(1)
Maj. Greg Schulz, Wisconsin Wing assistant director of professional development, makes a presentation during the Corporate Learning Course.
(2)
Senior Member Mary Flaminio of Milwaukee Senior Special Squadron 10 is all smiles while trying out the hovercraft in the aerospace education training class.
(3)
Participants in the public affairs training.
Photos by Capt James Kalemis
1st Lt. Jeri Gonwa
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
Wisconsin Wing
WISCONSIN – More than 60 Wisconsin Wing members gathered Feb. 19-21 at Volk Field Air National Guard Base as the wing hosted its inaugural professional development weekend, featuring multiple courses typically offered one at a time and only at the group level.
Training covered a variety of specialty tracks available to Civil Air Patrol senior members. Courses included:
- Training Leaders of Cadets – Essential for senior members interested in learning the fine art of training cadets to become a leader in their squadrons and communities, Maj. Joseph Hackett, the wing’s director of cadet programs, taught this two-day course.
- The Corporate Learning Course – Led by Maj. Greg Schulz, assistant director of professional development for the wing, this training focused on the Civil Air Patrol squadron’s relationship with the next major echelon of command – the wing. The course covered wing staff officers’ working relationships with each other and with their squadron-level counterparts, as well as how wing-level operations help accomplish the three missions of CAP – aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services.
- Aerospace Education – This one-day course, taught by Lt. Col. Woody Williams, the wing’s director of aerospace education, featured hands-on activities, most notably allowing participants to try out a hovercraft.
- Emergency Services – Lt. Col. Chris Trossen, Timmerman Composite Squadron commander, led this half-day course. The class touched on and answered questions such as: “I'm the Squadron ES Officer – Now What Do I Do?”; “Navigating the ES Training roadmap;” “ES Training Resources;” “Requesting ES Ratings” and “ES Training Opportunities.”
- Public Affairs – Maj. Al Pabon, national public affairs team leader, guided the training for members who want to help tell the CAP story and to protect the organization’s image. In addition, Capt. James Kalemis, Great Lakes Region deputy chief of staff for cadet programs, shared with participants not only the importance of taking pictures, but also how to take a better-than-average picture.
Plans are already in the works for another professional development training weekend next year.
