Ad Astra

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 7 W I N T E R S P R I N G ,

...to the stars

2 0 1 2

Topeka Eagle Composite Squadron promotes first Cadet to Airman

Sgt. Michael H. Mathewson Topeka Eagle Squadron, Civil Air Patrol

The Topeka Eagle Composite Squadron promoted its first Cadet/ Airman. The Topeka squadron started its cadet program after a break of several years. The spark for restarting the cadet program came when Christopher Smith, a physics teacher at Topeka West High School, joined the squadron. As a teacher and a pilot, he wanted to be involved with young men and women through a cadet program. He was named the deputy commander for cadets and preparations were made to start the program. It took at lot of effort from a number of people to make it all come together. In October, the first six prospective cadets started to meet at the Kansas Army National Guards Nickell Armory. Of the six, Adrian Appelhanz was the first to complete all the tasks required for advancement. On Dec. 19, 2011, Lt. Col. Michael Madden, squadron commander, with the assistance from Cadet Appelhanzs father, Jason, promoted Appelhanz from Cadet/Airman Basic to Cadet/ Airman, with a date of rank of Nov. 14, 2011. In the same ceremony, Appelhanz was presented the Gen. J. F. Curry Award for completing Phase I of the cadet program. The award was named for Gen. J. F. Curry, an Army Air Corps officer, selected as the Civil Air Patrols first national commander. He served in this capacity from December 1941 to March 1942. Even though Appelhanz was the first, he will not be alone. Other cadets will soon follow in his footsteps for their first stripes.

KANSAS WING CIVIL AIR PATROL

Kansas teen receives Civil Air Patrols highest cadet honor

On Jan. 19, Brig. Gen. Keith Lang, chief of staff of the Kansas Air National Guard, and State Command Chief Master Sgt. James Brown of the Kansas Air National Guard, presented the Carl A. Spaatz Award to Cadet Nate Chaverin of Lenexa, Kan. The Spaatz Award is named in honor of Carl Tooey Spaatz, the first chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Chaverin is the 1,818th Civil Air Patrol Cadet to achieve the prestigious Spaatz award since its inception in 1964. Founded in 1945, the Civil Air Patrol has grown to 65,000 civilian volunteer members serving our communities as the Official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. CAPs three-fold mission delivers air and ground search and rescue, cadet programs, and aerospace education to communities nationwide. CAPs unique cadet program provides teens challenging leadership and character development opportunities and prepares

By Command Chief Master Sgt. James Brown, Kansas Air National Guard

them for success in college and career. Chaverins Spaatz Award achievement required more than four years effort, 17 grade promotions, leadership schools and the successful completion of a rigorous four-part exam consisting of a challenging physical fitness test, an essay exam testing his moral reasoning, a comprehensive written exam on leadership and a comprehensive written exam on aerospace education. Col. Rich Almeida administered the final Spaatz test to Chaverin in December at Whiteman Air Force Base. Chaverin serves as the cadet commander for the Kansas City Composite Squadron and is active in encouraging the cadets under his leadership to grow and reach their full potential. Chaverin has also been recognized as a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist and finalist applicant and has volunteered 300 hours a year in our community through CAP.

(Left to right) State Command Chief Master Sgt. James Brown of the Kansas Air National Guard and Brig. Gen. Keith Lang, chief of staff of the Kansas Air National Guard, present the Carl A. Spaatz Award to Cadet Nate Chaverin of Lenexa, KS with his squadron commander, Maj. Cathy Metcalf, by his side at the Westside Family Church in Lenexa, Jan. 19, 2012. (Photo by Dan Chaverin)

Shappee Achieves Master CFI Rating

Master Instructors LLC takes great pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of Eric J Shappee, a Kansas State University associate professor of aviation and resident of Salina, Kansas. Recently, Eric's accreditation as a Master CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor) was renewed by Master Instructors LLC, the international accrediting authority for the Master Instructor designation as well as the FAAapproved Master Instructor Program. He first earned this national professional accreditation in 2001, has held it continuously since then, and is one of only 25 worldwide to earn the credential six times. To help put these achievements in their proper perspective, there are approximately 96,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 700 of those aviation educators have achieved that distinction thus far. The last 17 national Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs (see: http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.org/) while Eric is one of only 22 Kansas teachers of flight and one of 9 KSU faculty members to earn this prestigious "Master" title. In the words of former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, "The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer."

The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA. Candidates must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community, and must pass a rigorous evaluation by a peer Board of Review. The process parallels the continuing education regimen used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism. Designees are recognized as outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of learning -- both their own, and their students'. The designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for renewal of the candidate's flight instructor certificate. Please feel free to disseminate this information widely. Questions regarding the Master Instructor Program may be directed to 303-485-8136 or MasterInstrs@aol.com For more information about the Master Instructor Program and to locate other Masters, please visit the "Find a Master Instructor" section of www.MasterInstructors.org To learn more about the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), visit http://SafePilots.org/ The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) can be reached through their website at http://IAC.org/

KANSAS WING TRAINING GROUP CADET ENCAMPMENT 2011

17 States 8 Regions
Represented at Kansas Wing Training Group Winter Encampment 2011
To someone outside of the Kansas Wing, CAP one may think that only cadets from Kansas would attend the annual winter encampment. Speak to any cadet or senior who has gone- or is currently attending- a KSTG encampment, and one would find a quite different story. This year at the 2011 Kansas Encampment, we have all of the CAP regions represented in either staff or cadets as well as seventeen different CAP wings, including California, Massachusetts and Arizona. We have a near tie for the Colorado Wing attendance and Kansas Wing attendance, with 66 Coloradans and 68 Kansans. We then have 37 members from Montana, then16 from Oklahoma, 15 from Nebraska, ten from Iowa, six from Minnesota, five from Ohio, four from both Illinois and Tennessee, two from California and New York respectively, and one member each from Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland and Wyoming. Clearly, just because an encampment is held in Kansas, or any wing for that matter, doesnt necessarily mean that only the members from that one wing will go. We have cadets and seniors here at this encampment from coast to coast of the United States. This certainly proves that just because we live at opposite ends of the country doesnt mean that we cant -or wont- come together as one group. We are all part of the 2011 KSTG Encampment regardless of where we are from, and no matter where we all go after this encampment, you can always look to your flight mates, seniors or cadet staff members and call them friend because of the connection we all have here.

KANSAS WING TRAINING GROUP CADET ENCAMPMENT 2011

KANSAS WING TRAINING GROUP CADET ENCAMPMENT 2011

By Sgt. Michael H. Mathewson and CAP 2nd Lt. Hayley Wier Civil Air Patrol UPARs Civil Air Patrol members from coast to coast recently travelled to Salina, Kan., for the Kansas Wing Winter Encampment, Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, at the Great Plains Joint Training Center. Nearly 250 CAP members gave up their Christmas vacation to attend the encampment. In all, members came from 17 states and all eight of the Civil Air Patrol Regions. Training close to 150 cadet basics was the top priority during the eight-day event. Activities included classroom sessions on Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Air Force topics, aerospace education and emergency services. In addition, cadets trained in drill and ceremonies, completed daily physical fitness training and participated in three rotation days where they navigated an obstacle course and completed a National Rifle Association rifle marksmanship program. Guest speakers, such as Salina airport manager Gunner Wiles, visited the encampment and spoke to the cadets. The rotation days were supported and made possible by St Johns Military School. The school allowed the CAP to use its obstacle course, indoor rifle range and dining facility. The 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment out of Salina provided UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter orientation flights for part of the cadets and the 190th Air Refueling Wing at Forbes Field in Topeka provided KC-135 orientation flights for the rest of the cadets. On Dec. 28, 100 of the cadets and senior member sponsors flew on a refueling mission conducted by the 190th ARW. This is my fourth encampment. I have done two in Oklahoma and now this is my second in Kansas. This year I am a flight leader and am having a great time, said Cadet 2nd Lt. Patrick Arnold, a resident of Oklahoma. This was Cadet Airman Austin Coes and Cadet Airman Basic Dillon Meyers, first encampment. The Missouri residents were looking forward to the flight, but Coe really enjoyed the drilling and eating.

The group flew in two KC-135Rs. The flight was lead by Maj. Brian Budden, The Topeka Squadrons deputy commander for operations for the Civil Air Patrol. The youngest cadet in each aircraft was allowed to sit in the cockpit for takeoff. After takeoff, the two planes headed west. This was a training mission for the aircraft crews. The first training event was for the aircraft to arrive at the same place in the sky at the same time, altitude and heading. This happened near Dodge City, KS where the flight met up with a B2 Stealth Bomber based out of Whiteman Air Force Base, MO. There is a viewing position on either side of the refueling boom operator. The cadets were allowed to lie beside the boom operator and watch the bomber fly up to the tanker. Although, with so many cadets they were only allowed about 30 seconds, but that was enough time to take a lot of pictures. After about one hour, the aircrafts separated. The bomber continued its mission and the tankers turned east. They would fly over Wichita, then to Butler before returning to Topeka. On the return flight, senior member Will Roberts, from Oak Ridge, TN., spoke of the encampment. Roberts was serving as the Training, Advising and Counseling Officer or senior advisor to the cadets who were running the encampment. Roberts was at the encampment with three of his 11 children. The two 15-year-olds and one 13- year-old were engaged in other activities and were not on the flight. Simultaneously, back in Salina, cadets and seniors were able to fly in UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The remainder of the cadets utilized the small arms training simulator at the Kansas National Training Center located at Salina, Kan. There they had a chance to fire a variety of small arms in multiple target situations in a real first person video game. Maj. Carolyn Franz, the Kansas Wing Drug Demand Reduction administrator, taught classes to help cadets learn about the advantages of a drug-free lifestyle. The week ended with a drill competition, dining out and pass in review parade. Led by cadet commander Cadet Lt. Col. Brandon Doubrava, a staff of nearly 50 cadets worked tirelessly to ready the basics to the standard required for graduation. This encampment never would have been possible without the incredible staff I have, said Doubrava. I am very grateful and honored to have served with them all.

FHCS Gets Strategic During AEX Trip

Eight members of the Flint Hills Composite Squadron gathered early Saturday January 14 to depart for the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska to learn about military aviation history. The group had a walking tour of the planes on display and discussed the capabilities and uses of the individual models. Several members chose to experience the sense of weightlessness similar to astronauts do when training. Major Linette Lahan summed up the value of the trip with, Judging from the animated conversation during the ride home, coupled with the amount of newfound knowledge, I would say our group had a very educational experience learning about military aviation.

By Maj Linette Lahan FHCS Commander

SAREX 2012

57 members from Kansas and 3 from Missouri Wing participated in a weekend of Search and Rescue in Southeastern Kansas. 3 Air crews from Kansas and 1 from Missouri crisscrossed the Kansas skies gathering data before ground teams would move in for the find. We even made the Daily News!

Wreaths Across America

Several Squadrons from the Kansas Wing participated in placing of the wreaths on December 10, 2011. Wreathes Across Americas mission, Remember, Honor, Teach, is carried out in part by coordinating wreath laying ceremonies on the second Saturday of December at Arlington, as well as veterans cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

POST THE COLORS

OnSaturdayFebruary18th,CivilAirPatrolCadetsfromacrossKansasassembledinSalinafortheKansasWingColor GuardCompetition.Eachteamconsistedoffourmembersplusanalternate. CivilAirPatrolColorGuardsoftenperformatHighSchoolfootballandbasketballgames.Theyarealsooftenaskedto performbyveteransgroupsandinIndependenceandVeteransDayparades. Thecompetitionwasbasedonthecumulativepointsinanumberofevents,toinclude:physicalfitness,inranks inspection,aerospacequizbowl,indoorpresentation,outdoorpresentationandtimeddrillmaneuvers.CAPCapt. QuentinLawsexplained,TheColorGuardprogramreflectsthebestofthecadetprogram. ThecompetitionwasjudgedbyAirForceROTCCadetRobertSamson,ChiefJudge,andArmyROTCCadetKiaraOcasio; bothmembersoftheKansasStateUniversitysPershingRifles.AlsojudgingwasCAPCaptKenyonFryman,WingCadet ActivitiesOfficer.ThePershingRiflesareanationallycompetitivedrillteammadeupofArmyandAirForceROTC Cadets.BothSamsonandOcasiohavebeencompetingwithdrillteamssincetheywereintheninthgradeintheir respectiveschools.OcasiowasamemberoftheJunctionCityHighSchoolJROTCdrillteam. Duringthecompletion,CAP2nd.Lt.TimothyThorntonsaidoftheLawrenceteam,Thisteamhasbeentogethersince Januaryandthisistheirfirstcompetition.Cadet/AirmanVirginiaSmith,withthenewlyformedCherokeeSquadron, said,Wehopetolearnalotfromthecompetitiontoday.TheCherokeeSquadronisaschoolsquadronthatstarted justlastfall.InherschoolthestudentstakeCivilAirPatrolasaclassasotherschoolswouldtakeaJROTCclass. CAPLt.ColRickFranz,WingChiefofStaffsaid,ThecompetitionwasnecktoneckbetweenEmporiaandLawrenceall thewaytotheend.However,theaerospacequizbowltookEmporiaoverthetop.

S I T UATIONAL AWA R E N E S S
Since the very first mission opened the Civil Air Patrol has always used SITUATIONAL AWARENESS in order to be more effective in the field. That is one of the necessary skills that binds us together as a team. That said, we must be even more vigilant and AWARE of our surroundings in the times we live, whether it be at home, in the mall or on a CAP MISSION. All too often we get complacent in our day to day lives and refuse to see the THREAT right in front of us. For some, this type of awareness is a 24 hour process. As for you, I am hopeful you will see the need to find your place in this awareness cycle BEFORE A CRISIS and not after.

T WHATEVER THE THREA

When a natural or man made disaster occurs Will you be READY? IF NOT Will you be part of the problem or part of the solution. By knowing your strengths & weaknesses you may also help to determine your outcome during a crisis.

WHAT THEN?

C Y B E R ATTA C K S - N U C L E A R T H R EAT S INCREASED SEVERE WEA THER-EARTH CHANGES WILL BE JUST A FEW OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS

CAPT JD SPRADLING Kansas Wing Civil Air Patrol Director of Homeland Security Disaster Relief Officer HOME: 913-783-4855 CELL: 913-963-3903 EMAIL: KC0nys@yahoo.com KANSAS WING HEADQUARTERS 3024 ARNOLD AVE SALINA KS 67401-9015 785-825-0009

The holidays found members of the Howard Williams Squadron having some fun with the Jolly Old Elf himself! The Salina Airport Authority hosted its 1st Annual Candy Canes and Airplanes event at the Salina Airport. Hundreds of children and their parents participated in activities and had hands-on experience checking out the planes.

Join the Civil Air Patrol

Kansas Wing Civil Air Patrol
3024 Arnold Ave. Salina, Kansas 67401-8105 785-825-0009 FAX 785-825-1116 june@kswghq.kscoxmail.com donna@kswghq.kscoxmail.com

The Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol is looking for teens 12 to 18 years of age and adults to join our current volunteers in our important missions. The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force with three primary missions: Aerospace Education Cadet Programs Emergency Services

Go to www.kswg.cap.gov to find a Civil Air Patrol Squadron near you

Everyday Heroes Everyday

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and has been credited by the AFRCC with saving 112 lives so far this fiscal year. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 25,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for almost 70 years. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.

SAVE THE DATE! MAY 25 - 27 KSWG CONFERENCE Change of Command - Special Guest Mary Feik
Billeting available - Nickell Hall - 785-822-3296 - $30.00 per night Courtyard by Marriott - 785-309-1300 - $99.00 per night