west virginia wing - mar 2011

8/2/2019 West Virginia Wing - Mar 2011

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The Mountain Flyer March 2011

West Virginia Wing Civil Air Patrol -112 Airport Road Charleston, WV 25311- (304) 343-8866 - www.wvcap.net

West Virginia Wing members receive

rare honor for helicopter rescueBy Major Jeffery Schrock

Wing Public Affairs Officer

Four members of the

West Virginia Wing

were honored for their

role in bravingfreezing temperatures

and treacherous

terrain to help rescue

17 crew members

and passengers

aboard a U.S. Navy

helicopter that

crashed into a

mountainside Feb

2010.

Capt. Stephen

Antolini, commander

of the Mercer County

Composite Squadron,

and two Beckley

Composite Squadron

members Capts.

Thomas Plass, the

unit's deputy

commander for

seniors and

emergency services

officer, and Joseph Ingram,communications

officer received Civil

Air Patrol's Medal of

Valor for their

participation in the

rescue.

These three officers

were among the first

rescuers to arrive at

the scene of the

helicopter crash,

braving the mostadverse weather and

terrain conditions

possible.

In addition, Maj.

David Chaney,

commander of the

Beckley squadron,

was recognized with

CAP's Meritorious

Service Award for his

role in transporting

the victims over icymountainous roads to

medical help after

they were carriedfrom the crash site. The citations were

presented by Brig. Gen. Charles Carr, CAP national vice

commander.

As a result of the CAP

members' efforts, all

17 passengers on thehelicopter survived

both the crash and

the ensuing rescue,

and adverse weather.

Upcoming Wing Activities

March 3-5 National Board

Meeting - Washington,D.C

March 12 Cadet

Competition - WVU ROTC

April 8-10 Joint Training

Exercise with WV

Department of Homeland

Security and Emergency

Management –

Pocahontas County

April 29-May 1

Comprehensive Training

Weekend – Camp

Dawson, WV

May 13-15 Middle East

Region SAR College – Ft

Pickett, Va.

June 25-July 2 WV Wing

Encampment – Camp

Dawson, WV

July 15-17 Graded SAR

Clarksburg, WV

August 17-20 National

Board Meeting – Louisville

KY.

From left, Brig Gen Charles L. Carr Jr., CAP National Vice Commander; Capt Thomas Plass,

Beckley Composite Squadron deputy commander for seniors and emergency services

officer; Brig Gen Eric Vollmecke, West Virginia Air National Guard chief of staff; Capt JosephIngram, Beckley Composite Squadron communications officer; Capt Stephen Antolini,

Mercer Composite Squadron commander, Col Dennis Barron, WV Wing Commander.



Training conducted for aircrew

members held at Clarksburg Squadron

On February 19, members of the West Virginia Wing came to Clarksburg Composite Squadronfor a day of training for aircrews. Capt Gerald Wedemeyer instructed observers and scanners on the

use of the Garmin 1000 system. Lt Col Shelton Davis reviewed pilot standardization and evaluation

procedures. Flight operations had to be canceled due to high wind conditions.

Photos by Maj Russell Voelker - Martinsburg Squadron PAO



44 CAP Members gather

for First Aid CPR TrainingA great day of training was held on February 6,at Sissonville Middle School in Charleston when

44 CAP members from Beckley, Charleston

Cadet, Clarksburg and Mid Valley Composite

Squadrons came together for First Aid and CPR

training.

Instructors from the American Red Cross assisted

cadets and seniors. Everyone took care to be

safe and it appeared that everyone enjoyed the

day.

Martinsburg Composite Squadron cadets participate in Wreaths Across America ceremonies in Winchester, Va. A ribbon cutting

ceremony is held to officially open the new headquarters and hangar for the Martinsburg Composite Squadron. Lt Jeff Wheeler of

Wheeling Composite Squadron talks about CAP to students at a middle school. More photos can be seen at our photo gallery at the

WV Wing’s website: http://www.wvcap.net/PAO/PAO.htm



Beckley Squadron Cadet awarded first Rodney F

Moody Memorial CAP Scholarship

Cadet Capt. Brian M.

Kruchkow of the BeckleyComposite Squadron is the

first recipient of the Col.

Rodney F. Moody Memorial

CAP Scholarship, which he

plans to use to attend Civil

Air Patrol’s Civic Leadership

Academy in Washington,

D.C., from Feb. 25-March 5.

The scholarship was

established in honor of

Moody, West Virginia Wing

commander from 2001-

2005 and CAP nationalcomptroller from 2005-2008,

who passed away in

February 2009 at age 54

after battling lung cancer.

Moody was a strong

supporter of CAP’s cadet

program, and his wife, Lt,

Col, Connie Moody, health

services officer for the West

Virginia Wing, created the

scholarship to recognize

and assist deserving West

Virginia cadets inadvancing their leadership

training and skill

development.

The scholarship is intended

to provide financial

assistance to one or more

cadets each year by

funding their attendance

at and participation in one

of the following leadership

training courses -- National

Cadet Officers School,

Middle East Region CadetOfficers Course, Civic

Leadership Academy,

Honor Guard Academy or

other appropriate CAP

nationally sponsored cadet

leadership training course.

The scholarship is

administered by the

Beckley Area Foundation,

which provides charitable

endowments for nonprofit

organizations.

CAP holds the CivicLeadership Academy every

year in the nation’s capital

for cadets interested in

politics and careers in

public service. The activity,

for which only 24 cadets

are selected nationwide,

features behind-the scenes

tours and briefings at the U.

S. Capitol, Supreme Court,

State Department,

Pentagon, CIA, FBI and

more.In addition to earning

CAP’s Amelia Earhart

Award, Kruchkow earned

his solo wings while

attending the National

Flight Academy this past

summer at Fort Pickett,

Va. He is a graduate of the

West Virginia Wing Cadet

Leadership Training Course

and was named the

outstanding cadet of the

wing’s 2008 Summer Encampment. He served

as a flight commander at

the encampment in 2009.

He is also active in CAP’s

emergency services

program as well as in

several community service

and church-related

activities.

Col. Dennis Barron, West

Virginia Wing commander

and chairman of the

Scholarship SelectionCommittee, said Kruchkow

“epitomizes the core values

of the Civil Air Patrol

program and is a role

model for other cadets. It is

very appropriate that Brian

is the first recipient of the

Moody Scholarship, since

both Colonel Moody and

Cadet Kruchkow were from

the Beckley area.”

“Cadet Kruchkow is a

highly motivated individualwho has already been

nominated to attend the U.

S. Air Force Academy,”

Barron added. “He is an

outstanding representative

of the West Virginia Wing

and is most deserving of

the Col. Rodney F. Moody

Memorial CAP Scholarship

Fund.”

“He is an outstanding

representative of the WestVirginia Wing and is most

deserving of the Col.

Rodney F. Moody

Memorial CAP Scholarship

Fund,” Col Dennis Barron –

WV Wing Commander

Lt. Col. Connie Moody presents the first Col.

Rodney F. Moody Memorial CAP Scholarship checkto Cadet Capt Brian M. Kruchkow of the West

Virginia Wing’s Beckley Composite Squadron



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west virginia wing - mar 2011

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