Core Values Revisited

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – The Civil Air Patrol Core Values are known to us all, but how many members have chased the true meaning of "core value" itself? Let's start with "core" and see where it leads us to. This one seems to be quite easy, since it comes to us directly from the Latin cor (heart). As it passed through the French and entered English about 1400, it came to differ in meaning from the ancient Anglo-Saxon that also spawned the German Herz (heart). Although the Latin cor had originally meant the organ that pumps our life-blood through the body, in 15th century English it didn't replace or displace "heart" but complemented it instead. The language added to the physical concept of heart the metaphysical manifestation of core. In its new guise as core, the "new heart" became useful as a means to refer to things that reside deeply into something else, such as the Earth's core.

But there's more to "core" than the simple line of development we can see above. Strictly speaking, a language is a collection of sounds (words) that are represented by symbols (writing). We don't learn our native tongue as a written language but as an oral tradition. Small children grasp the tongue at an early age and make it their own. It is only later that they learn the written language and become literate - from the Latin litera (letter). But the sound of "core" is the same as that of the French-origin "corps" that, rather than "heart," had started out as the word for body (from the Latin corpus), and come to mean a military group (body) useful to wage wars. And it is in this sense that it has lodged itself into our collective subconscious. A good corps, in and of itself, is a guarantee of safety and security. A core is the innermost thing in "a thing," and it comes from (but does not replace) the heart. Without heart, the corps won't fight well and could well lose the war.

Let's go to "value" now. From its Latin origin as valere (be strong, be well, be worth, have power, be able), it has traveled through the concepts of "treasure" and "desirable" as it spawned other lofty meanings through the centuries, among them "valorous," "valiant" and "virtuous." It is significant that the earliest meanings equate to property and estate, whereas the later ones have come to apply to spiritual and self-worth concepts.

Thus, Core Values are things of the spirit and self-worth that reside in – as well as depend on – the individual's heart. And in this sense, we see how important the thing taken (that originally described passively) has now become as a thing active that lends substance and meaning to the new concepts. And no, this is not playing with mirrors. Just think about it.

A closely allied concept is that of honor, which I'll leave for another day.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Discipline, Work, and Giving

Lt. Col. Owen Younger, Commander

Tertia semper primoris

Hurricane Ike Media Coverage, 23 August

From: Smith, Joe R
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 3:11 PM
To:
Subject: FW: Hurricane Ike Publicity

Please see below.

Our vision is to continue to build upon the media partnerships we are creating and to ultimately move away from being America’s best-kept secret to becoming America’s best-known resource. CAP's outstanding service has helped lay a solid foundation for our success!

Julie DeBardelaben, Deputy Director, Public Affairs

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Marc Ben-Meir

Upcoming Change in Communications

Please see message below, from the Director of Missions, CAP NHQ.

S. M. Roger Courtney

From: Salvador, John
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 5:18 PM
To: 
Subject: Narrowband Transition Update Briefing
Importance: High

Commanders,

Here is a narrowband transition update briefing from Lt Col Mike Marek, our Communications Team Leader. The PDF file contains the slides and talking points to go along with each slide.  Recommend you view this PDF version first. Attached documents:

• Narrowband_Transition_Update-2008-NB Final.pdf

• Narrowband_Transition_Update-2008-NB Final.ppt

Please share this information with your staff so they can be prepared to assist your communications team with the multitude of tasks that will be required in the coming year. Thank you. 

Sincerely,

John A. Salvador, Director of Missions, HQ CAP

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

How do I keep my PC safe?

This month we'll take a break from "beginning webmaster mistakes" and look at a daily problem that faces us all. Whenever we go online, unless we restrict our meanderings to reputable sites, we're risking infection of – or an attack upon – our PC. Those running an Apple Mac OS are safer, but not by much. And Linux is not far behind, since their numbers are increasing, making them an attractive target to hackers. So, what's the answer?

You can "armor plate" your PC with hardware and software firewall protection, but some solutions are so demanding that often you cannot access your favorite site unless you turn them off. Turning the firewall on and off is a bother, so you might turn it off for the picky site, and forget that your browser is also logged onto a questionable site... and that's when the parasites, worms, Trojan horses, and a galaxy of little horrors can creep into your computer, roosting there until found.

We must always remember that the nature of such stealth attacks is to lurk quietly while the PC is busy, then leap into action as soon as keyboard activity ceases for a given length of time. If you leave your PC on 24/7, as many of us do in order to allow e-mail to flow in for local safekeeping without being stored at the mail server, you might rise some bright morning to a thoroughly moth-eaten PC, with mangled, destroyed and lost data. Usually, these malicious programs like to replicate themselves, so a bunch of phony messages got sent to your entire e-mail list, potentially infecting all those you know.

The experts worry about this too, so it's best to listen to them. Here's a link to an article that tells you how to prevent it. I hope you sleep better tonight...

P.S. Posted online: Hurricane Ike and the Electronic Divide. Interesting.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, ITO

Capt. Vanessa Smith, PDO
 tx438pdo@yahoo.com 

A Farmer's Statement, 8 September

AUSTIN-BERGSTROM AIRPORT, Texas – My friend Capt Alan Fenter, a member of the Joe Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron in Austin, is a professional pilot. To him, the earth looks most natural when things get very small and lie beneath him as he gradually passes over them. Most of the time, it's just scenery, but some things are hard to ignore.

This Tennessee farmer in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, decided to use his cornfield to make a statement. I am indebted to Alan for having sent me this photo. When I told him I was using it on this newsletter, he replied, "...bear in mind, I did not take that picture. it was sent to me, and I thought you would enjoy seeing it.) That's Alan, honest in all things. I'm still thankful.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

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. Briefings need not be lengthy presentations - a 10 to 20 minute talk (and optional group discussion) is enough.

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

October Flight Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

October Ground Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

Recurring Reports

Editor

Use your best effort to finish what you start

5/16/2007 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Editor's Note: Chaplain (Maj.) Shane Gaster, 437th Airlift Wing chaplain, is stationed at Charleston AFB and was serving his second combat tour in Iraq. Chaplain Gaster was assigned to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base, Iraq, ministering to coalition forces and civilian patients in need of his services. The Theater Hospital treats approximately 700 patients each month, including U.S. servicemembers and civilians, as well as Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and civilians. The hospital has achieved a 98 percent survival rate from battlefield traumatic injuries. 

Chaplain (Maj.) Shane Gaster, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Chaplain

Aviation & more

Safety

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

A Royal Pleasure, 25-27 July

ADDISON, Texas – In a CAP cadet’s mind, the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) is usually associated with a visit to a new country, new sights, and meeting people. This is definitely one of my personal future goals in CAP, but this year my family got an interesting perspective on the IACE program.

From Friday, 25 July until Sunday, 27 July my family hosted two cadets from the United Kingdom’s Air Training Corps, the Civil Air Patrol equivalent to the Royal Air Force. Hosting the cadets was a memorable experience, mostly talking with them about the differences between the UK and the US. It was also fun to exchange iPods to see what kind of music they listened to, and visit a Wal-Mart which was new to them, because they had never seen a store so big.

1. 2. 3. 4.

(Photo #3, C/MSgt James Gulliksen. Others, Sponsor Member Joan Gulliksen.)

We joined them in enjoyable activities, such as a Frisco Roughriders baseball game, a tour of the city of Frisco’s fire department, the Frisco police department, and other points of interest. We also attended an FC Dallas soccer game (which they call football) where the UK cadets were excited to see David Beckham play, a well-known footballer in the UK.

Overall, having these cadets at our house for just three days was one of the highlights of my year. It was something I will always remember, because I had no idea the UK was so unlike the US in some ways, yet the same in ways I had never thought of.

(C/MSgt James A. Gulliksen)

Doin’ It By Long Distance, 20 September

GLADEWATER, Texas – On Saturday, 20 September 2008, Capt. Charles Mouton had received a call from Flight Service that an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) had been detected in the Gladewater area. He immediately called me and asked whether we could start an ELT search at the airport.

The only problem with this call was that at the time I was in Pueblo, Colorado. In any case, I asked him to contact C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander, our Cadet Commander, and together they could set out to locate the ELT. We hoped to avoid the need for an official mission, so he agreed.

About 20 minutes later, with me still in Colorado, I received another telephone call. This time it was Lt. Col. Lou Thomas, the Tyler Composite Squadron Commander, telling me that Lt. Col. Owen Younger had alerted him about an ELT going off in the Gladewater area. He asked me if we could get a Ground Team out right away, and look for it. He was quite surprised when I told him that we were already working the problem. I explained how we became involved and that we were indeed already on it. Lt. Col. Thomas would rather avoid dispatching the Tyler aircraft if possible, but was quite ready to do so if needed. As an additional bit of assurance that the ELT would be located, he mentioned that he would call the Gregg County Composite Squadron and alert them as well.

Meanwhile, our two members had tracked the ELT signal to a locked hangar on airport property. Capt. Mouton telephoned Lt. Col. Thomas announcing that the target was located, and would now attempting to contact the owner.

About 30 minutes later, a Gregg County Ground Team arrived. A Gladewater airport pilot, who had heard what was going on, mentioned that he knew the hangar's owner and could open it to permit access. Unfortunately, the aircraft was locked, so the ELT could not be silenced. Finally the owner was located, and said he would go to the airport, at his convenience, and turn off the ELT. His attitude was less than cooperative but, at least, the source had been identified, authorities knew about it, and the signal would eventually be terminated.

With everything resolved, I got a final call reporting mission completion. Capt. Mouton and C/2nd Lt. Alexander have a “find,” and our inter-state “arrangements” worked out very well. Although I was a long way from home, the squadron reacted to the problem promptly and successfully.

(Capt. Harold Parks)

"Old Buzzards" Flight, 27 September

GLADEWATER, Texas – On Saturday, 27 September 2008, the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron had scheduled flights for their cadets. There are six member-owned aircraft in the squadron, so it's relatively easy to arrange them.

Happily, there were two new cadets who had never flown in a light aircraft before. We always get a special kick out of first flights, as it is wonderful to watch their first impressions. To make it even more fun, we always allow them to take the controls for a while. After their initial amazement that we would actually let them take the controls, the real fun starts.

As a rule, we try to schedule our cadet flights in conjunction with the local EAA Chapter fly-in breakfast/lunch. This way, the cadets can participate in the EAA Eagle Flights program, so they get a chance to fly more than once on the same day. Hearing about this, several of our senior members asked if we could possibly schedule “Old Buzzard” flights at the same time. We've been so concerned with seeing that each and every cadet got an opportunity to fly, that we have been overlooking the seniors – hence the request for “Old Buzzards Flights” while the Eagle Flights were underway.

1. 2. 3. 4.

[1] (L-R) C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander, C/AB Willie Garms, SSgt William Garms, C/CMSgt Andrew Alexander, C/Amn Rebekah Alexander, C/AB Billy Brown, Capt. Harold Parks, and 2nd Lt. Farrell Alexander. [2] C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander at the controls. [3] “Old Buzzard,” 2nd Lt. Farrell Alexander. [4] C/AB Billy Brown – an obvious first flight if I ever saw one. (Photo #1, Capt. Charles Mouton; All others: Capt. Harold Parks)

Saturday dawned bright, cool, calm and cloudless – ideal for cadet flights – as our first flight took off at 0930. We were surprised and a bit disappointed when we were informed by the EAA group that they were not providing Eagle Flights that day. No use worrying, so we went ahead with our plans anyway. And yes, we did manage to fly one of the "old buzzards" as well. The other senior member had to leave early, as his son took ill. Since we schedule cadet flights quite regularly, we will catch him next time.

Everyone had a great time, as usual.  Each time we make these flights it is very interesting to see the progress that the cadets are making in their flying prowess. Once in a while we even get surprised by a brand new cadet “pilot” who exceeds our expectations. That simply adds to the fun.

Squadron members participating included, Capt. Charles Mouton, Capt. Harold Parks, 2nd Lt. Farrell Alexander, SSgt William Garms, C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander, C/CMSgt Andrew Alexander, C/Amn Rebekah Alexander, C/AB Willie Garms, and C/AB Billy Brown.

(Capt. Harold Parks)

The Squadron Steps Up to the Task, 14-22 September

LONGVIEW, Texas – On Sunday 14 September, in the wake of Hurricane Ike, the Gregg County Composite Squadron volunteered to work at the evacuee shelter that had been set up at the Marshall Civic Center. As soon as the squadron members arrived, the Red Cross and Texas State Guard were quick to take advantage of the competent volunteers, who worked there until the shelter closed on Monday 22 September. 

The Civil Air Patrol members’ first assignment was helping serve meals to evacuees. Cadets delivered hot meals to the wheelchair-bound and those unable to move outside to the dining area.  The outdoor portable kitchen had been supplied by the East Texas Disaster Relief organization, a ministry of the Texas Baptist Men and Southern Baptist Convention.

The Gregg County Composite Squadron’s safety officer, 2nd Lt. Jerry Cobb, a member of the Morton Baptist Church in Harrison County, made the church aware of the squadron’s capabilities, so they were quick in requesting CAP’s help. Meals – using supplies provided by the Red Cross – were prepared by the disaster relief group directed by Brother Mike Brittain, pastor of the Morton Baptist Church. Brother Mike was especially grateful for the participation of the CAP cadets, whose help was needed in the food preparation area and to keep track of all supplies. During the week, a total of 38,780 meals were served from this shelter in Marshall.

Red Cross Director Darrell Riley asked for computer-literate cadets, who were asked to input information into the database using the computers set up in the shelter’s control room. C/SMSgt. Andrew Shea and C/1st Lt. Zachary Whiteley, along with C/SMSgt. Kayla Cassel, used their computer skills in the “green room,” completing lists of evacuees being housed in east Texas.

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

[1] Cadets Will Spanial and Sam Morton keep ice and water containers filled. [2] The portable kitchen supplied by Texas Disaster Relief Ministries; Texas Baptist Men volunteering. [3] C/SMSgt. Kayla Cassel on trash detail. [4] Brother Mike Brittain, Unit Coordinator of the Texas Disaster Relief Ministry. [5] Gregg County Composite Squadron volunteers at the Marshall Civic Center Evacuation Shelter (L-R) C/CMSgt Andrew Shea, C/Sgt Ryan Cobb, C/Sgt Nick Spanial, C/Amn Will Spanial, C/Amn Preston Petrozkowski, C/SMSgt Kayla Cassel, C/Sgt Sam Morton, C/1st Lt. Zachary Whiteley, and 2nd Lt. Nancy Spanial. [6] Young and old were assisted by volunteers at the shelter. After clean-up from meals, cadets entertained newly-found friends.

“We felt pretty well juggled,” commented Lt. Cobb, “as cadets were asked to move from one task to another by the various organizations. The Texas State Guard even ‘borrowed’ some of them to help where they were short-handed.” State Guard commander Col. Ben Setliff was happy to have their help. Cadets cleaned inside and outside the building, emptied trash cans, unpacked supplies, kept ice and water bottles available, and assisted those with special needs in moving about inside the shelter. 

For the cadets, it was a time for giving to those who had lost much in the storm. Their teamwork and integrity did not go unnoticed, and excellence was displayed in every task. Thus, the four core values of the Civil Air Patrol were widely publicized as the CAP members displayed “volunteerism” at its very best. Major General Christopher J. Powers, of the Texas State Guard, commented, “They’re doing an exceptional job.” A Red Cross volunteer who had been a member of the 82nd Airborne Division said, “This group of cadets really has it all together more than any other group I’ve ever seen. You have an awesome squadron here. Take it from me: 82nd Airborne. Tell them I said so.”

Who are these dedicated CAP volunteers? They hail from Longview, Marshall, Carthage, Hallsville, and Diana, and meet every Tuesday evening at the Gregg County Airport, where they train in emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs. “Working at the shelter was an opportunity to put into practice what we have all been trained for,” said 2nd Lt. Cobb. The squadron senior members delegated jobs to 10 cadets, who worked at the shelter on a rotating basis. In their volunteer service, they assisted the Red Cross, Texas State Guard, East Texas Disaster Relief, and the Salvation Army.

Working to alleviate the consequences of a major disaster such as a hurricane is always a sobering experience that can weigh heavily on a helper’s heart, so not many helpers want a repeat performance. But if the occasion arises again, the Gregg County Composite Squadron will be ready to step up to the task.

(2nd Lt. Nancy Spanial)

Squadron Member graduates from the Southwest Region Staff College, 12-18 July

AUSTIN, Texas – Capt. Steve Barclay, the squadron communication officer, attended the 2008 SWRSC at Kirtland Air Force Base, joining CAP members from every state in Southwest Region, plus one from Nevada Wing. Using the facilities of the Kirtland Air Force Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, this week-long course prepares CAP personnel to function well in staff officer positions at wing level and above.

Students were divided into four "seminars," and each was assigned a Staff Advisor to make sure that they performed the required tasks to standard. The learning process required working out problems in a group, achieving the desired results within the time allotted.

Members of Seminar #1 - (Rear, L-R) Maj. Rick Woolfolk (Denton, TX), Capt. Steve Barclay, Maj. Dan Shearer (Flagstaff, AZ), Capt. Robert Will (Rio Rancho, NM). (Front, L-R) Capt. Bob Beeley (Tomball, TX), Staff Advisor Capt. Carol Slag (Ft Worth), 2nd Lt. Judy Candelaria (Albuquerque, NM). This group earned the "Outstanding Seminar" prize.

Capt. Barclay said, "It was a great course, we had wonderful instructors, and it was an outstanding experience in leadership training and preparation for staff assignments." The facility couldn't have been better, and the active duty Air Force instructors were really good at what they did.

As an added bonus, some of the AF instructors were pararescue personnel, and the course students were able to go through their V-22 Osprey, a multi-mission, military tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability.

(1st Lt. Richard Hacker)

My Path to Success

CAMP MABRY, AUSTIN, Texas – I joined the Civil Air Patrol because I was interested in aviation, though I didn't dare dream of becoming an Air Force officer. My experience in CAP, however, has opened many doors for me, and one of them is the possibility of entering the US Air Force Academy. It all hinges on how I manage my time.

Time management is an essential skill that everyone needs to exercise – and hopefully master – at some point in life. With the world moving at such a fast pace, falling behind can doom that person's hopes for the future.

I am grateful for having learned this lesson early in my life, because now I know that life beyond high school is no walk in the park. At the moment, I am constantly balancing my time as I juggle my obligations in school, CAP, Band, and JROTC, with school being my first priority. The Civil Air Patrol has helped me quite a bit with time management, because I've been given greater responsibilities as I progressed within Cadet Programs.

I admit that I am far from mastering the art of time management, but my determination to attend the Air Force Academy has driven me to better myself on a daily basis. This is not easy, because many distractions are always at hand: television, video games, and the Internet – to name a few. A common misconception among teenagers is that since distractions will always be available, putting their priorities in order will never be possible so it's pointless to even try.

Most young persons don't realize that this attitude only leads to failure. In my case, CAP has taught me that the Core Values are applicable to everyday life, and that I can do anything I want, provided I want it hard enough. I've also learned that nothing worth-while is easy, but the rewards are always great.

I understand that time management is not everyone’s favorite thing, but it is necessary. Without it, many organizations, like the Civil Air Patrol, would cease to exist. Worse yet, leadership would vanish, the country itself would suffer, and nothing would get done.

(C/1st Lt. Raphael Erie)