CAP Features

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The annual Wreaths Across America observation is set for Dec. 12.

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More than 10,000 red-ribboned balsam fir wreaths adorn the white marble gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America in 2008. Worcester Wreath Co. plans to send 17,000 wreaths to Washington next month as part of the 2009 Wreaths Across America observance.

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A remembrance wreath lies on the Civil Air Patrol Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. A wreath is placed there each December as part of the Wreaths Across America ceremonies at Arlington

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Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, Civil Air Patrol national commander, talks to members of the media during the 2008 Wreaths Across America observance at Arlington National Cemetery. CAP is a major partner of the annual initiative that uses wreaths to remember, honor and teach about the service and sacrifices of U.S. veterans.

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Cadet Sr. Airman Chasby Berlinski of the Arizona Wing’s Glendale Composite Squadron 308 salutes the fallen veteran whose memory he has just honored during the 2008 Wreaths Across America observation at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

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Members of the Minnesota Wing’s St. Cloud Composite Squadron prepare to lay wreaths during a 2008 Wreaths Across America observance at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley.


NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS – In what is now a holiday tradition, Civil Air Patrol is proud to partner with Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization that recognizes the courage and sacrifices of U.S. veterans.

“Our mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. “Thousands of CAP members participated last year and helped us to do just that, and this year’s Wreaths Across America promises to take this worthwhile endeavor to even greater heights.”

Through Wreaths Across America, veteran memorials and gravesites, including Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., will be adorned Dec. 12 with remembrance wreaths from Maine’s Worcester Wreath Co. The stirring, solemn tributes honor many of the 25 million men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces and guarded and preserved America’s freedom throughout history.

“Laying the wreaths is an honor to our veterans, a service to our communities and a learning experience for our members,” said CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, who is delighted that CAP is involved in this patriotic cause.

Since its inception in 2006, Wreaths Across America has experienced tremendous growth – from 240 ceremonies at national and state cemeteries in its first year to the 400 expected in all 50 states and 25 cemeteries and memorials abroad in 2009. CAP units will lead almost half of the Wreaths Across America observances this year and will participate with other color and honor guards at many additional locations. CAP cadets and officers will lay wreaths at Arlington as well.

The founders of Wreaths Across America, Worcester and her husband, Morrill, owners of Worcester Wreath Co., are donating 17,000 wreaths for this year’s Arlington ceremonies. The wreaths will be transported on a 750-mile journey from Harrington, Maine, after a sendoff ceremony Dec. 6, and will arrive at Arlington on Dec. 12.

The route is one the longest annual veterans’ celebrations as patriotic Americans, veterans groups and other local organizations like CAP show their support for the project with parades and ceremonies at more than 20 stops along the way.

Over the past 10 years, the Maine Wing’s 75th and 76th composite squadrons have been actively involved in Worcester Wreath Co.’s convoys to Arlington, supplying senior members and cadets to help load and unload the donated wreaths as well as helping lay them on the gravestones at Arlington.

In addition, 600 to 700 motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders – an organization of more than 122,000 whose primary mission is to attend the funerals of fallen heroes nationwide – accompany the trucks to Washington.

Before the convoy begins, Wreaths Across America and its partners will acknowledge other countries involved in this year’s observances with a parade and wreath-laying ceremony Dec. 5 on the International Bridge, which links the U.S. and Canada.

Royal Canadian Air Cadets with escort America’s Gold Star Mother and CAP cadets from America will escort Canada’s Silver Cross Mother to the center of the bridge, spanning the St. Croix River between Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick. The Gold Star Mother will present a Worcester wreath to the Silver Cross Mother for placement at the Centatoph Memorial Monument in St. Stephen.

In addition to the International Bridge wreath, the Worcesters are donating 50 wreaths for Dec. 5 ceremonies at each state capitol in the U.S. And on Dec. 7, Civil Air Patrol’s National Honor Guard will take part in a wreath-laying at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, which also will feature a wreath provided by Worcester Wreath Co.

The 2009 observances on the International Bridge, at Arlington, the nation’s capitols and across America carry a heightened significance for Wreaths Across America and CAP.

“This year’s ceremonies honor the memory of the Maine Wing’s Maj. Dennis W. Murray, who passed away in September and whose devotion to the Wreaths Across America program is his legacy,” Courter said.

Murray, CAP’s 2008 national Public Affairs Officer of the Year, is credited with helping link the organization with Worcester Wreath Co. and Wreaths Across America three years ago. “That partnership has grown exponentially, and CAP has become a major partner,” Courter said.

Wreaths Across America began in 2006 as an offshoot of the Arlington National Cemetery wreath project, which started in 1992 with the annual placement of wreaths donated by Worcester Wreath Co. Today it is a monumental initiative, with partners like CAP, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Maine State Society of Washington, D.C., and other veterans’ groups participating, not to mention the tens of thousands of private citizens who sponsor wreaths for the wreath-laying ceremonies.

Wreaths Across America spokesman Tobin Slaven applauded the relationship between CAP and Worcester Wreath Co. “It really has been phenomenal,” Slaven said. “Civil Air Patrol has been a driving force behind Wreaths Across America’s growth.”

The wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington are scheduled to commence at 8 a.m. EST Dec. 12 at the CAP Memorial, culminating with a national Wreaths Across America ceremony and moment of remembrance at 9 a.m. attended by the Worcesters and other dignitaries from CAP, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Maine State Society, the Gold Star Mothers, the American Legion and other veterans’ groups. At that time, Wreaths Across America participants nationwide will adorn veterans’ graves with remembrance wreaths concurrently with the Arlington celebration.

Other wreath-laying ceremonies Dec. 12 at Arlington are planned at the Shuttle Memorial at 11 a.m. and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at noon. The Arlington observances will conclude at 1 p.m. with the CAP Honor Guard and Courter laying a wreath at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Afterward, Courter will host a distinguished visitors’ reception in the memorial’s Hall of Honor.

Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information about Wreaths Across America and participating locations. 

 

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Intense light from the sun is obvious in this photograph taken by Stevens Point Composite Squadron cadets’ near-space balloon project. 

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This photo was taken as the near-space balloon climbed to its highest point – some 20 miles above the Earth. The sky is black in the photo because the earth’s atmosphere is not there to scatter the sun’s light in all directions.

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Here is the sun again, this time to the right of the camera frame. The photo was taken as the near-space balloon expanded to its 60-plus-foot bursting circumference.

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This photo shows the near-space view of the highest point of the near-space balloon flight – some 20 miles above the Earth. It was taken only seconds before the balloon reached its bursting circumference.

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This photo was taken immediately after the beginning of the near-space balloon’s descent. At the time, the balloon was free-falling at terminal velocity.

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This photo was taken after the balloon’s parachute successfully deployed. It shows the border of Wisconsin and Lake Michigan. At the time it was taken, the balloon was descending at 6,000 feet per minute or more, because of the thin air at that altitude.

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Project Hyperion’s payload, seen right before cadets packed it in hand warmers for the near-space balloon’s ascent. The cooler and hand warmers protected the payload from exposure to the extreme cold.

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Cadets work to inflate the balloon for the flight. Assisting them is the Stevens Point commander, Maj. Virginia Suarino.

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A cadet tapes up the payload for Project Hyperion, which included a camera that captured almost 4,000 digital photos -- nearly seven gigabytes of data -- during the flight.

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The taped-up cooler protected the camera throughout the three-minute, 19-second flight, which reached heights of some 20 miles above Earth. The near-space balloon was high enough for the attached camera to capture photos of Lake Michigan. 

(11)
Five cadets and the commander of the Stevens Point Composite Squadron pose for a photo before launching Project Hyperion. Cadet 1st Lt. Mark Flage, third from left with the payload in hand, served as project leader. To his left is the squadron commander, Maj. Virginia Suarino.

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The Stevens Point cadets launch Project Hyperion in Cadott, midway between the equator and the North Pole. About three hours later, the near-space balloon returned to Earth some 145 miles away, just east of the Nicolet National Forest.

Photos by 1st Lt. Terese Barta
 

1st Lt. Terese Barta
Public Affairs Officer
Stevens Point Composite Squadron
Wisconsin Wing

WISCONSIN – On a crisp November afternoon, five cadets and their commander from the Stevens Point Composite Squadron watched their helium-filled weather balloon float up into the cirrus-streaked sky. 

But this was no ordinary weather balloon. This was “Project Hyperion,” their version of a near-space balloon designed to capture photographs from the Earth’s stratosphere. The name for the project was taken from the Greek Titan god of light.

The payload of Hyperion included a digital camera programmed to take a photograph every five seconds. The camera was blanketed with chemical hand-warmers to protect it from the extreme cold temperatures, estimated to be 70 below zero. 

Its position was tracked by means of a GPS-enabled mobile phone and a free real-time GPS mapping program called InstaMapper.

The latex weather balloon the squadron used is designed to expand until it reaches 20 miles above Earth, then burst. Cadets calculated that the balloon was 6 feet in diameter at launch and 23 feet in diameter at the bursting point
The cadets fitted a small parachute to Hyperion to ensure a safe return of the payload back to Earth.

The launch took place at 1:23 p.m. at Cadott, a small town that happens to lie midway between the equator and the North Pole. The location was chosen so the cadets could avoid populated areas but still use cell phone reception for tracking. The balloon’s predicted trajectory was based on 15 different calculations relating to winds aloft.

Within 10 minutes of launch, the balloon had reached an altitude of 9,300 feet MSL (mean sea level). It was also detected at 12,000 feet MSL before floating out of range. About three hours later, the signal returned, and Hyperion landed at 4:42 p.m. just east of the Nicolet National Forest, 145 miles from the launch site.

The entire three-hour, 19-minute trip of the balloon’s payload extended from 44.95345 degrees north, 91.14439 degrees west, to 45.45787 degrees north, 88.31535 degrees west.

The next day, the cadets retrieved the Hyperion payload from the top of a tall tree. The cooler and all its contents were in good shape, and the hand warmers packed inside were still warm. The cadets could hear the cell phone ringing when they called it from the ground. Although its batteries had worn down overnight, the camera suffered no damage.

Nearly 4,000 digital photographs were downloaded from the camera -- almost seven gigabytes of data. The balloon soared high enough to easily capture Lake Michigan in some of the photos.

“The reason the sky is black in some photos is because the earth’s atmosphere is not there to scatter the sun’s light in all directions,” explained the project leader, Cadet 1st Lt. Mark Flage.

While high-altitude balloon photography is not new, this type of launch is unusual in terms of its low cost and ease of assembly, using only off-the-shelf materials that anyone can acquire. The materials included a plastic foam cooler, duct tape and parachute cord. The weather balloon was purchased for $60. The total cost of the project: $150. 

“The entire operation required no specialized knowledge of either programming, radio direction-finding or long-range radio control, making it possible for anybody with $150 and an adventurous attitude to repeat,” Flage said.

Contrast that with the recent NASA test launch of the Ares I-X missile 25 miles into space. Price tag: $445 million.

Flage said planning for Project Hyperion started in October. The plans were developed from Project Icarus, initiated by a group of MIT students who want to share the artistic aspects of science with others. They launched their weather balloon Sept. 2, and their digital camera documented a five-hour flight that reached 93,000 feet, or 17.5 miles. It was recovered 20 miles from the launch site.

Project Icarus is spurring similar launches across the country. Project Hyperion -- the subject of a report by WAOW-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wausau -- was the first successful launch of its type in Wisconsin.

The cadets contacted Minneapolis Center several days before the launch to make sure they would not interfere with controlled airspace. They learned that federal aviation regulations do not apply to balloons with payloads of less than 4 pounds; the Hyperion payload was 2 pounds.

“Our balloon flew farther, higher and longer than previous launches because we acquired a balloon with 4 pounds of free lift for our mission,” Flage said. “Since our payload only required 2 pounds of lift, we chose to underinflate the balloon at launch, enabling it to climb higher before stretching to bursting diameter.”

Flage says he was amazed by the sheer amount of planning involved in the launch of Project Hyperion. Just to determine a good launch site, he had to conduct a series of trajectory and landing zone calculations, which required knowledge of the capsule’s descent rate.

“I learned that a combination of flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles,” he said.

Joining him as participants in the launch were his three brothers – Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Joel Flage, Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Tom Flage and Cadet Airman Daniel Flage -- and Cadet Master Sgt. Alex Menningen, all cadets with the Stevens Point squadron. On hand to witness the launch were the squadron’s commander, Maj. Virginia Suarino, and its deputy commander, 1st Lt. Terese Barta. Cadet Tech Sgt. Nick Burns also helped construct the parachute but couldn’t attend the launch.

Suarino was impressed with the cadets’ planning and execution. “The most exciting part, aside from the moment we let go of the balloon, was seeing the first pictures. Absolutely fantastic,” she said.

The squadron plans to stage future launches and conduct outreach to the community to bring the project into area schools.



 


 

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Senior Member Cindy Osuna welcomes two National Guardsmen from Washington state.

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Senior Member Cindy Osuna greets a married troop couple.

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Senior Member Cindy Osuna waits at Portsmouth International Airport in Pease, N.H., where she and other Pease Greeters gathered to welcome American troops back to the States and thank them for their service overseas.


Jennifer S. Kornegay
Contributing Writer

VERMONT -- “The hugs are the best,” Senior Member Cindy Osuna said as she tried to put into words the impetus that moved her to drive over 150 miles each way to wait, sometimes for hours, in an airport lobby just to say “welcome home” or “thank you” to service members on their way to or from deployment.

“Until you’ve been there, you can’t explain it,” said Osuna, a member of the Springfield Composite Squadron. “It’s a long trip, and it is tiring, but I try to fit it in because it is worth it.

“Once you go and see what an important role you play, you want to go every time you can make it.”

As part of a group known as the Pease Greeters, Osuna and her fellow greeters offer support to complete strangers at a critical time. “Especially for those that are leaving home, heading overseas, they get boosted morale,” she said. “They’re just stopping to refuel, and then they are greeted by all these cheering people. It touches them.”

Sometimes even the greeters don’t really know each other, but that all changes after a few moments together. “When I walk in I get an immediate response from other greeters, whether I know them or not,” Osuna said. “It’s like a family.”

Pease Greeters was started in 2005. The group consists of volunteer veterans and civilians who travel to Portsmouth International Airport in Pease, N.H., every time a plane carrying troops either leaves for deployment or returns home.

The greeters give the troops drinks, snacks and a heartfelt show of support. The group just recently celebrated greeting its 300th flight.

Osuna joined the Springfield squadron in 2009. Her reasons for joining Civil Air Patrol further illustrate her giving nature.

“I really have a lot on my plate,” she said. “I am the program associate for health services and counseling at Landmark College, and I’m also the commander of the Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars as well as state director of VFW Youth Activities. I went to a CAP meeting to form a relationship between CAP and VFW.”

She got a little more than she bargained for — she got recruited.

“At that meeting they told me that they really needed a female senior officer so female cadets could attend encampments,” Osuna said. “I hated to think about a female cadet missing out because there weren’t enough senior female officers, so that’s the main reason I joined.

“When I was in the Air Force, there were fewer opportunities for women, so I know what it’s like. I wanted to do whatever I could to help other females get as much as they can out of organizations like CAP.”

Ozona’s squadron commander, Lt. Col. David Mikelson, is thrilled to have her. “We approached Cindy and said we needed a female senior officer; she said, ‘Sure,’” Mikelson said.

“It means so much to those girls who’ve been able to attend an encampment because of her. She’s also going to be our public affairs officer once she finishes the training. We see her as a real catch, a great addition.”

Osuna met her first flight with the Pease Greeters in January, joining 200 others to offer a pat on the back and words of encouragement to troops.

“There are no dues, no meetings, but once you’ve greeted one flight, you’re a part of the group,” she said. “I do it because I want our military men and women to know that there are people back home supporting them.”

The entire experience is rewarding for greeted and greeters alike, as Osuna explained. “It motivates them to know that we’re supportive, that we understand. They send us e-mails and tell us how we impact them,” she said. “And for the greeters, we get the camaraderie, the friendships.”

And the memories.

“Every time is different, and I remember each one,” Osuna said. “I remember this National Guardsman who gave me the patch off his shoulder to give to my granddad, who was 1st Calvary in World War II and the Korean War. Now my granddad has a 1st Calvary patch from Iraq.”

She’d like to get CAP cadets involved with the Pease Greeters, if she can work out the timing.

“The troops love seeing kids there, and I know the cadets would really get something out of it, too.”









 

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Much of the learning at National Staff College took place in small seminars, where participants examined at length and in depth lectures they’d just heard.

(2)
National Staff College participants.

(3)
Lt. Col. Amos Plante, Louisiana Wing chief of staff and director of the National Staff College

 (4)
A Medal of Honor recipient, retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation secretary, retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Perry M. Smith delivered a powerful message on leadership to CAP volunteers attending National Staff College.

(5)
Medal of Honor recipient and retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs

(6)
Maj. Aaron Oliver, commander of the Virginia Wing’s Langley Composite Squadron.

(7)
Maj. Marie Rivera, commander of the Puerto Rico Wing’s Mayaguez Cadet Squadron.
 
(8)
Lt. Col. Carlos Fernandez, commander of Puerto Rico Wing Group 5


Photos by Susan Robertson, CAP National Headquarters


Kristi Carr
Staff Writer

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- Eighty-four came, and they were a diverse bunch. They represented 32 Civil Air Patrol wings. The youngest two were 26; the oldest two were in their 80s.

All were CAP volunteers. All attended the 2009 National Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. And all came looking for ways to become better leaders.

Working towards the next level
Maj. Aaron Oliver, commander of the Virginia Wing’s Langley Composite Squadron, took a leave from his regular job as an Air Force fighter pilot to attend, hoping to gain a better understanding of CAP and corporate leadership.

Maj. Marie A. Rivera traveled from Puerto Rico to attend. As commander of the Mayaguez Cadet Squadron, she said she was particularly interested in the programs on ethics and core values.

Her husband, Lt. Col. Carlos Fernandez, who oversees the Puerto Rico Wing’s Group 5,   was another 2009 National Staff College student. Professional development was at the top of his list as reason for attending.

Learning on the field of battle
For Lt. Col. Amos Plante, chief of staff for the Louisiana Wing and director of the 2009 National Staff College, the highlight of the week was the presentation on “Leadership Lessons from Combat” by retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Perry M. Smith, secretary for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, along with retired U.S. Army Col. Jack H. Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient and MSNBC military analyst.

By way of introduction, Smith explained why Jacobs was selected for the highest award given to military personnel. On his first tour of duty in Vietnam, Jacobs, then a first lieutenant, suffered severe injuries to his head and face, yet managed to pull 25 of his fellow soldiers off the battlefield. Thirteen of them survived.

Jacobs picked up the story, explaining what he faced, both in combat and later, as he fought to recover from his wounds. Often asked what led him to respond as he did, he cited a quote from Rabbi Hillel, one of the most influential scholars in Jewish history: “If not now, when?”

It was the Army, Jacobs said, where he learned lessons he’d need on the outside. Those lessons obviously served him well, because after 20 years in the military, Jacobs went on to successes as an investment banker, real estate developer, business entrepreneur, West Point professor, author and television military analyst.

Delivering the best course of study
Curriculum for the weeklong National Staff College is heavy on leadership, but it also includes lessons in ethics, finances and communications, as well as an in-depth look at CAP’s national-level operations. 

CAP regulations, Plante explained, spell out what students are expected to accomplish so the program’s format remains similar from year to year. Lectures by experts are interlaced with more intimate seminars, each with its own adviser, where students dissect the lectures and examine case studies.

A large pool of highly qualified lecturers, many with backgrounds in the military or with federal and state agencies, provide a rich mixture of information about strategic planning, policymaking and all aspects of governance.

Because it provides CAP with its very top leaders, National Staff College is one way to advance toward senior membership’s highest honor, the Gill Robb Wilson Award. Although there are alternatives, such as attending War College or other armed forces schooling, Plante estimates that 90 percent-95 percent of CAP volunteers achieving Level 5 — CAP’s top level of achievement for senior members — have used National Staff College as their preferred method for advancement.

Because of its graduate-level design, those attending National Staff College must hold the rank of major or above, must have completed CAP’s Region Staff College or its equivalent and must have the endorsement of their wing commanders.

Achieving ‘above and beyond’
“We call National Staff College the capstone in CAP’s professional development courses,” said Plante. “We’re leading leaders, and anyone who’d dedicated himself enough to get here has CAP in his heart and is the kind of person we want to train.”

As testament to the caliber and quality of CAP members attending National Staff College, even before they arrived some had taken to heart the lessons of the battlefield about which Jacobs spoke.

Step up
Oliver, who joined CAP as a cadet in Baton Rouge, La., was an experienced pilot in his twenties. He had always flirted with the idea of serving his country by flying fighter jets for the Air Force. Candidates for fighter jet pilots must be in the program, however, by the time they reach 30 – then fast approaching for Oliver.

Then America was attacked Sept. 11, 2001. Oliver joined the Air Force and now flies F-15s out of Langley Air Force Base, Va. Often assigned to presidential support, he flies over Camp David and other places where the president is.

In March, he will be training to fly the Air Force’s new F-22. At the same time, he remains active with CAP as Langley Composite commander, in which capacity he said he is particularly interested in setting the tone and pace for cadets.

“I could have been the guy who ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda,’” Oliver said. Instead, in the mode of Jacobs’ response on the field of battle, Oliver stepped up.

Choose your battles
At National Staff College, Jacobs spoke of the utmost importance of teaching and mentoring America’s youth, who will one day inherit the reins of the country.

Rivera has already made her choice. “Cadets are the most important thing I can do in CAP,” she said.

In addition to establishing both short- and long-term goals for her cadets, Rivera wants to advance in CAP herself.

“Only a few from Puerto Rico attain Level 5,” she said. She is anxious to become an example for other Puerto Ricans.

She found the perspective of CAP’s national commander, Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter, who addressed those attending National Staff College, of particular interest.

“It’s an honor to serve her as a CAP volunteer,” Rivera said.

Don’t sweat the small stuff
Jacobs warned the students not to make everything a crisis.

Native Spanish-speaker Fernandez could easily have let language be a barrier to his full participation in CAP. Instead, he took the long view, attended National Staff College and put himself in the hands of other CAP volunteers, whom he described as courteous and kind as they helped him absorb material presented in English.

His experience underscored the value of teamwork as members of his seminar group went above and beyond — CAP-style — to help him understand the discussions.

While Oliver, Rivera and Fernandez each attended National Staff College to sharpen their skills, each is already a leader in CAP.
 

Good reading for good leaders

• “If not now, when? Duty and Sacrifice in America,” by retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs, recounts how he came to be chosen to receive the Medal of Honor. The book is laced with Jacobs’ observations about how today’s citizens handle, or fail to handle, the demands their country makes on them. 
   
• “Rules & Tools for Leaders,” by retired U.S. Air Force  Maj. Gen. Perry M. Smith, gives advice on how to run an organization.
   
• “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty,” by Peter Collier, portrays the stories of living Medal of Honor recipients, who today number 93.

Kristi Carr
Staff Writer

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS – Though the search for three missing Dickinson State University students in North Dakota ended tragically this week, the case points out how a cell phone can be used to locate missing people, many times with happier results.

One of the pioneers in cell phone forensics is Capt. Justin Ogden of Arizona Wing Headquarters, whose expertise pinpointed the students’ Stark County, N.D., crash site within 730 feet based on information he gleaned from their last cell phone hit.
 
The emergency manager for Stark County, Brent Pringle, told Lt. Col. William E. Kay, North Dakota Wing director of operations, in a phone conversation that the students’ vehicle would not have been found without CAP’s assistance.

The bodies of the three Dickinson State softball players -- Kyrstin Gemar, 22, Ashley Neufeld, 21, and Afton Williamson, 20 -- were found Tuesday in their Jeep, submerged in a stock pond. They had been reported missing Sunday night after friends received a pair of frantic phone calls.

Although CAP had aircrews from Dickinson and Bismarck on the scene with a ground team standing by, it was Ogden’s work conducted from some 1,000 miles away that yielded results. Ogden helped search and rescue controllers from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center refine the search area down significantly, by more than 91 percent, from a 1 ½-mile radius.

Under federal law, cell phone companies can voluntarily divulge phone data to federal agencies such as the AFRCC when it is being used for lifesaving purposes involving the owner.
 
Ogden collects and analyzes data to determine approximate coordinates. “Even if a cell phone is not being used but is still powered up, and within coverage of the network, we can often receive enough information to allow us to concentrate the search in the right area,” he said.
 
Sometimes cell phone data is merged with other information, such as radar if the search is for a missing aircraft.
 
Ogden said nearly all cell phones and networks have some sort of location-sensing methods, whether through GPS hardware in the cell phone or through the phone network and towers. With the technology already in place, it is important to involve a cell phone forensic specialist early in a search, he said.

“Once the cell phone battery dies, there’s no hope of getting GPS-type coordinates from that phone,” he said.
 
Ogden, employed by General Dynamics and recently assigned to a new project to develop a nationwide communications system for the Department of Justice, became interested in radio signals and computer programming when he joined CAP as a cadet at age 12. He is routinely called in by the AFRCC to help with searches and last year participated in 27 search and rescue missions, resulting in the rescue of 19 survivors.

(1)
DHC-2 Beaver pilots Capt. Curtis Cebulski (left) and Capt. Brad Sipperley – commander and deputy commander, respectively, of the Ninth Composite Operations Squadron -- discuss their location and the time to the next waypoint during a Red Flag – Alaska mission Oct. 8.

Photo by Senior Member Brittney Ferreira

(2)
(Clockwise, from bottom left) Maj. Steve Brewer of the Eielson 71st Composite Squadron, Lt. Col. Gary Hunt and Capt. Curtis Cebulski of the Nine Composite Operations Squadron, Air Force 1st Lt. David Lang and 2nd Lt. Jon Rumfelt of the Eielson 71st discuss new waypoint locations before the early morning mass briefing Oct. 15.

Photo by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron

(3)
Air Force Lt. Col. John Rydland and Capt. Curtis Cebulski load waypoints into a GPS database in preparation for a Red Flag – Alaska mission Oct. 15.

Photo by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron

(4)
(From left) Second Lt. Jon Rumfelt, Lt. Col. Gary Hunt, Capt. Curtis Cebulski and Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Rytting listen to the CAP squadron coordination and safety briefing before a mission Oct. 15.

Photo by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman

(5)
2nd Lt. Jon Rumfelt and Lt. Col. Gary Hunt work through the preflight checklist Oct. 15

Photo by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron

(6)
Mission scanners viewed this and similar landscapes during a Red Flag – Alaska mission Oct. 8.

Photo by Senior Member Brittney Ferreira

(7)
(From left) Maj. Steve Brewer, Lt. Col. Gary Hunt and Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Rytting file preflight plans Oct. 15 with Base Operations.

Photo by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron

(8-10)

Air Force Maj. “Bat” Simmons, Alaska Red Air mission commander, takes questions at the conclusion of his pre-mission brief during Red Flag – Alaska exercises Oct. 15/

Photos by Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron


Lt. Col. Mark C. Biron
Public Affairs Officer
71st Composite Squadron
Alaska Wing

ALASKA -- The Alaska Wing provided the U.S. Air Force with valuable assistance in training domestic and allied pilots during the 2009 Red Flag – Alaska season, contributing aircraft, pilots and crews to the effort.

Red Flag-Alaska is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. joint and coalition forces. The exercise provides joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close air support and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment.

U.S. and allied pilots, aircrews and operational support personnel train and improve their air combat skills in preparation for a myriad of worldwide contingencies.

The exercises are held on the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex -- the largest training range in America, totaling more than 65,000 square miles. Air operations are flown out of Eielson and Elmendorf air force bases.

The 2009 exercises
CAP participation in the 2009 exercises -- which spanned three two-week blocks, taking place April 16- May 1, July 23- Aug. 7 and Oct. 1-16 -- provided an added dimension to the exercises.

“In daily training at home station, fighter aircraft generally practice against their own kind, F-15 versus F-15,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Rytting, chief of advanced programs for the 353rd Combat Training Squadron as well as commander of the Alaska Wing’s Eielson 71st Composite Squadron. “The opportunity to fight dissimilar F-15 versus F-16 is highly valued but infrequent for most pilots. Even when they fight dissimilar, however, they're both doing 350-plus knots and operating in the same environment.

“Fighter pilots virtually never get to train in a combat-like setting against aircraft simulating low and slow targets ... until now,” Rytting said.

During Red Flag-Alaska large force employment exercises, CAP aircraft assisted Red Force Aggressors by providing just such targets.

“These low and slow aircraft provide unique three-dimensional problems for high-tech fighters that spend most of their time between 20,000 and 40,000 feet,” Rytting said.

“Our potential adversaries have certain aircraft -- Antonov AN-2 Colts, for example -- that fly just above the trees at about 100 knots,” he said. “These propeller-driven aircraft are used for various missions, including behind-the-lines parachute insertion of special operations forces.”

CAP aircraft from all over Alaska participated in the exercises.

“For this latest exercise, we used four corporate aircraft -- a DHC-2, C-185, C-182 and a C-172 -- to simulate the high-wing AN-2 Colt, and one low-winged multi-engine privately owned CAP member aircraft to ensure a significant difference of aircraft design,” said Maj. Steve Brewer, operations officer for the Eielson 71st.

The twin-engine aircraft was added to the scenario for two of the four training days as a neutral-country, nonhostile aircraft that couldn’t be shot down, furthering the requirement for crews to visually identify each aircraft before firing.

The 71st Composite became uniquely positioned to provide low and slow support to the Air Force when it gained a new commander and operations officer in Rytting and Brewer, whose day jobs in the 353rd Combat Training Squadron directly support planning and execution of Red Flag -- Alaska and other exercises.

"With ELT and other CAP searches declining rapidly in Alaska, mission development became very important,” Rytting said. “I wanted members to feel a strong sense of purpose and saw an obvious opportunity to use CAP assets and crews to support the Air Force.

“Having several active-duty Air Force pilots and Department of Defense civilians in our squadron working at Red Flag gave us needed experience, knowledge and contacts to make these missions happen,” he said.

As a training resource, CAP’s “value to the Air Force is absolutely phenomenal,” Rytting added. “Last Thursday, the entire exercise except CAP and eight F-16s was cancelled for a massive cloud deck. They sent dozens of planes home from the airspace. 

“The F-16s intercepted us at low altitude and received the only training of the day. Had we not been there, it would have been a wash.”

For CAP pilot and crew participating in Red Flag – Alaska, no day is average.

“The day prior to the mission,” Brewer said, “the designated lead pilot for the CAP aircraft will spend four to six hours planning and coordinating the CAP aircraft route of flight with Air Force exercise planners.”

Then, “the day of the exercise mission the crews attend a mass briefing with all the exercise participants four hours prior to takeoff,” he continued. “Then they attend a smaller briefing with the Red Air mission commander, and finally a brief with just the CAP crews to ensure all safety measures are in place, and all crewmembers’ questions are answered.”

The CAP crews benefit from their participation just as the Air Force pilots do.

“Red Flag provides a special opportunity for squadron pilots, scanners and observers to watch the military at work in a simulated combat environment, sometimes up-close and personal,” Rytting said. “Crews attend mission briefs and debriefs and see how their involvement adds to the scenario.

“Sister services and coalition forces are often also involved. While CAP flies at a relatively low 1,000 feet above ground level, some fighter aircraft such as the French Mirages that recently participated flew much lower,” he said.

For many CAP crews the demands and limitations of military flying provide a new experience.

“Flying Red Flag missions has expanded the knowledge base of CAP pilots into the realm of military exercises and military fighter training requirements,” Brewer said.  “Our CAP crews have improved their visual scanning skills, and pilots are more effective and accurate at executing low-level flights and meeting timing requirements of plus- or minus-30-second windows for arriving at required waypoints.”

The hard work and attention to detail has paid off for the CAP crews.

“On Tuesday, two of our three aircraft made it to the target,” Rytting said. “We're 4-for-6, by the way. This proves the difficulty of targeting these unique threats in a large force employment exercise.”

The Air Force pays for CAP to furnish training aids. “The cost is just over $1,000 per day to have four aircraft participate in the visual identification exercise,” Brewer said.

In addition, the CAP pilots and crews walk away from the exercise with a strong sense of accomplishment.

"I’ve really enjoyed being a CAP Aggressor pilot," said Capt. Brad Sipperley, deputy commander of the Ninth Composite Operations Squadron.

A certified flight instructor, Sipperley is a retired Air Force chief of weather station operations now employed with the National Weather Service.

"I’m sitting in the briefings as a pilot and watching the weather briefers do what I did for so long and training with and against such a diverse number of pilots and crew from different nations and services," he said.






 

(Left)
Col. Louisa Spruance Morse early in her CAP career, wearing the uniform that CAP officers wore from December 1944-Auguest 1951.

(Right)
In 2003 Col. Louisa Spruance Morse was presented with a plaque honoring her 60 years of service to CAP and her country when she was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame.  With her are (from left) then-cadets Robert L. Staton, Jerry A. Horn Jr. and Nicholas A. Horn and Brig. Gen. Richard L. Anderson, former Civil Air Patrol national commander.


NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- Col. Louisa Spruance Morse, one of Civil Air Patrol’s first and longest-serving female wing commanders, died Oct. 22 in Wilmington, Del. She was 96 years old.

One of only two women inducted into CAP’s Hall of Honor, Morse was active in the organization for more than 60 years, starting as a ground instructor in World War II and rising to serve as commander of the Delaware Wing for 23 years.

She was Delaware’s first -- and only -- female wing commander and also became the first woman to serve on CAP’s National Executive Committee when she was appointed commander of the Middle East Region. She also made major contributions as CAP’s national controller and as founder of the organization’s National Historical Committee.

“Louisa was irreplaceable and will be remembered for all time as a pioneering leader in America’s Air Force auxiliary,” said Brig. Gen. Richard L. Anderson, one of two CAP national commanders who served under her as a cadet.

Morse was a true trailblazer, breaking new ground throughout her lengthy CAP career.

During World War II she was a Red Cross first aid instructor in Wilmington. She studied to become an aviation ground instructor and became certified by the Civil Aeronautics Authority. She enlisted in CAP as a private in November 1942 and began teaching officers the basics of navigation, meteorology and civil air regulations, though she herself was not a pilot.

“I was not a pilot, but I’d done a lot of Red Cross instruction,” Morse said in an interview for the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer’s 65th anniversary issue. “In those days of the civilian pilot training corps, kids were given ground instruction before they went in the military to get a head start on flying.”

She read in the newspaper that CAP needed instructors, and she volunteered. “They did not have cadets when I went in, so I was teaching pilots,” she remembered. “

Though she had a staff sergeant rating because of her experience in civil aeronautics, she wouldn’t take the stripes until she could drill the troops. “So, I learned how to do it,” she said.

Morse progressed through the enlisted and officer ranks. Her staff assignments included instructor, squadron assistant training officer, wing assistant training officer, wing supply officer and wing fiscal officer.

In 1953 she was appointed Delaware Wing commander and served diligently until 1976. She was named Wing Commander of the Year for 1969 among CAP’s 52 state commanders before her appointment in 1976 to the National Executive Committee as Middle East Region commander.

She held that post for three years before becoming the national controller of CAP for the next three years. Before she relinquished the post in 1983, she was inducted into the CAP Hall of Honor in 1982.

Morse’s many decorations during her CAP career are legion. In addition to her induction into the Hall of Honor, she was awarded the wartime Courier Service Ribbon and the Distinguished Service Medal with four bronze clasps. She also was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame in 2003.

Despite the accolades, Morse was most proud that two of her cadets – Anderson and Brig. Gen. S. Hallack “Hal” du Pont Jr. -- became national commanders.

A recently retired U. S. Air Force colonel who now serves on CAP’s Board of Governors, Anderson said Morse influenced him for nearly 40 years.

“Col. Morse had a profound impact on my life,” he said. “She was one of the major reasons for my desire to remain in CAP as a senior member after my cadet years concluded.

“Simply put, I wanted to emulate her lifetime of service through CAP, which also played out in my decision to pursue an Air Force career.”

During his eight years as an Air Force colonel, on his service dress uniform Anderson wore the same eagles Morse gave him in 1986 for his CAP service dress uniform when he was appointed Nebraska Wing commander.

“They were the same eagles that she wore on her own CAP uniform, starting in 1953 and until her active service with CAP concluded,” he said. “That's the sort of impact that she had on my life, and I was privileged to remain in close contact with her until just one month before her passing.”

Anderson said Morse touched thousands of other lives through the CAP cadet program and was a major benefactor, through her generous financial contributions, of Aviation Leadership Scholarships awarded by the Spaatz Association to deserving CAP cadets.  

Morse’s years in CAP were a family affair. Her husband, Lt. Col. Albert W. Morse Jr., an Army reserve officer, became an active member of the Delaware Wing after they were married in 1947. Their son, William, was a cadet.

“When there would be a mission, we’d start from the house,” she recalled in her 2006 interview with the Volunteer. “I’d get on the radio or the phone, and we’d run things from the house until we’d reach people. We’d get the calls about 4 a.m., usually.”

Lt. Col. Morse, like his wife, advanced in a succession of CAP posts, including director of operations for the Delaware Wing. He died in 1979, the victim of a stroke.

Morse continued to serve in her later years, mainly through her work with the CAP National Historical Committee, which she founded.

As national historian, she compiled a book chronicling the history of CAP uniforms, insignia and ribbons, and another book recording corporate leadership.

She has also transcribed oral history interview tapes of many of CAP’s early members, including those who served in the Coastal Patrol during World War II.

Her reason for dedicating much of her life to Civil Air Patrol was explained in her 2006 interview. “I believe strongly in the missions of CAP,” Morse said, “and was glad to find an interesting and rewarding volunteer service.”

Spoken like the true public servant that she was.

Morse is survived by her two children, son William Spruance Morse of Daytona Beach, Fla., and daughter Alice Humphrey Morse II of Chester Springs, Pa., and two grandchildren, Lindsey and Matthew Morse of Washington, D.C.

Internment will be private. Her memorial service was scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 27 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th St. in Wilmington.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Delaware Wing, Civil Air Patrol, USAF Auxiliary, P.O. Box 11285, Wilmington, Del. 19850-1285.
Notes of sympathy can also be sent to the family in care of this address.