The Art of Mentoring

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – When the world was young and I got drafted, not knowing what to expect, I entered military service as a willing soldier. First came a long train ride from Washington, D.C. to Charleston, S.C., where a drab Army bus took us to cookie-cutter, dusty Fort Jackson. After two or three days of standing in interminable lines, filling out forms, having blood samples taken from me, inoculations added to me, aptitude tests inflicted upon me (a few hours after the inoculations, with most of us running a temperature), and issuing of uniforms that weighed a ton and I had to carry around, all of it done at what seemed like a flat-out run, it dawned on me that this adventure might not be all that easy after all. In those days, when the Draft reached out and took a broad slice of the population, throwing us all together into the same melting pot, you got to meet people that normally you wouldn't even have known existed, then you worked and lived with them, and got to rely on them, because the thought soon bloomed into your mind, "The time come that my life could easily depend on what they do."

During my Army tour of duty, I was lucky in that there were no wars, but the training was designed to prepare us for it. Everybody called it "training" but, in fact, it was "hard mentoring." Our instructors, most of them veterans of one or more wars, knew that they, too, might have to depend on us, so they trained us well. The rules were strict, the work hard, the food plentiful (though we were perennially hungry), and we all benefited from it. They talked to us roughly, but were always ready to listen. They propped us up when they saw us lagging. After one or two weeks of listlessly running about from place to place, doing as we were told and falling into our bunks at night in a near stupor of a sleep, one fine morning we rose energetically into the world – bright-eyed, alert, and eager to get going. From then on, we were on our way to excellence.

That part was really training; the exercise, constant movement, and ceaseless instruction had done it for us. The mentoring, on the other hand, led us to dig deeply into ourselves and find secret sources of strength and weakness. We nurtured the good parts and, from the strength, we derived the confidence to overcome the weakness. As a result, we increased in physical might as we got to care for each other. We thought nothing of it, but it was really odd. The near-scared, rough, useless people I had first met on that bus ride to Fort Jackson had transformed themselves into cooperative, nice, joking, and immensely likable pals. I guess the same had happened to me, but since we never talked about it, I can't be sure.

Let's think about it, for a moment. Doesn't this remind you of what happens to our cadets, when we take them as young, weak, naive children and, step by step, they go through that transformation that turns them into young leaders, movers, and shakers?

Mentoring is not training, as training is not teaching. Training, by design, gets you to internalize a routine and apply it almost automatically. Teaching, on the other hand, awakens you to find your own way out of the woods and improvise a safe place for yourself. Mentoring is more than teaching in the sense that it takes the individual into account, and helps that person get in touch with that inner self that is both in hiding and on stage. The good parts are mostly on stage; the bad parts prefer to remain in hiding, but some of them can escape into the light.

"Know thyself," was one of the favorite answers issuing from the Oracle at Delphi, a concept ably captured by Shakespeare so that Lord Polonius (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene III) could speak it, "This above all: to thine own self be true..."

Helping someone get to that point is truly mentoring.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Rewards

Lt. Col. Owen Younger, Commander

Southwest Region Staff Announcement

Col. Joe R. Smith, Texas Wing Commander

TSA Security Directive

From: Joe R. Smith
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:27 PM
Subject: [texaswingcap] FW: TSA Security Directive 08F

Please see below.

From: Salvador, John
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 7:18 PM
Subject: TSA Security Directive 08F

Region and Wing Commanders,

Please disseminate this letter TSA Security Directive - March 2009.pdf to your members.  Thank you.

John A. Salvador, Director of Missions, HQ CAP
jsalvador@capnhq.gov

National Flight Academy Support

From: Joe R. Smith
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:03 AM
Subject: [texaswingcap] FW: National Flight Academy Support

For widest distribution.

From: Robert Castle
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 10:54 PM
To: Joe R. Smith
Subject: National Flight Academy Support

It was great seeing all of you at the National Board meeting. It’s always nice to renew friendships and make new ones. OK Wing is hosting a National Flight Academy in Shawnee, OK 18-28 July 2009 and we need your assistance with airplanes and flight instructors. We’ve already had interest from Dan Crum and Jean-Luc Pous in TX and Ester Grupenhagen from MO, but we’ll need at least six more instructors and C-172 aircraft. Carbureted or fuel-injected is fine. I know July seems a long way off, but the time goes by rapidly. We’ll need to have at least 25 hours of flight time remaining prior to any scheduled maintenance. We can do 50 hr oil changes in Shawnee, but obviously a 100 hr inspection would be out of the question to accomplish during NFA and still be able to use the airplane.

You’ve all be very generous helping the OK NFA in the past, I look forward to your continued support. I’d also like to extend an invitation to attend the graduation ceremony and banquet. We’ll provide more details as it gets closer, but please try to save the date. We’d love to have you and be able to show our appreciation in person.

Bob

Col. Robert Castle, CAP, Oklahoma Wing Commander

National Flight Academy Support

From: Joe R. Smith
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 5:50 PM
Subject: [texaswingcap] FW: Col Bill Schell, National Curator

For widest distribution.

From: Parker, Susie [mailto:SPARKER@capnhq.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:51 PM
Subject: Col Bill Schell, National Curator

Sent on behalf of Mr. Don Rowland, Executive Director:

It is with deepest regret that I must inform you that Col Bill Schell our National Curator passed away in his sleep last night. The family has not yet finalized the funeral arrangements but we will notify you as soon as we have the details. Col Schell spent many years preserving Civil Air Patrol's history and will be sorely missed. I know that you will keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Susan P. Parker, National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol

CAP/CC Letter: New Aircraft Ground Handling Training Requirement

From: Joe R. Smith
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 6:56 PM
Subject: [texaswingcap] CAP/CC Letter: New Aircraft Ground Handling Training Requirement

For widest dissemination within Texas Wing.

John A. Salvador, Director of Missions, HQ CAP
jsalvador@capnhq.gov

Making it Easy to Write Awards

• CAP Awards with Major Achievement Awards – This 3-page listing of all awards and achievement awards for senior members and cadets (excluding the "citation" awards) lists them in a logical order, giving the CAP regulation and paragraph where they are described and where the requirements for awarding them may be found. This is a great tool for the Admin Officer, Professional Development Officer, Deputy Commander for Seniors, Deputy Commander for Cadets – and, of course, the unit commander.

• Awards Made Easy – Just you wait until you see this one. Have you ever been in a situation where you know that a great unit member has done a fabulous job, only you just can't come up with the words to describe it so you can ask for an appropriate award? Well, here is the most comprehensive guidance on writing awards I've ever seen. And you know I'm not given to superlatives. Honest. Take a good look and use it, because when you read it you'll wonder how you ever did without it. This last one is a joint effort, since it was assembled by both Lt. Col. Anderson and my friend Lt. Col. Karen Copenhaver, who at that time was the MER Director of Public Affairs.

Thank you, Amanda. Thank you Karen. It's so good to know that you're there, and such a pleasure to have you share your years of experience with us. Some day I might be able to return the favor.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

What Makes a Good Aerospace Education Officer?

GEORGETOWN, Texas – Can you describ

1st Lt. Sue Kristoffersen, AEO

Climate Change HD Resource Tape

    GEORGETOWN, Texas – NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center multimedia page lists an interesting resource that can be viewed online and/or downloaded at http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/search/PAO/SVSG2007-001HD.html

This is how NASA describes this valuable teacher resource that documents changes on the ice caps around the world, "From polar ice to phytoplankton, parts of the earth system are constantly changing. At NASA, scientists strive to better understand these changes and how they are interconnected. Using remote-sensing data from satellites, this research diagnoses our planet’s current health and will help future generations and explorers understand the earth system as a whole."

1st Lt. Sue Kristoffersen, AEO

Online Poll for NASA'S Mars Rover Naming Contest Opens 23 March

     WASHINGTON, DC – NASA will post online nine names that are finalists for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory mission and invite the public to vote for its favorite. The non-binding poll to help NASA select a name opens online Monday, March 23, and will accept votes through March 29.

More than 9,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades submitted essays proposing names for the rover in a nationwide contest that ended Jan. 25. Entries came from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the families of American service personnel overseas. NASA will select the winning name, based on a student's essay and the public poll, and announce the name in April.

"The names that students proposed range from heroes to animals and bugs," said Michelle Viotti, manager of the Mars Public Engagement program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL, in Pasadena, Calif. "No matter what name is finally chosen, this is a mission for everyone, and we can't wait to start calling this rover by name."

The student who submitted the winning name will be invited to JPL to sign the rover. Additionally, all 30 student semi-finalists in the naming contest will have an opportunity to place an individually-tailored message on the chip. For worldwide participation beyond the contest, the public has a chance to articipate in "Send Your Name to Mars." The agency will collect names to be recorded on a microchip that will be carried on the car-sized robotic explorer. Names will be collected via the contest web link beginning Monday.

The naming contest is part of a Space Act Agreement between NASA and Disney. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is the prize provider for the contest. This collaboration made it possible for WALL-E, the animated robotic hero from the 2008 movie of the same name, to appear in online content inviting students to participate.

Scheduled to launch in 2011 and land on Mars in 2012, the rover will use a set of advanced science instruments to check whether the environment in a selected landing region ever has been favorable for supporting microbial life and preserving evidence of such life. The rover also will search for minerals that formed in the presence of water and look for chemical building blocks of life.

JPL manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

To view the nine finalist names and cast your vote, visit: http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov 

(NASA News Release)

Flight Academy News

We have started a scholarship fund for the Flight Academy in memory of Shirley Martin. As most of you know, she was the rock that guided not only our Cadet Flight Academy but all of Cadet Programs. She soloed in the Civil Air Patrol as a cadet in the 1940s, and always thought that the Texas Flight Academy was something special. We, the Flight Academy instructors, always thought she was something special too, and have renamed the Academy "Texas Shirley Martin Cadet Flight Academy" in her honor.

Sandy at Wing has set up an account for donations. If you would like to contribute, please send your donation to:

HQ Texas Wing
PO Box 154997
Waco TX 76715-4997

Make your check payable to Texas Wing CAP and, on the memo line, write "Shirley Martin Flt Academy Scholarship."

We would like to give out at least two annual scholarships to the Flight Academy. With your help we should be able to assist quite a few cadets, and keep Shirley's memory alive. Thanks in advance for your support.

As Shirley always said "You made me proud"

Lt. Col. Bob McDonnell, CAP - Flight Academy Project Officer

Cadet Officer Training School: The place to be, 13-15 March

CEDAR HILL, Texas – Most cadets that achieve their Mitchell Award will need to rethink their approach to leadership if they want to succeed as cadet officers. Cadet Officer Training School (OTS) is designed to give cadets the chance to transition from cadet NCOs to cadet officers, polish their teamwork skills, and improve their self-discipline and professionalism. Cadet NCOs are focused more on hands-on leadership and immediate tasks, whereas cadet officers must use tactical leadership to ensure direction and purpose for their command, and project their vision for the unit far into the future. In short, cadet NCOs get the job done right now, while cadet officers keep the action going for the long-term and their unit's greater good.

I am proud to say that I attended the latest OTS (Spring '09) and graduated with my class. From 1800 to 1900 on 13 Friday, we signed in at Mt. Lebanon Encampment, just south of Dallas. After stowing our gear in our billets, we met our instructors: lead instructor C/Maj. Jose Machuca and assistant instructor C/Lt. Col. Kayla Stiles. No sooner had we sat down than the latter had us get out pen and paper. Barely five minutes in the classroom, we were writing our first assignment already: a one-page essay on the importance of having a command philosophy.

Our assignment completed, we started in on our first class: Memorandums. Since most cadet officers serve on the Cadet Advisory Council, where all advising is done in writing, learning how to write a good memorandum is a very useful skill for a future cadet officer. That evening we were dismissed for the night at approximately 2200, with two assignments to be completed and turned in before midnight. The first one was a memorandum dealing with a difficulty we thought needed addressing in our own squadron, in which we would “advise” our Squadron Commander accordingly. The second was preparing a 3-6 minute speech to be presented to the whole class right after breakfast on the following day.

Midnight came and, having finished our assignments, we hit our bunks. It seemed as if we had just fallen asleep when our alarms went off. Time to get up! No one is happy at 0430, but we started our day with minimal friction. Breakfast was very enjoyable, especially for those who were hungry (most of us), who soon felt better thanks to the cooks' and their helpers' great efforts – delivered to our classrooms, no less. What service! Mess Ops really did a great job that weekend. Breakfast over, it was time to deliver our prepared speeches. Each cadet was cheered on by all teammates, as each took the spot.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

[1] The OTC TAC Officer, Lt. Col. Corey Telschow [2] OTS cadets in class. [3] C/CMSgt. Carr taking notes during class. [4] OTS cadels chilling out. [5] C/CMSgt. Jesse Carr giving a speech about attention to detail.

Speeches over, we wrestled briefly with the projector and started our classes for the day. After lunch and several additional classes, C/Maj. Machuca offered us a challenge. We could either have one more class, or take on a Group Leadership Project (GLP). Being tired of sitting down, we opted for the GLP. Our class couldn’t have been more surprised when we found out what we were expected to do. C/Lt. Col. Stiles took a box full of puzzle pieces and dumped them on the floor.

Simultaneously, C/Maj. Machuca laid down the law, “No talking, no noise. If one of you so much as utters a word, it’s all over and you get extra assignments tonight. Use your imagination and what we have just taught you to solve this problem. Any communication other than that mentioned above is acceptable. You have thirty minutes. Go.” At once, we were on our hands and knees trying to figure out how to communicate most effectively to assemble the completed puzzle. Although a few of us kept overview, the greater numbers, I included, focused too much on the fine details of putting the puzzle together. In no time at all, C/Maj Machuca and C/Lt. Col. Stiles were back in the room, announcing that time was up. Although a few pieces and sections had been assembled, the puzzle was still unsolved.

Fortunately for us, C/Maj. Machuca was feeling generous and told us that we had probably taken on more than we could handle. “It was rather unfair, but I shouldn’t have to think for you. Most of you are already cadet officers and the rest of you will be soon. Think for yourselves.” As we were brooding over the thought of extra assignments, he added, “How would you like to have a chance to redeem yourselves?” As we jumped at the chance, he said, “If you complete this next GLP, I will cancel one of your extra assignments. Please don’t fail.”

Immediately, we were told to change into PT uniform and head for the playing field. Waiting for us were the students from the Cadet Command Staff College (CCSC), who held a football. This was more like it! We split OTS into two groups of eight, so that 17 of us would not be playing 7 CCSC cadets. Since one of our cadets was recovering from knee surgery and couldn’t play, he prepared plays and gave crucial advice from the sidelines. We won that game three to two, just before supper. Victory was sweet.

After congratulating CCSC for their stiff competition, we headed to the chow hall and ate a hasty dinner. Back in the classroom, we discussed difficulties and issues that we saw at our home squadrons, and other situations we wanted our peers' advice on.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[6] C/CMSgt. Edwards speaking on A T D [7] C/2nd Lt. John Gomez-Simmons delivers his speech on ATD. [8] CCMSgt Davita Heavener gives her speech on ATD. [9] C/2nd Lt. Lien giving a speech [10] C/2nd Lt. Moellendorf gives a speech.

On Sunday morning, we packed our bags and cleaned the barracks. Next we gave our speeches on why a cadet officer’s attention to detail is so important. As soon we had finished, we took the final exam (an open-book test) and we could use our notes, for which we were grateful. Following about twenty difficult questions C/Maj. Machuca had us study our own personality traits. He gave us lists of words and had us choose those we thought described us best. Then he projected a page that had a brief description of each four-letter personality trait assessment. It was funny to see the cadets’ expression when they had “their” description read to them. Some matched well, others didn’t

At the auditorium for the graduation ceremony, the NCOA and SNCOA classes successively called their graduates forward, presented them with shoulder cords and then named and congratulated the Honor Graduate of each class. Then it was our turn. Everything went off without a hitch. When the last OTS cadet had accepted the cord, we waited with bated breath to see who the Honor Graduate would be – Cadet 2nd Lt. Taylor Moellendorf, a member of the Lackland Cadet Squadron, was chosen for his outstanding performance.

After graduation, we each received a briefing on our performance for the weekend. That completed, we grabbed our luggage, signed out, and headed home.

OTS was wonderful. I learned a lot, had a great time, and got to meet great fellow cadet officers. I would definitely recommend OTS to any eligible cadet. It is a great school where cadets can learn how to to improve themselves, their environment, and each other. OTS teaches management, leadership, written and verbal communication, counseling, correct delegation procedures, and guidelines for meetings, briefings, and promotion review boards. Best of all, it transforms students into highly motivated, knowledgeable cadets, who will go back home to their units and enhance performance wherever they go.

Christian Nelson, C/CMSgt., Apollo CS

The Chaplain's Message

Unfortunately, your chaplain is ailing. I promise to return with renewed vigor next month. In the meantime, please read Ch. Bellamy's message, below. It is quite applicable to what we do. 

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Marc Ben-Meir

Emergency Response Training

This link http://www.teex.org/search.cfm?pageid=search&area=teex  will take you to the TEEX webpage – the state agency responsible for all ground operations. They do monthly training at their Disaster City facility, and need volunteers to be victims, assist with logistics, set up victims with moulage injuries, and other essential tasks. They train in a number of areas, including dog teams.

If you have ground team expertise, I strongly urge you to put on your best BDUs and go train with the TEEX professionals.

Check out the website above. TEEX has a fantastic volunteer appreciation program.

Lt. Col. Brooks Cima, Texas Wing Director of Emergency Services

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

Promises Kept? Microsoft IE 8

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – Remember Netscape Navigator? In 1994 (was it only 15 years ago?), it was made available for free to non-commercial users, in direct competition with Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) that was included in the Windows operating system. However, development and corporate costs mounted, so Navigator was soon sold at a nominal cost. Many Microsoft bashers bought it, fueling competition between Netscape and Microsoft. In the end, after a bitter legal fight, Netscape seemed to have won. However, by that time, the giant had awakened and IE was now faster and more advanced than Navigator, so Netscape had won the lawsuit but soon lost the customers, a Pyrrhic victory. As Netscape died, in true Phoenix Bird fashion, it spun its browser's code to the public domain and into the Mozilla code bank. Thus, in a round-about way, Firefox is Navigator's close relative.

Through the years, many have faulted Microsoft for lack of innovation and slowness in patching coding vulnerabilities, while Firefox got patched seemingly before the flaw had been made public, thanks to a wide-spread volunteer developer network. Is Firefox better than IE? It seemed so at the time. Is it safer than IE? Up to now, it had given that appearance because it was less attractive to malware writers, who preferred to target IE. Since the latter ran on the vast majority of desktops, malicious attacks would be far more profitable by hitting IE. But as Firefox's popularity has risen, it might become the victim of its own success. Worse yet, Firefox has been faulted for being buggier than IE. Darwin's theory of evolution seems to work in the world of software too.

The issue of online safety is yet to be resolved, but the major players have leapfrogged in performance again. In June, 2008, Firefox 3.0 was released, and I eagerly downloaded it because of its promised speed advantage. Well, it was somewhat faster, but I dumped it just as quickly, because it didn't display correctly some of my correctly coded websites. I complained to the Mozilla community, but nothing happened, and now it's up to version 3.0.7, with a 3.1 Beta available. Oddly enough, Opera and Safari, step-children of the same Mozilla code pool, do a good enough job, so for no particular reason I picked Opera as a replacement for my trusty Firefox, now that Mozilla is no longer supporting the versions prior to 3.0, and 3.0+ no longer suits me.

So today I got a nice surprise in my InBox: a message from the Microsoft Developer Network announced IE 8. "I wonder," I mused, and took a chance. I downloaded it, half expecting my computer (not the main one but a spare) to turn into a little house of horrors. Refreshingly, it seems that the giant is paying attention. It brings to mind IBM and its haughty culture of snottiness, a posture that vanished soon after the computer behemoth announced a loss of $8.10 billion for fiscal year 1992 (then the largest yearly corporate loss in history). Immediately, IBM got gentle, listened hard, and treated the customer as its most valuable asset. Microsoft, too, has been meeting some stumbling blocks on its path to riches, and IE 8 says eloquently that Microsoft has listened.

Is IE 8 fast? I haven't seen anything like it, but there are still some issues with error-recovery that can slow it to a crawl, or so my friends tell me. Smooth? Under ideal conditions, better than a snake-oil salesman. Feature-full? You bet. Is it capable of surviving the challenges of secure computer in today's complex and dangerous cyber-world? The obvious path to triumph would be for Microsoft to seek help from the anti-malware big boys, patch weaknesses as if its life depended on it, and regain the confidence of us all.

Here is ZDNet staff writer Ed Bott's assessment of the new release, ChannelWeb's Edward F. Moltzen on the opposite view, and PCWorld's Keir Thomas voicing doubts on Firefox's future.

For sure, IE 8 is no Vista, but neither is it a magic bullet. Is it the ultimate browser? Only time will tell.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, ITO

Open Source Software - A Free Ride?

Microsoft's FAT32 Deserves Its Freedom

Dave Methvin
infoweek@methvin.com
www.informationweek.com

Rebranding your Website

You know the routine. You wake up one day, happy that all is well, only to have someone tell you, "Sorry, my friend, but your website is terrible." Never mind that it cost you endless hours of research and toil to create your website, that is the labor of your most fruitful love. You can call it what you will, but if people don't like it, they won't visit it.

Conventional wisdom has it that the website "has to do the job" and that's all. Well, it isn't. It also needs to be attractive, seductive, and productive. Attractive isn't too had to achieve, seductive is harder (not many opportunities to surprise your viewer) but you can make it on good and changing content, and the hardest part is productive. If you have a website it's because you're "selling" something. In the Civil Air Patrol, what we're selling is ourselves, and that should be easy for us all, since we know ourselves. Or don't we?

Marc S. Levitt, a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine, has come up with an excellent article. It actually has the qualities that you need for a successful website. The art of brevity is well represented, a wealth of information is there too, and the text is well written. See for yourself.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, ITO

Paperwork - The Unnecessary Nightmare

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Almost everyone dislikes paperwork, but it is essential to every phase of any function. Paperwork is used when expressing ideas, seeking funding, recording intentions, reporting activities, and in conjunction with analysis to improve performance. In most cases, it is also required.

Recently, I've been asked how I managed to submit, so quickly (within 24 hours), the formatted presentation of paperwork for the Grand Prairie Staging Area of the March DSAREX. Well, it took some planning. For a while, we've been developing a process we call "Mission In a Can" (MIC), and we decided it was ready for prime time, so we used it.

In order to reduce the burden, increase the accuracy, and improve the legibility of  the many and complex forms required to record the plans and activities surrounding a CAP incident, the Crusader Composite Squadron developed MIC to be adaptable and usable in any environment. It can be used as a stand-alone, one-computer process, and is expandable to work as a contributing unit in concert with IMU information, CAPSTAR and WMIRS.

The process accounts for pre-incident activities, inputting the actual mission threads, and culminates in the submission of final reports. In practice, and to be safe, MIC is paralleled by a hardcopy process that assures continuity, should the electronic or power capability fail.

Running on any computer that has MS Excel loaded on it – and possibly other spreadsheet software capable of reading the Excel format –, MIC allows all necessary functions

• Checking-in of all assets, including personnel, aircraft, vehicles and equipment;

• Establishing and recording all sortie requests, and approval of those sorties or additional sorties requested by higher authority; and

• Filling operational forms for command, air, ground, communications and other functions that are included in both CAP and ICS format, as well as two versions of a “flight package”; one for a regular sortie and one for a CD sortie.

As an activity is being planned, all needed forms are filled out (completely or partially) and saved under the sortie number for future completion and compilation. For example:

• A flight crew is assigned a sortie;

• If not previously completed, they complete a CAPF 71, fill in the front of CAPF 104, Weight & Balance, and ORM.

• NOTE: Forms must to be completed in the correct order, to allow the program to use the information present in the "primary" form in order to populate selected data fields in subsequent forms. This ensures consistency and accuracy, as well as saving considerable time.

These forms are then either printed or presented on the computer to a Briefing Officer and the Flight Release Officer. Once released, the crew

• Flies the sortie, including radio calls which are recorded in an online status worksheet and on RTB;

• Completes the reverse side of CAPF 104, and

• Adds information to the Air Tracking Form. 

Back at mission base, when ready, the crew presents these forms to the Debriefing Officer who communicates with the Operations and Planning Officers for their consideration in planning and conducting future activities. After Debrief the crew wraps up their sortie by presenting the Fuel Tracking Form and any receipts to the Finance Officer.

After the incident ends, the Finance Officer produces a summary CAPF 108 for the package to be submitted, and the Staging Area Manager or Admin Officer can collect, review and edit the information as necessary to assure an accurate record, and then e-mail or print and mail all forms as required.

Paperwork, rather than an end unto itself, is merely a trail through the incident and a by-product of accomplishing our main goal. Rather than a burden, it should be an aid in support of our goal, as well as a communication vehicle so that all mission functions are aware of the incident's activities. 

After we've developed a user manual, MIC will be posted on the Group III website, Squadron Support, Operations Page.

1st Lt. Richard (Dick) Hughes, Operations Officer, Crusader CS

Capt. Vanessa Smith, PDO
 tx438pdo@yahoo.com 

From Shoemaker Composite Squadron...

TEMPLE, Texas – I may have first seen Cadet Joshua Pravel in January of 2007, when Cdt. Anna Finn got her Spaatz Award presented to her by Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker. I had been invited to cover the event, to which I arrived with Group III Commander Maj. Pat Benoit and Texas Wing Commander Col. R. Frank Eldridge. Today, in looking at that article posted on the February, 2007 newsletter, I see that my camera captured his older brother Micah. Since then, our paths have crossed several times. I've seen both brothers in action during the 2008 Summer and Winter Encampments, as well as last year's Lone Star Emergency Services Academy. I've also seen them at an exercise or two. Always doing their job with a minimum of fuss and getting the best results. We'd never really spoken, other than in the line of duty.

Both brothers impressed me with their impeccable manners, efficiency, and ability to mentor the cadet basics entrusted to them at encampment. I saw them wear ever deeper chevrons, which eventually they exchanged for cadet officer pips. Now, C/Capt. Joshua Pravel is a "seasoned cadet" in every respect.

Early in March, at the Group III Awards Party, he and I had a more relaxed conversation, through which he maintained his formal manners. Funny, manners. Some cadets use them in a snotty kind of way. Others express their honest respect through them. This cadet is of the latter variety. He is home schooled, and quick to catch on. He spoke well, and was articulate. He was open and showed a good sense of humor. I thought he might make a good writer. "Why don't you write for the newsletter?" I asked. He said he would. Others have promised and never delivered, but I felt this cadet didn't make empty promises.

It was no surprise, then, to receive an article with Cdt. Joshua Pravel's byline, covering an Awards Ceremony at his squadron. His writing was a revelation, as it was well orchestrated, grammatically and syntactically correct, and the narrative flowed comfortably. An editor's dream, really. It had minor flaws, but it was far better than I had expected. On the following day, we had a phone conversation, and he agreed to start writing for the newsletter regularly. I hope he will. Thus, it is with immense pleasure that I add the name of C/Capt. Joshua Pravel to the roster of the Group III Cadet PAO Program.

Welcome, Cadet Pravel!

From Tyler Composite Squadron, a Nice Surprise

"One of our cadets wrote an article," said to me Capt. Robert "Skip" Smith, the Tyler CS commander. "I hope I'll get it soon," was my reply. That I did, and I'm very glad it came my way. A new literary voice piped up, and I liked what I read. I'll do my best keep it writing good and lively articles.

The new voice has a name, Cadet Airman First Class Sarah N. Fitzgerald, and I heard she is a good cross-country runner. From her article I learned that she wants to be an Air Force pilot, and I gather she sets goals for herself. This is a good trait, as life is full of obstacles and temptations, often responsible for someone's loss of direction and derailing of lofty hopes.

I don't believe this will Cdt. Fitzgerald's fate, though. She knows what she wants, through sports is used to training and self-discipline, and the Civil Air Patrol will give her the tools of leadership she'll need to travel her chosen road. I'm sure she'll be good at it.

Welcome, Cadet Fitzgerald!

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

Air Force Public Affairs - Professional Development Seminar

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – Having served in the military, and being used to military organization, hierarchy, and chain of command, I have taken many military courses. This link http://www.meetingsitespro.com/events/airforce/ is special, in that the presentations are outstanding, revelatory, and eminently usable.

Perhaps the need to increase recruiting during wartime, or retain more unit members when the going gets tough, or keep up morale and esprit-de-corps when the news aren't all that good did the trick. Whatever it was, it is good news.

The Air Force has known for a long time that PA works, and now they have put some serious effort in finding out which parts work best, and which dissemination is most effective. It is not a sure thing that Airmen will be the same as CAP members, but this is a very good start. We are living in difficult times, everyone is short of operational funds yet the missions pile up, and training is always at the root of every success... or failure. Especially for us, the volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol, since we don't get paid, this might mean the difference between greater job satisfaction and better rewards (which, when lacking, are the main cause for non-renewals).

Real PAOs in our ranks are self-driven to tell the CAP story, and this is the way it ouoght to be. Naturally, when there is an event that cannot be reported because of national security issues, it'll get shelved, but there is so much more that can be told, and should be told. If we don't tell it ourselves, it might be told wrong, or even not at all. I believe you that PAOs and commanders will find the presentations above very useful.

Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

PAO Update from NHQ

To all CAP PAOs:

It is time for another PAO Update. Let's get right to it:

Hot Off The Press – The Civil Air Patrol's Annual Report to Congress, a 44-page report on CAP's multifaceted missions for 2008, is hot off the press and ready for your use. Go to members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/ARC_2008_Final_lores_96778B22FC99C.pdf to download a copy. If you would like printed, bound copies, please send your request to me at scox@capnhq.gov. There is an ample supply still available on a first-come, first-served basis. So get your requests in quickly.

Speaking of the Annual Report to Congress, NHQ/PA thanks you for providing us with great photos of CAP missions throughout the past year. Many of your photos were included in the 2008 ARC. Keep us in mind this year as well. We are interested in any electronic images you have of CAP aircrews and ground teams performing search and rescue and emergency services missions; cadets on orientation flights, at work on the drill field or participating in outdoor classrooms; and both senior members and cadets actively participating in community outreach projects.

Hot Off The Press 2 – The March-April 2009 issue of the Volunteer – featuring a 16-page spread on Civil Air Patrol's first astronaut – Air Force Col. and CAP Sr. Mbr. Eric Boe – will be off the press soon. As you probably know by now, Boe and his Endeavour crewmates participated in a 15-day mission to make improvements on the International Space Station. Boe's space mission presents a good opportunity to communicate and promote the value and significance of Civil Air Patrol membership. Boe and other CAP notables – like Hila Levy, CAP's first Rhodes Scholar, and Guy Loughridge, CAP's radar expert – are prominently featured in the Annual Report to Congress. These are our "real-life heroes" that we easily embrace in terms of communicating and promoting the CAP brand. Extra copies of the March issue featuring are available upon request by e-mailing me at scox@capnhq.gov or calling me toll-free at 877-227-9142, ext. 251.

The cover of the Volunteer now sports removable mailing labels, which permits CAP members to recirculate their magazines in their communities. NHQ/PA encourages PAOs to develop a plan to pull in members' magazines after they have read them for redistribution in doctors' offices, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, airports and other places where people congregate in your communities. This could be done at your monthly meeting. Simply encourage members to bring in their magazine after they have read it and then appoint members to redistribute them. This is a simple and effective public relations tool now being used by more and more of our PAOs.

Publication Change – Beginning in May, NHQ/PA is altering publication of the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine for the remainder of 2009. For the rest of this year, we will be publishing a May-June-July issue in mid-May, an August-September-October issue in mid-August and a November-December issue in mid-November.

Online Magazine – NHQ/PA is in the midst of planning for an online magazine, or ezine, which will replace CAP News Online. The ezine, to be called "volunteernow," will be part of CAP's dynamic new national Web site, which will allow us to tell your CAP stories in a timely manner. As always, we welcome your input as we plan this electronic publication. Please pass along any ideas to me at scox@capnhq.gov, or call me at 877-227-9142, ext. 251.

Wing Commanders Course – Twelve of Civil Air Patrol's new wing commanders will be at Maxwell Air Force Base later this month for the 2009 Wing Commanders Course. This weeklong event, from March 30-April 3, will include mock press conferences led by the new commanders. The mock press conferences are a valuable learning experience for all involved. Just a reminder to all wing PAOs that a Hometown News Release has been written for the 2009 Wing Commanders Course and will soon be uploaded to CAP's national Web site. Stay tuned to members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_national_hq/public_affairs/hometown_news_release_program/ for a 2009 Wing Commanders Course press release, which will include an attendee list. If your wing commander is participating, please localize this news release and send it out to your local media outlets as appropriate. Also, please provide us with a copy of any publicity that results from your efforts. Remember, too, to follow up with your new wing commander on his press conference experience. This is a good opportunity for dialogue and followup on your wing's public relations and crisis communications plans.

PAO Toolkit – Many of you are making good use of the online PAO Toolkit at members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_national_hq/public_affairs/cap_pao_toolkit/, as evident by a growing number of page views. From January 1 to September 30 of 2008, there were 3,232 page requests for the PAO Toolkit, which rounds out to an average of 359 page views per month. With that information, we estimate more than 4,300 page views for the year. This is a valuable online tool for PAOs, which puts many of NHQ's resources right at your fingertips – just a computer mouse "click" away.

PAO Academies – Talk about resources for PAOs, at least two CAP regions are planning public affairs officer academies in 2008. The Pacific Region PAO Academy will be April 4-5 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Another will be hosted by the North Central Region June 26-28 at Camp Ashland near Lincoln, Neb. A Web site has been set up with program information, a curriculum and online registration. Go to www.ncrpao.org/paoa.htm for updates on this academy. These academies are excellent training opportunities to network with other CAP PAOs who face the same challenges you face every day. Plan now to attend the academy nearest you.

Subliminal Visibility – The Civil Air Patrol has garnered excellent publicity in recent months. Maj. Pete Turecek, CAP's New York Wing historian, is managing director of Kroll, the world's largest risk consulting company. He was interviewed by CNBC soon after the Bernie Madoff $50 billion Ponzi scheme was exposed. Unsolicited by Turecek (though he was wearing his CAP lapel pin on the nationally aired show), one of the network's Fast Money panelists gave a sort of plug/mention of CAP at the end of the interview. Go to www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=961785509 to hear more about Turecek's financial security expertise. Don't forget to wait around for the CAP plug, which comes at the very end of the interview. I guess this shows we should never underestimate the power of suggestion, even if it comes simply in the form of a lapel pin.

Publicity Plus – Talk about visibility, 1^st Lt. Ed O'Brien, Colorado Wing's Black Sheep Senior Squadron historian, and Capt. Scott Orr, the squadron's PAO, are reaping the benefits of their work in the Rocky Mountain Region. Through O'Brien's 15-month-old Colorado Wing Heritage Project, one of the largest rescues in Civil Air Patrol history is now forever memoralized in an exhibit at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver. Stories about the dramatic rescue of 20 passengers on Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217, which occurred during a blizzard in 1978, have been circulating throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region over the past year. Here is a small sampling of recent coverage on CAP's 1978 rescue and the Wings Over the Rockies museum exhibit, which O'Brien says is a product of Orr's story salesmanship: www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/03/chadron-state-wrestlers-way-dia-injured-i-25-crash/, www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/04/pilot-savors-lifes-good-things-but-still-feels/, www.craigdailypress.com/news/2008/jun/08/i_guess_i_was_destined/, www.denverpost.com/search/ci_11848192 and denver.yourhub.com/Aurora/Stories/News/General-News/Story~588046.aspx. O'Brien's heritage project will be featured in the May-June-July issue of the Volunteer.

Audiovisual Approach – Here's an interesting initiative from Maryland, which is home to some of CAP's most innovative PAOs. Senior members and cadets in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron recently began training for public affairs-related activities at Montgomery Access Television. Find out more about this audiovisual media training by going to a link on the Maryland Wing Web site – mdcap.org/?fuseaction=article.display&articleID=433.

As Southwest Region Director of Public Affairs Capt. Arthur Woodgate states, "This kind of audiovisual media training has good visibility and reach, and could be available just for the asking, at great profit for Civil Air Patrol. At the same time, it could help us create and cement good relations with the media." Woodgate sent the Maryland Wing link to all SWR Wing PAOs hoping they can find similar opportunities in their communities. Good idea, Arthur. Thanks for sharing.

Way To Go, Erik – Finally, kudos to 2nd Lt. Erik Lindquist, Minnesota Wing's Viking Composite Squadron PAO, who provided CAP News Online with a stirring, personal account of a fellow squadron member's winning battle to serve and advance despite a serious disability -- members.gocivilairpatrol.com/news/cap_news_online/index.cfm/minn_member_overcomes_disability_to_serve_succeed_5047. As always, we appreciate the hundreds of submissions NHQ/PA receives from PAOs like Lindquist each year. Often, as in this story, we are touched by your work and the volunteers you feature in your submissions. Thanks for your service to the Civil Air Patrol and CAP Public Affairs!

Regards,

Steve

Steve Cox, Public Affairs Manager, CAP NHQ, scox@capnhq.gov

If you have questions or comments about this update, please contact me or NHQ/PA's Deputy Director, Julie DeBardelaben, at jdebardelaben@capnhq.gov or 877-227-9142, ext. 250.

Air Force Album: We Who Served

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – My good friend Capt. Harold Parks, Commander of the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron, forwarded me the message below, asking me whether I knew about it. I did not. But since it seemed to be a worthy project, I decided to post it on this newsletter. Civil Air Patrol members, too, can participate. – Editor.

 

Dear Mr. Parks,

Earlier this week, you may have received an e-mail with the subject: "Air Force Album: We Who Served." Some of you contacted us with questions, and we quickly realized that we needed to provide more information about this exciting project. Please read on below so that you can fully understand the unique opportunity this project offers you to create a permanent record of your service or that of a member of your family.

Air Force Album: We Who Served Project

The Air Force Association is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of a unique document, the "Air Force Album: We Who Served." This special publication will include recollections and photographs from living Airmen, as well as remembrances provided by family members of deceased Airmen, making this volume a comprehensive legacy to all those who served in the Air Force and its predecessor organizations.

"The valuable stories of our Airmen are being lost and AFA is pleased to take the reins of this project to record their stories for the benefit of future generations of Americans," said Mike Dunn, President and CEO of AFA.

Scheduled for release in September, this hardcover, limited edition book will feature hundreds of photographs--many in color. It will include "The Rise of an Air Force," a 100-page chronology, in words and pictures, of the development of the nation's air arm from Kitty Hawk in 1903 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan today. This unique feature has been prepared by the editors and staff of AIR FORCE Magazine.

AFA has contracted with Harris Connect of Chesapeake, VA, to gather the information from participants and publish the "Air Force Album." Harris has more than 40 years experience developing directories as well as expertise in data collection and publishing.

Who Should Participate?

Eligibility for participation in the "Air Force Album" includes those who served in the United States Air Force and/or its predecessor organizations in the Army -- the Aviation Section, Aeronautical Division, Air Service, Air Corps, and Army Air Forces (including WASPs). Members of the USAF Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol, are also eligible.

Family members are invited -- and encouraged -- to include the stories of their loved ones who served.

What is the Process?

If you or your loved one is eligible to be included, we encourage you to call 1-800-473-8177 before May 25, 2009 to be included in this historical publication. No calls will be accepted for this project prior to March 9 or after May 25. The albums will be printed and shipped to purchasers with expected delivery in November 2009.

When you call, Harris Connect representatives will gather (or confirm) the following information from you:

• Rank, Name, Suffix

• Residence Mailing Address

• Telephone Number

• E-mail address

• Status of service

• Branches and years of service (e.g. USAAF 1943-1947; USAF 1947-1963)

• Up to 5 service awards received

• Conflicts served in

• Primary Military specialty

Then, we will give you a website (or send you a form) to write your personal narrative in your own words. There is no guideline, just a limit of 300 words. Write anything you want to say about your military service. You may want to give your basic bio, write about your most remarkable event, your fondest memory, advice to those currently serving - it's completely up to you! You can mail in or upload to the site up to two photographs with captions that will be included in the book's (and CD-ROM's) photo gallery.

What Does it Cost?

There is no cost to participate. We want to allow for inclusion of all Airmen. We also want to include tributes from any family member of deceased airmen who is interested in sharing their memories.

You will be given the opportunity to purchase this album when you call in. Again, you do not need to purchase a copy to participate, but we know that this edition will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. We will only publish as many copies as are reserved. This is the only opportunity to order one of these keepsakes.

Please participate and, if you wish, share your stories and memories too. We also hope that you choose to purchase this keepsake album for you and your family to cherish forever.

Susan M. Rubel Member Services Director Air Force Association

For more information on this publication, visit www.afa.org

P.S. Harris Connect, LLC, a trusted partner of Air Force Association, has been chosen to produce our publication. Harris Connect's commitment to protecting the privacy and ensuring the integrity of the information collected for the directory is reflected in their privacy policy online at www.harrisconnect.com/privacy.html

Honoring A Young Hero, 19 March

Below is the U.S. Coast Guard's news release describing the actions that merited the awarding of that service's highest honor for heroism, the Gold Lifesaving Medal, to a 16-year old young man, Ross Barfuss, a student at the Aloha High School in Seattle, Wash. There is no question that the honor is richly deserved, neither is there any doubt as to the esteem in which this young man is held. In the news release, on the first line, he is referred to as "Mr. Ross Barfuss," although it is a near certainty that during his short life, he was known as merely "Ross" to all.

His selfless and virtuous sacrifice is, indeed commendable. That he failed in saving the life of a 12-year old in trouble does not matter, since it is intent that counts. Intent coupled to action, with disregard to personal safety, are the ingredients that define the hero.

Our heart goes out to the hero's parents, who had dreams of greatness for their son. Dreams of triumph, family building, and everlasting happiness. In one instant, a life truncated. In one action, a final and irrevocable destiny fulfilled.

Today, he receives the recognition of others. May he rest in peace, the young hero.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

WHO:  Mr. Ross Barfuss
WHAT:  Gold Lifesaving Medal Presentation
WHEN: Thursday March 19, 2009 -  8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Aloha High School auditorium, 18550 SW Kinnaman Road, Aloha, Oregon 97007

*** TBD - Introduction of Rear Admiral John Currier, Thirteenth Coast Guard District Commander and Barfuss family***

*** Presentation of Gold Lifesaving Medal to Mr. and Mrs. Barfuss***

*** Introduction of Boatswains Mate Damian Meyers***

*** Dangers of coastal surf environment message (Petty Officer Meyers)

SEATTLE - The Coast Guard will posthumously award a Gold Lifesaving Medal to Ross Barfuss, a 16-year old teen who was killed while attempting to rescue a 12-year old boy who was caught in heavy surf near Cutler, Ore., March 8, 2008.

The 12-year old boy had been swept to sea when Barfuss put his own life in danger by attempting a rescue. Lincoln City, Ore., Fire and Rescue recovered the 12-year-old boy and transported him to the Lincoln City Hospital where he was declared dead. Barfuss went missing shortly after his rescue attempt.

Coast Guard crews from Station Depoe Bay, Ore., and Air Station North Bend, Ore. searched for Barfuss without any success.
Barfuss will be recognized for his unselfish and heroic actions despite imminent personal danger.

The Gold Lifesaving Medal was established by Congress in 1874. Since then, approximately 700 medals have been awarded. In contrast, the Medal of Honor, established approximately 10 years earlier, has been awarded 3,448 times. It is awarded by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to any person who rescues, or endeavors to rescue, any other person from drowning, shipwreck, or other peril of the water. To merit award of the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the rescue must be made at the risk to one's own life and show extreme heroic daring. The Coast Guard is the ultimate award authority for the Lifesaving Medal and issues the decorations to members of all military branches as well as civilians.

About Social Media

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – Lately we have seen social media sites experience an explosive growth. Why? Because they're useful. The old "six degrees of separation" inspired the idea of getting people to share "friends" across groups, interconnecting, potentially, the whole world.

My friend Maj. Paul Cianciolo, National Capital Wing PA, sent me the article below, which might surprise you; it's real life, though.

Interesting.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

Air Force makes social media a priority

Public Affairs department shifts from traditional outreach to Facebook, Twitter

Thursday: Meet with boss about quadrupling size of social media team.

Friday: Start Facebook page for Air Force Public Affairs.

Monday: Learn how to use Twitter.

That’s how the past few weeks looked for Lt. Col. Mike Paoli, the chief of media and opinion leader engagement for the Air Force Office of Public Affairs. Paoli is a 19-year veteran who spent 12 years doing crisis communications with host nations during five overseas tours.

He’s the guy to have talking to the press when a plane goes down or an airman commits a crime, but until recently he was unschooled in social media. At the beginning of February, Paoli’s boss, Maj. Gen. Darren McGrew, announced plans to reorganize Air Force Public Affairs (AFPA) to make social media a priority.

“The Air Force is simply getting with the program, so we don’t get left behind,” says Paoli.

In the coming months, 12 public affairs officers will shift from traditional media to join the Air Force’s Emerging Technologies branch. That’s in addition to the four already assigned to social media, who started last year. Overall the Air Force has about 100 public affairs staffers at the Pentagon.

Paoli says the social-media shift began “well before” tech-savvy President Barack Obama’s election in November. Though Paoli had little previous social-media experience, “I came on board a year ago to lead our engagement branch with a specific social media focus,” he recalls.

But plans were delayed because Air Force public affairs had more pressing issues to deal with. With lower recruiting numbers since the Iraq War and a 20 percent decline in staff, Paoli and his team found themselves helping out on the crisis desk. Only in November did they move off the traditional press desk and into their own office.

“We’re still in the Pentagon, but I’m about an eight-minute walk away from that Air Force press desk,” he says. Paoli says his goal is to have every public affairs officer proficient in the realm of new and social media. “But first we have some internal education and training to do to achieve that goal” — training that is in progress now.

While Paoli contributes the old-school PR expertise, Capt. David Faggard, who joined the Pentagon PR team last August, provides the social media know-how. “Part of my mission is to institute the social media/new media thought process into traditional Air Force public affairs,” Faggard says.

That mission involves posting press releases, videos and relevant articles on a Facebook group specifically geared to reporters, as well as keeping track of the reporters’ blogs “to see what they’re interested in,” Faggard says. The Facebook page, called "Air Force Public Affairs: Media and Opinion Leader Engagement," launched on Jan. 28.

As social media becomes more important, so does responding and getting information out directly to the public. “We needed to re-evaluate how we’re structured, organized and manned to do public affairs in this new world,” says Paoli. Currently, a single airman in the Pentagon answers phone calls and e-mails from the public. But with Twitter’s influence growing, “I’m not sure one person sitting at a computer is going to be enough to keep up with the level of public inquiries,” he adds.

Paoli expects social media to be especially helpful getting the Air Force’s message out in grassroots fashion to communities that don’t have a base nearby.

Coffee, anyone?

Picking up the phone or having coffee with the “old media” remains a priority, however. “We’re still dedicated to traditional media outreach,” Paoli says. A recent story about doctors pioneering acupuncture methods for use on the battlefield got its start with a military PR staffer talking to an AP reporter. Once a story is out in the traditional media, social media can help it build momentum.

“We can now put this acupuncture story on a Facebook page,” says Paoli, “We can now do a Twitter that gets it out there with a link. We’ve generated a level of interest that’s far beyond the national media.” For example, on AFPA’s new Facebook page, one of Paoli’s staffers posted a print story about how the Air Force in Iraq is using unmanned Predator aircraft to do surveillance of Iraqi polling stations. The posting led to some online press coverage and TV stations picked up the story.

“Print will rarely if ever follow a broadcast story,” says Paoli, “but if I’ve got this good print story and I’m looking to put that out on Twitter, maybe some broadcast outlets will give us a call.”

The Air Force’s Twitter account also recently went live. A story in early February about U.S. airmen’s involvement in Iraqi elections “started as an e-mail pitch to all our press contacts, then Dave [Faggard] gave it a life on Twitter,” says Paoli.

The Air Force has an official blog. And last week, Faggard helped launch a site for its deputy director of public affairs. “I anticipate you’ll start seeing more of our leaders blogging,” says Paoli. He’d also like to develop a site for senior Air Force leaders and scholars from universities and think-tanks to blog. “We currently have good relationships among these groups, but contact is mostly limited to scheduled meetings.”

(By Laura Putre, Ragan.com)

CAP's Annual Report to Congress

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – CAP NHQ has posted the 2008 Report to Congress on their website. To read it, please visit:

http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_national_hq/cap_annual_reports/

The first photo on the inside pages shows Lt. Col. Melanie Capehart, SWR Director of Safety, walking amid the wreckage and destruction left behind by Hurricane Ike. A great photograph.

This attractive and informative document gave Congress a sweeping overview of CAP's activities in Emergency Services, citing work done in support of local communities as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes. Also highlighted were CAP's contributions to military preparedness such as Operation FALCON VIRGO, and other missions. Communications upgrade was covered in some detail.

Well presented where Professional Development, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education, the latter featuring Astronaut Eric Boe, a former cadet and current member, who commanded the space shuttle Endeavour on its International Space Station mission. Mentoring and Public Awareness were covered in some detail, highlighting USAF 2nd Lt. Hila Levy, top graduate at the USAFA and Rhodes scholar.

Public Affairs planning and crisis communications were also covered, showing their importance in normal operations as well as during an emergency.

During this period, 2,500 SAR missions resulted in 91 lives saved.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, SWR DPA

Befuddled by CAP Acronyms?

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – When we lived in Rhinebeck, New York, on the west back of the Hudson River, we soon learned that some 10 miles away there was a sort of Russian Roulette restaurant run by the Culinary Institute of America. The aspiring chefs got to practice on us, the paying guests, and we in turn got some fabulous meals for a reasonable price, though at times the meal was not quite so fabulous. On average, I think we came out ahead.

The locals, of course, referred to this fine establishment by its acronym, CIA. So if you ever go to Rhinebeck, or Hyde Park where it is located, and people talk about "the CIA" be aware that they are not talking about "the other" organization with headquarters in Reston, Virginia. You might find it amusing that if you Google "cia" or "CIA" you'll get the "real CIA" first, then "CIA - The World Factbook," and third, "The Culinary Institute of America." Not bad for a little trade school in Hyde Park, New York, home of the FDR Home and Museum.

But that doesn't help us a bit in trying to read our way through a lot of CAP acronyms. Recently, someone complained about this, and my friend Capt. Robert Beeley, Deputy Commander of Group IV, produced a neat compilation in PDF format titled CAP Speak, created by CAP Lt. Col. Amanda B. Anderson, of West Columbia, South Carolina. It is surprisingly complete, and very useful.

On the document's first page, you'll find her phone numbers and e-mail address. She asks of anyone who comes across one or more acronyms not listed on her list, or notices any errors, to please contact her about it.

Capt. Arthur E. Woodgate, Editor

For Those Who Love Military Photography

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – My friend Lt. Col. Tom Traver, the Oregon Wing PAO, sent me a 46-page PDF composed entirely of photographs, one photo to a page. Helicopters, bombers, air attack countermeasures, breaking the sound barrier, a vertical climb, an aircraft carrier sailing with its task force vessels as a formation of military aircraft overfly it, each one a pearl of composition, color, action, visual impact. Real state of the art.

Treat yourself to these "cool toys" and take some time to think about what you see. One hundred years ago – a generous human life-span – flight was in its infancy and automobiles were faster on the ground that airplanes in the air. At that time, the "dreadnaught" was the most powerful vessel afloat and the undisputed ruler of the seas.

Today, the dreadnaught's successor – the battleship – is obsolete, its place taken by the mighty aircraft carrier; relatively defenseless without its airplanes and helicopters, it is heavily dependent on its auxiliary vessels for safety at sea. By 1909, the 15-hp Wright Flyer of 1904 had acquired a 30.6 engine that gave it a maximum speed of 42 mph, and in this configuration became the world's first military airplane. Also in 1909, the 200-hp Benz 1 automobile was timed at 125.94 mph. Today, the SR-71 is still the fastest airplane at MACH 3+, and we're shuttling people to the International Space Station on a regular basis. Some merry trip.

Be that as it may, the "cool toys" photos are terrific.

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

April Flight Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

April Ground Safety Briefing (MS Word document)

Recurring Reports

Editor

'Raging river' teaches Schriever Airmen about commitment

     6/13/2007 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- When you received notification of an assignment to Schriever, you might have developed a "must-do" list of places you wanted to visit, things you wanted to see and events you wanted to attend before you even arrived. How does that list look?

The reality is that most people will live in an area for three to six years and depart for the next assignment without having accomplished most things on their must-do list. Others will never have created a must-do list, having carried the notion that Colorado Springs offers nothing to do.

"If you feel like there's nothing to do here in Colorado Springs, then I urge you to get out and try something new," advises Senior Airman Joshua Cobb of the 3rd Space Operations Squadron. "Opportunities are all around."

The 50th Space Wing Chaplain Service Team sponsored such an opportunity June 2, with an Airman adventure outing to the Arkansas River near Royal Gorge. This event and others sponsored by the Chaplain Service Team are designed to bring Airmen together. Past events have included skydiving and snowmobiling. 

However, the day was more than just a fun outing. It was also a time to reinforce character traits vital to leadership, parenthood and volunteerism. This training period is called core values conditioning. 

"I've always enjoyed the training sessions," said Airman 1st Class Luther Lewis of the 50th Mission Support Squadron. "They always remind me of who I am and what I stand for." 

The topic of discussion for the June 2 adventure was commitment. The discussion focused on two areas: making good decisions in our personal lives and the agreement we've made to serve in the U.S. Air Force. 

In order to be satisfied with your life, you must be committed to completion. You won't have a happy marriage without commitment. You won't have a fulfilling career without commitment. You will not leave a lasting legacy after you pass away if you had no commitment in life. Your commitment will be tested throughout life when the easiest thing to do is just walk away; but be it good or bad, commitment sees it through to the end. 

Some people love their jobs; some hate their jobs. It is up to us as Airmen to make the best of every situation. No matter what our job may be, we have made a commitment to the Air Force and should always put forth our best effort. 

The trip on the Arkansas River demonstrated the need for commitment. The temperature of the water is the least of your worries when you're working as part of a team to rocket past boulders, dodge hydraulic holes and navigate Class IV and Class V rapids. 

"When you're drifting into a Class V rapid, you have to be committed," said Senior Airman Mark Robles from the 50th Civil Engineer Squadron. 

When times get tough, don't give up the fight. Remain committed and see it through to the end. Those are character-developing moments; those are when the journey seems most worthwhile.

Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Bellamy, 50th Space Wing Chaplain Service Team

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Safety

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Field Training Exercise, 27 February - 1 March

GLADEWATER, Texas – After arriving and signing-in at the airport on the evening of 27 February, 2nd Lt. Brian O'Neal gave the safety briefing to the group of senior members and cadets. The briefing included Hot Weather Injuries, Cold Weather Injuries and Natural Hazards. Everyone then headed out to the training area, in various vehicles.

Once on-site, all members began to set-up the area with their tents and build a fire pit, complete with fire. After some struggling, it became obvious that setting up would be more efficient if all helped each other in true team style. As a survival exercise, C/CMSgt Andrew Alexander was attempting to light the camp fire using flint and piece of steel. As time was running out, camping craft was abandoned as 1st Lt. Alexander provided a lighter to get the fire going. Once camp was set up, everyone gathered around the fire to prepare and enjoy whatever chow they had brought along.

After chow, C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander announced a training mission. There was a flurry of activity as everyone checked packs, topped off canteens, and organized themselves into a search party. All were excited to get right to work and were determined to find the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) quickly. However, after two and a half hours, since lights out was rapidly approaching, the staff called off the mission, all returned to base for debriefing, and were then dismissed to prepare for bedtime.

At 0600 the following morning, cadets were awakened for an hour of hardcore PT led by Gregg County Composite Squadron’s C/1st Lt. Zachary Whiteley. After breakfast around a comfortable fire – it was quite chilly that morning – C/CMSgt Kayla Cassel taught classes on Attraction Techniques and Keeping A Team Log. No sooner were the classes over than another mission was called. Cadets formed up, with senior members bringing up the rear. Each was assigned a new position on the team as well as in the search line. Determination was the name of the game, after not hot having found the ELT the night before. After much hard work, the team made their first “find” of the weekend.

Back at the camp and after the usual debriefing, C/1st Lt. Whiteley taught a class on Stretcher Use. Points covered included securing the patient’s neck, proper loading of the stretcher, and proper carrying. Everyone was ready to relax when another mission was called. To add a new wrinkle, this mission included an ELT and a surprise missing survivor. As luck would have it, prior to finding the ELT, the team located the survivor, who had crawled under some brush as he tried to protect himself from the elements. The team carefully moved the survivor on to the back-board and left the area for camp. Once the survivor was safe and secure, the team, minus two monitors left behind for the survivor, went out again, found the ELT, and secured it. A happy return to camp with another "find" to their credit, the team got a debriefing followed by another class.

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[1]-[2] The squadron's safety briefing before leaving the airport. [3] Meal Time: (L-R) C/CMSgt Alexander, C/CMSgt Cassel, C/AB Word, C/1Lt Whiteley, (back to camera) C/A1C Smith, and C/AB Lampley. [4] Litter class taught by C/1st Lt. Whiteley. (Photos: #1-2, Capt. Harold Parks; Others, 2nd Lt. Brian O'Neal)

C/1st Lt. Whiteley taught a class on tying knots, followed by C/CMSgt Kayla Cassel who offered a compass class followed by an innovative navigation course. Class members were able to apply what they had just learned in a fun exercise, leading them through a pre-prepared navigation problem. As each member completed the course, others cheered them on until all had completed it. It was now time to head back to camp for a religious service provided by Lt. Alexander.

Since the day had gone so well and everyone had worked so hard, there was a surprise reward. C/CMSgts Cassel and Alexander left and returned with pizza and sodas for all. Everyone enjoyed the surprise meal and the impromptu entertainment provided, as the cadets attempted one-arm pushups. Lt. Alexander had described a different method of completing this particular exercise, and many cadets rose to the challenge. All enjoyed the performance as a number of cadets attempted to accomplish this feat. C/CMSgt Alexander got carried away and started posing for everyone and demonstrated one arm pushups done the regular way. The fun ended as lights out crept up on them.

Sunday morning dawned cold and windy, with an 0500 wakeup call. Egged on by the need to keep warm, the team located the first ELT within forty-five minutes, hurrying back to the fire. A quick debriefing, followed by breakfast, was topped by congratulations on a fast, successful find. During the meal, the cadet staff announced awards for three cadets: C/A1C Brown earned the Leadership Award, C/SSgt Morton earned the Dedication Award, and C/AB Lamply earned the Most Finds Award.

A new mission was called, the team got ready and organized, and headed out. This mission was the hardest because the ELT was hidden inside a barrel, next to a metal building, and nearly under a high tension line – whew! In spite of all of the obstacles, the team located the ELT, showing the quality of the skills developed during the weekend's training.

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[5] The ground team trainees load the patient safely onto the litter. [6] Ready to move out: (L-R) C/AB Lampley, C/Maj. Mouton, 1st Lt. Alexander, C/CMSgt Cassel, C/A1C Brown (squatting), C/2nd Lt. Alexander, C/CMSgt Alexander, and C/SSgt Morton. [7] FTX participants: (L-R, Front) C/AB Tommy Word, C/AB Jade Lampley, C/A1C Adam Smith, C/A1C Matt Brown, and C/SSgt Sam Morton. (Rear) SSgt Bill Garms, 1st Lt. Farrell Alexander, C/Maj. Steven Mouton, C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander, C/CMSgt Kayla Cassel, C/1st Lt. Zachary Whiteley, and 2nd Lt. Brian O’Neal. [8] C/2nd Lt. Alexander enjoys some night-time fun with night-vision goggles. (Photos: #7, Mrs. Farrell Alexander; Others, 2nd Lt. Brian O'Neal)

Tired but happy, the group returned to camp for their debriefing with a real sense of accomplishment. After breaking camp and area clean-up, the senior members treated the cadets to a hamburger cookout. While the hamburgers were being prepared, the cadets enjoyed their free time with a game of Air Force (Ultimate Football). The game started and, when it began to get somewhat intense, it was time to eat. Competition was forgotten as the cadets stampeded back to the campfire to enjoy their meal. After eating, it was time to head back to the airport and home.

During the weekend, all members experienced every position on a Ground Team and a great deal of training was provided in a short time. Comments about the weekend were all very positive and all mentioned looking forward to the next one. The Anderson County and Tyler Composite Squadrons had been invited but unable to attend. Cadets attending from the Gregg County Composite Squadron were C/1st Lt. Zachary Whiteley, C/SSgt Samuel Morton and C/A1C Adam Smith. Members from the Gladewater Corsairs Composite Squadron included C/2nd Lt. Jarrod Alexander, C/CMSgt Kayla Cassel, C/CMSgt Andrew Alexander, C/A1C Matt Brown, C/AB Tommy Word, C/AB Jade Lampley, 2nd Lt. Brian O’Neal, 1st Lt. Farrell Alexander and SSgt Bill Garms.

(C/CMSgt Kayla Cassel)

Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise, 21-22 March

GEORGETOWN, Texas – Cadets and Senior Members of the Pegasus composite squadron engaged in the Distributed Search and Rescue Exercise (DSAREX) held on the weekend of 21-22 March. The Georgetown Staging Area – a joint effort of the Apollo Composite Squadron, the Pegasus Composite Squadron, and the Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron – hosted aircrew, ground team, and radio operations training.

Shortly after 0800 local time, nine members of Pegasus’ ground team departed Georgetown (GTU) on a simulated mission to locate a white Cessna with the pilot experiencing heart-attack symptoms. The last known location of the Cessna had been overhead the Centex VOR just Northeast of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. To begin the process of intercepting the Cessna, one member of the ground team, C/MSgt Caleb Gross, described as follows, “Using the L-per, we were unable to detect an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal at first, but picked it up as we distanced ourselves from the VHF Omni Range (VOR) station.”

The ground team followed the signal North to Bird’s Nest Airport (6R4). “At Bird’s Nest, we observed a white Cessna on the taxiway and a man resting against a nearby fence,” Gross said.  “The man was indeed the pilot of the targeted aircraft and exhibited symptoms of shock. We took his vitals, raised his feet, and simulated a call to 911.” The ground team was then debriefed on the incident while on-site at Bird’s Nest, and radioed a report to the Georgetown Staging Area.

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[1] Capt. Steve Barclay conducts a communications training session at the Georgetown staging area. [2] 1st Lt. Karl Falken secures the ground team’s communications gear. [3] 1st Lt. Jim Wreyford conducts a debriefing with cadets Shannon, Fowler, and Gross. (Photos: 1st Lt. Mark Petrosky)

After lunch at the nearby Elgin Smokehouse, the team continued North while awaiting a second mission. Along the way, the ground team went into the field to practice line searches, treatment for fatigue, identification of natural hazards, actions if lost, and field sanitation and hygiene. The team then proceeded to the Taylor Airport (T74) to conduct Urban Direction Finding (UDF) training.

Cadet Gross added, “The training was good, but I also enjoyed spending the day with fellow cadets. By the end of the day, I learned a lot. I am working on my Ground Team Member III rating, but learned a lot more than GTM-3 subjects.” C/CMSgt Lance Shannon was also on the ground team, and agreed with Cadet Gross, “I enjoyed the training but, in particular, seeing how the massive VOR transmitter made it impossible for us to detect the Cessna’s ELT until we moved away from it. I was also impressed with how team members fulfilled their own responsibility and the way each person’s role connected to the next to complete the mission.”

Other Pegasus cadets attending the DSAREX included C/1st Lt. Rand Fowler, C/SrA Jake Dennison, C/CMSgt David Hamman, C/Amn Nathan Hamman, C/CMSgt Joshua Wreyford, and C/2nd Lt. Mark Davidson. Senior members representing Pegasus were Lt. Col. Deborah French, 1st Lt. Jim Wreyford, 1st Lt. Bill Davidson,1st Lt. Karl Falken, 2nd Lt. John Christian, and 1st Lt. Mark Petrosky.

(1st Lt. Mark Petrosky)

The Squadron's New Emblem

     TEMPLE, Texas – Squadron members were not happy with their charter name of Bell County Composite Squadron, so they researched a name that would reflect more closely the unit's ties to aviation. Their choice was Shoemaker Composite Squadron, after General Robert M. Shoemaker, who has had close ties to Fort Hood, southwest of Temple, and is a resident of Bell county. Gen. Shoemaker was an excellent role model, who contributed heavily to Army Aviation.

A pioneer in combat Army Aviation, in 1962 he was instrumental in developing the weapons and tactics of combat helicopter operations, taking command of the 1st Air Cavalry Division's 1/9 Squadron in Vietnam, where as commander he was really the test officer. His success assured the new combat role of helicopters that, until then, had been used only as unarmed, all-terrain air vehicles.

His distinguished career included command of the U.S. Army's III Corps (a Lieutenant General command), in 1977 he became Deputy Commander of U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), and a year later was selected as FORSCOM Commander and promoted to General. He retired from the Army in 1982 and lives in the Fort Hood area. He is an Army Aviation Hall of Fame inductee (1983), on 10 Dec 2002 was inducted into the U.S. Army Operational Testers' Hall of Fame, and in 2004 was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy alumni association.

The Squadron's Emblem reflects Gen. Shoemaker's accomplishments and his ties to the area. Overlaid upon the shield, the colors of the Texas Flag in blue, white and red, centered on which is a stylized three-pointed silver star for the Army's III Corps, resembling a 3-blade propeller. Centered on the shield and star, the shape and band of the 1st Cavalry Division's patch, in natural colors of gold and black. On the shield's band, four silver stars denote Gen. Shoemaker's grade. Replacing the Horse Head, the two helicopters denote Gen. Shoemaker's importance as a precursor, innovator, and leader of the Army's Combat Aviation. The added bell stands for Bell County, within which lie both the city of Temple and Fort Hood.

(Lt. Col. Neale Sudduth)

Shoemaker Composite Squadron Awards Ceremony, 14 February

TEMPLE, Texas – For most people, February 14th is a time to celebrate St. Valentine's Day. For the cadets, senior members, parents, and guests of Civil Air Patrol's Shoemaker Composite Squadron it was something different. The squadron would hold a promotion ceremony for some of the outstanding cadets of the squadron, present a prestigious award to the squadron commander, and honor the squadron's namesake, General Robert M. Shoemaker, USA (Ret).

Shoemaker Composite Squadron, serving the Temple/Killeen area and a member of Group III, Texas Wing, honored the achievements of four squadron cadets, as well as the Squadron Commander.

General Shoemaker arrived early with his wife, escorted by CAP Captain Chelle Anderson, and the ceremony began promptly at 0900, with a prayer from the squadron chaplain, Chaplain (Capt.) Gregory Knippa.

After the invocation, Capt. Anderson welcomed the guests as well as the honored dignitaries: the Group III Commander, Lt. Col. Owen Younger and General Robert Shoemaker. General Shoemaker graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1946 and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. In 1960, Gen. Shoemaker earned his aviator's wings. He was sent to Vietnam and later assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He returned to the U.S. after his second tour, and then was assigned to a third tour of duty in Vietnam, this time as Chief of Staff for the 1st Cavalry Division. In 1969, Gen. Shoemaker became Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division. After the Vietnam war, Gen. Shoemaker returned to the United States and served as commander of the 1st Cavalry Division and then Commander of the III Corps. He retired in 1982, was inducted in the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983, and in the Army Operational Testers' Hall of Fame in 2002.

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[1] The honored squadron cadets, after receiving their awards. [2] Gen. Shoemaker joins the cadets. [3] Senior members and cadets, with Gen. Shoemaker. [4] Lt. Col. Sudduth, Gen. Shoemaker, and Capt. Anderson, as Gen. Shoemaker accepts his new flag, a gift from the squadron. (Photos: Mrs. Gail Chandler)

Captain Anderson briefly discussed the integrity, excellence, and commitment to Civil Air Patrol possessed by the individuals being distinguished. The recipients were then presented with their awards.

Lt. Col. Neale Sudduth received his Gill Rob Wilson Award, C/Capt Raquel Gomez-Simmons and C/Capt. Joshua Pravel were both presented their Amelia Earhart Awards, C/2nd Lt. John Gomez-Simmons accepted his General Billy Mitchell Award, and C/SSgt. Nathan Arauco received his Wright Brothers Award, all of them having completed important milestones in the CAP program.

This was a specially meaningful day for two families. C/Capt. Raquel Gomez-Simmons became the first member of her family to have received the Amelia Earhart Award and her brother, C/2nd Lt. John Gomez-Simmons, became the fourth member of his family to have received the Billy Mitchell Award. C/Capt. Joshua Pravel became the third member of his family to have received the Amelia Earhart Award, and the fifth member in his family to have received the General Billy Mitchell Award. Gen. Shoemaker presented each award.

Gen. Shoemaker and Lt. Col. Younger congratulated the honorees, and then Gen. Shoemaker took some time to tell the cadets how proud he was of their achievements. The general also briefly discussed some of the cadet's career goals, saying to the recognized individuals, "I'm very proud of you, and I know you will go far."

As soon as the members had been honored, the Squadron Commander, Lt Col Sudduth, presented Gen. Shoemaker with the first-issued patch which he had modeled after achievements in Gen. Shoemaker's life, as well as some of his own interests. The general was very pleased, and thanked the Squadron for having asked him to be present at the ceremony.

As a special gift, Captain Anderson presented the general with his own general's flag. General Shoemaker's previous flag had gone missing after visiting a military installation. The General was pleased that the Squadron had chosen to honor him in this way.

The Shoemaker Composite Squadron had been even more honored in having had him and his wife in attendance.

(C/Capt Joshua Pravel)