I am excited to announce additional staff changes within Group III.

Effective Immediately, Capt Eric Martin will assume the role of Group III Chief of Staff.

Sometime near the end of January, the Dallas Composite Squadron will undergo a change of command. Capt Eric Martin, the current commander, will immediately begin transitioning command duties to 1st Lt Brendan Goss, with the formal command change occurring in January. As part of Lt Goss' s transition to command of the Dallas Squadron, he has given up his duties as Group III Flight Operations Officer, effective at this time.

Both of these individuals have shown exceptional commitment to CAP and to our missions, and I look forward to their continuing success in their new roles. Please join me in congratulating both of them.

While this transition of responsibilities has filled one position on Group Staff, is has created another. Anyone interested in serving as the Group III Flight Operations Officer should contact Maj Laurie Lancaster and Lt Col Owen Younger.

Our beloved Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt has accepted the position of Texas Wing Chaplain, which had been briefly vacant as a result of Chaplain (Lt Col) Nancy Smalley's acceptance of her new post at Southwest Region. Rather than abandoning Group III, Ch. Whitt has now embraced all of Texas Wing. A larger flock is his.

So for this month, since a replacement for Ch. Whitt has not been found, I've selected a message written by U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Charles Bellamy, 50th Space Wing Chapel Service Team, Colorado Springs, CO, on the subject of "What makes a wingman?"

The benefits of micro-miniaturizing electronic components used in designing innovative radio systems are beginning to pay handsome benefits, opening the possibility of bypassing interference, instantly seeking and finding a clear channel, maintaining security protocols, and assuring positive wireless contact at all times. All of it automatically, of course. Called "adaptive wireless networking," it constitutes a major breakthrough in radio net technology.

Not too long ago, the vagaries of radio communications could produce startling results. This writer was on military maneuvers in the field when the major headquarters' radio net was disrupted by some rather picturesque language, coming in at a very high volume and with notable clarity. The chatter severely curtailed the subordinate units' ability to communicate and coordinate operations with their headquarters. As the person responsible for the Net Control Station, I cut in and cautioned the intruder that he was transmitting on a reserved military frequency. "Buddy," was his immediate reply, "go take a hike. I'm jus' makin' a livin' – if yah don' like, lump it." It turned out that his taxicab company's radio channel (in Boston, no less) had neatly piped the cabbie's transmission not just to his Boston dispatcher but also to Fort Hood, TX.

Anyone who's worked with two-way radios for some time has had similar experiences. Most are comical, but at times they can be highly disruptive and seriously harmful. The basic principle behind adaptive wireless networking is the creation of a wireless computer network that maintains seamless data transmission (voice, images, or any other digital signal) without being restricted to a set channel. Instead, a range of frequencies are made available and, within that range, any transmitter finds the channel that works best, and all receivers adapt to this change – for all practical purposes, instantly, without any loss in the data stream.

Civil Air Patrol units are currently testing this kind of equipment, which is surprisingly small, efficient, and relatively inexpensive. Last summer, fielding was limited to Region level, but it is expected that it will eventually trickle down to the smallest squadron or independent flight participating in a CAP mission. The immediate payback is that other agencies fitted with similar equipment will be able to communicate with CAP units no matter how bad the sun spots happen to be on that day, or how much radio traffic there might be on the net. Radio communications being what they are, some channels are heavily used, while others lie idle for long periods of time. This equipment is designed to evenly distribute the traffic load across the allowable spectrum.

This link to an article published in Network World is an interesting update on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's efforts to develop a rugged, inexpensive, and reliable hand-set (price point: $500.00) capable of keeping every unit, no matter how small, linked to the command channel. Fielding this equipment is expected to improve operations and save American lives in the battlefield. The same technology, used for civilian emergency response, would help manage field assets, speed assistance to the stricken, ease communication between the sorties and the Incident Command Post, and shorten the time to recovery.

November 9, 2007 – WASHINGTON – At a time when wounds and memories of a long and bitterly protested war were still open and raw; when veterans were treated as villains instead of heroes, Army veteran Jan Scruggs conceived the idea of building a memorial to honor those who served in Vietnam.

     Facing more opposition than support, those who believed in the vision saw it through to the end. Tuesday marks the 25th anniversary of the realization of that vision: the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. The Memorial is today a symbol of healing for some, and an affirmation of valor and sacrifice for others.

To carry out his vision, Mr. Scruggs called on several fellow veterans, including Mr. John Wheeler, who served as a staff officer at Headquarters U.S. Army Vietnam.

"Jan was wounded in Vietnam, and as he lay near death in the jungle, he prayed and said that if he survived he wanted to do 'something useful,'" said Mr. Wheeler, special assistant to the secretary of the Air Force. "Years later, after watching a movie that reminded him of fellow soldiers from his platoon who had been killed in Vietnam, he began pitching the idea of building a memorial with the names of all who were missing or killed in the war."

Robert Doubek, a lawyer and former Air Force officer, helped Mr. Scruggs incorporate the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund. "From its inception, the memorial faced strong opposition and skepticism," Mr. Wheeler said.

     "Jan held a press conference and said he wanted to raise a million dollars to build the memorial," said Mr. Wheeler. "I first heard about it on the news when a reporter said he'd only raised $144.50. When I saw the wry smile on that news reporter's face, I had to give Jan a call. He came to visit me, and I told him, 'You can do this. There are people who will help make this happen.' And that's when he asked me to be chairman of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund."

From there came the work of deciding on the memorial's design. The solution was a competition where more than 1,400 designs were submitted and judged by a panel of artists and designers selected by the Memorial Fund. The winning design came from a student at Yale University, Maya Ying Lin.

"I saw the winning design, and felt that the winner, Maya Ying Lin, had a great gift. I thought it was a work of genius," Mr. Wheeler said. "Many, including some veterans, did not agree. Even some who had been major supporters of the memorial from the beginning disliked the design, and there was a huge controversy."

     With memories of the war so fresh in the minds of many Americans, fundraising was slow and opposition high. However, the controversy surrounding the design bred publicity.

"Our opponents came at us as hard as they could, and they made the country pay attention. The fierce fight created a flow of funds, awareness and clarity. We quickly raised the $12 million needed to build the memorial." said Mr. Wheeler. "The opponents put the wall on the map. For that, I'm grateful."

The wall was built in three short years. On November 13, 1982, it opened in Washington D.C. near the Lincoln Memorial, before a crowd of 150,000 people. "When the memorial was built, we began to realize the impact and beauty of what had been created," Mr. Wheeler said.

Today, there are 58,256 names inscribed on the memorial, including 2,583 Airmen. The names begin at the vertex where the walls meet and continue to the end of the east wall, toward the Washington Monument. They resume at the beginning of the west wall and end at the vertex.

"The names are arranged first chronologically by the casualty date, and alphabetically within the date," said Mr. Wheeler, "So, when you go from a name like Young to a name like Andrews, the sun has gone down and then risen on a new day in Vietnam."

The wall also reflects the jointness that military services have displayed in combat for decades. Names of members from the Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Army are listed together within the same casualty date.

     "Men killed within the same fight are all displayed within the touch of one hand," Mr. Wheeler explained. "If an Air Force officer flying a Skyraider was killed bringing in a strike, he is listed on the same day with the men he was trying to save. It shows an equality of service and sacrifice."

"On the other hand, when people visit the wall and see their own reflection in that black granite, and they touch the names of people who were killed in a fight that they might have been killed in, there's great power in that; and there's healing," Mr. Wheeler continued. "A pilot can go to a day when he knows he was in a fight and see the names of those he was supporting. While he knows these are members who were killed that day, he also knows there are a lot of names that are not on that wall. The Air Force played a major part in keeping names off the wall."

"Several current Air Force and defense leaders are part of the Vietnam veteran legacy responsible for keeping names off the wall," Mr. Wheeler said. "As a young officer, our Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne was busy with a team at the Air Force Academy putting the first 105 mm guns on the AC-130 gunships that flew over North Vietnam. They made life really rough for the bad guys," he said. "Tragically, Secretary Wynne's own brother, Patrick, was killed in an F-4 over Vietnam."

"Also, the Air Force chief of chaplains Maj. Gen. Charles Baldwin, as a rescue helicopter pilot during Vietnam; kept names off the wall. Deputy chief of staff of personnel Lt. Gen. Roger Brady and Pentagon comptroller official Dave Patterson flew forward air controller missions, which we call the angels on the soldiers' shoulders," said Mr. Wheeler. "Retired Air Force Col. Robert Carter, the fund's executive director, and Terry O'Donnell, a 1966 Air Force Academy graduate, also did some very heavy lifting. Both are Vietnam Vets. Senators John Warner and Charles Mathias were key supporters of the memorial as well."

"Our supporters believed in the mission and stayed with us all the way. They made all the difference," he said.

"The wall speaks to the present as much as to the past," Mr. Wheeler said. Almost daily, sons and daughters who have followed in their parents' footsteps and answered the call of military service visit the memorial. "They are saying, 'Dad, I'm heading to combat,' or, 'Dad, I'm home,'" he added.

"The men and women who serve in today's military and fight today's war ensure the legacy of those whose names are on the wall lives on," Mr. Wheeler said. "I'm so grateful for the privilege of having been a part of the building of the wall. It's a privilege for a trooper to ask an officer for help, and that's what Jan did. He trusted me with his dream, and we got it done."

(Photos Copyright (C) Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall.)

Civil Air Patrol Leaders Die in Plane Crash, 9 November

Pacific Region director of operations, Nevada Wing commander en route to Rosamond, Calif.

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. – Two nationally recognized and highly regarded members of the Civil Air Patrol – Col. Edwin W. Lewis Jr., director of operations for CAP’s Pacific Region, and Col. Dion E. DeCamp, commander of CAP’s Nevada Wing – died on the  evening of Thursday, 8 November, when their CAP plane crashed south of Las Vegas.

Lewis had traveled to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to drop off a CAP airplane to be used as an air show display. When the crash occurred, he and DeCamp were apparently en route to Rosamond, Calif., Lewis’ hometown.

Lewis and DeCamp had enjoyed long and distinguished careers, both in the U.S. Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the Air Force. Most recently, both men were actively involved in the search for legendary American aviator Steve Fossett.

Lewis, 71, had served in the Civil Air Patrol for more than 50 years. He was a former national vice commander, elected in August 1993. He served in that capacity for one year. Before that, he served as Pacific Region commander for four years. He also was California Wing commander from 1978 to 1982.

Lewis was both a CAP and USAF command pilot with more than 28,000 flight hours.

He retired from Pan Am as a commercial airline pilot in 1989 to become a research pilot with NASA. Since 1997, he worked at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where he instructed in four aircraft – C-12, C-20A, DC-8 and T-34C – supporting NASA-Dryden flight test programs. He also was the center’s aviation safety officer.

Lewis’ military awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and others, many awarded multiple times. His CAP awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Exceptional and Meritorious Service Awards, Gill Rob Wilson Award, the Search and Rescue ribbon, and others.

He is married to the former Midge Chrestenson. They have two adult sons, Eric and Steven.

Lewis was a region advisor for the Fossett search.

DeCamp, 73, of Reno, Nev., has been commander of the Nevada Wing since 2003. Most recently, he led the wing’s initial search efforts for Fossett, who disappeared on Labor Day during a solo flight in Nevada. The search for Fossett, who has yet to be found, was the largest in the Civil Air Patrol’s modern-day history.

DeCamp is married to CAP Lt. Col. E.J. Smith, who also served as search Incident Commander during the Fossett mission. He is survived by a son, Michael, and two daughters, Kristin and Gayle, all adults.

Col. DeCamp joined CAP in 1994 having served as Nevada Wing director of operations, vice commander, representative to the Nevada state SAR Board and Pacific Region director of operations training before becoming Nevada Wing commander.

DeCamp was a CAP and USAF command pilot with more than 27,000 flight hours, and was retired from the California Air National Guard. He served in Vietnam and flew C-130 missions worldwide. In 1994 he retired from American Airlines as a Captain.

The cause of Thursday evening’s crash is unknown at this time. A full investigation of the crash by the National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to begin this morning.

“The CAP family is deeply saddened by this tremendous loss,” said Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP interim national commander. “There were no finer members than Col. DeCamp and Col. Lewis. Their illustrious volunteer service, which collectively spanned more than seven decades, touched innumerable lives and now, in sorrow, consoles those left behind as a testament to their dedication and commitment to the citizens of their respective communities.”

The Civil Air Patrol was founded on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. Today, CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 105 lives in fiscal year 2007.

In addition to their search and rescue duties, CAP volunteers perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Members also play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 22,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program.

My InBox is an interesting place, where much junk, some important messages, and the occasional pearl lie in a helter-skelter gathering (or rather they're thrown in) simply by date/time of arrival. When I got the article below, I was impressed. C/2d Lt Zachary Whiteley is a perceptive and honest narrator, who makes you feel as if you were there. He is candid to a fault, and careful to give credit where credit is due. Part of this is thanks to his training, since he is the Gregg County's Composite Squadron's cadet commander. But it also comes natural to him.

Home schooled, he is affable and speaks well. The first time he and I had a talk, he expressed an interest in the AF Academy. In a later conversation, he said, "I want to leave my options open." Intent on career progression, he meant to attend the fall Cadet Officer Training Course, but his scheduling wouldn't permit it. He is definite in wanting to take this CAP course in the spring of 2008.

Cdt Whiteley's main hobby involves working with his hands, since he likes to build and fly model airplanes. He also likes to sing (he's a bass), and has recently joined a mixed choir that is not church-affiliated. He hopes it will fulfill his expectations for personal expression and group work. Membership in the Civil Air Patrol has made him deeply aware of the importance of team work, as well as order, discipline, and safety. If he had to pick a career today, he leans towards Security Forces. Since he is 16 years old, he has two years to decide, and in the meantime he intends to round off his high school education by taking courses at the local community college.

"I have an article that one of our cadets wrote," said to me 2d Lt Tracy Hollinshead, the Gregg County CS PAO. "Send it to me, please," was my reply. As a rule, I first meet my writers through their work, and this was no exception. C/MSgt Andrew Shea's writing has a quality of intimacy and personal involvement that is hard to find in someone age 16. His story line develops effortlessly, his sentences are clear, and his observations are appropriate for his age. Actually, they are entirely acceptable for a person of any age. Someone must have told him, "It isn't nice to brag," and he believed it. But what was he to do when he wanted to report that he'd won the top spot at a CAP school? His solution was simple enough, he wrote his article in the third person. No mean feat for someone age 16, let me tell you. He attends a local Christian academy, where he has learned his writing skills. They are definitely superior.

Cdt Shea is a member of the Gregg County CS, the same as C/2d Lt Whiteley, and they plan to work together, under the direction of Lt Hollinshead.

What is he like? His interests include music (he plays several instruments), reading, and sports. Cdt Shea plays the piano (classical) and his favorite composer is Frederic Chopin. "A lot of left hand," I said, and he replied, "And how!" We had a nice conversation about this unique composer, his times, and how large a contribution to music he made, at a time of astonishing European musical development. He performs regularly at religious services. He also plays the bass guitar and enjoys making "other" music.

Cdt Shea plays soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf. I said to him, "When I was your age, I played both basketball and tennis, but I found it very hard to go from one to the other right away. Is it the same with you?" With a candid laugh, he agreed that it wasn't easy to go from a big ball to a little ball, and vice-versa.

Since he is a sophomore, the Gregg County Composite Squadron can reasonably expect that he'll be there a little over two years. So I look forward to receiving and publishing more of his writing. Welcome, Cdt Shea. The Group III PAO Cadet Program is that much the richer for your having joined us.

And Here's a Third Member of the Gregg County CS

C/SSgt Kayla Cassel is a good team player, and a true believer in the CAP Cadet Program. She is an accomplished cross-country runner, keeps herself fit as a matter of course, and likes to read. When her PAO suggested that she write an article covering an event in which she had participated, she hesitated and nearly declined, but finally took the plunge. And I'm so very glad that she did. Her work appears below.

Cdt Cassel is also a self-starter who notices when something needs doing. She saw that her squadron's bathroom could use a little sprucing up, so she asked permission to give it a try. Naturally, the answer was, "Yes, of course; go right ahead." Someone had repaired a few bad spots with plaster, so Cdt Cassel sanded the surface down, got some paint that was lying around her home, and painted the walls with loving care. It now looks much better than before.

She is also big on community service. The Town of Hallsville, TX thought it would be a good idea to have a Fun Run. Cdt Cassel (15 years old), organized, advertised, and wanted to run in (her trainer wouldn't let her) a 5K course, raising some much-needed funds for a good cause. But aviation is her secret love, which is what brought her to the Civil Air Patrol in the first place. She has already achieved solo status thanks to private flying lessons she took in Florida, and is working towards her FAA Class III license.

I am delighted to welcome her to the Group III Cadet PAO Program, and look forward to more of her work. Congratulations, Cdt Cassel.

A Young Surprise Comes My Way

I get the article and read it. It's solidly written, well presented, and it borders on erudite. The subject is highly technical, but the writer sounds as if he knows the subject matter well. So I look him up for basic information and his contact phone number. C/A1C Christian Nelson is a revelation. He is 14 years old, obviously pays attention in class, and has presented the complexity of helicopter controls and flying with such assurance that I would have believed him to be a helicopter pilot himself. Well, he isn't, and that's where the surprise started to come in.

Picky editor that I am, I phoned the lecturer that Cdt Nelson was quoting, CW4 Frank Badder, a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot. After I told him who I was, he said that he remembered the class very well. "You know, it was something else," he said. "The cadets sat through the presentation without moving a hair. They were sitting at attention, practically. I wonder whether I bored them to death." I chuckled at that and read the article to him. After a pause, "Did he write that?" asked Mr. Badder in disbelief. "Yes, indeed. It's his work. Is it OK?" Mr. Badder was stunned by it, and more so when I told him that Cdt Nelson is 14 years old. "And did the cadets like my talk?" he asked me. My reply was simple, "Now they all want to be helicopter pilots." Mr. Badder was delighted, then we went over the article slowly and he caught a couple of minor technical mistakes.

Cdt Nelson is home schooled, and since his mother was born in Germany, he speaks German with a very creditable accent. He likes to read, plays the acoustic guitar (blues and jazz), and is active in sports. "What kind of books do you like to read?" I asked. He prefers books with a purpose, rather than just escapist fantasies or mysteries. In fact, to my surprise, he's already read George Orwell's "Animal Farm." His father is an acoustics consultant who specializes on removing sound interference at the source. Cdt Nelson promised to write more often, and I look forward to editing his efforts.

The Apollo Composite Squadron is lucky to have so many talented cadets who can write, and are willing to do so. And I am happy to welcome Cdt Nelson as the newest member of the Group III Cadet PAO Program.