north central region - jul 2007

8/9/2019 North Central Region - Jul 2007

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North Central Region NewsVolume 2007 July

SDWG Flies Devastating Forest Fire

South Dakota Wing provided important fire spottingcapabilities in the early stages of a Black Hills forestfire that killed one person, injured two fire fighters, anddestroyed 33 houses.

The Alabaugh Canyon Fire was sparked by light-ning on July 7. CAP flew frequent fire observation sor-ties in the early stages of the fire, under it's state MOU,until the size of the blaze caused the US Forest Ser-vice agencies to bring in its own aircraft.

Continued on Page 4

Over 150 Attend NCR Encampment

CAP members from nine states gathered in RapidCity, SD, for the 2007 North Central Region Encamp-ment, July 6-15. The final number was significantlyhigher than expected even a week before the encamp-ment began, due to last minute registrations.

Encampment activities included aerospace andleadership training, a briefing on B-1B bombers anddemonstrations at the Ellsworth ABF Explosive Ordi-nances Disposel unit, firearms training simulator, a de-manding Project X teamwork exercise, a dining outawards banquet, and a visit to Mount Rushmore for theevening lighting ceremony.

Parents of cadets were kept posted on the encamp-ment progress with daily blog entries and photo gal-leries on the encampment website.

We enjoyed seeing pictures of the cadets doingvarious activities and reading about their day, said oneparent. We shared the website with grandparents andfriends--it made a very favorable impression of Civil Air Patrol and may well encourage others to consider join-ing CAP in their area.

See the encampment photo gallery on page 8

Col. Scott A. Vander Haam , commander of Ellsworth AFB,addresses the encampment banquet

In This Issue:

Commander's Column.................................................Page 2

National Cadet Competition........................................ Page 2

Broker Spaatz & Piehl Eaker Awards..........................Page 3

Sweet Sixteen Solo..................................................... Page 4

Civil Air Patrol a family affair....................................... Page 5

Cadet wins 4-H with CAP Exhibits.............................. Page 6

Weather agency familiarization course....................... Page 6

Ebling & Lucas Mitchell Awards..................................Page 7

Photo Galleries

NCR Encampment................................................Page 8

MNWG CTG Encampment...................................Page 9


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North Central Region News

The North Central RegionNews is published monthlyby North Central Region, CivilAir Patrol, Lt.Col. MikeMarek, editor and NCR/PAO;Col. Sean P. Fagan, RegionCommander.

Please send submissions bythe 10 th of each month to:

[email protected]

Commander's Callby Col. Sean P. Fagan

I wanted to pass along to all

the members of the North Cen-tral Region a letter that was re-cently sent out by Major Gener-al Pineda:

"I am currently attending the1st Air Force CommandersConference at Tyndall AFB,Florida. I am writing to provideyou with some feedback on myexperiences here and the reputation that the Civil Air Patrol is contin-uing to build with the Air Force. Everyone that I have met, includingMajor General Morrow, the First Air Force Commander, and the AFR-CC personnel, has conveyed to me that the Civil Air Patrol is part of

the Air Force family and the Air Force Team. This was particularlyevident during the awards banquet as I discovered that the Air Forceis placing the CAP aircraft images along with the Air Force aircraftimages on their Meritorious Service Award certificates. In addition,CAP was Palso mentioned several times during the banquet and aretotal amount of sorties and life saves are included with the First Air Force totals. "

Major General Pinada's letter, which shows the recognition andacceptance of the Civil Air Patrol, is due to the hard work and dedica-tion of the volunteer members of this great organization. As mem-bers of the CAP, you have proven your professionalism and dedica-tion time and time again. I would like to thank each and every one of you for a job well done and look forward to the continued success of the Civil Air Patrol and the North Central Region.

Col. Sean Fagan CAPCommander North Central Region

NCR Places 6 th in NCC

The North Central Region team at theNational Cadet Competition placed sixth,overall. The competition, June 28-July 2in Dayton, OH, is an annual event thatprovides opportunities for cadets to mod-el traits of the highest standards of lead-ership and personal responsibilitythrough drill, aerospace knowledge andphysical fitness.

Individual NCR results were:

Standard Drill:Innovative Drill:Inspection:Written Exam:Mile Run:

Volleyball:Panel Quiz:

4 th5 th8 th7 th7 th

6 th5 th

We visited with some of the cadetsfrom Puerto Rico (1 st Place) andlearned how they prepare, noted Lt. Col.B.T. Marking, project officer for NCR.The whole team is from one squadron.They practice multiple days per week allyear long. Their funding allows eachmember to receive a totally new uniformeach year and have it form fitted to thatindividual. They even get personalized

team jackets. They have a coach for vol-leyball that gets them playing at the col-lege level.

North Central Region was represent-ed by a South Dakota Wing team that in-cluded cadets from five of the nine unitsin the wing.

Region Staff College Held

CAP membersfrom North CentralRegion and beyondgathered at Offutt

AFB in June for theNorth Central RegionRegion Staff College.

The week-longtraining course is arequirement for pro-motion to LieutenantColonel and the PaulE. Garber Award.


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Valley Squadron Cadets Honored

Three cadets from Minnesota Wings Valley Com-posite received recognition at a recent squadron meet-ing. C/Lt. Col. Benjamin Piehl received the Eaker Award, the second highest award a cadet can earn,presented by the Minnesota Wing Commander, Col.Stephen Miller. C/Lt. Col. Piehl is the former CadetCommander of the squadron and has attended IACE,MN Wing Flight Academy, and MN Wing Encamp-ment.

C/ Lt. Col. Benjamin Piehl, C/2d Lt. Travis Nelson,and C/2d Lt. Veronica Olson also received Cadet Offi-cer Awards of Distinction from Roger Lyson, Comman-der of VFW Post 583 in Burnsville, MN. The threehonored cadets are all graduating seniors who haveheld various positions of responsibility within thesquadron over their years of active membership. C/LtCol Piehl (Lakeville, MN) and C/2d Lt Travis (Jordan,MN) will attend the Air Force Academy in ColoradoSprings and C/2d Lt Veronica Olson (Eagan, MN) willbe in the NROTC-Marines at Iowa State University.

St. Cloud Cadet Earns Spaatz Cadet/Colonel

Laura Broker, 19,from St. Cloud,has earned thecoveted Carl A.Spaatz Awardfrom the U.S. CivilAir Patrol. Theaward is present-ed to CAP cadetswho have demon-strated excellencein leadership,character, fitnessand aerospace ed-

ucation. TheSpaatz Award isthe CAPs highestcadet honor.

The Spaatz Award is the final milestone in a CAPcadet's career. It is earned after completing a rigorousfour-part exam consisting of a challenging physical fit-ness test, an essay exam testing their moral reason-ing, a comprehensive written exam on leadership, anda comprehensive written exam on aerospace educa-tion. Upon passing the Spaatz Award exams, thecadet is promoted to the grade of cadet colonel. Sincethe awards inception in 1964, Civil Air Patrol has pre-

sented the Spaatz Award to just over 1,500 cadets, in-cluding 45 Minnesotans. Broker is the seventh Min-nesota female cadet to receive the award.

Cadet Broker is the daughter of Jerry Relph andPegi Broker-Relph of St. Cloud, and the late John Bro-ker. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Lois Broker andMrs. Mary Roop, also of St. Cloud. Broker is a 2006graduate of Cathedral High School in St. Cloud. Shesa student at the University of St. Thomas as a pre-medbiology major, and hopes to attend the School of Den-tistry at the University of Minnesota.

Minnesota Wings 9th CTGA great experience

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. each morning is not whatmany young people do over the summer. But fromJune 24-30, 69 basic cadets worked their way throughthe 9th Minnesota Cadet Training Group encampmentat Camp Ripley. Twenty-nine cadets in various staff positions, 11 Staff Development Squadron membersand 24 senior officers participated as well.

Joining the cadets for several days was Jeff

Thompson, a photojournalist with the states largestnewspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Thompson

produced a story and slide show depicting encamp-ment activities.I had never experienced anything like this (en-

campment) before, Thompson said. Ive never hadso many people calling me sir in my life. It was a lotto take in, and everyone made the experience as easyand as comfortable for me as possible.

See the CTG Encampment photo gallery on page 9


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Senior Program Dates to Remember

Here are some of the key 2007 Professional Development academic courses for adultmembers:

National PAO Academy, 7-8 August, Atlanta.

National Board, 9-11 August, Atlanta.

National Staff College, 13-20 October 2007, Maxwell AFB, AL.

Sweet Sixteen Solo

While most teens turning 16 are concentrating on the possibility of earn-ing their drivers license shortly after their birthday, one teen was workinghard towards actually soloing a small aircraft. The Federal Aviation Rules

state that a person may acquire a Recreational or Private Pilot Certificateat 17 years of age and may solo at age 16.Just one day after his 16th birthday, on May 25th 2007, local Civil Air

Patrol cadet, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant John Learned soloed a Cessna172 under the direction of Certified Flight Instructor and Civil Air Patrolmember, Captain Frank Daly. It was not until days later that CadetLearned legally earned his drivers license and was allowed to drive a car solo. Cadet Learned resides in Hager City, WI and is a member of the RedWing Composite Civil Air Patrol Squadron.

Captain Daly described a pilots first solo flight as the most memorableexperience in a pilots flying career. When asked what it felt like to be incontrol of the aircraft alone, Cadet Learned stated, I cant describe thefeeling when I took off and knew that no one was in the right seat this time.I felt nervous, confident, and free all at the same time.

Spring DDR Party at CassCounty

Cadets, senior members, andtheir families enjoyed an eveningof fun at the Cass County MissouriCivil Air Patrol Spring Drug De-mand Reduction Party on May 29,2007.

The event took place in Har-risonville at Camp Reeder, a localBoy Scout camp area. Cadetscompleted a written drug quiz uponarriving; a potluck dinner followedincluding hot dogs and lemonade.The highpoint of the party was theobstacle course where paired par-ticipants were connected at theleg, with one person wearing FatalVision Goggles. The goal was for the goggled-impaired person tolead the other throughout thecourse.

I never knew how a smallamount of alcohol could changeyour focus, parent Mary Ruckmansaid.

The games continued includingan egg toss with raw eggs and vol-leyball using an over sized inflatedball. Cadets won two games of tug-of-war over senior members,who won one match. Families andCAP members played and visitedinto the evening with fun and aDDR lesson on the minds of all.

Forest Fire Continued from Page 1CAP essentially acted as an Air Attack platform for state fire officials

to direct the aerial attack on the fire, using helicopters and single engineair tankers, according to Col Mike Beason, SD Wing Commander. "Thestate appreciates the availability of CAP," said Beason. "They had us onimmediate alert status since July 1st so they could get airborne rapidlywhen a fire would break out."

SD Wing has flown 24 sorties since early May, logging 47 hours in thefire role. "Primarily the state has had us fly fire spotting sorties," saidBeason, "especially after lightning storms, but also during the Fourth of July fireworks season." Crews know the importance of these flights sincemany of them live in harms way in case of a fire.


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Civil Air Patrol a family affairBy JODIE TWEEDReprinted with permission of the Brainerd Dispatch

When Justin Tyner was 10 and visiting his older sis-

ter, Lyric, in Washington, D.C., with his family, he sawchildren in uniforms marching in a parade and immedi-ately wanted to find out how he could wear that uni-form, too.

Even at that age, Justin Tyner knew he wanted toenter the Air ForceAcademy.

"I thought it was coolbecause they were kidsand they were wearinguniforms," said Tyner.

They were membersof a Civil Air Patrol unit,

Tyner later learned.That experience notonly led Tyner, now 17,into joining the CrowWing CompositeSquadron of the Civil Air Patrol in July of 2003,but he got the rest of hisfamily involved, too.

Because of their active involvement in the Brainerdsquadron, Linda and Richard Tyner, Baxter, along withJustin and his brother, Nathaniel, 19, were named theMinnesota Family of the Year by the Minnesota Wingof the Civil Air Patrol at the spring state conference atBreezy Point Resort.

"That's a huge honor," Linda Tyner said of theaward.

"It was a big surprise," added Nathaniel.Linda and her two sons are squadron members

while Richard has served in a volunteer capacity. Lindahas served as logistics officer and finance officer for the Crow Wing Squadron. She has been twice namedthe Minnesota Wing Logistics Staff Member of theYear. She has attended several search and rescue ex-ercises, taken cadets to the volleyball/lock-in activitieshosted annually at St. Cloud State University andhelped coordinate "Fun Night" for the squadron. Anurse by trade, Linda has volunteered her time teach-ing basic first aid and helped coordinate CPR trainingfor the CAP Emergency Services certification process.She has finished up her time as the logistics and fi-nance officer and likely will next serve as health ser-vices officer, she said.

Justin, who graduated from Brainerd High School inMay, attended CAP Flight Academy in July 2005 and

soloed a day after his 16th birthday. He now serves asa second lieutenant in CAP and like his brother hasrisen among the ranks through many leadership rolesin the squadron. They are both ground team certifiedand serve as CAP Honor Guards. Justin is now grow-

ing his hair out to prepare for when his hair is closelycropped June 28 when he officially enters the Air ForceAcademy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Nathaniel is a chief master sergeant and will soonbe a second lieutenant and currently serves as execu-

tive officer of the CrowWing Squadron. He isattending Central LakesCollege this fall and willgo on to get a four-year degree, probably in crim-inal justice. Nathaniel at-tended the 2006 FlightAcademy and soloedJuly 20, 2006, a year af-ter his brother.

Richard Tyner hasserved in a support posi-tion for his family's par-ticipation in CAP. He hasworked with senior mem-bers in remodeling thesquadron hangar and

has donated a campfire ring to the squadron to beused during training and on CAP Fun Nights. He re-cently committed to donating materials for a new flagpole outside the squadron building.

The Tyners also have two older daughters, Lyric,28, and Harmony, 26.

"Rarely are there families that join Civil Air Patrolwith such gusto and accomplish so much while givinginvaluable service to the organization," Col. SteveMiller, Minnesota Wing commander, said of the Tyn-ers. "They're the type of people any civic group wouldlove to have as members."

Linda homeschooled her two sons until they were inninth- and 10th-grade respectively. She said her owninvolvement in Civil Air Patrol was a natural progres-sion during their homeschooling experience.

"To me, it's really special to be involved in kids'

lives," she said. "They're really good kids. I've beenvery blessed."

The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian auxiliary of the U.S.Air Force. It has three main missions: aerospace edu-cation, its cadet program and its emergency servicesprogram that includes search and rescue and disaster relief operations.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at [email protected] or 855-5858.


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Cadet Wins 4-H with CAP Ex-hibits

Cadet 2Lt Christine Hetzel be-came Roughrider CompositeSquadron's cadet commander thesame week she won two GrandChampion awards in 4-H with exhibitsabout CAP.

The first 4-H award was on a lead-ership project she created aboutCAP. The second featured her CAPdress uniform in a project called Buy& Show, a clothing event in which theparticipant acquires an outfit and ex-plains where tit is worn and how tocare for it. Clothing judges askedquestions and judged how well theoutfit fit the 4-Her.

Hetzel modeled her uniform in adress review and explained to thecrowd why she bought it and whereshe would wear it. She won the Coun-ty Buy & Show event and will com-pete at the State level in late July.

McMillan Directs Weather Course

Lt Col Darrell McMillan completed his second year as director of theU.S. Civil Air Patrol 2007 AF Weather Agency Familiarization Courseheld at Offutt, AFB, Omaha, NE held 16 23 June. McMillan spent un-told hours prior to the activity putting everything into place and thenmore hours during the activity responding to the schedules of instruc-tors, equipment problems and other challenges with an attitude he ex-pressed as: Semper Gumbi always flexible.

Attendeeslearned aboutweather obser-vation andweather predic-tion from the Air Force Weather Agency with as-sistance from Air

Force, NOAA(NationalOceanographicand Atmospher-ic Administra-tion), NationalWeather Ser-vice, and other instructors.

Classes were conducted at Offutt AFB, as well as the NationalWeather Service in Valley, NE with side trips to the SAC Museum andthe KETV weather center. AF Weather personnel provide weather ser-vices for both Army and Air Force personnel worldwide and often deploywith Army and Air Force units in the field.

McMillan is the past Commander of the General Curtis E. LeMay, Of-futt Composite Squadron of Nebraska Wing and a former Earhart cadet.He is currently inspector general for Nebraska Wing, U.S. Civil Air Pa-trol.

Also attending from North Central Region were C/2Lt Greg Burnett,son of Susan and George Burnett of Smithville, Missouri, a member of Platt Valley Composite Squadron in Parkville, Missouri; and C/SMSgtKathryn Blair, daughter of Beth and Steven Blair of Kansas City, Mis-souri and a member of the Northland Composite Squadron in KansasCity and is considering a career in meteorology.

ELT Search Leads to Vintage Aircraft Two South Dakota Wing ground teams discovered a vin-

tage military aircraft in North Sioux City, SD, when they set out

to find an emergency locator transmitter June 13.The search led to a T-28 Trojan with U.S. Navy insignia that

had been on a cross-country when it developed engine prob-lems, leading its new owner to land it at Graham Field Airportin North Sioux City.

"We don't know why the ELT on the aircraft was activatedbut it was picked up by satellites monitored by the USAF andwe were asked to find the signal," said Col. Mike Beason, inci-

dent commander for the mission and South Dakata Wing commander. "We especially appreciate the supportfrom the North Sioux City Police Department in locating the signal."


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NCR Encampment Photo Gallery


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MNWG CTG Encampment Photo Gallery

north central region - jul 2007

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