ALABAMA WING 
CIVIL AIR PATROL 
 
NEWSLETTER                                             OCTOBER 2009 
 
Col. Mike Oakman                                              Lt. Col. Dave Boswell 
Commander                                                     Vice‐Commander 
 
Contents
Operation Insight From the Commander
North Alabama Training 7  
Safety 8 Many of you have heard me say within a
Boaz City Schools Squadron 9 few months of joining the Civil Air Patrol, I
National Fire Protection 10 decided to and made it my goal to be a
Redstone Cadets celebrate AF leader within the organization starting at the
Birthday 12 squadron level and working my way up to
Ironman 2009 13 becoming the Wing Commander for the
New Cadet Program Director 14 Alabama Wing. It took 23 years to do so but
Chaplain Cleveland 14
it all came together in 2006 when I accepted
SUPTFC report 15
Former Cadet wins Award 15
the Wing’s Flag from Brigadier General
Florida Wing Winter Encampment 16 Pineda, relieving Col. Tilton of his
National Character and Leadership command, to become the Alabama Wing
Symposium 16 Commander.
Safety Poster Contest for Cadets 17
Predator Training and CAP Pilots 17 It has been a true pleasure to serve as your
NESA Report 18 commander and a humbling experience of
AL/MS Encampment 20 getting to know and work with such
Bronze Star Ceremony in Boaz 21 dedicated volunteers all willing to work for
IACE 22 the common goals that benefit their
Region Staff College Graduates 24
neighbors, community and the State of
Cadet Hislop at AFCEA 26
Shelby County Family Day 27
Alabama.
Awards 28
Veteran's Day 28 My 4 year tour-of-duty as Wing Commander
Public Affairs 28 is starting to come to a close and if you will
Alabama Wing Conference 29 indulge me a few minutes of your time, I

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 1

want to provide each of you with some
focused hindsight and insights that hopefully
will enlighten everyone’s future experience
with their forth coming CAP experiences. I
hope to provide some focused insights
through our next two Wing Newsletters.
These articles are Operation Insight.
CAP’S CHALLENGE TO CHANGE
In today’s CAP environment, CAP
Commanders (all levels), may be faced with
the need for rapid change. The imperative
for change may be the result of a directive
from National Headquarters. But it may also
be a practical necessity resulting from
budget cuts or major leadership changes in
the organization. No matter the source, this
pressure for change simply cannot be
ignored.
But change that is imposed suddenly on an
organization is rarely as effective as step-by-
step change that is carefully planned and
implemented steadily over a longer period of
time.
Research on organization development
suggests that organizations generally change
in two distinct ways: through dramatic and
drastic activity and through evolution and
adaptation. The first instance almost always
involves mandated change from the top that
often occurs rapidly and causes significant
pain for those who are affected. In contrast,
change by evolution is a milder, more subtle
form of transformation that produces a
cultural shift with long-lasting and deep-
seated results throughout an organization.
It can be said that change is constant in the
CAP organizational world. Even in good
economic times, CAP Commanders work in
an environment where corporate change
may be unpredictable.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
Organizations change organizational
direction on their own or market conditions
force them to make a course correction.
Restructuring of organizations at the top
often leads to change in strategic and
operational approach as new leadership
goals and objectives are crafted.
Corporate entities that result in new
challenges for CAP Commanders associated
with mandated customer requirements and
expectations.
Region, Wing, and Squadron Commanders
work in an environment where infrastructure
changes in a short periods of time. The
internal workings of CAP organizations
typically oriented towards major change.
The average CAP command staff stays with
the same organization for upwards of 4
years, so CAP Commanders and members
must expect to see great personnel shifts.
Whether it is practices, procedures and
techniques, the mantra in CAP organizations
is often “why change something if it isn’t
broken?” The implication is that change
would only disrupt normal organization
activities.
It is little wonder that leading change in a
CAP organization is not viewed as an
essential component of a commanders’ job.
Yet, analyzing CAP Commanders who have
created a productive and healthy CAP work
atmosphere reveals a recurring trait: their
ability to serve as an agent for evolutionary
change. Debra Meyerson, a Stanford
professor, calls this evolutionary style of
change management “tempered radicalism”
— the ability to nurture an organization
along the path to change through leadership
and incremental approaches.
Is now the time for such an approach? Some
CAP Commanders may feel that they simply
don’t have the luxury of time required for an
incremental approach. Nevertheless, it is
important for all CAP Commanders to
2
understand the elements of an effective
change management process and to strive to
incorporate them when launching a major
change initiative.
The Path to Change
Few CAP Commanders would deny that
change is hard. CAP staff and membership,
like those in other organizations, resists
change for a variety of reasons. First of all,
it’s time-consuming, compounding the
already difficult tasks of performing routine
work. And it takes patience: Lasting change
does not occur overnight so major change
results may not be obvious for years.
What’s more, the status quo is comforting;
change brings uncertainty and fosters
insecurity. Risk-taking takes membership
out of its comfort zone. And staff and
membership with longevity in one CAP
organization are not as open to new ideas
because they have been insulated from the
benefits of change — or have seen failed
attempts at change by previous CAP
commanders who did not have the right stuff
to lead a dynamic change effort.
To overcome resistance to change, the
commander must be an effective change
leader. John Kotter, the Harvard
Organization School professor and guru of
change management, says that successful
transformation is 70 to 90 percent leadership
and only 10 to 30 percent management. True
change or transformation requires sacrifice,
dedication and creativity that have to stem
from the senior CAP leaders. Leadership
from the top is the only change force that
can blast through the inertia of most CAP
organizations. Kotter recommends an eight-
step process that has worked for multitudes
of major corporations. Maybe just maybe it
works as well for the CAP organizations.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
1. Establish a Sense of Urgency
For some organizations, the current,
dramatic economic downturn is enough to
convince CAP staff and membership that
change is needed. But it doesn’t take a crisis
— whether a severe recession, reduction in
emergency services, or assets and liability
issues — for a CAP commander to establish
a sense of urgency for change.
A change movement might be stimulated by
things like these:
• A CAP organization finding
dramatic dissatisfaction with service
delivery to a customers’ satisfaction
• A large CAP organization
discovering baby-boomer attrition of
unparalleled proportions
• A small CAP organization
identifying a need to become more
proactive with respect to
Headquarters’ decision making on
CAP issues
• A CAP organization learning it was
way below benchmarks for
operational performance.
Whether it is responding to a crisis, looking
to avert potential problems or stepping up to
unplanned opportunities, CAP Commanders
should generate enthusiasm for change to
overcome complacency. CAP Commanders
need to take bold moves to demonstrate to
staff and membership that the status quo will
not allow the organization to embrace an
opportunity or stave off a crisis.
To do this, CAP Commanders need to
present compelling arguments based on
documentation that is coupled with passion
about the positive outcomes of change.
3

2. Create a Powerful Guiding Coalition
Even the most impassioned leader cannot
guide a CAP organization through a
transformation without the help of others
who believe in the cause and want to help.
Commanders should consider creating a
coalition team that leads the effort by
creating the charter for change and
periodically reviewing progress.
For example, the CAP organization trying to
create a strategic plan should establish a task
force to assist with identifying core
competencies to remain in-squadron and
develop the framework for the plan.
It is essential to have a coalition of
professionals from within the CAP
organization and possibly outside of it. The
team members must be sufficiently powerful
representatives from their respective
organizations to have the respect of CAP
staff and membership and members.
3. Solidify the Change Charter
Change efforts that achieve the greatest
success revolve around a well-crafted vision.
This is not the typical vision statement
found in strategic plans, but rather a true
picture of what the organization is striving
to achieve. The vision should be easy to
communicate and readily understood not
only by CAP staff and membership, but also
by customers, and service partners.
It’s essential to have others grasp what the
CAP organization wants to accomplish and
to be interested in the outcome. Think of the
“elevator speech.” If someone from the CAP
organization cannot tell another CAP staff
and membership about the vision for change
while riding in the elevator, the vision is too
complicated.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
The vision statement might be as simple as
these:
“To become recognized as the most
customer-oriented entity in the SER,” or
“To become the leader in Home Land
Security (HLS).”
4. Communicate the Vision
The change message needs to be delivered
to CAP staff and memberships on a regular
basis, by both written communication and
leadership actions. This calls for a formal
communications plan circulated to the
coalition team for approval. Each member of
the coalition team should take responsibility
for action items in the communications plan.
The senior commander is responsible for
describing the vision to staff and
membership — first in an all-hands meeting,
and then through a series of small town-hall
meetings where staff and membership can
ask questions and express interest in being
directly involved in developing the change
strategy. Once initial meetings have taken
place, the commander and coalition team
should schedule similar sessions with
customer and partner organizations.
Most transformation efforts fail because
information is not communicated to staff
and membership, customers and others on a
regular basis. Some transformation efforts
say that they are “suffering from change
information overload,” but that is okay. Too
much information is better than too little.
The CAP commander should use every
possible communication channel, including
newsletters, reports, weekly notes from the
top, and a dedicated Web site.
One transformation effort might be to have a
staff member dedicated to change effort
communications. In another case, a CAP
commander might hold town hall meetings
4
to talk about the vision and the process for
changing the organization, maybe a series of
in-office sessions with each of the major
unit heads, and invited officers to a “change
forum” to discuss the CAP organization’s
plans, and then have periodic “all-hands”
Web casts if possible. How about a CAP
commander having a Web site where weekly
progress from the teams was posted, a
question-and-answer forum where staff and
membership and others could pose questions
anonymously, and a monthly newsletter that
talked about best practices and how they
were going to be adopted.
5. Empower Others to Act
It takes legions of staff and membership to
create effective change strategies and
actions. Change teams need to have the
ability to act outside of the traditional
structure to create new and innovative
actions that lead to the end result. These
individuals need to know that risk-taking is
part of the process, and they will not be
penalized or thwarted if they propose
initiatives not within the mainstream of the
current CAP organization.
As part of their work, the transformation
teams should identify obstacles and propose
alternative solutions. Regular meetings with
the guidance coalition are important to share
progress and obtain direction.
6. Build in Short-Term Wins
In civilian organizations the majority of
change process often doesn’t produce highly
visible change until three or more years into
the effort, it is understandable that change
effort momentum dissipates and staff and
membership becomes disillusioned.
However, in CAP where the staff and
membership is subject to term limitations we
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
must proceed quicker with implementing
change.
Even though our implementation process is
quicker we must keep the spirit of change
alive, it is essential to have short-term wins
for the transformation teams, as well as the
CAP organization overall. It might be as
easy as creating a best practice forum and
inviting other CAP units to participate or
generating management profiles that
provides CAP commanders with up-to-date
information about the change efforts. Small
changes like these go a long way to promote
the vision and sustain morale.
We must build a win-win situation into our
transformation plans. There must be specific
performance metrics tied to the change
activities being performed. Put metrics in
place for evaluating performance against the
tasking and those tasking that had not been
performing well should be eliminated. This
way the overall CAP organization (and the
staff and membership) just might achieve a
huge win-win that was directly attributable
to the change effort.
Particularly in these difficult organization
times, the need for short-term wins with
defendable results plays an even bigger role
to convincing the USAF, CAP-USAF and
National HQ that change is really occurring.
7. Leverage Improvements to Create
Additional Change
Too many change efforts end with the CAP
organization declaring victory before the
war is won. Deep-seated cultural change
doesn’t take hold until at least the end of the
1st year and often a complete transformation
of a CAP organization culture doesn’t
appear until the beginning of the 4th year.
But by the second year a CAP organization
may start to see clear performance
5
improvements and so sacrifice further effort
to achieve the bigger vision and settle for
interim change. What invariably happens is
that the organization gradually slips back
into its old and comfortable ways of
operation unless National Headquarters and
the guidance coalition reinvigorate the
effort.
It may be time to celebrate success, but it
also is time to renew the commitment to the
larger goal. At the two-year mark Wing
Commanders, take stock of successes and
use them as the lynch-pins for additional
change. These successes may produce
innovative ways to address issues that the
organization has struggled with during the
initial years of the change process.
A scenario that is continually played out is:
A CAP Wing declared “victory” at year two.
They had achieved six of ten goals. The
problem was that three of the remaining
goals were high priorities they “postponed”
because they were too difficult. Instead of
forging ahead to complete the other goals,
they dropped the change effort. By year
four, the organization was experiencing
problems again because they failed to build
on the two years of good work. Then a new
Wing Commander was appointed and
change began again.
8. Institutionalize Approved Approaches
When left to their own devices, CAP staff
and membership may not always make the
connection between the transformation
effort and the end results. It is critical for the
guidance coalition and change teams to
constantly make the link between the
improvements in performance and change
strategies and action steps.
Institutionalizing the new way of doing
things also is dependent on having a
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
succession plan to ensure that individuals
exhibiting the approaches, behaviors and
attitudes that have become the norm for
CAP are nurtured and placed in key roles for
the future.
As part of its change effort, why not make
one individual on the transformation team
sole job is to update standard supplements or
directives after every approved change, and
make certain the changes were
communicated to all staff and membership.
9. Study Lessons Learned
It is important to add step nine: study
lessons learned. No matter how successful
the transformation effort is, there are always
things that could make the process work
better in the future. It’s up to leadership to
ensure that the lessons learned are discussed
and documented. A permanent record of the
change process should include an in-depth
analysis of what worked and what didn’t.
Every quarter, the process action teams
involved in change should take two weeks to
add to their “lessons learned” compendium.
Unless you write down what happened
immediately after it occurred, you will not
have a process that can be replicated. Every
team should have a recording member
whose job is to capture process notes and
then prepare an outline that would help team
members write their “lessons learned.”
The challenge of change management has
never been more important for CAP
Commanders. The current economic crisis
and any loss in assets will cause many
organizations to launch change efforts.
Whether those initiatives produce lasting
transformation or have little positive long-
term impact on the organization depends on
leadership. CAP Commanders can be role
models within their organizations, not only
for their technical and fiscal performance,
6
but also for their strength, courage and
conviction to change. Scenarios were designed to provide
exercises in various methods of flight search
Col Mike Oakman patterns and communication with simulated
Commander, Alabama Wing survivors of a downed aircraft. The
Redstone ground team used signal mirrors
  and communication panels. Flight crews
flew expanding squares, creeping line
North Alabama Squadrons Hold searches and other methods to increase the
Training Exercise probability that they would find and
communicate with the ground team,
Capt. Mark Adams, commander of Redstone pretending to be survivors.
Squadron, and Maj. Anthony Beresford,
commander of Huntsville Squadron, and
Capt Ande Boyer, Deputy Commander for
Seniors, planned and supervised a training
exercise at Madison Executive Airport in
Meridianville, Alabama Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, August 14-15, 2009.

This practice exercise provided the four

northern squadrons practical experience in
those skills which will be needed the next
time that the Air Force Rescue Coordination
Center (AFRCC) calls upon the Alabama
Wing and these squadrons for a real mission.

Twenty –three CAP volunteers from

Gadsden, Huntsville, Redstone and the
Muscle Shoals Composite Squadrons began
with classroom training on Friday evening at
the airport.

Classroom instructions and debriefs

continued on Sunday. Saturday morning the
mission base was open by 7:30 AM with
volunteers signing in to obtain initial
qualifications for Mission Air Crews. Some
pilots, observers and scanners flew to keep
their mission ratings current.

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 7


ALABAMA WING SAFETY BRIEFING
FLIGHT SAFETY-HOW TO MANAGE
YOUR UIT’S SAFETY PROGRAM
ELECTRONICALLY IN THE DIGITAL
AGE PLUS ORM TRAINING
This month we are going to deviate
somewhat from the norm, considering it is a
Commander’s Call and many Unit
Commanders and Safety Officers are
present, and instead of giving you all ideas
on how to prevent accidents, we will address
how to manage and document your Unit
Safety program, plus we’ll talk about
Operational Risk Management. You will
find that this is a very simple summary, that
tells you what to report, and when, and how!
It is becoming more and more apparent that
we are in the digital age in the CAP, which a
great thing indeed! For years we have
struggled with having reams of paper to
keep up with, to file and copy and mail to
HQ. Well, I believe we are finally close to
being a “paperless cockpit” as we strive to
keep pace with technology and strive to
make things easier for our members (hey-at
least that is the idea, even if not everything
works great all the time. . .remember when
ILS approaches were new., now
GPS/VNAV gives us the same 200 Ft
minimums!).
The whole idea, from our standpoint at the
Wing HQ, is that you all at the Unit level
can be doing a great job, but if you are not
documenting it…nobody knows it (and the
AF IG team only believes what it can see),
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
and worse yet, the external visitors would
have a hard time believing the job is being
done right! (As President Reagan said of the
Commies once, “Trust, but verify”). So what
can be done electronically to improve your
documentation of the great work you all are
doing? (And I know you all are doing great
work, because we are continually flying
over 3000 hours a year of missions with no
accidents....that’s MY BENCHMARK!).
Well, just read on.
Before we get too far down the road, Safety
Officers are reminded that there’s a new
Safety Senior Member Tracking Program,
CAPP 217 (9608) that describes all of your
training and career track objectives, which
can be downloaded from E-Services, under
“publications” and “pamphlets”. Also, there
is an online version of the Safety Officer
Basic Course (under F-services, online
exams) which is mandatory for all new SE’s,
but highly encouraged for all SE’s. I took
mine in about 30~minutes, far easier than
when I was doing the AF Extension Course.
(Editor's note: All CAP members are now
required to take the Basic Safety Course by
December 2009)
What are the reporting requirements for a
Unit Safety Program? Not much, if you do
well and don’t have any accidents to report
via e-Form 78, or to investigate, via e-Form
79. There are basically these reporting
requirements: A Monthly Safety
Briefing/Meeting report, a Quarterly Safety
Report, and a Annual Safety Survey (due
before 31 Jan each year), all of which can be
done electronically!
For the Monthly Safety Briefing Report-Go
to WMU (https://wmu.nat.cap.gov) and
LOGIN. Then go to SAFETY block and
enter, then select UNIT SAFETY
MEETINGS
8
and enter the meeting information, with
date, location, topics, members present, etc,
and
SAVE before exiting. Remember WMU is
rather slow and try not to get frustrated.
Lt.Col. Harold Coghlan
Director of Safety
BCSS AL-801 GAINS TWO NEW
SENIOR OFFICERS
I am pleased to introduce to you two new
Senior Officers to our squadron, Mr. Jamie
Burton and Mr. Lamar Garrard. Mr. Burton
brings his experience in education as the
Principal of Corley Elementary in Boaz, AL.
Mr. Lamar Garrard adds to our squadron his
knowledge and background in the field of
mechanical engineering.
BCSS CAP Squadron AL -801 welcomes its
new Moral Leadership Officer, Mr. Jamie
Burton. After accepting a principal position
with the Boaz City School System, he heard
about its active CAP Program and soon
expressed an interest in supporting the
program.
Burton comes from the Birmingham area
where he taught for both Mountain Brook
and Hoover City Schools. After receiving a
number of honors, including recognition as a
National Board Certified Teacher, he
became an administrator. As an assistant
principal for both Shelby County and
Homewood City, Burton has been
recognized for his outstanding leadership
skills.
Burton attributes much of success as a result
of the skills he gained through his service in
the U.S. Army. After graduating at the top
of his class from the Academy of Health and
Sciences in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
worked as both a counselor and medic at
Fort Drum, New York. Upon completion of
his military service, Senior Officer
Burton moved to Alabama where he
attended the University of Montevallo. It
was at the University of Montevallo that he
met his wife.
Senior member Burton and his wife, Shanna,
have been married for fifteen years and have
three boys - Andrew, Ryan, and Dillon. The
entire family is looking forward to a long
and happy stay in Boaz. Senior Officer
Burton states, "It's such a privilege to be part
of the Civil Air Patrol Program. As a young
adult, I was fortunate to have outstanding
role models who encouraged me to become
the leader I am today. That's why I eagerly
accepted the position of Moral Leadership
Officer. I want to provide squadron
members with the same support and
encouragement I received growing up."
From left to right: first row C/A1C Jacob Elrod
and C/SrA Brittney Cothran
Second row, SM Jamie Burton, C/SrA Timothy
White, 2 Lt. Lamar Garrad
AL-801 is also pleased to welcome its new
Safety Officer, Mr. Lamar Garrard.
2 Lt.Garrard comes from the local area of
Boaz, Alabama. Garrard and his wife,
Carolyn, have been married for thirty-six
years and have one daughter, Lynn Toney
and one son, Jackie Garrard.
9

Garrard attributes much of his success in life
as a result of the skills he gained through his
thirty-two years of working in the
manufacturing, management and in the
application engineer area of the Induction
Heat Treat business. This gave him the
opportunity to travel throughout the major
portion of the United States, Mexico,
England, and Germany. The company he
works for builds heat treating equipment for
a wide range of industries (automotive, off
road, mining, pipe lines and military
applications). The military application
includes but not limited to - induction
hardening gun barrels for warships, tanks,
airplanes, military ammo casings, military
tank driveline parts, etc.
“Safety is a major priority of success in
everyone’s day to day life and should not be
take lightly so when my daughter and
grandson, C/SSgt. Jake Toney, both came to
me asking me to join CAP; their power of
persuasion was very strong. They were in
need of a Safety Officer. After a couple of
meetings with the Squadron, I realized this
would be an exciting experience to share
with my family. I have made new friends
with both Senior Officers and Cadets.”
Capt Lynn Toney
SEP Coordinator
Boaz City Schools
National Fire Protection Week
National Fire Protection Week is October 4
through the 10th. It is held the same week
every year, but do you know why?
It is from two events that occurred on
October 8 – 10, 1871. The first event almost
everyone knows about, the Great Chicago
Fire. The fire started at about 9 p.m. on
Sunday, October 8, in or around a small
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
shed that bordered the alley behind 137
DeKoven Street. The traditional account of
the origin of the fire is that it was started by
a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn
owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary.
Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican
reporter who created the cow story, admitted
in 1893 that he had made it up because he
thought it would make colorful copy.
The second larger and less known fire was
the Peshtigo fire. "The woods and heavens
were all on fire," the smoke blocked the sun,
and the rising moon turned red. For
witnesses of the worst fire in American
history, it was a sure sign of the apocalypse.
On October 8, 1871, a fire with hurricane
force winds consumed more than 1,000,000
acres of farms, forests, sawmills, and small
towns of Wisconsin and upper Michigan. In
its path of destruction an estimated 1,500
people lost their lives. The Peshtigo fire, as
it was dubbed, represents the greatest
tragedy of its kind in North America. The
conflagration occurred the same day as the
great Chicago fire and has relegated to a
lesser place in annals of North America
disasters. Yet, the natural forces unleashed
that day would for evermore be known as a
"firestorm."
U.S. fire departments responded to an
estimated average of 52,500 reported U.S.
home structure fires involving electrical
failure or malfunction in 2006. These fires
resulted in 340 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian
injuries and $1,447 million in direct
property damage.
Electric currents carried by wiring, switches,
plugs and appliances generate heat.
Excessive or uncontrolled heat can start
fires. Most electrical fires occur in winter
months when people spend more time
indoors. The threat is particularly great in
homes built prior to the 1950s when the
10
electrical wiring didn't always meet today's
safety standards.
You need to understand — and respect —
the power of electricity and the role it can
play in home fires. The chief culprits in
most electrical fires are:
ƒ Incorrectly installed wiring.
ƒ Overloaded circuits and extension
cords.
ƒ Improper plugs, switches and outlets.
ƒ Misuse and poor maintenance of
lighting.
The following warning signs may indicate
electrical problems that could cause a fire.
If you experience any of these warning signs
in your home, contact a licensed
electrician to repair the problem
• Flickering or dimming lights.
• Switches or outlets that are hot to
the touch or emit an acrid odor.
• Discolored cords, outlets and
switch plates.
• Repeated blown fuses or tripped
circuit breakers.
Keep Home Wiring Systems Safe
Hire a licensed electrician to:
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
ƒ Inspect a home and make any needed
repairs before you purchase it.
ƒ Ensure that any electrical
modifications meet existing codes.
ƒ Inspect and repair outlets and
switches.
ƒ Inspect aluminum wiring in homes
built from 1965 to 1973 because
there have been problems with this
wiring used in wall sockets, switches
and cable connections.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
ƒ Be sure to replace fuses or circuit
breakers with ones of the correct
size.
ƒ Have a qualified, licensed electrician
repair any problems.
Cords, Outlets and Plugs
Have Fire Sense by taking these precautions
when using plugs and electrical cords:
ƒ Don't run cords under carpeting,
bedding or other combustible
materials, or across doorways or
frequently traveled areas.
ƒ Discard frayed or broken cords and
never splice two cords together.
ƒ Don't overload outlets or use
extension cords in place of outlets
because these unsafe methods create
too much heat and can easily cause
11
 fires. Call an electrician to install
additional outlets as necessary.
ƒ Be sure plugs fit snugly in outlets to
prevent shock and excess heat.
Lighting
Combustible materials can ignite easily
when they are exposed to hot bulbs. Keep
the following tips in mind when using light
fixtures:
Redstone Cadets Celebrate Air
Force Birthday
On 15 Sep 09, the Tennessee Valley Chapter
of the Air Force Association hosted a party
honoring the 62nd birthday of the U.S. Air
Force. This event was held at the American
Legion Post 237 in Huntsville, Alabama.

ƒ Purchase lamps and fixtures listed

with Underwriters Laboratories
(UL), an independent, not-for-profit
safety testing and certification
organization.
ƒ Use the right bulb wattage for all
lamps and fixtures.
ƒ Position lamps away from open
windows where strong breezes can
blow draperies onto hot light bulbs.
Color Guard members are (left to
Simple tips and fire prevention can save you right): C/CMSgt Sara Folse, C/1st Lt Andrew Hall,
and your family the hardship of losing your C/2nd Lt Michael Guthrie, and C/Amn Joshua
Adomatis.
homes and possible your life. This is
something I see on almost a daily bases as a
The event opened with the presentation and
professional fire investigator. By following
posting of colors by the CAP Redstone
these simple tips, you could be saving
Composite Squadron. Brig Gen Gary
everything.
Connor (USAF, Ret) was the featured
speaker for the event and addressed the
John P. Neil, Major, CAP
history of the Air Force and its role in
ALWG, Director of Operations
securing our nation's freedom today.
Fire Certifications
Certified Fire Investigator, IAAI
Brig Gen Connor also participated in a
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, NAFI birthday cake cutting ceremony with cadet
Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator, NAFI representatives of the Civil Air Patrol and
Certified Fire Investigator I, NFPA area Air Force JROTC units.
Certified Master Fire Investigator, IPTS
Pro-board Certified as Fire Investigator The Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Air
Force Association recognized Cadet First
Lieutenant Jonathan Allen as the 2009
Outstanding Cadet in the Redstone
Composite Squadron. The chapter presented
Cadet Allen with a certificate and check for
$100.

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 12


CAP and AFJROTC cadets assist Brig Gen Gary
Connor cut the cake at a birthday party for the U.S.
Air Force hosted by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of
the Air Force Association. In this photo, C/Amn
Logan Griffin from the Redstone Composite
Squadron cuts the cake with a saber.
Brig Gen Gary Connor presents Cadet Allen with the
award certificate.
The party concluded with the recognition of
attendees that were members of the original
Army Air Corps and with the singing of the
Air Force Song.
1Lt Kim Miller
Redstone Squadron, PAO
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
Photos by Tennessee Valley Air Force
Association.
IRON MAN COMPETITION
NOVEMBER 20-21, 2009
The dates for this year's Iron Man
Competition, to be held at Auburn
University on November 20-21, to your
squadrons. Unlike in years past, we will be
starting a portion of the competition (the
Super PFT) that Friday night. The
competition will resume with the remaining
four events Saturday November 21st at 7am.
This will help us alleviate the time
constraints we are expecting with the
increase in teams this year. We hope this
will allow your members to return home on
Saturday night at a decent hour.
This year's competition fee will remain at
$30.00 per team ($5.00 per person),
however, this year the t-shirts are included
in the registration price. Due to the
possibility of having more teams register
than we can handle, each squadron in the
Wing is guaranteed at least one slot for a
team. After the October 31 deadline, if we
have slots still open, we will announce the
placement of other teams on a first come,
first serve basis. In other words, if you
send in two team registration packets, please
indicate which team will be your "A" team,
and which will be a secondary team. Your
"A" team will be guaranteed a slot, while
your "B" team will be placed in holding
until we determine if there are available
slots.
Both teams still must send in the $30.00
registration fee, however if a team is not
able to participate due to the above issue,
that check will be voided and the team point
of contact will be notified.
Also, thanks to Col Oakman and his staff,
the Alabama Wing will reimburse squadrons
13
for fuel purchased if they send a team (for
Alabama Wing Vans only). I hope this will
take the burden off of those squadrons who
have a long drive to make it here and back,
and encourage every squadron to send a
team.
Our website is still being updated at this
time. I will send a Wing-wide email once
the website is updated with the correct
registration forms and general information.
Until then, please have your squadron work
on sending a team to the competition.
Thanks to everyone for helping us make this
a great competition and event that the Wing
and CAP can be proud of. If you have any
questions, feel free to contact either myself
(christophertate@charter.net)
or Keith Conway (conwako@auburn.edu).
Capt Chris Tate
Auburn Squadron Commander
Staff Position Changes Announced for
Maj. Justin Smith and Capt Jon Garlick
I want to announce that Justin Smith, Major,
CAP; ALWG DCP has of 25 Sept. 2009
completed his commitment to me and to the
ALWG as Wing DCP. He has performed his
duties with the highest of integrity and
loyalty to the Cadets, this Wing and me as
Wing Commander.
Major Smith has made my job easier and as
I had told all of the wing staffers their
primary function is to protect the boss; me,
he has done just that. Major Smith is not
leaving CAP he is just taking a well
deserved break and will continue on as he
now establishes his personal career goals.
Please thank him the next time you see him
for a job well done and for his leadership of
our young adults over the last 5 years.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
Thanks Justin for all you have done and will
do in the future.
I am happy to announce that Captain Jon
Garlick has as accepted the position as the
ALWG CISM Officer (Critical Incident and
Stress Management). Capt. Garlick will be
getting his contact information out to
everyone shortly. He will be attending his
first Wing Staff meeting in October and will
address the Staff. Please welcome Capt.
Garlick to the staff and congratulations on
his current duty-performance promotion to
the grade of Captain.
Col. Mike Oakman
Commander Alabama Wing
Chaplain Edward Cleveland
It is with regret that I have to advise the
passing of Chaplain (Major) Edward
Cleveland at the age of 88. Chaplain
Cleveland was a member of the Civil Air
Patrol for 16 years, many of those as
squadron chaplain of Huntsville Composite
Squadron. Chaplain Cleveland was greatly
liked and respected by all who knew him.
Chaplain Cleveland began his ministry in
South Carolina at 21. At 33 he became an
evangelist and administrator of the
Ministerial Association of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a
post he held until 1977. In that position he
14
helped train pastors and hold evangelism
meetings around the world.
After 1977, Chaplain Cleveland taught in
the theology department at Oakwood
University, helping to found the annual
Pastoral and Evangelism Council seminar
that attract ministers from around the world
each December. The Bradford-Cleveland-
Brooks Leadership Center on the Oakwood
campus was named in his honor along with
other church leaders Charles Brooks and
Charles Bradford.
being a distinguished graduate, Cadet Folse
also placed in the top eight in a class of 30
which earned her a ride in a T-1 Jayhawk.
The T-1 Jayhawk is a medium-range, twin-
engine jet trainer used in the advanced phase
of specialized undergraduate pilot training
for students selected to fly airlift or tanker
aircraft. Cadet Folse commented, “This
flight showed me that, although pilot
training is going to be tough, it is well worth
it!”

Maj. Anthony Beresford

Commander, Huntsville Composite Squadron

Redstone CAP Cadet Attends SUPTFC

This summer, C/CMSgt Sarah Folse spent

one week at Columbus AFB, MS attending
the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot C/CMSgt Sarah Folse Pictured Second From
Training Familiarization Course (SUPTFC). Right With Gombey Flight at SUPTFC
SUPTFC is a week of simulated Air Force
In reflection of her week at SUPTFC Cadet
Pilot Training, where Cadets experience
Folse said, “This one week has given me the
many of the same tasks that Air Force pilot
study skills to succeed in school, the
trainees go through. The SUPTFC training
leadership abilities to succeed in CAP,
included team-building exercises, leadership
JROTC, and my community, and the drive
scenarios, simulator flights, academics and
and dedication to pursue being an Air Force
testing which were monitored by USAF
pilot as a career.”
Reserve officers. To motivate success, each
graduating Cadet is awarded a set of Air
Force pilot wings. One of the special days
Former Bessemer Cadet receives
while at SUPTFC was when the Cadets were
Combat Systems Officer Course Awards
allowed to shadow an Air Force pilot trainee
which included going through a flight
2 Lt. Jacob Meins, USAF, graduated from
briefing, and a tour of the flight line.
Combat Systems Officer Course in July
2009, receiving the "Jack Donovan Award"
Of SUPTFC, Cadet Folse said, “It
for being the top electronic warfare student
challenged me academically, and taught me
and the "Commander's Cup Award" for
studying and note taking skills. It pushed me
being the outstanding cadet for the course.[
harder than anything else before, and
showed me that I was capable of more than I
Meins was a cadet in the Bessemer
thought I was.” The hard work paid off for
Squadron, graduating in June, 2004 from
Cadet Folse, as she was a distinguished
graduate. In addition to achievement of

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 15

Pelham High School and from Samford encampment directly to me at
University in 2008. jmcelvaney@flwg.us. If you previously
submitted an application for one of these
Lt. Col Bob Dorning positions, you do not need to reapply;
however, additional information may be
submitted and will be accepted.
Florida Wing Winter Encampment
Also at this time, applications are being
accepted for cadets, cadet staff, and senior
Florida Wing (FLWG) will conduct a
staff. For more information on the
Winter Encampment at Camp Blanding
application process, please view the
Army National Guard Training site in
encampment website.
Starke, Florida from 27 December 2009 to 2
January 2010.
(http://www.flcadet.com/WinterEncampmen
t.aspx)
The mission of Florida Wing Encampments (from an email by)
is to provide cadets a positive training
environment that reinforces the core values JUSTIN R. MCELVANEY, Capt, CAP
of the Civil Air Patrol and the United States Encampment Commander
Air Force through consistency and
adherence to the standards of the Cadet
Program. Through interaction with peers and National Character and Leadership
direct mentorship from their leaders cadets Symposium
will gain experiences that will form the
Civil Air Patrol would like to send four
foundation of their cadet career and serve
cadets to the 17th annual National Character
them as young adults. Physical and mental
and Leadership Symposium from 17 through
safety will be the first consideration of all
20 February; sponsored by the United States
members. All activities will be conducted to
Air Force Academy. The Symposium
the highest ethical and professional
provides cadets the opportunity to engage in
standards.
dialogue with visiting undergraduate
university student leaders from across the
The success of encampment is dependent
country in seminars and discussions
upon the people who dedicate their time
designed to enhance their own
prior to encampment coordinating the
understanding of the importance and
various aspects of this activity. I am
challenges of sound moral character and
reopening the application period for
leadership.
command staff (Commandant of Cadets,
Deputy Commander, Executive Officer, and
You can get more information on this
Cadet Commander) applications and setting
activity and other exciting opportunities by
the deadline for those applications to 7
going to the cadet programs website:
October 2009.
http://capmembers.com/cadet_programs/
If interested in serving encampment in one
Maj. Justin Smith
of these capacities, please submit an
application including a
CAP resume, references, and any specific
goals you may have for yourself or

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 16


CALLING ALL CADETS!
The Alabama Wing of the Civil Air Patrol is
sponsoring a SAFETY poster contest.
Composite and school squadrons are
encouraged to participate and must first hold
a squadron level contest. The squadron
commander should appoint a Senior
Member (SM) to supervise the squadron
contest and to provide information about
deadlines and content of the posters. The
SM will also be responsible for sending the
winning entries to the Wing.
There will be two age groups participating
in the contest. The groups will be ages 12-15
and 16-19. The squadron contest may run as
long as you wish however, the winning
entries MUST be received at Wing level by
the deadline for entry. The top two posters
from each age group will be forwarded to
the Wing contest coordinator along with
name, squadron number and contact info of
the contestant. Prizes will be awarded.
Wing entries must be received by 6:00 P.M.
October 20, 2009, and be sent to:
Eddie Shurbutt
139 Grandview Drive
Eastaboga AL 36260
The subject of the poster is Safety; however,
it may be about any area of the Civil Air
Patrol and its missions. The poster may
point out a danger or remind us to act safely.
Some areas the poster may highlight are
flight line or aircraft hazards, ground team
hazards, training hazards, cadet activities or
tips to stay safe.
Whatever your poster is about, it must be
YOUR ideas. It is not as important to have
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
the best artwork as it is to present a
convincing point or argument for Safety.
The poster may be drawn freehand or may
be computer generated. You may use clipart
however, do not violate any copyright laws.
Remember, posters will be judged on
content and not necessarily the art abilities
of the entrant.
A sample form for use at the squadron level
for entries was previously sent out by email.
Entries will become the property of the Civil
Air Patrol and may be used in publications
or as promotional materials. The decisions
of the judges are final. CAP will not be
responsible for lost, damaged, stolen or late
entries.
Eddie Shurbutt
2Lt. CAP
SER-AL-118
Alabama Wing Safety Poster Contest
Coordinator
Modified Cessnas will be used to
help train deploying Army, Marine
forces
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. –
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 CAP-U.S. Air
Force Commander Col. Bill Ward,
explaining that a sophisticated “Predator
ball” placed under the left wing of a Cessna
182 belonging to CAP will give the plane
the capability of mimicking the Air Force’s
MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper,
unmanned aircraft that provide real-time
data to U.S. warfighters.
17

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, 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 Ops Branch of Air
Combat Command at Langley Air Force
Base, Va. “The Surrogate Predator is the
solution.”
Air Combat Command (ACC), 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 patriotic citizen volunteers 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,” said Martin.
Photo by Lon Carlson, L-3 Communications
With the Predator ball in place, the CAP
plane-turned-Surrogate Predator has the
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
capability of locking onto a target and
tracking it, said Ward, 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.
The complete release from National
Headquarters PA is available. You will find
the news release and photo online at CAP's
new online news site:
www.capvolunteernow.com.
National Emergency Services
Academy
Alabama Wing was well represented at the
National Emergency Services Academy in
July 2009. The academy consists of three
courses – National Ground Search and
Rescue School, Incident Command System
School and Mission Aircrew School. Each
course is divided into one-week sessions
focusing on specific skills.
A total of 14 courses, including two for
prospective incident staff members, are
offered. Two new courses added this year
will focus on mission communications and
scanner/mission photography.
National Ground Search and Rescue School
provides members the skills they need to
expertly perform ground searches. Incident
Command System School covers the skills
needed to be top-notch leaders and staff
officers at the incident command post and
other critical operating locations. Mission
Aircrew School teaches critical skills needed
for pilots and crew members to stay at the
top of their game.
18
 C/SMSgt Michael Bentley
C/MSgt Stephen K Smith
C/MSgt Willliam W. Sheppard

Alabama 032
SM Tyler Gresham
C/MSgt Alexander Haigh
C/SSgt Kyler Gresham
C/SSgt Kerrily Gresham
C/TSgt Joseph R. Spitzer

Alabama 075
Capt. William Ott

Alabama 087
Capt. Sam Ogilive 2nd Lt. Howard L Holliman
C/SSgt William T. Blake, Jr.
"I'd like to extend my thanks to you and Cadet Aaron B Holliman
Alabama Wing for providing both vehicles Cadet Austin W. Holliman
and an aircraft to support this year's National Cadet Cody L. Franklin
Emergency Services Academy. Alabama
Wing ranked second in the country in Alabama 113
attendees this year (37 attendees, right 1st Lt. Keith O. Conway
behind Illinois which sent 38). Alabama 2nd Lt. Brian P Meier
was represented in all three main schools, SM Charles D Murphy III
Ground SAR School, Aircrew School, and
Incident Command Staff School. From all Alabama 117
reports, it was a very successful year." Lt. Maj. Amanda Anderson
Col. Michael Long Capt. Samuel A Ogilivie
Capt. Gary E. Ernest
C/MSgt Jessica A. Ernest

Alabama 118
Maj. John M. Randolph, Sr.
C/Col. Morgan B. Bennett
C/Capt. Mary A. Shurbutt
C/2nd Lt. Peter J. Randoph,
C/SSgt. Jerrod S. Finlay
C/TSgt. Dakota Meads

Alabama 119
Capt. J. Andrew Boyer
Alabama 001 SM Sterling Hickson
Maj. David Hester SM Christopher B Hulsey
C/CMSgt Sarah A Folse
Alabama 005

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 19

 C/SrA Lauren Jarreau
C/Amn Matt T. Hanna
C/Amn Michael G. Lemley
Alabama 801
C/2nd Lt. Ryan D. Erskine
AL/MS 2009 JOINT WING SUMMER
ENCAMPMENT
This year’s Alabama Mississippi Joint
Summer Encampment offered cadets a
chance to taste military life in the form of
uniform classes, drill and ceremonies
exercises, and physical training during a
seven day activity located at Ft. McClellan
ANGTC. A web site has been set up at
http://www.almsencampment.com.
Alpha Flight at Leadership Reaction
Course(LRCs) Names: Josiah Kargbo, Jacob
Williams, Anthony Gentile, and Dylan Bennett.
Cadet staffers taught basics classes in
leadership and aerospace. Basics learned
how to navigate with a compass and how to
locate an emergency locator transmitter
(ELT) with an L-per during an emergency
services class. During the Drug Demand
Reduction presentation, cadets were
informed about the dangers of drugs and
alcohol, and also what CAP provides state
and local governments in this area. Some
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
of the cadets were able to wear ‘drunk’
goggles that distorted their vision similarly
to the effects of alcohol.
The encampment location at Ft. McClellan
allows cadets incredible chances to use the
post’s training facilities: an Army Special
Forces group spent a day with the basics
teaching them how to rappel off a 30-foot
tower. Basics were also able to use the Fire
Arms Training Simulators, shoot digital
targets with simulator weapons.
At the Leadership Reaction Course, cadets
learned how to work through obstacle
scenarios as a team. Some cadets took a
flight on a C-130 while others flew in a
smaller CAP-owned craft. Tours of
Honeywell, an airplane parts refurbishing
factory, were given. One morning cadets
honored military veterans by placing
miniature American flags on graves at the
Ft. McClellan Military Cemetery.
Cadet Basic Jacob Penn places a flag at a
veteran's grave at memorial cemetery.
During the graduation ceremony, each basic
received a certificate of participation and
awards are given for outstanding achievers:
20
 • Encampment Honor Cadet was
awarded to Cadet Wesley Crabtree.
• The Rising Star Award went to
Cadet Nick Bak.
• The Cadet NCO of Encampment was
awarded to C/CMSt Sarah Folse.
• C/Major Adam Casey was awarded
the Cadet Officer of Encampment.
• Outstanding Senior Officer of
Encampment was 2d. Lt. Seth
Brooks.
2nd Lt Nicole Hester
Mississippi Wing Encampment PAO
Cadets Assist in Bronze Star
Ceremony
Boaz, Ala.--"It may never happen again in
our lifetime," said Maj. Randall Haney
talking about a ceremony during which C/2
Lt Ryan Erskine assisted with the awarding
of a Bronze Star and other delayed medals to
Mr. Dee Johnson a World War II veteran
during a ceremony at Boaz Middle School.
The Boaz Middle School Cadet Color Guard
provided honors for the ceremony. Cadet
Erskine led the Pledge of Allegiance and
assisted Brigadier General Genaro
Dellarocco, U. S. Army, and the Honorable
Robert B. Aderholt, U S House of
Representatives make the presentation to
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
Mr. Johnson. Over 600 students and adults
attended the ceremony.
The history behind this presentation began
last year.
Mr. Johnson had been awarded several
medals for his service during WWII.
Instead of staying away from his family to
wait and receive the awards, he chose to go
home to Alabama in 1946. The hope was
that the medals would follow him and be
presented later.
Mr. Dee Johnson and Dr. Haney,
maintenance officer for the Alabama Wing,
Civil Air Patrol, and assistant superintendent
of schools for Boaz School System had
talked about the medals. Dr. Haney, after
talking with Rep. Alderholt about the
process required to have the medals
awarded, passed the project to Ms. Heidi
Battles, an eighth grade social studies
teacher, who in turn encouraged her students
to work on the project, which they accepted
with enthusiasm.
C/Sgt Katy Young, C/SrAmn Brittany Cothran,
C/Sgt Jake Toney, Brig. Gen. Dellarocco,
C/TSgt Justus Holland, C/2 Lt Ryan Erskine.
Once the medals were ready to be presented
to Mr. Johnson, the Boaz City Schools
21
Squadron was asked to step in and help with
the ceremony.
The Bronze Star is awarded to any person
who, while serving in any capacity in the
Armed Forces of the United States, after
December 6, 1941, distinguishes himself by
heroic or meritorious achievement or service
in connection with military operations
against an armed enemy. Mr. Johnson was
also awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge,
which is presented to personnel who were
present and under hostile fire while serving
in an infantry or Special Forces unit.
In addition to the Bronze Star, Johnson was
awarded an Honorable Service Lapel
Button, a Marksmanship Badge, The
Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the World
War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign medal, the American Campaign
Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
A Magical Journey with IACE
As I cross the tarmac at Pudong
International Airport in Shanghai, I catch a
glimpse of an Airbus 340 taxing towards its
gate. I immediately recognize the Turkish
Airlines red fin flash as it turns the corner,
entering the ramp-- the bright Red Crescent
moon and star gleaming in the evening sun.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
This familiar sight brings back pleasant
memories of my recent trip to the magical
land of the Republic of Turkey.
This past summer I was honored to be an
Escort for the Civil Air Patrols sponsored
International Air Cadet Exchange. IACE, as
it is known by its participants, is CAP’s
premier National Cadet Special Activity.
The purpose of IACE is to foster
international understanding, good will and
friendship among young people who have an
interest in aviation.
The Alabama Wing was fortunate to have
three Cadets and a Senior Escort selected
this year to attend this opportunity of a
lifetime. In addition to my trip to Turkey, we
had C/Col Morgan Bennett go to Australia;
C/LtCol Stephanie Petelos go to Japan and
C/LtCol Aaron Hanes go to The
Netherlands. Highly sought after and very
competitive, having three cadets attend this
ultimate Special Activity attest our Wings
outstanding Cadet Program.
As two of our Cadets headed to San
Francisco for their westerly journey, Cadet
Hanes and I began our journey by flying to
Washington, DC for a two day orientation
and tour of our Nations Capital. In
Washington, I have a chance to meet my
fellow Cadets traveling to Turkey. From the
United States, we have Peter Johnson from
the Pennsylvania Wing and Kristopher
Poskey from the Colorado Wing. We will
soon be joined by 12 other Cadets from 5
other countries. In our group we have 4
Cadets from Great Britain and 2 each from
Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, and the
Netherlands. Additionally, we are joined by
fellow Escort, Paul Davies from Great
Britain. Paul was super to work with and we
all made a great team.
22
Our flight from Washington took us to
Frankfurt, Germany and then on to Istanbul
where we began our fantastic tour of the
Republic of Turkey. Once in Istanbul, we
were met by our host and new friend Uzay
Hacaoglu and her assistants Ozan Atakan
and Ayse Kaman. I need to take the time
now to thank our wonderful host from the
Turkish Aeronautical Association (TAA).
They were most gracious in looking after
our every need. The fast paced schedule
over the next two weeks would require
patience, foresight and creativity in guiding
20 people through the jammed packed
schedule. Our host did all this and did it with
excellence.
Beginning our tour in the renowned city of
Istanbul gave us our great first impression of
the friendly people of Turkey. Istanbul also
gave us a glimpse of Turkey’s long and rich
history. We had four days touring famous
sights like the Blue Mosque, Topkapi
Palace, Dolmabahce Palace and the Harbiye
and Rahmi Koc Museums. We took a
wonderful boat tour up the Bosphorus
channel to the Black Sea. We also toured the
Turkish Airlines Training Center and flew
the Airbus Simulators. Our last evening
meal in Istanbul we were fortunate to eat at
Istanbul train depot, the last stop on the
famous Orient Express. Thanks again to our
TAA host in Istanbul for a wonderful time
there.
Our next journey towards the Aegean coast
began with a ferry ride towards the city of
Selcuk and the Ancient City of Ephesus. Our
host in Selcuk was again dedicated members
of the Turkish Aeronautical Association.
(TAA) We were treated to a personal tour
of the ancient city of Ephesus and a very
moving experience visiting the House of the
Virgin Mary.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
We visited the Kusadasi National Park and
went swimming in the sparking blue waters
of the Aegean Sea. Once again it was hard to
say goodbye to our gracious TAA host in
Selcuk. Many thanks for fantastic tours and
wonderful meals and accommodations.
Once again on the tour bus we headed
towards the middle part of Turkey for a stop
in one of the most beautiful places I have
seen.... the TAA Glider training facility in
Inonu, Turkey. With an early afternoon
arrival, we were able to saddle up quickly
for a most memorable glider ride. Soaring
above the beautiful Turkish countryside was
an unforgettable experience. The next day
prior to visiting the Turkish Aircraft Engine
Industry, we were able to fly in a Russian
built AN-12. After tours at two Turkish Air
Force Bases and a tour of the Turkish Space
Camp, we headed towards the capital city of
Ankara.
Staying at the Headquarters for the Turkish
Aeronautical Association, we toured the
capital city in style. The most impressive
tour on this portion of our trip had to be the
Mausoleum of the founding father of
modern Turkey--- Ataturk. His vision for a
progressive and prosperous country with
strong ties to both the East and West has
come true. Strongly believing in education
of the arts, history, science and technology--
- Ataturk truly supported the aviation
movement in Turkey and the creation of the
Turkish Aeronautical Association. The TAA
is a special organization held in high esteem
by the Turkish people. They are proud of
their TAA and justly proud of their country
and its wonderful heritage. We cannot thank
them enough for hosting us on a magical
journey of a lifetime.
For more information about the International
Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) contact the
Alabama Wing, Director of Cadet Programs,
23
LtCol John Hall john.hall.cap@gmail.com
or Colonel Lynn jblynn@knology.net
Lt. Col. Brad Lynn
Alabama Wing
Six Alabama CAP members attend
Region Staff College in July 2009
Lt. Col. Otha Vaughan and Capt. Ernie
Blair, Huntsville Composite Squadron: Maj.
John Neil and Capt. John Hawkins, Alabama
Wing Staff; Maj. Jay Jerman, Central
Alabama Squadron; and Capt. Andrew
Boyer, Redstone Composite Squadron
attended Region Staff College at
McGhee/Tyson ANG Base, Tennessee, in
July 2009.
CAP Region Staff College is a professional
one-week in-residence leadership school
designed to prepare CAP Officers for
service at the wing and region staff level. It
is a part of the Professional Development
Program and is required for completion of
Level IV and promotion to the grade of
Lieutenant Colonel.
"The Region Staff College was an intense
seven day class. The instructor student ratio
was at least one to one. It was very well
done and was definitely worth my time. The
experience will help me in my personal life,
my corporate life and in Civil Air Patrol. I
encourage anyone who it serious about the
CAP to plan to attend this class at the
appropriate time in their personal
development," according to Maj. Jerman.
Presentations by the staff provided critical
lessons for the students. One in particular
resonated with Capt. John Hawkins:
Recruiting and retention as a problem to be
solved not only across squadrons and wings,
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
but nationally as well. He said, “We need to
train, rely on and use the majority of
members who are non-pilots. Pilots seem to
become more involved quickly because they
are pilots. Many non-pilot members need to
be mentored and encouraged because they
may be the volunteers who leave Civil Air
Patrol in two years. Accomplishments by
non-pilots and pilots need to be
acknowledged."
Capt. Ernie Blair said, "It was an excellent
experience. A real pressure cooker of a
week. More work that you could possibly
get done by yourself. It forced us to depend
on teamwork to get it all done."
Working with members of units from around
the Southeast Region provided all members
with a variety of ways to accomplish the
missions of Civil Air Patrol, while
enhancing the experience provided to
volunteers.
 
C/2nd Lt. Esala Wueschner received
the Most Improved Pilot Award
Montgomery, Ala.--C/2nd Lt. Esala
Wueschner a cadet from the Maxwell
Squadron, Alabama Wing, received the
Most Improved Pilot Award at the National
Flight Academy, Powered, at Ft. Pickett,
Virginia in July 2009. At the academy
attendees receive formal ground instruction
and cockpit time with a certified flight
instructor.
The academy is designed for cadets so that
they have individual attention by mentors.
The cadets receive 10 hours of “hands on”
flight time, 25 hours of ground instruction
and fly as an observer when someone else is
receiving instruction, when the opportunity
is given.
24
C/2nd Lt Wueschner wrote, “It ended up
being the greatest time of my life. I had the
best instructor that any one can have, Tom
Doyle, and a great partner, David Cole. I
wasn’t sure that I was going to solo after my
eight hours of training. David helped me
with my radio communications, so I had
some hope of soloing. He kept telling me
that I can do it. My instructor, Tom Doyle
said I needed to have three good landings to
be allowed to solo. At the 8.5 hour mark I
had 4 good landings, so I was able to solo. I
was scared at first, but once I was on the
runway the only thing in my mind was don’t Lt. Col Brad Lynn, Capt. Ande Boyer, Lt. Col.
crash. I learned from the best. I’m happy Jeanne Spruill, and Capt Gary Bishop
that I soloed and made great friends.”
Civil Air Patrol volunteers spent 400 man
hours working the different aspects of the
mission, including both air and ground
"Successful" Grade on SAREVAL sorties. Additional time was spent in
preparation for the mission.
Meridianville, Ala.—The Alabama Wing
Civil Air Patrol earned a grade of Tasks during the evaluation included aerial
“Successful” for the search and photography of places in North Alabama
rescue/disaster relief (SAR/DR) evaluation which could be affected by serious weather
at Madison County Executive Airport. In events. Satellite Digital Imaging System
spite of heat index numbers approaching (SDIS) operators photographed areas using
100, thirty-seven volunteers from across the the satellite system as requested by officials.
state signed in and were assigned air and
ground sorties. Eight CAP-USAF personnel
graded the mission, a simulation of SAR/DR A medical transport task was included to
activities. insure that CAP pilots could support the
American Red Cross or other medical units
who might ask for support. Radio
communications between ground teams,
aircraft and mission base personnel would
be critical during a real event. Mission base
personnel set up HF and VHF radios to
insure that the various CAP components
could send and receive messages.

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 25


Operations and planning sections worked
with the scenario of two overdue aircraft and
simulated storm damage to assign missions.
By early afternoon all parts of the exercise
had been accomplished. One practice target
was located in Cullman County by an air
sortie and retrieved by a ground team guided
in by the aircraft. The second target was
found west of Huntsville. Thirty-two air
sorties were briefed and dispatched.
Redstone Cadets Celebrate Air
Force Birthday
Huntsville, AL – On 15 Sep 09, the
Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Air Force
Association hosted a party honoring the
62nd birthday of the U.S. Air Force. This
event was held at the American Legion Post
237 in Huntsville, Alabama.
The event opened with the presentation and
posting of colors by the CAP Redstone
Composite Squadron. Brig Gen Gary
Connor (USAF, Ret) was the featured
speaker for the event and addressed the
history of the Air Force and its role in
securing our nation's freedom today. Brig
Gen Connor also participated in a birthday
cake cutting ceremony with Cadet
representatives of the Civil Air Patrol and
area Air Force JROTC units.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
The Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Air
Force Association recognized Cadet First
Lieutenant Jonathan Allen as the 2009
Outstanding Cadet in the Redstone
Composite Squadron. The chapter presented
Cadet Allen with a certificate and check for
$100.
Brig Gen Gary Connor presents Cadet Allen with
the award certificate.
The party concluded with the recognition of
attendees that were members of the original
Army Air Corps and with the singing of the
Air Force Song.
1Lt. Kim Miller
Redstone Squadron PAO
Cadet Hislop attends Air Force Civil
Engineering Academy (AFCEA)
Huntsville, Ala. – The week of June 21-17
2009, C/A1C Tyler Hislop attended the Air
Force Civil Engineering Academy (AFCEA)
located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The
AFCEA exposes aspiring engineers involved
in Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) Cadet program
to Air Force career opportunities in
engineering related fields. The academic
elements of the course introduce the math,
science and technology involved in
engineering, encouraging the students’
26
continued development of those skills in glider flights and canoeing provided a great
fulfillment of their career goals. time for all those who attended.

C/A1C Hislop took part in hands-on Shelby County flies with the Air National
activities, simulations and career shadowing Guard
alongside Air Force officers involved in the
Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy
Operational Repair Squadron Engineer
(RED HORSE) Squadron. RED HORSE,
the most heavily armed engineering force in
the U.S. Air Force, are combat civil
engineers who can build an airbase from
nothing but a cratered runway. C/A1C also
participated in learning about fuel systems,
facility hardening, base fire and rescue and
was given the opportunity to stop by the
Ten members of the Shelby County
pilot training facilities and the confidence
Squadron AL-127 had an opportunity to fly
course. One of the week’s highlights was to
with the 117th Air Refueling Wing based at
watch the demolition (blowing up) of the
Birmingham Airport. After a briefing, the
end of the runway.
group boarded the KC-135 and flew to
Panama City, FL area where the crew
The academy is one of 30 National Cadet
refueled four f-15s. Each of the CAP
Special Activities sponsored by Civil Air
members were allowed to observe the
Patrol this summer. These activities allow
refueling beside the boom operator and
cadets to hone their skills in a variety of
watch the refueling up close. Members were
areas, including search and rescue, flight and
also allowed on the flight deck. The Shelby
emergency services, leadership
County Squadron invited Birmingham area
fundamentals, citizenship and military
Squadrons to participate for this flight.
courtesies, and to explore aerospace
technology and aviation careers.

1Lt. Kim Miller

Redstone Squadron PAO

Shelby County Squadron's Family

Day at Flying X Ranch Airport

On Saturday, June 20th, Shelby County

Squadron hosted a family outing day at the Lt. Col. Johnny Ward
Flying X Ranch Airport in Shelby County. Shelby County Squadron
The Flying X is the home of the
Birmingham Soaring Society. Members and
their families were able to canoe on the lake
and get flights in a BSS glider. A cookout,

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 27

Awards Given At San Antonio.
The Alabama Wing was awarded the
Southeast Region Search and Rescue
Award. The plaque was presented to Col.
Oakman in San Antonio, Texas, during the
Award Ceremony at the National
Conference.
Col. Oakman and Maj. John Neil with the
Search and Rescue Award Plaque.
For FY 2008 Alabama Wing logged 62
Missions, 51 Finds, two Saves after seven
actual crashes, including one helicopter and
six aircraft.
Lt Col. Harold Coghlan was awarded the
SER Safety Officer of the Year at the
ceremony. C/1Lt Aaron Hanes was
presented as the SER Cadet of the Year and
candidate for National Cadet of the Year.
Congratulations to all of those who received
awards at the Conference.
Public Affairs
Articles for the next wing newsletter are due
before January 5th. Remember in CAPR
190, news articles are to be sent to the Wing
and to higher headquarters. Just publishing
them in the squadron newsletter does not
meet the requirements of the regulation.
October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond
Christmas celebrations, CAP anniversary
events, Wreaths across American are all
events which take place in the next couple of
months.
Send pictures as jpeg attachments to your
articles.
Maj. Pat Mitcham, CAP
Alabama Wing, Public Affairs
Cell: 256-337-7523
Home: 256-880-0623
Mail: 1919 McDowling Drive
Huntsville, AL 35803
Veterans Day
Almighty, God, the cause of liberty is yours.
It is likewise the cause of those who have
defended it against tyranny and oppression.
Remembering the veterans who have served
in America's Armed Forces, we give you
thanks. We are grateful that you inspired
their sense of patriotism and strengthened
them in unselfish service. Their courage and
vigilance insured the freedom and peace we
enjoy today. Grant we pray, O Lord, to each
of them a generous portion of your grace
and to America, our native land, your
blessing. Amen.
From Book of Prayers, Civil Air Patrol Chaplain's
Service
28
The Alabama Wing Conference will take place on February 5th,
6th, & 7th, 2010 at the Wynfrey Hotel, Riverchase Galleria, in
Birmingham, Al.

The Alabama Wing Conference will begin Friday night at 6:00

PM until 8:30 PM with the Commanders Reception.

Saturday morning starts at 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM with the

General Assembly and Awards Ceremony. Lunch will be on your
own. There are many restaurants around the Galleria Mall
including a large food court within the mall itself.

The Break out seminars will be from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM; 6:00 to
7:00 PM.

Reception and the Banquet from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Early Bird Registration must be received by January 15, 2010.

Email from Lt. Col. Boswell emailed details and forms for
registration, hotel and transportation assistance requests.
Additional information will be in the January 2010 Newsletter.

October 2009 Citizen Serving Communities: Above and Beyond 29