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8/4/2019 2011 IACE- By C/Capt. Victor Santos, CAP
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2011 IACE Netherlands Written By C/Capt. Victor Santos, CAP
Nothing puts everything in perspective more than traveling to a different country and
experiencing the culture and lifestyle of the people that live there. This past summer I was given a uniqueopportunity to serve as a cadet ambassador to the Netherlands as part of the 2011 International Air Cadet Exchange
(IACE). If there was ever an activity worth waiting to be eligible for, then this would be that activity. To
summarize my IACE experience is difficult to do in a short article, however I hope you enjoy hearing about the
many fun and interesting things I was able to do.
The IACE program can be broken up into two separate parts. The first being the “DC phase” where
cadets and escorts gather in Washington D.C. Here is the first time that I met my escort face to face due to the fact
that cadets and escorts are chosen from wings throughout the entire United States. After meeting my escort,
Captain Scott Johnson from Minnesota Wing, we were able to meet other CAP members going to other countries
around the world. One of the highlights of the DC Phase is the day touring D.C. where I, along with my escort and
the Belgium IACE Delegation, spent the day visiting a number of memorials, the Old Post Office, the Washington
Monument and the White House. That evening we dressed up in our formal uniform and had a “Miss Manners”
dinner where we were taught the basics we would later use at the formal dinners overseas. Once dinner was over
we readied our bags for travel day. My flight to the Netherlands took me from Washington D.C. through
Baltimore to Schipol Airport located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. My escort and I were immediately greeted by
our Dutch Escorts who had been waiting at the airport as cadets from all over were flying in. After waiting a few
hours for the rest of the cadets to fly in, we made our way by bus to an Army Base located in Harskamp,
Netherlands. Before the base each of us was issued an ID that would give us access to the various army and air
force bases we would be visiting throughout our stay. The barracks we stayed in held four to a room and I chose a
room with a cadet from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. By the end of the day our group consisted of
twenty-nine cadets coming from Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, the United
Kingdom, Israel, South Korea, France, Turkey and the United States.
The next few days brought us all over the northern part of the Netherlands. We visited the European
Space Agency which was very interesting due to the fact that I had never really heard the European side of the
space program and all of the work they have been putting in. Our tour guide brought us through the many different
facilities which included a giant shaker, were equipment going into space is tested for its ability to withstand the
vibrations and shaking it will experience on its way to space. The shakers could shake equipment and satellites
that weighed up to 22,000 lbs. We were able to visit an exhibit for the International Space Station where our guidehighlighted the various European contributions and their functions. After spending the day looking around at the
different exhibits and facilities we ended the day with a 3D virtual tour of the space station which was a really cool
experience. The following day we were brought to visit Delft
University, the oldest and largest public university in the
Netherlands. There we visited a number of research facilities
where graduate students studying aerospace engineering were
conducting test in all kinds of different wind tunnels. Here is
where we also got to enter and look at a full motion flight
simulator that aerospace engineering students use to familiarize
themselves with different aircraft systems. Following lunch at
the university we made our way to the city itself where we got
to shop and look around until it was time to head back to the
base. The highlight of the next few days was getting theopportunity to go gliding with a local gliding club. We spent
the entire afternoon gliding, but what made it different than
other gliding experiences was the fact that the gliders were
winched launched where you hit over 1,000 feet in altitude is
just a matter of seconds and the fact that the gliders had the
ability to do aerobatics. The first few days of my stay were
busy, but getting to know the other cadets made it so much better.
Towards the middle of stay we visited Volkel Airbase where we spent the entire day looking and learning
about the F-16. The F-16 comprises much of the Dutch military’s air power. During the tour we spent time
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Document Titlein simulators in which we ran through startup, takeoff and landing as well as a few different scenarios where we
got dogfight against other fighters. I was able to suit up in full flight gear and sit in an actual F-16 while the flight
instructors familiarized us with the cockpit and the different missions their F-16s fly. The highlight of the day is
when we got to witness an F-16 start up, taxi and
takeoff. What made this different was the fact
that we got so close to the fighter as it started up
and taxied away. During takeoff we were only
about 20 feet from the runway when we see the F
-16 rolling towards us. It then lifts off and kicksover so that it comes directly over us at about 60
feet. It was definitely a remarkable experience.
The following day after looking at helicopters we
were led in physical training by our Dutch Air
Force escorts. We did log PT which included
sprints, pushups, situps, log lifts and an obstacle
course where we had to take the log with us
through each obstacle. Although very tiring, it
was a lot of fun getting a little dirty in the grass,
sand and mud. After a good night’s sleep we
made our way across the border into Belgium
were we met up with the Belgium IACE Group
and played a game of soccer, where unfortunately our team lost. It was nice to get to have some fun with the
Belgium group that also had a few Civil Air Patrol members.The last few days of the trip was spent with the host families. Families whose children have gone on IACE
volunteered to take 2-3 cadets back to their homes for two days. Fortunately enough for me I went to stay with a
family that lived only thirty minutes from the army base. The couple I stayed with was a family that had been to
more states within the United States than I had. The reason was that the husband worked as an Aerospace
Engineer and worked in the states for a number of years before moving back the Netherlands. I really enjoyed my
time with them; we went on bike rides around the area to different museums including the military police, World
War II and Dutch Air Force museum. The World War II Museum was in fact a private museum that showcased
items found in the ground that had been left by World War II. The most interesting part of the day was talking to
my hosts and hearing their stories from World War II and how the war laid waste to the area. The second day of
my stay with the family we went on a thirty minute bike
ride to the Dutch Princess’s Palace. The palace was
enormous! We spent a few hours just walking through
the hundreds of rooms. Behind the palace was a beautiful garden. After the two days were over I said
my goodbyes and headed back to the army base for the
last day of my stay.
IACE is a different kind of activity. It really
opens your eyes to the different programs similar to that
of Civil Air Patrol’s. After finally getting back to the
United States I realized that what made the trip so
amazing was not the many different bases, museums and
cities we visited, but the people who I met along the
way. I made some very good friendships with cadets
from around the world that I still keep in touch with
today. This activity had been one of my favorite and
most memorable activities I have gone on in my time asa cadet in CAP. I encourage you all to earn your Earhart
Award so you too can experience IACE.
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