H. —  The New Hampshire Wing of the Civil Air Patrol debuted a new work of heraldry, an official emblem that uniquely represents the wing amongst others in the organization. The redesign is part of a larger effort to align Civil Air Patrol organizational emblems with the heraldry standards set by the Air Force. 

"As Civil Air Patrol integrates more with our parent service, our identity as a fully-fledged member of the Air Force family and the Total Force becomes so much more important. Part of that identity is found in how we represent CAP through our graphical emblems," said Col. Darin Ninness, commander of New Hampshire Wing. "Some of our emblems are very historical. They come from a time in CAP when their design wasn’t considered in a broader context. The US Air Force's own heraldry, too, has evolved since 1947, and so must ours keep pace."

The new emblem is placed upon a heater-shaped shield, proper to wings and higher echelons in both Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force. The nine stars represent New Hampshire’s place as the ninth state of the Union. The blue field stands for our parent service, the United States Air Force, and the blue skies above the Granite State. The outline of the Old Man of the Mountain is emblematic of New Hampshire, appearing on state highway signs, license plates, in the state emblem, and on the reverse of our Statehood quarter. The chevron with trail represents Civil Air Patrol’s aerospace and aviation leadership and heritage, always “shooting for the stars.”

In addition to appearing on official documents and sites, the emblem will be worn on official uniforms worn by Civil Air Patrol’s volunteer airmen serving in any of the wing’s ten units in New Hampshire.