15 May, 2009 Volume 1, Issue 1 CTWG 001 CT Wing Commander Col Peter K. Jensen Vice Commander, Squadrons Lt Col Andrew S. Marteka Vice Commander, Projects Lt Col Matthew Valleau Chief of StaffLt Col Cassandra B. Hutchko Public Affairs Officer 2Lt Robe rt L. Johnson Asst. Public Affairs Officer SM Donna E. Yount Connecticut Wing Phone: 860-262-5847 Fax: 860-262-5848 eMail:[email protected]Web: ctwg.cap.gov CTWG Blog: alwaysvigilant.blogspot.com UPCOMING EVENTS 5/23-24 NER Cadet Comp 5/23-24 NER SARX 6/20 Wing Rocketry Comp 7/4-11 CTWG Encampment 7/10-18 NER Staff College 7/19-30 NER Cadet Academy 9/2-5 National Conference 10/23-25 CTWG Conference 11/2-8 SAR EVAL The Official Newsletter of the Connecticut Wing, CAP-USAF Middletown, Connecticut The purpose of a quarterly newsletter is to provide specialized information to a targeted audience. SARDOGS, the Official Newsletter of the Connecticut Wing and all its Squadrons, intends to publish as many Wing and Squadron activities as possible. We will also include messages of general importance to our membership from CAPNatHQ SAR DOGS kicks off its first issue for 2009 Robertson Airport Open House Take a gorgeous early spring morning, punctuate it with the exciting buzz of aircraft from the WW II era, some modern sport planes and even a few small jets taking off or landing and you have a really interesting event for the Plainville area. Saturday, the privately owned Robertson Airport went on public display. The airport is known as one of the best equipped in all of Southern New England and serves the needs of both private flight and civic serving organizations like the Civil Air Patrol. Late last year, Tomasso Brothers Inc. offered the airport for sale to a combined group including the Town ofPlainville, the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) and the State Department of Transportation as well as CAP missions ofinterest to our readers. If you are in a rush and don‟t want to wait for the SAR DOGS quarterly to come out, please stop by our blog: Always Vigilant (www.alwaysvigilant.blogspot .com). Much of the content you see here in SAR DOGSwill have been showcased there, on a daily basis. Please consider makingAlways Vigilant your home pageand remember there is a comments function that allows you state you opinion, converse with other members and / or update the information in the posting. Member contributions and photos are always welcome. For now, please send them to the CTWG HQ email address. Keep in mind, all comments are moderated and will be held to “The Universal Code of CT Wing Justice! (DOT). As it exists, the airport is already a profitable operation with the capability and room to expand in the future. The open house was a great opportunity for the Town ofPlainville and its citizens to look over the airports operation and dream of what could be. Based on the enthusiastic number of adults and “children of all ages” examining the almost 100 aircraft, its claim to be a positive benefit to the community was being well received. The day‟s events included aircraft rides forlocal youth, numerous information booths and static displays by aviation groups such as the Civil Air Patrol who allowed visitors to climb in and out of the search and rescue (SAR) aircraft, one of which was the very first civilian aircraft to fly humanitarian aid missions over NY City after the terrorist attackof September 11 th 2001.Additional presenters included Life Star helicopter, the FAA, the Town of Plainville DOT, Interstate Aviation and even the opportunity to stop and talk with Mike Allen of WTIC‟s Traffic Control. A CAP Cadet p erforms some impromptu aerospace education for two young visitors.
The Official Newsletter of the Connecticut Wing, CAP-USAFMiddletown, Connecticut
The purpose of a quarterlynewsletter is to providespecialized information to atargeted audience.
SARDOGS, the Official
Newsletter of the Connecticut
Wing and all its Squadrons,
intends to publish as many Wingand Squadron activities as
possible.
We will also include messages
of general importance to our
membership from CAP NatHQ
SAR DOGS kicks off its first issue for 2009
Robertson Airport Open HouseTake a gorgeous early spring
morning, punctuate it with theexciting buzz of aircraft fromthe WW II era, some modernsport planes and even a fewsmall jets taking off or landingand you have a reallyinteresting event for thePlainville area.
Saturday, the privatelyowned Robertson Airport wenton public display. The airportis known as one of the bestequipped in all of SouthernNew England and serves theneeds of both private flightand civic serving
organizations like the CivilAir Patrol.
Late last year, TomassoBrothers Inc. offered theairport for sale to a combinedgroup including the Town of Plainville, the FederalAviation Administration (FAA) and the StateDepartment of Transportation
as well as CAP missions of
interest to our readers.
If you are in a rush and don‟t
want to wait for the SAR
DOGS quarterly to come out,
please stop by our blog:
Always Vigilant (www.alwaysvigilant.blogspot
.com). Much of the content
you see here in SAR DOGS
will have been showcased
there, on a daily basis. Please
consider making Always
Vigilant your home page and
remember there is a comments
function that allows you state
you opinion, converse with other
members and / or update the
information in the posting.
Member contributions and
photos are always welcome. Fornow, please send them to the
CTWG HQ email address. Keep
in mind, all comments are
moderated and will be held to
“The Universal Code of CT
Wing Justice!
(DOT). As it exists, the airportis already a profitableoperation with the capabilityand room to expand in thefuture.
The open house was a greatopportunity for the Town of Plainville and its citizens tolook over the airportsoperation and dream of whatcould be. Based on theenthusiastic number of adultsand “children of all ages”
examining the almost 100aircraft, its claim to be apositive benefit to thecommunity was being well
received.The day‟s events included
aircraft rides for local youth,numerous information boothsand static displays by aviationgroups such as the Civil AirPatrol who allowed visitors toclimb in and out of the searchand rescue (SAR) aircraft, oneof which was the very first
civilian aircraft to flyhumanitarian aid missions overNY City after the terrorist attack of September 11
th2001.
Additional presenters includedLife Star helicopter, the FAA,the Town of Plainville DOT,Interstate Aviation and even theopportunity to stop and talk withMike Allen of WTIC‟s Traffic
Control.
A CAP Cadet performs someimpromptu aerospace educationfor two young visitors.
March 26, 2009MAXWELL AIR FORCEBASE, Ala. – CitizenVolunteers from Civil Air
Patrol‟s North Dakota andMinnesota wings are steppingforward to serve as floodingfrom the Red River threatenscommunities in both states.
CAP members are filling andstacking hundreds of thousands of sandbags nearthe civic center in Fargo, N.D.,as well as outside a radiostation in the city. CAPaircrews also are makingdamage assessment flights, as
weather permits, to helpprotect critical infrastructure.
North Dakota and Minnesotahave been hit with multiple
The Battle for Fargo
Southington, CT 27February 2009:In a beautiful, newlyreconditioned SouthingtonArmory, F Company of the186th Brigade SupportBattalion Army NationalGuard (ANG) welcomed inits newest roommate, thenewly renamed 186thComposite Squadron of theCivil Air Patrol (CAP). Theceremony was attended by FCompany Commander,
The Newly Named 186 Gets a New Home
weather emergencies in recentdays as flooding persists alongthe Red River and itstributaries. A severe blizzard
blew through most of theregion earlier this week,blanketing the ground withthick heavy snow. Power linesare down in western NorthDakota and a massive ice jamhas blocked the MissouriRiver south of Bismarck,N.D., causing the evacuationof residents. Ice jams havecaused several other smallerevacuations.
Much of the Fargo, N.D.-
Moorhead, Minn., andmetropolitan area has becomean island with the closing of most roads in and out of areacommunities due to flooding
and snowdrifts.
Over three days, more than 150Civil Air Patrol members from
the North Dakota and Minnesotawings participated insandbagging operations as wellas limited damage assessmentflights for local emergencymanagers.
Captain Alysea M. KelleherCompany Commander,Company F of the 186thANG, CAP ConnecticutWing Commander, Col.Peter K. Jensen, othermembers of the 186th ANG,the 186th Squadron and localresidents.
In addition to the welcomingceremony, cadet/2nd LtJoseph Kosswig wasawarded the General Billy
Mitchell Award, reachinvery significant milestonthe CAP Cadet ProgramCadet/Staff Sergeant AvHage was awarded theWright Brothers Award.
Wing O-Flights
So what‟s it like to take
your first O-Flight?Pictures can be worth athousand words!
On a cold winter night,surrounded by emergencyequipment at a hanger at theDanbury Airport, distinguishedguests met to recognize theachievements of local youth;the cadets of the Danbury 399
th
Composite Squadron of theCivil Air Patrol. Among thedignitaries present were Mayor
Mark Boughton, StateRepresentative Jan Giegler andState Representative MaryAnnCarson.
All of the dignitaries presentexpressed their gratitude andappreciation for the volunteerservice provided by both thesenior members (adults) andcadets (youth). They werepleased to recognize theDanbury unit of Civil AirPatrol, which in addition to the
cadet program also standsready to provide EmergencyServices and Search & Rescueoperations with their singleengine airplanes in the air andsearch teams on the ground.
The Danbury 399 produces five, count em, five Mitchells inone night and then a congressional citation and then anacceptance to the US Coast Guard Academy and then anacceptance to Norwich University…
MILFORD -- Alejandra
Dorado was born in Spain, but
she considers the United
States her home country -- so
much that she wants nothingmore than to serve this
country, first as a naval officer
and later as an astronaut.
She was accepted to the U.S.
Naval Academy in Annapolis,
Md., becoming the first young
woman from Law ever to do
so. She is only the second
Milford Cadet Accepted to US Naval Academy
This night, five high schoolage cadets of the 399
thwere
called to attention, eachreceiving the General BillyMitchell Award for completionof a significant milestone inthe CAP Cadet Program. Theawards were presented by ateam of local dignitariesincluding Danbury MayorMark Boughton, State
Representative Jan Giegler andState Representative MaryAnnCarson. The Mitchell Awardmarks the cadets‟ promotion
into the CAP Cadet OfficerCorp and should they decide toenter the US Air Force,advanced status in rank andprivilege. The awarding of fiveMitchell awards at once is arecord for the ConnecticutCAP and a great credit to theDanbury Squadron.
The Cadets receiving the CAPGeneral Billy Mitchell awardwere: Cadet 1
stLt Ryan
Chapman of New Fairfield,CT; Cadet 2
ndLt Peter Foschi
of Southbury, CT; Cadet 2nd
Lt
Willie Steers of Roxbury, CT; Cadet 2nd
Lt Garrett Kennedy of Golden‟
Bridge, NY and Cadet 2nd Lt Jon Wagner of Waccabuc, NY.
In addition to the Mitchell Awards, Representative Jan Giegler bestoweupon Cadet Major Ethan Zitzman of Southbury, CT a State CongressionCitation commemorating his service as Cadet Squadron Commander prto his „passing of the colors‟ to his replacement, Cadet 1
stLieutenant
Ryan Chapman of New Fairfield, CT. Cadet Major Zitzman will move to new challenges this fall as a first year cadet at the US Coast GuardAcademy.
According to US NavalAcademy figures,approximately one of every
thousand applicants willreceive the required Senatorialor Congressionalrecommendation, pass theextremely stringent academicand physical qualifications andreceive an acceptance to theAnnapolis, Maryland Academy.
Cadet/Master Sergeant
George Planeta IV of the CivilAir Patrol‟s Meriden Squadron
Meriden Cadet accepted to US Naval Academy
Accidental Signals Distract
Responders from REAL
Emergencies
Boat and plane owners
upgrading their emergency
beacons to the newer
technology may be tempted to
toss their old ones in the
nearest dumpster. But
emergency beacons -- also
known as ELTs in aircraft and
EPIRBs in watercraft -- were
not meant to be discarded like
common trash.
The Civil Air Patrol, in
Oxford: The flight, which alsoincluded a B-24 Liberator, aB-25 Mitchell and a P-51Mustang, was sponsored by
the Massachusetts-basedCollings Foundation. Thatnonprofit organization restores World War II-era aircraft totheir original condition anddisplays them at airfieldsacross the country.
"Noah Beaulieu, a 14-year-oldSouthington resident and
Don’t trash the Beacon!
CTWG Member fly’s on B24
was one.
Planeta‟s application, after
having received the combinedrecommendation of bothSenator Joseph Lieberman andUS Congressman John Larsonwas accepted for the fall of 2009. Planeta, a student atPortland High School wherehe is a member of the NationalHonor Society, Captain of thewrestling team and an AllState marksman champion isalso a Cadet Master Sergeantin the Civil Air Patrol, the
United States Air ForceAuxiliary. Serving as theSquadron Flight Sergeant of
the Meriden Cadets, he is partof an all volunteer teamhelping to protect our 3.5million citizens.
Additionally, he volunteers hispersonal time to supportHabitat for Humanity, Mains& Motion horsemanship forthe disabled and tutorsSpanish to local middle schoolstudents.
partnership with the Aircraft
Owners and Pilots
Association, has kicked off a
communications initiative -- a
"Don't Trash the Beacon"
campaign -- to inform boaters
and airplane owners about
proper disposal of obsolete
emergency beacons. CAP
squadrons across the nation
are supporting this initiative
by displaying posters about
proper disposal in their
communities.
When discarding the older
121.5/243 MHz analog
frequency emergency locator
beacons in favor of the
stronger, more reliable 406
MHz frequency digital
emergency beacons, it is
important to first remove or
disconnect the battery from
the device so it cannot be
accidentally activated. Then,
contact a local electronics
waste facility for proper
disposal.
Civil Air Patrol member,saved four months‟ worth of
lawn-mowing money to fly onthe B-24. When he landed, a
smiling Beaulieu said it wasdefinitely worth it."
“It was pretty fun,” Beaulieu
said. “I wasn‟t expecting how loud the wind was going to be,but after you get over the
Links or references to individuals or companies do not constitute an endorsement of anyinformation, product or service you may receive from such sources" CAPR 110-1
Applications are now being
accepted for the 2009 NationalEmergency Services Academy(NESA) to be held at CampAtterbury in Edinburgh,Indiana from the 27th of Juneuntil the 11th of July 2009.There are courses for allmembers interested inemergency services, and this isa great opportunity for bothnew members as well asexperienced members to cometrain with hundreds of theirpeers from across the country.
Apply online at:https://ntc.cap.af.mil/ops/nesa/ or download an offlineapplication form from:http://nesa.cap.gov/Documents
/2009_NESA_Offline_Application_Form_-_Fillable.dot.Slots will be filled on a firstcome first served basisthrough the 17th of May 2009or until slots are filled,whichever comes first.Personnel are encouraged to
apply soon to get into thecourse or courses they desire.Some courses fill up fasterthan others and there are a fewthat are nearly full already.The following fifteen courseswill be offered this year atNESA:
National Ground Search AndRescue School (NGSAR)NGSAR Basic Course – 28June to 4 July 2009NGSAR Basic Course – 5 to
11 July 2009NGSAR Advanced Course – 28 June to 4 July 2009NGSAR Advanced Course – 5to 11 July 2009NGSAR First ResponderCourse – 4 to 11 July 2009
NESA National Emergency Services Academy
NGSAR Ground Team Leader
Course – 4 to 11 July 2009
Incident Command SystemSchool (ICSS)ICSS Basic Course – 28 Juneto 4 July 2009 – Includes ICS-300 TrainingICSS Advanced Course – 5 to11 July 2009 – Includes ICS-400 TrainingICSS MissionCommunications Course – 28June to 4 July 2009 – New in2009
Mission Aircrew SchoolMAS Basic Course (MissionScanner & AirbornePhotographer) – 28 June to 4July 2009MAS Intermediate Course(Mission Pilot or ObserverTrack) – 27 June to 4 July2009MAS Intermediate Course(Mission Pilot or ObserverTrack) – 4 to 11 July 2009MAS Advanced Course
(Mission Pilot or ObserverTrack) – 4 to 11 July 2009MAS ARCHER Course – 28June to 4 July 2009MAS ARCHER Course – 5 to11 July 2009
Additional pre-requisites andinformation about NESA andthe above courses can befound at: http://nesa.cap.gov/.
The fee to attend NESA is$175 per course which
includes, meals, lodging onsite, printed training materialsand aircraft and groundvehicle sortie costs on site.Participants are responsible fortheir own transportation to andfrom NESA, though many
personnel are able to travel in
corporate vehicles and aircraftas they are needed on site fortraining. We also know inthese tough financial timesthat some people will havedifficulty attending activitieslike this without assistance.The NESA AlumniAssociation has severalscholarships available formembers in need of financialassistance. Scholarshipapplications must be receivedby the 15th of March 2009 to
be considered, and memberscan download a scholarshipapplication at:http://nesa.cap.gov/Documents
Staff members are also stillneeded. Staff members aretypically prior attendees whoare qualified in the area theywant to support. We also bringon a few junior staff members
each year to work under thesupervision of otherexperienced staff. If you'vegot the experience and arewilling to give some of yourtime to commit to trainingfellow members, go ahead andapply. Staff members arerequired to pay a $45 fee tocover the costs of basicsupplies on site. Meals,lodging on site, and trainingmaterials are included. Staff activity dates vary by
assignment.
If you have any additionalquestions please direct them tothe NESA staff [email protected] or call 1-888-211-1812 extension 323.
