Minnesota Wing - Dec 2008

8/2/2019 Minnesota Wing - Dec 2008

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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE MINNESOTA WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL

WINTER

2008 - 2009

Northern Flights


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NorthernFlights

Minnesota Wing

Civil Air Patrol

6275 Crossman Lane

Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076

651-291-0462

[email protected]

Northern Flights Winter 2008-2009

Editorial Supplied by

Maj. Al Pabon, Director of Public Affairs

North Central Region, CAP

Northern Flights is the authorized publicationof the Minnesota Wing of Civil Air Patrol andis edited by the Minnesota Wing HeadquartersOffice. It is published by a private firm whichis in no way connected to the United States Air

Force or the Civil Air Patrol. Opinions expressedin the articles and advertisements in this magazineare the sole responsibility of the contributorsand are in no way endorsed by the United StatesGovernment, the United States Air Force, or theCivil Air Patrol Corporation. This publication ispublished two times a year.

Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit volunteerorganization. Federally chartered by Congressunder 36 U.S.C. 0-08, which is dedicatedto emergency services, aerospace education andmotivation of Americas youth to the highest

ideals of leadership and public service throughcadet programs. Funds received by the advertisingsales are used to support this publication and tosupport various CAP activities throughout theState of Minnesota.

For information on advertising rates

and space, please call:

1-800-635-6036

The Moving Wall, the half-size replica ofthe Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,D.C., recently made its way to the Minnesota StateVeterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley.

The Wall travels throughout America formost of the year as a way to honor the 58,000 menand women who made the ultimate sacrice during

the Vietnam War. Not just those who gave theirlives, but those who remain missing as well.

I remember reports of those who had died or weremissing as I watched the sights and sounds of the waron the evening news out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.One of the missing was a young man from nearbyGreensburg that I would get to know later.

I have also had the honor of knowing andserving with plenty of Vietnam vets. But its thosereported as missing in action (MIA) that I have hada decades long connection to.

In late 975 I was stationed with the US Army

The Wallis a

moving experience

Capt. Richard Sprouse

Public Affairs Ofcer, Group 2 Minnesota Wing

A Vietnam vet looks for names on The Moving Wall, the

half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in

Washington, D.C., which was recently at the Minnesota

State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley, Minn.

(Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing)

Continued . . .


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The Moving Wall, the half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was recently at the

Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley, Minn. (Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing)

Look closely at this picture for the reection of a vet in a boonie cap and the agpole at the Minnesota State Veterans

Cemetery near Camp Ripley, Minn. (Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing)

Continued . . .


4/25

Ofcer Jon Reid of Phoenix had been captured, but

he was not among the POWs released in 973.In 999, the remains of Reid and copilot, st

Lieutenant David May of Hyattsville, Maryland,were identied during excavation of the crash site.

Today they rest at Arlington National Cemetery.The resting places of the other crewmembers,Specialist Five Randolph Johnson of Milwaukee

and Specialist Four Robert Acalotto of Greensburg,Pennsylvania, are known but to God.

Over the past decades Ive watched with muchinterest as about half of the Army MIA fromArizona were recovered, but theres still six thatremain unaccounted for. The Wall always movesme to think of Ronald Babcock, Paul Bates, ElliottCrook, Charles Dale, Lowell Powers and ArmandoRamirez.

There were so many questions as I tried to putthese last moments of a mans life puzzle togetherwith the nal crucial pieces missing. It seemed that

I had been handed Pandoras box containing all thepain and pride of those that had served in Vietnam.It all had a profound effect on me, and still does.

Maybe thats why when that simple, yetbreathtaking monument to Vietnam is nearby, Ihover around for an hour or so, searching for thosenames again and hoping some day Ill nally be

able to close that pasteboard box forever.

at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.Saigon had fallen in April andit seemed no one wanted tothink about Vietnam or remem-

ber the men and women whoserved there.

Landing on my desk one daywas a pasteboard box simplymarked POW/MIA-Vietnam.Inside were the after actionreports (AARs) describing thecircumstances surroundingArizonans who had served inthe Army and had been listedas missing in action (MIA) or

held as a prisoner of war (POW)during Vietnam.

There was only one POW thatI can recall and about a dozen MIA, but the AARson both could have lled several .50-caliber machine

gun ammo boxes.I had no direct connection to the POW who

received an annual physical courtesy the US Army.That would not be the case with those MIA.

The MIA les each contained a buck slip, a

sort of semi-ofcial routing document, that was to

be signed and dated annually to ensure they wereproperly reviewed, secured and stored. My assign-ment was to be the caretaker of these missing menand their memory for the next couple of years.Little did I know then that I would continue thatmission decades later.

Those already musty smelling and yel-lowing volumes contained rattling narrativesthat explained the MIAs last known moments.Hollywood couldnt write such a script. It wasntsurprising that most involved a helicopter, thesymbol of the Vietnam War.

Each AAR told somewhat similar tales of warand uncertain fate: The helicopter was last seentaking heavy re before crashing and burning. The

fate of the crew: unknown.In one instance I recall a hard landing where

two of the four crewmembers were seen exiting theaming chopper.

It was initially thought that the pilot, Warrant

A couple of Vietnam vets try to nd a friend on The Moving Wall, the half-size

replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was recentlyat the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley, Minn. (Photo: Capt.

Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing)


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Handing out Wreaths AcrossAmerica sponsorship forms,American flags and smiles,members of Minnesotas St.Cloud Composite Squadronbraved freezing temperatures

Sunday as they participatedin the second annual VeteransDays parade at the St. Cloud VAMedical Center.

This event gives our cadetsand senior officers a chanceto say thanks to all veterans,as well as promote WreathsAcross America locally, saidSecond Lieutenant GeorgeRamler of St. Cloud. Nearly

500 people attended the event.The Minnesota State VeteransCemetery near Little Falls,

Capt. Richard SprousePublic Affairs Ofcer, Group 2

Minnesota Wing

St. Cloud SquadronHonors Veterans

Members of the St. Cloud Squadron

of the Civil Air Patrol braved freezing

temperatures to march during the second

annual Veterans Days Parade at the St.

Cloud VA Medical Center. (Photo: Capt.

Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing, US

Air Force Auxiliary)

2nd Lieutenant George Ramler hands out a ag and information on Wreaths

Across America to one of the hundreds who braved freezing temperatures during

the second annual Veterans Days parade at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center.

(Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing, US Air Force Auxiliary)

Minn., is located between St.Cloud and Crow Wing squad-rons. Both have been busy

seeking sponsorships from localveterans groups, civil orga-nizations, area businesses andmembers of the public.

Last year, only 7 wreathswere placed at the Little FallsVeterans Cemetery comparedto hundreds or even thousandsat other veterans cemeteriesacross the country. Both squad-rons are hoping to substantially

increase that number this year,Ramler said.


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Since sometime back indistant history the FAA hasrequired that a pilot must sub-ject himself to a flight reviewevery months. This burdenwas imposed when it becameapparent that some pilots werenot maintaining their flying

skills and killing themselves,their passengers, and sometimespeople on the ground due tolack of ability to control theiraeronautical steed.

The requirement was thatyou subjected yourself to anhour of ground brieng and an

hour of flight instruction andyou were good for another twoyears. This improved accident

statistics slightly.Another attempt to improve

pilot skills was the implementa-tion of the WINGS program.This program gave you credit fora ight review if you attended an

FAA approved safety seminarand flew for three hours witha flight instructor. An hour ofinstrument dual, an hour of airwork and an hour of take offs

and landings and you could getcredit for a ight review.

Those that participated wentto a seminar and collected ight

instructor autographs in theirlogbook and on a little greencard. When the card was full yousent it to the FAA and got backa certicate suitable for framing

and credit for the ight review.

Enter the Internet. Someoneat the FAA got the idea that theWINGS program could be madea lot better by using somethingeverybody has available--a com-puter and access to the Internet.This would allow the FAA to

better utilize their green card pro-cessors by finding other mean-ingful work for them to do andthe pilot wouldnt have to waitthree months for their certicate.

Enter the computer-basedWINGS program. On a dedi-cated website, FAASafety.gov,the entire WINGS program hasbeen reborn into an instant safetyseminar that you can attend in the

comfort of your own home, onyour schedule, with no gasolineexpended to get to a safety semi-nar two counties away. Addedto the program were hundreds ofaviation safety offerings on theFAASafety.gov website ANDfrom other providers such asAOPA.org.

Okay, you say, but there area couple of things missing. I

dont have a computer, I dontlike the internet, and I liked theold way better. Ahhh, not sofast. Everyone has a computer.If you dont have one at home ashort trip to your nearest librarywill nd one available for you.

Dont know how to operate it?No problem! The knowledge-

Lt. Col. Nick Modders130th Composite Squadron

Something for Nothing -

Or, every pilot likes a bargain

able librarian will be eager tohelp you. You still dont like theidea? Try it. It wont hurt andyoull be amazed at the aeronau-tical information that is availableat the ick of a nger.

And that knowledge can beyours, for only the effort it takes for

you to read and absorb. Nothing tobuy, no need to leave home.

Did you know that the FAANOTAM system was changedin February of 008? Dontraise your hand to admit youhad missed that little feature,check out the course KnowYour NOTAMs. It explains itall. Well, maybe Ill try it, butwhats this bargain stuff?

The FAA thinks so much ofthe CAP pilot proficiency sys-tem that they give credit for aflight review if you pass a CAPForm 5 ight check. Well almost

full credit. You do have to enjoya short course on The Art ofAeronautical Decision Making.The bargain is that you dont haveto spend any additional money toget credit for the ight review.

Check out the website, reg-ister to enroll, and poke aroundand discover all of the featuresavailable for you to enjoy.

Fly smart! Fly procient! Let

FAA Wings help you achieve yourgoal of being a Procient Pilot.

That website address oncemore: www.faasafety.gov


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The Crow Wing Squadron ofCivil Air Patrol (CAP) dedicatedtheir hangar at the BrainerdAirport in memory of Lt. Col.Eugene Stanich on Saturday,July 5th.

The keynote speaker forthe dedication was Air ForceGeneral Bruce Carlson, the com-

mander of Air Force MaterielCommand at Wright-PattersonAir Force Base, Ohio.

The commands 77,000people manage $7 bil l ionannually in research, devel-opment; test and evaluationwhile providing the acquisi-tion management services andlogistics support required todevelop procure and sustain

Air Force weapon systems.General Carlson was born inHibbing, Minn. He was commis-

Lt. Col. Bob Johnson

Crow Wing Composite Squadron

Brainerd Hangar dedicatedto former commander

sioned in 97 as a distinguishedgraduate of the Air Force ROTCprogram at the University ofMinnesota, Duluth. He has heldvarious flying assignments toinclude commanding the 9thFighter Wing at Holloman AFB,N.M., the Air Forces rst stealth

ghter wing.

General Carlson is planningon retiring in January 009.

General Carlson also pre-sented the Amel ia Earhar tA w a r d t o C a d e t C a p t a i nJosh Woodward of Brainerd.This award recognizes CadetWoodwards accomplishmentsand is a high honor achievedby only few cadets in the CivilAir Patrol.

The day before the dedica-tion General Carlson was theGrand Marshal at the Brainerd

General Bruce Carlson

Picture Courtesy of Air Force Public

affairs

Mayor James Wallin presented a

plaque to the squadron honoring Lt.

Col. Stanichs accomplishments and

dedicating the hangar in his memory.

th of July Parade.The Cuyuna Community

band played music for the event,which drew a crowd of two hun-dred people for the dedication ofthe refurbished hangar.

Also speaking were StateSenator Paul Koering, StateRepresentative John Ward andthe Minnesota Wing CommanderColonel Tom Theis.

Capt. Joe Stanich, a currentmember of Crow Wing Squadronaccepted the plaques and spokeon behalf of the Stanich family.

Lt. Col. Gene Stanich willbe remembered for his friendlydisposition, dedication, and ser-vice to his country and fellowCAP members.

Major John Barsness con-tributed to this story.


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Lt. Col. Gene Stanich died on January9th, 005.During World War II he ew in many

different aircraft as a member of the US ArmyAir Corps. When the war ended, Gene returnedto Minnesota. Because he wanted to continueto be involved with aviation, Gene joined CAPin 950.

He was a charter member of Crow WingSquadron, and was an active member right upuntil his recent illness. Gene rarely missed ameeting and proudly wore his uniform, servingas an inspiration to countless members duringhis 55 years in CAP. He served in every posi-tion in the squadron and was one of its rst

commanders.The job of squadron commander included

coming early and starting a re in the potbelly

woodstove to heat the meeting place.Gene served as commander for four years

and was then promoted to Group Commander,a position he would hold for 9 years! AsGroup Commander he had seven squadronsand a lot of missions to keep him busy. Inthose days, without ELTs, it wasnt uncom-mon to have -3 searches a week.

As Group Commander Gene was able to doa lot of ying. He especially enjoyed ying the

T-34. He put many hours on it, ying to visit

squadrons and the Wing HQs.

Genes sons, Joe and Greg, were cadets inCAP. Joe recently moved back to the Brainerdarea and has re-joined Crow Wing Squadron.

As a retired educator, Joe has broughtspecial skills to the cadet program and continueshis familys tradition of dedicated service.

Lt. Col. Gene Stanich will be rememberedfor his friendly disposition, dedication, andservice to his country and fellow CAP members.

About

Lt. Col. Gene Stanich

Brainerd Hangar Dedication

CAP dignitaries including Minnesota State Director Bill Willis

(right) visit with General Carlson. Mr. Willis served with the

general during the Vietnam War when they were serving as

rst lieutenants.

General Carlson presents the Earhart Award to C/Capt. Josh

Woodard.

Members of the Stanich family during the festivities.


9/25

Continued . . .

A Minnesota Civil Air Patrolmember is being praised byemergency service providers forhis quick actions following a carversus bicycle accident along abusy Twin Cities highway.

Captain Nash Pherson wasstopped at a signal light alongUS Highway 69 in Champlin,Minn., on 6 November 008,when he noticed what he thought

was debris laying on the otherside of the intersection.

A man was moving debrisfrom my lane when he picked upa bicycle, Pherson said. I thenrealized it was a victim lyingprone and not moving in thespace between the turn lane andthe highway. Pherson called9 and reported the accident.

While still on the phone,

Pherson activated his vehicleshazard lights and proceededthrough a red light and into thebusy intersection. He parkedhis vehicle as far back from thevictim as possible and angledthe car and turned the wheelstowards the side of the road incase it was struck from behind.

Luckily, Pherson had hissearch and rescue equipment inthe car after working the previ-ous weekend with the Civil AirPatrol in the search for a missingman near Marshall, Minn.

Grabbing his reective vest

and medical kit, he approachedthe victim. Another motoristand the driver of the car thatstruck the bicycle rider were

CAP Members Training Proves Worth forAccident Victim



now present.Pherson asked the victim

his name and to lay his headdown on his medical bag, hop-ing to stabilize the boys neckand back.

Pherson explains: The vic-tim was moaning and crying,and it was obviously causinghim too much pain to try to laydown. I took hold of his head to

try to maintain his c-spine whilehe was sitting up. I then glancedat the vehicle and saw extensivedamage to the glass. I quicklybrushed through the victimshair to look for bleeding anddidnt see any. I asked the vic-tim where he was hurting. Hesaid his legs hurt and I noticedhe was clutching his abdomen. Ilooked him over for any serious

bleeding, but did not see any.I then asked him how old

he was, and he responded ,then 3, then I dont know. Ithen began to feel the back of thevictims head. It felt soft and mis-shapen. The victim kept tryingto move around, and could notcomply with instructions to holdstill. I stopped trying to hold hishead at this point, as I was wor-ried about doing more damagethan good. I positioned myselfalongside the victim so that Icould hold his upper torso overmy body if he started seizing, andI continued to comfort him.

The distraught driver wasnot injured and stated he had notseen the victim until he actually

hit him. The driver also statedthat he wanted to move his car tolet trafc through.

Even with the reflectivevest on and my car blocking

us, I was incredibly scared of asecondary accident. It was rushhour with high trafc, the roads

were very wet, rain was reduc-ing visibility, and it was dark,Pherson said. He told the mannot to move his vehicle

In what seemed l ike aneternity to Pherson, the firstpolice officer arrived at thescene shortly after the accident.Pherson briefed the ofcer with

what he had done to assess thesituation and stabilize the vic-tim while other ofcers and an

ambulance arrived at the scene.Champlin Police Officer

Nick Englund thanked Phersonfor stopping to provide help.

Captain Nash Pherson, Minnesota

Wing, Civil Air Patrol.


10/25

Fortunately, Major GeraldKleenes autopilot is set tosave lives.

The 63-year-old pilot of theMinnesota Wing of the Civil AirPatrol was participating in anantique farm equipment shownear Montevideo, Minn., onSaturday, August 6, when afrantic group waved him downsaying a young boy was chokingon a piece of hard candy.

Major Kleene, a memberof the Wesota Compos i t eSquadron, quickly exited thesmall utility vehicle he wasdriving and ran to the childsaid. He said what happenednext came automatically.

I just kind of went onautopilot, stopped, grabbed theyoungster, and proceeded toperform the Heimlich maneu-ver, Kleene said. After twocompressions on the boysstomach the airway was clearedand he began to breathe again.Kleene learned the procedureduring some CAP providedCPR training.

Its good to know that theCAP teaches CPR and otherlifesaving skills, said MajorRuth Hoffman, Wesota squad-ron commander. Sometimesyou t ake t he t r a i n i ng f o rgranted until you come upona situation like Major Kleenedid and realize you have the



Autopilot and CAP trainingsaves childs life

skills to save someones life.Hof fman sa id everyone i sproud of Major Kleene.

Kleene, a member of CAPs ince 993, never l earnedt he name o f t he boy whowas attending the event withhis grandparents.

I am still trying to nd out

who the young lad was. I hadnever seen him before, but Isure hope hes doing well,Kleene said. It was the first

time Kleene had ever used thelifesaving skill.I never expected to use this

procedure (Heimlich maneuver),but it is comforting to knowwhen put in such a situation thatone can react and not just be abystander, Kleene said. I waspretty lucky. So was the boy.

2008 Maj Gerald Keene. Photo

courtesy of Wesota Composite

Squadron.

Captain Pherson was veryhelpful at the scene. He providedrst aid until we arrived and then

provided helpful information to

supplement our report. We appreci-ated the help. All too often peoplein need are passed by. CaptainPherson is a great example of thegood Samaritans that are out there.Please thank him once again for ajob well done.

Minnesota Group com-mander, Lt. Col. John Barsness,has known Pherson since hewas a cadet.

Captain Pherson has trainedin many Emergency Servicescapacities and has always dem-onstrated cool response in tensesituations, Barsness said. Hisyears of training, both as a cadetand senior member, as a groundteam member and groundteam leader, including first aidtraining, gave him the tools heneeded when confronted with an

accident situation requiring animmediate response.

Major Jerry Rosendahl ,Minnesota Wing Vice Commander,has known Pherson for six yearsand praised his efforts.

His quick actions at thisemergency scene didnt surpriseme at all, Rosendahl said. AsCAP members we are taughtmany skills that can be used tobenet our families, friends and

fellow citizens. We just neverknow when well be needed.

Pherson said his CAP life-saving and ES training helpedhim immensely during theaccident. And he stressed theneed for all CAP members to beprocient in both areas.

Accident victimContinued . . .


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T h e J a c o b P f i n g s t e nMemor ia l F l ight Tra in ingScholarship was presented toCadet Chief Master SergeantLuke Zahm, 6, St . CloudComposite Squadron Civil AirPatrol, at the recent MinnesotaWing Flight Academy held atGustavus Adolphus College inSt. Peter, Minn. It was the sec-ond time that a St. Cloud cadethas received the honor.

Im very honored to be thisyears recipient, Cadet Zahm ofKimball, said. Im very gratefulto the Pngsten family for their

contribution to aviation and thesupport they have given me.

T h e s c h o l a r s h i p g o a lis to encourage all Civil AirPatrol cadets graduating fromthe Minnesota Wing FlightAcademy to continue their ight

training and obtain their FAAPrivate Pilot Certicate.

The scholarship providesup to 30 hours of ight train-ing. The cadet has one year toutilize the funds and to obtaintheir certificate. Cadet Zahmwas selected as the recipi-ent of the scholarship from

Capt. Richard SprousePublic Affairs Ofcer, Group 2, Minnesota Wing

St. Cloud cadet honored withight scholarship

several outstanding applicantsby the senior staff and flightinstructors at the flight acad-emy. Cadet/Second LieutenantJessica Stone of St . CloudComposite Squadron receivedthe rst scholarship last year.

J acob P f i ngs t en was along-time member of the CrowWing Composite Squadron ofCivil Air Patrol, both as a cadetand as a senior member. He

obtained his FAA Private PilotCertificate through the CAPprogram. He died in February005 of natural causes whileserving with the U.S. Army inGermany. The scholarship wascreated by his parents, Tomand Beth Pngsten of Brainerd,

both Civil Air Patrol mem-bers, and LaDonna and RandyBlackorbay of Maple Grove.

(L-R) Lt. Col. David Odette, Minnesota Flight Academy commander, Cadet Zahm,

and Jolene Parks, Jacob Pngstens sister. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Flight

Academy)

Thanks for supporting

our cadet programs


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The friends of Derek Cash, Ben Leaf, ChristianSchuller and Luke Zahm probably spent their sum-mer playing video games or just hanging out.

But the four cadets of the St. Cloud CompositeSquadron of the Minnesota Wing of the Civil AirPatrol (CAP) spent their time piloting either a glideror airplane at Minnesotas 40th ight academy held

recently at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.Ive been telling my friends that they missed

out on a great Civil Air Patrol activity, said Cadet

Chief Master Sergeant (C/CMSgt) Luke Zahm, 6,of Kimball. I also told them that CAP is by far thebest way to get involved in aviation, whether youjust enjoy it for recreation or as a future career.

The ight academy drew 33 pilots in training

from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakotaand South Dakota and put them behind the controlsof a Cessna 7 aircraft or a Super Blanik L-3glider at the Mankato Municipal Airport. Zahmand C/CMSgt Schuller, 7, St. Cloud, were amongthe 8 cadets who participated in the poweredprogram, with Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Cash,5, Sartell, and Cadet Master Sergeant Leaf, ,Princeton, among the 5 piloting a glider.

The gliders travel at about 50 miles per hour. Therst 10-15 ights are towed to 3,000 feet by a powered

aircraft. Then the glider pilot releases the tow cable andlooks for thermal columns of warm air to give them liftlike the eagles and hawks that hunt the elds near the

airport. After that the emphasis is on landing patterns


Public Affairs Ofcer, Group 2, Minnesota Wing

St. Cloud cadets y high at ight academy

and landing the glider from ,000 feet.The two-seater gliders provide room for a FAA

certified flight instructor, who can make adjust-ments using rear controls if the young pilots makea mistake. The ight instructor is also along during

a supervised solo with the cadet.Leaf said ying a glider was an awesome expe-

rience, and one he hopes to do again next year.The flight academy was very well run and the

quality of the instructors was outstanding, Leaf said.

All powered aircraft training is conducted at aminimum altitude of ,500 feet at an air speed ofabout 100 miles per hour. During the solo ight the

cadet is by themselves and typically performs -3take-offs and landings.

Cadet Schuller soloed in the Cessna 7, somethinghe described as indescribable. I had to keep checking tomake sure my instructor wasnt there, Schuller said.

The ight academy was comprised of 32 senior

ofcers of the Civil Air Patrol, including Captain Russ

Portele of St. Cloud, a pilot since 969. Captain Portelesaid everyone associated with the event is dedicated toproviding a rst class experience for the cadets.

They give everything they have, they learna tremendous amount about ying in a very short

period of time, and when a cadet solos it is not onlya memorable experience for the cadet, but also forthe instructor, Portele said.*Photos are courtesy of the 2008 Minnesota

Flight Academy.

Cadet Luke Zahm positioning an aircraft. Cadet Ben Leaf at glider controls.

5


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The skills associated with the Civil Air Patrolsparticipation in 95% of the nations inland searchestasked by the U.S. Air Force Rescue CoordinationCenter were driven home again during the 008Minnesota Wing Ground Team Academy held

Capt. Rich Sprouse


Expect the unexpected at the

Minnesota Ground Team Academy

August - at Camp Ripley.After some classroom instruction on land navi-

gation, tracking ELTs, conducting a line search,working with search dogs, and rst aid training,

60 cadets and senior officers spent several days

in the recesses of the 53,000 acre National Guardtraining facility honing their newly acquired skillsunder a variety of search and rescue scenarios.

The Ground Team Academy was created tostandardize ground team training across MinnesotaWing, said Major Chet Wilberg, the GroundTeam Academy commander. He said the goal ofthe Ground Team Academy was to get everyoneattending to complete one level of CAP EmergencyServices training by the end of the weekend.

So if you came in with a General EmergencyService qualification, you got everything youneeded for a Ground Team 3 (GTM3) rating,Wilberg said. If you came in with GTM3 quali-fication, you were able to get to GTM, and ifyou came in with GTM, you were able to geteverything you needed for GTM or Ground TeamLeader.

Those at tending also learned to expectthe unexpected.

C/CMSgt. Charlie Ramler of St. Cloud Composite Squadron

Cadet marks the edge of a search line during the 2008

Minnesota Wing Ground Team Academy. Photo: Capt.

Richard Sprouse

(L-R) C/TSgt. Jeremiah Hoffman (Crow Wing Composite

Squadron), C/SMSgt. Matt Frame (Anoka Composite

Squadron), and C/MSgt. Andrew Heisel (Hutchinson

Composite Squadron) consult their map during the recent

2008 Minnesota Wing Ground Team Academy. Photo: Capt.

Richard Sprouse

Cadets follow a trail of dog and footprints during a mock

missing person scenario during the 2008 Ground Team

Academy. Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse

6


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(L-R) C/MSgt. Emily Tholen of Anoka Composite Squadron

is debriefed by Lt. Col. Tom Helms of the North Dakota

Wing after a mock search during the 2008 Minnesota Wing

Ground Team Academy. Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse

In one instance a ground team found an unex-ploded mortar round, while another had a skunkjump out of a tree at them. One team expertly usedtheir map reading and line search skills, but stopped10 feet short of nding a missing woman and her

dog hiding in the thicket. There was also a lot of

tough terrain to traverse, as well as the normalshare of radio communication problems. Thatsexactly what Wilberg had hoped for.

Chaos. Unknowns. Things going wrong.Communication problems. These are things thatcan happen during an actual mission, so you haveto learn to deal with it, Wilberg said, but overallI think it went really well. GTA Survey resultsconrmed Wilbergs assessment.

Getting to work with people who are asenthusiastic about Emergency Services as me

was one of the best things about GTA. Hooah!,wrote C/SSgt. Lydia Wiff of Viking CompositeSquadron. Thanks to everybody who made theacademy possible. I will be talking to VikingComposite members all about it!

Networking with other CAP members wasreally helpful, wrote nd Lt. John Feth of DuluthComposite Squadron.

For C/SrAmn. Zachary Langer of St. Croix

Composite Squadron it was a growing experience.He wrote, I liked the freedom offered during theGround Team Academy, and being treated like anadult. Everybody had a role and a job to do.

Asked what was the best thing about the GTA,Cadet Master Sergeant Emily Tholen of Anoka

Composite Squadron wrote: EVERYTHING!The survey also asked those attending if they

would like to come back next year. The answerwas unanimous: Denitely!

Some of the cadets and senior ofcers who completed Basic Ground team Member training during the 2008 Minnesota Wing

Ground Team Academy. Photo by Capt. Richard Sprouse

7


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The Group One Search andRescue Exercise held August5 to 7 held at the Thief RiverFalls Regional Airport providednearly 00 training days for themembers of Minnesota Wing.The weather was perfect acrossMinnesota for the three day eventallowing aircraft and groundcrews to come from 6 differentunits from across the state.

The location of the Mission

Base in the northwest corner ofMinnesota provided a challengeto the aircrews for planning andying a long distance ight with

multiple locations of reconnais-sance on their way to and fromthe Mission Base. Many of theseflight sorties were over threehours long requiring crews tomaintain a close watch on theirfuel status as well as monitor-

ing their duty day hours to stay

within current CAP ight rules.

A High Bird Aircraft wasdeployed to maintain contactbetween the Mission Base and allinbound and outbound aircraft.Some aircrews ew as far as 275

nautical miles on their trainingsortie to reach the Thief RiverFalls Mission Base. The HighBird positioned in the central partof Minnesota provided excellentradio communications between

all aircraft keeping the MissionBase Operat ions personnelknowledgeable of the status of allaircraft during these ights.

Once at the Thief River FallsMission Base, local scenarios wereprovided to air and ground crews tohelp them maintain their currencyin their Operations QualificationSpecialties. The local scenarios forthe Aircrews were various types of

grid searches for missing persons,

ELT searches, mapping of water

levels and river ood debris loca-

tions to name a few.Ground Team scenarios

included a search for a missingperson in a wooded area, nding

and mapping locations of miss-ing person clues on the historicPembina Trail, search for a spaceshuttle accident data recorderin an open/wooded area, and anaircraft ELT search in the 6,500

acre marshland of the AgassizNational Wildlife Refuge.Participation in the SAREX

was excellent with 3 aircraft, 3corporate vehicles, and 8 personalvehicles reporting. A total of 5members from across the Wingparticipated. This is a showingof the dedication of the membersof Minnesota Wing to the CAPprogram and their commitment

to being Semper Vigilans!

A Minnesota Wing aircraft departing

Thief River Falls Airport on a

Sunday morning mission sortie.

Minnesota WingsGroup 1 Completes

Successful TrainingExercise

Lt. Col. David Odette, Commander, Group 1, Minnesota Wing

Photos by Capt. Paulette Odette

Aircrew Mike Peterson and Jerry Rosendahl checking in with

Col. Kevin Sliwinski.

Lt. Col. Stan Kegel reviewing target locations with Mike

Blowers.


16/25

9 9

The family of a young ight

instructor and her student pilotthat died in a plane crash last fallrecently made a $500 donationto the Minnesota Wing of theCivil Air Patrol on the anniver-sary of their daughters death.

In a thank you note the familyof Annette Klosterman thankedCAP members for their dili-gence, perseverance and detailwhile searching last October

when the plane carrying theirdaughter and Adam Ostapenkowas reported missing.

Although the outcome wasnot what we had prayed andhoped for, we are extremelythankful that the plane wasdiscovered and recovery wasmade, wrote J im and JanKlosterman, and their son PeterKlosterman. You have ourutmost respect and admirationfor the job you do.

Klosterman, , a Universityof North Dakota ight instructor

from Seattle and Ostapenko, 0,an aviation student from Duluthwere flying in a twin-enginePiper Seminole from St. Paul toGrand Forks, N.D. on October

3, 007, when air traffic offi-cials in Minneapolis lost contactwith the plane around 0 p.m.

near Little Falls.About 50 members and

seven aircraft of the MinnesotaWing of the Civil Air Patrolbegan searching for the planethe next morning. A Civil AirPatrol aircrew and ground teamlocated the airplane in a swamplate afternoon about 0 miles

Family ofpilot who

died in crash

ThanksMinnesota

CAP


Public Affairs Ofcer, Group 2

Minnesota Wing

A Civil Air Patrol aerialsearch yesterday for the vehicleof a missing Minnesota womanturned up nothing new in thedisappearance of 3-year-oldGina Lin Anderson, who went

missing Oct. 3.M a j o r C h e t W i l b e r g ,

Minnesota Wing Director ofEmergency Services, says a y-over was conducted Wednesdayin southwest Marshall Countyand all of Pennington County.He said a yover of Red Lake

County is planned when theweather clears.

M e a n w h i l e , a $ 5 , 0 0 0

reward has been established byAndersons family for informa-tion about her disappearance.

Police say Anderson waslast seen leaving her home in heryellow 2002 Pontiac Sunre.

www.helpfndgina.com

Minnesota Wing called to

search for missing womanCapt Richard Sprouse


Authori t ies say theresno indication of foul play,and no information about her

whereabouts.Anderson left behind her

purse, ident i f icat ion, andcredit cards. She also left theanti-seizure medication sheneeds daily.

northwest of Little Falls.C o l o n e l T o m T h e i s ,

Minnesota Wing commander,said this is just another reminderthat what CAP does is noticedand appreciated.

Thank you to everyone whoparticipated in this mission andto those who continue to trainin order that we may be ready toprovide our professional serviceswhen needed, Theis said.


17/25

Members of the MinnesotaWing of the Civil Air Patrolrecently found the body of a

Belle Plaine man missing sincelate October.

The Scott County SheriffsDepartment received a report onNovember 8 that an abandonedvehicle containing a suicidenote was parked along a ruraltownship road near Henderson,Minn. The Air Force RescueCoordination Center (AFRCC)activated Minnesota Wing that

evening to assist with the search.The following morning, 3

ground team members, 3 air-crew members and 5 missionbase personnel searched the areanear the abandoned vehicle.

A CAP aircraft scanned theimmediate area including routesearches along the MinnesotaRiver, railroad tracks, and roadsfor possible clues.

While the aircrew made itssearch, ground team memberswere busy scoping out land alongthe river and nearby hillsides forthe missing man.

During the ground search,two members of a team from the30th Composite Squadron in


Public Affairs Ofcer, Group 2

Minnesota Wing

MinnesotaWing

members

nd body ofmissing man

Continued . . .

Lt. Barsness received hissilver wings on November ,008, after 6 months of inten-sive training at the Naval AirStation (NAS), Pensacola.

Training at the NAS pro-vides primary, intermediate, andadvanced navigator training forthe Navy and Air Force. Thetraining Wing consists of ,500military personnel, 5 civilianpersonnel, and over 00 aircraft.

After graduating rst in his

class, Lt. Barsness was selectedto y the B-1B Lancer bomber.

Lt. Barsness is a senior

CAP experience helpsAir Force Ofcer

complete NavigatorTrainingmember of Mankato CompositeSquadron. As a cadet in Mankato,he served as cadet commanderand completed the MinnesotaWing Fl ight Academy. Hewent on from Flight Academyto earn his private pilot licensewhile a cadet in CAP. He felthis CAP flying experiencehelped him in the initial phasesof navigator training.

The Pensacola NAS is homebase for the Navys Blue Angels.He said it was very interesting tosee them practicing in the airspace above Pensacola.

Minnesota Wings Group IV Commander, Lt. Col. John Barsness, congratulates

his son, U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Ben Barsness, on his graduation from the navigator

school in Pensacola, Florida.


18/25

3 3

The numbers are in and 008proved to be another busy year formembers of the Minnesota Wingof the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

Logged were 03 actual ortraining missions totaling a whop-ping ,99 personnel hours, 593air sorties and 9,0 air hours.

This is fantastic, and I want

to personally thank everyonefor their efforts in 008, saidMajor Chet Wilberg, MinnesotaWings Director of EmergencyServices. We look forward toan equally successful 009.

Among last years highlightswere members from 30th, Viking,St. Paul, Mankato, Owatonna andHutchinson squadrons contribut-ing 5 members, 50 hours and

sorties totaling nearly hours tofind the body of a man reportedmissing in southeast Minnesota.Local emergency providerspraised the effort.

When you (CAP) respondto a search, you are prepared forthe terrain and the weather. Yourcrew understands the chain ofcommand and you already haveteam leaders selected. You bringradios, compasses, and GPSswith you and are willing to sharethem with others. You practicesearching in a line grid and itshows. If there is difficult ter-rain, Civil Air Patrol teams vol-unteer to work it. We wouldnthesitate to call you if we neededyou again, said Scott County



Minnesota Wing of the Civil Air

Patrol answered the call in 2008

Sheriffs Deputy Mary Hensel.I n a n o t h e r i n c i d e n t ,

Minnesota Wing members didyovers in Marshall, Pennington

and Red Lake counties for amissing woman. That caseremains under investigation bylocal law enforcement ofcials

who also praised CAPs efforts.

The Minnesota Wing also suc-cessfully passed a winter searchand rescue evaluation conductedby the US Air Force last January.

Major Jeff Peterson, who ledthe Air Force evaluation team,praised the 77 senior officersand cadets who participatedin the event. Minnesota has avery competent wing.

Wilberg noted that Minnesota

Wing routinely flies thousandsof hours per year of operationalights, and annually contributes

some 0,000 + person-hours tosearch and rescue, counter drug,disaster preparedness, HomelandSecurity and other humanitarianmission ying.

CAP is a force multiplieralways ready and willing to workwith local, county, state andgovernment emergency servicesproviders, Wilberg said.

Wilberg also had this to say,We have the resources and per-sonnel readily available when theneed arises, and were constantlytraining our air crews and groundteams for when that call comes.The numbers tell the tale.

Lakeville noticed something thatdidnt quite look right and dis-

covered the body of the missingman in a camouaged shelter.Overall, Minnesota Wing

members from 30th, Viking,St. Paul, Mankato, Owatonnaand Hutchinson squadrons con-tributed 5 members, 50 hoursand sorties totaling nearly hours to the search.

Missing manContinued . . .


19/25

After months of preparation,cadet staff from 30th, Valleyand Mankato squadrons of theMinnesota Wing of the CivilAir Patrol stood ready at theirassigned stations while cadetsarrived at Airlake Airport inLakeville, Minn., for the 008

Basic Cadet Training School.Basic Cadet Training School,

or BCTS, is an intense trainingweekend that was begun withjust students and staf f inearly 007. A year later, theprogram has grown to over 0cadet students and staff.

Cadets were instructed bythe Cadet Staff in all programsthe CAP has to offer, saidC/Capt. Billy Hoffman, BCTScadet commander. The weekendprovided all the building blocksfor those new to CAP to succeedas cadets and at encampment.

Hoffman noted the weekendwas mentally and physicallyintense, but with the teamworkof their peers, the cadets were

Cadets get the fundamentals at 130thSquadron Basic Cadet Training School

C/A1C. Brent Maki, C/Capt. Billy Hoffman, C/CMSgt. Mark Pohl130th Composite Squadron, Minnesota Wing

able to conquer the challenge.Cadets pulled into the main

gate of airport with their equip-ment in hand, and were quicklyloaded into a CAP van anddriven to the hangar where theywere met by the waiting CadetStaff. Cadets were in-processed,

assigned into one of three ights,and sent right into the weekendwith drill instruction.

Throughout the weekend,cadets learned how to preparea uniform, how to be inspected,customs and courtesies, how tobe reviewed in a review board,and how to write a resume. Theyalso learned how to promote,how to maintain a file, how tostay physically t, how to par-ticipate in physical training, andthe history of Civil Air Patrol.The vigorous weekend alsocontained instruction on publicspeaking, how to be a guidonbearer, time management, basicsof Emergency Services searchand rescue, and followership

and leadership. All of the skillsare a prelude to the MinnesotaWings annual summer encamp-ment at Camp Ripley.

It was a cold weekend, butvery successful, said the CadetFirst Sergeant Matt Eicshens.The cadets pushed through the

challenges and really came outon top. In the short time thatthe cadets were here, they madequite the transformation.

C/CMSgt. Mark Pohl, theCadet Deputy Commander said,The introduction of encamp-ment basics was challengingto the cadets. But they figuredit out fast and really made theweekend worth it for not onlythemselves, but the staff too.

Cadet Brendon Forte, theCadet Charlie Flight Sergeantsaid, I know the cadets learneda lot, but I think I learned more.What I learned from this week-end has really made me moreconfident in myself to attendthe Staff Selection Exercise for

C/MSgt. Scott Gabert (Bravo Flight Commander) and C/A1C.

Zack Smith (Bravo Flight Sergeant) prepare cadets for

formation. Photo courtesy of BCTS staff.

C/SrAmn. Brendon Forte (Alpha Flight Sergeant) giving four

cadets a drill evaluation.


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5 5

encampment this winter.On Saturday evening, parents

and CAP members from aroundthe Wing came together to con-gratulate the graduating cadets.C/Capt Billy. Hoffman, theCadet Commander, C/CMSgt.Mark Pohl, the Cadet DeputyCommander, and st Lt. Patricia

Friese, the activity Commander,thanked everyone for their timeand a successful weekend.

All cadets graduated fromthe course, with some pro-moted to Cadet Airman. Othersreceived individual recognition.They included:C/Amn. Kevin Golla, Alpha

Distinguished GraduateC/Amn. Daniel May, Bravo

Flight Distinguished GraduateC/Amn. Brandon Dion, Charlie

Flight Distinguished GraduateC/Amn. Matt Klugherz, 008

BCTS Honor CadetC/SrA. Brandon Forte, Command

Staff Honor MemberC/AC. Ben Duclos, Support

Staff Honor CadetC/CMSgt. Mark Pohl, 008

BCTS Honor Staff MemberC/Capt. Billy Hoffman closed

with, I would like to thank every-one who participated and madethis BCTS a success! Everyonehas done a great job and I lookforward to the next BCTS!

The 30th Squadron inLakeville hosted the event.

C/Capt. Keyona Sanchez,Cadet Commander of the AnokaCounty Composite Squadron,and senior at Mounds View HighSchool received an appointmentletter to attend the U. S. Air

Force Academy.C a p t . A n d y B o s s h a r t ,

Squadron Commander readthe let ter to the Squadronmembers and guests at theirmeeting on October 8, 008.There was a b ig round of applause and many congratu-lations after the meeting.

This i s a dream cometrue, said C/Capt. Sanchez.I have been working hardand am honored to receivethe appointment.

There were 9,00 applica-tions for ,500 openings andKeyona received one of 00Presidential Appointments,said Lorlee, her mother.

The letter was received whileher father, Commander AdrianSanchez, in the Navy reserve,now serving in Afghanistan, ishome on leave. Im sure bothLorlee and Commander Sanchez

2nd Lt. George Supan

Public Affairs Ofcer, Anoka County Composite Squadron,

Minnesota Wing

Minnesota Cadet ReceivesAir Force Academy

Appointment

are very proud of their daughter.C/Capt. Sanchez has earned

the Amelia Earhart and the Brig.Gen. Billy Mitchell awards.They are the third and fourthhighest Cadet awards in CAP.She is a leader at the Squadron,has attended and helped staffmany of the CAP, Minn. Wing,Leadership Academy programs.She is also a leader on herlacrosse team at Mounds ViewHigh School.

C/Capt. Sanchez will beentering the Academy in Juneof 009.


21/25

7 7

Two Civil Air Patrol cadetsfrom Minnesota are among the youths nation-wide whohave won admittance to theprestigious Civic LeadershipAcademy, February -8, 009,in Washington DC, sponsoredby the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

Cadet Colonel Charlie Cox isa sophomore at the University of

St. Thomas majoring in politicalscience. Cadet First LieutenantKatherine Jones is a freshmanat the College of St. Catherinemajoring in nursing. Both arealso Army ROTC cadets throughthe University of Minnesota.



Two Minnesota youths admitted to CivicLeadership Academy

Cadet Cox, 9, is from Edina,and has been a CAP cadet since003. Hes among the per-cent of CAP cadets nationally toearn the organizations SpaatzAward, the top cadet honor.Cox is also the 007 MinnesotaWing Cadet of the Year. He says

hes really looking forward tothe academy.

Being a political sciencemajor in college, Im thrilled tohave this opportunity, Cox said.It will be another great experiencefor me thanks to Civil Air Patrol.

Cadet Jones, 8, is originallyfrom Ogilvie, Minn., but hasbeen living in Florida the past0 years. She returned here toattend college. A CAP mem-ber since 00, she feels thatall cadets, whether they are inmiddle school, high school, orcollege should be paying atten-tion to politics and the effect thatthe process of government hason their everyday lives.

To me, Civic LeadershipAcademy is a unique oppor-tunity to expand my textbookknowledge of government andpolitics to a concrete experi-ence that I will be able to inte-grate into my future career,

Jones said. I am very fortunateto have been selected to attendCivic Leadership Academyand am looking forward to theopportunity to immerse myselfin Washington DC with othercadets from around the nation.

In February, Cox and Joneswill discuss international affairswith foreign service officers

at the State Department, learnabout the legislative process inmeetings with Congressionalstaff on Capitol Hill, study thejudiciary with legal scholars atthe Supreme Court, and more.The academy culminates withthe cadets scheduled to visitRepresentatives John Kline andBetty McCollum of Minnesotato deliver Civil Air Patrols

Annual Report to Congress.Minnesota CAP leaders are not

surprised that Cox and Jones wereselected for the prestigious academy.

Theyre both tremendousyoung leaders, and great role mod-els for our younger cadets, saidColonel Tom Theis, MinnesotaWing CAP commander.

As CAP cadets, Cox andJones have been developingleadership skills since they rst

joined the organization. Thecivic academy takes that trainingfurther by giving youth a behind-the-scenes look at our federalgovernment and a chance toexplore public service careers,according to Curt LaFond ofCAPs National Headquarters.

7


22/25

9 9

Two Group cadets of theMinnesota Wing of the CivilAir Patrol were recognizedfor outstanding leadershipduring the annual MinnesotaLeadership Academy heldOctober 6-9 at Camp Ripley.

They are Cadet Chief MasterSergeant Peter Mayhew ofAnoka Composite Squadron andCadet Senior Master SergeantBenjamin Leaf of St. CloudComposite Squadron.

Cadet Mayhew was selectedHonor Cadet among the cadets attending the BasicCommissioned Officer Course(BCOC).

It marks the second con-secutive year that an Anokacadet was named BCOC honorcadet. C/Capt. Keyona Sanchezreceived the honor last year.

Cadet Leaf was namedHonor Cadet from the nearly0 cadets participating in theNoncommiss ioned Off icerSchool (NCOS).

Cadets from St. Cloud have

also received a number of topawards in the past few years.C/nd Lt. Jessica Stone and

C/CMSgt. Luke Zahm receivedthe prestigious Jacob Pngsten

Memor ia l F l ight Tra in ingScholarship Award dur ingthe 007 and 008 MinnesotaFlight Academy.

Cadet Airman First ClassR i c h a r d S h m e l o f 3 0 t hSquadron in Lakevil le was



Group 2 Cadets takeTop Honors at MinnesotaLeadership Academy

(L-R) C/Capt. Haylee Fosterling, NCOS commander, C/SMSgt. Benjamin Leaf,

NCOS Honor Cadet, C/CMSgt. Peter Mayhew, BCOC Honor Cadet, C/Col. Charlie

Cox, BCOC commander (Photo: Capt. Richard Sprouse, BCOC Seminar Instructor

& Group 2 PAO, Minnesota Wing)

honored for Best Speechduring NCOS.

T h e s e t h r e e a r e v e r ydeserving cadets, said MajorMari Lucas, 008 MinnesotaLeadership Academy com-

mander, but every cadet attend-ing MLA is a winner.


23/25

30 30

Minnesota Wing CadetEncampment teachesdiscipline, leadership



Squadrons from across the state sent basiccadets to Camp Ripley for MinnesotaWings annual Cadet Encampment from

June 0 8.C/AC. Kasie Mays, a member of the Sioux

Falls (South Dakota) Composite Squadron, wasamong the basics. Encampment was a prerequisitefor her to attend a flight academy so she madeher way to Minnesota not knowing quite what toexpect. She was pleasantly surprised.

Its so structured, I learned so much, Mays said.While Mays made the long trip to Camp Ripley

from South Dakota, others traveled even greaterdistances. First Lieutenants Tim and Jennifer Carrof the Missouri Wing made the -hour drivefrom Norwood, Missouri, with their son, C/st Lt.Joshua Carr, the cadet logistics ofcer.

The Car r s l earned about MinnesotaEncampment from former Minnesota cadets Erikand Janna (Fosterling) Rekedal, who attended

A cadet learning the Manual of the Guidon at the Minnesota

Wing Encampment.A cadet completes the Obstacle Course.

Cadets practice their land navigation skills.


24/25

Continued . . .

Evangel University in nearby Springeld, Missouri.

They provided so much guidance to our edg-ling squadron, said Jennifer Carr. When there

was an opportunity to attend an actual (Minnesota)encampment we jumped at the opportunity. Theyboth said they have a lot to take back to the ShowMe state. There were also several cadets fromIowa that attended the event.

Minnesotas annual encampment hosted nearly80 basic cadets, 30 cadet staff members, and 0Senior Ofcers. The cadet staff and Senior Ofcers

provided leadership skills, land navigation training,an obstacle course, access to an M-16 rie simula-tor, lots of drill, plenty of physical training, and

so much more. Mixed among the offerings was a

heavy academic component as well, ranging frommoral leadership to the history of US air power tojob opportunities in the aviation industry.

Encampment staff said the program is intense,providing a host of instruction that the cadets canapply throughout their lives.

They learn to work with people they dontknow and get a good idea of the discipline it takesto accomplish goals when a task is suddenly beforethem, said Major Conrad Peterson, who spenthis second year as the encampment commander.They learn a lot about themselves and get lots ofencouragement from staff and other cadets.

That became apparent to C/AC. Brandy

Maxwell of Grand Rapids Composite Squadronwhen she took the cadet physi-cal tness test.

I am not a runner, buteveryone in my flight encour-aged me and I made the time forthe mile run!, Maxwell said.They helped me get through it,and I met my goal of running amile in under minutes. The7-year-old rocketed around thecourse in 0:33.

Encampment is gearedtoward building confidence andteamwork, said C/Col. LauraBroker, the cadet encampmentcommander. We try to share withthem skills they can take back totheir squadrons and apply.

For more pictures and exclusive content please go to theMinnesota Wing Encampment Website.

http://www.mncap.org/cp/10ctg

The 10th Cadet Training Group assembled for review at the 2008 Minnesota Wing Cadet Encampment.

Preparing for Inspection.

3


25/25

Mays said that she appreciated the rigidity ofthe encampment as well as the mentoring.

TAC (tactical officer) time was one ofmy favorite parts of encampment, Mays said.

Lieutenant Rob Sandberg was our senior TAC,and he was awesome!

C/SMSgt. Luke Zahm of St. Cloud Squadronpraised the cadet staff.

They were tough, but fair, Zahm said. Ilearned so much that I can take back to my squad-ron. Thank you!

There were lots of great times and experiences,from the activities to new friends to the food.

Minnesota Wing Cadet Encampment Award Recipients

Encampment Honor Flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Foxtrot FlightHonor Flight Sergeant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C/CMSgt. David Chanski, North HennepinHonor Flight Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C/nd Lt. Caleb Norman, St. Croix

SDS Most Improved Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C/AC. Ryan Mullin, Viking

Squadron Distinguished Graduate 9th CTS. . .C/SSgt. David Nelson, RedwingSquadron Distinguished Graduate 0th CTS. . .C/Amn. Christen Furlong, 30thSquadron Distinguished Graduate SDS. . . . . . .C/MSgt. Dane Bjorkman, Anoka

Encampment Commanders Award forOutstanding Achievement- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C/Amn. Richard Shmel, Viking

Wing Commanders Award for

Academic Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C/Amn. Anastasia Smith, 30th

Commandants Award for Leadership . . . . . . . . .C/nd Lt. Caleb Norman, St. CroixCTG Command Staff Excellence Award. . . . . . .C/st Lt. William Hoffman, 30thCTG Support Staff Excellence Award. . . . . . . . .C/SSgt. Travis Patterson, VikingField Leadership Excellence Award . . . . . . . . . . nd Lt. Rob Sandberg, Northland

st Lt. Caralyn Flack, NorthlandSenior Support Excellence Award . . . . . . . . . . . .TFO Rachel Helgager, Northland

Its the best food Ive ever eaten, said C/AC.Joshua Morey of St. Cloud Composite Squadron.C/Amn. Zach Smith of the 30th CompositeSquadron agreed. The lasagna was the best thing

Ive ever eaten!At the end of the week, the cadets and staff

attended an awards banquet in nearby Pierz,Minn., but Broker said all the cadets and staffwere winners.

Everyone should leave proud of his or heraccomplishments, she said. Its not an easyweek, but everyone pushes themselves beyond thenorm to make it a special experience.

Cadet EncampmentContinued . . .

Minnesota Wing - Dec 2008

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