During America's early involvement in World War II there was the danger of enemy combatants, in the form of Nazi U-boats. The roll of the Civil Air Patrol was to discover those U-boats before they did any harm. Once CAP had proven its worth in locating enemy vessels, the U.S. government temporarily granted CAP the authority to arm its planes. The men and women who joined the early Civil Air Patrol were mostly too old or too young to be drafted but wanted to have a role in protecting their country.