And in the Fall, the Loss

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Lasting Words

Occasionally, as I read someone else's thoughts, I find myself drawn to them as if they were my own. And when these thoughts are so right that I feel compelled to share them with others, I follow my instincts. Our core values impact our CAP experience and our very lives, and should exert a direct influence on our safety culture. If they don't, then we're doing something wrong. Please take a few moments to absorb the lesson. The article below appeared in the May, 2008 issue of The Sentinel.

Lt. Col. Owen Younger, Commander

Tertia semper primoris

Morality and Safety

Lt. Col. Larry Mattiello, Assistant National Safety Officer, Air

SWR Director of Public Affairs, 28 May

Col. Joseph Jensen, Southwest Region Commander

NIMS Training Requirement

I've sent this e-mail out before, but I am concerned not enough people realize the significance and impact of this new NIMS training requirement.

A very large number of currently qualified emergency services personnel will lose their qualifications after 31 December 2008 if they fail to obtain the necessary NIMS certifications. For instance, well over half of our Incident Commanders will be decertified on 1 January 2009 because they have not completed ICS 300. This same course requirement affects the CUL, LO, MSO, IO, AOBD, GBD, PSC, FASC, LSC, and OSC specialties. We could lose almost all of our Communications Unit Leaders. Most of our Mission Pilots will be decertified for failure to complete IS 200 and IS 700. IS 700 is a NEW requirement for every ES specialty.

Most of the NIMS courses are available online. However, ICS 300 and ICS 400 are in-residence/classroom events. The time to start working on missing NIMS credentials is NOW. ICS 300 will be available at LESA in June. It will also be available at the CAP National Board meeting in Orlando, Florida, in August, if you show up two days early. These courses may be offered in your local community. A Google search found an ICS 300 class in Wichita Falls on 17-18 June. There is one in College Station on 14-16 July. If you need this course, you can find one.

If you are emergency services qualified, or hope to be, this policy change affects you, and you need to take action now to ensure that Texas Wing will still be able to perform an emergency services mission on or after 1 January 2009.

Col. Joe R. Smith, Texas Wing Commander

Staff Call Notes, 14 May

• Bob Mullen to work an exemption with NTTA for CAP vehicles.
• David Medders to contact Vanessa Smith regarding SLS/CLC.
• Paul Perkins to contact Opal McKinney regarding monthly CAC report to G-III staff call.
• Pat Benoit to regularly publish Action Log with sensitive information redacted.
• Pat Benoit to complete PA updating Test Control Officer.
• David Medders to develop and publish a G-III staff roster.
• Identified Wing issues:
  • ES Evaluator list updates.
  • Issue/reissue of CAP driving license.
• Face-to-Face CC and Staff meeting July 19, 2008, schedule:
  • 1000 to 1130 Staff
  • 1300 to 1430 CC
  • TBD CAC
• Brendan Goss and Phil Raines to arrange facilities for the Face-to-Face meeting.
• Nolan Teel is Project Officer for the G-III holiday party.
• Paul Perkins to development mandatory training for ES Renewals.
• Nolan Teel and David Medders to develop and publish processes for FEMA training and FAA WINGS approvals.

Capt. David Medders, COS

The Journey of Life

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Marc Ben-Meir

Lt. Col. Brooks Cima, DOS

PAO/IO Training

As announced by the Interim National Commander, Brig Gen Amy S. Courter, "The newly revised CAPR 190-1 requires a trained and certified MIO, in accordance with CAPR 60-3, to handle media relations for every mission and training exercise."

This impacts deeply into the life of every unit. There used to be a time when anyone could take on the job of the Public Affairs Officer, with little or no formal training, provided the commander certified that person for the job. This worked reasonably well in a small unit at a time when communications were slow and only the most noteworthy events were reported beyond the immediate community. Today, what happens in your own back yard can quickly become known across the globe. In a case like this, the non-IO qualified PAO dealing with media relations may well suffer a very rude awakening.

That awakening, unfortunately, can have repercussions all the way up the chain of command. Therefore, it is imperative that PAOs take their formal training seriously. In short, every PAO needs to get qualified as an Information Officer (or Mission Information Officer). Gen Courter specifically singles out "every mission and training exercise" as requiring an MIO. Think of it. What else do we do that doesn't involve "missions and training exercises"?

Bottom line, a PAO that is not an IO/MIO is not up to the job. The trouble is that there might not be an IO around, and the PAO might have to "wing it." The lucky PAO might manage to survive the experience, but not knowing what's involved and how to do it can produce highly negative results.

Please read the item above this one, and notice that PAO/IO training will be offered this summer. I encourage every PAO in Texas Wing to take advantage of this opportunity. In one information-packed week, you can get the training that you need. If you're serious about being a PAO, and you are not IO/MIO qualified, I hope to see you there.

Lt. Col. Brooks Cima, DOS

Special Training Opportunity for Texas CAP Members

It is a fact that NIMS training is mandatory, but the ICS 300 and ICS 400 courses cannot be taken online. They must be taken in person at an approved location, taught by certified instructors. Many TXWG members who would otherwise be able to take these courses, at times cannot because of the cost, since they are taught in few places, mostly the large cities in Texas.

This is a Great Deal!

ICS training is available through the Governor's Division of Emergency Management. This program will reimburse CAP members for travel and living expenses incurred to attend mission-related training.

• Schedules and program details are available at www.preparingtexas.org

• Visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/dem/training/08trainingcal.pdf and read page 9 for information regarding reimbursement.

If in doubt, or if you have any other questions, please contact the Group III Emergency Services Officer.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

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

1st. Lt. Don Gulliksen, HGO

Most Common Mistakes that Beginning Webmaster Make - Page Design

When you first look at your computer's available fonts, you discover some truly surprising examples of the typographer's art. Many of them are quite beautiful. Let us now pause to take another look at what some of the major players have done already (US Air Force, U.S. Navy, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, The White House, IBM, Seiko Watches, General Electric, Infiniti, Nikon Corp., Smithsonian Institution, 3M, Xerox, and so on), and how many have chosen that "wonderful fresh font" that you've just discovered.

If you say "none," you're being honest, because I've only found Arial/Helvetica or one of its variants in the examples listed above. And these seldom rise above 12 pt. for the headings. As for the body of the message, it is usually kept to 9 or 10 pt. Also, every one of the websites listed above, including this one - www.group3txwing.org - uses exactly one font, and only one. Notably, Arial/Helvetica (the Windows/Unix standard) that happens to be a clean, non-serif font, with the virtue of being very easy to read. (Conventional design wisdom is not to use more than two font families. I prefer to use the same throughout, as do the designers of the websites shown above.)

In the old days, when Print was King, the preferred font was some variant of the Roman serif type, such as Times New Roman, Century, Bodoni, and so on. Many of these have "Book" as part of their name, a marketing device the designers used to differentiate their finer font face from what was commonly used on newsprint. But that worked well in the world of paper.

Our subject here, by contrast, is the world of electronics and pixel-oriented displays. Creating a very fine little curve at the end of these serif fonts (very easily done on paper) is quite difficult for a computer screen, so the serif font (shown here in 12 pt. Times New Roman, bold-faced for emphasis) is not as clean as a non-serif font (given in 10 pt Lucida Sans, also bold-faced). Now, contrast the two with the current Arial 10 pt. on this page. Better yet, let me show you what happens right on your screen.

(In Arial, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message.

(In Times New Roman, 10 pt., normal) -  The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message. (Saves space, but is it as clean and pleasing as Arial?)

(In Verdana, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message. (It's legible, but uses a lot more space.)

 (In Commercial Script, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message. (It uses very little space, but I defy you to make sense of it.)

(In Highlight LET, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message.  (It wastes space. And if you can read it, you're some sort of magician.)

(In Old English Text, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message.  (It is compact, but very difficult to read.)

(In Matura MT Script Capitals, 10 pt., normal) - The selection of a particular text font must always take into consideration its legibility, eye acceptance, and above all its ability to convey the information easily, with the greatest economy of space. This last one is important, because a computer screen represents an expensive and finite expanse, on which you want to display your message.  (And this one takes the cake. In fact, I believe this font was invented for people who have nothing to say.)

There is yet another problem with exotic type fonts. If the visitor's computer doesn't have that font, it will substitute it with something else it does have, and the result can be even worse. (You might even be experiencing this, in one or more of the samples above.) Arial, on the other hand - a Windows font - defaults to Helvetica on a Unix, Linux, or Apple computer that doesn't have it. And since Arial is a very close Helvetica knock-off, your page design is likely to remain as you intended it.

Finally, bold-face judiciously (meaning almost never) and avoid underlining at all costs, or else your visitors will keep clicking at that portion of your text, expecting to find it hot-linked to something. Then they'll e-mail you telling you that you have a broken link.

Ah, yes! Page design? Here it is. (1) Keep it simple, and (2) Don't clutter the page.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, ITO

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

Civil Air Patrol's 60th Anniversary as U.S. Air Force Auxiliary

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

From a Chaplain in Iraq, 14 May

BALAD AIRPORT, Iraq – I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3," here at LSA Anaconda, north of Baghdad.

We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom in every military installation back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature.

All was going as planned until the music stopped about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music began again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped.

What would you expect happened now? Even at this point I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start.

But here in Balad, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly, there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording had left off:

"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?"

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of soldiers are serving you here. Remember them as they fight for you!

Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here, at home and abroad. For many of them have already paid the ultimate price...

Chaplain Jim Higgins, U.S. Army

Reflections on Service, 27 May

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX – The military is full of traditions, and traditions sustain a unit's collective spirit as its members face adversity, privation, need, and even death. Tradition is an anchor of permanence in a morass of uncertainty. Tradition, a word derived from the Latin traditio (meaning handing over, surrendering, passing along), represents a tie to the past, reverence for the great deeds of others, thankfulness for the generosity of our teachers, and the memory of the leaders now gone.

Shakespeare made much of a name, as Juliet pondered, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose | By any other name would smell as sweet;" and came to the conclusion that it was the thing that mattered, not the name. But the name does matter, too. At least, it does in the military. The old "radio alphabet" that started "Able, Baker," and so on, has been replaced by the more universal "Alfa, Bravo," that is more readily understood by our European allies who speak languages other than English.

Answering the Call, 29 May

Four years ago, when I joined the Civil Air Patrol, my world was simple. The Tex Hill Composite Squadron, SWR-TX-435, in San Marcos, was the nearest unit to Dripping Springs, and on the surface everything ran smoothly. Then, as is the case with many volunteer organizations, there were disagreements, some members left, those who remained took sides, tempers flared, and the short of it is that reorganization and gentle persuasion eventually restored good will and corporate health. In the process, I had become the unit's Public Affairs Officer and, by default, their webmaster.

About a year later, Capt Kathryn Martin, the Texas Wing PAO at that time, asked me to join the Wing staff, which I did, expecting it to be more of the same, only covering a larger territory. Living through Katrina, Rita, and the Firewatch Missions, I wrote a great deal, edited hundreds of articles, published many articles of my own, met some wonderful people, and the gloss began to fall off the job, a bit at a time. Fast forward another year to the months after the massive reorganization of Texas Wing into only five groups, and Group III was limping along without a PAO. Then, the call came from Group III HQ, "Would you be our PAO?" At Wing, I had proposed some projects that were never approved. They were never disapproved, either, but since they failed to bloom, the result was the same. When it became apparent that Group III would look kindly upon my ideas, most of which are present in this publication and website, I moved over to SWR-TX-030.

Moving to Group III had been better than a promotion. I was free to do what had never been done in CAP before, and could be part of the team that would build Group III. This was a great joy to me, since at heart (you might be surprised to know) real soldiers are peace-loving builders, rather than destroyers. In the process, many members profited from the changes and were glad. Others resented it, as is always the case when "a newcomer" does well. I accepted the positives and made allowances for the negatives. My ideas required work, of course, some of it considerable, since I was building on virgin ground. Later, in conversation, someone who merited my respect said to me, "What you're doing cannot be done." I bit my lip not to laugh at this, because I knew how it had been meant. It hadn't been an oxymoron. This person had intended to say, "I think you are the only person I know who is capable of doing this."

This concept, the uniqueness of capability, the exclusive talent of the single individual is alien to me, having traversed what has been described as "a distinguished military career," and done some very interesting things in my life, many of them new. In fact, my military awards represent the highest you can go without getting shot at, since through no fault of my own I was never deployed. I was a "Cold War Warrior" and, as a military intelligence person, my war was fought with ideas, not weapons. Then I retired, found CAP, and realized that these same ideas could be used to great benefit in peace time, and that's how I got started.

Most of you got to know me through the Group III newsletter and website, being the beneficiaries of the support you got from Group III HQ, through the example I set in the newsletter, through the things that happened in Group III that had been there all along, only I was the one who reached deeply into them and brought them out into the open. This is how everyone profited from it, as each stood as an example for all others, and all realized that they were not unique, and together they became a greater body than they had been before. This is how Group III grew into a living entity, as well as a breeding ground for success.

Along the way, I had some conversations with the Wing Commander, Col Joe Smith, to whom I expressed my willingness to do for all of Texas Wing what I had done for Group III. Always polite and reserved, burdened by command and its demands, I later realized that the last thing he wanted was a PAO building sand castles on the beach. In the military, assignments usually last two years, and Col Smith, himself retired from the Air Force, was no stranger to that feeling. He probably thought that this old soldier, your editor, was having "reassignment blues." But Wing Commanders, too, are subordinates and team players. When Southwest Region needed a new Director of Public Affairs, without asking me (he knew me all too well, I'm afraid), he suggested me for the job.

It would be presumptuous of me to say that I expected Col Jensen's offer, and his willingness to have me as his Director of Public Affairs. I would also lie if I didn't admit that the opportunity flattered me as much as it surprised me. "Take your time, you don't have to answer me right away," he had written in his e-mail to me. So I did, in a soldierly, tactical sort of way. It took me less than an hour to answer my own question, "Do I really want this job?" and then tell my wife about it. Practical lady that she is, she asked me what it meant, I told her, and she replied, "You've got to take it, of course." (She, too, knows me well.) Then I spent another hour assessing what I perceived as the needs of the region and asked for a telephone interview. While Col Jensen tried to find a moment to devote to me in his very busy schedule, I had a long and charming conversation with Col André Davis, the SWR Vice Commander (East), a good, honest and always-candid friend and a perfect gentleman. He is much younger than I, yet we're bound by the same sense of humor. And his commitment to the job is as strong as mine.

Of course, I accepted, with humility and pleasure. It's always good for the soul to be recognized for one's ability, but then you have to live up to expectations, and that means effort. "Oh, well, you only live once, and you can't take it with you," I said to myself, "so you might as well give it away." I had great instructors and teachers in the military, college, and life. In gratitude to them, I will always try to do the same for those I lead. Because the leader cannot exist without those he leads. In turn, those being led need to trust the leader. And how can the leader trust those he leads, unless they know what they're doing? So the leader is not a leader unless he's also a mentor and trainer.

As I move up the ladder, I'll remain the Group III webmaster and editor. I will also ease the transition by helping the new Group III PAO get settled into the job. And I'll be here for all of you, to help you reach as high as you can.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

Safety is Everyone's Business

Greetings to all.  Please read the May Sentinel. I has a very relevant lead article on Flight-Line Safety that every member should read.

Also Col Smith listed three building blocks for safety in his monthly page. The three are:

1. Active Leadership that demonstrates to all a commitment to safety by following safe practices. People follow your lead by what you do, rather than what you say! 

2. Wingmanship, being aware of others' performance and being willing to intervene if a colleague is moving into an unsafe situation. It is better to "break the chain" leading to an accident than to wonder what you might have done to prevent it - after it has occurred.

3. Personal Responsibility, taking it upon yourself to practice safe procedures so that you remain safe and contribute to the over-all environment supporting safe practices.

The February 2008 AOPA Pilot had a pertinent article, "Lessons from the crash." It reviewed a particular accident that, like many, ended in fatalities for crew and passenger. The author pointed out that safe landings are the result of a series of safe procedures that must be followed in order to obtain the safe landing as the outcome. He suggests that accidents are the outcome of a series of unsafe practices and faulty decisions - with the crash as the outcome. One of the faulty mental processes he feels is frequently present in an aviation accident is hope! The airplane has only so many gallons of fuel and wind increases or decreases range in a predictable manner, but fuel-starvation accidents are a result of the PIC hoping it might stretch the few miles needed to avoid stopping to refuel, or hoping that our overweight aircraft will lift off regardless of the POH, and so on. He suggests that in an aviation context HOPE might stand for Horrific Outcome Per Emotions. I hope - pun intended - that you find this article and read it in its entirety. It has some real food for thought.

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 June, should you want to use them at your own squadron.

June Flight Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

June Ground Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

Recurring Reports