Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Feedback and Trust

I thank you for sharing this feedback with me and the Group III Staff. We are here to serve you, not dictate to you. Please help us serve you better.

Lt Col Owen Younger, Commander

Tertia semper primoris

CAP's Non-Discrimination Policy

CAPR 36-2 requires that commanders at all level brief members once a year on CAP's non-discrimination policy. The Acting National Commander's memo on this subject is attached. Please read this communication, follow its advice, and feel free to ask if there's any part of it that you do not understand.

The Civil  Air Patrol is committed to creating a level field for all, no matter what differences might exist between individuals. All that matters is that CAP members have joined to serve the community and help the Civil Air Patrol achieve its national and local objectives. As members of the team, each one of us has a role to play, and none of us is less important than the others.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

A Change of Duty

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Open Group III Staff Positions

Capt Eric Martin, CS

My Little Treo Trick, 19-20 January

1st Lt Ferril Ford, Kittinger Phantom SS (and Capt Arthur E. Woodgate)

Lt Col Brooks Cima, DES

Group III Patch Available

Are you on Group III Staff? Wear the Group III Staff patch proudly. At $5.00 each, they are a bargain and show your commitment to Group III and the CAP program. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

Group III Coins Available      Our mint has delivered a batch of new Group III Commemorative Coins, and you may own as many as you wish, for $10.00 each. They make wonderful gifts for your loved ones ... or even yourself. (Click on the images for larger views of the obverse and reverse.) To purchase either Group III Patches or Group III Coins, please contact Maj Laurie Lancaster - laurielancaster@yahoo.com

Maj Laurie Lancaster, FO

2d Lt Don Gulliksen, HGO

Cutting the High Cost of Hosting a Website

A few years ago, many people thought that the Internet was a passing fad, doomed from the start. Therefore (or so they reasoned), all they had to do was wait and it would go away.

Folks, that's not how it was, and it's a good thing that these doubters didn't hold their breath. The Internet has grown at a much faster pace than many thought possible, and has spawned a whole galaxy of (profitable) businesses totally dependent on it. We, in the Civil Air Patrol, have a membership that, for the most part, would find it extremely difficult to function without the Internet. And, if your squadron wants to make its mark, you've got to have a unit website.

I've heard two main objections to having a website. These are:

1. We have no one on staff capable of designing it, coding it, and maintaining it.

2. Hosting a website is too expensive.

The answer to question #1 is easy. Your Group III ITO will be happy to design you a website that you can populate with your data. It will be simple to maintain, attractive, and useful. Just ask and it'll be yours. And if you don't know how to maintain it and upload the pages, I'll be glad to show you. But you've got to make a date and come to Dripping Springs, TX, the self-proclaimed Gateway to the Hill Country, near Austin.

Now, moving right along, let's deal with question #2. It's amazing how much you learn by signing up to and following the threads in a professional listserv. Recently I learned that Dreamhost – http://www.dreamhost.com/ – has a free-for-life deal for hosting non-profit organizations. And CAP, by definition, is non-profit, since we're all volunteers. Just contact them and ask them.

If you have any more questions, or would like some help, please contact me. As the webmaster, my e-mail address is at the bottom of every page on this website.

Arthur E. Woodgate, ITO

1st Lt Vanessa Smith, PDO
 tx438pdo@yahoo.com

Mesquite Blacksheep Raises A New Voice...

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Group III PAO

Texas Wing Winter Encampment, 26-31 December

CAMP SWIFT, TX – Texas Wing had held many encampments before, but this one was special – and also innovative. No, they didn’t teach anything different, nor was the routine altered significantly. The differences lay below the surface, unnoticed by the cadet basics who, the same as those who had come before, suffered the stress and tumult of what – to them – seemed like ultra fast, barely organized chaos.

The seeds for the changes introduced this time had been planted months – even years – before, when the top cadet leadership began to argue in favor of a cadet-planned and cadet-organized encampment, not just a cadet-led activity. This cadet dream became a reality with the 2007 Winter Encampment. The participants came from all over Texas Wing, as well as from other Wings as far as Colorado and Florida, North Carolina and Vermont.

Starting in September 2007, the selected Cadet Commander and his cadet staff had started assembling the many administrative and logistic details that would be needed to run a successful encampment. They had done this on their own, and that is what they unveiled on the first day of encampment. Following the usual curriculum was not difficult, since they had worked many previous encampments already, and they had the hands-on part down pat.

Were the cadets successful? Yes, they were. Were they perfect? No, they were not, but few human endeavors ever are. The cadet basics, unaware of what was going on, had no idea that this particular encampment would test not only them, but also their cadet leaders. And, overall, both trainees and trainers succeeded admirably.

The cadets were not without supervision, but the adult participants were designated as “mentors” rather than supervisors. These adults were given the specific job of advising, counseling, and avoiding any unsafe activity, leaving the implementation to the cadet leaders themselves.

There were some areas that, through necessity, needed adult-only leadership and action. The Chaplain, for instance, could not be substituted by a cadet. The medical officer, given the specialized training required, also needed to be a licensed adult. The range officer had to a certified instructor himself, and no cadet can achieve that rating. And public affairs, by CAP regulations, had to be in the hands of a qualified adult. But these were the exceptions, not the rule.

In conjunction with the basic encampment, Texas Wing ran an Advanced Training Squadron (ATS), using a curriculum designed to train the trainers of tomorrow. Cadets who had already attended a basic encampment – and had demonstrated a desired level of proficiency and maturity certified at the squadron level – were gathered in a squadron divided into two flights, with each flight divided into two sections.

The ATS participants got a first-hand view at the complexities hidden behind the simple routine of the cadet basics’ daily life. The study and understanding of this view was their homework, which they needed to describe, practice and suggest improvements to. In the process, they were required to maintain a very high level of achievement themselves.

“A leader cannot lead from behind” was said and repeated often. If the cadet basics did Physical Training (PT), ATS students had to do “Extreme PT” in order to reach a higher level of strength, agility and endurance. It was the same with learning. If the cadet basics had to study their lessons as individuals, ATS students had to figure out how to motivate others to carry out a given task. The leadership effort required increased as the given tasks became more demanding and complex.

The Basic Encampment progressed just like any other, enjoying the usual dry weather than comes with early winter in Central Texas. The National Guard facility used for this encampment is set in a pleasant wooded campus, but the buildings were showing their age. In some, the heating didn’t work, so they couldn’t be used for billets, given the weather at that time of year. However, there were enough working buildings to house all, an arrangement far better than operating out of tents.

As he did during the 2007 Summer Encampment, Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt offered a short devotional in the evening, just before lights-out. This was one of the few opportunities for relaxation given to the cadet basics. A number of ATS students, who had been cadet basics themselves a few months before in the summer encampment, also chose to attend this voluntary activity.

As always, within a very short time, the members of each flight developed a sense of belonging, and learned to trust each other. The spirit of team work became commonplace, as cadets relied on one another to do the right thing. Some were not up to the high level of accomplishment required of them, but they got help from those around them. This is how enduring friendships are made, and then kept through the years. This is how the team finds its optimum level, and helps the underachiever rise to that level.

Centuries ago, the military started the tradition of Dining In, in full dress uniform, under the most trying of circumstances, even in the wilderness, as a reminder of who they were, and what they needed to accomplish, a ritual held in the valued company of their peers. The Dining Out came later, when spouses were invited and some of the harsher aspects of the proceedings were toned down. The encampment’s Dining In came on the last night, and it broke the ice for many, consolidated friendships, and gave confidence to all. They were united in singleness of purpose.

Click here to see the action and hear the sounds of the 2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment, as created by C/2d Lt Stephen Miller and the Cadet PAO Team. This 15-minute production is in Windows Movie format. This file is 132MB in size; you might want to download it and play it locally, otherwise it'll take a while before it loads enough of it so it can play.

Throughout their stay at encampment, the cadets had practiced their drill and ceremonies daily, preparing to pass in review in front of the reviewing officer, Wing Commander Col Joe R. Smith, and the Encampment Commander, Col R. Frank Eldridge. This always comes at the end of encampment, at noon of the last day. As usual, the cadets did just fine as they filed past the reviewing stand in good order, while their parents watched them proudly from the side.

In some cases, parents had brought tender children to the encampment, yet a mere six days later returned to retrieve them – and found them turning into young men and women. Strenuous activity, heavy tasks, difficult choices have that effect on young persons. Best of all, as they started on their way home, each one thought that the experience had been beneficial. This was a new point of view for many, conceived in their new-found self-sufficiency.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, PAO Mentor

The 2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment in the News, 26-31 December

CAMP SWIFT, TX – The Cadet PAO Team wrote six articles describing what it was like to be at the encampment "at the receiving end." Unless they deal with a major disaster, CAP news are not all that popular with news editors, but this time the papers were charmed by the guileless prose that the cadet PAOs produced. And they published the story.

It is revelatory that although excellent images accompanied each article submission, most papers chucked the pictures and kept the prose – I'm sure it was a matter of space availability, and the words were the best part. Many newspapers run an online extract of the paper, and these show up easily in a Google search. Some of the others that only publish a paper copy have the courtesy of sending the paper to us.

• San Marcos Record - Day 1 – If the link at left fails, here's the saved copy.

• San Marcos Record - Day 3.– If the link at left fails, here's the saved copy.

• San Marcos Record - Day 5.– If the link at left fails, here's the saved copy.

• Tyler Paper - Entire series – If the link at left fails, here's the saved copy.

• Wilson County News - Day 1 (others may appear later) – If the link at left fails, here's the saved copy.

• Targeted News Service - Waco

• And, on 4 January 2008, our very own CAP National News Online, whose editor chose to group all photos under one heading, and present the articles in the plain and candid garb of only their words, paid the young authors the ultimate compliment – publication on a national vehicle:

  • Texas cadets end year with busy Winter Encampment - the entire series, words only.

  • Photos document full range of Texas Wing Winter Encampment activities - the photos (with captions).

• HighBeam - Day 1 -

The second installment came in the mail last week (click on the image at right). I am delighted that the cadets' work is getting published so widely, but then again I don't find this all that surprising. The principles of the job are still unchanged – quality sells.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate

Honor Cadet List, 2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment, 26-31 December

(Photos: 2007 Winter Encampment Cadet PAO Team)

1st Lt Robert Severance III, PAO, Crusader Composite Squadron

Monthly Safety Briefing

Each Squadron is required to provide both a flight safety briefing and a ground safety briefing each month. The Sentinel, the national CAP Safety newsletter, should be briefed as a minimum. Be sure to log it in WMU, too.

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

February Flight Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

February Ground Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

Recurring Reports

Editor

USNA Men's Glee Club to Sing in Waco, 12 March

     The United States Naval Academy MEN’S GLEE CLUB will present their Spring Break 2008 Concert in Waco, Texas on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 7:30 pm in Jones Hall on the campus of Baylor University. The 75-member touring group is traveling through Texas during their 2008 Spring Break and will present their concert in San Antonio, Waco, and Corpus Christi. The concert will be a mix of traditional sea chanteys, patriotic music, favorite religious music, and some new selections.

     Please click here for the program and details. (Tip sent in my Maj Phillip Crawford, Acting Commander, Waco CS)

Editor

Command Chaplain (Col.) Bobby Page, Air Combat Command

Aviation & more

Safety

US Decorations Rack Builder – All military, auxiliary, and civilian decorations

(1st Lt Harold Parks, Commander)

The Squadron in the News, 20 January

    GLADEWATER, TX – The article at left appeared in today's edition of the Longview News-Journal. It is severely abbreviated, but I'm still thrilled that they published it almost verbatim. Since Gladewater is a fairly small community, by now everyone knows where the CAP Squadron is, and unit membership continues to increase. I'm delighted.

(1st Lt Harold Parks, Commander)

My ATS Encampment Experience, 16-31 December

CAMP SWIFT, TX – The best things about Advanced Training Squadron were the experiences that expanded my leadership skills. ATS cadets were split into two flights, and each one into four teams. In these teams, the positions of flight sergeant and flight commander rotated from cadet to cadet so most of us would have the opportunity to experience them. As teams, we were given assignments to improve our knowledge in drilling, customs and courtesies, and how to work and motivate as a team. We had the opportunity to follow Encampment Staff to take notes on what they did, why they did it, and how these applied to CAP regulations. We had classes on how to improve our military bearing, wear our uniform, and properly carry out the duties of all cadet staff positions. Through these tasks and assignments, the teams learned how to become better leaders and team players.

The most challenging thing about ATS was taking lessons taught in the classroom and applying them to the different tasks that the teams were assigned to. For me, there were many hits and misses when it came to applying the different styles of leadership to various situations. But, in the end, I learned which style to use to achieve better results for the team. Also, we had to earn everything from our T-shirts to our shoulder cord. We even had to earn our meals with an impressive cadence or a show of physical strength (actually, we still ate, but the "loser" ate last). At the end, though, I realized that our staff used these actions as a bribe or motivator, without us even knowing it. This was one of the leadership strategies we learned on our second day there, and we are living proof that it works!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

[1] ATS cadets take notes as they follow a Standards and Evaluation Team (SET) member. [2] ATS cadets get ready for motivational PT. [3] Texas Wing Commander Col Joe R. Smith returns the salute as the column passes in review. Next to him, the Encampment Commander (and former Texas Wing Commander) Col R. Frank Eldridge. [4]-[5] ATS students march across the field before passing in review. (Photo #1, C/2d Lt Brandii'ReAnn Davis. Photos #2-3, Cadet PAO Team. Photos #4-5, C/2d Lt Raphael Erie)

The one thing I learned at ATS that I will forever carry with me is how to be a better leader. I was taught a great many things that a leader needs to know in order to be successful. Among them were how to use different leadership styles in different situations, effective speaking and writing techniques, creative problem-solving, different stages of a developing team, and better military bearing. These were just a few of the different traits that make a good leader.

I would definitely recommend this program to all cadets who have gone through basic encampment. Basic encampment is the foundation for everything that a CAP cadet will learn at ATS, therefore it is important to master the basics before going to any other Civil Air Patrol activity. ATS is a great program. Its main goal is to train cadets in staff positions for encampment. Therefore, I believe that this program should be a must before staffing any Civil Air Patrol activity. This way, the prospective staff cadet would have more experience on how to carry out staff tasks more efficiently and confidently, as opposed to having gone through basic training alone.

There were three awards available at ATS. Two of them were flight honor cadets (one for each flight), and the third one was the Honor cadet for the entire ATS encampment. I received the Honor cadet for Kilo flight, along with the Honor cadet for the entire ATS encampment. Along with this, I had the opportunity of being the squadron guidon bearer, and I was the third cadet and the first female to receive my class T-shirt. But I got much more from ATS than these honors. The confidence, pride, and anticipation of passing my new-found knowledge on to not only my home squadron but, through staffing at the next Basic Encampment, to cadet basics. Although my T-shirt, my cord, and my flight and Squadron flags are great rewards, my best rewards were the experiences and the memories I gained from having attended this encampment.

Teamwork was a very big part of ATS. I learned how to work as a team player and a team leader. As a team leader, I learned how to deal with people who did not want to be part of the team, and how to reward those who did. I learned that the led is always more important than the leader, and that group needs always outweigh my own as a leader. I also learned how to motivate and use different leadership strategies to get my team to react as I wanted. As a follower, I learned that keeping a positive attitude is the key to a happy, motivated team. A happy attitude is contagious, so it is very important, as a follower, to promote a positive attitude about whatever that team is assigned.

While at ATS, I learned a lot about myself. For one, I am a nurturer, and while that is good, it is not always the best trait for a leader to have. I learned that I am very competitive, and that if I try my hardest, I can achieve any goal. I also realized that I work well with many different kinds of people and can get them to work together. I learned that patience really is a virtue. I also learned that self-confidence is most important when trying to lead. When you are consistent and confident about your decision-making and in your disciplining, you are more respected and credible as a leader. 

ATS was a great learning experience for me. I am now confident that I can carry out efficiently any position given to me, and that I could teach it to cadets under me so they could take my place. Everything that I learned at this activity became useful information that I brought back to the squadron. These classes really helped me make the leap between being a good but not-so-confident follower to becoming a self-confident, more professional leader. In short, this experience made me not only a better leader, but a better person. I know that any cadet attending this Encampment, upon graduation, will leave a completely different person.

(C/SMSgt Caroline Morton)

The Rewards of Doing Community Service, 3 January

     LONGVIEW, TX – Civil Air Patrol recognizes the value of community service and offers a Community Service Ribbon to individual cadets for completing 60 hours of service outside regular CAP activities. These service hours can be accumulated through squadron and/or individual activities. (At right, the color guard, C/SSG Ryan Cobb, C/SMSgt Caroline Morton, C/MSgt Andrew Sea, and CTSgt Kayla Cassel. Photo, Mr. Derick Cassel)

Not for the CAP ribbon, but because helping others felt good, Gregg County Cadets have been busy serving the community.

     For the Year 2007, the Gregg County Composite Squadron’s community service included manning the Salvation Army Kettle and working on balloon crews at the Carthage, TX Balloon Festival/Panola College Scholarship Fundraiser. The Color Guard participated in various City parades and festivals, along with presenting the colors at the Longview, TX Kiwanis Military Night. (At letf, C/SrA Hollinshead on his Meals On Wheels route, where his easy smile is always matched by the person at the door. Photo, 2d Lt Tracy Hollinshead)

Individual Gregg County cadets have participated in a variety of areas of service. C/Amn Preston Pietrzykowski has been involved in community service through his Boy Scout troop. C/TSgt Kayla Cassel has helped organize her city’s 5k/10k run fundraiser and also helped with a dinner benefiting a needy family. Cadet Cassel said, “I feel that community service is valuable and a necessity to our community. I enjoy giving when I can.”  C/SrA Austin Hollinshead has worked with Meals-On-Wheels, delivering meals to homebound senior citizens on a weekly basis. According to Cadet Hollinshead, “Volunteering can be hard work sometimes, but in the end it is worth it. I was surprised and thought it was pretty cool when I found out that I had earned a ribbon for the work I had done with Meals-on-Wheels."

(C/SrA Austin Hollinshead)

Flying the Beechjet 400A. 22 December

DALLAS, TX – On 22 December, cadets and senior members of Irving Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing headed towards DFW Airport to participate in a memorable event – flying a Beechjet 400A out of and landing back at the airport. This corporate jet is a sleek and very expensive piece of machinery, and it looks as shown at left. The squadron members eagerly anticipated the experience, though they worried a bit. The day was very cold and windy, and only perfect reflexes and nerves of steel would be their good allies.

(Capt Felipe Gomez, AEO, TX 133)

(2d Lt Richard Hacker)

New Year, New Fun, 26 January

LUBBOCK, TX – A new year means the start of a new semester and changes. The AFROTC cadets of the awesome Charlie Flight are now known as the Kilo Flight Kings. Most of the Charlie Flight members, including this writer, are in Kilo Flight now – along with some other great cadets who have the same goals. This semester looks to be even better than the previous one for several reasons. First, our new flight cadet commander wants to totally dominate Warrior Spirit Week. He is planning to give us resources that we didn't have in the fall. That means that we are going to be more efficient at what we are trying to achieve. Second, our flight has set for itself the goal of winning both Honor and Warrior Flight. For some of us, that means doing it two semesters in a row. I know this goal is very achievable – and with the quality of cadets in Kilo Flight, anything but winning both would be a failure. The final reason is that I am no longer new to the program. I still have a lot to learn, but it feels good to know the ropes and know how the wing works. This semester is going to be a lot of fun, and I look forward to every minute of it.

     Our last LLAB was at the Silent Wings Museum, an institution that honors the glider program during World War II. It was truly amazing to see these massive gliders. They are much bigger than the GA-8 Air Van and can carry jeeps, bulldozers, a small tank, or a good number of troops. The gliders have a metal-framed nose, a wooden fuselage structure, and both are covered in fabric. I learned that when they were flying, the inside sounded like a drum because the wind hit and bounced off the fabric. This was also the only aircraft made during WWII that was designed to crash. The coolest fact I found out was that after the gliders had landed, if they were still in one piece, they could be picked up by the tow plane again and taken somewhere else. With the size of these gliders, that really is impressive.

Then there are the new classes. Nothing much has changed there. I am still taking core classes that are required for my major. However, I have now started taking business courses for my degree. My goal is to get a higher GPA this semester. The weather is frigid cold, and now there are sandstorms. Yes, the weather is always interesting here.

This semester is shaping up to be an awesome one, and I look forward to another successful semester in academics and AFROTC. Kilo Kings: Have it our way.

(C/SSgt Evan Petrosky)

Holiday Party, 20 December

WAXAHACHIE, TX – To celebrate the end of 2007, the Waxahachie Talon Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing held their annual holiday party at Pizza Inn, located in Midlothian, Texas. Cadets and Senior Members from the squadron arrived ready for an enjoyable time.

Once pizza was served, the fun began. Chaplain (Lt Col) Nancy Smalley started the night by pulling cadets’ names from a bag. As she announced each cadet's name, that cadet would step forward to collect a door prize. Next, Major Tom Smalley, Waxahachie Squadron Commander, and Chaplain Nancy Smalley awarded certificates to the hardest-working cadets.

After the prizes and certificates had been handed out, C/1st Lt Tiffany Hamm had a special treat for the Waxahachie Squadron  – a slide show. She said, “As the Waxahachie Squadron’s PAO, I thought I should put my pictures together to make a memorable slide show for the cadets. I believe this can bring back enjoyable memories for our senior cadets, as well as inspire our cadet basics to not just achieve the standards but exceed them.”

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

[1] C/MSgt Tanner Caffee says hi to the camera. [2] C/CMSgt Rachel Scarborough and C/SSgt Tim Kleinmeir (Mesquite Squad). [3] C/SSgt Jason Myers inspects his door prize. [4] (L to R) C/CMSgt Phil Lambert, C/Captain Benjamin Josse, Cadet Alex Evans [5] Chaplain (Lt Col) Nancy Smalley presents C/1st Lt Tiffany Hamm with a SWR challenge coin. [6] C/SSgt Myers gives C/Captain Josse a new hairstyle.

To end the evening, cadets socialized for a while before heading home. Both the cadets and the senior members had an excellent time at the gathering, and all agreed that having a holiday party was a great way to end the year 2007.

For Waxahachie Squadron members, 2007 was a good year. They had several bivouacs, parties, new cadets joining in, and great staff (both senior and cadet). During mid-2007, a cadet PAO emerged from the squadron and did amazing things with her talent (modesty aside, not my assessment). So the year 2007 was outstanding for Waxahachie, and I personally know that 2008 will be even better for the Waxahachie Talons.

(C/1st Lt Tiffany Hamm)