Prince William Composite Squadron

Virginia Wing, Civil Air Patrol

Squadron History

Aviation came to Manassas in 1931 with the opening of a landing strip along what is now Route 234. The growth of the city compelled the move to the airport to its present location in 1964.

Old Manassas Airport, 1930s

The Virginia Wing in World War II made key contributions to the common cause. CAP activity in our area can be traced back to the activation of the Manassas Senior Squadron on September 10, 1957. Nelson "Pete" Jackson, a retired Air Force colonel, became the unit's first commander. Charter 45041 was granted in January, 1958

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CAP Air And Ground, 1950s Style
(credit, NDWG) 

The Dulles Cadet Squadron (45043) dated from the 1960s. On February 9, 1968, it was re-designated as the Dulles Composite Squadron and issued a new charter 45102. The unit moved to Manassas Regional Airport four years later, and became the Manassas Composite Squadron on February 8, 1972. Finally, the unit became the Prince William Composite Squadron on August 14, 1978. 

Five PWCS Commanders

(L-R) Dick Hague (1978-85), BT Marking (1985-88), Bob Frye (1988-91), Bob Houston (1991-93), Wayne Jackson (1993-96)
This remarkable gathering took place at Manassas Airport when Capt Jackson assumed command on June 5, 1993.

In the early 1980s, PWCS was part of a grouping called "Task Force VI." This included our sister squadrons in Winchester and Fredericksburg, and bygone squadrons in Herndon, Front Royal, and Orange. In 1983, Task Force VI merged with units in the Shenandoah Valley to form the new Group II. In 1985, the Northern Virginia squadrons were formed into Group III which, with some new units and some deactivations, has continued to the present day. In 2003, Group III was enlarged to include two squadrons in the Shenandoah Valley to our west.

Prince William Composite Squadron remained the largest unit in the Virginia Wing in 2004, boasting a large complement of pilots and ground personnel qualified for emergency services. Our cadet program remained strong, with 49 young people in uniform at year's end. 

Col Larry Toigo, PWCS Commander (1997-2000)
Commanded the Iowa Wing in the early 1990s.
His work as an airline pilot later brought him to our area.

Maj John Schumacher (2001-2002)

COMMANDERS OF 45102

Dulles Composite Squadron

Manassas Composite Squadron

Prince William Composite Squadron

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Last modified: 08/19/09