Civil Air Patrol
July 2024
Take a look to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnfqHfs3XpU
AKANG 144th Airlift Squadron hosts Alaska Wing’s Civil Air Patrol Cadets
Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña
Kenai
By: Major Jan Bobek
Every Monday 6:30 to 8:30 Kenai Cadets make Aerospace, Leadership, Safety/HFZ, and Character Development Presentations. The presentations are well-planned, delivered, and received. Recently two former Kenai Cadets made presentations about their military service. Joseph Schwartz was stationed at Great Lakes and will be on a combative ship in a few weeks. Layne Todd, also a former Kenai Cadet, communicated via Zoom from California. He also was stationed at Great Lakes. Both former cadets shared their experiences of academics, training, barracks, food, and job possibilities. Cadets had many questions which were answered in length. Military life is outstanding and being a cadet helped prepare them for their service. We are very proud of their decisions.
Cadets are continually getting Orientation flights. They are appreciative of the opportunity. Cadets were also in the 4th of July Parade. They assisted Senior Citizens with preparation of food for the celebration in the community. They also helped with clean up.
Lydia Schwartz
Hadassah Schwartz, Laif Rothenberger,
Another opportunity for volunteering was the Kenai Air Fair. Cadets helped with set up and parking. The community was impressed with their hard work. They did an excellent job.
Zion Henderson and Noah Cole
Rothenberger, Noam Cole, Lydia Schwartz
Kenai Cadets
Cadets worked very hard and passed many achievements.
CONG TULATIONS TO
Achievement 3:
Joshua Lattin
Declan Cobb
Achievement 6:
Bjorn David
Noah Cole
Zion Henderson
Achievement 4: Madeline Ries
Drake Thomas Anthony
Achievement 7
Hugh Traugott
Clayton Greenwald
We are very proud of their efforts and hard work and amazing effort.
We’re proud to have cadets in our Squadron. All cadets are working hard, setting a good example in our community and supporting each other in continuing to practice the Core Values. The world is a much better place with these young cadets in it.
Polaris
Encampment is an important step in a cadet’s journey, teaching them valuable skills in drill and ceremonies, customs and courtesies, aviation, leadership, and much more. Polaris would like to congratulate all the cadets who graduated this year’s
encampment, as well as all the staff that made it possible. Another important part of a cadet’s time in Civil Air Patrol is emergency services training, teaching leadership, and first aid training.
Cadets practice using maps.
Cadets practice drill and ceremonies.
CONG TULATIONS TO
Congrats to the cadets who promoted this month, fly high!
Cadets Slaughenhoup
Cadets Clerc
Cadets Meyer
Arcturus
This last month, the Arcturus Squadron conducted a field exercise where the cadets practiced their orienteering skills. The cadets practiced these skills in the woods behind the Birchwood Airport. The new cadets learned the basics, while the more experienced cadets provided leadership and guidance.
This was in preparation for the Arcturus Squadron SAREX and the upcoming Wing SAREX. Just before the field exercise, the cadets practiced litter carries for PT. This is a part of the regular medical training classes taught by SM Eastwood.
Field Exercise Pictures taken by SM Elise Shook
CONG TULATIONS TO
Cadet Flores promoted to Senior Airman
Pictures by C/SSgt Davidson
Other activities that the squadron participated in this last month include:
- C-17 Flight
- Continued to develop cyber awareness and cyber security skills
-Talking about OpOrder structures and the reasons for the form
C 2nd Lt. Shook teaching new form
- Learning about the different team building phases
phases
- Learned about staying in shape in space and how astronauts can use resistance bands
CTSgt Jacob Maierson astronaut exercises
SM Martin reviewing team building
Arcturus Cadet Airmen Victor and Vincent Estrada take a break after returning from their first powered orientation flight on Friday, June 21.
BECOMING A LICENSED PILOT LIVING IN RURAL ALASKA
By John M. Dahlen
Taken from: https://alaskaairmen.org/ alaskan-pilot-engineer-former-boardmember-george-murphy/ Caelyn and Christina Wise became two of Alaska’s newest licensed pilots this summer! These remarkable twins, who are both NextGen members of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, represent all that’s good about our next generation of pilots and world leaders. They are well-educated via homeschool by their Mom, Lorna; exceptionally thoughtful and logical in their approach to setting and achieving their goals in life; and very clearly and pleasantly articulate in conversation. Bill and Lorna would get Parent-of-the-Year awards if such awards were mine to hand out.
The family lives in Valdez, which, among other things, has been the host of the Valdez Fly-In and Air Show for the past 20 years. This annual event typically draws aircraft ranging from a C-46 that is still in regular service, to aerobatic stunt planes, personal recreational aircraft, and a variety of aircraft participating in the annual STOL competition, flour bombing, beach landings, and other events that feature some of Alaska’s uniquely adapted general aviation aircraft and finely tuned piloting skills when this city’s maritime weather cooperates.
As most of Alaskans know, we have the highest number per capita of licensed pilots, of registered aircraft, and of relatively prepared airports and other landing facilities in the United States. Alaska has over 750 such aviation facilities for our 733,000 residents, which includes public, private, international, local, seaplane, military, and civilian bases of operation. It does not include the nearly infinite number of beaches, gravel bars, open fields, mountain glaciers, and other off airport locations that are commonly used for hunting, fishing, flightseeing, and recreational gatherings around the state. In this context, it is reasonable to think that opportunities to legitimately become a licensed pilot are far more convenient and accessible in Alaska than in the lower 48.
Yet, ironically, there are no flight schools for the roughly 3,800 residents of Valdez, even though it is one of the communities on our limited road system. So, therein laid one of the unique challenges Caelyn and Christina had to meet in the course of earning their Private Pilot Licenses while living in rural Alaska. Besides having no local flight school, their parents don’t fly, and the family doesn’t have an airplane. But the twins’ goals were very specific.
Bill, Caelyn, Lorna, and Christina Wise from Valdez, at The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Palmer.
They set out to earn their PPLs before turning 18 years old and graduating from high school this year. Fortunately, Valdez being on the road system provided a solution. Through their already established relationship with the Civil Air Patrol in Anchorage, and by remaining focused on earning the required CAP promotions, they were able to qualify for the CAP Wings program, which paid for their PPL flying lessons at local flight schools in Anchorage.
So, Caelyn and Christina drove the 650-mile round trip between Valdez and Anchorage weekly from December through April for those flying lessons! For our readers who live outside of Alaska and might not be familiar with this drive, it includes driving up over Thompson Pass, north of Valdez on the Richardson Highway. Thompson Pass is historically the snowiest weather station in Alaska, averaging 500” (13m) of snow every winter. The record snow total was 974” (25m) one year back in the 1950’s. This is not your typical Sunday drive in the country.
But it is definitely a very good drive to have God along as your co-pilot! A typical week for the two would involve driving up to Anchorage on Tuesday, and then flying and studying daily through Friday before driving back home to Valdez. This schedule provided them with time to pursue other interests at home, including school and
helping out at the family’s B&B. Their wellrounded plate of other interests includes hiking, hunting, fishing, reading, and ballet.
When asked what the hardest part for them of learning to fly was, they both agreed that it was the radio calls. But once they learned what communications to anticipate from ATC, and what communications were expected from them, they practiced with each other; taking turns role playing as pilot and ATC. They both successfully completed their check rides in April and earned their PPL or, as it’s commonly called, their “license to learn.”
So what’s next on their horizons? Each has already earned some college credits, and they both are planning to continue their education. Their next goal is to attend college in California to earn a BS degree in aviation. Their longer-range goal is to become missionary pilots. As I write this, the family is spending a month doing missionary work in Indonesia, although they don’t anticipate getting to use their piloting skills on this trip.
So, what recommendations do they offer to other young people who are still outside the proverbial fence looking in, with a desire to learn how to fly? With their usual down-to-earth wisdom (no pun intended!), they say if you get the opportunity to fly, go fly.
As you begin to get into it, develop written goals to keep you moving your dream into reality. Is it harder for young women to get into aviation than it is for young men? Not like it used to be! Caelyn and Christina found from their own experiences that the door is wide open for women today, and they didn’t really notice any biases or barriers based on them being women. The biggest challenge they could think of is
that a woman who is shorter than a man might need to adjust to some physical challenges (Think seat cushions and step stools, etc.) Having once been married for twenty years to a wonderful 4’10” woman, I definitely agree with that assessment. But it’s exciting that even this challenge is more related to physical adaptability than to any discrimination between men and women. Onward and upward!
Christina with Jin-Jin, the Land and Sea Aviation house dog, at MRI after returning from her check ride
While flight training is certainly much more expensive today than when I started back in about 1980, the opportunities for financial aid are also much more prevalent now. As both Caelyn and Christina did, becoming active with the Civil Air Patrol can present a pathway to paid flight training if you do the work. Christina was also awarded a 2024 Alaska Airmen’s Association aviation scholarship at this
year’s Great Alaskan Aviation Gathering in May to continue pursuing her aviation goals. The Alaska Airmen’s Association awarded over 40 scholarships in 2024, totaling $161,000! Additional scholarship sources are also listed on the association’s website.
Both Caelyn and Christina plan to apply for one or more of the association’s 2025 scholarships when the application period opens later this year. All other members who are interested in seeking a 2025 aviation scholarship from the Alaska Airmen’s Association should watch for more details in the next quarterly edition of the Transponder (October, 2024), in our monthly e-mail newsletter updates to members, and on our website (https:// AlaskaAirmen.org/Scholarships/).
The association awards scholarships to our members for a wide variety of aviationrelated interests including pilot training from zero time to ATP and beyond, aviation maintenance & fabrication, airport ops, management, and ATC, as well as others! Here is where I slip in a shameless plug for each of our 2,000+ members around the world to encourage other aviation enthusiasts you know who have an interest in following general aviation in Alaska to become NextGen or regular members of the association.
Doing so not only strengthens our collective voice as advocates for general aviation, and helps fund our work to preserve, protect, and promote general aviation in Alaska. Being a member also makes you eligible to apply for one or more of our scholarships if you are also an Alaskan resident.
Caelyn and Christina offered some excellent recommendations to anyone wanting to improve the strength and quality of your 2025 scholarship application(s). The application window is not yet open for
submitting these. But now is the time to begin preparing to apply. Develop a written plan for where you want to go in aviation, and what steps you need to take to successfully get there. This will help sharpen your focus and guide you toward which scholarship(s) to apply for when the time to apply comes later this year.
They also recommend that you become actively involved in aviation-related events and activities. This could include attending free NextGen meetings and social activities,
Some of the Alaska Airmen’s Association 2024 scholarship award recipients at The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Palmer.
volunteering at association events, and pursuing some other independent projects or volunteer opportunities with other local aviation-related organizations. Volunteering is always a great way to network and to become known in your local aviation community.
It also demonstrates an active interest in aviation when applying for scholarships anywhere you go. So don’t hesitate. Start now and help local aviation organizations be successful while creating opportunities
for your own success in aviation, no matter how rural or urban your residence is! As is often said, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
John Dahlen is a Life Member and former Vice President of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, as well as a regular aviation writer for The Transponder. If you have suggestions for a story you would like to see, he can be reached at OneAlasknGuy@ hotmail.com.
Caelyn with her Instructor Kit at Land and Sea Aviation, at MRI after returning from her check ride at WWA
Alaska Wing Mascot
Whether there are more bears than people in Alaska is an open question, but we certainly see quite a few, even in urban areas like Anchorage, and at the Civil Air Patrol Headquarters on JBER base.
Here, our Wing Commander Emeritus McClure retreived a photo of a black bear cub climbing a post by the CAP HQ door, perhaps to ascend to the roof where our Comm team of Emerson and Pritchard had just updated and re-equipped our radio equipment. Bears are inquisitive and resourceful creatures.
Does CAP have a mascot? If not, perhaps the Alaska Wing should.
CONG TULATIONS TO
Maj. John Wahl and Maj. Carl Siebe for his service to our organization for the past 40 years. The Maj. Wahl joined CAP on February 28, 1984 and Maj. Siebe on November 28, 1983.
Here is the Maj. Lance Brunner, Polaris Squadron Commander, presenting CAP 40-year membership badges.
Alaska Wing Staff emails
Capt Brandon Anderson
brandon.anderson@akwg.cap.gov ig@akwg.cap.gov
Capt Donald (DJ) Burand dj.burand@akwg.cap.gov se@akwg.cap.gov
Lt Col Stuart Goering stuart.goering@akwg.cap.gov ja@akwg.cap.gov
Capt Samantha (Reux) Stearns reux.stearns@akwg.cap.gov gr@akwg.cap.gov
2d Lt Elizabeth Justus elizabeth.justus@akwg.cap.gov
Lt Col Stephen Sammons stephen.sammons@akwg.cap.gov cs@akwg.cap.gov
Lt Col Brian Porter brian.porter@akwg.cap.gov do@akwg.cap.gov
Lt Col Bryan Emerson bryan.emerson@akwg.cap.gov dc@akwg.cap.gov
1st Lt Lynda MacPherson lynda.macpherson@akwg.cap.gov ae@akwg.cap.gov
Capt Karen Padgett karen.padgett@akwg.cap.gov cp@akwg.cap.gov
2d Lt Elizath Justus
elizabeth.justus@akwg.cap.gov recruiting@akwg.cap.gov
SM Michael Inman michael.inman@akwg.cap.gov lgm@akwg.cap.gov
Maj Caleb Newville
caleb.newville@akwg.cap.gov it@akwg.cap.gov
Capt Terrance (Terry) Aldridge terry.aldridge@akwg.cap.gov fm@akwg.cap.gov
Maj Kevin Bottjen kevin.bottjen@akwg.cap.gov hc@akwg.cap.gov
1st Lt Mary Stella mary.stella@akwg.cap.gov da@akwg.cap.gov
Lt Col Bryan Emerson bryan.emerson@akwg.cap.gov pa@akwg.cap.gov
Feel free to write your fellow members with questions and comments.
Alaska Wing CAP Locations
Alaska Wing has an opportunity for you. The following positions are available. In each of them you will find the requirements , or refer to CAPP 30-1, where you will find the most specific descriptions of each of them. If you have the aforementioned skills and want to develop your potential, this is your opportunity. Be part of our staff.
Assistant Public Affairs Officer - Public Relations, Digital Engagement and Creative Services
• Works with Public Affairs Officer to provide oversight across AKWG units and staff to ensure a CAP-compliant and active social media presence.
• Provides units and staff education.
• Training to develop and sustain relevant social media activities.
• Advises the commander, staff and members as required on CAP social media policy.
Wing Command NCO
• Participate in the decision-making process, as appropriate, on technical, operational and organizational issues.
• Advise the Wing Commander for dress and personal appearance items affecting CAP members and specifically NCOs.
• Serve as a representative of the Wing Commander.
• Serves on award and recognition selection committees.
Wing NCO Advisor
• Participate in the decision-making process, as appropriate, on technical, operational and organizational issues.
• Work closely with their wing’s command NCO.
• Perform other duties as directed by the wing commander.
• Encourage NCO mentorship of cadets and junior officer CAP members.
Personnel Officer
• Membership records and applications.
• Organizational actions (charters, deactivations, etc.).
• Awards and decorations.
• Duty assignments.
Director of Education and Training
Manages and directs the Senior Member Education and Training program at the assigned echelon. They shall:
• Create a positive unit training environment where CAP's adult members can develop their required skills in a comfortable, professional atmosphere.
• Assist with the Level I Onboard modules to ensure that all new adult members receive a thorough orientation and have appropriately assimilated into the unit.
• Coordinate mentors for new adult members and other members as needed.
• Make adult members aware of training material and opportunities available to them through CAP and other sources to prepare them to perform operational missions, staff assignments, and other assigned duties.
Logistics Officer
The logistics officer advises the wing commander on the status of their respective property management programs and leads programs in accordance with CAPR 130-1 and wing supplements. They shall:
• Train and oversees subordinate unit property management officers
• Account for property assigned to the wing
• Be responsible for real property management in accordance with CAPR 130-1
Health Services Officer
Responsible for advising CAP commanders and units on the health, sanitation and hygiene of CAP members relevant to CAP activities. (See CAPR 160-1(I) for policy on emergency medical treatment).
Wing Historian
• Be familiar with the CAP History Program, including applicable regulations and pamphlets, and with professional historical standards and requirements.
• Assist the Commander on all historical matters and implement a unit historical program.
• Collect and preserve material of historical significance
Inspector General
Responsible for implementing, managing and directing an Independent and Objective IG program. They shall:
• Evaluate compliance with CAP directives.
• Conduct inspections and render reports of inspection.
• Coordinate inspection results with the commander and staff.
CAC (Cadet Advisory Council) Senior Member Advisor (virtual meetings 2-3 times/ month year-round)
Encampment Commander (2025 AKWG Encampment is scheduled for xx-xx-xx)
Glider Flight Academy Activity Director (2025 AKWG Glider Academy is tentatively scheduled for xx-xx-xx)
Powered Flight Academy (Distributed) Activity Director (need not be a pilot!) (2025 AKWG/National Powered Flight Academy takes place in instructors' and/or cadet students' home towns on their own schedule roughly xx-xx-xx)
FOR FULL JOB DESCRIPTION AND DUTIES, REFER TO CAPP 30-1
“Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing” are what ensure not only a successful encampment experience but group development of any kind, according to Encampment Commander Lt. Col Brian Porter. Please see his detailed explanation at this video: https:// youtu.be/PnfqHfs3XpU Encampment attendance is positively correlated with cadet retention and an integral part of what we do to develop leaders. Many cadets will build upon their recentlyacquired skills during our annual communications exercise on Saturday, September 28 so please save that date on your calendar now.
Lt Col Bryan Emerson, CAP Publisher and Editor
Alaska Wing PAO, DC
BRYAN.EMERSON@AKWG.CAP.GOV
1 (907) 795-5586 cell
This online publication is designed to attract, inform and motivate readers through photographs, text and stories. We see and feel the four core values in the faces and body language of the cadets and senior members portrayed herein. Submissions are accepted through the 10th of each month. Be safe and live our core values!
https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaCAP
Capt. Julie G. Rivera, CAP Co-Editor
Alaska Wing PAO Assistant
617596@AKWG.CAP.GOV
1 (787) 424-0560