• Beach Cities Cadet Squadron 107 of the California Wing.
   
• the Seacoast Composite Squadron of the New Hampshire Wing.
   
• Willie Composite Squadron 304 of the Arizona Wing.

The other teams competing in the finals come from F.W. Springstead High School in Spring Hill, Fla.; Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, N.Y.; Rome Free Academy in Rome, N.Y.; and Clearfield High School in Clearfield, Utah.

During the Medalist Flight competition, competitors had only six hours to find and correct vulnerabilities in a virtual network made possible by Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC). They were tracked and scored according to success and speed.

In the championship round, the cadets will compete in the most complicated series of live challenges yet, against a “Red Team” opponent that will actively counter their defense strategies using a commercial platform called CyberNEXS, donated by SAIC.

The competition benefits greatly from the active participation and advice of Dr. Greg White, director of the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS), who also created and conducts the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. White serves as a colonel in the Air Force Reserve in the field of cyber security.

“CyberPatriot II has been a tremendous success and an excellent learning opportunity,” said S. Sanford Schlitt, AFA’s vice chairman of the board for aerospace education. “As a career field, cyber defense is essential to our nation’s prosperity and national security.

“One of our primary missions at AFA is promoting education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and we’re so proud to spearhead this exciting educational program.”

The coach of the Beach Cities squadron’s cyber defense team, Senior Member Mark Lupfer, acknowledges the popularity of CyberPatriot II, particularly among Civil Air Patrol squadrons. “CAP has really grown throughout this year’s competition,” Lupfer said. 

Last year, only one CAP team was in the final eight, compared with seven Air Force Junior ROTC teams. This year, CAP teams made up about one-quarter of the contestants to start but ended the competition as half of a 50-50 split.

The Beach Cities team carries a lot of momentum into the championship round. It received the highest score in the Medalist Flight competition and easily advanced to the finals.

Others, like cadets from the Willie Composite Squadron, say it isn’t just about the competition. “CyberPatriot taught us how to better secure our computers; we learned valuable skills, and came home smarter and wiser,” Cadet Master Sgt. Josh Burton said. “And we’ve had a lot of fun, too.”

The Willie squadron, headed by Cadet Master Sgt. Lynne Scholz, team leader, and coached by 2nd Lt. Jeff Alloway and Capt. Kenneth Conteen, is one of the largest teams in the finals. Seven cadets make up the team the team – Burton and Scholz; Cadet Master Sgts. Daniel Haasch and Noah Burton; Cadet Staff Sgts. Shanna Anderson and Adam Graunke; and Cadet Senior Airman Daniel Scholz.

Another CAP finalist, the Seacoast Composite Squadron, is fielding perhaps the smallest team — only two members, which makes its achievement all the more impressive. Teams competing in CyberPatriot II can have up to five players, with up to another five as alternates.

The Seacoast entry’s coach, Capt. Donald J. Norris, said Cadet Airman Basic Trevor Bergeron has been the team’s driving force, aided by Cadet Airman 1st Class James C. Mackaman. 

Bergeron says this about the competition: “The best way to learn is to challenge yourself, and this is a great way to do that.”

• Col. Gary Tobey, former Rocky Mountain Region and Colorado Wing commander.
   
• Col. Jack Buschmann, former Colorado Wing commander.
   
• Col. Robert Cook, former Wyoming Wing commander.
   
• Various senior and cadet members of the Colorado Wing.

Taps was played by Cadet 1st Lt. Skylar Caldwell of the Colorado Wing’s Thompson Valley Composite Squadron. O’Brien was project officer and host, Lt. Col. Sid Altum provided the invocation, and Capt. George Dengler served as assistant to O’Brien. First Lt. Beth Biscardi of the Valkyrie Cadet Squadron and photographer Kim Long documented the event.
 
“It was the warmest of ceremonies on the coldest of December days,” O’Brien said.
 
 

(2)
Edwards, third from left, second row, was among the former CAP leaders, current leaders and cadets who shared in the Rehoboth Beach Historical Marker ceremony held in 2006 in Delaware. The marker, which commemorates CAP volunteers and their efforts in World War II, was erected in memory of four subchasers who died during the war.
Photo by Lt. Col. Robert W. Turner, Delaware Wing

Steve Cox
Public Affairs Manager
CAP National Headquarters

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- One of Civil Air Patrol’s most famous World War II “subchasers,” honored for heroism by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, died on Saturday, Dec. 5, after a long illness. He was 96 years old.

Col. Edmond I. “Eddie” Edwards was widely known as the first Coastal Patrol (later Civil Air Patrol) pilot to spot a Nazi U-boat and radio its position to U.S. naval forces. The vessel crash-dived and headed farther out to sea, where it was less of a menace to U.S. shipping. This occurred on March 10, 1942, near the start of the war.

“He was probably one of the first subchasers to see the enemy,” said Roger Thiel, a senior member and independent historian with CAP.

Based at Coastal Patrol Base 2 in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Edwards flew sub-hunting patrols offshore Delaware and Maryland, safeguarding oil tankers headed for Delaware Bay. The patrols were important because German U-boats were common along the Atlantic shoreline, sinking ships, barges and oil tankers, almost at will, in the early days of the war. The Navy and Army did not have the manpower to prevent the attacks. In one month alone, 52 ships were sunk.

Edwards and the others who flew with him became known as subchasers. They painted their light aircraft – mostly Stinsons and Fairchilds -- red and yellow. They flew daily from dawn to dusk, logging more than 24 million miles from 21 Coastal Patrol bases along America’s East and Gulf coasts. They hunted U-boats “from Maine to Mexico.” And they were quite successful, finding 173 subs, attacking 57, hitting 10 and sinking two. (CAP planes eventually carried bombs and depth charges while on patrol.)

Their effectiveness at deterring coastal U-boat operations in 1942 and early 1943 was instrumental in making CAP an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, which it is today. A German naval commander later confirmed that the U-boats had been withdrawn from the Atlantic Ocean because of those “damned red and yellow (CAP) planes.

In a Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame symposium, Edwards – a 2002 inductee – was asked how many missions he flew with Civil Air Patrol. “Missions! Heck, we flew every day!” quipped Edwards. That added up to some 300 patrols. In fact, records revealed that early Coastal Patrol pilots flew even on days when weather grounded military aviation.

Despite his notoriety as one of the very first subchasers, Thiel said Edwards held “celebrity status” within CAP as one of the first Coastal Patrol pilots awarded the Air Medal for heroism during World War II. He and his commanding officer, the late Maj. Hugh R. Sharp Jr., received the medal after Roosevelt heard of their daring rescue of a fellow airman downed in bitterly cold high seas off Maryland.

Edwards, in an interview for the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer in 2006, clearly remembered the rescue of 1st Lt. Henry Cross that earned him the medal and subchaser fame. “I got the call that one of our planes was down, and Maj. Sharp asked me to go with him,” said Edwards. “We had no trouble finding the crash site. We spotted a body, so we made an emergency landing and fished him out. He was alive, but we never found the other guy.”

The rescue on July 21, 1942, required that Edwards and Sharp land their aircraft, a Sikorsky S-63 single-engine amphibian piloted by Sharp, in swells reaching 8- to 10-feet high and, in the process, they crushed the left pontoon. So, to get back to Base 2, Edwards accomplished a daring feat by climbing out onto the right wing and using his weight to level the plane. A half-frozen Edwards clung there through the night until the early morning hours of the next day before a Coast Guard boat water taxied the unflyable aircraft to shore.

Roosevelt conferred the Air Medal to Edwards and Sharp in a White House ceremony in February of 1943. By that time, Edwards had joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a flight instructor and later piloted Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers on patrols out of Hawaii.

“I was ushered into the Oval Office and decorated by FDR,” said Edwards, in the 2006 interview, which commemorated CAP’s 65th anniversary. “Of course, I was honored to receive the medal, but I was also so impressed with FDR.”

Though Edwards and Sharp were the first civilians to receive the Air Medal, they were soon joined by others from their own ranks. By the end of World War II, 800 Air Medals had been presented to CAP members.

Edwards served in the Navy for three years, attaining the rank of senior-grade lieutenant. He served 27 years in the Navy Reserve, during which he pursued an active role in Delaware civil aviation. For a number of years, he ran the FBO and instructed at Weimer Airport at Newark, Del.

Thiel, a longtime acquaintance of Edwards who frequently visited with him during annual Coastal Patrol Base 2 reunions in Rehoboth Beach, said he often downplayed his notoriety.

“Eddie never considered himself special for the high profile personal recognition by President Roosevelt, often saying of the rescue for which his Air Medal was awarded, ‘Anyone could have done it,’ ” said Thiel. “His accomplishments and humility indicate the heroic capabilities of regular U.S. citizens, especially in Civil Air Patrol.”

A lifelong pilot, Edwards flew his own plane until the age of 85, flying out of Summit Aviation in Middletown, Del. He was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and donated time to the Perry Point VA Medical Center. He also was a member of Civil Air Patrol, the Rotary Clubs of Middletown and Newark, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Stephenson Lodge #135), OX5 Aviation Pioneers, Quite Birdmen and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was an early supporter of the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village in Dover, Del.

In 2006, Edwards was present for a ceremony unveiling the Rehoboth Beach Historical Marker, which was erected in memory of four Base 2 subchasers who died during World War II. In 2007, Civil Air Patrol promoted Edwards to the rank of colonel.

Edwards is survived by his wife, Blanche, and a son and two daughters: Edmond Jr., who lives in Missouri; Linda Jones of Shillington, Pa.; and Patricia Dawson of Bear, Del. His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at R.T. Foard & Jones Funeral Home, located at 122 W. Main St. in Newark. Friends and family may visit one hour prior to the service. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heartland Hospice, 256 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19711, or the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village, 866 North DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

 

  
Steve Cox
Public Affairs Manager
Kristi Carr
Staff Writer
National Headquarters

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- While Wreaths Across America observations were being held at state capitols across the nation Tuesday,  special attention was given — and received — at the west steps of the U.S. Capitol, overlooking the Washington Mall.

There a wreath was placed and guarded for four hours by the Civil Air Patrol’s Middle East Region Honor Guard, under the command of Lt. Col. Patricia Gaylin, the region’s cadet activities officer.

U.S. Air Force Reserve Col. Mark Weston traveled specifically from the Pentagon to the Capitol to help place the wreath there.

The pomp and circumstance drew a crowd as many Capitol employees came to pay their respects to the message the wreath signified: Remember the sacrifice of veterans. Lt. Col. Jett Mayhew of CAP National Headquarters, who helped plan the event, said many could be overheard sharing their stories, which usually started, “My grandfather (or my father) served….”

Many tourists — including several from countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Japan — also appeared, hoping to capture this slice of American life with their cameras.

The ceremony at the Capitol was one of several national Wreaths Across America observances held over the past few days, beginning with a new event — the HART (Honoring Allies and Remembering Together) ceremony at the U.S.-Canadian border Sunday.

The HART observance honored the service and sacrifice of military veterans from the U.S. and Canada. A centerpiece of the ceremony was a wreath exchange on Ferry Point Bridge, which spans the St. Croix River and connects Calais, Maine, with St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

“Our mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. Worcester and her husband, Morrill, are the owners of Worcester Wreath Co. in Harrington, Maine, and the founders of Wreaths Across America.

The HART ceremony was organized to recognize all veterans, including young men and women from Canada who are serving or served in the U.S. military. Participants included America’s Gold Star Mothers, Civil Air Patrol, Cadets Canada of the Department of National Defense and dignitaries representing both nations.

After a parade, CAP cadets escorted the Gold Star Mothers to the center of the bridge, where they were met by the Air Cadets of Canada Band, which performed both countries’ national anthems. Following a round of speeches, the Gold Star Mothers presented a wreath to the Canadian cadets to be placed nearby at the war memorial in St. Stephen.

After Gold Star Mother Kathryn T. Cross read a poem, a moment of silence was held to remember and honor those who served.

“It was a great way to recognize and remember all young men and women from Canada who are serving or served in the U.S. military and to teach our younger generation about the sacrifices these individuals make for our freedom,” said Col. Dan Leclair, commander of the Maine Wing , which is actively involved with Wreaths Across America. “It was an afternoon all of us will remember.”
 
The silence was soon broken by taps, played by a member of the Air Cadets of Canada band.

The ceremony, the first of what is hoped to be an annual observance, opened a full week of activity for Wreaths Across America, which provides remembrance wreaths for wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 400 veterans cemeteries and memorials nationwide and 24 other national cemeteries abroad. In all, more than 150,000 wreaths will be placed this year.

Wreaths Across America began in 2006 as an offshoot of the Arlington National Cemetery wreath project, which began in 1992 with the annual placement of wreaths donated by Worcester Wreath Co.

Karen Worcester recalled the project’s genesis when, as a boy, her husband first saw the rows upon rows of white markers at Arlington. “How very important this is to bring together a new generation of young people so they will visit and honor the veterans’ final resting place,” she said.

This year’s national Wreaths Across America observance at Arlington is set for Dec. 12 and will feature 16,000 wreaths donated by Worcester Wreath., Wal-Mart, the USO and other corporate sponsors. The wreaths are being transported in seven tractor-trailers on a 750-mile journey from Harrington, Maine, after a sendoff ceremony Monday and will arrive at Arlington about 7:15 a.m. Dec. 12, in time for the national Wreaths Across America ceremony and moment of remembrance.

The route to Arlington is one the longest annual veterans’ celebrations as patriotic Americans, veterans groups and other local organizations show their support for the project with parades and ceremonies at more than 20 stops along the way. Motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders, an organization of more than 65,000 whose primary mission is to attend the funerals of fallen heroes nationwide, is accompanying the trucks to Arlington.
 
The national Wreaths Across America ceremony and moment of remembrance are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EST at the McClellan Arch, near the cemetery entrance. At the same time, other Wreaths Across America observances will be held simultaneously at veterans’ cemeteries and memorials throughout the U.S. 

Follow the progress of the wreaths from Maine to Arlington with live feeds from Twitter. Visit the Wreaths Across America Web site for more information about Wreaths Across America and participating locations. 

Col. Dan Leclair, Maine Wing commander; Capt. Grace Stapf, professional development officer of the Maryland Wing’s Mount Airy Composite Squadron; and 1st Lt. Mary Story, Maine Wing public affairs officer, all contributed to this story.
 

(2)
Alice and Daryl Monroe.

(3)
With her son and his friends posing for the photo, Alice created this poster and billboard to help raise awareness of breast cancer as a health risk for men.

(4)
Members of the Grand Junction, Colo., SWAT team participate in a breast cancer walk in honor of Daryl Monroe.

(5)
The 1939 Fairchild aircraft that CAP that Daryl Monroe restored with his wife's help.

(6)
The Fairchild's instrument  panel.


Jennifer S. Kornegay
Contributing Writer

This year alone, millions of Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer -- but if you asked the average person how many of those people will be male, you’d probably get a confused look.

Even a quick Internet search of breast cancer statistics would have you believe that the disease exclusively affects women.

These are facts all too familiar to Alice Monroe of Grand Junction, Colo. Her husband, Daryl, was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, at age 67. He died New Year’s Day.

“Nine out of 10 men have no idea that they could get breast cancer,” Alice Monroe said. “I’m trying to change that.”

After watching Daryl, a pilot and member of CAP’s Thunder Mountain Composite Squadron, fight breast cancer, Alice knew she was destined to help other men avoid the same fate.

“Daryl was paramedic and a medical captain for the fire department,” she said. “His whole life was committed to caring for other people. Now I want to use his legacy to continue to help others.

“I know that’s what he would want.”

By the time Daryl’s breast cancer was detected, he was Stage 4. “His mom had breast cancer, and I’m a registered nurse and know that men can get breast cancer, but even I wasn’t looking for it,” Alice said.

“Because many men aren’t even aware that they can have breast cancer, they are rarely diagnosed early, when treatment can be most effective.”

Adding to the problem, almost all breast cancer awareness programs focus on women — and use gratuitous amounts of pink to get the message across.

“When Daryl was going through treatment, there was pink everywhere, and there was no information relating to men and breast cancer,” Alice said.

She brought a blue flower to place in the middle of a pink bouquet at Daryl’s oncologist office, and then she decided to address the other issue — the lack of education and awareness targeting men.

“It’s so important that men understand that they can get breast cancer, too,” Alice said. “If men were checked for breast cancer routinely, particularly if they have other risk factors, they could be diagnosed early just like women. Many women are being cured today, while men with breast cancer are dying.”

To spread her message, Alice started with one of her sons, enlisting him and a few of his friends for a photo op. “I got them to ride to the top of one of the mountains here on their motorcycles and pose for a photo with their shirts off. I used the photo to make posters and a billboard that said, ‘Real Men Get Breast Cancer Too,’ and listed risk factors and early warning signs of breast cancer in men.”

Alice was paying the local billboard company in installments as she could -- until one day when they told her to stop. “They took on the rest of the cost themselves,” she said. “Then others started to pitch in. Our local Junior Service League chose to assist my efforts by giving us a grant and developing a Web site for the project.”

The local sheriff’s department SWAT team participated in a breast cancer relay in honor of Daryl while wearing T-shirts that read, “SWAT, Afraid of Nothing but Breast Cancer.”

Since beginning her awareness campaign, Alice said, she has heard from some men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer who instead claim they have prostate cancer. “Some men see it as questioning their manhood.”

(3)
Senior Member Cindy Osuna waits at Portsmouth International Airport in Pease, N.H., where she and other Pease Greeters gathered to welcome American troops back to the States and thank them for their service overseas.


Jennifer S. Kornegay
Contributing Writer

VERMONT -- “The hugs are the best,” Senior Member Cindy Osuna said as she tried to put into words the impetus that moved her to drive over 150 miles each way to wait, sometimes for hours, in an airport lobby just to say “welcome home” or “thank you” to service members on their way to or from deployment.

“Until you’ve been there, you can’t explain it,” said Osuna, a member of the Springfield Composite Squadron. “It’s a long trip, and it is tiring, but I try to fit it in because it is worth it.

“Once you go and see what an important role you play, you want to go every time you can make it.”

As part of a group known as the Pease Greeters, Osuna and her fellow greeters offer support to complete strangers at a critical time. “Especially for those that are leaving home, heading overseas, they get boosted morale,” she said. “They’re just stopping to refuel, and then they are greeted by all these cheering people. It touches them.”

Sometimes even the greeters don’t really know each other, but that all changes after a few moments together. “When I walk in I get an immediate response from other greeters, whether I know them or not,” Osuna said. “It’s like a family.”

Pease Greeters was started in 2005. The group consists of volunteer veterans and civilians who travel to Portsmouth International Airport in Pease, N.H., every time a plane carrying troops either leaves for deployment or returns home.

The greeters give the troops drinks, snacks and a heartfelt show of support. The group just recently celebrated greeting its 300th flight.

Osuna joined the Springfield squadron in 2009. Her reasons for joining Civil Air Patrol further illustrate her giving nature.

“I really have a lot on my plate,” she said. “I am the program associate for health services and counseling at Landmark College, and I’m also the commander of the Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars as well as state director of VFW Youth Activities. I went to a CAP meeting to form a relationship between CAP and VFW.”

She got a little more than she bargained for — she got recruited.

“At that meeting they told me that they really needed a female senior officer so female cadets could attend encampments,” Osuna said. “I hated to think about a female cadet missing out because there weren’t enough senior female officers, so that’s the main reason I joined.

“When I was in the Air Force, there were fewer opportunities for women, so I know what it’s like. I wanted to do whatever I could to help other females get as much as they can out of organizations like CAP.”

Ozona’s squadron commander, Lt. Col. David Mikelson, is thrilled to have her. “We approached Cindy and said we needed a female senior officer; she said, ‘Sure,’” Mikelson said.

“It means so much to those girls who’ve been able to attend an encampment because of her. She’s also going to be our public affairs officer once she finishes the training. We see her as a real catch, a great addition.”

Osuna met her first flight with the Pease Greeters in January, joining 200 others to offer a pat on the back and words of encouragement to troops.

“There are no dues, no meetings, but once you’ve greeted one flight, you’re a part of the group,” she said. “I do it because I want our military men and women to know that there are people back home supporting them.”

The entire experience is rewarding for greeted and greeters alike, as Osuna explained. “It motivates them to know that we’re supportive, that we understand. They send us e-mails and tell us how we impact them,” she said. “And for the greeters, we get the camaraderie, the friendships.”

And the memories.

“Every time is different, and I remember each one,” Osuna said. “I remember this National Guardsman who gave me the patch off his shoulder to give to my granddad, who was 1st Calvary in World War II and the Korean War. Now my granddad has a 1st Calvary patch from Iraq.”

She’d like to get CAP cadets involved with the Pease Greeters, if she can work out the timing.

“The troops love seeing kids there, and I know the cadets would really get something out of it, too.”









 

Good reading for good leaders

• “If not now, when? Duty and Sacrifice in America,” by retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs, recounts how he came to be chosen to receive the Medal of Honor. The book is laced with Jacobs’ observations about how today’s citizens handle, or fail to handle, the demands their country makes on them. 
   
• “Rules & Tools for Leaders,” by retired U.S. Air Force  Maj. Gen. Perry M. Smith, gives advice on how to run an organization.
   
• “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty,” by Peter Collier, portrays the stories of living Medal of Honor recipients, who today number 93.

Photo by Senior Member Brittney Ferreira

(7)
(From left) Maj. Steve Brewer, Lt. Col. Gary Hunt and Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Rytting file preflight plans Oct. 15 with Base Operations.

Photo by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron

(8-10)

Air Force Maj. “Bat” Simmons, Alaska Red Air mission commander, takes questions at the conclusion of his pre-mission brief during Red Flag – Alaska exercises Oct. 15/

Photos by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron


Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron
Public Affairs Officer
71st Composite Squadron
Alaska Wing

ALASKA -- The Alaska Wing provided the U.S. Air Force with valuable assistance in training domestic and allied pilots during the 2009 Red Flag – Alaska season, contributing aircraft, pilots and crews to the effort.

Red Flag-Alaska is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. joint and coalition forces. The exercise provides joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close air support and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment.

U.S. and allied pilots, aircrews and operational support personnel train and improve their air combat skills in preparation for a myriad of worldwide contingencies.

The exercises are held on the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex -- the largest training range in America, totaling more than 65,000 square miles. Air operations are flown out of Eielson and Elmendorf air force bases.

The 2009 exercises
CAP participation in the 2009 exercises -- which spanned three two-week blocks, taking place April 16- May 1, July 23- Aug. 7 and Oct. 1-16 -- provided an added dimension to the exercises.

“In daily training at home station, fighter aircraft generally practice against their own kind, F-15 versus F-15,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Rytting, chief of advanced programs for the 353rd Combat Training Squadron as well as commander of the Alaska Wing’s Eielson 71st Composite Squadron. “The opportunity to fight dissimilar F-15 versus F-16 is highly valued but infrequent for most pilots. Even when they fight dissimilar, however, they're both doing 350-plus knots and operating in the same environment.

“Fighter pilots virtually never get to train in a combat-like setting against aircraft simulating low and slow targets ... until now,” Rytting said.

During Red Flag-Alaska large force employment exercises, CAP aircraft assisted Red Force Aggressors by providing just such targets.

“These low and slow aircraft provide unique three-dimensional problems for high-tech fighters that spend most of their time between 20,000 and 40,000 feet,” Rytting said.

“Our potential adversaries have certain aircraft -- Antonov AN-2 Colts, for example -- that fly just above the trees at about 100 knots,” he said. “These propeller-driven aircraft are used for various missions, including behind-the-lines parachute insertion of special operations forces.”

CAP aircraft from all over Alaska participated in the exercises.

“For this latest exercise, we used four corporate aircraft -- a DHC-2, C-185, C-182 and a C-172 -- to simulate the high-wing AN-2 Colt, and one low-winged multi-engine privately owned CAP member aircraft to ensure a significant difference of aircraft design,” said Maj. Steve Brewer, operations officer for the Eielson 71st.

The twin-engine aircraft was added to the scenario for two of the four training days as a neutral-country, nonhostile aircraft that couldn’t be shot down, furthering the requirement for crews to visually identify each aircraft before firing.

The 71st Composite became uniquely positioned to provide low and slow support to the Air Force when it gained a new commander and operations officer in Rytting and Brewer, whose day jobs in the 353rd Combat Training Squadron directly support planning and execution of Red Flag -- Alaska and other exercises.

"With ELT and other CAP searches declining rapidly in Alaska, mission development became very important,” Rytting said. “I wanted members to feel a strong sense of purpose and saw an obvious opportunity to use CAP assets and crews to support the Air Force.

“Having several active-duty Air Force pilots and Department of Defense civilians in our squadron working at Red Flag gave us needed experience, knowledge and contacts to make these missions happen,” he said.

As a training resource, CAP’s “value to the Air Force is absolutely phenomenal,” Rytting added. “Last Thursday, the entire exercise except CAP and eight F-16s was cancelled for a massive cloud deck. They sent dozens of planes home from the airspace. 

“The F-16s intercepted us at low altitude and received the only training of the day. Had we not been there, it would have been a wash.”

For CAP pilot and crew participating in Red Flag – Alaska, no day is average.

“The day prior to the mission,” Brewer said, “the designated lead pilot for the CAP aircraft will spend four to six hours planning and coordinating the CAP aircraft route of flight with Air Force exercise planners.”

Then, “the day of the exercise mission the crews attend a mass briefing with all the exercise participants four hours prior to takeoff,” he continued. “Then they attend a smaller briefing with the Red Air mission commander, and finally a brief with just the CAP crews to ensure all safety measures are in place, and all crewmembers’ questions are answered.”

The CAP crews benefit from their participation just as the Air Force pilots do.

“Red Flag provides a special opportunity for squadron pilots, scanners and observers to watch the military at work in a simulated combat environment, sometimes up-close and personal,” Rytting said. “Crews attend mission briefs and debriefs and see how their involvement adds to the scenario.

“Sister services and coalition forces are often also involved. While CAP flies at a relatively low 1,000 feet above ground level, some fighter aircraft such as the French Mirages that recently participated flew much lower,” he said.

For many CAP crews the demands and limitations of military flying provide a new experience.

“Flying Red Flag missions has expanded the knowledge base of CAP pilots into the realm of military exercises and military fighter training requirements,” Brewer said.  “Our CAP crews have improved their visual scanning skills, and pilots are more effective and accurate at executing low-level flights and meeting timing requirements of plus- or minus-30-second windows for arriving at required waypoints.”

The hard work and attention to detail has paid off for the CAP crews.

“On Tuesday, two of our three aircraft made it to the target,” Rytting said. “We're 4-for-6, by the way. This proves the difficulty of targeting these unique threats in a large force employment exercise.”

The Air Force pays for CAP to furnish training aids. “The cost is just over $1,000 per day to have four aircraft participate in the visual identification exercise,” Brewer said.

In addition, the CAP pilots and crews walk away from the exercise with a strong sense of accomplishment.

"I’ve really enjoyed being a CAP Aggressor pilot," said Capt. Brad Sipperley, deputy commander of the Ninth Composite Operations Squadron.

A certified flight instructor, Sipperley is a retired Air Force chief of weather station operations now employed with the National Weather Service.

"I’m sitting in the briefings as a pilot and watching the weather briefers do what I did for so long and training with and against such a diverse number of pilots and crew from different nations and services," he said.






 

(2) The cadet’s solo challenge coin.

(3) Cadet Master Sgt. Lydia Fairchild.

(4) Coming in for landing on her solo flight.

(5) Finished painting the hold short line.

(6) Atop an Alaskan glacier.


 

1st Lt. Richard Fairchild
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
New York Wing

NEW YORK – Learning to fly is quite a feat in itself.

For Cadet Master Sgt. Lydia Fairchild, though, flying is only the beginning, thanks to her ultimate goal – becoming a missionary pilot.

For the second summer in a row, Fairchild spent 10 weeks at a missionary air base, Kingdom Air Corps, in Sutton, Alaska, northeast of Anchorage. In addition to learning how to become a pilot, she grappled with the sort of work it takes to become a missionary -- from chopping down trees to create a runway to mowing grass landing strips, cooking meals for 40 people, preparing teaching materials and so much more. 

The 16-year-old Owego Composite Squadron member also learned to maintain aircraft in the field in areas handy repair facilities may not exist. She also learned to take apart and put a plane back together, then have it fly.

All those lessons were put into practice by flying more than 500 miles due north and spending two weeks above the Arctic Circle working with Eskimo children.

Fairchild was well prepared for the aerial aspect of the adventure before she arrived. Even before becoming legal to drive on the roads, she was already pursuing another type of license —  one for the sky.

On June 26 she took to the sky in a Cessna 152 all alone. It was her first solo flight.

On Oct. 22, when she turns 17, Fairchild will be qualified to test for her pilot’s license. If she passes she’ll become part of a rare breed — the estimated 2 percent of certified pilots in the U.S. who are teenagers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Fairchild is already used to being in a distinct minority – she was the only teenage pilot at Kingdom Air Corps.

Not that she minded. She was looking for something different to do during the summer -- something that will become an important part of her life. 

“It is what I want to do with my life; besides, it’s fun to do,” Fairchild said.

FAA regulations allow pilots to fly a plane at any age. At 16 they are allowed to fly by themselves, without a flight instructor or passengers, though they must be at least 17 and have accumulated a minimum of 40 hours of flight instruction to obtain a recreational pilot’s certificate or a private pilot’s certificate.

This school year, Fairchild worked very hard to complete ground school with the help of her flight instructor, Neil Lawton. She also managed some local flying out of Tri-Cities Airport in Broome County.

Not only did she complete the ground training before leaving for Alaska, but she passed her FAA written exam with an 88 percent score, underwent her FAA medical exam and received her student pilot’s license.

So far she has completed more than 30 hours of in-flight instruction, including her solo flying in Alaska.

In addition to flying, she has learned how to complete a preflight inspection – including checking the oil level, checking the fuel to make sure there’s no condensation seeping into the tank and inspecting the wheels for wear and tear.

But before Fairchild even begins the preflight, she checks the weather on a government Web site to determine if conditions are favorable for flying -- because in the air, knowledge of the weather is critical.
 
It’s all quite a lot for a 16-year-old to take on, but she is well on her way to realizing her dream, and the population of certified teenage – and missionary – pilots appears destined to increase by one.
 

Photo courtesy of NASA

Kylie Clem
Johnson Space Center, Houston

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Air Force Col. Eric A. Boe, the Civil Air Patrol member who took his Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award coin into space during his first flight as a space shuttle pilot last year, has been assigned to reprise that role on the last scheduled space shuttle mission, targeted to launch in September 2010.

The eight-day mission, designated STS-133, will carry a pressurized logistics module to the International Space Station.

Boe was the pilot of STS-126 from Nov. 14-30, 2008. He first soloed in an airplane as a Georgia Wing cadet in a CAP encampment and earned the Spaatz award, the highest achievement for a CAP cadet, in July 1983.

Now a senior member with the Florida Wing’s Eglin Composite Squadron, Boe has a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Veteran shuttle commander and retired Air Force Col. Steven W. Lindsey will command STS-133. Mission specialists are shuttle mission veteran Air Force Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr. and long-duration spaceflight veterans Michael R. Barratt, Army Col. Timothy L. Kopra and Nicole P. Stott.

Lindsey is chief of the Astronaut Office. Long-duration spaceflight veteran and former space station commander Peggy A. Whitson – a flight engineer aboard the station during Expedition 5 in 2002 and the commander of Expedition 16 in 2007-2008 -- has been named his successor when he transitions in October to training for his spaceflight.

Lindsey will be making his fifth shuttle flight. He served as the pilot of STS-87 in 1997 and STS-95 in 1998, then commanded STS-104 in 2001 and STS-121 in 2006.

 Drew flew as a mission specialist on STS-118 in 2007 and is director of operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. He has two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree from the Air Force Academy and a master's degree from Embry Riddle University.

Barratt, a medical doctor is on his first mission, aboard the space station as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20. He launched to the station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft March 26 and is due to return to Earth on the same Soyuz on Oct. 11. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, a master's degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a doctorate of medicine from Northwestern University.

Kopra just completed his first spaceflight as a flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 20. He launched July 15 on shuttle mission STS-127 and landed aboard shuttle mission STS-128 on Sept. 11. He has a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy and master's degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Army War College.

Stott is in the midst of her first mission as a flight engineer aboard the station with Barratt for Expeditions 20 and 21. She launched aboard STS-128 on Aug. 28 and is due to return at the end of STS-129, targeted for launch Nov. 12. She has a bachelor's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida.

For complete astronaut biographical information, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios.

Video of the STS-133 crew members will air on NASA Television's Video File. For downlink and scheduling information and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.
 

Steve Cox
Public Affairs Manager
National Headquarters

ALABAMA – With the conversion of a Civil Air Patrol plane into a “Surrogate Predator,” the U.S. Air Force is relying on its auxiliary in a most imaginative way.

“We’re using a manned aircraft to simulate an unmanned aircraft,” said Col. Bill Ward, CAP-U.S. Air Force commander, explaining that a sophisticated “Predator ball” placed under the left wing of a Cessna 182 belonging to CAP will enable the plane to mimic the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper -- unmanned aircraft that provide real-time data to U.S. service members.

The Air Force will use the Surrogate Predator to fill a critical training gap in support of Army and Marine forces as they prepare for deployment.

 “Due to the Air Force maximum surge effort to provide more MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper support to ground units in CENTCOM,” U.S. Central Command, “there are no Predator or Reaper forces available to support pre-deployment exercises such as Green Flag, which focuses on air-to-ground operations,” said Maj. Matt Martin, chief of the Predator/Reaper Operations Branch of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va. “The Surrogate Predator is the solution.”

Air Combat Command, with the support of Joint Forces Command, secured $2.5 million for the Surrogate Predator Program once it was determined that CAP could provide the needed training with its dedicated members at a fraction of the cost of the private contractor currently providing the training.

“We’ve seen nothing but enthusiasm and a willingness to help from the Civil Air Patrol, which is why we chose them to do this mission,” Martin said.

With the Predator ball in place, the CAP plane-turned-Surrogate Predator has the capability of locking onto a target and tracking it, Ward said, adding that the ultimate goal is to broadcast streaming video.

“This will give our soldiers and Marines a real-time view of what is going on,” he said.

Beginning this month, Martin said, ACC will provide mission training at Fort Polk, La., to selected CAP crews “on how to do the mission using the same tactics, techniques and procedures that Predator crews use on combat missions.”

Capt. David Lewis, operations officer for the Central Louisiana Wing officer, is the Louisiana Wing project officer and one of six CAP pilots initially chosen for the program. “Basically, we will imitate being a Predator,” Lewis said, describing the joint exercises like Green Flag as “the next big thing for CAP in homeland security and the defense of our country.”

Lewis and the other CAP pilots have prevous military experience, a requirement for the program. The pilots and their aircrews – a cadre of 18 CAP volunteers in all – will be needed in the program’s initial stages.

Many more CAP volunteers will be involved as the program expands in the coming months. The ACC mission training will qualify them to provide air interdiction, close air support and intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance support to ground forces.

After a formal certification, these crews will be able to fly realistic Surrogate Predator missions. ACC will closely monitor the program and will use Air Force operators with real-world Predator or Reaper experience to assist.

“This initial cadre will then train the dozens of crews that will be needed to sustain our regular Green Flag support,” Martin said.

A second airplane is already being modified to expand the Surrogate Predator Program. Once that job is complete, CAP will be able to provide coverage for both Green Flag East exercises from Fort Polk and Green Flag West exercises from the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., close to where the second Surrogate Predator will be stationed in Las Vegas.

Green Flag exercises typically involve 11 days of flying eight hours per day at least 10 times per year, as well as “hunter-killer scenarios,” in which the Surrogate Predator starts by surveying targets and providing full-motion video to the brigade combat team.

 “Once a target is identified by the ground commander as hostile,” Martin said, “the Surrogate Predator will dynamically re-task into the strike role and coordinate with a forward air control to simulate the delivery of precision ordnance onto a target.”

Lewis foresees the potential of the Surrogate Predator for other CAP missions, like search and rescue and emergency services in the aftermath of hurricanes.

“In the event of a natural disaster, the aircraft will certainly be made available to NORTHCOM” – U.S. Northern Command – “for civil response purposes,” Martin said. “However, due to the expense of the aircraft and the need to keep them available to support joint exercises, we don’t anticipate using them to train for standard CAP missions.”

Col. John Varljen, vice commander of CAP’s Southwest Region, which includes the Louisiana Wing, said CAP takes possession of the first Surrogate Predator this weekend.

 “Everyone involved is excited,” Varljen said. “This is an important mission, a real-world mission.

“It is our contribution to the war effort.”

Homeland security missions are nothing new to CAP, which has played a role in protecting America since its beginning days patrolling the Atlantic Coast for enemy aircraft and chasing German submarines during World War II. With its fleet of 550 aircraft, as well as numerous ground assets, and a force 58,000-strong, CAP is considered a force multiplier at a very attractive cost.

“The Civil Air Patrol is grateful for this new opportunity to aid in the defense of America,” said Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP national commander. “Our members are true patriots, who volunteer to serve and professionally execute their duties with excellence every day. They truly go above and beyond the call of duty in service to this great nation.”

Ward predicts the Surrogate Predator Program will be “a real success story” for the organization.

“I think it’s going to highlight CAP more than it already is to the Department of Defense,” he said.


 

(Left photo) A photo from around 1950 shows long-serving Civil Air Patrol member Benjamin H. Stone Jr. (right) with his friend, Maj. Ralph deAvila, a World War I fighter pilot and CAP coastal pilot.

(Right photo) Col. Benjamin H. Stone Jr. with Maj. James L. Shaw Jr., CAP national curator, during the National Board and Annual Conference in Atlanta in August 2007.

Steve Cox
Public Affairs Manager
National Headquarters

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS – One of Civil Air Patrol’s last surviving founding members –Col. Benjamin H. Stone Jr. of the Georgia Wing – died Sunday of natural causes in an assisted living center in Marietta, Ga. He was 95 years old.

Born in Worchester, Mass., in 1914, a little more than 10 years after the Wright brothers made their famous first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., Stone had a passion for flying for much of his life. His career with CAP spanned seven decades.

“At the time of his death, Col. Stone had the longest continuous service with the Civil Air Patrol – nearly 68 years,” said CAP’s national curator, Maj. James L. Shaw Jr.

Stone joined CAP in January 1942 and was instrumental in providing flight training to many of the organization’s early pilots -- “subchasers” who flew coastal patrol missions to protect America against German U-boats during World War II.

CAP asked Stone to teach flying on the weekends, shortly after his graduation from Parks Air College at St. Louis University, where he earned a degree in aviation management with honors. He was in Massachusetts teaching Navy aviators to fly at Holy Cross College in Worcester and Worcester Polytechnic Institute when he received the call.

“I happily joined and started my 65-year sojourn with CAP,” said Stone, in an interview in the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer’s 65th anniversary issue in 2006.

During those years, Stone held almost every CAP office or committee chairmanship. A self-described “100 percent patriot who loves my God, my country and my family,” he devoted much of his work to countless cadets, who he said kept him motivated.

“The young men and women in the cadet corps of CAP are our future leaders and need help in understanding their future role in leading our country,” he said in the 2006 magazine interview.

Stone worked with many cadets in his native state of Massachusetts and his adopted state of Georgia. He was commander or on staff for summer encampments for 15 years in Massachusetts and two years in Georgia in the 1950s and ‘60s.

As a tribute to his work with cadets, the Georgia Wing named its most outstanding cadet award after him.

During the early 1970s, he and other CAP members used their own funds and donations from local businesses to build a Search and Rescue Center at Grenier Air Force Base, N.H., with no help from the government. It was the only such center at the time, and CAP members manned it 24/7.

“A search for a downed plane was started immediately,” he said. “We searched the entire Northeast Region for any downed planes, covering nine states.”

After moving to Georgia, Stone remained active with CAP despite poor eyesight, working with cadets and serving as asset manager for the Georgia Wing.

“He was actually the reason I got involved as a CAP historian,” said Shaw, who met Stone in 2003 at the Georgia Wing Conference. “His love of aviation got me even more fascinated in CAP’s history,” said the national curator, who at the time was a squadron commander and public affairs officer in Albany, Ga.

Shaw said CAP recognized Stone on many occasions, most recently in 2007 during the organization’s National Executive Committee meeting in Atlanta. Stone was awarded the CAP Distinguished Service Medal and promoted to the rank of colonel.

On another occasion, a surprise encounter during CAP’s 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., provided Stone with one of his favorite memories. He met America’s first astronaut, retired Navy Rear Adm. Alan Shepard, who recognized him as the pilot he met at Derry Airport in New Hampshire.

“He said he was one of those kids who hung around the airport hoping to get a free ride from the flyers and aviators coming in and out of the field,” Stone said. “He told me I had given him one of his very first flying lessons when I took him up for a ride and let him fly my plane.

“Now that is a memorable memory!”

Stone is survived by his wife, Jackie; sons Kenny and Scott and their families; and some nieces who live in Ohio, as well as his CAP family. His funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Medford-Peden Funeral Home, 1408 Canton Drive Northeast in Marietta. Visitation begins at 1 p.m.

 

Indeed, it confirms his choice of career.

Karim, in his junior year at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., was recently awarded the highly competitive scholarship under a program honoring the late U.S. senator from Arizona. It was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Established by an act of Congress in 1986, the Goldwater acholarship is the premier undergraduate award for college students studying the sciences.

Immersed in a double major program – chemistry and sociology – at VCU, Karim was one of 190 science and related majors recipients selected from a field of 1,097 students nominated by faculties at colleges and universities across the nation. Only 278 scholarships were awarded in all disciplines.

The scholarships cover tuition, books, room and board and other fees up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

How did a 20-year-old member of the Maryland Wing’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron attain this distinction? By being a high-achieving student already recognized for cardiac medical research publications in his current field of study – the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging in measuring the size of myocardial infarction – in journals such as Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association.
.
Such accomplishments are nothing new for Karim. In the summer of 2007, he visited Australia as an International Air Cadet Exchange participant. Earlier that year, he earned the highest CAP distinction for cadets -- the coveted Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, achieved by less than 1 percent of all cadets. The past two years, he has served as program manager for The Spaatz Association’s annual midwinter dinners and remains active in that group’s activities.

In 2006 at Cadet Officer School, Karim caught the eye of CAP National Headquarters staffers. “Cadet Col. Karim is a terrific cadet,” said Bobbie Tourville, now chief of professional development at National Headquarters. “It takes a rare combination of maturity, intelligence and intensity to become a Spaatz cadet and be at the top of his high school/college class at the same time.”

Tourville was immediately struck by Karim’s leadership ability, which continued in 2007 when he was accepted to IACE, where he made an outstanding impression on his fellow cadets – here and abroad, she said.

“I applaud Mohammed’s family, CAP leaders and peers, as well as his teachers, in giving him support and opportunities to grow,” Tourville said. “I look forward to watching him progress through medical school and to see him blossom into the physician and leader I know he can be.”

Karim credits his parents at home in Gaithersburg, Md., with much of his early success.

“My parents were and are my role models,” he said. “My mother is a physician with the U.S. Army, and my father is a strategic force development adviser for the Air Force.

“Their dedication to public service and commitment to excellence have been my inspiration to achieve. They have always encouraged me to do my best in whatever I attempted.”

After joining the Bethesda-Chevy Chase squadron in September 2003 at age 14, Karim had his sights set on attending the U.S. Air Force Academy and was leaning toward a career as a pilot. But his love for the sciences and a deep commitment to public service, to making a difference in the lives of others, led him to the eight-year medical program at VCU.

Karim credits the versatility of the CAP cadet program, with its focus on developing self- confidence and discipline, with helping him learn to think strategically, to set goals and to take advantage of opportunities for public speaking, which he feels develops dynamic personalities.

“I was not a traditional CAP cadet in that I did not work toward a career in aviation,” he said, “but I used the valuable lessons I learned in the cadet program to pursue a life in science and medicine as a physician in the U.S. Air Force.”

If his achievements to date are any indication of future success, Karim is well on his way to realizing his incredible potential.

Mitzi Palmer
Contributing Writer

ALABAMA -- Building a home from start to finish is challenging enough, but when you’re on a seven-day deadline to get the home ready for a well-deserving family to move in, extra hands are needed.

About 1,000 pairs of hands, to be exact.

So when ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” came to Montgomery in February to do just that for the Jordan family, Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters employee Louis Piccotti volunteered to help get the job done.

Known to his friends and co-workers as Joe, Piccotti is a professional development program manager for CAP, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. In this role, he provides leadership, management and ethics guidance to senior members.

When his wife told him ABC was coming to town on this incredible mission, Piccotti knew immediately that he wanted to participate. 

About a week before the build, Piccotti and the rest of volunteer team. led by Aronov Homes, met at a local church for a pep rally and to hear the Jordan family’s story.

Brady and Monica Jordan lost one of their daughters in 1995 to domestic violence and then a son eight years later to a drunk driver. They are now raising their three grandchildren, in addition to their daughter, and spend their time advocating for Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the state of Alabama’s Crime Victims Commission. The Jordans also uses their home to provide a safe haven for kids in their neighborhood. 

“The family was so inspiring to all of us,” Piccotti said, “but sadly their home was in need of some major repairs.”

According to ABC, the Jordans’ bathroom leaked into their kitchen, some of the siding on their home had been blown off and the kitchen had rotting counters and a stove that barely worked.

Inspired, Piccotti volunteered about 24 hours of his time during the week of the build, Feb. 16-22, in five areas. He assisted the production crew, put up tents around the site, helped move items out of the house, relocated plants and directed traffic.

“The experience was very rewarding,” he said. “It was awesome to be a part of so many people working together for such a great cause.”

A Burnt Hills, N.Y., native, Piccotti is a U.S. Air Force retiree. He also volunteers with the Boys Scouts of America as a merit badge counselor and committee member for Montgomery’s Troop 4, assisting in scout advancement.

He hopes his work with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will inspire fellow CAP employees and patron members to participate in volunteer activities in the community.

“Community service is such a wonderful thing,” Piccotti said. “It has a great way of bringing fellow citizens together and giving people a greater sense of belonging and pride in their community.

“I see the same volunteer spirit in CAP, and it makes me proud to be part of the organization.”
   
Segments from the episode featuring Piccotti and the Jordans , which aired April 26, can be watched at ABC’s Web site. The network also offers information about community volunteer opportunities.
 

(Photo by Maj. Paul Cianciolo)

Kristi Carr
National Headquarters

Now it’s there. Now it isn’t.

Time goes by and the signal goes off again. Civil Air Patrol’s National Capital Wing ground team refocuses to trace the source of the Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon, or EPIRB

After three days of this on-again/off-again game, the team finally pinpoints the signal. It’s coming from a Georgetown townhouse. Even then, the location doesn’t make sense -- EPIRBs are the type of beacons used by marine craft, and there is no water in sight.

In front of the townhouse all is quiet; no signal now. Then the garage door goes up and there it is again — the signal! It turns out the townhouse owner is storing his boat, equipped with an overactive, very directional EPIRB, in his basement garage.

The EPIRB signal can only be picked up when the garage door is raised and the receiving satellite is properly aligned. The CAP team turns off the signal and the mystery is solved.

Capital challenges

While the National Capital Wing does not get many calls resulting in rescues, the calls the wing does receive — requesting searches for transmitting beacons — are sure to be interesting, with their own special challenges.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, airspace over the nation’s capital has been restricted. That means tracking distress signals is done now mostly by ground crews traveling in a van stocked with a computer, GPS and mapping software — National Geographic’s topographical maps are favorites.

With the right code words to the right offices, “CAP continues to have authorization to put a plane up, but we try not to do it unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want to wear out our welcome in these sensitive times,” said Lt. Col. Mark Bailey, director of operations for the National Capital Wing.

Washington’s urban environment also presents a whole host of issues when it comes to tracking beacon signals.

“Radio signals from the beacons bounce through subway tunnels and off the many buildings,” said Maj. Paul Cianciolo, wing director of public affairs. “Even getting the van through some of the narrow, centuries-old streets can be a problem.”

Also, in a fairly compact space, the D.C. area contains marinas, airports, cityscapes and undeveloped land, many times in close proximity to one another. That means a distress signal could very likely emanate from any of the three types of beacons — EPIRBs on marine craft, ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters) on aircraft or PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) on individuals.

Finally, in a government center like the capital, a CAP team may have to seek permission to enter a government building, including discerning which agency is in charge at any particular location. Teams have been allowed on the roofs of many office buildings to get above the signals to get a better reading.

Cianciolo recalls, “One building we came across was owned by the Secret Service, which had to contact its supervisors to let us in,” Cianciolo recalled.

“Yes,” he said, “finding a transmitting beacon in D.C. can be a real scavenger hunt.”

Who Is in charge?

In 1996, after going to higher ground — in this case, the steps of the Capitol -- CAP traced a distress signal to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.

Arriving at the museum in the middle of the night, the CAP team explained the situation to a posted Army guard. The guard contacted his command, but word also went out to D.C.’s 27-odd police agencies.

About half sent patrol units, lights whirling and blazing. “We had to explain ourselves to so many different agencies that I literally ran out of business cards!” Bailey said.

Again, there was no emergency, but rather an ELT that had been erroneously activated inside a Navy helicopter on display at the museum during Public Service Recognition Week.

During a different mission, the U.S. Park Police pulled over a CAP team and wound up offering its own helicopter to aid in a search once the team explained its mission.

Oops!

When a beacon is activated in the Washington area, its signal is picked up by a satellite. In turn, the satellite alerts various agencies on the ground, including the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which notifies CAP to initiate a search.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, also receives all distress signals from satellites, so imagine CAP’s surprise when, in the late 1990s, one of its searches led its team right back to the NOAA ground station. After peeling back the layers, CAP discovered NOAA had been given a window of time for testing a new ELT device; NOAA personnel, however, went home that evening, forgetting to deactivate the ELT.

“It was like being a fireman and having your fire station burn down — a little embarrassing,” Bailey said.

Then again, he said, a beacon’s signal is inaudible, so the fact a beacon has been activated can easily go unnoticed.

That might explain why the National Capital Wing once found the object of their hunt — a transmitting beacon — on the desk of the commandant of the Coast Guard!

Transmitting ‘The Today Show’?

Sometimes a signal is not even a signal. A couple years ago, CAP narrowed its search to the area of the Bolling Air Force Base and discovered the Joint Defense Air Operations Center had a radio transmitting on the beacon frequency.

Another time, the beacon frequency was broadcasting the lineup from a local NBC affiliate. Once the problem was made known to the TV station, their engineers resolved it.

Rescuing people or hunting objects, CAP is ready

“A lot of beacons are set off accidentally,” Cianciolo conceded, “but we treat every one as an emergency.”

“One of our most recent distress missions was a year ago when we assisted with a downed plane on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border,” said Capt. Joe Gleason, emergency services officer for the Andrews Composite Squadron and often its ground team leader or “ground-pounder.”

“We practice traditional search and rescue all the time, so we’re ready to help if needed in a post-disaster environment or missing aircraft search.” Gleason added.

Cianciolo said, “Our ground teams are getting very good at tracking down distress signals bouncing around D.C.’s urban environments. On average, we find beacons fairly fast, sometimes within an hour of the mission’s start.”

Even so, the hope is the National Capital Wing continues to have more scavenger hunts and fewer rescue missions.
 

Other parts of the country have their own wacky beacon stories. As reported in CAP News Online in April, the Texas Wing’s Delta Composite Squadron was dispatched to find the source of a distress signal. Coming up empty-handed on boats or downed aircraft, Maj. Bob Beeley and Capt. John Clarke asked a man in the indicated neighborhood if he knew of anyone nearby with a large craft. He couldn’t help them there, but did tell them how his wife had recently brought home some nautical decorations from Galveston. A trip to the backyard yielded two EPIRBs floating in the family pool. The man’s wife had turned on one of them to see the light on top blink. The light didn’t work, but the transmitter did!




 

2nd Lt. Hannah J. Bennett
Public Affairs Officer
Danville Composite Squadron
Virginia Wing

VIRGINIA – When Herman Joubert’s daughter, Noelle, expressed an interest in a career with the Air Force early in high school, he knew volunteering in the military branch’s civilian auxiliary would be a good way for his daughter to experience military life.

He joined Civil Air Patrol along with her. After more than two years in the organization, including command positions for both, neither Joubert has regretted their experience.

“I joined Civil Air Patrol to get a handle on the military,” remembered Noelle Joubert, now a cadet second lieutenant in the Danville Composite Squadron. “I wanted to go to the U.S. Air Force Academy and knew I needed to get some leadership experience and learn how to wear a uniform properly.

 “I was already sold on CAP before I went to the first meeting. It was everything I expected it to be,” she said.

The father-daughter duo first heard of CAP from a friend at church who was involved with the Danville squadron.

“We also ran into someone from the Air Force Academy, a recruiter who was in town to award an appointment to a former CAP cadet. I thought, ‘Look at the potential results of this program: the Air Force Academy!’” said Herman Joubert, who now holds the rank of captain in the Danville squadron, where he serves as finance and recruiting and retention officer.

“We received a very warm welcome and were sold on CAP during our first visit,” he recalled.

 “My interest in joining was primarily the cadet program.” Herman Joubert said. “It seemed like a very well-rounded program. What a wonderful opportunity for young people to develop leadership skills and character!”

Capt. Joubert served as the Danville unit’s commander from 2008 to 2009. During his tenure, squadron members photographed hurricane damage, assisted with radio communications at a major wildfire and participated in training exercises with military pilots.

“I’ve been blessed with a staff of very capable, talented people. My biggest challenge was to give them room to be individuals; it’s worked out beautifully,” he said.

His daughter just completed a yearlong stint as cadet commander of the squadron. She was responsible for planning activities and overseeing the training of about 15 fellow cadets.

Both Jouberts also served on staff at two summer cadet encampments.

“Senior members are there to facilitate cadet activities and serve as mentors – to steer them in the right direction,” Capt. Joubert said. “There was never any real conflict between Noelle and I. CAP didn’t change our relationship – it actually made it better!

“I learned when to step back and let her do things; she asked for help if she needed it. There was a very honest and trusting exchange between us.”

Home-schooled since kindergarten, Cadet 2nd Lt. Joubert graduated from high school in June. She has also completed dual-enrollment classes at Piedmont Community College in North Carolina while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

“We’re really proud of her,” her father said. “I don’t worry about her. She has her head screwed on straight. The determination to achieve her goals and the motivation to do what it takes to succeed is built into her.”
 

 

1st Lt. Bob Stronach
Public Affairs Officer
New York Wing

NEW YORK -- When the Oswego community decided to host a "Thank a Service Member” gathering, F.R. Sussey Composite Squadron members participated in the planning and then played key roles in making the event a success.

When some 350 service members and veterans representing four generatons were honored July 26 at Fort Ontario State Historic Site, 10 Sussey squadron participated by providing the color guard, escorting honorees and guests to seats, assisting in set-up, directing pedestrian traffic, fielding questions and greeting military personnel.

Cadet Sr. Master Sgt. Christian Williams led the color guard, which also consisted of Cadet Sr. Master Sgt. Austin Zappala, Cadet Airman 1st Class Sarah Lamb and Cadet Alex Shannon. Cadet Tech. Sgt. Josh Davidson and Cadet Elliot Mills directed honorees and guests to their seats.
 
Senior members participating included Capts. Earl Holdren and Mike Kieloch and 1st Lt. Kerland Ritchie.

The squadron’s commander, 1st Lt. Jennifer Holdren, had served on the six-member planning committee for the event. She also assisted Col. Kurt Carver, vice dean for education at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, in presenting special TASM Campaign Coins to honorees, handing him the coins to present as he expressed deep appreciation for each recipient’s service.

"It was a profound and moving experience," Lt. Holdren said. "I felt so privileged to shake hands with the men and women that are currently serving and have served and fought for our freedoms.

“It especially was emotional to meet and hear the stories from those who were there for their deceased loved ones. It is something that I will never forget," she said.

Peter Allen, chairman of the event, pronounced it a great success. Allen and others also voiced tremendous appreciation for the color guard and the other Sussey members’ participation.

"Mr. Allen looks forward to a continued relationship and involvement with the F.R. Sussey squadron for upcoming TASM events," Lt. Holdren said.

"It was a wonderful experience, privilege, honor and duty for our cadets and senior members alike,” she concluded. “It gave us an opportunity to see and meet the heroes of our great nation, and serve amongst our community.

“I was especially pleased to see one of our own, Lt. Kerland Ritchie, receive an honor coin from Col, Carver. He served as a Marine until he retired. I am proud to have him as a member of F.R. Sussey."

 

• Wisconsin Basic Academy -- for new cadets who need to learn the basics of Civil Air Patrol. Customs and courtesies, uniform care, drill, teamwork and the history of CAP are all covered in this academy, as is the importance of being fit.
   
• Wisconsin Cadet Academy -- for cadets who has already been through the basic academy and are now ready to learn leadership skills that will carry them throughout life. Participants build on teamwork skills they started learning in the basic academy and put those skills to practical use. Areas of emphasis included problem-solving and managerial skills.
   
• Wisconsin Staff School – for cadet who have attended the first two courses and are now ready to put classroom instruction to the test and use actual problem-solving skills. Participants are ready to lead and take on the responsibility of having other cadets under their charge. Some serve on the Inspection Team, others teach classes and some are in charge of flights and squadrons for the week.
   
• Color Guard Academy – held for the first time this year and established with the goal of training cadets to go back to their units to train unit color guards. Presenting the colors is not as easy as it looks, and quick thinking often comes into play as one prepares to do the job. Since color guard appearances are the most visible representation of CAP to the public, all duties must be performed with care, precision and expertise.

All the cadets in attendance had the opportunity to try their skills on Camp Ripley’s confidence and navigation courses, use the M1 Abram and the M2 Bradley tank simulators, take orientation flights when weather permitted and face off in volleyball.

In addition, those participating in the cadet academy participated in a leadership reaction course on the confidence course. They were presented with a scenario and had to use teamwork and problem-solving to navigate the task at hand.


 

Capt. James Kalemis
Commander
Group 22 Cadet Initiative
Illinois Wing

ILLINOIS – Fifty cadets from six Illinois Wing squadrons gathered over the weekend to compete in the 10 mental and physical challenges making up the 8th annual Group 22 Cadet Initiative, informally known as “King of the Rock.”

Sixteen senior members oversaw the contests, which featured a string obstacle course, a LEGO rocket ship, a Solar System puzzle, a medallion search while remaining mute, a pipe balancing challenge, a plank elevation trial, a balancing rod and a PVC pipe blowgun. 

The competition is held yearly at Rock Cut State Park near Rockford on a campground adjacent to a pond. That arrangement makes water-related challenges possible – this year, a water tower with elevating ping pong and a watergun competition.

The contestants divided into nine teams of four to six cadets from the Boone, Chicago Midway, Lake in the Hills McHenry, Lewis, and Woodfield composite squadrons, representing not only Group 22 but also groups 2 and 14.

Each team also got a “seventh member” -- a prop that had to be carried at all times and “participated” in each event. If the seventh member is lost or destroyed, a penalty is possible.  This year the seventh member was a foil balloon; eggs, tomatoes and watermelons filled the role in the past years.

The Honor Cadet Award was selected by the senior member staff, ended in a tie between the Lewis squadron’s Cadet Master Sgt. Sarah Goldman, who showed incredible concern and motivation; and the Lake in the Hills unit’s Cadet 1st Lt. Danny White, who exhibited excellent leadership.

The first-place team, with 886 points, was Lewis’ Black Sheep, who keep the King of the Rock Cadet Maj. Jacob Reuth Memorial Trophy for another year. Led by cadet Jack Wood, the team also consisted of Hannah Geiger, Kevin Pendl, Jonathan Rhodes and Brandon Villarreal, as well as Robert Wlosek of the Midway Composite Squadron.

Placing second, with 883 points, was Lake in the Hills’ Watson Warriors, who had won four of the past seven years and really wanted to take the trophy back. Cadet Danny White led the team, which also included cadets Alex Amann, Sabryna Peters, Nathan Philips, Andrew Sim and Keenan Wresch..

Boone County’s Neitzel Red Ninjas finished third with 838 points. Leading the team was cadet Max Bahling. Rounding out the roster were cadets Trevor Botkin, Paul Hornick, Michael Kunz, Ben Meek and Dylan Powers.

Along with competing in the field, the participating teams also had to make Saturday evening dinner, judged by the cadet staff -- Cadet 1st Lt. Zachary Hagner of the Lewis squadron, cadet commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Robert Reynoso of the Chicago Midway unit, first sergeant -- and 1st Lt Diane Workman of the McHenry County squadron.  

The McHenry County team, in an attempt to outdo the others, dined the judges under candlelight and with an appropriately attired maitre d’. The Watson Warriors tried to sway the judges by serving excellent steak. And Lewis’ Black Sheep went with a birthday party theme, complete with cake.
 
The clear winners in the meal content, though, were the Iron Five team from Woodfield with almost a perfect score, thanks to an unusual menu of Mediterranean and Middle East fare that left the judges speechless – literally!

Capt. Debbie Sandstrom
Public Affairs Officer/Logistics Staff
2009 Search and Rescue Academy
Emergency Services Training Officer
Michigan Wing

MICHIGAN – Cadets and senior members from three wings took to Huron National Forest recently for eight intensive days of ground team training, living in tents or half-shelters or wherever they could hang a hammock, for the 15th annual Search and Rescue Academy in Luzerne.

In all, 61 students and 23 staff members participated in the academy. Most came most from the Michigan Wing, though some also traveled from the Indiana and Ohio wings.

With five different courses available -- Basic, Advance, Medic, Expert and Senior Member -- all aspects of Civil Air Patrol ground search and rescue training were offered.

From basic gear preparation to in-depth navigation skills, the academy provides a wide variety of training opportunities. Participants worked several different mock crash scenarios as well as a multitude of other realistic missions.

Training in the dense woodland area under the supervision of experienced course leaders allowed the members to gain a wide range of experience and undergo the hands-on training necessary for intense search and rescue missions

The participants were quickly able to put their training to use when the Michigan Wing was alerted to an actual mission just before graduation ceremonies Aug. 8. An aircraft was overdue after taking off the previous afternoon, and members around the state were activated.

Since a ready group of ground team members was already assembled in Luzerne, five teams were dispatched along with mission base staff support to assist in the search efforts. While the aircraft was located just before the academy teams’ arrival, the experience dramatically demonstrated the importance of preparation and practice.

The annual academy has now produced more than 300 graduates since its inception in 1994.

Senior Member Shad L. Brown
Public Affairs Officer
Pueblo Eagles Composite Squadron
Colorado Wing

COLORADO -- Cadets from the Pueblo Eagles Composite Squadron met an important part of aviation history recently while giving tours of a fully restored B-29 Superfortress bomber -- one of the legions of World War II female assembly plant workers whose experiences led to the “Rosie the Riveter” prototype.

Mary Ellen Salazar, 86, of Cheyenne, Wyo., visited the Fred Weisbrod Aircraft Museum on Aug. 15 while the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society was hosting open cockpit tours of the B-29. Cadets assist the society and the public by providing tours of the bomber’s cockpit and educating visitors about the Superfortress and its role in securing victory in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

The cadets were soon surprised to learn that Salazar may have assembled the tail gunner seat on the same B-29 the cadets were showing her. She told them she had been responsible for riveting together seats that were eventually used in the B-29 bomber assembly lines, although she was unaware at the time of just what she was working on.

“It was always very secret; we never knew what we were working on,” said Salazar, who worked in Torrance, Calif., at the Doak Aircraft Co. factory from 1941-1943.

Always curious about seeing a Superfortress, when Salazar learned about the fully restored B-29 in Pueblo and traveled with her family to see it. The museum visit marked the first time Salazar had ever seen a fully assembled version of the bomber she had helped build almost 70 years earlier, and she said she was amazed at the sheer size of the B-29.

Salazar was extremely impressed with the information the cadets shared with her about the B-29 as well as their professionalism in giving her an up-close tour of the Superfortress.

“The cadets did a great job (and were) very friendly!” she said. The cadets were equally impressed with this very active member of the greatest generation, who climbed up into the cockpit with them and showed them her pin signifying her work on Doak Aircraft’s assembly lines.

“She was an impressive lady! She came all the way from Wyoming to see the B-29, and I actually got to meet someone who helped build this plane,” said Cadet Airman 1st Class Cassia Brown.

While Salazar couldn’t remember the exact dates of her work on the assembly lines, she still proudly remembers her hourly wage -- $1.65, which translates to a respectable $23.88 in today’s dollars.

The B-29 at the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, called “Peachy,” is one of only 23 fully restored bombers of its kind in the nation.

Donated to Pueblo in 1976 by the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, the aircraft is maintained by members of the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society. Civil Air Patrol cadets volunteer to escort visitors inside the bomber on a regular basis.