|
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 Saturday
due to extremely adverse weather. This left only the Ft Worth and
Houston ICPs, under the overall command of the Houston Area Command Post
(ACP).
Although wind never was a problem, insufficient visibility and
ceiling prevented the launching of any air sorties in the early
morning of Saturday. Ground sorties, on the other hand, went out
from the remaining ICPs, and some had been completed by early
afternoon. Inbound ground teams from the ICPs that had stood down
were on their way to Ft. Worth and Houston, where they expected to
get excellent training. This situation narrowly paralleled a real
natural emergency. During a fast-moving situation, ground and air
assets often need to change locations on very short notice. As a
hurricane moves across its path, for example, CAP follows as closely
as possible consistent with safety, so as to assess damage, render
assistance, and join other agencies working the emergency.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1] Safety briefing at the Houston ICP. [2] Pre-flight
briefing at the Houston ICP. [3] Standing at left, Col Joe R.
Smith, Texas Wing Commander. At center, Maj Randy Russell, Texas
Wing Director of Operations. At right, Maj Dennis Cima, Group IV
Commander. [4] The ACP Incident Commander, Lt Col Brooks Cima,
stands at the board as the team plans the activities. [5] Lt
Col Mike Hopkins and Lt Col Theresa Alexander are essential staff
members at the ACP.
In Houston, at the collocated ACP/ICP, five airplanes had been moved
to shelter – either hangar or awning –, to protect them from
possible damage in case of hail, which had been forecast. The same
precaution had been taken at Forth Worth. By mid-morning Saturday,
El Paso – a staging area controlled from the Houston ACP – enjoyed
acceptable flying conditions, so an air sortie was launched.
Throughout Texas, ground teams practiced their emergency skills as
well as search and rescue techniques. As an exercise requirement,
simulated emergencies were treated with the same diligence and care
as real ones, since the purpose of the activity was to achieve the
best possible response time and results.
On Saturday, those ICPs unable to conduct air and ground operations
concentrated on Mission Staff Tasks practice, conducting what is
known as “table-top exercises” during which no equipment or
personnel outside the command post is tasked for any missions.
Rather than operational, the aim is to refine the flow of
administrative command and control work, so as to be better prepared
when the weather improves and full-scale operations are once again
possible.
Administrative Mission Staff personnel were also busy during this
time. The Civil Air Patrol has developed a new database-driven
online program that can track all elements of a mission, including
personnel, equipment, required forms, scheduling, mission status,
finance, and all the details required for effective management of a
complex operation. Called Incident Management Utilities (IMU), this
new program is being tested
–
and used
–
by selected CAP units across the country. Part of the
table-top exercise were devoted to the correct input of all
pertinent information into IMU, and data analysis.
“We don’t seem to be doing much,” said Lt Col Brooks Cima, the
overall commander at the ACP, “but Texas Wing needs to function well
at all levels. It takes a lot more personnel to plan, launch and
control an air sortie than the air crew required to actually fly the
mission. Achieving the level of team work required for optimal
results takes a lot of practice.”
In Houston, because of the heavy rains, the land-based connection to the
Internet ceased to function late Saturday evening. This was more than an
inconvenience, since the Incident Management Utilities (IMU) is an
online, web-based application. Undeterred, and ready for this
possibility, slower but still adequate access was achieved through the
use of cell phones.
As forecast, Sunday offered ideal flying conditions, and many air
crew personnel were looking forward to the work. Especially those
who needed to get re-certified in some of their specialty tasks.
Training, certification and safety are key elements of success.
As sorties were tasked, launched, and debriefed upon their return, their
numbers increased. Including air and ground assets at the El Paso
Staging Area, a total of 35 sorties had been executed or were in the
process of completing their assigned tasks. As other planes and air
crews came in, other sorties were planned and launched for them as well.
The Apollo Composite Squadron, based in Georgetown, north of Austin is
an example of what many squadrons went through on this weekend. They had
to be quick on their feet. When the Tyler ICP stood down and Apollo was
released to find an alternate place in which to train, the commander
decided to travel to Houston. At this time, their plane was in
Fredericksburg undergoing maintenance. Late Friday evening, they got
word that it was ready, but because of the poor weather they decided to
retrieve it on Sunday and fly it to Kerrville where it could participate
in the exercise. However, before they could get there, the Kerrville ICP
stood down soon after noon on Saturday. Therefore, unable to make the
trip to Houston and still be able to join in the sorties, the plane was
flown back to Georgetown.
“In any emergency, flexibility is key to success,” said 1st Lt Cheri
Fischler, Apollo squadron commander. “Our air crew wanted to
participate, but the necessary maintenance schedule got in the way.
We'll do it some other time, because every hour in the air is the source
of valuable training, and we’ve got to be ready when disaster strikes.”
Another member of the squadron, 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen, finished her
scanner qualification on Sunday, having flown as air crew on a different
plane.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
[6] There is a lot of administrative work that must be completed
and recorded as a result of every sortie. [7] Lt Col Allan
Osborne prepares a flight plan for his sortie. [8] 1st Lt
Hartman, a student at Texas A&M, expects to be deployed by the U.S. Army
this May. [9]-[10] Scanner Stacey Saxon took this photos of the
island where an ELT had been hidden. The air crew found it without
trouble. (Photos: 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen)
On the ground, since many personnel needed to update their emergency
services specialty qualifications, mission tasking was tailored to
satisfy the necessary testing and refine the training. Thanks to this
exercise, ground teams will now be better prepared when they’re called
upon to work in the aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, flood, or any
other broad disaster.
As normal operations unfolded, and the IMU program was used from
multiple locations rather than from a single centralized point, there
was some confusion as to what had been input and what hadn’t. Auditing
the software was one of the exercise’s aims, and verifying its operation
pointed out some areas where programming refinement might help. Also,
from the user’s point of view, methodology will now be better suited to
the specified requirements.
Radio communications were maintained uninterruptedly, and this was used
to do some administrative work. CAP’s ability to establish direct
communications across the length of the state, although expected, was a
plus. “We knew we would be able to do it, and we had prepared for it,”
said the communications officer, Lt Col Terry Alexander, Group IV
Communications Officer. “But having it actually work right was a nice
reward.”
“We feel good about this exercise,” said Lt Col Brooks Cima, the
overall commander at the ACP, “because we had rotten weather, bad luck,
and not enough people answered the call. But this is exactly what can
happen in a major disaster, and unless we train for it, we won’t know
what to do. Now we know we can still do it.”
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, IO |
|
Public Affairs
– Farewell to a CAP Member
 |
In
Memoriam Helen Lois Crofford, 18 February
Helen Lois Crofford, 75, a lifelong resident of Arizona, died on
Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the East Mesa Health Care Center in Mesa.
Funeral services were held Feb. 14 in the Woodruff Chapel of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Helen was laid to rest
next to her parents in the Woodruff Cemetery.
Helen was born Sept. 1, 1932, in Mesa. At the age of two, her family
moved to McNary, where she developed a love for fishing, gardening
and the natural beauties of Arizona. In 1942 her family returned to
the Phoenix area. She received her high school education in Mesa.
Following graduation, she attended Lamson Business College in
Phoenix, majoring in accounting. In her professional career she
worked in banking, for Bob Fisher Enterprises and for 17 years prior
to her retirement at Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook.
On
Sept. 16, 1946, at the age of 14, Helen joined the Arizona Civil Air
Patrol as a cadet, reaching the rank cadet captain in four years. In
1953, she joined the senior squadron in Mesa. Helen remained active
in Civil Air Patrol for 60 years, rising from the rank of cadet to
lieutenant colonel. During her service with the Arizona Wing of the
Civil Air Patrol, she helped organize nine Senior Squadrons and
three Composite Squadrons. In 1969, she became the first woman
commander in the Arizona Wing when she was named commander of the
Holbrook Squadron. On Dec. 19, 1971, she was named Group II
commander of the Arizona Wing, the first woman group commander in
Arizona. In 1985, Helen was appointed as the Arizona Wing’s first
wing historian, an appointment she held for 21 years.
Helen loved flying, and she participated in numerous search and
rescue missions. Her first mission was in 1948 as an observer with
her father in their family aircraft. Later she was a pilot/observer
on air crews and a staff member of numerous ground crews. She earned
her master observer wings in 1959.
In
1962, Helen moved to her parent’s farm in Woodruff. She assisted her
parents with the family’s farming enterprises. In 1970, she was
elected to the board of supervisors of the Navajo County Natural
Resource Conservation District. She was re-elected to five
additional terms as supervisor, serving in various positions on the
conservation district’s board of supervisors for 36 years. In
connection with her service to the conservation district Helen was
also a board member of the Little Colorado River Plateau Resource
Conservation and Development Area, a member of the Arizona
Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) and the National
Association of Conservation Districts. In 1981 she was elected vice
president of AACD and in 1982 as president of AACD. Helen received
numerous awards and recognitions for her dedication to conserving
Arizona’s natural resources.
Helen had a keen interest in her family’s history, and spent years
researching and identifying her ancestors. She was a champion of her
community, Woodruff, where she lived for the final 45 years of her
life.
On
Jan. 30, 1987, Helen and her mother, Lillian, were baptized members
of the LDS church. Helen served as a visiting teacher and a visiting
teaching supervisor in the Woodruff Ward. She was preceded in death
by her parents, Elmer Earl and Lillian Irene (Williams) Crofford,
and her only brother, Virgil Ray.
Memorial contributions may be made in Helen’s name to the Woodruff
Community Library, Woodruff, Ariz. 85942. Owens Mortuary was in
charge of the arrangements.
Arizona Journal Staff |
|
Public Affairs
– Reflections Upon Service
 |
Tradition, Morality and Service
DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX – Tradition, morality, service ... weighty words
that, for centuries, have been shaped by the memory of living examples
and the emotions they have elicited. All three words have come down to
us from the Latin. Tradition from traditio, meaning "delivery,
surrender, a handing down." Morality from moralis, meaning
"proper behavior of a person in society." Service from servitium,
meaning slavery or servitude.
If service once meant enslavement, with the abolishment of slavery the
word came to mean "performance of work against payment" and, in the
military, "performance of one's duty." Today, in the Western world, one
is never under another's absolute rule but under one's own rule. The
"life or death" mandate of ancient Rome has gone through the Middle
Age's transforming influence of "honor and obligation" acquired in the
Age of Chivalry, finally arriving at our current meaning of "for the
good of one's country." In the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol,
it is best reflected upon in the light of the core value of Service before self.
Tradition has retained its absolute meaning
through the centuries, mostly because the principle of individual
ownership has not changed, and we are still free to give away what is
ours. But the concept of ownership has broadened from that of simple
objects, wealth and property to include also intellectual property,
principles, and norms of conduct. So tradition is no longer something
concrete but also includes ideas and actions. Tradition is the moving
force behind the preservation of rituals and acts, and in the Civil Air
Patrol it is best articulated as "Customs of the Service." Funny how
things wind up tying themselves to each other, reinforcing each other,
and giving principal meaning to one another. And though tradition, in
broad terms, once meant "giving away" it is now much closer to
"preserving."
Morality is a tough one, because it hinges
on what a society considers proper at the time. In the year 200, for
instance, ancient Rome considered it proper to engage in public behavior
that today – without a doubt – would land you in jail. But we need to
temper "morality" through the filter of "moral" which has remained
unchanged in the sense of "pertaining to character or temperament," and
in the light of the study of morals through ethics, a recognized branch
of philosophy. In both the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol, it is the
living foundation behind the core value of Respect.
Taking apart these seminal words and
stringing them together helps us realize that there is a far larger
meaning that emerges from them when presented in conjunction. Together,
as a literary rendition comparable to a jeweler's fine art, an artifice
of higher thinking, they awaken in the listener a feeling of "the
preservation and continuation of doing the right thing for others,
without seeking personal gain." And these, in turn, are indispensable
for leadership.
The
Core Values
In an effort to bring down to earth lofty
principles such as these, and make them understandable to all, the U.S.
Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol summarized them in the Core Values.
These rest on simple statements that, in turn, help explain and reflect
upon increasingly complex principles. There is nothing new about
striving to reach an understandable way of expressing multifaceted
ideas. What is new is the interlocking relationship that exists between
different groups of individuals, and how these change over time.
Rome managed to conquer the world as it knew it through the use of
superior tactics in combat, practicing the highest level of training and
leadership known in the day, and through the use of a strict
hierarchical structure. Orders were to be obeyed, to the death. The
superior's power was absolute. This worked well in the 1st century, but
lost its luster when those holding absolute power began using it for
personal gain. And the Roman Empire – just as it had risen – also fell.
Others had fallen before it, the Egyptians, Macedonians, Greeks,
Persians, Assyrians... Others would fall after them too.
Having studied the flaws of the past, and
knowing what works best in practice, the modern armed services developed
their own principles and creeds. Today we know one for commissioned
officers – who by virtue of their commission can be held accountable for
their own actions as well as the actions of those they lead – and
another one for non-commissioned officers – who are also accountable for
their actions. Although in the intervening centuries the officer corps
had been far above the enlisted ranks, the far greater speed and
interlocking of combat brought them into action together. This is how
the line between "officer" and "enlisted" has become increasingly
blurred. Below are the Officer's Creed and the Chief Master Sergeant's
Creed. I am indebted to C/CMSgt Josiah Niedrauer for having brought the
latter to my attention.
Officer's Creed
I will give to the selfless performance of
my duty and my mission the best that effort, thought, and dedication can
provide.
To this
end, I will not only seek continually to improve my knowledge and
practice of my profession, but also I will exercise the authority
entrusted to me by the President and the Congress with fairness,
justice, patience, and restraint, respecting the dignity and human
rights of others and devoting myself to the welfare of those placed
under my command.
In
justifying and fulfilling the trust placed in me, I will conduct my
private life as well as my public service so as to be free both from
impropriety and the appearance of impropriety, acting with candor and
integrity to earn the unquestioning trust of my fellow
soldiers--juniors, seniors, and associates--and employing my rank and
position not to serve myself but to serve my country and my unit.
By
practicing physical and moral courage I will endeavor to inspire these
qualities in others by my example.
In all
my actions I will put loyalty to the highest moral principles and the
United States of America above loyalty to organizations, persons, and my
personal interest.
Chief's Creed
Chief
Master Sergeants are individually to be regarded as people:
Who cannot be bought
Whose word is their bond
Who put character above wealth
Who possess opinions and a will
Who are larger than their vocations
Who will not lose their individuality in a crowd
Who do not hesitate to take chances
Who will be as honest in small things as in great ones
Who will make no compromise with wrong
Whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires and
interests
Who are
true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity
as well as prosperity
Who do
not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hard-headedness are the best
qualities for winning success
Who are
not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular, who
can say "no" with emphasis, although all the world is saying "yes"
Volunteer Service
Now let's think about volunteers, and how
they have impacted American life. America's Revolutionary War was won by
volunteers. Volunteers conquered the West. Volunteers stepped forward
with every American call to arms. Today, America has all-volunteer armed
forces. Volunteers have served the community in many ways, both in
uniform and as civilians. Volunteers, in fact, are the moving force
behind America's greatness.
The Civil Air Patrol was founded by
volunteers who came to the aid of their country before ever having been
called. For no personal gain, no glory, no position of distinction, no
trade-in-kind. Yet, to my knowledge, the Civil Air Patrol does not have
a creed. We have core values, yes, but no creed.
Some of us served in the military before
becoming CAP members. Some of us were commissioned, or held positions of
similar responsibility in civilian government service. Some of us
retired after many years of commissioned or non-commissioned service.
And now, all of us get "paid" the same, and work towards the same goals,
and have the opportunity to influence those around us. So what are we to
do? Do we set a good example, or the opposite?
I suggest that the following might be a good
creed for the Civil Air Patrol. Or, at least, it might be a starting
point.
|
The Civil Air Patrol Volunteer's
Creed
As a
Civil Air Patrol volunteer,
I will give to the selfless
performance of my duty and my mission the best that effort, thought, and
dedication can provide.
To this end, I will seek continually to
improve my knowledge and perfect the practice of my duties. I will act with
fairness, justice, patience, and restraint, respecting the dignity and
human rights of others, and devote myself to the welfare of those
placed under me.
I cannot be bought, my word is my bond, I
put character above wealth, and I will neither loose my individuality in
a crowd, nor hesitate to embrace my duty.
I will
be honest in things small and great, make no compromise with wrong,
and conduct my private life as well as my public service so as to
be free both from impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
I will act with candor and integrity to earn
the unquestioning trust of my fellow CAP members, and use my rank and
position not to serve myself but to serve my country and my unit.
By practicing physical and moral courage I
will endeavor to inspire these qualities in others by my example.
I will be true to my friends through good
report and evil report, in adversity as well as prosperity,
In all my actions I will put loyalty to the
highest moral principles and both the Civil Air Patrol and the United
States of America above loyalty to organizations, persons, and my
personal interest.
|
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor |
|
Public Affairs
– Cadet PAO Assignment
 |
PATRICK AFB, FL
– The
AF Space Command Familiarization Course at
Patrick AFB,
created 12 years ago, is sponsored by the Air Force's 45th Space
Wing. This CAP course, staffed by four dedicated officers (two
USAF reservists and two CAP officers who are former USAF
members), is offered once
yearly. Two similar schools were created afterwards, one in
Colorado and the other one in California, each running a course
a year. In the past, this course has been reported by an adult PAO who would usually show up a few times and take some
photographs, then at the end of the activity would write a
short, standard article in measured words lacking much detail.
This year, my friend Capt Steve Solomon, Director of Public
Affairs, SER and Member, CAP National Staff/PA, circulated a
message asking for a Cadet PAO capable of reporting this
wonderful school and posted it to the PAO Forum, where I read
it. To make a long story short, I contacted the school and two
Texas Wing cadets have been selected as the C/PAOs for the 2008
course in Florida. They are:
-
C/2d Lt Raphael Erie, a
member of Pegasus Composite Squadron, Austin, TX, Group III,
and
-
C/2d Lt Brandii Re'Ann
Davis, a member of Colorado County Composite Squadron,
Columbus, TX, Group IV.
When I called
him to give him the news,
Capt Solomon said to me, "I just wanted to help the school,
that's all." Then he added, "But I'm very glad that your cadets
made the cut. They'll have a great time. They have no idea how
much is waiting for them."
Both chosen
cadets distinguished themselves during the 2007 Winter
Encampment as members of the C/PAO Team that reported that
event, as did the other three members of the team.
Unfortunately, only two cadets could be selected, and these were
the winners.
 Cadets Davis
(at left in picture at left) and
Erie (at right) will record every event in this feature-packed adventure,
writing an article a day for which they'll take photographs
throughout the day. Each article will be edited, approved, and
posted by the morning of the following day, in effect
constituting an on-line periodical describing the great
diversity of exciting activities that await the participating
cadets. As the course progresses, the C/PAOs will assemble a
cumulative photo/video presentation with musical background that
they'll show at the end of the course - and it will be posted
online on the school's website, which is under development.
The
C/PAOs will have their hands full, and will work very hard for
their reward: course completion credit. The ruling principle is
that in order to write about something, you must first know it,
so the quality of their writing will clearly show how well they
learned their lessons. They will be under the supervision of an officer activity
staff member, who will have final approval on all work
products. They will receive the NCSA ribbon and course
certificate for the activity. They will also attend and participate
in all Course activities. Completion of course testing will
be optional for the C/PAOs. They will be charged a reduced fee
in recognition of their working status.
The C/PAOs have been approved by the by AFSPC-FC Activity
Director and Assistant Activity Director, in concurrence with
CAP NHQ.
Please join me
in congratulating these lucky, hard-working Texas Wing cadets.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate
|
|
Public Affairs
– Commentary
 |
These don't come along too often...
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny
day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with
the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door
open. The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in
my car and kept watching the old gentleman from about twenty-five
feet. I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his
arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too,
and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his
open hood and say something. The young man put his grocery bag into what
looked like a brand-new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old
man. I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, "You shouldn't even
be allowed to drive a car at your age." And then, with a wave of his
hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber right out of the parking lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his
handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again
looked at the engine. He returned to his wife and spoke with her, and
appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough, so I
approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight. As I got
near him I said, "Looks like you're having a problem." He smiled
sheepishly and quietly nodded his head.
I looked under the hood myself and knew that
whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas
station up the road and told the old gentleman that I would be right
back. I drove to the station, went inside, and saw three attendants
working on cars. I approached one of them and told him the problem the
old man had with his car, offering to pay them if they could follow me
back down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under
the shade of a tree, and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw
us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics
diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old
gentleman. When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine
Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a
Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, "What outfit did you
serve with?" He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine
Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal.
He had hit all the big ones and retired from
the Corps long after the war was over.
As we talked we heard the car engine come
on, and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the
old man reached for his wallet, but I stopped him and told him I would
just put the bill on my AAA card. He still reached for the wallet and
handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I
stuck it in my pocket. We shook hands all around again, and I said
goodbye to his wife. I then told the two mechanics that I would follow
them back up to the station.
Once at the station I said that they had
interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old
man. "I want to pay for the help," I said, but they refused to charge
me. One of them pulled out a card from his pocket, and it looked exactly
like the card the old man had given to me. Both men told me then that
they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around
and, as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the
old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off. For some reason I
had gone about two blocks when I pulled over, took the card out of my
pocket, and looked at it for a long, long, time. The name of the old
gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name
..."Congressional Medal of Honor Society."
I sat there motionless, looking at the card
and reading it over and over.
I looked up from the card and smiled to no
one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come
together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right,
but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage, and I felt
the honor of having been in his presence.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is
at war. America is at the Mall.
Anonymous, submitted by Chaplain (Lt Col) George
Kelly |
|
Public Affairs
– Legislative Squadron
 |
The Newest Unit in Texas Wing
– Legislative
Squadron, SWR-TX-999
AUSTIN, TX –
Lt Col Gordie L. White II is the commander of Texas Wing's newest
squadron, which is directly subordinate to Texas Wing. Since Lt Col
White is also the Texas Wing Government Relations Officer, he is ideally
suited to the job. Already familiar with the Texas government scene, he
is committed to getting Texas legislators to join the Civil Air Patrol.
The Legislative
Squadron (CAPLS) is new to Texas, but not to many other states which
have CAPLS of their own –
as well as our Nation’s
Capital, home of the highly respected Congressional Squadron.
For the Texas
Legislator, the chief benefit of becoming a CAPLS member will be access
to useful and even critical information about CAP through periodic
publications and CAP's extensive network of experienced volunteers and
professional staff. These can serve to supplement the CAPLS member's
knowledge of what is happening in Texas and the Nation, as well as offer
an inside view of CAP's mission, readiness and knowledge of related
matters. Member of the Legislative Squadron receive an initial rank of
Major, unless the member has achieved a higher rank in a military branch
of service (active duty, reserve or National Guard), which would call
for an initial rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Members are not levied a
membership fee, nor are they obligated to attend meetings – though the
latter would be beneficial. In all cases, CAP provides CAPLS members
with a flight suit to wear when on a CAP aircraft, and all other
necessary materials.
Membership in CAP can
also be useful in furthering a legislator's career. When the CAPLS
member is reviewing legislation or is engaged in hearings on subjects
that relate to CAP activities, CAP can provide information or expert
advice that could help in critical decision-making.
The CAPLS will hold
occasional meetings at the Capitol when the Legislature is in session.
Non-CAPLS members will be invited to attend and learn more about what
Texas Wing is doing and has done recently. As a CAP member, the
legislator would also be invited to observe or participate in search and
rescue and disaster response exercises, which is how CAP prepares for
“the real thing.” CAPLS members are free to visit squadron meetings or
activities in their district, as a way to learn what CAP does, how we
train, and what our goals are. These are items of interest and value to
legislators and others, helping them learn what is current and share
their perspective on our mission.
During times of
emergency, being a CAP member could be very helpful, as proper training
can prepare a member to know whom to contact and how to proceed when
requesting involvement in an emergency. Also, the member could mentor
cadets who have a strong interest in pursuing politics as a career.
Texas Wing has an
active, prize-winning Public Affairs program, always ready to record and
publicize what CAP does, as well as let the public know who helps us.
CAP's trained public affairs officers will help keep CAPLS members in
the news and in front of their constituents. For every cadet entering a
service academy, there is someone who extended to that cadet the
invitation to apply for selection. This is known as the Appointment
Letter. Whenever a legislative member does this, that member would be in
the news. And if the applying candidate is selected, that member would
be in the news again. And when the cadet graduates, that would be yet
another occasion for news, presenting the legislative member under the
best possible light.
The Civil Air Patrol,
too, can benefit from having many legislative members, since CAP is
funded by Congress, and Congress acts as a result of what their
constituents and grass-roots supporters think of CAP and what CAP does.
Our association with legislators as CAP members would help us retain
funding and operate in the best interest of
those members'
constituents,
Texas, and the United States.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, PAO, Legislative Squadron, Texas Wing
|
|
Public Affairs
– 2007 Winter Encampment - Still In the News!
 |
The 2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment
Still 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
"on 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.
By this
time, the cadet-bylined articles have made it into blogs, too many of
them for mentioning here. This sort of recognition is hard to earn,
because usually to make the grade the articles need have (1) notoriety
or (2) quality. Since there is nothing notorious about young cadets
training at a Civil Air Patrol encampment for a week, working so hard
that they fall asleep the instant their head hits the pillow, it
definitely was the quality that did it. In fact, elsewhere on this
newsletter, there is an article singling out two of the Cadet PAOs for a
distinction they earned on the basis of the work they did at the Winter
Encampment. In fact, it is
a dream
assignment.

The Texoma Enterprise, covering news in North Texas, finished its
coverage of the event on the issues of 17 and 24 January, which didn't
arrive in time for me to add to the February coverage. At left is the
sixth day article, with a missing photo that ran on the front page,
several columns wide: the cadets formed, ready to pass in review. The
other article, at right, is this author's essay on what it was like,
working with talented young people, leading them, inspiring them,
teaching them. In turn, this author learned from them, in the manner in
which they went about their business, interacted with each other and us,
and behaved at work and at play. The greatest part of learning came when
we had to answer the questions they asked us. They were truly good
questions, the kind that I never answer off the cuff, because they don't
deserve a flip answer. Was it work? Of course it was, for them as well
as us. Was if fun? It was that, too, for all of us.
Dana and
Dale Rideout, of the Texoma Enterprise, are great friends of the Civil
Air Patrol. We are grateful to them for having helped spread the CAP
story, and we hope their readers have enjoyed the fruit of our young
writers' labors.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate |
|
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
 |
Virtual and Real Worlds Can Work For You
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – One of the hats I
wear for my paying job is that of supervisor for a team of
police recruiters. Probably about the only thing harder than
finding folks willing to risk life and limb serving their
community for a modest income is to find folks willing to
serve for free—not to mention "come and pay." But I recently
did just that—I recruited my youngest brother (now SM) Scott
Severance as the newest member of our squadron. [Actually,
Scott recruited himself, at the end of a particularly
interesting squadron meeting that Rob had invited him to
attend. Editor]
One of the objectives of the new CAP
National Marketing Plan is to increase new membership by 5%
above the 2006 level during year one, 10% during year two,
and 25% during year three. Recruiting so many new members
may sound like an enormous task but, simply put, if every
member were to recruit one person we would exceed our goal
by 400%. "Impossible," you say? Not really. Surely you know
at least one person at work, in your neighborhood, at school
or house of worship, or even in your family, who would be
interested in CAP—if they only heard about the important
missions we perform behind the scenes. They don’t have to be
pilots or even fly in a plane, there is plenty for them to
do on the ground too. In fact, only about 10% of all CAP
members are mission pilots...
As you recently read in this column,
our squadron started a MySpace page (www.myspace.com/crusadercap)
earlier this year to help spread the word about CAP to
prospective new members—especially cadets. MySpace, as a
social networking site, provides a virtual community for
people interested in a particular subject or just to “hang
out” together. According to Forrester Research, the
so-called Gen Y'ers stand apart from older generations in
their hands-on approach to the Web.
The problem with social networks in
the real world is that most of the connections between
people stay hidden. You may know Bob who knows Sarah; and
Sarah may be a great prospective CAP member but you may or
may not make the connection because you can’t readily see
who Bob is connected to. So your real-life network may have
huge potential, but it’s only as valuable as the people and
connections you can see.
Social networking websites, on the
other hand, help you see the connections that
would be normally hidden in the real world, and open up a
line of communication you wouldn't normally have. You can
see who your friends know, and who your friends’
friends know.
My police recruiting team exceeded our
hiring goals by 40% in 2007, and increased hiring by 55%
over the previous year, for which they were recently awarded
the annual group achievement award by the City of Grand
Prairie's management. This success can be partly attributed
to a coordinated recruitment marketing strategy that
maximized the potential of both online and real world social
networks.
Whether through an online social
network or your real-world social network, I challenge each
of you to spread the word about CAP to at least one new
prospective member this quarter. This recruiting campaign
will only succeed if it starts at the grassroots level.
Now is the time to build the Civil Air
Patrol's future.
1st Lt Robert Severance III, PAO, Crusader Composite
Squadron |
| Safety
 |
What is Safety?
What is safety? This is a question that Jay Hopkins, a
CFI, posed to various aviation related groups in an article in the Feb
2008 issue of Flying magazine. The most frequent answer, after a long
pause, is, "No accidents or injuries." His response is, "No, the absence
of accidents or injuries is the result of safety." For him, the
definition of safety is very simple,
1. Reduce risk in general, and
2. Eliminate unnecessary risk.
In the first category, actions such as Initial Training
where we learn the proper flying skills and procedures, Refresher
training where we build on the initial skills and add polish and
experience. Throughout the years, additional flights with an
instructor help us review and regain skills in areas not often
used in everyday flights. Good aircraft maintenance
ensures the aircraft is as airworthy as possible to minimize the risk of
an in-flight failure. Good diet to ensure the pilot is in
prime condition to take on the challenges of flight with a clear mind
and good health. Consistent Sleep makes us as alert and
ready as possible. Even a little sleep deprivation slows the reflexes,
just as alcohol does. Careful pre-flight planning
reduces risk by insuring you have up-to-date information about the route
of flight and the conditions at your planned destination. Thorough
Pre-flight will catch any problems that could present in-flight
problems. Consistent use of checklists ensures that we do
not have to rely on memory in the stress of an emergency situation. All
of the above actions are directed at reducinc risk in general.
The following are unnecessary risks that pilots have taken and can be
eliminated by forward thinking and the use of good common sense. None of
us needs to take an unnecessary risk!
Flying while hungry or exhausted, Flying while under the influence of
drugs (prescription or not), and alcohol, Flying in conditions beyond
our capabilities, Not having a “way out” (read: “Plan B”),
Buzzing/flying low, Aerobatics without proper training or aircraft - or
in the wrong place, Formation flying without training and practice,
Flying without oxygen (10,000’ daytime, 5000' night), Second approaches
when nothing has changed since the first approach.
You would be hard-pressed to find a pilot who doesn't want to fly
safely. However, an honest self-appraisal would likely turn up areas
where we are not doing everything we can to reduce risk in general, and
situations in the past where we have taken unnecessary risks. Let’s all
resolve to try to make a conscious effort to do better, fly safely, and
live longer!
Maj Wm. "Bert" Wilson, SO
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 March, should you want to use them at your
own squadron.
March Flight
Safety Briefing (MS Word document)
March Ground
Safety Briefing (MS Word document) |
| Safety
- A Real-Life Story
 |
During an evening game of Red Robin, Cadet Everyone was run into by
another CAP cadet and got a good jarring, ending up on the
grass. Upon learning that a cadet was down, the unit commander
rushed to the field and found Cadet Everyone laying on his back, his
legs twisted. His cadet commander was asking him questions, one of
the unit officers knelt by him, listening to the responses, and
Cadet Everyone's older sister (also a CAP cadet) sat at her
brother's side, keeping him calm. When the unit commander asked
Cadet Everyone where he hurt, he turned only his eyes
towards his commander and said, "My neck hurts."
Immediately, the unit commander called 911 and asked for an
ambulance. At the same time, the other officer present got on his
phone and contacted Cadet Everyone's parents. When the ambulance
arrived, the EMTs (one of whom, coincidentally, is the
squadron's medical officer) assessed Cadet Everyman and decided that
the safest thing to do would be to take him to the hospital and have
a physician examine him.
The
EMTs placed his neck in a C/collar and strapped him to a back-board,
with the assistance of the cadet commander and Cadet Everyone's
sister. Then they placed him on a stretcher and loaded him for
transport. The unit commander and Cadet Everyone's sister rode in
the ambulance with him. His parents, who were arriving as the
ambulance pulled out, followed directly behind.
In
the emergency room, Cadet Everyone's body under a blanket to lessen
the possibility of shock, a nurse started examining him and asked,
"Can you move your legs?" The cadet answered, "No." The wall of
silence that followed must have made him realize how worried those
around him were, because he smiled and was quick to add, "My legs
are still strapped down!" This broke the ice and everyone let out a
sigh of relief.
Already feeling better, Cadet Everyone was X-rayed. The physician
determined that nothing was broken, the pain was the result of the
jarring blow during the game, and all he needed was rest with a mild
pain-killer.
The
unit commander, the assisting CAP officer, the cadet commander,
Cadet Everyone's sister, and all other members of the unit had acted
in an appropriate and safe manner for the injury, given the
circumstances. Their training had kicked in when needed, and they
had done the right thing. It had been an accident with no malicious
intent, and hopefully it will never happen again.
As
Cadet Everyone was being taken to the hospital, the unit conducted
an investigation, taking statements from all witnesses. It was soon
discovered that the cadet commander had seen the initial cause of
the accident and had gone up to Cadet Everyone, asking him whether
he was OK. "I think I'm going to pass out," he had replied, as he
collapsed. The cadet commander had caught him as he fell, laying him
gently on the grassy ground. Another cadet had seen this from a
distance, and reported that, "Cadet Everyone fell into the cadet
commander's arms."
-
No matter how hard we try, accidents will happen. Through
training and attention to detail, we can prevent mishaps caused
by carelessness, but true accidents are unpredictable. The best
we can do is handle the results. In this case, everything worked
out well, the injury was attended to in a professional and
expedient manner, the cadet's parents were notified without
delay, the accident was immediately reported through the chain
of command, and the investigation was conducted as required by
regulations. And the cadet was lucky.
As told to Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor
|
|
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 |
Editor |
|
Guest News - Legislative Squadron - TX999

(Unit Emblem Under Development)
(Unit Website Under Development) |
Rep. Larry
Taylor learns damage assessment in Civil Air Patrol plane, 2 February
ELLINGTON
FIELD, HOUSTON, TX – On Saturday, February 2nd,
Representative Larry Taylor, the newest member of the
Legislative Squadron, Texas Wing – now rightfully known as
Major Larry Taylor – took his first Orientation Flight in a
Civil Air Patrol Cessna 172. The flight crew was Lt Col
Gordie L. White and Captain Mike Turoff.
Departing
Ellington Field, the plane executed a simulated flood
disaster assessment flight, in order to acquaint Rep. Taylor
with how the Civil Air Patrol conducts air missions during a
flood emergency. The air crew gave the squadron’s newest
member an overview of the roads, business housing, and
residential sections that lie within the possible flood
level area.
Rep.
Taylor is no stranger to flying in small planes. In fact, he
fondly remembers his father’s Cessna 175, over 30 years ago,
in which he took many a happy flight as a child. He was so
small at the time, that his father used to push his seat all
the way back so that his son could stand in front of him and
handle the yoke (under strict parental control, of course).
This happy memory came back during his CAP Orientation
Flight, as he sat next to the pilot.
Rep.
Taylor, who lives in northern Galveston County, represents
the county's residents in the Texas Legislature. He makes
his home in Friendswood, Texas, with his wife of 23 years,
Kerri. They have three children.
1.
2.
[1] Rep. Larry Taylor, now Major Taylor, holds his CAP membership
certificate just handed to him by Lt Col Gordie L. White (right),
commander of the new Legislative Squadron, SWR-TX-999. [2] Major
Larry Taylor (center) holds his CAP membership certificate. At left is
Capt Mike Turoff, and at right, Lt Col Gordie White.
"Since 1848, when my
family first came to Galveston County, we've lived through many
disasters and tragedies," Taylor said. "Being a member of the Civil Air
Patrol will give me a better chance to help in a time of need."
Having spent a
lifetime in community service, Rep. Taylor was attracted to the Civil
Air Patrol because of its public service missions of emergency services,
cadet programs, and aerospace education. Although Legislative Squadron
members are not required to undergo any emergency services training,
many do and become valued volunteers in time of need.
Texas Wing’s
Legislative Squadron was chartered to recognize Texas legislators who
know better than most what it means to serve the community. In Rep.
Taylor’s case, he has supported a number of important initiatives,
including eliminating unnecessary taxes, improving public education,
protecting the innocent, securing 2nd Amendment rights, correcting the
franchise tax, advancing health care, and controlling illegal
immigration.
Rep. Taylor is a
member of the House Appropriations Committee, House Insurance Committee
and House Calendars Committee. He represents District 24 in Galveston
County and is serving his third term in the Texas House of
Representatives as a member of the 80th Legislature. For
more on Rep. Taylor, please visit
http://www.larrytaylor.com/
Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate,
PAO, TX999 |
|
A USAF Chaplain's Guest Commentary

|
Don't forget your battle-rattle
11/13/2007 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy (AFPN) –
When I deployed to Baghdad, one phrase I
heard and quickly learned to do was my need to wear my "battle-rattle."
Given the risks associated with being in
Baghdad, this individual protective equipment of a helmet and protective
vest with embedded ceramic plates were important additions to my
uniform. Given an attack, this individual protective equipment might
make the difference in surviving a rocket, mortar or an improvised
explosive device.
This mindset of survival preparation
applies not just to a war-torn country, but also to everyday life. It is
not if explosions will happen in life, but when. Life is filled with
traumatic events that can have a long-term impact. Some life-changing
events -- like improvised explosive devices -- can be so forceful it
completely overwhelms any of our protective measures. That being said;
however, we can take some measures to increase our survivability.
Thorough preparation and fitness is vital!
The more fit I am before the injury may very well determine my survival
and how quickly I recovery. Wounding is more than physical. One can
become significantly wounded emotionally, relationally, intellectually,
professionally or spiritually. With some preparation we can help
mitigate our wounds created by life's explosions like serious illness,
injury, tragedy, difficult circumstances, etc.
In my association with chaplaincy for more
than 30 years, I have seen up close what human tragedy can do to us. In
my 18 years as an active duty chaplain in the Air Force, I have sought
to help many wounded warriors. I have even had to deal with my own
wounds.
In Baghdad, I've held a piece of shrapnel
left over from an explosion. It is heavy, jagged and has sharp edges.
Shrapnel can create very ugly wounds. I've seen what it does to the
human body. I've seen too many of those wounds. For the living, those
explosions leave all kind of scars. I have my own emotional scars of
being around so many dead. I traversed the smoldering ground, now turned
sacred for four souls, created when a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed near
Loring Air Force Base, Maine.
I've walked in the Port Mortuary at Dover
AFB, Del., where an incredible team returned the dignity of so many of
our fallen warriors. We returned to the families the men and women from
the USS Cole, the Pentagon of Sept. 11, Afghanistan and now Iraq. In the
belly of cargo planes at Baghdad International Airport, I have prayed
over too many warriors returning home in an aluminum transfer case.
Those scars are now permanently etched in my soul.
Memorial Day has a very different meaning
for me. And yet, my scars do not even compare to others who have stood
directly in the line of fire and have lost buddies up close. Some call
it post traumatic syndrome disorder. It is a wound of the heart and the
soul.
In light of this, we must prepare ourselves
to be physically, emotionally, relationally, intellectually,
professionally and spiritually fit. How can we help others with their
wounds if we are as wounded as they?
Obviously, we should strive to be fit. I
exercise. I seek to be emotionally healthy and balanced. I work to keep
my marriage of 31 years fresh and vibrant. I try not to leave
affirmation and appreciation left unsaid. I am a life-long student who
seeks to learn something new every day. I take advantage of every
professional opportunity. And, I desire to continue to grow spiritually
in my relationship with my God. Some days I do better than others.
Having counseled hundreds of individuals
and couples over the years, I have recognized these areas of fitness are
interdependent. We can typically manage one unfit area fairly easily.
Let additional areas become unfit, then the impact in the remaining
areas grow exponentially. The more unfit we are in these areas, then the
harder time we will have to recover from life's explosions.
We must help today's warriors and their
families to prepare their battle-rattle long in advance of combat. We
can help each other survive the wounds of long deployments and tragic
events by helping each other to armor up physically, emotionally,
relationally, intellectually, professionally and spiritually. Then, when
life does explode, they are more likely to survive and recover.
It is not easy to be fit. It is building
disciplines in our lives that nurtures fitness in each of these areas.
As a culture, we are so over-indulgant and so used to taking the easy
way out that we have gotten flabby and soft.
Challenge, hardship, trials, discomfort and
struggle do have their place in building fitness. Additionally, it is as
much as a state of being as it is doing. Life won't always be easy.
Ultimately, no one is self-sufficient. I need others and I need my God.
I need to be mentored by survivors. I can learn how others recovered. In
doing so, I have placed another piece to my "battle-rattle."
Life will have explosions. It is not a
matter of if, but when. The real question is, "Have I prepared myself to
the best of my abilities for that moment? Or, have I forgotten my
battle-rattle?"
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jimmy Browning,
31st Fighter Wing Chapel Office |
|
USAF Academy Guest Commentary
 |
Why
return to the Air Force Academy after Winter Break?
(First year cadets at the Air Force Academy are
allowed to leave the Academy without penalty through the end of
first-year Christmas break. Those who came back were assigned to write a
paper on why they chose to return. This cadet is 20 years old.)
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
–
So after our sunburns have faded and the memories
of our winter break have been reduced to pictures we've pinned on our
desk boards, and once again we've exchanged T-shirts and swim suits for
flight suits and camouflage, there still remains the question that every
cadet at U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has asked themselves
at some point: Why did we come back? Why, after spending two weeks with
our family would we return to one of the most demanding lifestyles in
the country? After listening to our "friends" who are home from State or
Ivy League schools chock full of wisdom about how our war in Iraq is
unjust and unworldly, why would we return? And after watching the news
and reading the papers which only seem to condemn the military's every
mistake and shadow every victory, why would we continue to think it is
worth the sacrifice of a normal college life?
Is it because the institution to which we belong is
tuition-free?
Anyone who claims this has forgotten that we will, by the
time we graduate, repay the US taxpayer many times over in blood, sweat,
and tears. Is it because the schooling we are receiving is one of the
best undergraduate educations in the country? While the quality of the
education is second to none, anyone who provides this as a main reason
has lost sight of the awesome responsibility that awaits those who are
tough enough to graduate and become commissioned officers in the U.S.
Air Force.
I come back to the Academy because I want to have the
training necessary so that one day I'll have the incredible
responsibility of leading the sons and daughters of America in combat.
These men and women will never ask about my Academy grade point average,
their only concern will be that I have the ability to lead them
expertly; I will be humbled to earn their respect. I come back to the
Academy because I want to be the commander who saves lives by
negotiating with Arab leaders... in their own language.
I come back to the Academy because, if called upon, I
want to be the pilot who flies half way around the world with three
mid-air refuelings to send a bomb from 30,000 feet into a basement
housing the enemy... through a ventilation shaft two feet wide. Becoming
an officer in today's modern Air Force is so much more than just
command; it is being a diplomat, a strategist, a communicator, a moral
compass, but always a warrior first.
I come back to the Air Force Academy because, right now,
the United States is fighting a global war that is an "away game" in
Iraq - taking the fight to the terrorists.
Whether or not we think the terrorists were in Iraq
before our invasion, they are unquestionably there now. And if there is
any doubt as to whether this is a global war, just ask the people in
Amman, in London, in Madrid, in Casablanca, in Riyadh, and in Bali.
This war must remain an away game because we have seen
what happens when it becomes a home game... I come back to the Academy
because I want to be a part of that fight.
I come back to the Academy because I don't want my
vacationing family to board a bus in Paris that gets blown away by
someone who thinks that it would be a good idea to convert the Western
world to Islam.
I come back to the Academy because I don't want the woman
I love to be the one who dials her last frantic cell phone call while
huddled in the back of an airliner with a hundred other people seconds
away from slamming into the Capitol building.
I come back to the Academy because during my freshman
year of high school I sat in a geometry class and watched nineteen
terrorists change the course of history live on television. For the
first time, every class currently at a U.S. Service Academy made the
decision to join after the 2001 terror attacks.
Some have said that the U.S. invasion of Iraq and
Afghanistan only created more terrorists... I say that the attacks of
September 11th, 2001 created an untold greater number of American
soldiers; I go to school with 4,000 of them. And that's worth more than
missing a few frat parties.
Joseph R. Tomczak, Cadet Fourth Class
United States Air Force Academy
U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) had Cadet
Tomczak's essay read into the Congressional Record, and at a meeting of
the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors he presented Cadet Tomczak with
a framed copy of the essay.
This essay was sent
to me by Capt Harold Parks, Commander of the Gladewater Corsairs
Composite Squadron, who in turn got it from his son-in-law, Col. Rudy
Byrne, USAF – Editor |
|
Useful Links |
Aviation & more
air crew & 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
|
|
|
Apollo CS
 |
Landing Zone
Training, 9
February
AUSTIN,
TX –
Landing Zone (LZ)
training, an
important aspect
of Emergency
Services, is
very helpful in
roadside
assistance. For
instance, if I
come upon a car
accident and
think the victim
needs to go to a
hospital, it
could be a
matter of life
or death. For
this reason it
would be vital
if I am able to
call in an
emergency
helicopter such
as Phi Stat
Air, or
Star Flight.
These companies
are in the
business of
evacuating
victims out of
rural or urban
areas,
transporting
them
to a hospital
as quickly as
possible.
The
class taught us
how to prepare
for, call a
helicopter, and
light the
landing zone at
night. What is
most important,
they taught us
to look for
hazards that
could damage the
helicopter
–
which costs
anywhere from 2
to 10 million
dollars –
or even injure
and potentially
kill the crew.
Some of the
obstacles that
we need to look
for are:
In a rural
area:
Mud, Stumps,
T-posts, or
anything that
could puncture
the gas tank
located at the
bottom of the
helicopter.
In an urban
area: Cars,
Traffic, and
Pedestrians.
And at all
times:
Look for
Power Lines.
These are a
helicopter
pilot's nastiest
nightmare. They
are incredibly
difficult to see
from the air and
are very
dangerous to
both the
helicopter and
the crew.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1]
[Front] Cadets
Jonathan Kokel,
Philip Nelson,
and Stephen
Corley; 2d Lt
Monica Corley.
[Rear] 2d Lt
Debbie Walden,
2d Lt Steven
Pautz, Cadets
Paul Benoit &
Christian
Nelson. [2]
And they're
off. The five
helicopters kept
here were very
busy all day, as
they came and
went. [3]
Cadets Jonathan
Kokenl, Paul
Benoit, Philip
Nelson,
Christian
Nelson, and
Stephen Corley.
[4] The
helicopter crew
speaks to the
crowd and answer
questions.
At our LZ
training, we
were lucky to
have two
helicopter crews
make the
demonstrations.
They took time
out from their
busy schedule to
show us what we
learned in
class. This was
very cool,
because in most
other classes,
hands-on is not
an option.
Several
volunteers got
to demonstrate
how to load a
patient and
"stow" him
safely in the
helicopter
–
so he wouldn't
accidentally
hurt anyone.
Unfortunately,
we weren't able
to see as much
of the
helicopters as
we would have
liked. I
especially
wanted to get up
close, but
before I had a
chance to do so,
the crew loaded
up and flew off
on a mission.
Disappointed
though I was, I
reasoned that it
was better that
they saved a
life, than that
I learned just a
little bit more.
Our instructor,
a paramedic of
many years, was
entertaining to
listen to, and a
lively speaker.
I really enjoyed
learning about
landing zones
and wasn't bored
for one second.
After the class,
we were given a
test to see how
well we had
listened, and if
we passed we
were given a
certificate.
After the whole
class of about
two to three
hundred people
had taken the
test, a dog
trainer and his
dog gave a
delightful
performance.
They are active
participants in
missing person’s
searches, and
are very
successful. For
the
presentation,
the trainer put
four boxes on
the stage,
placed a squeaky
toy in one of
them, and then
touched the rest
so the dog could
not associate
the box that
held the toy by
its handler's
smell. This is
because he must
touch a box to
put the object
in. His dog
–
a female –
was then
released and
told to find the
toy. She sniffed
every box,
quivering with
excitement, and
finally pointed
out the third
box by suddenly
flattening
herself in front
of it. The
trainer then
came to open the
box and let the
dog play with
the squeaky toy.
The ensuing
applause was
thunderous. It
was a great way
to wind up the
morning.
Special thanks
to MSET
(Motorcycle
Special Events
Team) who hosted
the occasion and
put in many
hours of hard
work preparing a
smooth and
successful
event. Thanks
also to the
helicopter crews
for showing off
their
helicopters.
Finally, thanks
so much to
Starbucks
and HEB
for donating the
coffee and
doughnuts.
(C/SrA Christian
Nelson)
Texas Wing
Wide Area Exercise,
15-17 February
HOUSTON MISSION
BASE, TX – Friday,
15 February, 0400 –
The lights flip on.
It's time to get up,
get ready, and get
going! We stagger
out of bed, wishing
we could slumber on
instead, and are
greeted by the
pleasing aroma of
pancakes and coffee.
Very soon, all
eleven of us are
awake and loaded
into the van,
leaving Georgetown
and on our way to
Houston for the
February Wide Area
Exercise. This is
going to be a great,
exciting weekend of
training.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] On the
way to Houston, we
stop at the Giddings
Airport, where we
practice ramp check
skills. [2]
Another ramp check,
this one at Brenham
Airport. [3]
Cadets Alexandra
Falken (of Pegasus
CS), Michael Moody,
and Marcus
Bialkowski (of
Pegasus CS), in
Brenham. [4]
Apollo CS members
check in at Houston
Mission Base, in
Hooks Airport.
Once we get there,
as soon as we've
come off the crowded
van and unloaded our
gear, we are briefed
and off on our first
sortie: searching
for an Emergency
Locator Transmitter
(ELT)! It is an
exciting search that
begins with a very
entertaining and
informative ramp
check. Our Ground
Team Leader (GTL)
leads us in two
well-planned ELT
searches. Both end
in positive cadet
finds.
5.
6.
7.
8.
[5] Cadets
get ready for their
ground team mission.
[6]-[7] The
ground team mission
briefing is
thorough. [8]
Stacey Saxon, at
left, getting ready
for an air sortie.
As that sortie ends,
so does the rest of
the day. The sun has
gone down, and it is
time to get some
rest before another
day of excellent
training sorties. At
0400 (some things
never change) the
lights flip on once
again. It's time to
get up and get going
on some interesting
sorties. The first
one is an assignment
that requires
air-to-ground
coordination – we
need to find two
twin-engine aircraft
that "are being held
at a civilian's farm
property." This is a
simulation, of
course, but it makes
for good
training. The air
crew that is
coordinating with
us, the ground team,
is successful in
finding the two
aircraft, but the
ground team fails
because of the large
amounts of foliage
and vegetation
surrounding the
area.
9.
10.
11.
12.
[9]-[10] The
air crew have no
difficulty finding
the target aircraft,
but the ground team
could not reach it
because of heavy
vegetation. [11]
As they prepare to
go out on their
sortie, Cadets Paul
Benoit, Marcus
Bialkowski (Pegasus
CS), Jason Messmer,
Stephen Corley,
Camron Condrey,
Jonathan Kokel,
Michael Moody,
Ezekiel Matzen, and
Alexandra Falken
(Pegasus CS).
[12] Apollo
cadets train on Ramp
Check tasks. (All
photos: 1st Lt Sue
Kristoffersen)
The last sortie of
the weekend, for our
ground team, is an
ELT search, except
that this one
involves a great
deal more time and
skill to find. This
ELT has been hidden
by air crew, and is
not nearly as easy
to find as the first
two were. The
cadets, however,
succeed in finding
this ELT by using a
non-standard
Yagi antenna. The
cadets and GTL found
this to be more
efficient than the
standard equipment;
however, they do
realize the
importance of
knowing how to use
the “H” antenna
well.
All in all, the
weekend has been a
success, a lot of
cadets got many
Standard
Qualification Tasks
signed off, and one
cadet even got
re-qualified as a
GTM3. All the
sorties had been
well planned, run,
and executed. When
the weekend is over,
everyone is very
satisfied, but
exhausted.
We reserve a big
thank-you for Group
IV, for letting us
train with them
after weather had
made our original
plans impossible.
(C/CMSgt Michael
Moody)
Skywarn -
A Lesson on
Weather,
23 February
AUSTIN, TX
– On Saturday,
23 February,
four Apollo
Composite
Squadron members
attended the
18th Annual Lou
Withrow Skywarn
Austin / South
Central Texas
Severe Weather
Spotter Training
Session. Skywarn,
held at the UT
Pickle Research
Campus in North Austin, was a standing room only affair.
I knew the
class
couldn’t
possibly
hurt us, but
I never
thought I’d
actually
enjoy
it. This was
a science
class (not
my favorite
subject) and
yet I had
fun. In
fact, I
learned more
about
weather and
what to look
for in that
5-hour class
than I’d
learned in a
lifetime.
The
speakers/performers/comedians
listed below
must be some
of the best
educators in
their
field. They
certainly
know how to
hold the
audience's
attention. They
might shoot
O-rings at
you from the
bottom of a
garbage can,
or use a
hair dryer,
a ping pong
ball, and
one of those
wonderful
little
toilet paper
rolls to
demonstrate
how a
cumulus
cloud
forms.
[Off the
subject, but
I just have
to ask. Can
someone,
anyone tell
me exactly
what was
used prior
to the
invention of
the toilet
paper
roll? I
can’t
imagine
teaching
anything
without it.]
1.
2.
3.
[1]
Apollo CS
Commander
1st Lt
Fischler, 2d
Lt Monica
Corley, and
Cdt Stephen
Corley.
[2] Cdt
Stephen
Corley and
Mr. Troy
Kimmel,
Session
Chair.
[3] Mr.
Troy Kimmel
and Mr. Roy
Sedwick,
Flood Plain
Coordinator,
Lower
Colorado
River
Authority.
(Photos:
1st Lt Sue
Kristoffersen)
Guest
speakers
included
locally
known Troy
Kimmel
(Chief
Meteorologist
with the
Lower
Colorado
River
Authority),
Joe Arellano
(Meteorologist
in Charge,
WFO EWX),
Roy Sedwick
(Flood Plain
Coordinator,
LCRA), and
Paul Yura
(Warning
Coordination
Meteorologist
WFO EWX). The
Keynote
Address was
given by Dr.
Kevin
Kloesel
(Associate
Dean,
College
of
Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences,
University of
Oklahoma).
Roy Sedwick
(LCRA)
showed
pictures of
last year's
floods in
Marble
Falls, and
talked
extensively
about
not crossing
running
water. He
is very
passionate
about his
job. We're
contacting
him to see
if
he'll come
give a
presentation
at the
squadron.
Safety
officers and
all others,
please check
out the
links below,
well worth
your time.
This
training is
Annual, it’s
FREE, and
it’s very
good. I
highly
recommend it
for
everyone.
(1st Lt Sue
Kristoffersen)
CAP
Members Are
Truly Amazing,
24 February
TAYLOR, TX – On
the evening of
Friday, 22
February, I
received a phone
call from an
elderly woman
who lives in
Taylor, Texas.
She had heard
about our unit
and asked if we
could assist her
in getting her
yard cleaned up.
She explained
that her husband
of 46 years 11
months and 27
days had passed
away the year
before, and she
was not
physically
capable of doing
the work
herself.
On the spot, I
committed the
squadron to be
there on Sunday
at 2 p.m. I was
sure that I
could find at
least two or
three members
willing to go
with me. She was
delighted about
the timing, "Oh,
thank you!" she
said, "I'll have
time to go to
church before
you come!" Unit
roster in hand,
I got on the
phone and tried
my luck: I got
two
confirmations
and left
messages with
all the rest,
explaining what
we had been
asked to do.
Throughout the
day on Saturday
my phone kept
ringing as unit
members called
back to confirm.
By the time the
van pulled out
on Sunday at 1
p.m., it carried
11 members en
route to help
someone in need
of assistance.
To us, it was
just a simple
matter of
cleaning up
leaves in an old
neighbor’s yard.
To her, on the
other hand, it
was the
difference
between being
alone and
helpless as
opposed to
having someone
who cared enough
to show up at a
moment's notice
to render aid.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1]
Cadets Ezekiel
Matzen,
Christian
Nelson, and Paul
Benoit [2]
Cadets
Philip Nelson
and Davita
Heavener (the
latter a new
squadron member
from California
Wing). [3]
Cadet Davita
Heavener, Cadet
Alexandra Falken
(of Pegasus CS),
Cadet Rebecca
Walden, 1s Lt
Sue
Kristoffersen.
(Back row) 2d Lt
Debbie Walden
and 1st Lt Cheri
Fischler. [4]
Cadets
Ezekiel Matzen,
Davita Heavener,
Alexandra Falken
(of Pegasus CS),
Rebecca Walden,
Paul Benoit, and
Philip Nelson.
(Back
row), Cadets
Michael Moody
and Christian
Nelson.
As I worked side
by side with my
volunteers, most
of them cadets,
their attitude
was
heart-warming.
For me, knowing
that these CAP
members would
jump just as
fast for a
distant neighbor
they'd never
met, as they
would for a
tasking with a
mission number
was truly
gratifying. I am
so proud of them
all...
I have spent
years in awe of
CAP volunteers.
It has always
amazed me that
so many people
could come
together and be
able to act as a
unit with hardly
any warning at
all. It is my
pleasure to
applaud their
willingness to
truly serve our
community, state
and nation.
(1st Lt Cheri
Fischler, a
Proud Unit
Commander
Kittinger
and Apollo Team
Up on Firewatch
Mission, 25
February
GEORGETOWN,
TX –
On February 25,
2008, soon after
receiving my
Mission Scanner
qualification, I
had the
opportunity to
serve the State
of Texas on
Firewatch. The
funny thing is
that, when I saw
on the news the
night before
that we were
under a
firewatch, I got
all excited and
told my husband,
"That’s us. The
Civil Air Patrol
does that." I
couldn’t believe
it when an hour
later my
squadron
commander called
me to firewatch
duty.
This was going
to be my first
firewatch sortie
and my first
time riding in
the front seat
of a CAP Cessna
as a Mission
Observer
Trainee. I
arrived around
noon at
Austin-Bergstrom
International
Airport (AIBA)
and found Capt
Gary Houck, a
member of the
Kittinger
Phantom Senior
Squadron,
working on
getting our
flight plan
approved. We had
been assigned to
search Kerr,
Mason,
Gillespie,
Llano, San Saba,
and McCulloch
counties. I sat
down and began
outlining our
grid search,
figuring out a
proposed flight
path. Finally,
the winds had
died down enough
for us to get
clearance, and
we were on our
way.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1] At a
distance, you
can't really
tell how big a
fire this one
might be.
[2]-[4] Up
close, although
this fire was
supposed to have
been under
control, it
looked too big
to us, so we
called it in.
[5]-[6] You
can see how
strong the wind
was, as the
smoke is really
close to the
ground as it
runs down-wind.
As we flew
towards our
search grid, we
kept an eye out
for fires, as
Capt. Houck
familiarized me
with all the
different
gauges. He
showed me how to
work the radio
and what to do
if we found a
fire. He even
let me take the
control wheel
for a little
while. Wow, talk
about
exciting. I
learned all
about wind shear
and how
difficult it can
be, at times, to
keep on course
and at the
correct
altitude.
Then, Capt.
Houck spotted a
fire and we
headed towards
it. I pulled out
the camera and
began taking
pictures. This
fire was located
about 20 miles
West of
Brady. You could
really see how
strong the winds
were, as the
smoke billowed
almost flat
across the
road. We kept an
eye out for
emergency
vehicles, but
saw none.
I reviewed the
county map to
locate the road
below, then we
flew directly
over the fire in
order to get the
exact GPS
coordinates, so
we could call it
in. I was given
the honor
of calling the
Department of
Public Safety (DPS)
and reporting
that fire. The
dispatcher
indicated that
they were aware
of it, but that
it was supposed
to be a
controlled
burn. To us, it
did not look
controlled at
all. In fact, it
looked like it
was burning
right next to a
house. DPS
called it in and
we headed South
toward
Kerrville. On
the way, we saw
another
fire. This one
had fire trucks
and emergency
vehicles
everywhere
around it, so it
was clear that
they knew about
it already. We
took on fuel in
Kerrville,
completed our
search grid, and
returned to AIBA.
I really enjoyed
getting to serve
the State of
Texas, and look
forward to my
next call to
serve. It was
definitely an
experience I
will not forget
any time soon.
(2d Lt Debbie
Walden)
|
|
Crusader CS
 |
A Marine Pilot Visits the Squadron,
5 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
–
Maj. John
Thurman (USMC) was the guest speaker at the Crusader Composite
Squadron meeting on 5 February 2008. Maj. Thurman was formerly a
C/Maj in the squadron. After graduating from high
school, he enlisted in the Marine
Corps, went to Officer Candidate School through the Platoon
Leaders Class Program, and was commissioned as an officer after
completing his college degree. He graduated from Texas
A&M with a degree in History and Russian Studies. He is now
a Radar Intercept Officer in the E-6 Prowler. He is married,
has one daughter, and is currently stationed at Cherry
Point, North Carolina.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1]
Maj. John Thurman, a former
Crusader Composite Squadron cadet, speaks with Crusader cadets about his
experiences in the Marine Corps. [2]
Lt Col Roy Hill, Crusader Composite
Squadron Commander, presents Maj Thurman with a squadron
patch. [3] Maj Thurman presents Lt Col
Hill with his unit patch. [4] An EA-6B Prowler in
flight. (Photo #4 Wikipedia; All others, 1st
Lt Robert Severance III)
Maj. Thurman spoke with the cadets
about Marine aviation and the conflict in Iraq. He has
served in that area several times, and flew many missions in
northern Iraq in the 90's. He went on to say that America
will be successful in Iraq, if we stick it out. He told the
cadets that being an officer in the Marine Corps, and a
leader, had begun in the Crusader Composite Squadron. He
encouraged them to think about what they wanted to do with
their future.
Squadron member Capt Michael Hagle, who
had invited Maj. Thurman to the meeting,
said, “Maj. Thurman was the first cadet commander I had, when
I was a cadet.” At the close of the meeting, Maj. Thurman
exchanged unit patches with Lt Col Hill, Crusader Composite
Squadron Commander.
(1st Lt Robert Severance III)
Promotions, 5 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
–
At a regular meeting of the
Crusader Composite Squadron, four cadets were pinned for
promotions they had earned since January, 2008. They
were:
-
William Molnar, promoted to C/Amn;
-
Myles Holmes, promoted to C/A1C;
-
Kendall Pruitt, promoted to C/SSgt; and
-
Robert Severance IV, promoted to C/TSgt.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] Lt Col Roy Hill, Crusader Composite Squadron Commander,
presents Cdt Miles Holmes with his C/A1C pin. [2] Cdt William Molnar receives his C/Amn pin from Lt
Col Roy Hill. [3] Cdt Kendall Pruitt receives his C/SSgt pin from
Lt Col Roy Hill. [4] Cdt Robert Severance IV receives his C/TSgt pin
from Lt Col Roy Hill. (Photos: SM Scott Severance)
Cadets Severance and O'Brien received certificates for
completing their first "O" Flight. Capt David Hestilow was
presented with a certificate for the Benjamin O Davis, Jr
Award for having completed Level 2 in the Senior Member
Professional Development program.
(1st Lt Robert Severance III)
Meeting A Living Legend - Gen. Charles E. "Chuck"
Yeager, 10 February
FT WORTH, TX
–
My dad 1st
Lt Robert Severance III, my uncle SM Scott Severance, and I
went to hear General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager talk at the
American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum on 10 February 2008. Gen.
Yeager was the first person to travel faster than the speed
of sound. He flew the Bell X-1 rocket plane. Gen. Yeager
talked about when he was chosen to fly the X-1, to see if he
could break the sound barrier. He said, "This was the first
step in a chain of events that would launch man into space."
Gen. Yeager said that when he was 10
or 11 years old he was taught to honor his flag and, ever
since then, he viewed his service as duty. With only a high
school education, he enlisted in the Army in 1941 and went
to flight school as a corporal, then graduated as one of
about 12,000 sergeant pilots during WW II. He later became a
flight officer. He served 65 years in Air Force cockpits,
and last flew on 18 September 2007.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1]-[2]
Gen. Yeager speaks at the American
Airlines C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth.[3]
Gen. Yeager with C/TSgt Robert
Severance IV. [4]
Gen. Yeager autographs 1st
Lt Robert Severance III’s Brigadier General Charles E.
“Chuck” Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award
certificate. [5] M Scott
Severance’s new model of the Bell X-1, autographed by Gen.
Yeager. (Photos #1-3, 1st Lt Robert Severance III. Photos
#4-5, C/TSgt Robert Severance IV)
At the end of his talk we had a chance
to ask him questions. I asked what would be his advice for
someone who wants to join the Air Force. He said, "I'm not
in the business of giving advice, but guys who do it on
their own do best." He said that a lot of his success was
because he was in the right place at the right time. He
said, "You should concentrate on what you're doing without
worrying about the outcome." Someone else asked him what
airplane he would choose. "If I were in a war today, I would
pick the F-15E," he replied.
After the talk we had an opportunity
to meet Gen Yeager in person. I was excited to meet the
first person to travel faster than the speed of sound. He
asked me what squadron I was in, and posed for a picture
with me. In a raffle to support the American Airlines C.R.
Smith Museum, my uncle Scott won a model of the Bell X-1
autographed by Gen. Yeager.
(C/TSgt Robert Severance IV)
Helping Observe Black History Month, 12 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
–
On 12 Feb 2008, at the
regular meeting of the Crusader Composite Squadron,
members watched Red Tail Reborn, a video about the
Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Project, the
restoration of a P-51C as a flying tribute to the
Tuskegee Airmen.
Capt
Frank Stalling presented the video in recognition of
black history month.
1.
2.
[1]
Squadron members watch
Red Tail Reborn. [2] Capt Frank Stalling talks
about when he met some of the original Tuskegee Airmen
and got their autographs. (Photos: by 1st Lt Robert
Severance III)
For
more information, please visit Red Tail Project
Photos:
http://www.redtail.org/media/photos.html and
Tuskegee Airmen History:
http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/Tuskegee_Airmen_History.html
(1st Lt Robert Severance III)
11 Brand-New HAM Radio Operators + 1 Upgrade
License, 19 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – Last November, several Senior
Members of the Crusader Composite Squadron began
studying to become FCC Amateur Radio (HAM) Operators. Lt
Col Dietrich Whisennand, of the Irving Composite
Squadron, the principal instructor, was assisted by
another Amateur Radio operator, Maj Russell Miller, a
member of the Crusader Composite Squadron.
(Class
photo: 1st Lt Robert Severance III)
On Tuesday evening, 19 February, after several Tuesday
evenings' worth of classroom presentations, study, and
preparation for the licensing exam, the Crusader
Composite Squadron hosted official testing for the FCC
Amateur Radio license. As a result, there are now eleven
new Technician Class Amateur Radio Operators and one
General Class Radio license upgrade for an existing
Technician Class Operator.
FCC Amateur Radio Operators serve communities around the
country (and sometimes around the world) during times of
emergency. Primarily, they act as communications
providers for areas without phone or cellular service.
Several organizations, such as "Skywarn" storm spotters
for the National Weather Service, Red Cross, FEMA and
many others, use HAM radio operators. When there is no
emergency, HAM radio operators use their equipment to
practice and enhance their skills, socialize, and
further the hobby by attending HAMfests, classes, and
club meetings.
HAM radio operators are prohibited from using CAP
frequencies, but there is a way for CAP members to work
alongside HAM radio operators for Emergency
Communications in times of need. Additionally, HAM radio
operators typically have a depth of communications
knowledge that is very useful and relevant to CAP.
Crusader Composite Squadron members plan on using their
recently-acquired skills to further communications
abilities in CAP, functioning within the parameters of
CAP and FCC regulations. [See: Communications
Staff Section articles
http://www.group3txwing.org/content/0701/newsletter0701.htm
and
http://www.group3txwing.org/content/0702/newsletter0702.htm
by 1st Lt Toby Buckalew - Editor]
Congratulations to these new HAM operators and future
CAP communication leaders!
(Maj Russell Miller)
Pilot Continuation Training, 23 February
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX –
On 23
Feb 2008 the Crusader Composite Squadron hosted their
first annual Pilot Continuation Training at the Grand
Prairie Police/Fire Training Center. Capt Ray Bufkin was
the lead instructor. There were 24 CAP members from
various squadrons in attendance.
Lt Col
Roy Hill (Crusader Composite Squadron Commander)
welcomed the attendees. The day’s agenda included:
-
A
brief history of CAP, presented by Capt
Ray
Bufkin,
-
Local tower operators Darrell Tigue at Grand Prairie
Metro, Tim Wollenburg at GKY, and Steven Buckner
from Fort Worth FSDO.
-
CAP accident history, by Maj Craig Hatch (who works
for the NTSB),
-
Aero-Medical Factors, by Lt Col Ned Biser, MD,
-
Federal Aviation Regulations, by Capt Carolyn Bitner,
-
Take-off and Landings, by Capt
Ray
Bufkin,
-
CAPR 60-1, by Lt Col E.S. “Tex” Collins,
-
GPS Technology, by Maj Russell Miller, and
-
Aviation Weather, by Kevin Reno.

Pilot
Continuation Training students listen to lectures on CAP
history and aviation safety.
(Photo: C/TSgt Robert Severance IV)
Participants received the instruction enthusiastically,
actively participating in Q&A sessions at the end of
each block of instruction. Overall, they were very
satisfied, and promised to be back next year.
(1st Lt Robert Severance III)
|
|
Gladewater Corsairs CS
 |
Silk Purse to Sow’s Ear to Silk Purse Again, 2 February
GLADEWATER,
TX
– On the morning of 2 February 2008, cadets
from the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron gathered at the
Gladewater Airport. All were very excited about the opportunity to
experience Cadet Orientation Flights in the Tyler CAP aircraft. Lt Col
Terry Howlett had promised to fly over to Gladewater Airport in order to
provide the flights for our cadets. The excitement was heightened
because very few of our cadets have had the opportunity to fly in a
fully mission-capable CAP aircraft. Flying itself wouldn't be a new
experience to them, as we regularly fly our cadets in member-owned
aircraft and the EAA group at our airport has been quite generous with
Eagle Flights as well. However, Mother Nature had other plans and a
cold, damp fog gradually suppressed the excitement. After consulting
with Lt Col Howlett, we reluctantly agreed that flying would not be
possible that day.
Now, what to do, with the cadets already at the airport?
The answer came easily
– the cadet commander, C/CMSgt Jarrod
Alexander, quickly suggested that the whole squadron could use L-Per
training on the airport. Although our cadets are very familiar with
using the L-Per to find ELTs, it had been quite a long time since we had
done so at an airport. Since our real ELT missions so frequently involve
ELT signals at airports, his was a great idea. We got right to it, and
soon each cadet, in turn, located the practice ELT that had been hidden
in various locations around the hangars
– which happens to be the hardest place in
which to find an ELT on an airport. Once all cadets had demonstrated
that they could indeed locate an ELT amidst the hangars, another
opportunity presented itself.
Our squadron traditionally works ELT searches on the “bee line”
theory. That is, we generally take bearings on the signal and move
directly towards it. This method came about due to the difficulty of
working with triangulation in our normal training area, where it is
extremely difficult to locate an ELT because it is a near “electrical
signal nightmare.” There are so many high-tension wires, steel
buildings, wire fences and piles of steel scrap in our training area,
that it is very challenging to pick a target signal out of the
electrical noise. For that location, given the environment, we
determined that getting a single bearing was difficult enough, so it it
would be best to avoid complicating it further with another bearing. All
have learned how to find an ELT there.
In any case, since we were now at a location that more closely resembled
a typical mission
– an airport
– it made sense to try triangulation. It had
been a very long time since we had practiced this universally accepted
method of locating ELTs. C/CMSgt Alexander had attended the Texas Wing
Ground Search and Rescue Specialty School in Brownsville last December,
so he had recent experience in triangulation. In an open area, he
demonstrated the technique to everyone, so all could understand the
principles involved. It took no time at all for everyone to get
re-acquainted with the procedure. So the day ended profitably after all,
in spite of the letdown of missing an opportunity to fly.
We went from the silk purse of an exciting chance to fly in a fully
mission-capable CAP aircraft to the sow's ear of disappointment at not
going. Happily, this was followed with the silk purse of excellent
training that reinforced and expanded some skills previously
learned. Members attending included Capt Harold Parks, C/CMSgt Jarrod
Alexander, C/CMSgt Andrew Alexander, C/SrA Nathan Cardino, C/Amn Rebekah
Alexander and C/AB Bradley Jamison.
Gladewater Cadet Promoted, 5 February
GLADEWATER,
TX
– A Promotion Board and subsequent promotion
ceremony was held at the Squadron meeting of 5 February 2008. One Cadet
was promoted after meeting the Promotion Board consisting of 1st Lt
Harold Parks, Squadron Commander, and Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Jarrod
Alexander, Cadet Commander. Whenever cadets have met all the
prerequisites and are ready for promotion, they are required to meet
with the Promotion Board. After reporting to the Promotion Board as
prescribed by regulations, and reciting the Cadet Oath, each cadet is
questioned about his/her position and/or role in the Squadron. The
Cadet’s record is then reviewed to make certain that all requirements
for their pending grade are met and then they are dismissed from the
Board.
Having been approved by the Board, Cadet Airman Basic Victoria Jones was
promoted to Cadet Airman. She received a Certificate of Promotion from
1st Lt Parks during that evening's final formation.
Two other cadets who were also promotable, but were unable to attend
because of illness. Cadet Senior Airman Nathan Cardino is eligible for
promotion to Cadet Staff Sergeant, and Cadet Basic Rebekah Alexander is
eligible for promotion to Cadet Airman. Both will be cycled through the
next Promotion Board.
Squadron Commander Promoted, 11 February
GLADEWATER,
TX
–
The squadron commander, Harold Parks, was promoted to the
grade of Captain.
(Capt Harold Parks, Commander)
|
|
Gregg County CS |
Red
Cap Mission Number 0219, 12 February
LONGVIEW, TX
– On 12 February, at approximately 1750 (5:50 p.m.), an Emergency
Location Transmitter (ELT) signal was picked up and relayed to the Civil
Air Patrol. The Incident Commander, Lt Col Dennis Bennett (a member of
Tyler Composite Squadron), alerted the Gregg County Composite Squadron
at approximately 2020 (8:20 p.m.). (Photo:
[front] C/SMSgt Andrew Shea, Major Gerry
Davis, C/SSgt Ryan Cobb, C/MSgt Kayla Cassel, and Captain Steve Schluter;
[back] C/CMSgt Jarred Heath, C/2d Lt Zachary Whiteley, and Senior Member
John McDonald. Photographer: C/A1C Desiree Taylor)
The official report read, "Using advanced training, government and
private vehicles, the cooperation of the Sheriff’s Department, and that
of the owners of several hangars, the squadron's ground team thoroughly
searched the Kilgore and Gregg County Airports. The ELT was located and
disengaged at approximately 0320 on 13 February. After a closing
briefing, the Ground Team was dismissed at 0350."
Ground team members were:
-
Major Gerry Davis (Ground Team Leader)
-
C/2d Lt Zachary Whiteley (Ground Team Leader Assistant)
-
Captain Steve Schluter
-
Senior Member John McDonald
-
Senior Member Jerry Cobb
-
C/CMSgt Jarred Heath
-
C/CMSgt Caroline Morton
-
C/SMSgt Andrew Shea
-
C/MSgt Kayla Cassel
-
C/SSgt Ryan Cobb
But there is much more to what happened that night. "The coordinates we
got covered a pretty wide area, so Maj Davis, our Ground Team Leader,
decided to start in Kilgore, where we detected a faint signal near the
airport, but we couldn't pin it down. It was intermittent, then we lost
it altogether and couldn't get it back," said Capt Schluter, the
squadron commander. "As we drove around to different locations, we
picked up a new signal near the Gregg County Airport, and it led us to
two twin-engined Beechcraft Duchess planes that were parked on the
tarmac between two rows of hangars."
The search was a real challenge, because the signal was unsteady.
Eventually, "It was C/SSgt Cobb who nailed it," said Capt Schluter. The
ELT was in one of the Duchess planes. To make sure, the team used body
blocking and signal-strength metering to pinpoint the exact location,
which was definitely the plane. The owner was located and assisted with
removal of the ELT for identification. "We got the box number, all
right. Then we saw that the battery expiration date was 28 February,"
said Capt Schluter. "The flight instructor on site said that it must
have failed because it was pretty cold that night."
On the following day, the unit commander found out that the cadets had
gone home and, instead of going to bed, most had stayed up several hours
talking about the mission. They were all very excited about having been
in a real mission. And, of course, they had earned their CAP Find
ribbon...
(C/CMSgt
Caroline Morton) |
|
Irving CS
 |
Celebrating Aerospace on Groundhog Day, 2 February
IRVING, TX – Several members of the Irving Composite
Squadron joined the North Texas Chapter of the National Space Society to
see a special program at the UTA planetarium on Groundhog Day. The first
program was
Wonders of the Universe; a 3D tour of the Universe created by
altering images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The second part was a special showing of the film
Astronaut, which focuses on how the human body reacts to the
travail of space travel. It was done by a British company and was all
computer graphics (no real photographs).
Both shows concluded with a tour of the Texas night
skies. The new
digital planetarium is one of the best in Texas. Our photo appeared
in the NT-NSS newsletter (this is a PDF
document).
Achievements, 2 February
1.
2.
3.
[1] Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand presents Capt Joe Davila with his
Grover Loening Award for having completed all the requirements for Level
3. [2] A big hurrah! to Capt Ben Glaze for earning his Grover
Loening Award. Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand makes the presentation. [3]
Congratulations to Joe Davila, for his promotion to Major. Lt Col
Cynthia Whisennand and Lt Col Dietrich Whisennand bestow the new
epaulets. (Lt Col Whisennand is wearing his Army digital BDUs because he
had gone to the meeting directly from his Army Reserve unit).
(Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand) |
|
Kittinger Phantom SS
 |
Promotion, 15 February
Congratulations to Joe Chasnoff, who recently completed the
requirements for Level II and was promoted to Captain.
Red Cap Find, 15 February
Mission Pilot 2d Lt Richard Hacker and Mission Observer Lt Col
George Mihalcik, scheduled to fly a firewatch sortie in a
four-county area west of Interstate 35 north of Austin, had a
little more adventure than they had expected. Upon receiving a
call from squadron command Maj Dan Williams, Hacker learned that
an Emergency Locator Beacon was reported sounding in the Temple
area. Hacker and Mihalcik met at the TXDOT Flight Center four
hours earlier than originally planned for the firewatch sortie,
to fly north to Temple.
Within 10 nautical miles of the Temple Municipal Airport,
Mihalcik picked up the distinctive sound of an ELT on the
DF. After determining that the ELT had a high probability of
being located at the airport, the crew flew a square pattern,
keeping the airport and the ELT to their left. Upon landing,
they first met with the airport manager and then began searching
for the ELT. The signal increased in strength as Mihalcik and
Hacker approached two helicopters and three aircraft tied down
in front of a maintenance facility. Using their bodies to block
the signal from the hand held radios they narrowed the search to
one of the two helicopters.
When maintenance personnel at the shop opened the ELT
compartment at the back of the helicopter and turned off the ELT,
the radios went silent. But when the mechanic re-armed the ELT,
the radios immediately came to life with the ELT signal. Having
made a positive identification of the ELT, Mihalcik gathered
essential information including make, model, serial number, and
battery-due date.
Firewatch Mission, 15 February
With a successful ELT search sortie behind them, the pair left
Temple to fly their Firewatch mission in Lampasas, San Saba,
Llano and Burnet Counties.
(2d Lt Richard Hacker) |
|
Mesquite Blacksheep CS
 |
Father and Son Team Share Squadron's Moral
Leadership,
22 February
MESQUITE, TX – Moral Leadership Officers (MLOs) are
“responsible for modeling, mentoring, and influencing cadets
and seniors toward developing and embracing moral values.”
The Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron at the Mesquite
Metro Airport now has a father and son team dedicated to
this goal.
Lt. Col. Jack Birchum has been a CAP member since 1951. At
the squadron, he is the MLO for senior members. His son,
Senior Member (SM) Nicholas Birchum, recently joined, and
after certification as an MLO by CAP National Headquarters,
he will work with the squadron’s cadets. Lt. Col. Birchum is
already a chaplain at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lodge
#6796 in Dallas, while his son serves as chaplain for a
non-veteran subgroup of the VFW.
During World War II, Lt. Col. Birchum was a Navy radio
operator in Okinawa. As a civilian after the war, he earned
his pilot’s license at Norman, Oklahoma. Upon joining CAP,
Lt. Col. Birchum flew the Liaison (L) planes, which once had
been used by the U.S. Air Force and later given to CAP for
search and rescue missions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1] Father and son, Lt. Col. Jack Birchum and SM
Nicholas Birchum. [2]
A restored L-5 CAP plane. [3] This L-16
CAP plane is now in private hands.
[4] An
example of a Cessna 120. [5] The Piper Tri Pacer was
a very successful small plane. [6] This Cessna 172 is
painted in CAP's latest color scheme.
At first, Lt. Col. Birchum flew the L-16 and L-5,
taildragger planes that had the third wheel located
underneath the tail. Later, he flew the Piper Tri Pacer, his
first plane with a nose wheel for landing. “We had no radios
in the early planes,” said Lt. Col. Birchum. “We just simply
landed and had to tell someone where help was needed.”
To send information to the pilot, beacons placed 50 miles
apart would signal messages in Morse code. At night, a red
light at the landing strip meant that the pilot could not
land. He was excited when he first flew the Cessna 120,
because it finally came equipped with radios! In the
following years, he would become proficient in flying the
CAP Cessna 140 and then the 172.
“In the beginning, we flew alone. It would be years later
that we would have the option of taking a co-pilot with us
during our missions,” he said.
What was his most memorable moment while serving CAP? Lt.
Col. Birchum talked about the time he was credited for
saving a man’s life. “I was flying along the gulf coast,
when I noticed a buoy behaving oddly,” said Lt. Col. Birchum.
“When I flew in to take a closer look, there was a man in
the middle of the ocean hanging on for dear life. His boat
had sunk.”
He also recalled the time in 1954 when he was flying with
CAP’s Mississippi Wing and was tasked with photographing the
devastation caused by a tornado that had hit the area. One
of the photos showing how the tornado had changed the course
of the river made it into the Clarion Ledger, a local
newspaper in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
“When I first joined CAP, we had no cadets doing search and
rescues,” said Lt. Col. Birchum. Today, nation-wide, there
are about 22,000 cadets, ranging in age from 12 to 20.
In the Birchum household, volunteering for the community
became a family affair. His wife, Marcia Lou, was a CAP
member and had helped chaperone cadets during bivouacs while
his daughter, Tricia, was a cadet.
As a new CAP member, SM Nicholas Birchum had not thought of
a technical skill specialty. “After I joined,” said SM
Birchum, “I was asked if I could help out with the cadets
because they needed a Moral Leadership Officer.” After
certification, SM Birchum will teach cadet classes on
ethical living and character development.
Lt. Col. Birchum joined the Black Sheep Composite Squadron
in 1988. Son Nicholas joined in January of 2008.
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
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Pegasus CS
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Pegasus Color Guard's Victory, 15-17
February
CAMP MABRY, AUSTIN, TX – Racing hearts, restless bodies, butterflies in
the stomach. These are just a few phrases that would describe everyone’s
emotions during the weekend of the 2008 Texas Wing Cadet Competition.
The pressure of every event hangs over the head of every Color Guard
member, while supporters watch anxiously, hoping for the best. But that
hope rests on top of the sure knowledge that precision and
synchronization don't come without practice.
Knowing what it is like to be in the Pegasus Composite Squadron Color
Guard, I understand how much time and effort is needed to do well in the
Texas Wing Cadet Competition. The saying, “Practice makes perfect” can
definitely be applied to what every Color Guard must go through in order
to come up on top in this event. Spending the weekend with my squadron’s
color guard, I got the privilege of experiencing the rush of this
competition once again – no longer a participant myself, but now a
spectator.
Together, the following team members put their hearts and souls into
this event:
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Commander and American flag bearer, C/Amn Austin Lowery,
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American flag guard, C/MSgt Robbie Petrosky,
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Organizational flag bearer, C/CMSgt Rand Fowler,
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Organizational flag guard, C/CMSgt David Hamman and
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Alternate, C/SSgt Aaron Harold.
Under the guidance of Maj J. D. Draper, the Pegasus Color Guard “took it
to the streets” and placed first in the following categories:
-
Outdoor Practical,
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Mile Run, and
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Written exam.
Pegasus placed second in
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In-Ranks Inspection,
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Panel Quiz,
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Standard Drill, and
-
Indoor Practical.
In the end, the Pegasus Color Guard earned first place overall and will
be representing Texas Wing at the upcoming Southwest Region Cadet
Competition. Their long hard work had paid off, and they had risen to
the top. When I asked C/CMSgt David Hamman how he felt about the Color
Guard's win, he replied, “We came, we saw, we terminated.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] C/MSgt Robbie Petrosky, C/Amn Austin Lowery, C/CMSgt Rand
Fowler, and C/CMSgt David Hamman (front row) and C/SSgt Aaron Harold
(rear) during in-ranks inspection. [2] C/MSgt Robbie Petrosky, C/Amn
Austin Lowery, C/CMSgt Rand Fowler, and C/CMSgt David Hamman during
Indoor Practical drill. [3] Maj Jimmy Draper, left, with the
winning team. [4] The winners proudly display all their trophies.
(Photos #1-2, C/2d Lt Raphael Erie; Others, C/Capt Richard Pope, Jr.)
Along with their outstanding team results, C/Amn Austin Lowery, the
fastest male on the mile run, earned the Male Fleet Foot award.
Although the Pegasus Color Guard achieved an impressive accomplishment,
it also faced a formidable opponent in Houston's Sheldon Cadet Squadron,
so it was a very narrow win. I thought Sheldon looked very sharp, and no
one was sure of the outcome until it was announced – it was that close.
Something else emerged from the Color Guard competition. There was
amazing improvement on the part of Red Oak Cadet Squadron, a relatively
new unit in competition, who have come a long way since their first
attempt last year. Placing third in this event, for a team so new and
young, was a fantastic achievement.
All in all, the Pegasus Color Guard's hard work has paid off so far, but
the real test will come on 27 March at the Southwest Region Cadet
Competition in Louisiana. I look forward to seeing the team give the
competition their very best, in a spirit of friendly rivalry. I hope
they have a great time in Louisiana and gain valuable experience, taking
advantage of an opportunity that doesn’t present itself all too often.
(C/2d Lt Raphael Erie)
Taking Care of Business, 26 February
LUBBOCK, TX –
February has been an exhausting month on many levels. For one, I did
nothing but homework for three weeks straight. Add the many activities
of AFROTC and it seems like time no longer stretches far
enough. Fortunately, homework is becoming less of a burden, and spring
break is just a couple of weeks away. I'll be enjoying every minute of
it.
The weather here has been inconsistent. Sometimes it is seventy degrees
and sunny, and sometimes it is snowing as I walk to my morning
classes. The powerful gusts of wind have the strength to knock you
over. Unfortunately, there are many farms around Lubbock, and the wind
carries the dirt and other debris through the air. It is quite a sight
to see a light grey-brownish sky. It makes you feel as if you were in
The twilight zone.
AFROTC is still the best thing about attending Texas Tech University. A
couple of L-Labs ago, we played paintball in BDUs, which was a lot of
fun. And academic studies have become a normal part of my routine. It is
amazing to see how far I have progressed and how much I have learned. I
look forward to the day when I earn a major leadership role in
Detachment 820.
Recently, the Pegasus Composite Squadron Color Guard Team competed at
the annual competition at Camp Mabry in Austin. At the 2007 competition,
I was a member on the team and we earned third place. This year, I was
glad to learn, the team earned first place! I know that the cadets on
the team worked extremely hard to accomplish this goal. I watched them
practice when I was home from college. On many of the Saturdays they
practiced, the winds rivaled those in Lubbock. When you're carrying the
flags, a high wind makes this task a whole lot harder.
I want to wish the Color Guard Team the best of luck as they represent
Texas Wing at the Southwest Region Cadet Competition in Louisiana.
(C/SSgt Evan Petrosky)
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Red Oak Cadet Squadron
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Color Guard Training, 9 February
RED OAK, TX – On February 9, 2008, the Red
Oak Cadet Squadron’s Color Guard conducted a four-hour training session
at the Red Oak Junior High School, as they prepared themselves for
competition on the weekend of 16-17 February at Camp Mabry, in Austin.
This will be the second year in which the Red Oak Squadron’s Color Guard
has participated in the event.
First on the agenda was practice presenting
the Colors indoors. Once the cadets could efficiently post and retrieve
the Colors without making any errors (in competition, the fewer the
errors the higher the score), they moved on to presenting the Colors
outdoors.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] C/CMSgt Lambert, Maj Smalley, and C/SMSgt Evans watch the
Color Guard present the Colors indoors. [2]
Cadets retrieve the Colors.
[3]
Cadets post the Colors.
[4] Maj Jane Smalley and C/1st Lt
Tiffany Hamm judge the cadets.
For the remainder of the day, the Color
Guard stayed outdoors. While there, the cadets practiced raising and
lowering the flag on a flag pole. The flag bearers also practiced the
use of a harness to carry the flag. Before long, the day had come to an
end. The cadets stored the flags indoors, on permanent display, and then
everyone returned home.
5.
6.
7.
8.
[5] Maj Jane Smalley
supervises the cadets as they practice their movements.
[6] Cadets lower the flag.
[7] The Color Guard presents the Colors outdoors.
[8] Sometimes the wind gets in
the way.
C/1st Lt Tiffany Hamm commented, “We spent
most of our time outside, since presenting the Colors outdoors is much
harder than doing so indoors. The wind is a crucial factor in this,
because the flag bearers must have enough strength to carry the flags
upright against the wind. Overall, the cadets did a wonderful job
presenting the Colors, both indoors and outdoors.”
Maj Jane Smalley said, “I believe this year
my Color Guard will perform better than last time, because we now know
what to expect at the competition; and we have practiced a lot more than
last year.”
(C/1st Lt Tiffany Hamm) |
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Tyler CS |
Working the DSAREX, 18 January
TYLER, TX –
Saturday, the second
weekend of the month. Today was the day for the Texas Wing-wide
Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise (DSAREX), as well as the monthly
pancake breakfast fly-in traditionally hosted by the Tyler Composite
Squadron. The cadets in-processed at 0730 to get ready for the first
mission of the DSAREX, and to help out in the kitchen.
The time was 1100 hours,
and the fly-in was winding down. Cadets packed up and headed out for
their first sortie, a geocache mission on the outskirts of the city of
Tyler. Some quick preparatory work and dialing in of the search
objective's Latitude and Longitude into the team's Global Positioning
System (GPS) units followed, and the hunt was on. The cadets quickly
tracked the coordinates to the geocache and, within 45 minutes, the
sortie was back at the squadron headquarters. The after-action review
was uneventful.
A short break, and the
ground team went in for the next mission briefing. This would be another
geocache –
with an interesting
twist. The second sortie of the day departed the airport at 1230, and
started tracking the GPS coordinates to the search objective. Some good
navigation took them to the Tyler Rose Garden, where the search got
slightly confusing, since the geocache latitude and longitude put the
location right in the middle of the road. The team initiated a hasty
search and found that the geocache, indeed, was in the middle of the
road. Or, rather, under it. At that point, the road crossed a bridge,
and when the geocache was not in sight, nor could it be above the open
bridge, the only place left was under the bridge –
and that's where it turned out to be.
Cadets returned to the
squadron at 1330 hours for mission review, and before out-processing,
they stayed to discuss the day's events. It was a good day for a DSAREX,
and a great start to a new year of training.
Squadron Promotions, 5 February
TYLER, TX –
The squadron meeting for
Tyler Composite Squadron was the occasion for a simple promotion
ceremony that included one officer and six cadets.
-
Richard Gilmore
was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, a grade he had previously
achieved many years before. 1st Lt Gilmore was among the
original founders of the Tyler Composite Squadron.
-
The squadron's Cadet
First Sergeant, John Shanahan, was promoted to C/CMSgt,
-
Josiah Niedrauer
was promoted to C/CMSgt,
-
Caleb Winn was
promoted to C/MSgt,
-
Erika Skeele was
promoted to C/SSgt,
-
Jesse Carr was
promoted to C/SSgt, and
-
James Gandy was
promoted to C/A1C.
These members had gone
above and beyond what had been required of them, and their achievements
had been well earned.
The meeting concluded
with a safety briefing and preparation for an upcoming Advanced Airman
Leadership School.
A Home-grown Hero Returns, 22 February
TYLER, TX –
I recently had the privilege and pleasure of interviewing
one of the greatest Civil Air Patrol officers ever to wear the uniform.
Not many people can say they'd been there when CAP was a new idea, and
even fewer that they'd been part of it. But 1st Lt Richard Gilmore can
lay a fair claim to both.
His CAP adventure starts in the year 1949. Four years had
passed since the Second World War had come to a close, and Civil Air
Patrol was ready to show the world what it could do during peace-time.
Luther C. "Jack" Bogard –
a local pilot –
invited Richard Gilmore, then a young high school student, to take an
airplane ride with him. It was Gilmore’s first flight, and the effects
of that first experience were not unusual. He’s been hooked on aviation
ever since. Or, as he puts it, “If you could look inside my head right
now, you’d see little airplanes flying around in there.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1] A very young Richard Gilmore stands in front of an Aeronca
Champion in 1949, about the time when he got his pilot's license. This
sepia photo, lovingly preserved in a family photo album, is
irreplaceable. [2] The L-16 was the military version of the
Aeronca Champion. CAP inherited the lot from the Air Force. [3]
The Beech T-34 was a highly successful USAF trainer that the Air Force
passed on to CAP when the plane no longer suited its needs. It remained
in CAP service for many years, until its maintenance cost became
excessive. It had a retractable landing gear and was very easy to fly.
[4]-[5] The Cessna L-19, patterned after the highly successful
Cessna 170, was later renamed the O-1 "Bird Dog." It was the Army's
primary observation plane from 1950 to the early 1960's, when it began
to be replaced by the O-2 (a modified Cessna Skymaster), a "push-pull"
twin engine plane with retractable landing gear. As they were replaced,
the Old O-1s were given away to the Civil Air Patrol.
After getting his pilot’s license at age 17, Richard
Gilmore attended his first CAP meeting while visiting a cousin in the
Arkansas Wing. Back in Texas, he spoke with his friend Jack Bogard about
starting a CAP squadron in Texas. Jack liked the idea, and they formed a
unit based out of Tyler Pounds Airport. The new squadron had seven
members –
Jack was the commander and six high school students, including Gilmore,
were cadet members. “Jack used to march the six of us around out there,
on the taxi-ways,” Gilmore recalls with amusement. [Col Bogard served
as the Texas Wing Commander from 1968 to 1970 - Editor]
But time doesn't stand still. Soon, Richard Gilmore had
graduated from high school and, with the Korean Conflict going on and
most young men waiting for the Draft to call them, he decided to serve
in the newly-formed United States Air Force instead.
A few years later, the war over, Richard Gilmore left the
Air Force and joined CAP for the second time. “We (the Tyler Squadron)
were the headquarters for Texas operations, and all the aircraft were
based here,” he explains. “We had two T-34s and two L-19s. I was the one
in charge of assigning them to the different squadrons in the Wing.”
It was during this time, while taxiing across the
airfield one day, that he and his copilot heard alarms going off
outside. As they looked out the window, they were just in time to see a
small airplane taking off into a strong crosswind. It pulled straight up
into the air and did a hammerhead stall back towards the runway. Just
missing the fuel trucks and the control tower, the aircraft smashed into
the ground and tipped over sideways.
Lieutenant Gilmore and his copilot ran towards the crash
site. Arriving at the scene, they found that the engine of the ill-fated
plane had slammed up through the panel, trapping the occupants in their
seats. As the fire engines soaked the burning aircraft with muddy water
from a nearby pond, the CAP members managed to pull the two wounded men
from the cockpit. Miraculously, both of them survived with only moderate
injuries. “The water from the fire engines ruined my first flight suit,
though,” muses Gilmore with a chuckle.
At the 1971 Wing conference, 1st Lieutenant Richard
Gilmore was awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor for his heroic actions on
that distant day at the Tyler airport. Shortly afterwards, he left CAP
for the second time, although he still showed up at squadron events from
time to time.
Another 36 years went by and, in 2007, Richard Gilmore
noticed an ad in the paper for the Tyler Composite Squadron’s monthly
fly-in pancake breakfast, so he decided to come and visit. While there,
he talked to some of the officers, and they encouraged him to visit
during a squadron meeting. "Come and see what's going on for yourself,
then tell us what you think," they said. A few weeks later, he came to
one. “I’ve only missed two squadron meetings since,” he commented during
this interview.
Lt Gilmore's hobby, a passion, is radio-controlled model airplanes. He
speaks lovingly of his P-51, his favorite. As it was when he was in the
Air Force, and liked to watch them fly on sunny weekends. "They were the
real thing," he says. "They would take off and then roll into a climb so
fast that you nearly lost sight of them in a heart-beat."
At today's Tyler Composite Squadron, he quickly proved
himself invaluable, and was selected the squadron's Officer of the Year
for 2007.
When asked what changes he has noticed since he was first
a member, he wasn’t quite sure where to start. "There's so much of it,"
he said to himself. “The cadet program has advanced so far,” he
commented. “We didn’t have a uniform back then. And the events, the
encampments, those are all new. It’s much more like the Air Force now…"
He smiles gently as he sits up on his chair. "This was a pleasant
surprise that I had come back to, for sure, and it’s getting better all
the time.”
(C/CMSgt
Josiah Niedrauer) |
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