Group III, Texas Wing - SWR-TX-030

 Civil Air Patrol     U.S. Air Force Auxiliary 

More than meets the skies . . .

Newsletter - February, 2008

Life, a Paradox

Humanity’s essence is life in all its manifestations, colored by the level of civilization achieved by the group. And civilization (a word derived from the Latin “civitas” – meaning “city”) is often used as a synonym for collective existence, at times granting it greater worth than that of the individual’s.

Life is a self-canceling endeavor. The more you put into it, the less you have left. This would seem paradoxical, but life is under no obligation to obey any rules of logic, nor does it wait for permission to unroll its unique sequence of events, carefully crafted for each person. It just does. And whether or not you put anything into it, it marches on at its own pace, and no one can change that. Sadly, some people fail to keep pace and fall behind.

The very young start growing up convinced that they will live for ever, though intellectually they know that life has a cycle, and accept that this cycle will require their eventual vanishing from the planet. This is hard to internalize, though, and most young persons can only conceive of it as applying to others, not themselves. And they put off considering the inevitable.

This innate human trait, an internal flaw that has been variously exploited through the ages, has given unscrupulous manipulators and delinquents the means to lead others (especially the young) into doing foolish and dangerous things, mostly for the sole benefit of their false leader. These are false leaders because causing harm to others is never a leadership task, nor a duty obligation, except when the very survival of a nation or a people is at stake. It is material only when “that others may live” becomes a matter of collective and decisive impact.

And even then, the enlightened leader never orders others to follow a path of self-destruction blindly, but calls for volunteers instead. And the potential volunteers are told both the reasons for the call and the dangers involved. Some always step forward and take on the mission, a few usually return, and the rest shower glory and prestige upon them. These are the heroes, the stuff that legends are made of. But what happens to the rest, who also do their part, some boring, some slow deaths, some hopeless? How do they feel? What do they think? How do they cope? How are they rewarded?

In the preface to his book, “The Cruel Sea,” Nicholas Monsarrat wrote (and I quote from memory), “This is the story of one ocean, two ships, and about 150 men.” In a few, chosen words he sketched the plight of Britain during the darkest days of World War II, its desperate battle on multiple fronts, its solitary struggle as it faced a seemingly hopeless fight, and its efforts to vanquish the implacable enemy. Unexpectedly, he ends the short preface with these words, “The enemy is the cruel sea itself.”

This book was made into a memorable motion picture in 1953. But good as it was, the movie didn’t quite have the power of the book. The words, without any images at all, in simple sentences, in terse observations of cold events and brave human actions, set the reader’s imagination free, and descended upon the reader’s soul as the cold and implacable hand of Destiny.

By comparison, we have it quite easy in the Civil Air Patrol.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Group Staff Messages

Group Commander

Feedback and Trust

Preface

The year 2007 did not go as I thought it would. It's funny how you start something with big plans, and then you discover that those plans don’t last past the first quarter. However, to be honest, from my point of view, it isn't funny at all.

So I have resolved to do a much better job in 2008, in a lot of different ways. This is the first step. I'm sure that the answers I am looking for will require a lot of humility on my part. This will be the case as I start reading them, but I don't think I can really be a leader without seeking this feedback. I want all of you to know that you have my trust, and I want your feedback. I hope you'll trust me enough to let me share in your thoughts.

Thanks for sticking with the team through the tough times.

Owen


Reports

Every new year, the first 30 to 60 days always bring busy times for us. We know all too well that this is the time many of our annual deadlines come about… Safety Surveys, S6 Reports, Unit finance Reports, Contributed Facilities Reports, Aerospace Reports… and there are more to come. S3 and S8 reports will be due very soon. I keep a spreadsheet of all Group III units, with a column for each report – this helps me keep track of where we are. I have spent so much time with that spreadsheet lately that I’m starting to see it in my sleep!

So here's yet another report, but you're not likely to see too many like it. At least, it's the first of its kind I've ever put together, and here it is

 

Group III Report Card

As I thought it would be, 2007 was a tough year, full of challenges and changes. Personally, I think Group III has acquitted itself quite well, but what I really want to know is what you think. So I’m asking you to give me and the Group III Staff a report card on how Group III is doing, and how you think I am doing. There are two ways you can go about this.

Method 1: Email me directly and let me know what your thoughts are. You can reach me at owen@wiwac.org.

Method 2: If you would prefer to keep your comments anonymous, I've made arrangements for that as well. Chaplain (Lt Col) Nancy Smalley, the Southwest Region Chaplain, has volunteered to receive any comments from those of you who would prefer to remain anonymous, addressed to me or to other members of Group III Staff. You may e-mail comments to her at smallnance@aol.com. (She has assured me that she will preserve your anonymity – and she’s a chaplain so I’m pretty sure you can trust her!)

So please read on:

 

I am asking that you share your thoughts with me and with my staff, to help us do a better job supporting you. These are some of the things I would really like to know:

  • Your name and unit number would be helpful, but only if you want to provide it.

  • Do you have any recommendations on events or activities?

  • Is there one thing that you think needs to change within Group III?

  • Is there some goal that you believe Group III needs to work toward?

  • What part of Group III has worked best in 2007 (Admin, Flight Ops, E/S, Aerospace, Public Affairs, etc…)?

  • What part of Group III needs the most improvement (Admin, Flight Ops, E/S, Aerospace, Public Affairs, etc…)?

  • How can Group III better support you and your unit?

  • What can I do to better support you and your unit?

  • If you had to give a grade to Group III (A, B, C, D, F), what would it be?

  • If you had to give a grade to me (A, B, C, D, F), what would it be?

  • What other thoughts or input do you have, that you want to share with me and the Group III Staff?

We are all volunteers. I believe that everyone in this organization works hard to be good custodians of our assets, I believe that we are committed to our missions, and I believe that Group III is ready if called upon. But I need to know what you think.

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

A Message from National HQ

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

Aerospace Education

11th Aviation Industry Expo - A Unique Opportunity, 18-20 March

The Aviation Industry Expo organizers have extended an invitation to all Civil Air Patrol members, who will be allowed access free of charge. This event will take place at the Dallas Convention Center, and will focus on aviation support activities. Senior members and cadets 18 years of age or older can attend at any time during the event, and will have access to not only the show floor but also a variety of free seminars and functions. Cadets under 18, on the other hand, must be accompanied by a senior member (small groups are allowed) and will be welcome at the Tuesday (18 March) Career Center, to be held at the Center's lobby, and will be able to visit the Expo show floor on Thursday (20 March) at 12 noon.

Air Force-style Blues or CAP-equivalent uniform is required.

Since special identification is required, the Expo organizers ask that interested persons submit their requests with plenty of time. At this time, kindly e-mail me and I'll pass that information along.

Here is the Aviation Industry Expo Preliminary Program.

For more information about the career center, please visit this link.

For more information about this event, please visit www.AviationIndustryExpo.com.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate

Cadet Programs

Group III O-Ride Weekend, 28-30 March

Group Cadet O-ride weekend. Come and join in a weekend of fun with fellow Group III cadets and seniors. The event will be held March 28-30, at the Waco Regional Airport. There will be limited space, so keep an eye out for updated information in the next couple of weeks. 

We will need lots of senior member support for this event. If  you can come and help, please contact Lt. McKinney at 972-742-9952 or opal@Bke.com.

Plan Your Summer Flying Now

Now is the time to plan your summer activities. The Texas Wing Flight Academies are a couple of great opportunities.

The Texas Wing Powered Flight Academy will take place on 7-14 June 2008 at Brazoria County Airport (SW of Houston). Cadet students must be current members, at least age 16 by 13 June 2008, must have attended at least one cadet encampment, and have their unit commander's recommendation. The Flight Academies will be limited to 20 cadet students and 12 staff members, so be sure and get your applications in early.

The Texas Wing Glider Academy will be held at the Bishop Airport 76T (Decatur, TX)  8-16 August 2008.

Ops Plans for both events will be posted on the Texas Wing Website shortly.

Group III CP Staffing Needs

Group III Cadet Programs needs a few good people with managerial skill to be project officers for group-wide events over the next year. Applicants need not be cadet programs officers to apply. If you or anyone you know would like to help make Group III Cadet Programs the best in Texas, please e-mail me.

1st Lt Opal McKinney, CPO

Letter on Cadet Participation in Emergency Services Missions, 7 July

Please read an important policy letter from the National Commander.

Col Joe R. Smith, TXWG CC

Chaplain

A Change of Duty

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 named, I've selected an article addressing the bringing of spiritual comfort to our Air Force personnel deployed to a combat zone on Thanksgiving Day of 2007, written by Command Chaplain (Col.) Bobby Page, Air Combat Command In the Company of Heroes. Reading it, I thought, "Every day should be an occasion for thanksgiving."

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Chief of Staff

Open Group III Staff Positions

Position Title Job Description Vacancy Date Contact
Aerospace Education Officer Click here Now Chief of Staff
Chaplain Click here Now Group CC

Capt Eric Martin, CS

Communications

 

My Little Treo Trick, 19-20 January

     GEORGETOWN, TX – I can hear your question already, "Is that a cell phone at left?" Now wait a minute, please. Let me tell you the story first. We all know that the world isn't perfect, though we always would like it to be. The best way to avoid disappointment, though, is to be prepared for the worst. No, I'm not a pessimist – just accept reality. The January DSAREX in the Austin area brought together members from four different squadrons, who enjoyed the gracious hospitality of the Georgetown Municipal Airport's Terminal Building. A superior building it was, but at that moment it had no Internet access. No cable, no phone, no WiFi, no nothing. "What do we do?" asked all in dismay. "Never fear," said I, "Ferrill is here." (I try not to miss a cue.)

Well, people of little faith that they were, that didn't reassure too many of them. That is, until I told them that I was used to this minor inconvenience (sneers ensued), since I had solved that problem for my work. (Perking up, now.) "How?" they asked. "Using my cell phone," was my reply, without telling them it was a Treo. Remember the Palm Pilot? That great little toy that sat on its laurels until all the others came and ate its lunch? Well, the Treo is its third or fourth generation successor and yes, you can attach it to your PC. And as the old Palm Pilot did, you can transfer files and data back and forth.

Yes, I knew you would catch on quick. We got the paperwork done like everyone else, scanned it and printed it as a PDF file that we saved on the PC, then transferred the PDF file to the Treo, and e-mailed the PDF to Mission Base as an attachment. A snap, really. But for a little while I was a hero. I liked that.

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

Emergency Services - Wing Announcement

Mark your calendar! 21-28 June 2008

The Lone Star Emergency Services Academy will be held June 21-28 in Paris, Texas. We've made a great arrangement with Cadet Programs we'll move into the Paris facility as Basic Encampment rolls out. That means all of you seniors and cadets attending basic encampment will be able to ride a van into town after encampment, wash clothes, have a nice meal, and then come back that evening ready to start a whole new week of high-level excitement.

We know Paris is a long trip for many of you. However, an inbound or outbound sortie to cover the cost of fuel should help make the drive easier.

We'll be offering a host of exciting schools some that you know already, plus new ones.

  • GSARSS A and B will be back offering great training

    • Great CAP GT/GTL skills,

    • NASAR training, and

    • An opportunity to test for SARTECH II and III.

  • Comm School Love radios?

    • This is a great place to learn from the best guys in Southwest Region.

  • Mission Staff School – Have you always wanted to work at the ICP? Be at the heart of the event? Then...

    • ICS classes,

    • Mission staff training,

    • Sign-offs, and

    • The opportunity to run the Wing SAREX at the end of the week can all be yours.

  • Mission Aircrew School Forget the ground below. Think of it:

    • A week of flying and fun!

    • And Flight Line Management training too.

  • PAO/IO School – Tell the complete story, and make the reader experience it!

    • Learn the skills,

    • Take the photos,

    • Write the articles and newsletters, and...

    • Get the sign-offs for IO!

Although by now we have selected many of the key senior instructors who will put together these schools, we still need additional staff. Please contact me if you're interested in managing the following –

  • Admin/Finance

  • Kitchen Support

  • Chaplain Services

  • Cadet Support Staff

  • Computer/IT services.

If you're interested in taking on any of these positions (openings for cadets and seniors) or if you would like to be an instructor (for a block of instruction, a couple of days, or for the week) in one of the schools, please e-mail me.

We're working on a website that will let us do electronic enrollment. By the end of February, we should be ready to announce this site's URL and release both the Ops Plans and packing lists.

Mark you calendars and watch your e-mail InBox for more information slots will fill up fast!

Lt Col Brooks Cima, DES

Finance

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

Honor Guard

Coming Events for February

We'll hold February practice on 2 February at Addison Composite Squadron, from 0900 to 1200.

The Honor Guard will present the colors at the Forney Area Chamber of Commerce Banquet, 23 February.

Join the Honor Guard

For more information on joining the Group III Honor Guard please contact C/Capt McKinney or 2d Lt Don Gulliksen.

2d Lt Don Gulliksen, HGO

Inspector General

Inspection Status

Due to Capt Manley's slow recovery, there are no inspections scheduled at this time. He is expected to be back among the movers and shakers soon, and he'll put together a new schedule at that time.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Inspection Schedule

Charter # Unit Name Date Comment
TX-352 Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron 21 April  
TX-030 Group III 5 May  
TX-376 Waxahachie Composite Squadron 4 August  
TX-390 Addison Composite Squadron & TCA Flight 9-10 June  
TX-148 Waco Composite Squadron 14 July  
TX-391 Dallas Composite Squadron Day TBD September  
TX-351 Pegasus Composite Squadron 11 August  
TX-133 Irving Composite Squadron Early 2008  
TX-803 Red Oak Oaks Cadet Squadron 17 November  
TX-076 Crusader Composite Squadron Day TBD September  

Capt Steve Manley, IG


Civil Air Patrol Ethics Policy

On 25 August 2005, the National Commander issued this policy letter as a guide for all CAP members. Please make sure that you understand it, implement it, and remain vigilant concerning any violations.

Inspection Schedules

Unit inspection schedules are now posted on the Group III website's Squadron Support / Inspector General page.

Capt Steve Manley, IG

Information Technology

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

Professional Development

What's Next?

Now that we have brought you the unit PDO and your Senior Officers through the regulations, e-Services and Level 1 required training, it's time to complete the AFIADL Senior Officer Course exam (see the support page),  I cannot stress enough the importance of getting this exam completed and out of the way as early as you can in your senior officer career. This exam is dreaded because of its length, yet not having completed it can keep an officer from reaching other levels of advancement. As volunteers, we are busy, and the thought of going through 4 volumes of reading material and then taking an 80-question exam can make us put it off for "just another day"!

I have found that doing the review as a group, then testing as many candidates as possible on the next  meeting is very helpful.

The next step is to set up and complete a Squadron Leadership School. This can be done two ways:

  • Over a 2-day weekend, open to all who wish to attend, or

  • In weekly meetings as a unit, until all components have been covered.

For the second choice, your most senior and/or knowledgeable officer should teach the course. Often, a member who has experience in teaching the SLS will agree to teach it once a week as well. Either way, please get in touch with me and I will assist you in setting up the trainings and even getting or approving instructors.

The easiest way is to attend any of the courses listed below.

Senior Member Training Opportunities this Month

Date School Sponsor Where Contact
9 Feb 08 Squadron Leadership School / Corporate Learning Course TXWG Bishop Field Lt Col Tom Bishop
16 Feb 16 Squadron Leadership School Grp I Goodfellow AFG 1st Lt Johanna Augustine
8 Mar 08 Squadron Leadership School Grp IV Hobby S.S. Lt Col Donald Wheeler

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

Public Affairs Cadet PAO

Mesquite Blacksheep Raises A New Voice...

     C/CMSgt Andrew Smith is no stranger to this writer, who has had the opportunity of seeing him work and excel at what many would have considered menial (though necessary) tasks. Last summer at Camp Maxey, he worked tirelessly as a member of the team that prepared and served three meals a day to the entire encampment. This is the sort of thing that just doesn't happen unless all workers are part of a good team. Since I spent many years in the military, I can tell when a mess hall is well run and the staff gets along. Last summer's mess hall would have passed muster in the U.S. Army, with flying colors. Not only did they do the job well, they also spread cheer liberally and set the example in the areas of "service before self" and "excellence in all we do."

Cdt Smith, of course, plays varsity football and does well at track (discus throwing). As a result, he is in excellent physical condition and is able to handle CAP field duties very well. He loves "things that go fast" such as airplanes, cars, and other glamorous though dangerous machines. He is also smart, does well in art class (he likes to draw), and is studying both journalism and photography.

This young man is a lot younger than he looks, too. He's just big, which is a wonderful thing, because there is so much of him that he won't ever run out of himself so he can share it with others. Which he loves to do. His squadron is lucky to have him as a productive member of the team, which he always is. Now I can count him in my larger team as well.

The one word that best describes Cdt Smith is cheerful. For him, the glass is always half-full, and the day is always sunny ("Of course it is; the sun is just behind the clouds and above the rain, that's all."). His personality is composed of kindness, devotion to duty, and good humor, in equal parts. And his writing is direct and sensitive. For me, welcoming a new cadet voice to the Group III Newsletter is always a pleasure, but in his case it is a double pleasure. Welcome, Cdt Smith. (What took you so long?) (Photo: 1st Lt Kelly Castillo)

...and Gregg County Produces Another Cadet Author

     C/SrA Austin Hollinshead is a personable young man who, although he is home-schooled, likes team activities. He is also a committed volunteer for Meals on Wheels (left). He plays basketball in a "home schooled team," as he put it, and some day he hopes to be an Air Force pilot. That's a big dream.

His first contribution to this Newsletter describes him best. It's all about caring for others, and it shows that he cares. He has dreams, likes adventure, and recently greatly enjoyed Alexander Dumas' "Count of Monte Cristo." I, too, was thrilled by this book when I was his age (not yet 14), and remember it well. Then he told me that he also read that great old epic, "Beowulf." "Ooops!" I replied, "in translation, of course?" "Yes, sir, in modern English," was his reply. Indeed, he is polite, but also likes to think his answers carefully (when he thinks there might be more to it).

Does he like music? "Some," he replied, without conviction. Art? "Yes, sir, I liked pencil drawing," he said, in the past tense. He seems to have stopped doing that for some reason. Ah yes, he likes to play chess, too. "Do you have someone you like to play it with?" I asked. "Yes, sir. I play it with my dad." It turns out that they're evenly matched. Not bad, for a young man his age. And he is studying Latin, too.

This all-around young person seems to have a great future ahead of him, and one of these days he's bound to give us all a surprise. He has a head and thinks with it, is candid in his observations, can carry a conversation with an adult, and likes the world around him. Just my kind of cadet. I am very pleased to welcome him as one of the younger Group III Cadet PAOs. And I look forward to getting more of his work. (Photo: 2d Lt Tracy Hollinshead)

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Group III PAO

Public Affairs 2007 Winter Encampment I

 

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

Public Affairs 2007 Winter Encampment II

The Joy of Working with Sub-Cub Reporters, 26-31 December

CAMP SWIFT, TX – As a young man fresh out of the Army and new to Houston, I started my publishing career by writing for three technical publications, rising from cub reporter to editor of one of them in two years. In another year I was editing all three; I think I was 28 by then.

The magazines got sold, mismanaged (the buyer eventually went broke), and seeing the inevitable I accepted a better job from one of my advertisers. The short of it is that I married, had a family, retired from the Army as a Reservist, retired from my paying job, started a small consulting company, and looked for something else to do. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) seemed like a good idea.

Just over three years after joining CAP in Austin, I am now the public affairs officer (PAO) for Group III, one of five major subcommands in Texas Wing, where I look after 16 squadrons. I redesigned the Group III website as a working support tool, started a successful online newsletter, and pioneered the idea of having working Cadet PAOs – with considerable success. Last summer, I commanded the first-ever Cadet PAO Boot Camp at the 2007 Texas Wing Summer Encampment, in Camp Maxey (near Paris), TX. Last December, I was asked to mentor five cadet PAOs at the 2007 Winter Encampment, in Camp Swift (near Bastrop), TX.

These encampments gather cadets and adult members from all over Texas and other wings in CAP’s Southwest Region (that also includes Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma), as well as a small number from all over the country.

Last summer, communicating with the outside world had been a problem, since Camp Maxey is a National Guard facility and its security rules hampered their Internet connection, so it didn’t work well for sending out press releases. As a result, those articles didn’t go out as promptly as I had hoped for.

For the Winter Encampment, expecting a similar situation given that Camp Swift is also a National Guard facility, I asked to be allowed to commute 54 miles between my home and the encampment, for the purpose of using my broadband Internet connection to distribute the news releases daily. The encampment commander, Col. R. Frank Eldridge, agreed to this. The goal was to produce one cadet-written news release a day for six days. The cadets were to plan their work load, take all images, write the news releases, and have publishable copy ready by “press time.”

Upon arrival, I met my assistant, 1st Lt Johanna Augustine (the San Angelo Composite Squadron PAO), and the five cadets, largely new to me. Three were 15 years old, another one 16, and the eldest was already half-way through her sophomore year in college. The 16-year-old and one 15-year-old were male, the others, female.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

[1] C/Maj Faith Brymer, from Group V. [2] C/2d Lt BrandiiRe'Ann Davis, from Group IV. [3] C/2d Lt Raphael Erie, from Pegasus CS, Group III. [4] C/SSgt Alexandra Falken, from Pegasus CS, Group III. [5] C/2d Lt Stephen Miller, from Addison CS, Group III.

The cadets had talent, considerable CAP training, and a standard education. However, they lacked a clear idea of the PAO’s job. One of them was a cadet non-commissioned officer, while the others were cadet officers – the latter with substantially broader leadership training. My mission was to mentor these cadets, not do the job for them. Lt. Augustine was to assist me, but was new to the job. After a preliminary session explaining what the team had to accomplish, and asking them to produce a daily article, the cadets assigned each other jobs and set out to chase stories. By the end of the day, without a minute to spare, I had “my” article.

Before leaving for the night, and as a guideline for the following day, I asked the cadets to get quotes from the cadets they were writing about, so as to flesh out the story and personalize it. They were to make sure that they had the facts right, and take suitable images.

“The camera has to be in the right place at the right time,” I told them, “and of course you need to hold it. If anyone objects to your doing the job, let me know and I’ll make sure you’re allowed to do it.” They liked this idea, since it gave them limited power. I knew that the situation was not likely to present itself, so I was taking a small risk in exchange for giving them greater self-confidence. As I glanced at their first effort and saw that it would do, I congratulated them. “One more thing,” I said, “always write from the heart. Don’t be afraid of letting your own feelings show. I’m the editor and I won’t let you embarrass yourselves.”

They had written in pairs and threesomes; occasionally all seemed to have pitched in. I used the bylines they tacked on, though I suspect these were there to please me, and perhaps each other. On that first day, "the" laptop (each had brought his or her own) had been on and they had taken turns at pecking at its keyboard. I remember thinking, “This is going to be some pastiche,” though I kept it to myself. It was almost midnight by the time I got home that first night. Early the next day, I edited the article trying not to stifle the authors’ collective voice – not an easy task. As I cleaned up their prose, their thoughts came through, and then it hit me.

This first cadet effort was truly revelatory. I had expected the usual repetitions, misspellings, occasional slang and unclear syntax. What came as a complete surprise were the depth of perception, the insight into their subjects’ actions and motivation, and the sheer narrative power of their simple, unadorned, candid prose. They had been so busy writing, that they had forgotten to organize their photographic efforts, so because there hadn’t been time, and for that day only, I opted for using some of my own photos with appropriate credit.

The remaining guts of the article, after I’d pealed off the chaff, rang true with a clear voice all its own. The thoughts were entirely theirs, fresh, poignant, emphasizing those things that were important to them, and stressing some that, with the passage of the years, no longer mattered to me. But as I read on, and savored the spirit behind their work, I felt an intellectual breeze of candor and naïve enjoyment that pleased me. This was a shining new generation describing itself. It was a refreshing and purifying immersion into the world of young minds. “This is awfully good,” I thought.

On the second day, as I drove back to Camp Swift arriving just before 9 a.m., I wondered whether “the mice” might be at play, in the hope that “the cat” might never return. But there was none of that. Thanks to Lt Augustine, the day had been laid out to perfection. The cadets’ day started at 4:30 a.m. and didn’t end until 11 p.m. It was a grueling pace. Perforce they had to take breaks along the way, and we authorized them to do so. In fact, the only stipulation we made was that the day’s article, with images, had to be in my hands by 9:30 p.m. so I could leave Camp Swift with it.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[6] Waiting in line for a meal, Capt Woodgate, 1st Lt Augustine, and Cdts Brymer and Erie. [7] During a staff briefing, Cdts Miller, Falken and Erie. [8] Before the cadet basics are let into the Dining In, Cdts Erie, Miller and Brymer with 1st Lt Augustine. [9] 1st Lt Augustine (not her best pose) meets the Wing Commander, Col Joe R. Smith, as Capt Woodgate looks on. "Great job," said Col Smith, a comment we passed on to the cadet PAOs. [10] Cdts Brymer and Falken in their blues, at the Dining In. (All photos by the Winter Encampment's PAO Team.)

And there was another stipulation that they took to heart. “You arrive as a friend, depart as a friend, and leave no gossip behind,” I had told them. “If it isn’t nice, just don’t say it. That way, you’ll always be welcome.” They listened and followed the path laid out for them.

As they worked their way into their new role, happy at being given a free rein, yet seeking reassurance, Lt. Augustine and I guided them, counseled them, and explained the reason for the occasional point of grammar that addled them. We laughed with them, as they began to feel comfortable around us, and we were rejuvenated by their ebullience, candor, and youthful charm.

This was a high-stress assignment for the cadet team, and we didn’t need to add to their burden. As they developed, accomplished their goals, and found inner resources they hadn’t known they possessed, we rejoiced. At some point, like a chrysalis changing into a butterfly, the sub-cub reporters took a giant step forward and became cub reporters. It was hard work for all of us. Suddenly, the last day dawned and encampment’s end was upon us. “Has it been six days already?” we asked ourselves. (From the sunny mists of my college days, Marcel Proust agonized once again about his lost time. His had consumed most of his life. Mine had swiped only six days from me, and I was the fortunate one – I had something from the heart to show for it.)

The mentor is happiest when each mentored does well. In the end, in recognition of the depth and breadth of their effort, and the concrete results they had produced, we certified all with a “Completed” on an Internship in Public Affairs. The eldest is a Cadet Major already, but for the other four, internship in a staff position is still a requirement for their promotion to Cadet Captain. Lt. Augustine and I agreed that they had done more in those six days than they would have ever accomplished at their home squadron over the stipulated 60 calendar days. The Encampment Commander concurred. And, when we broke the news to them, the cadets were stunned by their luck. But they had truly earned it.

Personally, I’m delighted that three of these cadets are assigned to squadrons within Group III, so I’ll get to follow their progress as they grow in knowledge and experience. This will be my personal joy. As I had great teachers in my youth, I see it as a personal obligation to pass that along to others. I might get lucky. Some of those I teach might react likewise.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, PAO Mentor

Public Affairs 2007 Winter Encampment - In the News!

 

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.

But there is a problem with online newspapers these are perishable links. To safeguard against their inevitable disappearance, I've saved those pages as a backup, and those links are provided below, next to the paper's own.

     The Texoma Enterprise, covering news in North Texas, is a great friend and supporter of the Civil Air Patrol. They do not maintain a website, so they are sending me the papers instead. They published the first three articles in their January 3 edition, the rest to be continued. This first installment is reproduced here (please click on the image at left). They gave the CAP Winter Encampment the entire right half of the front page, plus a good chunk of page 7, on the right-hand side! Thank you, Lana and Dale Rideout...

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

Public Affairs 2007 Winter Encampment - Honor Cadets

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

44th SQUADRON (Basics)

48th SQUADRON (Basics)

Alpha Flight – Kimberly Marshall

Bravo Flight – Aaron Howell

Charlie Flight – Steven Buchman

Squadron Honor Cadet – Robert Andon

Golf Flight – Timothy Andre

Hotel Flight – David Personius

India Flight – Errol Lowe

Squadron Honor Cadet – Katie White

47th SQUADRON (Basics)

49th SQUADRON (ATS)

Delta Flight – Julia Gardiner

Echo Flight – Patrick Peacock

Foxtrot Flight – Matthew Ault

Squadron Honor Cadet – Patrick Peacock

Juliet Flight – C/SSgt Ernest Tamayo

Kilo Flight – C/SMSgt Caroline Morton

Squadron Honor Cadet – C/SMSgt Caroline Morton


(Photos: 2007 Winter Encampment Cadet PAO Team)

Public Affairs DSAREX

 

Texas Wing Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise, 18-21 January

MISSION BASE, MESQUITE, TX – Staff personnel from Group III, Texas Wing Headquarters, Southwest Region, Group IV, and various Texas Wing squadrons planned and ran a Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise (DSAREX) on 18-21 January. In previous exercises, getting started had been less prompt than expected, but not this time. Planes were in the air and ground teams had departed on their sorties in less than an hour after receiving their missions.

On Friday 18 January, starting at 1700, final Mission Base preparations were made, the working area was prepared, communications were tested, and last minute details were taken care of. Personnel from the parent Southwest Region would work the exercise assisting Texas Wing personnel, while the majority of Texas Wing personnel came from Group III, in whose area Mission Base was located. Notably, the Group IV Commander Maj Dennis Cima, Texas Wing Internal Aerospace Officer Lt Col Mike Hopkins, and Texas Wing Director of Emergency Services Lt Col Brooks Cima arrived from the Houston area to play an important role in the conduct of the exercise.

The facility made available for Mission Base was a room at the Mesquite Metro Airport's Terminal Building. The Fixed Base Operator also provided the use of their wireless Ethernet connection. At a hangar across the tarmac, the Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron provided its building for setting up Mission Base communications, a set-up that worked very well thanks to a newly-installed High Frequency antenna. The local squadron commander, Lt Col Mike Eberle, besides arranging for the excellent borrowed space, also provided home-catered food to Mission Base at a give-away price (prepared and organized by 1st Lt Opal McKinney and her helpers). His squadron participated as a Staging Area.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

[1] Wing Commander Col Joe R. Smith and Incident Commander Lt Col Owen Younger iron out last-minute details before the exercise gets under way. [2] Texas Wing Director of Operations Maj Randy Russell, Operations Section Chief, receives input from SWR Vice Commander Col André Davis who worked the exercise as Air Operations Supervisor. [3] (With back to camera) SWR Chief of Staff Lt Col Larry Mattiello worked in Planning Section. At center, Maj Paul Perkins, Branch Director. At right, Maj Nolan Teel, Deputy Planning Chief. [4] Col André Davis checks information for accuracy.  [5] Group IV Commander Maj Dennis Cima works as Agency Evaluator . Texas Wing Internal Aerospace Officer Lt Col Mike Hopkins was the Safety Officer. Texas Wing Safety Director Lt Col Melanie Capehart rounds off the team. (Photos: C/SSgt Robert Severance IV)

As in previous exercises, Mission Base only tasked the Staging Areas, providing leadership, organization, and accountability for the overall operation. Mission Base itself is not an operational unit. The Staging Areas are the "doers" who carry out their individual missions. As a rule, the  DSAREX staff tasks the Staging Areas in answer to their training requirements, since the Civil Air Patrol is in a state of constant readiness and many specialties require periodic re-certification. Also, there are always new members who need training, and this is usually the best time to do it.

A point that is always emphasized is that although a sortie might have been sent out for a specific purpose, if the aircrew or ground team happens to see something that needs attention, they are to notify the Staging Area Manager for possible action. Only then do they proceed with their assigned mission. This opportunity doesn't always present itself during an exercise, but it did this time. An aircrew saw a field fire getting started, no fire-fighters were on site, so they called it in giving the GPS coordinates. For more on this, please follow this link.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[6] Maj Jack Lewis (rear) filled the IT/IMU Support slot. At right, another SWR officer, Maj Harriet Smith works the Finance desk.  [7] Texas Wing Director of Emergency Services Lt Col Brooks Cima served as the Deputy Incident Commander. Here, she confers with Group III Commander Lt Col Owen Younger, the Incident Commander. [8] When the exercise gathered momentum, the Air and Ground Operations section had plenty of work to do. [9] Twenty staging areas, ranging from the Texas Panhandle to south of Houston, and from near Texarkana to south of San Antonio gathered multiple squadrons in one of the better-manned exercises Texas Wing has held in recent memory. [10] The operations board kept track of the actual progress of all current sorties. As a mission was completed and the documentation was on hand, that line got erased to make room for a new mission. (Photos: C/SSgt Robert Severance IV)

Looking for a downed aircraft is a skill that every CAP aircrew and ground team practices until they have it right. And, since Texas is in "Hurricane Country" as well as "Tornado Alley," it is fairly common for Texas Wing to be tasked to assess damage to physical structures, such as bridges, dams, power stations, low-lying areas, populated centers, and the like. CAP aircrews have a Pilot in Command (PIC), and at least one Observer. Usually, in addition to the PIC, there are two Observers, or an Observer and a Scanner. In this, practice makes perfect. A CAP member constructed a mockup of a downed airplane, complete with "victims" on the ground, and this was used to let several aircrews practice this skill, as told in this article, below.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

[11] On 19 January, several missions were sent in search of a simulated downed aircraft near which a practice Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) had been placed. All of them succeeded, in spite of the difficult, wooded terrain. For a detailed account of this mission, please visit this link below. [12] On 19 January, a damage assessment mission inspected a bridge and recorded its condition. This is the bridge as viewed towards the east. [13] The same bridge as viewed towards the north. [14] On 20 January, another bridge with a railroad bridge next to it is the subject of an aerial inspection. [15] On 20 January, a dam is inspected for possible failure. [16] This is the dam's spillway, looking towards the west.  (Photos by the respective aircrews.)

Friday, 18 January had not been a very nice day, as far as flying was concerned. Much of Texas had poor visibility ("socked-in" is the usual term), and the forecast was, as usual, well hedged. Because of this uncertainty, only 10 Staging Areas had decided to commit to the DSAREX by Friday. But overnight a welcome wind, strong enough to move the clouds out of the way but not so strong as to prevent flying, brought sunshine to most of the state. By 0600 on Saturday, the number of staging areas had increased to 16, and by 0800 – Kick-Off Time – there were 20 of them. It could be said that Saturday and Sunday brought ideal flying conditions to most of Texas, with cool and sunny days, dry air, and not too much wind.

The weather was also kind to ground-pounders, and many ground teams went into the field for some outstanding training. For instance, at the Georgetown Staging Area, ground teams and aircrews practiced ground-to-air signaling with great success. For a ground view of what it takes, visit this link. And this was repeated at the Mesquite Staging Area, as described here. To round off the coverage, here's the view from the aircrew's position aloft. And don't sell communications short, either. Here's how you can beat the lack of Internet connection (provided you can still use a cell phone).

Everyone agreed that it had been a very productive weekend, even though the weather forecast was unfavorable for 21 January, a federal holiday. Because of this, the staging areas closed down on Sunday, with the exception of the Houston Staging Area. The Deputy Incident Commander, Lt Col Brooks Cima, returned to Houston, and took care of a few flights on Monday.

In summary, 148 sorties were completed for the period 18-21 January 2008, for a total of 271 mission hours. There were 116 sorties flown, for a total of 145.5 hours, showing an average air sortie time of 1.3 hours. In addition, 32 ground sorties were completed, for a total of 145.5 mission hours and an average ground sortie time of 3.9 hours.

Sixty-eight Air and 18 Ground Sorties were completed on Saturday alone. Adverse weather delayed most Houston area sorties Saturday morning, and most Amarillo sorties Sunday. (Flight and Ground data provided by Maj Alan O'Martin, Planning Section Chief.)

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Information Officer

Public Affairs Hurricane Relief

2005 Hurricane Relief Patch Available Now

 

The 2005 Hurricane Relief Mission Patch is in. The production sample is at left. If you want any patches, please send the following info: Name, Full address, Telephone #, E-mail address (if you want a mailing notice), Number of patches desired @ $5.00 each, plus a mailing cost of $1.00 per order (check or money order made out to Irving Composite Squadron) to:

     Irving CS
     P.O. Box 710068
     Dallas, TX 75371-0068

Orders will be mailed promptly. Project Officer: Lt Col Dietrich P. Whisennand.

Recruiting and Retention - Commentary

New Squadron Page on MySpace, 1 January

     GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – The Crusader Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing, to further the grassroots implementation of the new CAP National Marketing Plan, has launched a new MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/crusadercap) aimed at recruiting cadets. Crusader cadets will be involved in updating the website, that will provide a forum for young people to post photos and exchange ideas.

     The author of the new page, 1st Lt Robert Severance III, was recently involved in developing a MySpace recruiting page for the Grand Prairie Police Department which was highly successful in attracting applicants from across the nation, exceeding the agency’s recruiting goals (and expectations).

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

Safety

About CAPSafe

This is the only current CAP Safety program All previous programs were deleted as of Dec 2005.

As you all know, CAP Safety is always in the forefront of my mind and I would like to see that same dedication from each of you. Here is a short 6-slide PowerPoint presentation of Operation CAPSafe for each one of you to view. Operation CAPSafe is a very simple program that has only one request. It asks everyone send in a safety suggestion once every month. By doing that, it will have you thinking of your situational awareness – that is, Safety at least once a month. There is an ulterior motive too. I am hoping that this will eventually create a Safety mindset that will carry you throughout you workday and into all other areas of your life

I cannot make CAP a safer environment without your assistance. You may be the one whose idea saves other CAP members from injury or death, or CAP assets from being damaged or destroyed.

Please send your suggestions to CAPSafe@cap.gov. I look forward to reading them. What you think does really matter to me.

Don't Just Be Safe, Be CAPSafe!

Col Lyle Letteer, National Safety Officer

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)

Upcoming Events

Recurring Reports

5th of the Month

 All subordinate unit and staff reports to Group III are due

5 January

 Group Chaplain and Transportation reports due

1 March  S3 and Real Property Reports Due

 

2008

 

February

 
9-10 Feb Fishop Field – CLC / SLS Contact: Lt Col Tom Bishop
9-10 Feb Dallas, TX – Business Jet Ctr, 8611 Lemmon Ave – SAR Management Course Contact: Maj Paul Perkins
15-17 Feb Camp Mabry, Austin, TX – Cadet Competition Contact: Maj Phyllis Sutton
15-17 Feb Group III – SAREX - Group III members contact Lt Col Owen Younger Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
15-17 Feb Houston, TX – CD Training Contact: Lt Col Orville Jolly
22-24 Feb Addison, TX – Pilot Continuation Training Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
22-24 Feb Austin, TX – TXWG ES Training School Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
23 Feb Grand Prairie – TXWG Pilot Continuation Training - OPLAN Contact: Capt Ray B. Bufkin
23 Feb TBD, TX – Group Tabletop Exercises Contact: Lt Col Owen Younger
29 Feb-2 Mar San Antonio – National Check Pilot Standardization Course Contact: Lt Col Bob McDonnell 
 

March

 
29 Feb-2 Mar San Antonio – National Check Pilot Standardization Course Contact: Lt Col Bob McDonnell 
14-16 Mar Austin – Distributed SAREX - WAX=Austin - Contact Lt Col Owen Younger Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
38-30 Mar Camp Mabry, Austin, TX – CTEP Contact: Maj Phyllis Sutton
     
 

April

 
5 Apr Bishop Field – Unit Commanders Course Contact: Lt Col Tom Bishop
11-13 Apr Bergstrom Austin – ES Training School Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
11-13 Apr TBA Group SAREX Contact: Lt Col Brooks Cima
18-20 Apr Austin-Bergstrom Airport Hilton - TXWG Conference Contact: Lt Col Max Hays
     

Editor

Upcoming Events - 2

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

A USAF Chaplain's Guest Commentary

In the Company of Heroes

12/10/2007  LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS)  It was my honor to have been standing in the company of heroes on Thanksgiving Day this year. I had the privilege of traveling with Lt. Gen. Gary North, 9th Air Force/Central Air Forces commander to the tip of the spear in Afghanistan and found America's Airmen serving with selfless dedication. We observed that Senior Airman Jason Cunningham's heroic sacrifice continues to inspire those who serve in Afghanistan, particularly people at the camp that bears his name and those from his tight-knit pararescue community.

This brave Air Force pararescueman, a 26-year-old husband and father of two daughters, with a passion for helping others, made the motto "that others may live" his way of life. On March 2, 2002, Cunningham gave his life on a snowy mountainside so that ten wounded rangers could live. His story is told in the book Roberts Ridge: A Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan, by Malcolm Macpherson. Where Jason fell, there stands today a heroic team of young Americans serving as he did so that others may live and live free. I wish every American could stand where I stood.

Here's the message I brought to these Airmen:

As Americans and Airmen you have much to be thankful for

Certainly we can give thanks for those who love us, the children who depend on us, the friends and wingmen around us, abundant food, a hot shower, a warm bunk, and so much more. I told them of my beloved Grandpa Charlie, a fiddle-playing, hardworking farmer who raised a big family and was a hero of mine. Every Thanksgiving he'd tell us the same joke. "I'm thankful I'm not a turkey!" Grandpa made gratitude a habit and gave thanks year round throughout his long life. I believe, along with everything else, as Airmen we can give thanks we were not called to do a soft job, but we have been called to do a significant job.

America is thankful for you

Everywhere I went prior to this trip people asked me to express their gratitude to our deployed Airmen. "Thank you for fighting for us," children in Sugar Land, Texas, asked me to tell them during a visit to their school just before Veteran's Day. I wanted these warriors to know that as America's Airmen they are a national treasure essential to the defense of freedom. If our children and grandchildren are going to enjoy the taste of liberty and experience a life free from fear and want, as previous generations of Americans have been blessed to do, it will be, in part, because of the sacrifices America's Airmen are making at home and around the world today. I wanted them to know that America can be thankful for the fact that no U.S. Soldier has had to fear hostile fire from an enemy aircraft since 1953, because American Airmen own the skies.

America is praying for you

All across our country on Thanksgiving Day, as people paused to give thanks for the abundance we enjoy, I know many were also praying for America's Airmen. I know I represented proud parents, spouses and children of Airmen and patriots everywhere when I prayed with group after group of Airmen gathered to hear General North and his command chief tell them how proud they are of them. I listened to stories of courage under fire, and watched as the officer in charge traced on the map the route of the rescue mission he had flown the night before. As they lifted wounded Soldiers to safety and the world's best medical care, I know they were the best friend those soldiers ever had, and an answer to prayer for the families who love them. I put a hand on that officer's shoulder and prayed that God would keep him strong and bring him home safely to loved ones. I said thank you and prayed for the young maintainers who keep his helicopter flying despite the extreme stress of combat flying in an environment like Afghanistan. I marveled at the futuristic work of pilots flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and their systems operators who keep a round-the-clock eye in the sky. I was impressed with the way Airmen blend their talents in seamless teams with Army, Navy, coalition partners, civilians, active duty and others in order to get the job done. In my prayers, again and again, I offered God my thanks for the privilege of being a chaplain to America's Airmen and standing in the company of heroes men and women who are not just making a living, but making a difference a positive, enduring difference for America and our host nation.

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

Useful Links

Aviation & more

Aircrew & Flightline Personnel Training Materials (CAP NHQ)

PAO Resources

Federal & State Resources (DHS, USAF, Terrorism)

Safety

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

 

Squadron and Group News (click on an image to enlarge it)

Addison Eagles CS

My First Cross-Country Solo Flight, 18-19 January

ADDISON, TX I had reached that point. That crucial time in every student pilot’s life when he wonders whether flying is really what he wants to do. Sure, my first solo at Brazoria County had been great! I had shown myself that I could do it, and it had been a wonderful feeling. But it had been a relatively simple task. Even my second solo at Mesquite had been fun. But a cross-country solo, as I was soon to find out, is a much different thing. It’s the true point at which you are totally “cut loose” from the safety of your instructor.

Every pilot knows or should know that making decisions is not only a science but an art as well, often contradicting the desires and natural impulse of human nature. To put is simply, I'm talking "safety" here. As my uncle Phil Condit, former CEO and Chairman of the board of Boeing, once told me, “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” l came face to face with this on 18 and 19 January 2008 when, for me, the theory of decision-making became reality – because my life depended on it.

Friday, 18 January marked the start of a four-day weekend off school, and I had decided to devote this day to my first cross-country solo flight, as I progressed towards earning my FAA Class III pilot's license. I had planned to fly from Addison, to Mesquite, to the Cedar Creek VOR (the acronym for "VHF Omni-directional Range" simply an omni-directional radio beacon that pilots use for navigation), to the Leona VOR, to Huntsville, then finally to my destination at 9X1, the airport code for Williams Airfield in Porter, TX, just north of Houston. It all looked very simple. My planned time en route was one hour and forty-five minutes. I was supposed to meet my uncle who lives in nearby Kingwood for lunch, then get back in the plane and return to Addison. But Murphy's Law got in the way, as usual, and nothing went as planned. Oh, no, that would have been far too easy!

On that day, the weather was not optimal for flight under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). However, that morning I had met my instructor to check the weather reports and talk about last minute stuff. My main concern was the possibility that I might inadvertently fly into IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions), for which I was not trained. But all the reports called for cloud ceilings at five to seven thousand feet, and visibility was not a concern. With this information in hand, I made my decision to start my flight.

C/1st Lt Brandon Maso is shown performing his pre-flight checkout, requesting clearance to taxi to the runway, obtaining clearance to depart, becoming airborne, and leaving the pattern as he starts his first cross-country solo flight. (Photos by his father, Mr. Maher Maso)
To see the 80-photo set, please visit this site. And here is the video.

At the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that morning, skies were clear and sunny, with a few high clouds. Upon take-off I was directed out of the busy Dallas-Fort Worth class “B” airspace, proceeded on course, then climbed to 3,500 feet. That's when the real adventure began

Less than 50 miles south of Dallas, I ran into adverse weather. As far as the eye could see, there was a hazy veil of mist and rain. It was what’s known as MVR (Marginal VFR), but still legally VFR. So I thought I’m a few miles out of Dallas, I have 150 miles to go, and the weather isn’t the greatest. What should I do? In the air, the radio is more than your friend. It's your life-line. I called ATC (Air Traffic Control), which in this case was still the DFW regional departure radio channel.

My prospects weren’t great. They’d lost radar contact with me because, in trying to avoid the weather, I had descended to about 2,000 feet. They handed me off to Longview Approach, and with Longview’s help I diverted my flight path about 30 miles east, before returning on course. The controller in Longview soon broke the bad news to me because of my low altitude and distance from ATC facilities, he’d soon lose contact with me too, and Houston would be unable to communicate with me for some time.

By now, I saw an already precarious situation become worse. While the weather wasn’t terrible, it most certainly hadn’t improved any. Longview Approach gave me a frequency for me to talk to Houston Center, but there was no telling how long I’d have to fly without radar and voice contact – and I was still nearly 130 miles from Houston.

As soon as my radio went from static to quiet, I knew I was alone, truly alone, at 2,000 feet, in poor weather, and in the middle of nowhere. I was far off my planned route and had initial trouble identifying exactly where I was, although I had the air sectional chart on my lap. Had it not been for the aircraft’s GPS system, I would have aborted the flight. Yet, I was still nervous, because a pilot shouldn't rely on solely one mode of navigation. In my initial flight plan I had three, but now, somewhere between Tyler and Palestine, I had come to rely on only a GPS.

Even worse, the outside air temperature was flirting with the freezing mark, and when snow hit my windshield, a very loud alarm bell rang inside my head. "Icing!" For the next hour I flew, in silence, in and out of rain and snow, carefully watching my wings for moisture buildup, and flying on whatever navigational aids I could pick out on the ground in conjunction with my GPS. Finally I made it to Houston. In one piece.

After lunch I again checked the weather report, then looked up at the sky, and to my dismay found that the already poor weather was deteriorating even more. The decision this time, though, was much easier. I would spend the night in Houston, where I was lucky to have a free place in which to stay (a significant consideration when you're 16). Besides, I was buoyed by Saturday’s forecast clear skies all the way from Houston to Dallas!

On the morning of the 19th, when I arrived at the Williams Airfield to begin my pre-flight preparations, everything seemed normal – until I opened the cabin door. Inside the cabin, on the floor by the passenger rudder pedals, sat about half an inch of water. Ugh! My training from Flight Academy popped right into my mind, and my first thought was that any water in the cabin must have inevitably wormed itself into the instrument panel and permeated the airplane's electronics. What to do?

I checked and re-checked, and everything appeared to work OK. Had the instruments even blipped, I’d have spent another night in Houston, but fortunately that wasn’t the case, and I avoided a very expensive (and probably lengthy) repair job. Normally, this plane was kept under an awning, but at this small airfield no shelter had been available and the aircraft had been exposed to a full night of steady rain. Recently, a door seal had been replaced, too, though I didn't think it looked new at all.

What I had planned as an uneventful, pleasant return trip home in my happy dreams of the previous night had now become the prospect of a stressful flight, full of worry. My new concern (and a definite possibility) was that if any of that water had seeped through the floor onto the control surface cables, these might freeze at altitude and keep me from controlling the aircraft. So, I delayed my departure as my uncle and I began the tedious task of soaking up as much water as we could, throwing it out of the cabin.

We examined as much of the aircraft as we could, even checking some of the cables under the back seat. After nearly an hour of this, as pilot-in-command, I made another critical decision. When making any decision, my parents' apprehension, my aunt and uncle's advice, all others' opinion (except my flight instructor's in this case, who wasn't there) weighed very little in my mind's scale of values. So I decided to fly. But because of the very real scare, and as an additional safeguard, I never climbed above the freezing point of 2,500 feet for the entire flight. As a result, I bounced around in turbulence for the whole 220 miles home. You have no idea how much a little plane can shake in all directions until you've done it for about two hours. By the time I landed I was beat, but alive.

Thinking back on this trip, I realize that I may have pushed the limits too much. Not my personal standards, but my proficiency level. In all of the critical decisions I had to make, there had been no obvious answers. No overwhelming evidence to support a decision one way or another. There had been no “black and white.” In all cases, there had been simply a problem, and a critical decision to make regarding that problem. One thing I’d always been told, and those two days had brought this into stark relevance, was to always make decisions based on reason, not emotion, because the latter will make you a statistic, and it simply isn't worth it.

(C/1st Lt Brandon Maso)

Apollo CS

2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment, ATS, 26-31 Dec

CAMP SWIFT, TX – “The First Advanced Training Squadron reports all cadets present and accounted for,” said in formation C/Lt Col Thomas Wright, marking the beginning of what would turn out to be one of my best weeks ever.

But what does ATS, or Advanced Training Squadron, really mean? ATS isn’t just another school you go to, or another clasp to put on your ribbon, or another pretty cord so that you can show off. ATS is a school for the leaders of tomorrow, those who are going to command future encampments, those who are going to teach our future leaders.

Looking at the ATS students from the outside, some people might think that ATS is full of slackers because we sit in a classroom for a good part of the day. But what most don’t know is that besides getting up before the rest of basic encampment so we can do “extreme” PT, ATS also spent hours upon hours drilling, and marching, and learning how to give commands. We also had to write essays, give speeches, make group presentations, and we even had to earn the right to eat.

Before every meal, we would either have to complete in a mental challenge, or complete a physical challenge. For the physical challenge we would have to do push-ups, for the first meal (it was dinner on the first night) 15 push-ups were required. For every meal following, the quota increased by five push-ups each. Now for the mental challenge, we had little time to come up with a way to motivate our team, or ATS as a whole, and then present it to the instructors. After we had completed the challenge, the instructors would re-order our line for chow, those of us who did physical in the back, and those who did mental in the front, ordered from best to worst.

1. 2. 3. 4.

[1] Classroom work, at times, was amusing. [2] Whether in the classroom or in the field, there was no place to hide. And everyone was required to participate. [3]-[4] Drilling was an important part of the training. (Photos: Encampment's Cadet PAO Team)

When we weren’t doing PT, or drilling, we were in a classroom learning how to lead, and how to teach. Among these classes, there were a few that had been taken directly from the Cadet Command Staff College (CCSC) curriculum that is designed for Cadet Captains and above. Needless to say, the curriculum was intense, but we definitely learned a lot from it, and will take it back to our home units. Along with classes we also were able to follow encampment staff members around, to see how they did their job, and to see if we could improve on what they were doing.

“First Advanced Training Squadron, dismissed,” were the last words we heard as cadets of the ATS program. We are now graduates, ready to go on and lead, teach, and conquer problems. The week we spent at ATS was great, the friendships we made will be lasting, and the knowledge that we made ours will be spread to others.

(C/CMSgt Michael Moody)

Apollo Aerospace Day, 8 January

GEORGETOWN, TX – The new year started with a bang at the Apollo CS, when we held an aerospace day during one of our meetings. Since during the holidays there was a burn ban in effect, the members of Apollo were not able to shoot off fire works, so they decided to mix a little compressed air with water in a tube and see what kind of rocket they could make out of it.

What it turned out to be was two different types of launchers, two very different types of rockets, and a few good lessons in rocketry. The first launcher was made by Mr. Jack Matzen, one of the cadet’s parent, and a very active one. It was made out of PVC pipe, zip ties, and the all-important duct tape. It was designed to launch two-liter soda-bottle rockets that the cadets made. The second launcher was made by cadet Moody out of galvanized steel, mounted on a wooden stand, and designed to launch paper rockets that the cadets would make.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

[1] The compressed-air rocket launcher that Cdt Moody built. [2] Cdt Condrey builds a rocket. [3] Cdt Pautz holds a finished rocket. [4] Cdt Matzen pumps up to launch a 2-liter rocket. [5] Cdt Moody and Lt Pautz, ready to launch. [6] Cdt Moody and a visitor watch to see how far the rocket went. [7] 1st Lt Cheri Fischler, squadron commander, answers questions. (Photos: 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen)

To get the cadet-made bottle rockets to work, you pour a little water in the bottle, load it onto the launcher, and pump, pump, pump the bicycle tire pump, until the pressure in the bottle reaches around 60 pounds per square inch (PSI). Then, you just pull the string!! Presto. The rocket would fly a hundred feet into the air. The cadets experimented with different amounts of water, fin types, nosecone types, and pressure amounts to see what would get the rocket to gain the most altitude.

For the paper rockets to work, all you had to do was attach an air compressor to the launcher, and charge the launcher to anywhere from ten to three hundred PSI. Then you would load the rocket onto the pipe, and fire!! These rockets would go far. Cadets experimented with spin stabilization, launch angle, air pressure, and many other variables to see how far the rockets would go.

When the night was over, the hangar was messy with rocket parts that had fallen off, or had been discarded, so there was some clean-up to do. Best of all, the cadets had a great time. One rocket went so far that it was irretrievable, but the most important part is that the cadets learned a lot about rockets and flight. A great evening.

(C/CMSgt Michael Moody)

Air / Ground Coordination Wins a DSAREX Accolade, 19-20 January

GEORGETOWN STAGING AREA, TX – “That means yes, yes! They got the signal!” shouted a cadet in glee, as CAP Flight 4221 passed overhead wagging its wings back and forth, after successfully interpreting a ground signal the Ground Training Unit had set up in the field.

The ground team trainees that had come out to the Georgetown Staging Area for the January Texas Wing Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise (DSAREX) got great experience in communicating with an aircraft without the use of radios. The trainees had been taken to a remote location, told that two planes would be flying somewhere in the vicinity, and that they would need to get their attention, give them a specific message, and, "Oh yea... You have no radio."

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

[1] As the exercise is about to start, everyone listens to the safety briefing. [2] The overall briefing was very informative. [3] The Ground Training Unit practices their litter carry technique on their instructor, C/CMSgt Michael Moody. [4] The cadets are on their way to the field to set up their ground-to-air signal. [5] The cadets have reached the place where they'll set up the signals. [6] The signal is ready and waiting for "customers." (Photos 1-3, 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen. Others, unknown cadets using Cdt John Schertz's and Cdt Michael Moody's camera.)

The week before, at the Apollo Composite Squadron's Emergency Services meeting, most of the trainees had participated in a class on air-to-ground, and ground-to-air signals. Now, in a simulated real-world emergency, the trainees took what they had learned and put it into action by setting up three different types of signals to establish communications with the aircrew flying above. But before they could “talk” to an aircrew they needed to get their attention so that they would know the ground team was there – and needed to tell them something. Some trainees ran all around with a billowing tarp hoping that the aircrew would see the cloth's movement, others popped smoke signals, but in the end the aircrew said that all that had caught their attention had been the flashing of a signal mirror. This task had been taught in conjunction with the ground-to-air signal class.

While the Ground Training Unit cadets were not carrying out a training mission in the field, they trained at the Georgetown Municipal Airport (a smaller airfield north of Austin) on various emergency tasks, including litter carry, marking a route, and ELT triangulation. The trainees had a wonderful "fun time" carrying their instructor, C/CMSgt Michael Moody, all around the airport as they negotiated obstacles of varying difficulty. (No, they didn't drop their instructor.)

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

[7] Seen from the air, cadets practice using different materials and methods to signal the aircrew. [8] The tarp had been thought a sure winner to signal from the ground. [9] A smoke signal was also a favorite. [10] Surprise! Cdt Christian Nelson calls the aircrew's attention with a signaling mirror. This one was the winner. [11] A bird's eye view of the cadets hurrying to change the signal for the next sortie. [12] The signaling cadets as seen from the air. (Photo 10, unknown cadet using Cdt John Schertz's and Cdt Michael Moody's camera. Others, 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen.)

Members of Apollo Composite Squadron, Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron, Legislative Senior Squadron and Pegasus Composite Squadron had converged on Apollo's home station to staff and run the Georgetown Staging Area. It was a new experience for us, working with others in our own place, but it all went very well and smoothly. We had two planes and members from four squadrons, and of course we wouldn't have fit in the little place we call home, so Kitttinger Phantom had asked for help and we were able to borrow a room at the Terminal Building. 1st Lt Richard Hacker, from Kittinger Phantom SS, was the Staging Area Manager and he was very responsive to our training requests. We were able to coordinate very good training for all. Speaking for the cadets, we had a great time.

When the weekend was over, the cadet trainees and the aircrews had gained much valuable experience, and the ground-to-air and air-to-ground signals had been a big hit. They were appreciated by everyone, and were definitely a great training experience. In total, three sorties were “flagged” down, and were able to correctly interpret the ground training unit's signals and message them back. In the future, we will be sure to incorporate this training into our exercises.

[ NOTE: For parallel points of view, see the next two articles and the Kittinger Phantom section - Editor ]

(C/CMSgt Michael Moody)

The DSAREX Viewed by an Aircrew Trainee, 19-20 January

GEORGETOWN STAGING AREA, TX – On Saturday, January 19, 2008, I awoke early to a cold morning and got ready for my first DSAREX. This was going to be the first time I would actually ride in a small airplane. I had only flown in commercial jets before, and was looking forward to this new and exciting experience. The previous week, I had attended two training evenings in order to complete my prerequisites to start training as a mission scanner. I was so excited that I was one of the first to arrive at the Georgetown Municipal Airport that morning.

I was scheduled for the first sortie out Saturday, flying with Maj Dan Williams and 2d Lt Steve Pautz. Shortly after our safety briefing, we began planning our mission. Lt Pautz showed me how to fill out some of the required paperwork and Maj. Williams had us figure out and plot the search grid we had been given. After filling out more paperwork, calling in the flight plan, and getting the approvals, we went out on the tarmac for the pre-flight inspection. 

As I climbed into the back seat (photo at top left), I wasn't sure what to expect. I had some trouble getting the headset to connect, but soon I could hear what was going on. Lt. Pautz helped explain how to work the headset (just push the little lever) and what I needed to do. Then I asked where the “sick bags” were kept, since several people  including my dad  had warned me that flying in small planes could make me nauseous.  Maj. Williams assured me that I would not get sick this time. He knew better than I, of course, though I felt some discomfort after a quick turn left then right as we went from a  7-mile-by-half-mile search pattern to an expanding square. Later, I found out why. I had assumed that I needed to lean into the turn just like you would in a car or bike. Not so. In an airplane, it's best to stay upright, otherwise it can throw off your equilibrium.

After leaving the terminal, I began writing pretty much all that I heard Maj Williams and Lt Pautz discuss. Since this was my first time, I did not really know what was important and what was not, so I just wrote down everything. After we returned, I found out that the headings that Maj Williams and Lt. Pautz had called off were what I would need to know had I spotted the target  so I could give the ground team the proper coordinates. After landing, we refueled and went back inside to complete our paperwork. It's called the "debriefing" (photo at lower right). 

     On day two, I again flew with Maj Dan Williams, and it was a treat. This time the mission was to take pictures of Stillhouse Hollow Dam. I learned that sometimes CAP flies photography missions after a storm or earthquake so as to survey the damage and make sure the integrity of a dam is not compromised. The same as the day before, we prepared all the paperwork and went through the pre-flight checklist. Since I didn't have one, 1st Lt Thomas Fowler loaned me a camera, and off we went.

I did much better this time. The hands-on experience from the day before gave me more confidence, as I correctly called out the appropriate Zulu times for Capt Steve Barclay and wrote down the headings and times.  After spotting the large towers we need to keep sight of, we began our projected flight path. Maj Williams maneuvered the plane beautifully as I snapped away. When we returned, Lt Fowler loaded the images and synchronized them with a program that interacted with Google Earth. This program placed the pictures on a projected flight path, so they were arranged in the correct sequence; it was exciting to see what we had accomplished.

I never realized how much goes into planning and organizing such an event. There is a lot of work that goes into scheduling the flights, the flight crews' preparation and clearance, the cadet coordination for ground teams, the mission radio operators, and a large variety of tasks, some of which were done by people at a different location. I want to thank 1st Lt Richard Hacker for coordinating everything and 1st Lt Cheri Fischler and 1st Lt Debbie Ford for providing lunch for everyone on both days.

This was excellent training, and a most memorable event. (Photos: Top left, 2d Lt Monica Corley; Bottom right, 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen.)

[ NOTE: For parallel points of view, see the articles above and below, and the Kittinger Phantom section - Editor ]

(2d Lt Debbie Walden)

The DSAREX As Seen from the Grass Roots, 19-20 January

GEORGETOWN STAGING AREA, TX – Saturday, 19 January brought a morning full of activity for the cadets attending the DSAREX at Georgetown Staging Area. C/Lt Marcus Bialkowsky and C/SSgt Alexandra Falken came from Pegasus CS to train with the Ground Training Unit (GTU). The Kittinger Phantom SS brought their plane, so twice as many sorties could be flown. Apollo CS provided their plane, the majority of the cadets in the Ground Training Unit, and our commander, 1st Lt Fischler, provided delicious stew for lunch.

For us, the DSAREX started bright and early at 0645 Saturday morning, and we got under way just as the sun came up. 2d Lt Richard Hacker, the Staging Area Manager, started with the safety briefing for the ground team and the pilots. Capt John Benavides then finished briefing us on the radios. The briefing completed, the pilots headed for the flightline – and the Ground Training Unit for the backwoods, to practice various tasks such as Stokes Basket training (litter carrying) and trail marking. Once these had been completed to the satisfaction of C/CMSgt Moody – our instructor –, the GTU checked out the van and loaded it up. It was time to go on an Emergency Location Transmitter (ELT) search.

An ELT is placed in the tail of all General Aviation aircraft and, if triggered (by a rough landing or the shock of being dropped), it will transmit a signal. Once CAP is notified that an ELT has been activated, and we are given a general area, we take several directional readings to establish the general location. Then the ground teams look for it in obvious places such as airports and airplane mechanic's shops, before heading out into the middle of nowhere.

This ELT search was rather disappointing, because when we finally got a reading it led us to the Taylor Airport. On arrival, we got out to take another reading and, lo and behold, the signal had vanished. C/CMSgt Moody happened to find it and, as he watched, it turned itself on and off without him touching it. Cdt Moody then called off the search and we headed to Granger Dam to communicate with the aircraft from the ground – without radios.

1. 2. 3. 4.

[1] The cadets can't wait to get going. Standing at right, with blue backpack, is the author. [2]-[3] When they say, "Take a break," the GTU members take it very seriously. [4] The van gets a checkout. (Photo #3, C/CMSgt Michael Moody. All others, Cdt John Schertz)

Communicating with aircraft from the ground is not as easy as one would think, as the ground team – I included – found out very quickly. The signals must be a certain width and length, and must be clearly visible from about 600 ft above the ground. The field the GTU used for signaling was about a mile from the parking lot and was reached through difficult terrain.

The first plane that the GTU attracted was not CAP Flight 4221, and we got a little worried because we had a signal "V" on the ground meaning, "We need assistance." For a while we thought the other plane had taken us seriously. Fortunately, we could not detect any signs that it had, and the training continued. When CAP Flight 4221 showed up, the GTU signaled for a quarter of an hour before the plane headed off into the rest of its grid search. CAP Flight 4233 followed 15 minutes later, and the same sequence (except for the signals) was repeated.

Once back in the van, several members of the GTU fell asleep, being in compliance with the Ground Team Motto:  "Why stand when you can sit; why sit when you can lay down; and why be awake when you can sleep". At the hangar, the GTU left most of their gear there to keep from having to carry them all over some more of Creation.

Sunday morning the GTU was a little less active than it should've been, because our plane got grounded before its first flight. Now, the GTU only had CAP Flight 4221 to practice signaling with, which they did for 10 minutes next to Pflugerville Lake.

To our disappointment, the DSAREX was over within an hour or two of our returning to the Airport. We all had enjoyed ourselves tremendously, and had learned a lot about emergency situations and teamwork. I look forward to the next DSAREX and working with the GTU.

Special thanks to our Staging Area Manager Lt Richard Hacker, Kittinger Phantom SS Commander Maj. Dan Williams, Apollo CS Commander 1st Lt Cheri Fischler, and all the cadets and senior members who attended and worked so hard to make it a seamless, constructive, and worthwhile DSAREX .

[ NOTE: For parallel points of view, see the two article above and the Kittinger Phantom section. - Editor ]

(C/SrA Christian Nelson)

Crusader CS

New Squadron Page on MySpace, 1 January

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – The Crusader Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing, to further the grassroots implementation of the new CAP National Marketing Plan, has launched a new MySpace page ( http://www.myspace.com/crusadercap ) aimed at recruiting cadets. Crusader cadets will be involved in updating the website, that will provide a forum for young people to post photos and exchange ideas.

     The author of the new page, 1st Lt Robert Severance III, was recently involved in developing a MySpace recruiting page for the Grand Prairie Police Department which was highly successful in attracting applicants from across the nation, exceeding the agency’s recruiting goals (and expectations).

The new CAP National Marketing Plan is designed to establish CAP’s brand by communicating at the grassroots level the myriad ways in which our volunteers serve their communities.

Simultaneously, the squadron also initiated a Yahoo! Groups e-mail list and online calendar to facilitate communications with parents, cadets and senior members.

(1st Lt Robert Severance III)

My First O-Flight, 12 January

     GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – A sunny day. A day I thought would never come. But here it is, at 0800 and we're ready for it. C/Amn Matthew O'Brien and I got started with a safety briefing given by Maj Russell Miller and Lt Col Ned Beiser. I was very excited. Col Beiser is a retired USAF Colonel, and they are both great teachers. Then we started the flight safety check, to make sure everything was OK. The ailerons, the rudder, the fuel, the tires, they are all important. The plane has to be perfect on the ground, before we take off. After this, we got in the plane and headed to the taxiway to start our take-off procedures. We needed to see which way the wind was going, and make sure that all devices worked OK, especially the flight instruments and the radio. I was sitting in front, next to Maj Miller who was the pilot. It was true, we were going to take off. I was so excited. It was my first Orientation Flight.

Taxiing over to the runway, the engine made a nice sound, and then we were ready to take off. Maj Miller, my pilot, got the engine to go real fast, and we went faster and faster on the runway, and then we sort of hopped and were in the air. I had a little lump in my throat and caught myself smiling. When we rose in the air, the view was so amazing that I could hardly believe my eyes. You could see out forever, right over the land. Everything looked different.

When we landed, we all got off and we got a new pilot. This time, Col Beiser was the pilot and C/Amn O'Brien sat next to him. It was amazing. Col Beiser did the same things that Maj Miller had done before, and the feeling in the back seat was the same as when I was sitting up front. Only in the back I got to look out of both sides of the plane, and could see the front between the seats. I loved it.

     Our instructors talked about the basic controls and C/Amn O'Brien and I both had a chance to do a couple of maneuvers, like 180-degree turns and 360-degree turns. It was fabulous. Our instructor even did a couple of "touch and goes," where the plane comes in for a landing and touches the runway, but instead of slowing down it takes off again. They were one of the most exciting things, if you ask me. We learned a lot of things that we hadn't known before.

Cdt O'Brien and I had one hour each sitting at the front, but of course we also got the other hour in the back seat. Two hours of flying around like a bird. It was a great feeling. Then we landed and had a debriefing to talk about what we had learned. This event was a lot of fun and I recommend that any cadet who hasn't gone on an O-Flight try it. I learned a lot of the basic controls of the airplane and how much fun they can be, by just flying safe.

I had taken a lot of photos with my new digital camera, and was wondering if they would all fit in the newsletter article, but the memory card malfunctioned and I lost them all. Fortunately, Maj Miller took the photo at top left. I'm the one in the rear seat, and C/Amn O'Brien is sitting at front next to Col Beiser. My dad, 1st Lt Rob Severance III, took the other photo. I'll never forget this day.

(C/SSgt Robert Severance IV)

DSAREX, 18-21 January

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX Members of Crusader Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing participated in the Texas Wing Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise on 18-21 January 2008. Lt Col E.S. “Tex” Collins, 1st Lt Robert Severance III, and C/SSgt Robert Severance IV worked as mission staff assistants at the Incident Command Post, located at the Mesquite Metro Airport. 

1. 2. 3.

[1] C/SSgt Robert Severance IV receives instructions from Capt Arthur Woodgate, the DSAREX Information Officer. In the background, Maj Jack Lewis, IT Officer and Lt Col "Tex" Collins. [2] At the Incident Command Post, Cdt Severance prepares an assignment on his laptop computer. In the background, in blue polo shirt and standing is the Wing Commander, Col Joe R. Smith, who worked the exercise as a member of the Operations section. To his left, sitting at his laptop computer, is the SWR Vice Commander, Col André Davis, who also worked the exercise in Operations. [3] 1st Lt Robert Severance III, Information Officer Assistant, prepares a news release for approval as Lt Col "Tex" Collins looks on. (Photos #1&2: 1st Lt Robert Severance III. Photo #3: C/SSgt Robert Severance IV)

Lt Col Roy Hill, Squadron Commander, and thirty other CAP members from Crusader Composite Squadron and other units were on hand to staff the staging area at the Grand Prairie Airport (GPM), one of twenty staging areas across Texas. During a flight out of Grand Prairie on 20 January 2008, while executing tasks assigned to it by the Incident Command Post staff, Capt Terry Matthews (Crusader Composite Squadron), SM Troy Fleeman and 1st Lt John Keizer (the last two from South Fort Worth Composite Squadron, Group II) detected a growing grass fire nearing a populated area. Capt Matthews said, “I noticed that there were no emergency vehicles, so I asked Lt Keizer to call the Grand Prairie staging area and report it.”  Maj Russell Miller (Crusader CS) received the transmission, verified the coordinates, and contacted the local fire department to extinguish the blaze before it could cause damage to property or persons in the area.

(1st Lt Robert Severance III)

Helping Put Out the Fire, 20 January

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – On 20 January, during the DSAREX, Air Sortie 117 was released for a "Parallel and Creeping Line Search" over a designated area. The Cessna 182, assigned to Crusader Composite Squadron, had Capt Terry Matthews of Crusader CS as the Mission Pilot/Observer, 1st Lt Troy Fleeman as Mission Pilot Trainee, and SM John Keizer, Mission Scanner Trainee. The last two were members of the Fort Worth Spinks Composite Squadron, a unit that is in Group II.

On a reasonably dry and clear day, with good visibility, the aircraft took to the air easily and left the pattern, on its way to the assigned area. En route, the aircrew noticed a grass fire near some man-made structures, but saw no fire fighters on site. After all the firewatch missions that Texas Wing squadrons in the northern area flew a couple of years ago, the aircrew knew exactly what to do and wasted no time.

They radioed the Grand Prairie Staging Area and reported the event and GPS coordinates. The radio operator at the Staging Area noticed that those coordinates didn't fall within the local 911 area or responsibility, so looked up which number to call. The emergency number worked as advertised, and fire fighters were on site in a matter of minutes.

The CAP flight resumed its mission and did execute a flawless parallel and creeping line search. It may sound creepy, but it was actually quite nice. And yes, the trainees checked out OK, but left without giving us any of the images they took. (You can't win them all.)

(Maj Russell J. Miller)

Gladewater Corsair CS

Annual Awards Meeting, 8 January

GLADEWATER, TX – On January 8, 2008, the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol held their annual awards night. Members were recognized in several categories for outstanding work accomplished during the previous year. In addition to performance awards, one senior member was promoted and a new Cadet Commander was named. The awards were presented by First Lieutenant Harold Parks, the squadron commander.

Senior Member Brian O’Neal, who serves as the squadron Safety Officer, was recognized for his excellent work and promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant O’Neal has been a member of our squadron for nine months, and has served in the Safety Officer position since joining. He lives in Avinger, is a veteran of the United States Navy, a pilot, and a real asset to the unit. During his tenure, we have not experienced a single safety infraction or problem.

Second Lieutenant Farrell Alexander was also recognized during the meeting. He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his exemplary work as the unit Moral Leadership Officer and Deputy Commander for Cadets. Many people may also recognize that Lieutenant Alexander is the Chief of Police in Gladewater. In addition to his squadron and local community duties, Farrell has also served on the state level by attending Texas Wing Encampments. Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol includes squadrons positioned all over the State of Texas, so Farrell has had the opportunity to meet and train with a great number of cadets and seniors from other squadrons and groups, as well as Wing Headquarters.

Next, the Gladewater Corsairs Senior Member of the Year 2007 Award was presented to First Lieutenant Jimmy Killian. Lieutenant Killian serves in our unit as Finance Officer and Logistics Officer. Jimmy is a long-time member of the squadron, lives in Longview, is a U S Army veteran, and has held many different positions over the years. He has the distinction of being a member of a flight crew that located a missing aircraft a few years ago, and also flew missions in support of the NASA Shuttle Challenger disaster. During the wildfire emergencies two years ago, Lieutenant Killian flew many sorties in support of the Fire Service, locating a number of fires previously undetected. Fire Service personnel were therefore able to race to the scenes and extinguish the flare-ups before they'd grown and raged out of control. Under Lieutenant Killian’s watchful eyes, our finances and resources are accurate and secure.

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[1] Lieutenant Killian receives the Senior Member of the Year 2007 Award. [2] Lieutenant Alexander is presented a Certificate of Appreciation. [3] Lieutenant Parks Promotes Senior Member Brian O’Neal to 2d Lt. [4] The Cadet of the Year 2007 Award goes to Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Jarrod Alexander.

Finally, the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron Cadet of the Year 2007 Award was presented to Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Jarrod Alexander. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions made by a squadron cadet during the previous year.  Cadet Alexander was also promoted to the position of Cadet Commander during the final formation of the evening. Jarrod is a senior at Union Grove High School and has been our “go to” guy this past year. He enthusiastically undertook mentoring of new cadets and spent many hours guiding and teaching them basic drill, proper wear of uniform, and the many details that a cadet needs to know.  Recruiting at a local junior high school was successful primarily because of the groundwork that Cadet Alexander had laid with the principal, Mr. Rex Sharp. Jarrod’s performance was outstanding throughout the past year, and his leadership qualities shone through during a recent squadron training weekend. 

On the first night, there was a storm that included high winds and heavy downpours. Jarrod left his warm, dry bed to make certain that other cadets were warm and dry. Even though he was soaked to the skin, he spent a good part of the night moving from tent to tent verifying that all was well with the cadets. While checking on the others, he continually updated the commander of the situation, disregarding his own lack of comfort. Cadet Alexander leads by setting high standards for himself and gently teaching the younger cadets what is expected of them. He is very deserving of this award.

(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)

Gregg County CS

 

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!

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[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)

Irving CS

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.

Well... OK. Reality check. It wasn’t an actual Beechjet, but a simulator of that aircraft, and the flight program wasn’t of the DFW Airport, but Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York. And yes, all this took place at the CAE Simuflite facility, so weather never was a factor.

Our cadets and senior members had been invited to CAE for a day of touring, learning about the facility, and – best if all – the opportunity to “fly” in a fancy simulator. CAE instructors were our very own CAP members, Capt Lee Williams and SM Kevin Reno. They gave us a video walk-through of the actual Beechjet 400A, inside and out, in a classroom environment, before we would be allowed to sit in the pilot’s seat of the Beechjet simulator.

But that simulator was no cheap knock-off either. The $12-million equipment is designed to reproduce the look, feel, and sound of the real thing. These were so life-like that they were truly amazing. Capt Williams programmed it for us to fly out of Kennedy Airport, take various headings around Manhattan Island, and land back on the same runway from which we had departed, using night runway lights!

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[1] C/MSgt John Lockhart (in pilot's seat), Lt Col Dietrich Whisennand (in co-pilot's seat), and Capt Lee Williams enjoy the ride. [2] Irving Composite Squadron members pose wearing their CAE caps, just donated to them by the CAE Simuflite management. [3] 1st Lt Matthew Whisennand examines a 1942 Link flight simulator, used by the U.S. Army Air Corps to train pilots during WW II. [4] Lt Whisennand gets a feel for the hang glider on display. [5] Squadron members after their enjoyable and informative visit. (Front Row) Capt Lee Williams, C/MSgt Michael Lockhart, C/AB Ryan Grant, 1st Lt Jerra Williams, and C/A1C Dennis Calhoun. (Back Row) SM Kevin Reno (Crusader CS), Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand, 1st Lt Matthew Whisennand, C/1st Sgt Christopher Gattis, C/Amn Shannon Williams, and Lt Col Dietrich Whisennand. (Photos 1&2, Capt Felipe Gomez; Photos 3&4, Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand; Photo 5: Maj. Jack Lewis.)

While we waited to get on the simulator, we were treated to a tour of the CAE facility. We saw many simulators of various commercial aircraft, got to enjoy beverages from their break room, saw many real aircraft flying in and out of DFW thanks to CAE’s wide windows, and took a few minutes to "fly" a video game of a hang-glider finding its way through the Grand Canyon. It was spectacular. (Land in Hong Kong at the controls of a Beechjet 400A - Editor)

All in all, a wonderful experience, even for those still working on their nerves of steel.

(Capt Felipe Gomez, AEO, TX 133)

Kittinger Phantom SS

Austin Area Squadrons Join for Effective DSAREX, 18-21 January

GEORGETOWN STAGING AREA, TX – Texas Wing conducted a State-wide Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise, controlled from Mission Base in Mesquite Metro Airport. In the Austin area, four squadrons came together to share personnel, resources and skills in the conduct of the exercise, functioning out of the Georgetown Staging Area. Over thirty cadets and senior members from the Apollo Composite Squadron, Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron, Pegasus Composite Squadron and Legislative Squadron gathered on a frosty Saturday morning at the Georgetown Municipal Airport Terminal Building. Airport Manager Travis McLain and his staff welcomed CAP at the facility, “To support the search and rescue work that the Civil Air Patrol conducts for General Aviation.” 

Combining resources allowed the squadrons to optimize equipment, personnel and skill sets, towards coordinated search and rescue skill-building and training. C/CMSgt Michael Moody led a ground training unit in the field, planning coordinated ground/air sorties with Staging Area Manager 2d Lt Richard Hacker. “Cadet Moody provided key leadership, greatly contributing to making our coordinated sorties successful," said Lt Hacker. "Cadets on the ground and aircrews in the air had the opportunity to search for an ELT, and aircrews had the chance to receive ground signals from the Ground Training Unit. Should we find ourselves in an actual situation where our radio communications are disrupted, we now will have a number of cadets and aircrew members experienced in sending and receiving ground signals.”

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[1] Safety Officer 1st Lt John Meiners delivers the morning safety briefing to Georgetown Staging Area personnel (L-R) Lt Col Gordie White, 1st Lt John Meiner, Maj Dan Williams. [2] Staging Area Manager and Assistant Staging Area Manager (L-R) 2d Lt Richard Hacker, 1st Lt Debbie Ford. [3] (L-R) 1st Lt Debbie Ford and 2d Lt Fred West assist 2d Lt Stephen Pautz during sign-in. [4] (L-R) 1st Lt Debbie Ford, a certified standards evaluator, instructs Senior Member Jeff Johnson on Mission Scanner competencies. (Photos: 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen, Apollo CS)

The Georgetown Staging Area conducted seven sorties with two aircraft on Saturday, 19 January, plus an additional four sorties on Sunday.  Flexible and responsive Staging Area staff, ground personnel and aircrews enabled all trainees to get in the air for training, as well as maximized operations in spite of any resource challenges. Group III Commander and DSAREX Incident Commander Lt Col Owen Younger commented, “This is the kind of teamwork that defines excellence.”

Kittinger Phantom Squadron Commander Maj Dan Williams reflected on the real-life circumstances of many "red cap" (real life) operations where the operational facility usually lacks the comforts of home. “Working out of a space a little too small for thirty personnel, lacking direct Internet connections (which in this case required the creative use of a cell-phone Internet connection) and with the additional handicap of resource challenges provided a very realistic search and rescue experience for cadets and senior members alike.”

[ NOTE: For three parallel points of view, two of them cadet-bylined, see the Apollo CS Section, above - Editor ]

(2d Lt Richard Hacker)

Mesquite Blacksheep CS

Squadron Gets New Van, 7 January

     MESQUITE, TX – On January of 2008, the Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing received a new van from the U.S. Air Force. Their original vehicle had been an 8-passenger 1996 Chevrolet Astro. This was replaced with a new 15-passenger 2007 Ford F-350.

“I got a call from Lt. Col. Mike Eberle (Mesquite Blacksheep C.S. Commander) saying that we had a new van to pick up in Houston,” explained 1st Lt Opal McKinney, Squadron Transportation Officer. “I was excited and took off to bring it over.”

The new larger van came equipped with a tow package and a compact disc player, the latter a luxury feature. The Chevrolet hadn't had these, which are very welcome accessories.

“I like it because it has more power than the original,” said squadron member 2d Lt Jerry Barron.

The decision to replace the van was made because the squadron's original van had logged the highest mileage of any other van in Texas Wing.

“Lt McKinney worked extremely hard to maintain the old van,” said Lt Col Eberle. “In fact, it was the best-looking van at the state-wide winter encampment last month, held at Camp Swift.”

The Chevrolet Astro will be transferred to the Tyler Composite Squadron in the near future.

(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)

Working at a Staging Area - A Cadet's View, 19-20 January

     MESQUITE, TX – On Saturday, 19 January 2008, cadets from various squadrons that included the Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron, Red Oak Hawks Cadet Squadron, and Tyler Composite Squadron kicked off the weekend-long DSAREX at the Mesquite Metro Airport. (Photo of Cdt Smith: 1st Lt Kelly Castillo)

The Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing hosted the Texas Wing-wide DSAREX by providing a facility in which to set up Mission Base, so the exercise staff could run the exercise across Texas. For the cadets in this staging area, the weekend was filled with a variety of Emergency Services training, especially in the areas of ground team work and communications.

     As the ground teams eagerly stood by, numerous missions came their way. Nobody was at risk, of course, since no real emergency existed, but we worked all missions as if they had been the real thing. (Photo by C/SSgt Robert Severance IV shows C/SSgt Kasee Niskern and 1st Lt Opal McKinney [front], and C/CMsgt Andrew Smith and C/MSgt Tanner Caffee of Red Oak Hawks Cadet Squadron [rear].)

The missions included searching for geocaches using GPS coordinates given to us by the Ground Branch Director, 2d Lt Jerry Barron, and other assignments included a ramp check and an ELT mission that took some work – the ELT had been placed in a horse trailer in Scurry, Texas.

All this work involved a lot of walking, and the ground team members developed a very healthy appetite. After these missions were completed successfully, the ground team and other personnel were treated to a mouth-watering home-cooked meal. We had that pleasure both on Saturday and Sunday, courtesy of the hard work done by 2d Lt Lynda Barron, C/SrA Kasee Niskern, 1Lt Opal McKinney and her daughter TFO Rebecca McKinney. These members put in many hours preparing the food that would be needed by all members participating at the staging area and at Mission Base.

By the end of the weekend, several trainees had received an abundance of training, thanks to the hours spent on the ES exercises. Many of these trainees got signed off on tasks they needed towards achieving their GTM rating, living up to the cadet oath by advancing their education and training rapidly to prepare themselves to be of service to their community, state, and nation. 

(C/CMSgt Andrew Smith)

Air / Ground Coordination During the DSAREX, 19-20 January

MESQUITE, TX – On 19-21 January 2008, the Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron (CS), Group III, Texas Wing hosted the Mission Base for the monthly Civil Air Patrol DSAREX (Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise). The event was held at the Mesquite Metro Airport in Mesquite, Texas as the site became the Incident Command Post, temporarily assuming command of Texas Wing.

Other participating squadrons from the Metroplex area included the Addison Eagles CS, Dallas CS, Tyler CS, Crusader CS (in Grand Prairie), Red Oak Hawks Cadet Squadron, and Rockwall CS (Group II). Overall, there were 20 staging areas distributed throughout Texas State.

The Black Sheep CS logged 10 hours of flight time with their Cessna 182, including three sorties each on Saturday and Sunday. CAP squadrons train monthly in order to keep all members current on their skills, so as to better handle emergency services such as search and rescue and disaster relief.

January’s aircrew training included locating an ELT signal in the town of Scurry, Texas as well as locating a “missing” airplane. 2d Lt Jerry Barron, a member of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS, had constructed the missing airplane model, complete with “fatalities.” Using a model that closely matched reality enhanced the members’ search and rescue efforts. “I constructed and shaped the plane out of vinyl material,” said 2d Lt Barron. “My boss, Mike Runyon, allowed me to build it on his property in Walton, Texas.”

Because the property where the model was built is heavily wooded, the exercise became more of a challenge to the aircrews who were required to locate the plane from the air. All sorties tasked for this mission were successful in their efforts.

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[1] 1st Lt Opal McKinney, at right, trains cadets on airport ramp inspections at the Mesquite Metro Airport. [2] C/MSgt Matthew Garcia (Mesquite Blacksheep CS) communicates with pilots on the status of their flights. [3] Lt Col Melanie Capehart and Maj Paul Perkins enjoy a hearty luncheon provided by Mesquite Blacksheep CS members 2d Lt Lynda Barron and C/SSgt Kasee Niskern. [4] Capt. Ron Marshall of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS captured this photo of the model plane with two “fatalities” lying in the woods. [5] The shadows from the trees did not prevent 2d Lt Ray Hicks (Mesquite Blacksheep CS) from spotting the same model plane. (Photo: by Capt Ed Prokop, Mesquite Blacksheep CS) [6] Sortie 143 captured the target looking west. (Photo: 2d Lt Hal Ticknor, Dallas CS) (Photos: 1st Lt Kelly Castillo, unless otherwise noted)

On the ground, 1st Lt Opal McKinney, also a member of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS, trained cadets in six ground missions requiring Urban Directional Finding, Ground Team and Ground Team Leader skills. The ground missions involved conducting airport ramp inspections as well as locating an ELT signal as directed by the aircrew flying in the squadron’s plane above the area.

Thanks to a newly-installed High Frequency (HF) radio antenna on the roof of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS hangar, communications were also improved. “We were better able to communicate with Victoria, Texas,” said Lt Col Mike Eberle, commander of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS, referring to a CAP squadron located in the South Texas region (Group V).

Two squadron members successfully completed their air crew training: Lt Col John Donaldson as Mission Observer and 1st Lt Ray Hicks as Mission Scanner.

This was also Technical Flight Officer (TFO) Rebecca McKinney’s first exercise since switching from cadet to Senior Member status. “I spent the weekend manning the radios,” said TFO McKinney, as in fact she spent much time communicating with the pilots during the exercise.

(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)

Pegasus CS

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)

Waxahachie Talon CS

 

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.”

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[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)

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