The Morin family stands ready to serve their community if a natural disaster or other emergency takes place.
LIVINGSTON, NJ — If a disaster strikes in North Jersey and a search and rescue team is needed, the Morin family stands ready for duty.
Livingston resident Jasmin Morin and her sons, Alexander, 14, and Francis, 16, recently graduated from the 2025 New Jersey Ground Search and Rescue school operated by the Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) New Jersey Wing.
The three Livingston residents were among 24 graduates of the training program, which was hosted on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst last month.
During the week-long “immersion training,” the Morins and other graduates took part in intensive classroom sessions and field training, which culminated with a two-day, overnight field exercise.
“GSAR school is where our future ground team specialists take their first big step,” said Col. Amy Myzie, commander of the New Jersey Wing.
“The training here combines field readiness with real-world mission skills, ensuring our teams are prepared to assist whenever and wherever we’re needed,” Myzie said.
In 2024, New Jersey communities benefited more than $6.7 million in community service value from CAP New Jersey Wing members (nearly 600 adult members and 954 teen members).
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) presented the Morins with congressional recognition certificates to mark their achievement. Similar proclamations and certificates were presented from seven additional New Jersey congressional districts.
Morin and her sons are members of the local Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron, which is based in Fairfield. Jasmin Morin serves as the squadron’s cyber education officer, where she leads teenage members through national competitions and other activities designed to spark interest and foster career paths in the cybersecurity industry. She is also the assistant deputy commander of cadets, and works closely with the unit’s roster of 54 teenage members.
The local Civil Air Patrol unit includes cadets and adult members who live in West Orange, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Hanover, Fairfield, Livingston, Morristown, Parsippany, Roseland and Wayne.
“The Morin family’s commitment to the missions of CAP is a great example of the enthusiasm we seek to ignite in all our members,” said Lt. Col. Carol McCloud, the commander of the Curtiss-Wright Squadron.
“A family’s relationship with CAP usually begins with a teen’s interest in aviation or rocketry, and quite often it blossoms into a family’s expression of community service,” McCloud added. “Parents and teens end up working side by side and independently on the missions of CAP – to make our communities stronger and safer.”
See Related: Essex County Teen Earns Prestigious Civil Air Patrol Award
See Related: New Jersey Teen Is Flying High After Earning His Pilot License
CIVIL AIR PATROL
The Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron is a local unit of the Civil Air Patrol. The squadron meets on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at the American Red Cross Northern New Jersey Headquarters, 209 Fairfield Road in Fairfield.
More about the CAP Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron can be found here: http://nj073.cap.gov/
Prospective members (teens 12+ and adults) are welcome to visit on any Tuesday. Email edward.bikales@njwg.cap.gov for more details.
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