As you know, CAP requires all members who regularly come in contact with aircraft or supervise air operations to view a 13 minute aircraft ground handling training video and take a short test. We have been advised that some members are having trouble finding the video in eServices. Thanks to the efforts of Joe Hall, John Sanderson and Pete Kalisky, all members of the NHQ staff, it is now easier to link to the Ground Handling video.
A link has been placed on the National website Safety page and Stan/Eval page, and has been imbedded in the notification of the viewing requirement letter on the ICL page (30 Mar 09). Clicking on this link will take the member to the eServices log-in page. Once the eServices user ID and password have been entered, the member will be taken directly to the home page for the video.
Please ensure the widest dissemination of this information to those members within your command who need to complete this training.

In front of a crowd of 7,000, four Civil Air Patrol cadets from the Lubbock Composite Squadron performed a precision Presentation of the Colors to open the Slaton Air Show on the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day landing, June 6th, 2009. Building on their experiences of attending color guard competition at Camp Mabry in Austin during February as well as opening a Shallowater High School baseball game in May, along with dozens of practices, the team was able to put on a good performance. More

Thirty-nine members from the Midland, Odessa, San Angelo and Tigershark Composite Squadron met at Camp Don Harrington, a boy scout camp located in the west section of the Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo, to participate in a simulated emergency locator transmitter locating training exercise.

Seniors and cadets received training on tasks associated with Ground Team Member-Level Three (GTM3) over the 2-day period. Those tasks include basic radio procedures, ground search methods, and locating a distress beacon.

On day one, participants were divided into two groups and taught basic tasks to include basic radio procedures for emergency services operations, how to operate a radio and utilize the proper frequencies and repeaters, and keeping a team log.

The two teams then learned and employed on-foot search techniques to include whistle and voice communication with other members, moving together as a search line, performing a hasty search, and marking search boundaries. Members were trained to identify aircraft search clues, missing person search clues, conduct individual actions on locating a clue, and individual actions on a "find". Also, everyone was evaluated on the proper way to carry a litter.

Personnel were also instructed and evaluated in conducting attraction techniques using a signal mirror. An aircraft from the Tigershark Composite Squadron assisted with the evaluation and then helped determine the practice distress beacon bearing, and locating the practice beacon. CAP members on the ground used a L-tronics LH-16 Electronic Locator Transmitter (ELT) receiver and antenna, which identified the general area of the practice beacon's location. The practice transmitter and aircraft parts were found in a nearby canyon.

On day two, both teams were again evaluated on completing the required paperwork for a mission and locating a practice ELT. Upon completion of the final exercise, 32 participants had completed the majority of tasks associated with GTM3, and some completed tasks associated with Ground Team Member-Level Two, Ground Team Member-Level One, and Mission Radio Operator.

For more images of the activities and weekend, click here.

Don't panic if your copy of the Volunteer shows up a month early. Beginning in May 2009, NHQ/PA is altering publication of the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer magazine for the remainder of 2009. For the rest of this year, national will be publishing a May-June-July issue in mid-May, an August-September-October issue in mid-August and a November-December issue in mid-November.

According to Steve Cox, NHQ/ Public Affairs manager, "the Volunteer will stay in print next year, but probably as a quarterly publication. Nothing is set in stone yet."

NHQ/PA is in the midst of planning for an online magazine, or ezine, which will replace CAP News Online. The ezine, to be called “volunteernow,” will be part of CAP’s dynamic new national Web site, which will allow the national PA office to tell CAP stories in a timely manner.

The CAP National PAO 2008 Annual Report to Congress is now available. Click here and choose the appropriate year's report.

Lubbock Civil Air Patrol Cadet Earns His Wings For most teenagers, time stuck in traffic is no big deal. That is unless you’re flying and it happens to be five commercial jets lining up behind your small plane. It didn’t take too long before the Approach Controller realized he had to get the single engine Cessna out of the way, but for nineteen year old Cadet Staff Sgt Evan Petrosky it proved to be one of many memorable experiences that occurred on the way to earning his pilot’s license with help from the Civil Air Patrol. More

Cadets Chief Master Sergeant Matthew A. Barnes, Technical Sergeant Brian T. DeLaughter, and Staff Sergeant Christopher J. Levesque attended the Cadet Training Education Program (CTEP) at Camp Mabry in Austin, TX from 28 to 31 November.

Cadets Levesque and DeLaughter graduated from the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. They received intermediate training in leadership and effective communications skills, introduced to topics such as the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Protection Policy and United States Air Force Core Values, and advanced instruction in the execution and instruction of drill and ceremonies. For more information visit the San Angelo page.

This year will mark the 17th anniversary of Worcester Wreath Company donating Maine wreaths to adorn the headstones of our Nation's veterans at Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to 10,000 wreaths destined for Virginia, Worcester Wreath will again donate 7 ceremonial wreaths to over 200 state and national cemeteries across the country. In addition, wreath-laying ceremonies are being coordinated in 24 foreign cemeteries and aboard naval ships in all 7 seas.

El Paso Composite Squadron and San Angelo Composite Squadron are representing Group I in this endeavor.

The El Paso Composite squadron assisted in the search of a downed aircraft near Presidio, Texas last week. Maj Frank Kennedy transported a local KVIA Television reporter in the Civil Air Patrol aircraft, retracing the intended flight path of the doomed aircraft which crashed in Mexico, approximately 12 miles south of the border. Three Americans and one Mexican died in the crash while they were enroute to survey the flooding in the Presidio, Texas area. Video and the story from KVIA Television can be found here.

Seven Texas Civil Air Patrol Squadrons supported the FINA-CAF Airsho 2008 held in Midland, Texas from 19-21 September.

Civil Air Patrol Group I squadrons from Midland, Odessa, Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, and Group III's Apollo (Georgetown) squadron supported the FINA-CAF Airsho 2008 by providing personnel to ensure safety along the taxiway before, during, and after the show, access security at four remote gates, and recruiting for the Civil Air Patrol in the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Museum.

Cadet Captain Peter Sunderland (Midland Squadron) performed as activity cadet commander, organizing, planning, and directing the execution of the Civil Air Patrol participation in the airshow, along with a very professional and competent cadre of cadet leadership. All members were provided with housing and cooking facilities at the Texas National Guard Armory near the CAF Museum. Members were afforded a close-up and personal look at many of the finest World War II-era aircraft.

Per CAPR 52-16, Cadet Program Management and CAPP 52-19, Cadet Advisory Council Guide, nominations were due by the beginning of July. The next CAC meeting will be in mid-August. I am respectfully asking that you send me the name and contact information (email and phone numbers) for a primary representative, secondary representative, and your Squadron's DCC NLT August 1.
Please reference the above regulation and pamphlet for cadet selection criteria. Preferred nominations are cadet officers, but if your squadron does not have any or they are unavailable to serve, please select the most qualified individuals that can represent your cadets and squadron at the group level.
The minimum representative commitment will be a year-long term and must commit to participating in a 1-2 hour phone conference monthly. As previously stated, the ideal cadet will be able to serve as a representative of his or her squadron's views on various matters that pertain to cadets. Primary representatives are also eligible to wear a cord and ribbon during their term of appointment.
If you have any questions or need any help with the nominating, please let me know. The ultimate goal is to get our CAC to be a productive entity that can help make CAP a better organization.
As always, thanks for your help, and I look forwarding to hearing from you with your nominations.

Southwest Region Staff College and Cadet Leadership Schools

The dates for the 2008 Southwest Region Staff College are 12-18 July at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

For more information on the Southwest Region Staff College, please click here.

The Southwest Region Cadet Leadership School will be conducted 12-20 July at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

For more information on the Southwest Region Cadet Leadership School, please click here.

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