Rocky Mountain Region - Nov 2013

8/13/2019 Rocky Mountain Region - Nov 2013

1/12

By 1st Lt Lee Winfield, Weber Minuteman Squadron, Utah Wing

As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, I am constantly in awe and humbled by

the dedication and participation of our members. Certainly not the least of

these aforementioned members, are the Cadets. They are dedicated, hard

working and definitely ambitious. The Cadets of the Utah Wing, well, they

have true grit. This determination was proved once again in 2013. A

successful Encampment, National Color Guard Victory and some great

FTXs!

Model rocketry, being one of the favorite activities for an FTX, was

made available by a generous grant from the Air Force Association

(AFA) in fall of 2013 for the cadets of the Utah Wing.

Imagine spending a weekend in Utah launching rockets in a 30mph

headwind, sleeping in 70 year old C-huts with the possibility of an

occasional scorpion visitor and eating cold burgers on a Friday night.

Hoorah!

Weber Minuteman Composite Squadron was honored to host the two-day Rocketry FTX, with the

participation of several other Squadrons at the historic airbase in Wendover,

Utah. This location is flat, dry and a perfect place to launch a rocket. There were

28 Cadets and one senior member in attendance from across the State toparticipate in the program. Cadets were divided into flights, encampment style.

The C-huts at the base were used for housing and the chow hall for classes,

assembly of the rockets, and dining.

If any of you have been through the Rocketry Program, you will remember that it

is fast- paced; it has to be, to fit in a weekend. Initially the cadets participated in

several classes that taught them the basic history of rocketry, aeronautical

science and safety. Once classes and testing were completed then the building

phase began, first with a non-solid fuel. Continued on page 3

The RMR Record

The newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Civil Air PatroNovember 2013 Volume 3, Number 1

A Launch Into The Wind


2/12

The RMR Record November 2013 Page 2

The Idaho Wing set up an Aerospace Education display at the Idaho Science Teachers

Association annual conference in Pocatello on October 4th and 5th. The conference

attracted over 200 teachers from throughout the state. CAP members were available

at the display to answer questions regarding the broad scope of AE materials that

were available to CAP Aerospace Education Members. A 2 page flyer featuring the

benefits of AEM status was provided to each attendee in their conference

registration package.

Those visiting the display were surprised to learn of the numerous science,

technology, math, and engineering (STEM) related teaching packages that CAP has

available to them. One of the items that appeared to catch many of the teachers

interest was that most of the CAP AE materials have photos of Cadets actually

building and testing some of the model projects contained in the books.

Idaho Wing Aerospace Educat ion

Pocatello Composite Squadron members (L to R) Capt David Doerr, Commander; 1st Lt Jenifer Webster, 2d Lt Steve Yandon


3/12


The cadets built two. One used a film canister, propelled by an antacid tablet. This rocket introduced the cadets to a

reaction based propulsion system and made them hunger for more exciting launches soon to come, given that the

average apogee (highest point of the flight) was around two inches. That was awesome? to quote one cadet. The

second rocket was a soda bottle water rocket, launched with air pressure.

The next rocket built was a part of the Titan stage of the pro-gram. The rocket chosen was a small, single stage rocket pro-

pelled by solid fuel. The cadets spent most of the day assem-

bling this rocket along with two additional solid fuel rockets

that were also a part of the program. This small rocket was a

great introduction to the procedures that are use to assemble

most model rockets. After completing this rocket, the cadets

appeared to have more confidence in building the final two

rockets. The first of these was the Patriot. As the name implies,

it is a model of the actual Patriot missile (MIM-104) surface-to-air missile used by the U.S. Army and several allied nations since 1981.

The final and most complicated build was the two-stage payload rocket. Designed to carry a small payload, this

rocket, under the right conditions, is capable of achieving altitudes of nearly 2,500 ft. It is powered by two solid

rocket engines. It proved to be the favorite of the launches for the cadets. Throughout the final day of rocketry,

perhaps the most interesting part was the wind. At its peak, the wind was blowing 30mph, forcing the rockets into

some unpredictable trajectories.

Most of the rockets were recovered with only a couple exceptions. Every cadet finished the program with more

than the patch and a certificate.

They all had a visible sense ofachievement. At this FTX I saw

something else that is a part of

this program and always should

be. That is a real spirit of collab-

oration between members. Our

CAP training calls it, esprit de

corps. This means devotion to a

group. It is by this that we are

able to have events like ourrocketry FTX be a success be-

cause we are committed to a

common goal. Along with other

organizations like the Air Force

Association and our senior mem-

bers and parents it is my hope that we continue to be able to have events such as this to make our Cadet Programs

a success not only to serve them but to serve all members of Civil Air Patrol.

A Launch Into The Wind (contd)


4/12


New Co lorado CAP L icense P late

(Photo by Maj Ed O'Brien, Black Sheep Senior Squadron PAO)

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a Bill authorizing a Colorado CivilAir Patrol license plate on the tail of a CAP Aircraft at Centennial Airport inMay. The new CAP license plate will be available as of January 2014.

Our thanks to State Senator Mark Scheffel for sponsoring the Bill and to theColorado Wing members whose efforts contributed to making the license platea reality!

Congratulations to C/Col Benjamin C. Jakeman ofthe Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron for earningthe Carl A. Spaatz Award.

Jakeman is only the 1,908th cadet to earn Civil AirPatrols highest cadet honor.


5/12


Region Cadet Leadership School

RMR/Area Command exercise

Utah Wing is hosting a winter Region Ca-det Leadership School at Camp WilliamsUtah Army National Guard Base from 27 to30 December.

Attending an RCLS or Cadet Officer School is a require-ment to have completed before advancing to the EakerWard. This RMR RCLS would be an excellent opportuni-ty to complete that requirement.

Requirements to attend: C/MSgt and above and com-pleted encampment.

The cost of the school is $100 per cadet. This cost in-cludes all course materials, food, and lodging. We willalso pre-arrange to transport cadets from SLC Interna-tional Airport to/from venue at no additional cost.

Please make sure to let staff know your travel plansBEFORE December 14 so arrangements can be made.

Eligible cadets, and parents wishing to attend the grad-uation banquet, may register at this websitehttps://www.eventbrite.com/event/8295761847

Or to pay by check: Mail check for $100 (school+banquet) or $25 (1 Banquet guest) to:

RCLS Civil Air Patrol Headquarters640 North 2360 West

Salt Lake City, Utah 84116Attn: Valerie Salt

In addition to registering online/sending in a check, acomplete CAPF 31 with parent and squadron com-mander signatures and a CAPF 60 must be received nolater than 7 December.

If you are from outside Utah Wing- you must have yourWing Commander's approval to attend. You may mailor fax these in. Fax number: (801) 532-0229

The AF style blue uniform will be the normal uniformof the day, NO BDUs. Please plan on bringing enoughuniforms for the course and civilian cold weather at-tire. A packing list will be sent out after registration iscompleted.

Questions may be directed to: C/Maj Kelsi Christensen,[email protected], cell (435) 213-6956 or toCapt. Mike Fernandez, [email protected],cell 801) 652-9817.

Mark your 2014 calendars for our RMR/Area Command exercise for the 21-24 Au-gust 2014.

All Wing ICP and their aircrew and aircraftwill be able to participate if we get addi-tional funding by 31-May.

ACP will be located in Ft Collins, CO, buteach wing will have their own ICP for com-mand reasons.

(Photo by TFO Matt Brewer, Thompson Valley Composite

Squadron)

COWG Mission Pilot Maj. Bill O'Connor

briefing ABC News Correspondent Ginger

Zee before she flew along with her photo-

journalist on an Aerial Photography sortie

on 17SEP13, from Ft. Collins-Loveland Air-

port during the Colorado Wing's mission

supporting FEMA and the State to assess

flood damage. The story aired on ABC

World News Tonight on 17 SEP 13 andGood Morning America 18 SEP 13.


6/12


Montana CAP members jo in Amer ican Legion for F lag D isposa l Ceremony

On October 10, members of MTWGs Lewis and Clark Composite

Squadron participated in the annual Flag Disposal Ceremony held b

members of The American Legion, Lewis and Clark Post 2 in Helena,

Montana. This is the second year the unit assisted this AmericanLegion Post with the ceremony.

1st Lt Mike Touchette, and two

cadets, Nicholas McVey-Touchette

and SrA Bokovoy, (partially hidden,

right) are shown participating in the

annual Flag Disposal Ceremony.


7/12


AFA/CAP Workshop and Top F l ight

By Lt Col Dorothy Christensen, AE Officer -

External RMR

Each year the Utah Air Force Association/

Aerospace Education Foundation (AFA/AEF)

conducts a teacher workshop on Aerospace

Education. This year the UT AFA/AEF

partnered with CAP and conducted anAerospace Education workshop with a TOP

flight as part of the curriculum.

Thirty educators comprised of classroom

instructors, administrators, and CAP squadron

Aerospace Education Officers attended. They

learned how STEM is woven throughout the

principles of flight using gliders, shuttles,

rockets, and geobats, as well as otherfuturistic aircraft. Each educator received a

complimentary CAP Aerospace Education

Teacher Membership (AEM) as part of the

workshop. This provides them with free

benefits which includes a variety of free K-12

STEM print, DVDs and online material.

Another exciting AEM benefit is the Teacher

Orientation Program (TOP) flights provided in

CAP airplanes throughout the Country.

The teachers were divided in half, with one at

the museum for half a day and the others at

Ogden Airport to fly. At

noon these groups rotated.

The day spent at the Hill Air

Force Base Aerospace

Museum included touring

the museum, exploring the

Education Center (which is

supported by the UT AFA/

AEF) and participating in

hands-on aerospace

education activities

designed to ignite youth

interest in STEP subjects

and careers. Susan Mallett from CAP's

National Headquarters in Montgomery, AL ledthis session

which

introduced the

educators to a

myriad of free

materials,

programs, and

resourcesavailable to

them with

membership in

CAP.

Continued on next

page


8/12


When the other half of the teachers arrived at

the airport, Maj. Jason Mettmann, UT Wing

Director of Safety, opened the meeting and

gave the safety briefing.

Half of those 15

proceeded to the

aircraft where the

pilots walked them

around the airplane

showing them the pre-

flight procedure and

explaining the

operation of theairplane. They then

boarded and took off.

The rest of the teachers

were divided in half and

one half of them took a tour through the

control tower while the others remained in the

classroom. The classroom session was taughtby Maj. Warren Allen and Col. John Barainca.

Col. Barainca presented AE activities that the

teachers could take back to their

classrooms. This cycling of teachers

continued all day. Aerial photographs by the

teachers, in addition to the excitement gleaned

from the actual flights, will be shared with the

hundreds of youth these teachers impact.

Credit to UT Wing DAE Lt. Timothy Cole for hisexcellent organization and planning of this

event. Also thanks to Capt. Barrry

Albright, UT Wing Director of

Flight Operations and the

excellent CAP Pilots, van drivers

and support team.

With leadership by the UT AFA

President, Robert George and UTAFA/AEF President Kit Workman

and UT AFA/AEF Vice President

Grant Hicinbothem as well as

dedicated UT AFA/AEF members,

the workshop was also a great

success.

AFA/CAP Workshop and Top Flight (contd)


9/12


Members of the Civil Air Patrol gathered recently atthe Provo Airport for a radio communicationsexercise. The purpose of the exercise was to trainnew members in radio procedures that are used intime of an emergency. We are entering a busy

season for Civil Air Patrol missions, so this was aperfect opportunity to train our new members- andrefresh some of our old-timers- on standardizedradio procedures, said CAP Lieutenant Colonel JimStewart.

While CAP is usually known for flying searchmissions for lost aircraft, the volunteerorganization operates an extensive radiocommunications network in Utah andacross the country. There are a number ofradio repeaters located in key spots in thestate, said CAP Major Kent Hopkins, whoserves as the Communications Officer forthe Phantom Squadron that is based in UtahCounty. Without that network of radioequipment, we wouldnt be able to do our

job.

New members were trained on safetyprocedures while working with electronicequipment. Then the team worked togetherto assemble a remote radio station andmake contact with a nearby CAP aircraft.Cadet Makenzie Keane said, This is the firsttime I have done something like this. Its

Provo Civil Air Patrol Takes To The Air on Radio

New members were trained on safety procedureswhile working with electronic equipment. Then theteam worked together to assemble a remote radiostation and make contact with a nearby CAPaircraft. Cadet Makenzie Keane said, This is the

first time I have done something like this. Its notlike talking on a cell phone.

Hopkins, a recent graduate of CAPs NationalEmergency Services Academy, emphasized the

importance of using standardized radioprocedures. Oftentimes CAP is workingwith other agencies during a mission, andbeing able to understand and be understoodis the difference between mission successand failure. The Civil Air Patrol has adoptedthe communications practices used by the

National Incident Management System- orNIMS- which is the nation-wide standard forpublic service organizations. Using NIMSgives us a common language to talk to otheragencies like sheriff or police units in thearea.

CAP Captain Wayne Manning said, We arealways working on improving our skills to bemission ready. We also are looking forpeople who are interested in

communications or aviation who want to puttheir skills to use to serve our community.

1st Lt David Hobson talks to the mission base radio station using

the CAP aircraft radio at the Communication Exercise

Cadet Makenzie Keane (front) uses the radio to pass a message while

Cadet Trey Talcott (rear) looks on


10/12


National PAO Academy held in Colorado

Photo by Maj. Stephen Blucher, RMR Staff)

The Colorado Wing played host to Civil Air Patrol's 2013 National Conference in Denver 13-

18 AUG 13 and a number of Pre-Conference Workshops were conducted on 13-14 AUG.

The National Public Affairs

Officer Academy was held

off site at Buckley AFB on

13 AUG and at the U.S. Air

Force Academy on 14 AUG.

PAO Academy attendees

and staff posed for a photo

near the Civil Air Patrol

plaque in Arnold Hall while

at the U.S. Air Force Acade-

my. All were given blue Na-

tional PAO Academy em-

broidered polo shirts and

many elected to wear them

The Colorado WingsPeaks & Planes magazine, co-

edited by Lt. Col Mike Daniels and Maj. Denise Thomp-

son, took home a Balsem Award. It was hailed as a

very attractive magazine with engaging photos and

stories highlighting content (that) covers CAP mis-

sions well.

2nd Lt. Richard W. Denison of the

Wyoming Wing, received an Award

of Excellence for a Teacher Orienta-

tion Program.


11/12


On 22 SEP 13 U.S. Senator

Mark Udall visited with

Colorado Civil Air Patrol

cadets volunteering at the

Disaster Assistance Center

in Loveland, CO. Senator

Udall commended the

cadets for their disaster

relief work in the

aftermath of historic

flooding in Colorado.

(Photo by Maj. Eric W

Schwarm, COWG ThompsonValley Composite Squadron)

Utah Ho lds SLS Course

On 6-7 September 2013, new Civil Air Patrol officers

from around Utah convened in Salt Lake City to attend

the CAP Squadron Leadership School. This course,

hosted by the Utah Wing of CAP, helps new senior

members of the volunteer organization gain a greater

understanding of the missions of Civil Air Patrol, and

how they fit into local operations. Twenty two

participants traveled from as far away as Price, Utah

and Twin Falls, Idaho to attend the two-day

professional development training held at the Utah CAP

Wing Headquarters at the Salt Lake City International

Airport.

This course serves as the foundation for new CAP

senior members and focuses on how these new officers

can help build their home squadrons, said Major Kent

Hopkins of Alpine, who served as the course director.

Modules in the course identify the importance of the

local squadron, and how members can better support

the three congressionally chartered missions of Civil

Air Patrol: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and

Emergency Services. Most of the topics in the course

were focused on leadership skill development and

understanding the importance of professionalism in

volunteer service. Hopkins said that the graduates of

this course will assume responsibility for managing day

-to-day operations in their local units immediately on

their return home. Hopkins said, We are giving them

the tools to be able to hit the ground running.


12/12


Cur rent RMR membersh ip

Seniors Cadets

Colorado Wing 885 1962Idaho Wing 209 212

Montana Wing 132 145

Utah Wing 296 255

Wyoming Wing 180 84

Region Staff 25 1

A qu art e r l y n e w s l e t t e r p u bl i s h e d f o r

t h e me mbe rs o f t h e R o cky Mo u n t a i nR e g i o n o f t h e C i v i l A i r Pat ro l .

S u bmi s s i o n s are e n co u rag e d t h ro u g h

y o u r pu bl i c a f f a ir s of f i ce r o r d ir ect -

l y t o t h e R MR /PA at a l .n as h @rmr-

cap .u s .

The RMR Record

COWG Thompson Valley Compo-

site Squadron's FO Bella Solman

being interviewed by KMGH

7News ABC Photojournalist Brad

Bogott before flying a Colorado

Floods Mission sortie.

(Photo by Lt. Col. Mike Daniels, COWG PAO

and Floods Mission PIO)

Ground and air crews from the MTWG Big

Sky Composite Squadron participated in a

multi-agency search for a missing person in

South Central Montana this past June. Pic-

tured are ground team members C/Maj. M.

Johnson, C/CMSgt. Shields, 1st Lt Godfrey,

C/Capt H. Brainard, C/Capt. J. Johnson, C/

TSgt. M. Hanson, 1st Lt. L. Furniss, andC/2nd Lt. Druckenmiller,.

(Photo by 2nd Lt. Steven A. Mayville )
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

Rocky Mountain Region - Nov 2013

Documents

Transcript of Rocky Mountain Region - Nov 2013