HQ, Group III, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol

U.S. Air Force Auxiliary

Editing the Group III newsletter — at least in this editor's case — is not a spectator sport. As the news come in, and the material unveils its slice of life, each individual item contributes to a larger whole, and that composite entity weaves a story larger than its parts. A sort of synergy of commitment, training and cooperation.

A significant thread, especially in the light of Texas Wing's recent restructuring into only five groups, is that individual squadrons routinely support each other and work in concert — often going beyond group membership constraints. As it should be, because as members of the Civil Air Patrol, we all share the same goals and values, and are prepared to work with each other across boundaries.

Perhaps a greater accomplishment is that the "unwritten rules" of mutual support and cooperation are being set down here (thanks to your input), and the way in which we work best is being documented for all to read. Team work is essential not only in the cockpit but also on the ground, and when a major emergency causes us to be called into action, senior members and (to a lesser degree) cadets are often required to work with many other organizations, all of us pursuing a common goal — the restoration of normality and the relief of suffering. Thanks to you, we have come through and delivered. Every time.

Without you, this issue would have been impossible. It is my personal hope that all who read this will find something useful, interesting, or even amusing here.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Group Commander

Commander’s Thoughts

Group III has been asked to host the upcoming Graded Training Exercise (GTE) on 25 -27 August 2006, in Tyler. This is a great honor for the unit, and I am doubly honored in having been selected as the Incident Commander (IC) for that exercise. This is a wonderful opportunity to shine for everyone in Group III. Those of you interested in working at the Incident Command Post (ICP) and getting good training should let me know without delay. The rest of you should work with your squadron commanders to ensure that a confirmed Staging Area will be available to you, or else you won't be able to participate.

This event will be like every other Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise (DSAREX) with one very notable difference: the finest staff has been assembled to run the exercise. Our IC Staff have shown many times in the past that they can get air and ground sorties launched early and often. Be sure not to miss this opportunity, review your Emergency Services (ES) qualifications, and plan now to get a new qualification or renew an expired one.

As you know, we have three missions in the Civil Air Patrol: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services. At this time of year we enter into storm season, which we hope will be far less active than last year's, but we need to be prepared. Last year, when support for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita got started, we found that many members scrambled to get qualified. It’s too late at that point. We need you trained and qualified before disaster strikes. During the recovery phase, we lack the bandwidth to train as we are tasked to execute an actual mission. As a result, training will be postponed until the actual mission has been completed. Last year’s mission lasted over 45 days. That would be a long time to sit out, as you watch the qualified CAP members work while you cannot. I hope you won't let that happen to you.

But it isn't enough to be prepared through our CAP qualifications. We must also prepare ourselves and our families for the possibly that we might become victims. Please go online and brush up on Emergency preparedness. Here are some interesting websites:

Department of Homeland Security:	http://www.ready.gov/
Federal Emergency Management Agency:	http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/
American Red Cross:	http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_239_,00.html?WT.srch=1

Ask your fellow CAP members what they are doing to get ready. Just because we don’t live on the coast doesn't me that we are immune to storm damage and disaster. Look out for each other and, above all, be good neighbors before, during, and after an emergency.

Finally, let’s all be aware of and cautious about the dangers of summer heat. With the onset of high temperatures, outdoor activities require greater planning to avoid any heat-related health hazards. Drink water! That is by far the most important action you can take to stay healthy. Be aware of your surroundings and seek out opportunities to be in the shade, rather than in direct sunlight. Use sunscreen, wear a hat, and limit exertion to what is necessary for the activity. If you take time to rest and re-hydrate, the enjoyment you seek won’t be interrupted by exhaustion, illness, pain, and potentially fatal results.

Have a great August!

Maj Patrick L. Benoit, CAP

Chaplain

Are You Ready?

As Civil Air Patrol members we are constantly challenged by the core value of excellence. This moral tenet urges us to make every effort to provide the best service possible. But this is not a simple challenge — our resources are limited, we are all volunteers, and many competing obligations make heavy demands on our vanishing time. We seem to spend our day constantly juggling work, family, CAP, church, and many other activities. Yet, the only way to provide excellent services rests on our willingness to invest our precious moments in training and improving our skills.

As my grade English teacher use to tell us, Only perfect practice makes perfect.

This morning I read a very sad commentary on a recent rescue attempt. A rescue that turned into a heart-wrenching recovery instead. A young boy had been in the water for about twenty minutes after his boat capsized. Unfortunately, the boy went under only seconds before the rescue boat could reach him. Rescue workers believe that a mere 30 to 45 seconds more could have made the difference. While most of our missions do not involve life-threatening events, we all know that at any moment we could find ourselves in a situation where even a few seconds could weigh the outcome towards life or death.

Are you mission-ready?

As Group III Chaplain, I am very proud to be associated with such a fine and caring group of volunteers. I know that the staff is making every effort to ensure that we have access to the necessary training, giving us the means with which to provide the very best service. Yet it is up to the individual to take advantage of these opportunities. When deciding whether to accept or decline an invitation to a CAP training event, I’m often reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in Colossians 3:23.

“Whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.”

These words of faith and wisdom live on, almost 2,000 years after they were first written. And they mean just as much today as they did then. With God’s help, we are becoming the best.

Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, CAP

Communications

Training / Practice / Application / Skills Development - 26 & 27 August

Any ROA-qualified member of Group III who wants hands-on experience on the radios can join us at Pegasus CS (Camp Mabry) for the GT SAREX of Aug. 26-27, at 0700. E-mail me advanced notice of participation (and your current qualifications) so I can schedule duty time and advancement opportunities (such as Mission Radio Operator (MRO), Technician level training, and so on). Bring your individual Communication Specialty SQTR form, so I can plan your individual training. Pegasus' Comm Room is now air conditioned for your comfort. I will be the mission CUL, but MRO is open for the qualified person(s) interested in advancing.

Capt Steve Barclay, DCA

HF Communications

In a time of need and devastation, the existing, fragile communications infrastructure will no longer be intact. Depending upon the size of the devastated area and the amount of destruction, the time it will take to restore traditional modes of communication may be days or even weeks or months. Phones, Internet, even satellite phones can be unreliable or non-existent in such areas. As we learned during Rita/Katrina, satellite phones were in use by so many emergency responders as their ultimate communications device, that the satellites were overloaded and getting a dial-tone became a shot in the dark. The CAP requires a method of communication that will give command and control the ability to coordinate our rescue and relief efforts in the affected area – both quickly and efficiently. High Frequency (HF) communications is the method used.

HF communications provides the backbone of our long-distance communications infrastructure. In times of emergency and distress, HF equipment expands our capabilities and lets us communicate over long distances – sometimes hundreds or even thousands of miles, depending upon conditions.

As with all of our radio assets, our HF radios run on 12V DC power. A power supply or deep cycle 12V battery is all the power required to operate it. Combined with the proper antenna (the B&W wide-band folded dipole is a great choice) and an experienced operator; HF provides our best method of communicating over great distances. This simple station can be set up in the field very quickly with limited resources, making it an effective and efficient means of communications in the area of operations.

The distance an HF frequency can cover will vary based upon several factors. One is the actual frequency being used during certain times of the day. The Earth’s atmosphere is broken into layers; as communicators, the layer we are most concerned with is the ionosphere and its “E” layers within. There's a reason for this: the ionosphere reflects many of the HF signals back to Earth. While some of these signals are absorbed and others pass into space, the reflecting property of the ionosphere allows our HF signals to bounce around the planet, and this is how we derive our long-distance communications capabilities. This layer splits during the day, and combines at night in an ever-changing condition. So, as the day progresses, conditions change – and so may the frequencies we use.

What else affects propagation? The sun and its solar-cycles do. Our sun goes through a cycle of sun-spot activity that lasts about 11 years. This period runs from high instances of sun spots and solar flares (that energize our atmosphere making HF propagation better) to low points during which propagation is not as good. We are currently in the low point of solar cycle 23. This means that our ability to communicate over long distances with HF is diminished, but it will improve over the next several years.

How do I know which frequency to use, and when? The best way is to coordinate with a station you can communicate with. As conditions worsen throughout the day, coordinate with the other station a time and channel to change to for a fixed period of time, then see if conditions are any better. If you haven't heard from the other station by the end of the time period agreed upon, return to the previous channel. If conditions are better, return to the previous channel and coordinate with the other stations to change to that channel as well.

Is there another, easier way? The answer to that question lies in a new type of HF radio being introduced to the CAP, Automatic Link Establishme, or ALE, radios. An ALE-equipped HF radio does many things for you. First, you can program the radio to join a “net” with other ALE radios. The radios then only listen and communicate with those radios programmed to join that specific “net”. When turned on and told to join, the radio will try all available frequencies in order to find other ALE radios on the net, then link up with them automatically. All radios on the net will monitor signal propagation and conditions, and automatically use the proper frequency for best radio reception each time you key the microphone. No work on your part! You are assured of the best frequency conditions possible at that moment in time. These radios also give you a visual read-out of the stations you can speak with. They haveother features as well, but they must wait for another article.

We hope you understand our CAP HF communications capabilities a little better, and want to learn more. To do so, getting your amateur radio license is an excellent start. Also, you can pose questions to fellow CAP members on the Texas Wing Amateur Radio Club (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/texaswingarc), your local HAM club, or the Amateur Radio Relay League (http://www.arrl.org). Of course, your first and best source of information is your squadron Communications Officer.

Don’t forget, practice makes perfect. An unexercised element is a useless element. Make sure that you and your fellow CAP members practice using your radios. Attend an ACUT class. Spend some of your time between sorties learning about being a Mission Radio Operator. Get some mic-time under your belt, and give yourself better mission skills.

1st Lt Toby Buckalew, DC

Group III Operational Outreach

GA-8 & ARCHER System Demonstrated

OKWG requested through channels that the GA-8 located at Addison, TX take part in the Star Spangled Salute Air Show at Tinker Air Force Base, OK from June 30 to July 1st. A Group III crew — Lt Col Owen Younger (Dallas Stealth CS), Maj David Wilson (Waco CS), and Maj Frank Seigler (Addison Eagles CS) — flew the aircraft to Tinker for the event. They were billeted on the base, and enjoyed excellent hospitality.

The air show provided an outstanding venue for Maj Seigler, the ARCHER operator, to demonstrate the capabilities of the ARCHER system to USAF personnel and air show attendees. (The image was taken at an earlier event.)

(Lt Col Owen Younger)

Honor Guard

Group III Honor Guard News

On 3 July, the Honor Guard did themselves proud as they presented the colors in front of 30,000 people, kicking off the welcoming ceremony of Kaboom Town in Addison. Mayor Chow introduced the Honor Guard and then led the audience in the pledge of allegiance. The Honor Guard stayed and watched the fireworks — cut short by rain.

On 21-23 July, the Honor Guard held a training bivouac at Purtis Creek State Park in Eustace, TX. It was attended by 8 female and 5 male cadets from Anderson County Composite Sq, Black Sheep Composite Sq, Dallas Composite Sq, Red Oak Cadet Sq and Waxahachie Composite Sq. Cadets set up their tents on Friday evening before supper, the latter followed by an introduction to the basic elements of Honor Guard. Saturday began with optional PT at 0630 and drill practice at 0700.

Cadets spent the remainder of the day practicing Rifle Drill and Colors. By mid-afternoon, the cadets got 2 hours of personal time for kayaking, swimming, and enjoying watermelons. Sunday also began at 0630 and ended at 1500. The cadets had prepared a presentation for their parents for Sunday afternoon, but heavy rains forced its cancellation. During the weekend, the cadets learned much and also had lots of fun.

The next training weekend will be held in October. Any potential Honor Guard member should plan on attending. At the end of the bivouac, it was announced that C/Maj Tippett from Dallas Composite Sq was transferring command to C/Capt McKinney from Black Sheep Composite Sq, who becomes the new Honor Guard Cadet Commander. C/MSgt Hamm from Waxahachie Composite Sq will be the new Assistant Cadet Commander.

I would like to extend a big thanks to Capt Cohen and SM Kleinmeier, both from Black Sheep Composite Sq, for their help during the weekend.

On 27 July, the Honor Guard rounded off the month by presenting the colors at the opening ceremony of the Girls Fastpitch World Series games being held in Mesquite, TX.

To join the Group III Honor Guard, please click on the link and e-mail C/Capt McKinney or 1st Lt McKinney.

1st Lt Opal McKinney, HGO

Inspector General

Group III Basic IG Course Held Saturday, 22 July

Group III now has six additional trained inspection team members; four for the north area and two for the east area, all of whom were grateful for what they learned — and said so. This course is for every Group III member who wishes success in completing a Subordinate Unit Inspection, not just IG Team members. In the coming months, additional courses will be held in the different areas.

Commanders, please make every effort to attend, and encourage your squadron members and staff to attend as well. The time invested in the course will help the unit, and some members might want to become part of the IG Team — as an additional duty, not a loss to the squadron.

In this course, you'll learn how to earn top marks in your SUI, what the inspection team is looking for, and how the inspector finds what he/she is looking for. It's like like finding out how to pass a test before taking it...

Inspection Schedule

Bell County CS, Saturday, 19 August.
Gregg County CS, Saturday, 16 September.
Crusader CS, Saturday, 4 November.
Tyler CS, Saturday, 18 November
No inspections during December due to holiday festivities. A formal schedule will be published soon.

New Assistant IGs appointed — 1st Lt Vanessa Smith, Anderson County CS and Maj. Bill Ervin, Group III.

Needed - One Asst. IG for the southern area, and several inspection team members throughout Group III. Interested members please contact me at manleytx030ig@yahoo.com or 214-477-8664.

Many thanks to the CC's of all units who have submitted their latest inspection reports.

Capt Steve Manley, IG

Professional Development

MSA Training

Applicants for MSA training must first complete all required SQTR training available on-line. After the appropriate certificates have been issued, please apply for MSA-T positions at the next SAREX, at any TXWG location.

Correct Procedure for AFIADL Course Enrollment

As of 1 January 2005, Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning (AFIADL) will no longer respond to requests for assistance made on AFIADL Form 17— except for instructional inquiries to be forwarded by AFIADL to the course author.

Instead, visit http://afiadl.custhelp.com to request a Course Exam, change of address, extend course completion date, etc., and follow this procedure:

Go to the AFIADL Customer Support website: http://afiadl.custhelp.com
Click on the "Ask a Question/Request" tab (shown above in dark blue)
In the "User ID" text entry block, enter your e-mail address
In the "Question Data" block, enter your full name, last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN), and request the Course Exam to be sent to the Test Control Facility Shred code established for your Wing. If you don't know the nine-digit Shred code number, contact your Unit or Wing test Control officer to get it. Caution: This is not a secure website. Do not include your full SSN in any correspondence being sent to this website. Use only the last four digits of your SSN.
In the "Categories" text entry block, select "Civil Air Patrol courses" from the drop-down list
In the "Course Name/Number" block, enter the Course name and AFIADL course number
example: CAP Sr. Officers Course 00013
In the "Branch of Service" block, select "Civil Air Patrol" from the drop-down list
When you have completed the form, click "Submit Question"
AFIADL will respond with an e-mail to confirm your request.
AFIADL will mail the Course Exam to the Wing Headquarters Test Control Officer, where it will be forwarded to your unit's Test Control Officer.

If you need further assistance please contact Mrs. Jennifer J. Carroll — Toll free (877) 227 9142 Ext. 210 — E-mail jcarroll@cap.gov — DSN 493-5798 — Commercial (334) 953-5798

Capt. Alan O'Martin, PDO

Safety

Presenting both a flight safety briefing and a ground safety briefing is a mandatory monthly requirement. This need not be a lengthy presentation — a 10 to 20 minute talk (and optional group discussion) is enough.

Maj Jeff Yevcak, the Randolph AFB safety officer who is also the Randolph AFB liaison officer to CAP, has kindly offered the following for the month of July, should you want to use them at your own squadron.

August Flight Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

August Ground Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

Safety - FAA

FAA Safety Website - faasafety.gov — "Safer Skies Through Education"

Guest Section: A USAF Officer's Thoughts

On that day ... An officer's reminder of why the National Anthem plays

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) — It was a hot Tuesday afternoon. I was leaving Bldg. 402 after updating my base vehicle sticker.

As I walked toward the double-glass doors leading to the parking lot, I encountered a small group of people standing just inside the door — two Airmen, a civilian employee and one captain. As I reached for the door, the captain said, "You don't want to go out there right now."

I looked out and saw traffic stopped and several people frozen in the hot July sun, gazing westward, some saluting, some standing at attention, and some with their hands laid on their chests.

No, I don't really want to go out there right now. I looked at my watch — 1630.

I stood with the group that now numbered five. No one spoke. One Airman made a call on her cell phone, the other shifted his gaze back and forth between his shoes and the wall. The captain sifted through a folder of papers. The civilian and I watched through the glass doors as a technical sergeant stood at attention, saluting ... a sweat ring growing on his back. It seemed to go on forever.

The base loudspeakers squeaked out the last recorded notes of the national anthem. The cars rolled forward, the technical sergeant lowered his salute. The civilian pushed our door open and walked out. The rest of us followed. When the heat hit me, I felt fortunate that my timing had kept me inside during the long ceremony.

I thought about that day for weeks. Images of the episode flashed through my mind as if I'd witnessed a crime -- the plate-sized sweat ring, the glow of the cell phone on the Airman's cheek, the civilian's hand resting on the door handle, the glare of the sun, the heat.

I recently read an article about the War on Terror and learned that we average 2.35 American dead and 10 wounded every day in the area of responsibility. That day leapt back into my thoughts. A few hours of research helped me identify the date - July 14, 2005.

On July 14, 2005, 23-year-old Cpl Chris Winchester and 22-year-old Cpl Cliff Mounce were killed when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

On that day, 21-year-old Pfc Tim Hines Jr. died when an IED hit his Humvee.

On that day, 34-year-old Staff Sgt Tricia Jameson was killed by a secondary IED while she was treating a victim of the primary IED. She, Chris Winchester and Cliff Mounce all died in Trebil. We can assume she was treating Chris, Cliff or another in their group. She volunteered to go to Iraq and had been in-country three weeks.

On that day, four American soldiers died in Iraq and numerous others were wounded.

On that day, four families were plunged into mourning.

On that day, I flew one sortie, sifted through e-mail, updated my base vehicle sticker, and hid from the heat behind a glass door.

Why does it matter that I avoided participating in retreat? Some may think it's silly symbolism, that it's not real. An aircraft is real. A computer, a vehicle sticker — they're real.

I believe that anything that you allow to move you, or that inspires those around you to search their hearts, is as real as the bomb that tore Chris Winchester's body apart last summer. Anything that forces an entire base to stop and listen to their thoughts for a while is real. Anything that causes you to pause and acknowledge that American soldiers may be under fire, as you listen to the national anthem, is real.

As we five stood inside that doorway, the soldiers killed and wounded that day may have been bleeding, screaming and dying in the sand.

If my timing is ever again as perfect as it was that day, I'll be prepared. I'll be ready with, "Yes, I do want to go out there right now." You may not come with me, but I'll bet you think about it for weeks.

If I'd stepped outside to pay respect to the flag and to the four soldiers who died that day, how long would it have taken?

One minute and twenty-eight seconds.

Maj Mike Stolt, 97th Flying Training Squadron

Apollo CS	*4th of July Celebration* Apollo Composite Squadron presented the Colors at the Annual Sertoma 4th of July Celebration, a day-long festival in San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX. At one point during the day the main stage had Karaoke going on. Apollo's cadets spontaneously took center stage and sang the Air Force Song for the crowd, to grand applause. Our recruitment booth was well visited, and we handled the festival's secured parking. (1st Lt Cheri Fischler) CAF Aviation Heritage Cadet Academy - 6-9 July Early in July, the Commemorative Air Force held its first Cadet Academy in Midland, TX, attended by four cadets and one senior member from Apollo CS (Georgetown), plus two cadets from Midland. CAF had planned for two hundred! The camp, enjoyed by all, included a Ropes Course, Desert Survival Training, and Aerospace instruction. It ended with flight(s) in CAF planes. This was great training and a wonderful educational opportunity. The cadets made the front page of the Odessa American, too! (SM Bill Davidson) Plane-Wash Community Outreach, 15 July Twelve Apollo cadets and Cdt Steven Hamman from Pegasus CS took great pride Saturday in cleaning three of the four planes on static display at the CAF Museum in Burnet, TX. It took 4 hours and several passes before all oxidization and graffiti would come off the planes: an A-7 "Corsair II," an F-100 "Super Sabre," and a T-38 "Talon." After much elbow grease, the planes were sparkling-clean when the cadets were done. The plane wash was a fun addition to the cadets' normal meeting, held Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 am at the Burnet CAF building. The squadron lends a helping hand at the Highland Lakes CAF Squadron on a regular basis, allowing the cadets to be part of the CAF's living history. (1st Lt Jim Wreyford) Cadet Change of Command Ceremony, 18 July At a simple ceremony held on the tarmac by the squadron's plane, C/2nd Lt Nicholas Capo ceremonially handed the unit's guidon over to the next-highest ranking cadet in the unit, C/TSgt Michael Moody — now the squadron's new Cadet Commander. Cdt Capo, who is reaching 21 years of age, will remain in the squadron as a Senior Member. (1st Lt Cheri Fischler) *2nd Plane-Wash Community Outreach, 22 July* Thirteen Apollo cadets finished the job they had started the previous week, only this time we got to work in the hangar, away from the hot summer Texas day. "Bluebonnet Belle" was built in 1944, flew in WWII, and almost took part in the Berlin Airlift. A sturdy C-47 (the military version of the DC-3), the series was last built in 1946. Nicknamed "Gooney Bird" by the GIs, the C-47 was the mainstay Allied cargo plane during WWII. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. [1] First formation, early Saturday. [2] PT can be very competitive. [3] "Bluebonnet Belle," age 62 and still flying. [4] The assignment. "We can do it." [5] Making sure it's really clean. [6] And it was better than clean! [7] Last formation. The uniform of the day was our favorite — PT clothes. They're comfortable, add to the fun, look great even when rumpled, and wash easily. "Bluebonnet Belle" may be 62, but she's no old lady. We were happy to learn that DC-3s are still flying commercial, even if only in a virtual airline: DC-3 Airways! (C/TSgt Michael Moody)
Black Sheep CS	Awards and Promotion Ceremony On the evening of 18 July, the Black Sheep Composite Squadron's cadets held an awards and promotions ceremony in the presence of their parents and unit senior members. Lt. Col. Jack Birchum, the unit's Moral Leadership Officer, gave the invocation, and Col Frank Eldridge, Texas Wing Commander, presented the awards and promotions. C/TSgt Johanna Cohen and C/TSgt Brittany Stelting received Wright Brothers Award certificates. C/TSgt Cohen was also presented the Air Force Association's outstanding cadet award. C/Capt Rebecca McKinney (top right) and C/Capt Chris Papson (top left) received the Amelia Earhart award; and C/2nd Lt Mitchell Graham received the General Billy Mitchell Award. Four cadets skillfully performed a rifle drill demonstration. Col Eldridge stated, “These cadets should be commended for the outstanding hard work that earned them these awards and promotions.” Cadet Change of Command Ceremony After the awards and promotions, C/Capt Rebecca McKinney relinquished her position to C/1stLt Johnilea Petty (left), who became the new Cadet Commander. (2nd Lt Kelly R. Castillo)
Pegasus CS	On 8 July 2006, Pegasus Sq hosted a well-attended Group III ROA course, with senior members and cadets from Pegasus, Bell County, and Dallas Squadrons, resulting in 17 new licenses issued. Another 7 attendees came for a refresher. (Capt Steve Barclay) *On 28 July* — Pegasus hosted visiting IACE cadets Jason Averay and Troy Pangalos (Australia); Scott Crook, Ross Faller, Megan Fink, and Etienne Goselin (Canada); and Frida Lion and Anton Lund (Sweden). They were accompanied by escorts Jessica Garcia (Australia) and Henrik Persson (Sweden). After a tour of the Texas Capitol, Ms Romina Black, Director of International Protocol, Office of the Secretary of State, presented all cadets and their escorts with Honorary Citizen of the State of Texas certificates signed by Governor Perry (left). Afterwards, the group had lunch courtesy of Austin's landmark restaurant The County Line on The Lake, an occasion enjoyed by all (right). The barbeque was superb, the company young and lively, and the guests candid in their obvious enjoyment. After lunch, the group visited Camp Mabry's Audie Murphy Museum, where they met with Lt Col Randall E. Davis, XO and OIC of the 136th Regiment (Combat Arms), Texas National Guard, depicted at left with Lt Col Dawn King (Texas Wing IACE Coordinator) and MSgt Bristow (left to right). The visit wouldn't have been complete without a tour of the Texas Military Forces Museum, which is devoted to military events from the Texas Revolution up to and including current Iraq action. A special Aviation History section fascinated the visiting cadets. The display of memorabila, uniforms, equipment, and photographs of 20th century military engagements brought back to life the events and actions of the many Texans who fought them. The atmosphere became so charged with history, that Cdt Scott Crook (Canada) asked for (and got) permission to don some current army gear (Kevlar helmet and protective vest) and proceeded to "man" a WWII-vintage caliber .50 machine gun that was on display. (Lt Col Dawn King) 11-13 August — Pegasus will hold an Airman Leadership School (ALS) at Camp Mabry, Austin, TX. Please contact Lt Col Dawn King. 29 September-11 October — Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Lost Pines, Bastrop, TX. Please contact 2nd Lt Frank Bos. 28 October — As a dual-charter CAP/BSA Venture Crew (and a fund raiser, recruiting event, and community outreach), the squadron will offer an aerospace BSA merit badge workshop (0900-1500), taught and supervised by CAP cadets as part of their own progression requirements. Three of the six badges being offered are required for the Eagle Scout track; while the other three are electives. CAP cadets who are also BSA members earn BSA awards for their CAP activities. Please contact SM Chris Arnold for details. (1st Lt Daren Jaeger)
Waxahachie Talon CS	Mitchell Ceremony — On 6 July, during promotion ceremonies for the Waxahachie Talon Composite Squadron at Waxahachie-Midlothian Midway Airport, Cdt Michael Williams received the General Billy Mitchell Award and his new rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant from Maj Laurie A. Lancaster, Group III Chief of Staff. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Williams, of Waxahachie, he joined CAP in September, 2003 and has participated in many training activities, including last summer's National Blue Beret in Oshkosh, WI. His specialty qualifications include Search and Rescue GTM 2 & UDF member, as well as Mission Radio Operator. A 2005 graduate of Waxahachie High School, he'll attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ in order to pursue a career in aviation. (Lt Col Gary Stevens)

June 20	VA puts gravesite maps online (Federal Computer Week)
June 26	Future of Air Traffic is in Orbit (Federal Computer Week)
June 30	HHS: Avian flu has spread to 53 countries (Government Health)
July 1st	Camp steers minorities toward flying Wilmington, DE (The News Journal)
July 1st	Three hours on a plane made Robin ill for life - A tragic accident on a US flight (Dagbladet, Oslo)
July 3rd	U.S. Must Bolster National Infrastructure Protection Policy (Washington Technology)
July 3rd	Sherry Jacobson: Safety First at Love, Please (Dallas Morning News)
July 3rd	Cisco Brings James Bond Briefcase to Disasters - Satellite-connected, go-anywhere network-in-a-box (e-Week)
July 3rd	Remote Control (AF News)
July 5	Search for New Oil Sources Leads to Processed Coal *(The New York Times)*
July 5	DHS completes National Infrastructure Protection Plan (Federal Computer Week)
July 5	FAA Plans Training for Restricted Airspace (The Washington Post)
July 6	NIBC Grows as DHS Begins Building Bio Lab (Genetic Engineering News)
July 6	FAA trying to attract Naval station business (Portsmouth Herald)
July 6	Air Force networks to get automatic monitoring (Federal Computer Week)
July 6	Marines extend satellite communications (Federal Computer Week)
July 7	DARPA seeks leap in communications tech (Federal Computer Week)
July 7	Homeland Security Funding for Southeast Texas - Beaumont, TX (KBTV4)
July 7	Pilots get bird's eye view of Discovery launch (Air Combat Command)
July 7	'Lightning II' moniker given to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - Unveiling with video (Air Force Link)
July 8	Suspects In Transit Terror Plot Used DHS Website - (NY1, Time-Warner)
July 9	FAA wants pilots to take online course before flying near DC (Houston Chronicle)
July 9	Safety numbers behind the aviation industry (Lexington Herald-Leader)
July 9	The long fight over passenger air service - How DFW Airport came to be (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
July 9	U.S. to Negotiate Russian Storage of Atomic Waste *(The New York Times)*
July 9	U.S. Military Braces for Flurry of Criminal Cases in Iraq *(The New York Times)*
July 9	Flying the deadly skies (San Francisco Chronicle)
July 9	Newspaper investigation finds lax cargo plane safety San Jose, CA (San Jose Mercury News)
July 10	Researchers Teach Robots to Evolve Their Own Language (Information Week)
July 10	FAA Wants Most Direction Finders Decommissioned (AVWeb)
July 10	NC Airport revenues flying high - Booming little airport (Wilmington Morning Star)
July 10	MD Infrastructure work group helping Homeland Security (The Examiner)
July 10	DHS issues grants to shield infrastructure - (Washington Technology)
July 10	Sensis ASDE-X System Improving Atlanta's Air Safety (Yahoo! News)
July 10	Bombardier Skyjet Private Aviation Handbook - Free PDF booklet
July 11	New Web Site Helps Corporate Aviation Locate Contract Pilots (Press Release Newswire)
July 11	DHS Seeks Second Data Center (Washington Technology)
July 11	FAA's Airspace Flow Program Information (PrimeZone Newswire)
July 11	From Software Define Radio to Cognitive Radio Enabling interoperability and Real-Time Situational Awareness - PDF document (Federal Computer Week Defense)
July 11	FAA to hold meeting on spaceport in Brazoria County - Kyle, TX (KLTV)
July 12	Security to be tested at PATH station (NorthJersey.com)
July 12	New Center to Combat Identity Theft (Federal Computer Week Security)
July 13	Homeland Security Tests Mobile Alert System (Tech News World)
July 14	FAA system may reduce flight delays (Orlando Sentinel)
July 14	New Google portal delves into gov sites (Federal Computer Week E-Government) = http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
July 15	U.S. and Russia Will Police Nuclear Terrorists (The New York Times)
July 15	FAA: Airspace Flow Program Will Save $900 Million Over Ten Years (Flight Tech Online)
July 16	Homeland Security slowness criticized (AZCentral.com)
July 17	Hurricane Aid Flowing Directly to Homeowners *(The New York Times)*
July 17	Air Show Advertising Teams Up with CAP (PRWeb)
July 17	AIG Private Client Group Launches the First-Ever Hurricane Insurance Plan (Business Wire)
July 17	DHS Updates Emergency Preparedness Website (Yahoo! News)
July 17	New MiG-290VT exhibited at Farnborough Air Show (UK) (RNA Novosti)
July 18	Beaumont to redesign terminal using FAA money (Beaumont Enterprise)
July 18	DHS official urges personal preparadness (Des Moines Register)
July 18	DHS to Send Radio Interoperability Sets to ICs (Business Wire)
July 19	DHS, FBI chiefs visit Canada, urge vigilance (Chicago Sun-Times)
July 20	ABC's 9/11 docudrama offers reality check on homeland security (Los Angeles Daily News)
July 20	ABC to air 6-hour 9/11 docudrama miniseries starting September 10 (ABC Network News)
July 20	DOT, DHS to test ID cards at ports this week (Washington Technology)
July 20	National infrastructure protection plan falls short (Washington Technology)
July 20	DHS, DOJ update National Info Exchange Model (Federal Computer Week)
July 20	FAA makes progress on satellite communications (Federal Computer Week)
July 20	Future force is on the move - Tomorrow's well-appointed warrior (Military & Aerospace Electronics)
July 20	Army funds development of UltraCell micro fuel cell system (Military & Aerospace Electronics)
July 20	Current military operations may slow SATCOM development (Military & Aerospace Electronics)
July 21	ARCHER System Used for 1st time in SAR mission - Boise, ID (KTVB)
July 22	New Orleans, Getting Less Power, May Pay More *(The New York Times)*
July 23	Flying in the dark (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
July 23	eFlyBook(TM): The World's First Paperless Chart Device (Business Wire)
July 23	Communications gap hurts security (Buffalo News)
July 23	West Texas spaceport plans moving forward (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
July 23	Details emerge on private spaceport plans (Houston Chronicle)
July 24	Eyes in the sky (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
July 24	GSA to seek Smart Card for Social Security services (Washington Technology)
July 24	Among Elderly Evacuees, a Strong Desire to Return Home, but Nowhere to Go *(The New York Times)*
July 24	How to Avoid Airport Waits - Website reveals air traffic controllers' secrets! (Federal Computer Week)
July 25	Honda enters small-jet fray (The Detroit News)
July 26	Honda to ally with Piper on microjets (The Detroit News)
July 26	Fortress Technologies launches integrated wireless solution (Military & Aerospace Electronics)
July 26	Gen Moseley: New long-range bomber on horizon for 2018 (Air Combat Command)
July 26	FAA to certify light, cheap jet (Sky Valley Journal)
July 26	Governor Blanco updates DHS on Louisiana's preparedness (Bayou Buzz)
July 27	Fatigue in the cockpit (USA Today)
July 27	West Texas wide open to spaceport vision (The Houston Chronicle)
July 27	In Texas, Conditions Lead to a Rabble of Butterflies *(The New York Times)*
July 27	Honda Ready To Manufacture Jets! (Pattaya Daily News)
July 27	FAA OK’s Eclipse 500 (KOB-TV)
July 27	New Radio Enhances F-15 Capability (Air Force Link)
July 28	Eclipse Aviation Launches Jet, Press Releases (Helium Report)
July 28	Quiet Supersonic Transport: Private Mach 1.6 Travel by 2013? (Gizmodo)
July 29	Mini Jets To be Certified For Flight By The FAA (All Headline News)
July 29	US on track to tighten port security at end-2006 (ABC News)
July 30	Military academy proposed for ex-school - New CAP-sponsored school in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
July 30	Van Horn welcomes spaceport (San Antonio Express)
July 30	Carroll Senior High to offer homeland-security course (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
July 30	Despite a City’s Hopes, an Uneven Repopulation - New Orleans (The New York Times)

June 30	Homeland Security Certifies Maquiladora for Border Traffic (Texas Civil Rights Review)
June 30	Homeland Security Secretary Pushes Tighter Border Security (Voice of America, USA)
July 1st	Plane forced to land in Beaumont hay field - TX mishap. (Beaumont Enterprise)
July 3rd	Keeping the flag's colors bright - CAP in Lake Tahoe, NV (Tahoe Bonanza)
July 3rd	Plane crashes near Owasso; 1 dead - Owasso, OK (KTEN NBC)
July 4	FAA probing collision alarm on flight bound for O'Hare (Chicago Sun-Times)
July 4	Avid aviation memorabilia collector shares a piece of history - Topeka, KS (49abcnews.com)
July 5	National Aviation Hall of Fame Saves Its Enshrinement Dinner - WW II Ace David Lee "Tex" Hill is inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. TX435 (San Marcos, Group V) is named after him. (Aero-News Network)
July 5	Civil Air Patrol cadets at Little Rock camp this week (Texarkana Gazette)
July 5	Chicago Runs Up Quite A Tab Fighting $33K FAA Fine (Aero-News Network)
July 6	Lawyer says D/FW lied to get grants (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
July 6	DHS looks to Collin County for IT Solutions Plano, TX (Inside Collin County Business)
July 7	Model presented to Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs, CA (The Desert Sun)
July 7	DHS to screen PATH station - Improved subway security (NorthJersey.com)
July 7	White Pine CS CAP cadets tour Hill AFB - Ely, NV (Ely Daily Times)
July 8	Civil Air Patrol will comb skies - Seymour, IN (Seymour Daily Tribune)
July 8	Port security gets overlooked - Poughkeepsie, NY (Poughkeepsie Journal)
July 8	WV Civil Air Patrol Kicks off Summer Encampment (WVNS-TV)
July 9	Founder of Armed Forces Museum dies Alton, IL (Alton Telegraph)
July 9	Judge asks DHS for help on illegal immigration - Centre County, PA (Centre Daily Times)
July 10	CAF cadets take flight in Texas - Six CAP cadets fly high (Odessa American)
July 11	Plane crashes in Georgetown backyard (Austin American-Statesman)
July 11	From Holloman to Hollywood, Transformers make movie magic (AF Today)
July 12	CAP squadron organizing in area - Socorro, NM (El Defensor Chieftain)
July 12	Georgetown plane crash survivor recalls thinking, 'fight' (Austin American-Statesman)
July 13	Model Rockets to Fly Over Salt Flats (KSL-TV)
July 14	Flying start to summer for UK Air Cadets (Selkirk Weekend Advertiser)
July 14	Heavy Equipment, nor Airplane Debris, Blamed For Damage To Cary Home (NBC-17, Raleigh)
July 15	Gallup Raptors Soar Local CAP Squadron Wins National Honors - Gallup, NM (Gallup Independent)
July 16	US Homeland Security urges heightened vigilance (Reuters)
July 17	For those who have sons, little brothers, or grandsons... (Sent in by an anonymous contributor)
July 18	Brainy Robots Start Stepping Into Daily Life *(The New York Times)*
July 18	Louisiana Tests its DHS Portable Emergency Radio System (Bayou Buzz)
July 19	20-year-old pilot the 'baby face' of union - Fort Collins, CO (The Coloradoan)
July 19	Farnborough — Where IT meets Top Gun (Information Week)
July 20	Ball of ice not so nice - Rockford, IL (Rockford Register Star)
July 20	Investigators look into Louisiana plane crash (2TheAdvocate)
July 22	Flying through time: Rare WWII bomber to appear at EAA AirVenture (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
July 22	Exhibit features WWII co-pilot (Akron Beacon Journal)
July 23	Balloon launch helps cadet program take flight - MOWG article (Fulton Sun)
July 23	ILLINOIS STYLE: Group provides scholarships for young pilots (Belleville News-Democrat)
July 24	Restored fighter jet crashes, 1 killed (Houston Chronicle) \|\| Pilot dies in crash (Hickory Daily Record) \|\| Jet mishap kills 1 in Hickory (The Charlotte Observer)
July 25	Educator departs to cheers, tears - One school's loss, CAP National's gain (Montgomery Advertiser)
July 26	World's Biggest Aviation Event (Live Science)
July 26	Golfing in the dark - Zany CAP ingenuity at work! (Big Bear Grizzly)
July 27	Earning an air of authority - CAP cadet in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Aug 1, 1907	The Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, forerunner of U.S. Air Force, is established.
Aug 8, 1908	At Camp d'Auvours, France, Wilbur Wright surpasses French flight records for duration, distance and altitude.
Aug 2, 1909	After tests, the Army accepts its first airplane, a Military Flyer, bought from the Wright Brothers for $25,000, plus $5,000 bonus because the machine exceeds the speed requirement of 40 mph.
Aug 23, 1909	At the world's first major air meet, held in Rheims, France, Glenn Curtiss becomes the first American to claim the recognized speed record by flying at 43.385 mph in his biplane, "Golden Flyer." He narrowly beats Louis Blériot to win the Gordon Bennett Cup.
Aug 25, 1909	Land for the first Signal Corps airfield is leased at College Park, Md.
Aug 20, 1910	Army Lt. Jacob Fickel fires a .30-caliber Springfield rifle at the ground while flying as a passenger in a Curtiss biplane over Sheepshead Bay Track near New York, N.Y. This is the first time a military firearm has been discharged from an airplane.
Aug 27, 1910	James McCurdy, in a Curtiss biplane, sends and receives messages on the first air-to-ground radio, using an H.M. Horton wireless set. A similar event occurs on an unknown date the same year when Elmo Pickerill sends what is claimed to be the first air-to-ground telegraph during a flight from Mineola to Manhattan Beach, New York.
Aug 25, 1914	Stephen Banic, a coal miner in Greenville, Pa., is issued a patent for a workable parachute design.
Aug 26, 1914	The first air battle of World War I on the eastern front takes place. Staff Capt Petr Nikolaevich Nesterov records the first aerial ramming in combat. He did not survive the event.
Aug 2, 1918	The 135th Corps Observation Squadron makes its first wartime patrol in U.S.-assembled DH-4s powered by American-made Liberty engines.
Aug 23, 1919	The Vincent Burnelli-designed Lawson C-2 Air-Line is test-flown by Charles Cox and Alfred Lawson as America's first commercial aircraft created specifically for carrying passengers in luxury and comfort.
Aug 29, 1929	The Graf Zeppelin, a rigid airship (or dirigible), completes a historic flight around the world that includes a nonstop leg from Friedrichshafen, Germany to Tokyo, Japan — a distance of almost 7,000 miles. The airship was 100 feet in diameter and 110 feet high, including the gondola bumpers. During its operating life from 1928 to 1937, the Graf Zeppelin made 590 flights, covering more than a million miles. A total of 13,100 passengers were carried without a single injury.
Aug 18, 1932	James A. Mollison, a British pilot, flies a de Havilland Puss Moth from Portmarnock, Ireland, to Pennfield, New Brunswick, Canada, in the first westbound transatlantic solo.
Aug 25, 1932	Amelia Earhart, in a Lockheed Vega 5B, is the first female to complete a nonstop transcontinental solo flight. She covers the 2,448-mile route from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 19 hours, 15 minutes. She sets three records for women flyers: the first non-stop U.S. crossing, the longest distance record, and a coast-to-coast record time.
Aug 24, 1939	The Heinkel He 178 is the first airplane to fly with a jet engine. German engineer Hans von Ohain developed the HeS 38 jet engine that powers the airplane at 400 miles per hour.
Aug 1, 1943	Staging from Benghazi, 177 Army Ninth Air Force B-24s drop 311 tons of bombs from low level on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, during Operation Tidal Wave. Forty-nine aircraft are lost, and seven others land in Turkey. This is the first large-scale, minimum altitude attack by AAF heavy bombers on a strongly defended target. It is also the longest major bombing mission to date in terms of distance from base to target.
Aug 20, 1975	First spacecraft to operate on the surface of Mars, Viking 1, begins its 10-month journey to Mars. After entering Mars orbit, the spacecraft orbiter conducted photographic surveys of the planet's surface to assist in the search for safe landing sites. Viking 1 landed on July 20, 1976.
Aug 20, 1982	Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya is the first woman on a space station.

The first jet-powered vehicle was not an airplane but a 1932 boat designed and built by Italian engineer Secondo Campini, who demonstrated it in Venice. He later teamed with the Caproni factory to build the 1940 Campini-Caproni CC-2, the world's second jet airplane to take to the air.

The F-86 Sabre Jet (US, 1948), the MiG 15 (USSR, 1949), and the Pulqui II (Argentina, 1950) were all "step-children" of the German Focke-Wulf factory. With an "advanced jet fighter" design in their head, soon after WW II, German engineers helped design and build the MiG 15 in Russia. Others came to the US and greatly influenced the F-86's design. In Argentina, Kurt Tank, former Director of the Focke-Wulf factory, built the Pulqui II in the Cordoba Aircraft Factory, not knowing that the other two planes were also being developed.

The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was safely de-orbited and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on June 4, 2000. Any pieces that survived landed in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.

It's windy on Saturn, where around the planet's equator they can reach 1,118 miles (1,800 km) per hour. In comparison, the fastest winds on Earth reach only about 250 miles (400 km) per hour.

Four days after launching, the Deep Space 1 spacecraft was about 600,000 miles (1,000,000 km) from Earth. To cover that distance in a commercial jet, you would have to fly for 6 weeks without stopping.

Although other planets have rings too, Saturn's are the only ones visible from Earth — even with a small telescope.

To communicate with distant spacecraft, NASA's Deep Space Network uses antennae with a diameter of up to 230 ft (70 m). That is almost as long as a football field.

Saturn, the "Ringed Planet," is so far away from the Sun that it receives only about 1/80th the amount of sunlight that we receive on Earth. Yes, the Sun appears much smaller from there.

It's a small world. More than 1,000 Earths would fit into Jupiter's vast sphere.

Scientists are particularly interested in Saturn's moon Titan because it is one of the few known moons with its own dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is also thought to be very similar to what Earth's was a long time ago. By learning about Titan, we'll learn about our own planet.

When the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft arrives at Saturn, it will be traveling so fast that engineers will need to burn the spacecraft's engines for 97 minutes just to slow it down. If mission engineers don't do this, the spacecraft would keep on going, instead of entering the orbit around Saturn.

A penumbral eclipse is the outer shadow in a zone where the Earth blocks part, but not all, of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, and casts a shadow on the Earth's surface.

VA puts gravesite maps online (Federal Computer Week)