|
Group Commander
 |
Looking Ahead
Last month I asked any one who felt like responding to
give me a 2007 report card on both Group III and me personally. It was
an honest request, and I got mostly honest feedback. A number of you
e-mailed or called, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.
I am happy to say that no one felt compelled to submit anything to
me anonymously. Many of you may be wondering what kind of grade Group
III got. Well, that's sort of a tough one. 99% of the responses I got
were informal phone calls or e-mails, thanking me and the staff for the
work that we do, and it didn't feel right to ask any of those people for
a letter grade. Only one person actually gave me a letter grade, and
that person gave Group III a "D," and me personally an "F." No, I won't
tell you who that person was, except to say that it was someone in Group
III. But I will say that most of you think we're doing just fine.
I have some new ideas for 2008, and I thought I would
list them for you. They focus mostly on improving internal
communications:
-
We
haven't had a commander's call in a little over six months,
and that's way too long. I have asked Maj Mike Cobb, the
Group Vice-Commander, to help me gather the agenda items and
assist in scheduling the conference calls and face-to-face meetings.
Those are starting on March.
-
I've
already sent out, in February, a briefing sheet to all unit
commanders and Group Staff, focusing on action/emphasis items for
the coming month. I plan on sending this briefing sheet out during
the final week of each month, so that unit commanders can review it
and be prepared as the next month begins. The first briefing sheet
went out last week.
-
In 2007
I visited 11 out of 17 units. There is a common misconception that
my travel costs in visiting squadrons in the group are funded.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. Whenever I fly out to a Mitchell
Award ceremony, or come out to visit a squadron, it's always on my
own dime. That's OK, I love to fly and I don't mind having a
good excuse (it beats $100 hamburgers!). I've resolved that
in 2008 I'll visit every squadron in the Group. I've already visited
three, but I have a lot more to go if I'm going to stay on track.
Now I offer all squadrons an observation
–
Group Staff, and for that matter the Group Commander, are
here to support you. But like you, we're also here to see to it that
CAP's missions are performed as well as they can be. For the most part,
our missions are executed in the squadrons, and it is appropriate that
this is where much of our focus is. But this is a two-way street.
Crucial decisions and programs are also guided at group,
wing, region, and national level. While all CAP echelons are working to
make sure that all of you in the squadrons can perform our missions,
sometimes you will be called upon to help see to it that programs that
transcend your unit are likewise supported. When you need help in
getting the mission done, don't hesitate to ask us. Neither I nor my
staff can provide you with any assistance if you don't tell us you need
it. On the other hand, when you are asked to support group or wing,
please don't forget that support is always a two-way street.
Finally, my mother's birthday is March 3rd. Please
forgive me for taking a moment to wish her a Happy Birthday in this
forum. Mom, Happy Birthday!
As fire watch continues, please be safe.
Lt Col
Owen Younger, Commander
Tertia semper primoris |
|
Wing Commander
 |
Message to the Texas Wing, 12 February
I
am exceptionally pleased to pass on the
congratulations of the CAP National Headquarters
Executive Director, Mr. Don Rowland, for the Compliance Inspection
rating of Excellent earned by the hard working folks of the Texas
Wing.
Thanks!
(To read the PDF document, please click on the link above, or on
the National Command Patch at top left. Editor)
Col Joe R. Smith, Texas Wing Commander |
|
Group Commander
 |
New
Pegasus Composite Squadron Commander
I take great pleasure in announcing the appointment of
Capt John Benavides as the new commander, Pegasus Composite Squadron.
Capt Benavides, a former USAF officer, brings considerable experience to
the job, having helped build the Apollo Composite Squadron over the last
four years.
A communications officer, he has been active in this CAP
specialty and filled in as an instructor, practitioner, and participant
in many exercises. He worked closely with area squadrons and has been a
valued asset to Group III. His experience as an Air Force officer is
also a plus, bringing to Pegasus Composite Squadron a deep respect for
the Civil Air Patrol, its aims, and its members.
Please join me in welcoming Capt Benavides to this
challenging job, and offer him your support and cooperation. Group III
and Texas Wing look forward to Pegasus Composite Squadron's continued
improvement.
Lt Col
Owen Younger, Commander
Tertia semper primoris |
|
Group Commander
 |
Message to Group III (especially Unit Commanders and Staff)
As many of you may be aware, there is an ongoing project
to help prepare Texas Wing for the next round of hurricanes. From past
experience, we have seen that in the mad rush to get spun up for a
mission amidst a large-scale evacuation of coastal areas, it is
sometimes easy to lose track of asset location and access instructions.
Is the aircraft assigned to squadron XYZ where it normally is, or has it
been moved somewhere else due to maintenance or some kind of activity?
Where are the keys? How do we get to the van in order to evacuate it?
Where are the portable repeaters? And the list goes on...
To really improve our ability to manage this the next
time, Jack Lewis has made some significant enhancements to CAPERS to let
us record real-time data on information of this nature.
The good news is that current information like this is
not only applicable for impending hurricanes, but also for firewatch
sortie planning, 0200 ELT missions, and lots of other things. Please
start recording this information in CAPERS anytime something changes.
If we get into the habit of doing this now, when we're
not faced with a huge disaster the size of Katrina/Rita, I think we'll
find a significant improvement in our mission planning processes when
the next real disaster hits us. Bottom line
–
if you will need it, log it.
Thanks for your help.
Lt Col
Owen Younger, Commander
Tertia semper primoris |
|
Group Commander
 |
2007 Group III Awards
I am pleased to announce the following Group III Annual Awards for 2007.
-
Senior Member of the Year: 1st Lt Opal McKinney
-
Aerospace Education Officer of the Year: 1st Lt Janet
Kristoffersen
-
Cadet Programs Officer of the Year: 1st Lt Juston Coffman
-
Communications Officer of the Year: 1st Lt Toby Buckalew
-
Public Affairs Officer of the Year: Capt Arthur Woodgate
-
Safety Officer of the Year: Capt Frank Stalling
-
Senior Chaplain of the Year: Chaplain, Maj Ron Whitt
-
Moral Leadership Officer of the Year: 1st Lt Barry Hosford
-
Squadron of the Year: Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron
Congratulations to all!
Lt Col
Owen Younger, Commander
Tertia semper primoris |
|
Aerospace Education
 |
Fly-A-Teacher Day, 9 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
–
The Crusader Composite Squadron Fly-A-Teacher event was held
on February 9, 2008 at the Grand Prairie Municipal
Airport. All participants were very pleased with the
results.
At left is the Fly-A-Teacher team. (L-R) Mission Pilot Capt
Ray Bufkin, Crusader Composite Squadron; 5th grade teacher
Jay Collette, Crosstimbers Intermediate, Mansfield ISD; 4th
grade teacher James Sharp, Williams Elementary, Garland ISD;
Capt Frank Stalling, Crusader Composite Squadron,
Safety Officer; Capt James Hein, Texas Wing
External Aerospace Education Officer; Gifted and Talented
teacher Regina Hein, Moates Elementary, Desoto ISD; Gifted
and Talented teacher Debbie Robinson, Ruby Young Elementary,
Desoto ISD; and
Lt Col Roy D. Hill, Crusader Composite
Squadron Commander.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1]
Sortie 1 is ready for take-off. [2]
In the front seat, 5th grade teacher Jay Collette
Crosstimbers Intermediate, Mansfield ISD; in the back seat,
4th grade teacher James Sharp, Williams Elementary, Garland
ISD. [3]
Mr. Sharp took this fine picture of Joe Pool Lake, Cedar
Hill, TX. [4]
In the left seat, Lt Col Jim Warneke, and in the right seat,
5th grade teacher Jay Collette, Crosstimbers
Intermediate, Mansfield ISD, coming in for a landing.
[5]
Sortie returns to base.
6.
7.
8.
[6]
Fly-A-Teacher Certificate presentation (L-R) Gifted and
Talented Teacher Debbie Robinson, Ruby Young Elementary,
Desoto ISD; Gifted and Talented Teacher Regina Hein, Moates
Elementary, Desoto ISD; Mission Pilot Capt Ray Bufkin,
Crusader Composite Squadron; and
Lt Col Roy D. Hill, Crusader Composite
Squadron Commander.
[7]
Fly-A-Teacher Certificate is presented to 5th trade teacher
Jay Collette, Crosstimbers Intermediate, Mansfield ISD by
Mission Pilot Lt Col Jim Warneke. [7]
Certificate presentation (L-R) Capt James Hein, Texas Wing
External AE, Lt Col Jim Warneke, Mission Pilot; 5th grade
teacher Jay Collette, Crosstimbers Intermediate, Mansfield
ISD; and Lt. Col Roy D. Hill Crusader Composite Squadron
Commander.
Capt James C. Hein, Jr., TXWG External AE Officer
|
|
Aerospace Education - Free Admission for
CAP Members
 |
Come to Aviation Industry Expo 2008
DALLAS, TX
–
Dallas Convention Center, “The Best Run Convention Center in
America,” will host the 2008 Aviation Industry Expo
on March 18-20, 2008. The event is produced by Cygnus
Expositions. Last year in Orlando, FL,
the event attracted an
audience of nearly 5,000 aviation professionals and key
buyers from nearly 50 countries. “Aviation Industry Expo
2007 was a success, hosting attendees from across the nation
and around the globe,” said Jill Ryan, Aviation Industry
Expo’s Show Director. Over 500 leading companies exhibited
at the 2007 event, including: Air BP, Avfuel,
ConocoPhillips, Garsite, General Dynamics, Pratt & Whitney,
Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Dallas Airmotive, ITW GSE
Group, Lektro, TLD, Wasp, Tronair, FMC, Tug and Global
Ground Support. Aviation Industry Expo 2007 featured over
122 new exhibitors with 18,450 square feet of new exhibition
space.
The 2007 Aviation Industry
Expo marked the first year for NATA’s FBO Leadership
Conference. “We look forward to building on our success as
we head to Dallas in 2008,” said Jill Ryan. Exhibitors have
indicated strong interest in this year’s Aviation Industry
Expo, as evidenced by the 10% increase in exhibit space
reserved at the show. “As home to the largest airline in the
world, the ‘Global Cargo Airport of the Year,’ and the third
busiest airport in the world, Dallas is a natural host for
Aviation Industry Expo 2008.”

“It gets better each year!”
said Stephen Sipe of Lektro, one of last year's exhibitors.
Aviation Industry Expo 2008
will be held March 18-20, 2008 at the Dallas Convention
Center, Dallas, Texas. Aviation Industry Expo is owned and
produced by Cygnus Expositions and is part of the Cygnus
Aviation & Transportation Group, which includes the leading
industry publications Aircraft Maintenance Technology,
Airport Business, and Ground Support Worldwide.
Cygnus Expositions is a division of
business-to-business media leader Cygnus Business Media.
|
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
-
Cost: Free to CAP members.
-
Place: Dallas
Convention Center, focusing on aviation support
activities.
-
Senior members and cadets 18 years of age or older
may attend at any time during the event, and will have access
to the show floor and a variety of free seminars and
functions.
-
Cadets under 18
must be accompanied by a senior member
(small groups are allowed) and will be welcome on
-
Tuesday, 18 March at the Career Center, to be
held at the Center's lobby, and
-
Thursday, 20 March starting at
12 noon to the Expo show floor.
-
Uniform:
Air Force-style Blues or CAP-equivalent.
-
Special ID is required. Kindly
e-mail me
for instructions.
|
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
 |
|
Cadet Protection Program Training
I'd like to remind everyone of how important Cadet Protection
Program Training (CPPT) is. This training is mandatory
for
-
All senior members (it is an element of the senior
member’s Level One professional development);
-
Cadet Sponsor Members (it is an element of the
senior member’s Level One professional development);
and
-
Cadets age 18 and older. “Completion of the Cadet
Protection Program Training (CPPT) is required of
all cadets within 6 months following their 18th
birthday, or if a promotion is due during that
6-month period, prior to the promotion. Cadets will
not participate in CPPT if they are under 18 years
of age.” (CAPR 52-16 1-3d) –
This means that cadets who turns 18 must take CPPT before
they are eligible to promote.
To complete CPPT go to
http://level2.cap.gov/index.cfm?nodeID=6476
and simply follow the instructions. Your Squadron
Commander will then go over your paperwork and make sure
that you get the proper credit.
OPSEC Training
While doing a spot check of cadets across Group III, I noticed
that quite a few have not yet completed OPSEC training. It is
very important that cadets do this as soon as possible, and make
sure that they understand and agree to the Non-Disclosure
agreement. All members must complete OPSEC training and agree to
the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) by 1 April 2008, or they will
not be allowed access to e-Services, the Web Mission Information
Reporting System (WMIRS), or any other CAP system that requires
a unique login and password.
Any member who has not completed this training can do so online
at:
https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec
|
Group III O-Flight Weekend, 4-6 April
Group III Cadet O-flight weekend. Come and join in a weekend of fun
with fellow Group III cadets and seniors. The event will be held
4-6 April, at three locations. There will be limited
space, so please contact the Staging Area Coordinator nearest
you
Tyler: Lt Col Lou Thomas 903-521-3467
lcthom@juno.com
Dallas: 1st Lt Opal McKinney 972-742-9952
opal@bke.com
Waco: Maj Dan Williams 512-663-3942
danwilliams@austin.rr.com
We will need lots of senior member support for this event. If
you can come and help, please contact the Staging Area
Coordinator of your choice.
Texas Wing Cadet Competition
Group III cadets did an outstanding job at Cadet Competition
this year. Their hard work and dedication really showed. I hope
everyone will join me in congratulating
Pegasus Composite Squadron for their 1st Place
achievement
Red Oak Cadet Squadron for 3rd Place.
Cadet Austin Lowery for the Fleet Foot Award, Male
(Pegasus Composite Squadron) and
Cadet Sarah Heitzmann for the Fleet Foot Award, Female
(Red Oak Cadet Squadron). Cadet Heitzmann also won the
Commander Award.
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
|
|
Cadet Programs - Texas Wing Competition
 |
2008 Texas Wing Competition, 16-17
February
|
Color Guard Overall Results |
| Overall 1st Place |
Pegasus
Composite Squadron |
| Overall 2nd Place |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Overall 3rd Place
|
Red Oak Cadet
Squadron |
|
Color
Guard Squadron Results |
| Event |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
| In-Ranks |
Sheldon Cadet Squadron |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Sugar Land Composite
Squadron |
| Standard Drill
|
Sheldon Cadet Squadron
|
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Red Oak Cadet Squadron |
| Indoor Practical |
Sheldon Cadet Squadron |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Red Oak Cadet Squadron |
| Outdoor Practical |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Sheldon Cadet Squadron |
Red Oak Cadet Squadron |
| Mile Run |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Sheldon Cadet Squadron |
Lackland Cadet Squadron |
| Written Exam |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Night Hawk Composite
Squadron |
Sheldon Cadet Squadron |
| Panel Quiz |
Night Hawk Composite
Squadron |
Pegasus Composite Squadron |
Sugar Land Composite
Squadron |
|
Color
Guard Individual Results |
| Event |
|
| Fleet Foot Award, Male |
Cadet Lowery
(Pegasus Composite Squadron) |
| Fleet Foot Award, Female |
Cadet Heitzmann
(Red Oak Cadet Squadron) |
| Highest Written Exam |
Cadets Cody
McComber and David Crouse (Night Hawk Composite Squadron) |
| Commander Award |
Cadet Heitzmann
(Red Oak Cadet Squadron) |
| |
|
Drill Team
Overall Results |
| Overall 1st Place |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Overall
2nd Place |
Lackland Cadet
Squadron |
|
Drill Team
Squadron Winners |
| Event |
|
| In-Ranks
|
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Standard Drill |
Lackland Cadet
Squadron |
| Innovative Drill |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Written Exam |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Panel Quiz |
Lackland Cadet
Squadron |
| Mile Run |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
| Volleyball |
Sheldon Cadet
Squadron |
|
Drill Team
Individual
Results |
| Event |
|
| Fleet Foot Award, Male
|
Cadet Oropeza
(Sheldon Cadet Squadron) |
| Fleet Foot Award, Female
|
Cadet Gaviria
(Sheldon Cadet Squadron) |
| Highest Written Exam
|
Cadet Kristie
Pittman and Cadet Kayla Stiles (Sheldon Cadet Squadron) |
Maj Phyllis Sutton |
| 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 found,
I've selected an article addressing the dangers faced by our Air Force personnel deployed to a
combat zone, written by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jimmy Browning,
31st Fighter Wing Chapel Office
–
Don't Forget your Battle
Rattle.
Reading it, I shared in this chaplain's pain, compassion, and faith.
Yes, it is possible to find faith and comfort even when confronted by
extreme adversity.
The Declaration of Independence
This
foundational document underlies all the laws of our Land. Therefore,
we might read it carefully and understand not only the letter but the
spirit behind the letter as well. We all remember "When in the course of
human events," but some of us remember even more vividly "the Laws of
Nature and of Nature's God" as well as "endowed by their Creator." The
Founding Fathers wrote this not out of habit or to satisfy any
fashionable protocol of the day but because they lived in harmony with
their religion, and religion was part of the Land's daily life. For
them, it was a Christian God, but when they drafted that first document
of America's creation they were sufficiently enlightened to be
all-inclusive in their writing. They chose to name Him as the Universal
Deity instead.
Sadly, it is now politically correct to remove all references to God
from public buildings, and one of the latest casualties has been the
Washington Memorial's inscription Laus Deo (Glory be to God),
engraved on its aluminum cap, which now has been
hidden from visitors' view. (It would appear that removing it from
the aluminum cap itself was too difficult.) Ironically, the reason it is
there in the first place is because George Washington was a devout
believer.
President George Washington,
on
September 17, 1796, said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the
world without God and the Bible." I happen to agree, as many others
agree with me. And the President of the United States still takes the
oath of office with a hand placed upon the Bible, which in turn is held
by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor |
|
Chief of Staff
 |
Open Group III Staff Positions
Capt Eric Martin,
CS |
|
Emergency Services - Wing Announcement
 |
Mark your calendar!
–
21-28 June 2008
The
Lone Star Emergency Services Academy will be held
June 21-28 in at Camp Maxey 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, if you're a TXWG
member, an inbound or outbound sortie to cover the cost of fuel
should help make the drive easier. (We're working with SWR to fund
units outside TXWG.)
We'll be offering a host of exciting schools
–
some that you know already, plus new ones.
-
GSARSS A and B
–
Capt Ricky Pena and 1st Lt
Kevin Davis, Instructors
–
These courses will be back offering
great training
-
Comm School
–
Lt Col Steve Haney, Instructor
–
Love radios?
-
Mission Staff School
–
Maj Randy Russell and Lt Col
Dietrich Whisennand, Instructors
– Have you always wanted to
work at the ICP? Be at the heart of the event?
Then...
-
Mission air crew School
–
Capt Rick
Woolfolk and Capt Stuart Hagedorn, Instructors
–
Forget the ground below. Think of it:
-
Mission Chaplain School
–
Chaplain (Maj)
Ron Whitt, Instructor
–
(A 4-day course)
-
PAO/IO School
– Capt Arthur Woodgate,
Instructor – Tell the complete story, and
make the reader experience it!
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 TXWG e-mail InBox for more information
–
slots will fill up fast!
Lt Col Brooks Cima, DOS |
|
Finance
 |
A
Painless Fundraising Opportunity
Do you
buy things? Of course you do. Then please take a look at this website
http://cap.fundlinkllc.com/
and check how many companies will donate a portion of your purchase to
the Civil Air Patrol. All you need to do is tell them. And some of them
let you specify the unit, too.
Your
dues might not go away, but that radio that you've been waiting for
months to get just might make its way to you two or three weeks sooner
than otherwise. It's worth a try, don't you think?
|
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
 |
An Addison Eagles Member Becomes
an Eagle, 9 February
The Civil
Air Patrol's Gen. Billy Mitchell Award has been compared to
the Boy Scout Eagle Award in terms of difficulty. Cadet 2d
Lt Derek Prucha, of the Addison Eagles CS, is now well able
to address that comparison. On 9 February, the Group III
Honor Guard presented the colors at Prucha’s Eagle Scout
Ceremony.
C/2d Lt
Prucha, a member of the Group III Honor Guard, requested
that they be a part of this momentous occasion. C/SSgt Tim
Kleinmeier (American Flag), C/MSgt Matthew Garcia (BSA
Flag), and C/MSgt Kaycee Niskern (rifle) all of them members
of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS and C/SSgt James Gulliksen
(rifle) a member of the Addison Eagles CS met at the
Carrollton Public Library. They arrived early enough to
practice the ceremony in unfamiliar surroundings and ensure
that it would proceed flawlessly for their fellow cadet.
1.
2.
[1] The Color Guard is
formed, ready to present the colors. [2] After
posting the colors, the rifle guards escort the new Eagle
Scout who has been called forward for the Eagle Scout
Ceremony.
They
opened the ceremony by presenting the colors and leading the
Pledge of Allegiance. Then, as the Eagle candidate was
called forward, he was escorted by Cadets Niskern and
Gulliksen on rifles. Cadet Prucha thanked many of the
individuals who had helped him on his path to Eagle,
including his father, Captain Todd Prucha, also a member of
the Addison Eagles CS.
After
retrieving the colors, the cadets joined in the celebration
and enjoyed the refreshments provided.
Forney Chamber of Commerce
Banquet, 23 February
At the Forney Area Chamber of Commerce
Annual Awards Banquet on 23 February, the Group III Honor
Guard started the event by marching the colors to the front
of the room and facing the audience while the Forney High
School Choir sang the National
Anthem. After the National Anthem, they posted the
colors. They were then treated to a meal,
and
ended their duty by retrieving the colors at the end.
1Lt Opal
McKinney, filling in as OIC for the evening, got many
positive comments from
those
in charge, as well as several chamber members. Participants
were C/SSgt Tim Kleinmeier, C/MSgt Kaycee Niskern, C/MSgt
Matthew Garcia of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS, and Cdt Rachel
Scarborough of the Waxahachie CS.
AFA Banquet, 28 February
The Dallas
Seidel Chapter of the Air Force Association (AFA)
consistently asks for the Group III Honor Guard to post the
colors at their Quarterly Banquet Meeting, and this quarter
was no exception. Meeting at the Brookhaven Country Club on
28 February, the Honor Guard presented the colors and then
was treated to a wonderful meal of chicken and beef.
During
dinner, Lt Col Michael Tamez, USAF, spoke about his work
with the 26th Space Aggressor Squadron. The cadets listened
intently as Colonel Tamez described how his squadron helps
airmen know whether the enemy is jamming their GPS and other
signals and, if they are, how to overcome the jamming.
Many AFA
members thanked the cadets for participating, and one member
gave each one a Challenge Coin. The guard was comprised of
C/SSgt Tim Kleinmeier (American Flag) and C/MSgt Kaycee
Niskern (rifle) both of the Mesquite Blacksheep CS and
C/MSgt Scott Gulliksen (Texas Flag) and C/SSgt James
Gulliksen (rifle) both of the Addison Eagles CS.
1st
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
 |
Must
Online Safety be Expensive?
You
may have noticed that this Newsletter's TidBits section now calls
attention to some links by marking them with the symbol that opens this
paragraph. I created it in a few minutes using Photoshop (yes, at times
a cannon does work best to kill a mosquito), and then sent it to one my
trusty cadet PAOs for an expert opinion. Granted, I was taking a big chance,
but I really wanted to know. And if you want a brutally frank assessment
of your work, just ask a cadet that trusts you. Fortunately, the answer
didn't take long in coming back and to my relief the cadet agreed that it meant
"No Cost," "Free," "El Ultra Cheapo." (No, that last one isn't Spanish.)
You will also notice that these links take you to a
reputable website for download. Please, do yourself a favor and never
download something from a website you've never heard of. "Aha!" you say,
"Then I can download anything I want from a website I know." Looky here,
my friend, before you do, read that URL verrrry carefully. Does the generous
site really belong to Microsoft, or does it read something like micro.soft? Microsoft
will only take your money, micro.soft will positively steal all it can
from you, especially your identity, then run up a bill at your expense and literally
disappear into thin air. Always remember that the Internet runs on
Ethernet, a made-up word that today can easily translate as: "Vapornet" of even "Nothingnet."
In fact, online crime is one of the fastest growing "businesses" around.
If you cannot afford antivirus software, there are free
programs that do quite a creditable job. Most of them, though, are
programmed to do a full scan at a set time (that you cannot change),
which will usually interfere with your normal work. And when they run,
they tend to suck all your juice so you're hard-pressed to get any work
done. This gives you a
choice. Put up with it, or
pay the $39.98 (or whatever) and get the more flexible "mainstream" product. But
please, don't access the Internet without antivirus, antispyware and even
antispam software. It's like playing Russian roulette, and not worth
it. (Sorry. I forgot. There's a third choice, and that is to wait until
it starts, then stop it. It will. Then, before you quit for the day,
start it manually and let the digital surgery happen under total
anesthesia.)
I hope you've enjoyed some of the links offered in the
TidBits section. I also hope you've liked reading the wonderful articles
flowing from the squadrons telling us all the interesting things they do. For me, it's great
to hear from each unit, and have the pleasure of using their "bragging rights" for publication.
So, if you enjoy what you read, and you're happy, drop me a line
sometime. You hear from me regularly, month after month. I'd like to
hear from you... maybe once?

Capt Arthur E.
Woodgate, ITO
|
|
Professional Development
 |
Safeguard Your
Records
It all looks so easy. You take a
course, the credit shows up on your e-Services
sheet, so you think you're all set. Well, you're
not. The permanence of e-Services is only as good as
the quality of the rust on the hard disks that keep
the information online, and the frequency of backups
that capture the information safely elsewhere. Any
CAP member who has been around for a number of years
will tell you:
-
Keep a hard copy of all your
training;
-
Make sure your PDO has recorded
it on your personal record; and
-
For those things that show up
only on e-Services, make a hard copy of the
report, have your PDO verify it, and add it to
your CAP records.
These are simple precautions, but not
too many members take the trouble. They might wish
they had, should e-Services go belly up (it wouldn't
be the first time if they did, either).
Keep Track of
Things, and Keep Moving Along
Here are some tools to
grow with and help you keep track of things, as well
as help your members’ progression in Civil Air
Patrol
Cadets have always
enjoyed the Leadership Feedback Forms to guide them
in their professional development. However, CAP has
nor provided the same tool for senior members. There
are some assessment forms available online, mostly
derived from those used by the military, but if you
use them you must be very careful to do so well. But
be warned
–
"assessment" might sound quite threatening to some
people, so it might be better to accomplish it just
as effectively but less formally.
A friendlier way for
the PDO to keep track of things is to look at the
overall commitment required to accomplish a goal,
discuss it with the squadron member, and set
mutually agreed-upon milestones. This needs to be
documented in some way, stating in writing that it
is being done for training purposes only. As time
passes, and the milestones approach, periodic checks
will readily disclose the squadron member's
progress. Done right, this process can keep a
student on track and help him/her achieve the
desired results.
The time element is
particularly important with correspondence courses.
There is a time limit by which the course must have
been completed, and if the student misses the
deadline, reinstatement is not possible until six
months have passed by. Also, the student gets no
credit for the previous work and has the do the
entire course all over again.
The
purpose of the training program is to provide a
structured process for mentoring, to allow squadron
members the chance to sit down with their PDO to
discuss exactly what is expected of them, and give
them a chance to express what they expect of their
PDO, their unit, and CAP. This, in turn, will keep
things rolling, the squadron member will feel less
threatened, and morale and job satisfaction will
increase. These, of course, are key elements on
which retention is heavily dependent.
Manage Your Future
Your personal career
progression is up to you, the individual CAP member.
Squadron PDOs need to consider the real possibility
that their unit might be too far from places where
SLS/CLC courses are being held, and their members
won't progress as rapidly as they could. The
solution, of course, is to organize and run your
own. Let me know if you need help gettind this done,
and I'll help you.
Meet Others in TXWG
I encourage all of you to send in the
money for the Texas Wing Conference (18-20 April,
Austin-Bergstrom Hilton) and make necessary hotel
reservations. The Wing Conference is the best place
to meet people and learn/compare notes. Don't miss
out on this great opportunity!
Senior Member
Training Opportunities this Month
|
Date |
School |
Contact |
|
29 Feb-2 Mar |
San Antonio
– National Check Pilot Standardization Course |
Contact:
Lt Col
Bob McDonnell |
|
7-9 Mar |
Bergstrom Austin
– ES Training Weekend |
Contact:
Lt Col Brooks Cima |
|
8-9 Mar |
Houston
– Hobby Senior Squadron, SLS (Group IV) |
Contact
Lt Col Donald Wheeler |
|
8-9 Mar |
Houston
– Hobby Senior Squadron, CLC (Group IV) |
Contact
Lt Col Donald Wheeler |
|
28-30 Mar |
Camp Mabry, Austin, TX
– CTEP,
STEP/TLC -
31A+$45 to
Maj Phyllis
Sutton |
Contact:
Lt
Col Dawn King |
1st
Lt Vanessa Smith, PDO
tx438pdo@yahoo.com
|
|
Public Affairs
– Cadet PAO
 |
From
Tyler Composite Squadron, a new
Cadet PAO
C/CMSgt Josiah Niedrauer is not your average young person. Home
schooled, he has developed highly disciplined study habits, and
these have transferred seamlessly to the rest of his life. I'd
been pestering Lt Col Butch Ragland, the Tyler CS PAO, to get
some cadets to write for this Newsletter, but nothing was
happening. Then I went to Winter Encampment as the PAO Mentor
and, after I'd sent "my" C/PAOs on their way chasing stories, I
found some time to roam about and witness the interaction
between cadet staff and cadet basics. This was an eye opener.
Since everyone is short of sleep at encampment, it's easy to be
grouchy, too. So some staff were, in a restrained sort of way.
Not the Niedrauers, however. Both brothers, Isaac and Josiah,
were even-tempered and fair. Firm, yes, but also understanding
and kind. I decided to wait for an opportunity and have a talk
with Josiah, the eldest, an occasion I thought had presented
itself one noon at the mess hall. But by the time I got my tray
and made it back to a table, he was gone. "Another time," I
thought.
Soon I was very busy with other, more pressing matters, and set
this project aside. One of those, "I'll get around to it" sort
of memos to myself. Not quite two months later, Lt Col Ragland
wrote me a message that said, "Here are a couple of articles for
the newsletter." He didn't try to sell them to me. He just sent
them. They were reasonably well written, but had no pictures.
And Cdt Josiah Niedrauer's byline was on them.
I wasn't going to be cheated out of my conversation, so I called
Cdt Niedrauer. On the phone, he is the perfect CAP cadet.
Respectful, candid, clear, and communicative. So I gave him an
assignment, and that's how I got the third article started. The
next message I received from Lt Col Ragland said, simply,
"Arthur, this one you're going to like." And I did, especially
since this time it came with one picture (don't knock it; that's
called progress - the others I used for the article were stock
pictures and filled out the story nicely). In fact, I liked this
article a whole lot. I know there's a big bright future ahead
for this young man, and keeping track of some of it will be my
pleasure.
I extend my warmest welcome to Cdt Josiah Niedrauer as the
newest member of the Group III Newsletter's Cadet PAOs.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Group III PAO |
|
Public Affairs
– TXWG
WAX
 |
Texas Wing Wide Area Exercise,
15-17 February
HOUSTON MISSION BASE, TX
–
The Texas Wing Wide Area Exercise (WAX) had been planned for
15-17 February. However, the long expected rain – which was badly needed
to mitigate the growing danger of wild fires – came on Friday, February
15, promising more of the same for Saturday, the first full day of
operations. The weather forecast for the State was uncertain, so the
possibility existed that some areas might be able to conduct flight
operations. Ground operations, on the other hand, would proceed as the
weather permitted, consistent with safety.
The exercise came to life on 16 February,
hampered by extremely poor flying condition. The Area Command Post (ACP),
exercising overall command, was located at Houston's Hooks Airport, in
the suburb of Spring, TX. As originally planned, there were to have been
several subordinate Incident Command Posts (ICPs), to be located in
Tyler, Kerrville, Houston (collocated with the ACP) and Fort Worth, TX.
The ACP could also control individual Staging Areas, based on location.
The preferred operation, though, requires concentration of equipment and
personnel at the ICPs, thus shortening the chain of command and control,
which normally results in better command-to-execution response. This is
a critical factor in achieving effective response to disaster.
By late Friday, 15 February, mimicking
real-life, it became apparent that the Tyler ICP could not be staffed
due to the sudden illness of a number of key personnel, and no
replacements could be readily found. The root cause was an aggressive
strain of flu virus that had already infected many people in Northern
Texas, mirroring the possibility of contagion in an area that could have
been hit by a natural disaster such as a hurricane or several tornadoes.
As a result, that command post stood down and wouldn't be in play. The
remaining three areas, from Forth Worth to Houston, were expected
to function as weather permitted. The squadrons subordinate to the
planned Tyler ICP were released to seek re-alignment with one of the
three remaining Command Posts.
To further complicate the exercise, after losing the Tyler Incident
Command Post (ICP) on Friday, the Kerrville ICP stood down on | |