CAP Vector

Quarterly National Staff Update

January - March 2015
Maj Gen Joe Vazquez, National Commander and CEO
Mr. Don Rowland, Chief Operating Officer
Upcoming Key Dates
National Legislative Day and Command Council Meeting: 26-28 Feb 2015, Washington DC
National Staff College: 24-30 May 2015, Maxwell AFB AL
National Conference: 27-29 August 2015, Orlando FL
AEROSPACE EDUCATION - ae@capnhq.gov
Deputy Director for AE: Dr. Jeff Montgomery jmontgomery@capnhq.gov
National AE: Lt Col Mike McArdle michael.mcardle@att.net
Home School Development: Lt Col Mike Fultz michael.fultz@comcast.net
CAP STEM Kit Program: CAP continues the initiative to promote an interest in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers to CAP cadets and educator members students across
the nation. Through CAPs free STEM Kit program, CAP Unit AEOs, Educator Members and AFJROTC
instructors can select from five kits to use and retain. Collaboration with other youth groups is encouraged,
especially amongst the CAP units. Thus far, over 1,500 kit requests have been filled, impacting over 85,000
cadets & K-12 students. AEOs are encouraged to select and order a kit on eServices at
www.capmembers.com/stem-ed.
Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Program: Over 16,000 students in grades K-6 completed
the 2013-2014 ACE program under the tutelage of over 700 educators in 28 states across the nation.
Viewed by CAP as a great early introduction to the CAP Cadet program, CAP squadrons can help introduce
the program to educators and schools and offer to assist in teaching lessons and/or presenting end-ofprogram completion plaques and student certificates. Cadets can be exceptional role models for the K-6
students and CAP adults are excellent school mentors. For more information, go to
www.capmembers.com/ace or contact ace@capnhq.gov.
AFAs Aerospace/STEM Education Grants for CAP: The AFA continues to provide $250 grants in
alternating quarterly cycles to CAP units and educator members to help fund aerospace and STEM project
subjects and careers. For information, go to AEO and AEM grant links at www.capmembers.com/ae.
Aerospace Education Officer (AEO) Schools: Five AEO Schools were conducted in 2014; four regional
schools and one national school. The regional schools were GLR, MER, NER, and PCR. AEO schools
provide education, training, resources, and AE Action Plan guidance to the attendees to help them better
accomplish their AE responsibilities as an integral part of the overall CAP program. 2015 AEO School
information will be available by spring at the AEO Resources link at www.capmembers.com/ae.
CADET PROGRAMS - cp@capnhq.gov
Deputy Director for Cadet Programs: Curt LaFond clafond@capnhq.gov
National Cadet Programs: Lt Col Ned Lee elee@scscourt.org
National Cadet Advisory Council (NCAC) Liaison: Lt Col John Erickson jericksonj@hotmail.com
Drug Demand Reduction: Lt Col Jett Mayhew jettm14@aol.com
Home School Development: Lt Col Mike Fultz michael.fultz@comcast.net
USAFA Prep School Nominations & College & Flight Scholarships: Applications are being accepted
through 15 January for more than $300,000 in scholarships. Some are open to senior members, as well as
cadets. The USAF Academy Prep School program is a must for any 12th grade cadet with Academy
aspirations. See http://capmembers.com/scholarships for details.

National Cadet Special Activities: Cadets have until 15 January to apply for 20+ special activities this
summer. Theres no better way to explore aerospace careers and develop leadership skills than CAPs
NCSA program. Cadets who are unsure about their summer plans or whether they can afford an activity
should still apply since they are not asked to make any commitments when applying. Many activities are in
search of senior members as staff. Commanders and directors of cadet programs can start endorsing
applications now through 15 February. For details, please see www.ncsas.com.
Quality Cadet Unit Awards: 299 units earned the title Quality Cadet Unit for 2013-2014. The award
criteria have been updated for 2014-2015. All cadet and composite squadrons and flights with a minimum
of 10 cadets are eligible to earn the award by pursuing goals that inevitably lead to having a vibrant Cadet
Program. Learn more at www.capmembers.com/qcua.
National Cadet Competition: NCC will return in December 2015. Details on the updated competition are
posted on the Cadet Blog. http://capmembers.com/cadet_programs/?ncc_2015&show=entry&blogID=1468
DDR Speech Contest: The 2014/2015 Drug Demand Reduction Speech Contest is open to all cadets.
Speeches will be on various topics related to Civil Air Patrol and will incorporate a theme of responsible
choices or a drug-free message. Speeches will be presented in front of an audience, filmed, and uploaded
for judging. Winners will receive recognition, prizes, and invitations to speak at Wing, Region, or National
events. Speeches must be submitted by April 1, 2015. Please see the contest rules for more details.
Cadets: research well, practice frequently, speak persuasively, and good luck!
Cadet Awards from the Air Force Association at the Squadron Level: Each year, between 1 December
and 15 January, the AFA National office accepts nominations for an outstanding squadron-level cadet
award package. Each cadet and composite squadron in CAP has the opportunity to recognize one
outstanding cadet with an easy application. The certificate, ribbon and medal give squadrons the chance to
recognize cadets who may never receive such recognition otherwise. Find more details on the website or
contact afa@capnhq.gov.
CHAPLAIN CORP
Chief of CAP Chaplain Corps: Chap (Col) James Hughes - jhughes@cap.gov
Chaplain Corps Administrator: Kenya Bogans kbogans@capnhq.gov
Items in Process

CAPR 265-1 update the regulation is in coordination at NHQ and should be ready for distribution
early in 2015.
Character Development Specialty Track rewrite broadening the training of CDIs. This will be
processed once the CAPR 265-1 is released.
Mission Chaplain SQTR rewrite introducing a multi-level Mission Chaplain training program. This
will be accomplished once the CAPR 265-1 is released.

DEVELOPMENT
Director of Development: Dr. Skip Dotherow jdotherow@capnhq.gov
Civil Air Patrol Foundation: In response to a request made by Maj.Gen. Joe Vazquez, the CAP
Foundation has issued a challenge to raise funds to support the top cadet graduate from the powered flight
academies to go on and earn their private pilot license. The Foundation will match, dollar for dollar up to
$25,000 to support this project. The challenge will expire on May 30, 2015. For more information, please
contact jdotherow@capnhq.gov.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Chief Financial Officer: Susan Easter seaster@capnhq.gov
WEX Vehicle Minor Maintenance Program Card Management Best Practices: The following are a few
processes wings have found helpful when instituting the WEX card program.
Locate service providers now and create a preferred vendor list for your members.
Contact providers/merchants you already work with to ensure they take WEX and know how to handle
our account. If you can, do a test run to ensure the process works from start to finish.
If existing vendors arent already accepting WEX, encourage them to sign up. You have clout as a
recurring user with multiple vehicles.
Find vendors that have stores in multiple locations within your wing/region whenever possible.
Train members in card use. If they are aware of the potential problems they can communicate better
with the vendors about handling our account.
(See the Logistics section for more information on the WEX program)
Contact Jeanne Stone Hunter at 334-953-7748 ext 430 or jhunter@capnhq.gov for more information.
WFA Financial Reviews: In prior years WFAs have prepared a visit report for the Wing in conjunction with
preparing the Finance Section D-3 for Compliance Inspections. In the future, the WFA will no longer
prepare a visit report. The new IG reporting and tracking system has made this change possible because
the CI reports are now issued in a very timely manner. Commanders are responding to the issues that
would have been noted in a visit report so there is no reason to require duplicate reporting.
FY14 Audit Status: CAPs FY14 audit is well underway. Wing staff has been incredibly responsive to
requests for information from the auditors. There may be additional requests when the auditors return to
complete the fourth quarter analysis, but the majority of testing has been completed. It is anticipated that
the audit will be finalized in time to present to the April meeting of the Board of Governors.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Director of Government Relations: John Swain dcoffice.cap@verizon.net
National Legislative Officer: Lt Colonel Gerald Marketos marketos@cap.gov
State Legislative Officer: Lt Colonel James Nova jnova@cap.gov
Special Projects Officer: Lt Colonel Lindsay Shipps lshipps@cap.gov
CAP Congressional Gold Medal (CGM): CAP was presented the CGM for its World War II service by
Congressional leadership in a special ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol on December 10,
2014. This is the highest award Congress can give an individual or group. Accepting the award for CAP
were Major General Joseph Vazquez and retired Member of Congress and CAP WWII veteran Lester Wolff.
The presentation was followed by a veterans dinner where 45 living veterans and 55 families were
presented replica medals by General Vazquez.
Legislative Agenda for 2016: The Board of Governors approved CAPs legislative agenda for 2016 at its
December meeting. It includes obtaining adequate funding for essential Operations and Maintenance and
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procurement as well as recognition of CAPs 75 Anniversary in 2016 with a Congressional proclamation.
2015 Legislative Day: Planning continues for Legislative Day on Thursday, February 26, 2015. Wings
should begin making appointments now with every Member of Congress in their state Congressional
delegation.

Provide the names, dates and times involved with each appointment to
dcoffice.cap@verizon.net as soon as each appointment is made.
Note if the meeting will be with a Member of Congress and advise if you want a CAP leader,
legislative expert or photographer for any particular meeting.
For key or sensitive meetings a CAP leader or legislative expert may be assigned to attend.

Mandatory training will be held for wing commanders and government relations advisors the
night before at the Crystal City Marriott. Everyone is welcome to attend that training.

FY15 Defense Appropriations: On December 16, 2014, a Fiscal Year 2015 Omnibus appropriations bill
containing CAPs FY15 appropriations was signed into law. It provides CAP $39.5 million (M) overall
including $27.4M for Operations and Maintenance, $10.4M for aircraft and $ 1.7M for vehicles. This
appropriation fully funds essential CAP missions and programs.
Government Relations Wing Commander Survey: Wing Commanders have been asked to complete a
survey on how the NHQ Government Relations team can better assist with key issues such as state
funding, legislation and other matters. Wings are asked to complete the study as soon as possible. For more
information or assistance contact Lt Colonel James Nova at jnova@cap.gov.
HISTORY
Chief Historian: Col Frank Blazich, Jr., fblazich@cap.gov
National Historian Emeritus: Col Len Blascovich, Len_b@ix.netcom.com
Assistant Chief Historian: Lt Col Phil Saleet, pcs78461@gmail.com
National Curator: Maj Jacob Gerstein, jgerstein@cap.gov
National Archivist: Capt Colleen McCormick, colleen.mccormick@cap.gov
Director, Museum Displays and Design: Vacant
Director, Office of Preservation: Lt Col Todd Engelman, planeflyr@aol.com
Director, Office of Outreach: Lt Col Sean Neal, nealcrashboom@aol.com
National Historical Editor: Lt Col Richard Mulanax, richmulanax@gmail.com
Director, Office of CAP Heraldry: Lt Col Phil Kost, philip.a.kost@gmail.com
Director, Oral History Program: Chaplain (Maj) Marvin Owen, marvin.owen@mac.com
Chief Historian: Actively involved in myriad of elements with NHQ with the CAP Congressional Gold Medal
(CGM) project. The 75th anniversary logos are finished and will be unveiled in early 2015. Awaiting samples
from Vanguard of CAP World War II insignia being reproduced for reenactors and living history efforts. For
the first months of 2015, the Chief Historian is on a leave of absence, with the Assistant Chief Historian
filling in.
Assistant Chief Historian: Worked on revising CAPR 210-1, currently in the final stages of completion,
and assisting the World War II CAP veterans of North Carolina.
National Historian Emeritus: Currently working on a monograph about the CAP U.S. Army and Air Force
appointed national commanders, 1941 1975 and General Spaatz. Also developing a monograph on CAPs
involvement with the International Geophysical Year where cadets were sent to Antarctica sponsored by the
Kodak Corporation. Finished a white paper on Public Law 79-476 and what was accomplished between
March to July 1, 1946.
National Curator and National Archivist: Assisted the Chief Historian and NHQ with work on the CAP
Congressional Gold Medal project.
National Historical Editor: The fifth issue of the CAP National Historical Journal is due out soon.
Office of Preservation: Developing a poster for sale by Vanguard of all World War II CAP insignia in
conjunction with the 75th anniversary celebration.
Office of Outreach: Assisted veterans at the CAP Congressional Gold Medal presentation and banquet
and working on draft of CAPP8 to cover CAP living history and reenacting efforts.
Office of Heraldry: CAPR 210-2, Civil Air Patrol Heraldry, and CAPP 7, Civil Air Patrol Heraldry have been
reviewed by the Chair of the National Uniform Committee and are awaiting final review and publication. Also
assisted the Chief Historian and the National Historian Emeritus on researching insignia cable colors for the
National Uniform Committee.

Oral History Program: Currently transcribing oral histories and working on interviewing more CAP
veterans.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Deputy Director of Information Technology: Joseph Hall, Jr. jhall@capnhq.gov
Information Technology Officer: Lt Col Bill Hughes BillHughes@rochester.rr.com
eServices applications now available and slated for release: (Please stay tuned to eServices news for more
information on these upcoming releases.)

(Released) Soft launch of eServices V.2 - eServices has been released for all to use. The home
page has a new look and has been reorganized and other pages will adopt a similar appearance
over time. All members are able to toggle back and forth using the new main page or staying with
the current version. Please continue to test and provide feedback to the CAP Helpdesk.

(In Testing) Recommendation For Decoration CAPF 120 - Allows members to submit a CAPF
120 electronically. Currently in beta test by the IT Committee.

ORMS Update - ORMS will be updated to track Expendable Property more efficiently. These will
not require a full Report of Survey or retirement. Release Date: Jan 2015.

Commanders Dashboard Updates Provide additional metrics to better assist Commanders on

readiness and effectiveness of its resources. Release Date: Feb 2015.

CAP Websites In support of the CAP branding initiative, a website template has been developed to
incorporate into your unit website. The template will be available for use in Jan 2015; please stay tuned to
eServices news on the release. For more information, please contact Joseph Hall at jhall@capnhq.gov.
CAP.GOV new administration page The new cap.gov domain administration page has been revamped
and integrated into eServices under Information Technology / Internet Operations or ns1.cap.gov. For more
information please contact capadmin@capnhq.gov.
LEGAL OFFICER CORPS
General Counsel: Rafael Robles rrobles@capnhq.gov
Chief Legal Officer Corps: Maj Gen Dwight Wheless dwheless@cap.gov
National Legal Officers College 2015 (NLOC): The next bi-annual NLOC will be held at the Ravinia
Crowne Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia, June 11-13, 2015. All CAP Legal Officers are encouraged to attend, and
CLE credits will be applied for. Attendees receive an average of 20 Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
credits for NLOC, including two hours of ethics, depending on the jurisdiction. CAP Commanders and IGs
at the Wing level and above are encouraged to attend also. NLOC provides an excellent grounding in the
legal framework within which CAP operates. For more information watch the General Counsels page on
the National website; http://www.capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/general_counsel/ or send an e-mail to
Lt Col James Garlough, CAP, NLOC Director, at jgarlough@cap.gov.
LOGISTICS
Director of Logistics: Gary Schneider gschneider@capnhq.gov
CAP Fleet Manager: Larry Kauffman lkauff7777@aol.com
Aircraft Fleet Modernization: During the calendar year 2014 CAP accepted 11 new Turbo Stationair
(Model T206H) aircraft, purchased with FY 13 procurement funds, and all have been distributed to the
wings. The FY 14 aircraft buy consists of 21 Cessna 172s with glider tow packages installed. The final
delivery dates are still to be determined, but we anticipate receiving the first of them in the spring of 2015.
In early October General Vazquez, Don Rowland, John Desmarais and Gary Schneider met with members
of Textron Aviation at their facility in Wichita, Kansas to discuss CAP aircraft and imagery acquisition
strategy. A key topic for this meeting was Cessnas decision to discontinue avgas-fueled engines in their
182T aircraft and replacing them with SMA compression-ignition engines powered by Jet A. Following this

meeting Cessna representatives agreed to reconsider their decision and to continue to offer CAP avgasfueled 182Ts. POC: Gary Schneider gschneider@capnhq.gov
Property Management: The annual inventory cycle was completed on 31 December. While not every
wing was complete at the close of the cycle, the FY14 inventory was the smoothest we have seen since the
introduction of ORMS. Additionally, the FY14 inventory was the first complete cycle to include the real
property module.
In January 2015 CAP/LG will be implementing a change to ORMS that will treat property with an initial
acquisition cost of $500 or less, or property with an initial acquisition cost of $500 or more that has
depreciated to below $500, as expendable property. Several years ago the DoD/IG noted in their inspection
report that CAP was tracking items with an acquisition cost of less than $500 and by doing so was placing
an unnecessary burden on members and staff. CAP/LG recently conducted an analysis of property in
ORMS with an acquisition cost of less than $500 and found more than 35,000 items that met these criteria.
It was further determined that this property had an average current value of less than $4.00.
Today CAP places property into two categories: Equipment and Supplies. Equipment items are nonexpendable property with a useful life of more than 1 year and with an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more
per unit. Supplies are all other items in the inventory. Supplies can be either expendable or nonexpendable and any item with an initial acquisition cost of less than $500 would normally fall into the
expendable category. The disposition and/or decision to conduct a ROS on any of these expendable items
(if lost or damaged) will now rest with the wing commander. The assessment decision will also be made by
the wing commander, with any appeals for these assessments being heard by the region commander.
Some communications property and IT devices determined by the CAP/LG to be vulnerable to theft or
known to contain sensitive encryption information (laptops and tablets, for example) will be exempt from
this procedure.
Under the new policy there will be two categories of tracked equipment: Tracked - Nonexpendable (T/N),
items with an acquisition cost/current value of $500 or more; and Tracked - Expendable (T/E), items with an
acquisition cost/current value of less than $500. Property with an acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater
(Fixed Assets) will continue to be tracked as Equipment items. Property with an acquisition cost of less
than $5,000 but greater than $500 will be tracked as T/N until depreciated to below $500, at which time it
will be tracked as T/E for the remainder of its useful life. This change will permit property management
officers to issue, transfer and track expendable items throughout their lifecycle, while at the same time
reducing the management burden of disposing of low value property. CAP has gone far beyond guidance
provided in DODGARs in tracking property, so this change will not negatively impact DODGARS
compliance. POC: KC Jones kjones@capnhq.gov.
WEX Fleet Card Program: The WEX fleet card program has been field-tested and deployed throughout
the wings. Over the past few months we have shared lessons learned and best practices gained through
use of the cards. The learning curve has been steep, both for our vehicle custodians and vendors alike. A
new feature not normally associated with a traditional credit card is the Driver Identification Number
required to process a transaction. This feature helps reduce and eliminate improper card usage and
streamlines administration of the program. Lack of familiarity with the use of the Driver ID appears to be a
contributing factor in cases where a vendor is unable to process a transaction. We are working with the
WEX staff to help educate service providers on procedures to process WEX transactions. There will be
times when we must revert to the previous method of issuing a control number and creating a purchase
order to cover the cost of repair, and we stand ready to support you on those occasions. Our goal is to
have everyone using the WEX cards for day-to-day, service, repairs and preventive maintenance by
February 2015. We genuinely believe that through use of the WEX program we will be able to streamline
operations and ultimately reduce costs associated with vehicle operations. (See the Finance section for
more information on the WEX program) POC: Gary Schneider gschneider@capnhq.gov

OPERATIONS, CISM, COMM, STAN EVAL, TRAINING and EMERGENCY SERVICES

Director: John Desmarais jdesmarais@capnhq.gov
Chief, Aircraft Operations: Joe Piccotti lpiccotti@capnhq.gov
Chief, Critical Incident Stress Management: Lt Col Tom Janisko - thomas.j.janisko.mil@mail.mil
Chief, Communications: Malcolm Kyser mkyser@capnhq.gov
Chief, National Operations Center: Terry Raymond traymond@capnhq.gov
Chief, Operations Support: Lt Col Pete Norris icssboss@gmail.com
Chief, Training: Col Carlton Sumner sumner.carlton@gmail.com
Aircraft Operations: There have been many updates posted on the CAP Pilots web page at:
www.capmembers.com/emergency_services/aircraft_ops__staneval/
- Good news! Pilot Proficiency Flight Profiles have been updated to include a Takeoff & Landing Proficiency
Flight Profile. The updated Air Force Approved Proficiency Flight Profiles can be found on the CAP Pilots
webpage or click here to go directly to the Pilot Proficiency Flight Profiles web page.
- Aircraft Ground Handling Training has been updated and is available for use. It is conveniently posted on
the CAP Pilots web page in the Training section. Aircraft Ground Handling Training is essential to safe
and effective aircraft movement and handling during ground operations. All CAP members who perform
duties in the vicinity of CAP aircraft must complete the course at least every second year. Its not a bad idea
to review it even more frequently though.
- Aircrew Professionalism information is posted on the CAP Pilots web page in the Aircrew Professionalism
section to include the Aviators Model Code of Conduct website along with the actual Aviators Model Code
of Conduct (AMCC) document. The AMCC family of documents provides great information, and we strongly
encourage you to review and share the appropriate ones with your pilots.
- All military service branch DD Form 2401s (USAF, ARMY, NAVY & USMC Landing Permits) are approved
for FY15.
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- A page insert change was released to CAPR 60-1 the 19 of December. The updated regulation with this
change is available at: http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/R060_001_E70E3BAE1C0D4.pdf.
Critical Incident Stress Management: Welcome aboard the newly selected Lt Col Tom Janisko as the
Chief of CISM. He comes with significant CISM experience as an active duty US Public Health Service
Officer, currently assigned as the Command Surgeon for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is jumping
in with both feet and will be looking at updates to CAPR 60-5 as well as identifying support staff officers in
the near future.
Communications:
- Dont forget to update your communications plans. Region plans are due at NHQ/DOK NLT 10 January
and wing plans NLT 10 April. See CAPR 100-1, Chapter 2. If there are no changes from the 2014 plan,
advise DOK. Please be sure to review them with your operations partners in emergency services,
counterdrug, homeland security, and other mission areas to be sure they meet current needs.
- The national Triblade CAP HF radio net is building expertise for relaying critical WMIRS data when ICPs
do not have Internet or telephone access. When a wing or region receives one of these "Whiskey Tango"
training messages, receipt is documented in the Communications section of eServices and accuracy of
message text is checked in order to measure success.
- The Communications program is continuing to build partnerships with other federal emergency
communications response agencies. In 2014, CAP Communications leaders attended a DHS Office of
Emergency Communications Communication Technician Course (COMT) at Maxwell AFB. As a follow-up
to this highly successful event, plans are being made for a second COMT course for CAP in the Western
United States.
- In December, DOK achieved a major spectrum management victory, receiving USAF recognition and
continued permission to use 10 Inter Squad Radio (ISR) frequencies that had been designated for phaseout. DOK is achieving dramatically increased visibility with USAF spectrum management agencies. This
means faster turnarounds on matters related to CAP frequency use and better spectrum management
coordination for real world joint exercises with the military.
Operations Support:
- National Emergency Services Academy (NESA): Applications are currently being accepted for the 2015
NESA sessions being held from 18 July - 1 August.

- Updates are being finalized to the Counterdrug Orientation and Refresher Courses that are expected to be
released in January for members to complete in the Learning Management System.
Training: Col Sumner will be advertising for staff members to assist with operations and emergency
services academies as well as training plans. Personnel interested in supporting these areas should
prepare their applications.
PERSONNEL
Chief of Personnel: Susie Parker sparker@capnhq.gov
Asst Chief of Personnel: Marie Vogt mvogt@capnhq.gov
National Level Annual Awards: Just a reminder that all national-level annual awards nominations are due
to the Region by 15 February, with region nominations due to National Headquarters by 15 March.
Please dont let your deserving nominees be disqualified from consideration by missing these deadlines.
Check CAPR 39-3 at http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/R039_003_83459660D4F44.pdf or the
appropriate functional regulations for complete nomination requirements and details. Contact Susie Parker
at sparker@capnhq.gov or Frances Sides at fsides@capnhq.gov for additional assistance.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - pd@capnhq.gov; elearning@capnhq.gov
Chief of PD: Bobbie Tourville btourville@capnhq.gov
PD Manager: Col Bryan Cooper Thorgodofthunder@verizon.net
eLearning Program Manager: Ron Olienyk rolienyk@capnhq.gov
eLearning Staff Assistant: Col Stan Skrabut -- wywg.pdo@capwyhq.org
2015 National Staff College: Dates for National Staff College have been tentatively set for 24-30 May
2015. The Director for the 2015 National Staff College is Colonel Virginia Nelson (vmnelson@juno.com).
Additional information on registration will be published in February 2015.
2015 Region Staff Colleges: Regions should send their 2015 Region Staff College information to Bobbie
Tourville when dates are finalized so that they can receive funding. Please send RSC date, location,
directors name, and notional schedule or flyer according to local region administrative policies. Regions will
receive $1500 to help defray costs. For more information, please contact Bobbie at bjtourville@capnhq.gov.
CAP Knowledgebase: Containing over 2600 answers to the most frequently-asked questions about CAP,
the Knowledgebase should be the first stop when looking for answers about CAP. The Knowledgebase has
been updated to allow the addition of CAP IDs when asking a question which will allow for a personalized
reply. The Knowledgebase can be accessed at http://capnhq.custhelp.com/app/answers/list. If you have
any questions please contact Ron Olienyk at rolienyk@capnhq.gov.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Senior Director: John Salvador jsalvador@capnhq.gov
Deputy Director for Public Affairs: Julie DeBardelaben jdebardelaben@capnhq.gov
Public Affairs Manager: Lt Col Steven Solomon ssolomon@cap.gov
Marketing and Social Media Manager: Lt. Col. Paul Cianciolo paul.cianciolo@natcapwg.cap.gov
Assistant Public Affairs/Marketing/Social Media Manager: Lt. Col. Joe Winter jwinter@cap.gov

CGM Publicity:National Media coverage of CAPs Congressional Gold Medal generated 23.3
million unique visitors for online stories and 210.9 million total page views. Approximately 700
news clips were also generated. For CAPs coverage on Coca Cola Journey alone, our story
was available to the sites 1.3 million monthly visitors. Many of the local stories generated by
CAPs wings are posted on the CGM website at www.capgoldmedal.com The publicity numbers
will continue to grow as wings hold local events to present the medal to veterans and families who
did not attend the CGM ceremony in Washington on Dec. 10. In January, members will receive
CAPs commemorative 80-page edition of the Volunteer, devoted exclusively to the
Congressional Gold Medal. Souvenir copies of the magazine, featuring a special gold foil
embossed CAP Congressional Gold Medal on the cover, will be available from Vanguard.
Information on how to purchase this edition will be released after it is printed.
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Social Media: CAP's main Facebook Page has over 28,500 followers. Of the people who follow
the page, the largest age bracket is 18-24 years old followed by 25-54 years old.
CAP's main Twitter profile has over 4,500 followers. On average, links to CAP content are clicked
over 750 times per day.
A social media campaign was established to bring awareness to the Congressional Gold Medal by
using the hashtag #CAPGoldMedal and directing people to capgoldmedal.com. CAP's Flickr
account was used to provide WWII photos and video footage with detailed captions to media. A
cover image was also developed specifically for official CAP Facebook and Twitter accounts,
which was published on CAP's main profiles and sent to all PAOs to post on their unit's official
profiles.
RECRUITING AND RETENTION
National Recruiting & Retention Officer: Vacant
Asst Chief, Personnel & Member Actions: Marie Vogt mvogt@capnhq.gov
Recruiting and Retention Facebook page: Traffic has increased on the Facebook page climbing to over
750 members. Unit RROs are sharing their ideas for all units to benefit from. Please nominate your unit for
selection as Recruiting Unit of the Month. Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/caprr
SAFETY
Chief of Safety: George Vogt gvogt@capnhq.gov
Assistant Chief of Safety: Col Robert Castle - rcastle@cox.net
National Assistant Chief of Safety: Col Robert Bob Castle, CAP, has been selected as the Assistant
Chief of Safety. Col Castle served most recently as the Southwest Region Director of Safety and also
served as the Oklahoma Wing Commander.
New Safety Program Announced for CAP: CAP will be completely revamping its safety program,
modeling the program after the Safety Management System adopted by the FAA, the USAF, and all air
carriers worldwide. This new industry-standard model for safety programs emphasizes risk management in
every facet of CAP programs and processes, as well as providing a voice for members at all levels. Read
more about the program in the December issue of the Safety Beacon Newsletter:
http://capmembers.com/media/cms/December_Safety_Beacon_2014__Final__C7AA6E362877A.pdf

SPAATZ ASSOCIATION
Vice President, The Spaatz Association: Lt Col JD Ellis ellis.j@natcapwg.cap.gov
TSA Leadership Grants: TSA has updated its application for the 2015 Leadership Grant program. More
than $25,000 is available to individuals, squadrons, groups, wings, regions, or national-level programs that
support cadet leadership development. Grants are awarded quarterly. Deadlines for applications are 31
January, 30 April, 31 July, and 31 October. For more information, visit www.spaatz.org.
TSA Mid Winter Dinner: The next TSA Mid Winter Dinner is set for Saturday, 28 February 2015 in
Washington, DC. Registration is now open at www.winterdinner.org.
Looking for recommendations on how to conduct a Spaatz Award ceremony? Check out the outline
approved by the Spaatz Family at http://wp.me/P1NZgT-z8.
Commanders, we need your help! TSA maintains contact information for all Spaatz and Falcon Award
recipients, even after they leave the Civil Air Patrol. Unfortunately, more than 2/3 of all recipients are

considered "lost" in our database. If you know a Spaatz or Falcon award recipient, ask them to visit
www.spaatz.org and complete our online Information Update Form.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Chief of Strategic Planning: Col Brooks Cima brookscima@gmail.com
Chief of Plans: Paul Gloyd pgloyd@capnhq.gov
In order to understand the importance of Strategic Planning and the significance it has in the
accomplishment of all of CAP missions, all wing commanders and staff should accomplish the following:

Make yourself familiar with the National CAP Strategic Plan

Review the National Staff Power Point presentation: 2014-2015 Unit Action Plan
Review one of the following publications or websites on the methodology of Strategic Planning:
o Driving Strategic Planning: A Nonprofit Executives Guide by Susan A. Waechter
o Presenting: Strategic Planning by Michela M. Perrone, Ph. D. and Janis Johnson
o All About Strategic Planning go to: managementhelp.org

Additionally, the presentation given during the recent Wing Commanders Course will assist in making the
connections about how our Wing plans can be an excellent way of supporting the National organization and
bringing our Wings into alignment with CAPs overall goals and objectives. All of CAPs Strategic Planning
resources can be found at http://capmembers.com/strategic_planning/.

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