Wyoming

Wings
June 2009

Orientation Flight Weekend

See Story on page 3 . . .

 Wyoming Wings
The Wyoming Wings is an autho-
rized magazine published three
times a year in the interest of the
members of Wyoming Wing,
Civil Air Patrol. The printers
are a private firm in no way con-
nected with the Department of
the Air Force or Civil Air Patrol.
Opinions expressed by the pub-
lishers and writers are their own
and not to be considered official
expression by Civil Air Patrol or
the Air Force. The appearance of
advertisements in this publica-
tion, including supplements and
inserts, does not constitute an
endorsement by Civil Air Patrol
or the Department of the Air
Force of products and services
advertised.
H HEADQUARTERS H
Wyoming Wing
Civil Air Patrol
Bldg. 233
Warren AFB
(307) 773-4519
Fax (307) 773-4783
H Mailing Address H
Wyoming Wing
Civil Air Patrol
P. O. Box 9507
Cheyenne, WY 82003-9507
Wing Commander
Colonel Stan Skrabut
Editor
1st Lt. Jeanne Stone-Hunter
For information on
advertising rates and space,
please call
1-800-635-6036
 
Commander’s Comments
Stan Skrabut, Col., CAP, Wyoming Wing Commander
I am way behind the power
curve in putting this note
together, and unfortunately,
I must keep it short so that I
can get it off to the magazine. I
am currently sitting in a motel
room in Cody attending the first
SAREX of the year writing this
note. We had a great turn out
and good training in spite of the
weather working against us. I
am hoping for better weather
for the next few months, but it is
Wyoming in the springtime. As I
look at where we are, I am quite
pleased with our standing in the
region and nation. It is because
of all your hard work that we are
doing so well.
We are now finishing up the
month of April, so this is a great
time to report where we are. At
this time in FY 2008, we flew
162 hours. In FY 2009, we have
flown 321 hours. This is double
the hours of the previous year.
This is a significant accomplish-
ment and it could not have been
done without the tremendous
support of the State of Wyoming
and their financial support and the
Wyoming Military Department.
We currently rank 22 out of 52
for aircraft utilization; this is up
from 43 at the end of last year.
We have made great strides in
conducting B-12 flying; we cur-
rently have a C-17/B-12 ration
of 104%. This is huge; other
wings in our region are around
40 to 50%. In spite of this good
news, not all of the crews are
taking advantage of the B-12
proficiency flying. Additionally,
our cadets need to receive orien-
tation flights; so far, only 68%
of all our cadets have received a
flight, and they are eligible for 9
flights. We are planning a large
orientation flight weekend at the
end of May.
Aerospace Education –
Presently, 44% of our members
have received this award, and
we are on track to again meet
our goal of 12 members earn-
ing this award for 2009. I am
seeing some advancement in
the Aerospace Education spe-
cialty track; naturally, I would
like to see more. This is a great
Continued on page 7 . . .
Wyoming
Wing
Conducts
Orientation
Flight
Weekend Lt. Col. Eric Davis,
Wyoming Wing Director of Cadet Programs
Twenty-five Wyoming Wing
Cadets, 18 Wyoming Wing Senior
Members, and 4 Colorado Wing Senior
Members participated in the Wyoming
Wing’s first-ever Orientation Flight
weekend, 29-31 May, in Lander,
Wyoming. Four Wyoming Wing pow-
ered aircraft and two Colorado Wing
gliders, as well as a commercial tow
plane from Colorado supported Cadet
Orientation Flights throughout the
weekend. Several Wyoming Senior
Members also experienced the thrill of
glider flights.
Ten Cadets flew their first powered

Orientation Flight, and 22 Cadets

received their first glider flight.
The three Cadets not receiv-
ing glider flights opted out of
the opportunity. The remaining
Cadets flew powered Orientation
Flights 2 through 5, depending
on their specific needs. In spite
 of a few minor cases of airsickness, the
Cadets’ smiles indicated a hugely suc-
cessful weekend.
The participants arrived Friday, 29
May at the Twin Pines RV Park just
south of Lander, where they pitched
tents and had dinner. The group woke
up early Saturday morning for break-
fast, briefings, and a 0745 show time at
the Lander Airport. After safety brief-
ings from Wing Commander Colonel
Stan Skrabut and the Orientation

Flight Pilots, the Cadets received

flight assignments and assisted
the Colorado crews with glider
assembly. They also learned glider
launch and wing-runner proce-
dures. All but one Cadet received
glider flights on Saturday, and all
but four Cadets received powered
Orientation Flights on Saturday.
Saturday night back at camp,
the Cadets and Senior Members
feasted on pizza and enjoyed pick-

up games of volleyball and

football. During this time the
participants were also able to
socialize with each other in a
relaxed atmosphere. This was
a great opportunity to discuss
issues, problems, and solutions
common to the geographically
dispersed units in the Wyoming
Wing.
The five Cadets who did not
fly on Saturday were the first
in the air on Sunday morning.
Also on Sunday, the Senior
Members who wanted to take
the chance were allowed glider
rides. It’s difficult to say who had
bigger smiles after their glider rides,
the Seniors or the Cadets. Suffice it
to say, all the participants exited the
craft with huge smiles.
Cadets participating in the event

were Cadet Airman Basics Brandon

Munn and Teray Haynes; Cadet
Airmen Katelyn Munn and Shelby
Sterling; Cadet Airmen First Class
Daniel Crosby, Christopher Bray,
Tyler Toman, James Argeris, and
Stephen Myers; Cadet Senior Airmen
Joshua Kirkman, Tyler Stovall, and
Nathan Kamm; Cadet Staff Sergeant
Stephen Belden; Cadet Technical
Sergeants Ross Wald and Evan
Schmitzer; Cadet Master Sergeants
Christopher Hodges, Elizabeth
Parker, and Dylan Cattaneo; Cadet

Senior Master Sergeants Kyle Dewey

and Matthew Court; Cadet Chief
Master Sergeants Christopher Gross
and Ezekiel House; Cadet Second
Lieutenant Nia Cattaneo; Cadet First
Lieutenant Brad Coonis; and Cadet
Major Heather Gould. Lieutenant
Coonis was the Cadet Officer in
Charge of the event.
Wyoming Wing Senior Members
participating in the event were
Wyoming Wing Commander Colonel
Stan Skrabut; Lieutenant Colonels
Eric Davis, Assunta McDonald, Doug
Henry, and Michael Carlson; Majors
BJ Carlson, Dennis Cornell, Jason
Wollard, and George Twitchell;

Orientation
Flights
Continued . . .
Captains Gary Chizever, D.J.
Sadler, John Todd, Miguel
Acevedo, Orville Moore, and
John Burkett; First Lieutenants
Adam Munn, Michael Gray,
and Bill Jepsen. Lieutenant
Colonel Davis developed the
plan for the event and led the
overall activity.
Colorado Wing Senior
Members participating in the
event were Lieutenant Colonel
Jer Eberhard; Captains Sam
Streger and Bob Lynn, and
Senior Member Rick Mason.
Lieutenant Colonel Eberhard
and Captain Streger were the
glider pilots, Captain Lynn was
the tow plane pilot, and Senior
Member Mason directed glider
ground operations and taught
the Cadets the basics of glider
ground ops. We in the Wyoming
Wing are indebted to the
Colorado officers not only for
the glider operations in Lander,
but also for safely towing the
2 gliders over 360 miles from
Boulder, Colorado to Lander,
and of course, the smiles on the
faces of Cadets and Seniors as
they exited the gliders.
Colonel Skrabut said, “This
was a great event and we need
to do it again – SOON!” The
Cadets could not have agreed
more with this statement, and the
Wyoming Wing Staff is looking
forward to planning and execut-
ing another flying weekend in
the near future. H
 
Commander’s Comments
Continued from page 1 . . .
specialty track, and all senior
members are encouraged to pur-
sue it. Finally, if your unit is not
involved with the Aerospace
Education Excellence (AEX)
program, I encourage you to do
so. You can now enroll online
within e-services.
Cadet Programs – Presently,
44% of our cadets have earned
the Wright Brothers Award,
10% have earned the Mitchell
Award, and 5 % have earned
the Earhart Award. No cadets
have earned the Eaker or Spaatz
Award. I am not seeing much
movement in this area; I would
like to see more. As I mentioned
earlier, only 68% of cadets have
had an orientation flight. Our
goal is 100%; if you are a cadet
and have not flown with CAP;
see your unit commander to
schedule a flight.
Emergency Services
– Presently, 81% of our mem-
bers have completed General
Emergency Services training,
this is up from 79%. The region
goal is 100%, so we have a little
work yet to do. We are also
graded on the number of mission
pilots we have. In order to meet
the standard set by National, we
need 5 mission pilots for each of
our aircraft. Presently, we have
3.41 mission pilots per aircraft;
this is a decrease from 4.9. The
NIMS courses are holding a
couple of members back. We
need to place more attention in
getting members through the
various NIMS courses.
Membership – Naturally, we
can not get any of our missions
done with out our membership.
Senior members have been
steadily increasing. We have
increased senior member mem-
bership by 9 since the beginning
of the year; however we are
down 1 cadet since the begin-
ning of the year. I would like
to see more emphasis in cadet
membership. Of course, I do not
want to see a loss in membership
if we can do anything about it.
We are currently at 236 mem-
bers, this has been a positive
trend, and I am very happy.
Thanks for all your hard
work. I am looking forward to
even more success in the future.
Keep up the great job.
As you can see, there are
a number of ways where your
individual efforts help Wyoming
Wing as a team. Please be a
great team player. Remember,
T.E.A.M. – Together Each
Achieves More.
Well that is it for now. I look
forward to what the next three
months brings us. In the mean-
time, make a difference and get
involved. Be safe in everything
you do. H
Wyoming Wing Headquarters
Aerospace Education
Maj. Steven L. Ellis/Wyoming Wing HQ. DAE/DPD
Director Aerospace Education
Civil Air Patrol
This article is for all Senior Members and
Cadets in the Wyoming Wing. Many of you have
joined this volunteer organization for Search and
Rescue. What ever your reasons for becoming a
part of this World Class Volunteer Organization I
applaud and commend you and thank you for all of
the contributions you are making to Civil Air Patrol.
I appreciate all of the hard work you Squadron
Commanders, Directors of Aerospace Education
Officers, Directors of Professional Development,
and all Officer Positions held both at Wing HQ and
in your Squadrons are accomplishing because we
can not do the Mission without you. We are now
more than affiliated with the United States Air
Force we are a Team. Aerospace Education and
those reports you are required to fill out are vital
to the Mission. Anything your Squadron does falls
under Aerospace Education. Any activities you par-
ticipate in, any training you take, any community
service you do all counts for Aerospace Education.
The only way National HQ, Wing HQ, and your
Squadron can recognize you, or show appreciation
is to get the information about all involvement
by you in Civil Air Patrol. The only thing we can
offer you in Civil Air Patrol is Rank, which must
be earned, and Awards for Service Before Self. It
also lets Region and National HQ know what we
are doing out here is this smallest State population
wise with land mass and mountains fifth largest
in the Nation. We have all types of weather here
and more wind than Chicago. By Civil Air Patrol
Regulation we must have an Aerospace Education
Program, and we must promote Civil Air Patrol.
We need External Aerospace Education Officers
and they are normally Teachers. These Officers
do not have to belong to Civil Air Patrol, but we
do all we can to recruit them to become members.
The Specialty Track for Aerospace Education
 
is 215 and the Specialty Track for Director of
Professional Development is 204. These are both
excellent Training Fields for all members to earn
a Master Rating. If any of you will complete the
General Charles (Chuck) Yeager Award while
in Level II Training you are entitled to wear
an additional device on your Ribbon Bar. The
Yeager Award Test is online and it has a lot of
history about the United States Air Force, Space,
and Aircraft. I hope this article will spark some
interest in completing this Award. The Scott
Crossfield Award can be earned by completing the
requirements in Specialty Track 215. These are all
building blocks to your career in Civil Air Patrol.
The United States Air Force expects us to live up
to our promise of being well Trained, Educated,
and Mission ready. The United States Air Force
expects us to be enrolled in a Specialty Track and
to complete training. If I can be of assistance to all
of you please contact me at Wing HQ. I am avail-
able to answer questions, concerns, and provide
guidance in solving your problems, and encourage
you to have a thirst for knowledge and learn as
much as you can about the organization you have
become a vital part of in service to our Nation.
Teddy Roosevelt said, “Do what you can
with what you have no matter your position in
life.” No one remembers, but we all remember
a student of his who said, “Ask not what your
Country can do for you, but ask what you can do
for your Country.”
 Awards and
Promotions
Chuck Yeager Aerospace Award Recipients
Lt. Col. Nickie Fuerst WY 000
SM Ronald Leader WY 001
1st Lt. Robert Mosbacher WY 066
Capt. Gary Chizever WY 072
1st Lt. Phillip Duran WY 072
1st Lt. Erik Hendershot WY 076
1st Lt. Marvin Nunn WY 076
1st Lt. Joseph Herman WY 076
Capt. Charles Moore WY 076
1st Lt. Neil Mayes WY 076
1st Lt. Ju’thann Self WY 078
SM Martin E Phillips WY 069

Wright Brothers Award

C/SrAmn. Nathan Kamm WY 066
C/SSgt. Jonathan Barella WY 002
C/SSgt. Evan Schmitzer WY 059

Billy Mitchell Award

C/CMSgt. Josh Vallee WY 066

Level III
Capt. Daniel Wilcox WY 002

Level IV
Capt. Jeanne Stone-Hunter WY 001

Promotions
Capt. Jeanne Stone-Hunter WY 001
2nd Lt. Ambika Schoening WY 001
Capt. Randall Hunter WY 001
Capt. Roy Baughman WY 002
1st Lt. Joseph Feiler WY 002
1st Lt. Adam Munn WY 072
Capt. Nicole Farnham WY 072
Capt. Gary Chizever WY 072
Lt. Col. Michael Carlson WY 075

10 10
Join the Wyoming Wing’s
Own Social Networking Site
Capt. Jeanne Stone-Hunter

Chances are you’re

not making the most of
the Wing’s web pres-
ence and there’s a lot
there to offer. Col.
Skrabut recently set up
a social networking site
specifically for Wing
member’s use. It has got
all the great features of
MySpace and Facebook
with the added benefit
of being exclusively for
us. Unit commanders
and parents can rest
assured that the site
offers a safe place for
cadets to interact with
each other and with the
senior members.
You first must create
an own account. Then
you can personalized “my pages”, add friends, - http://wywgcap.ning.com/
invite friends who aren’t already signed up, create • Wyoming Wing Webstie - http://partnerpage.
groups, post photos and videos and much more. I google.com/capwyhq.org?tab=mS
suggest each commander create a unit group for You can also find the Wing on:
their members and use that group to keep everyone • Facebook –
in the loop; share photos and news; etc. Why not • Wyoming Wing - http://www.facebook.com/
add a group for each specialty track too? The home.php?ref=home#/pages/Wyoming-Wing-
options are infinite. Photos and videos from all Civil-Air-Patrol/30723342934?ref=ts
your unit events can be posted. Col. Skrabut has a • Twitter –
“Commander’s Corner” where he’s posting impor- • Wyoming Wing - http://twitter.com/wywgcap
tant information and “Wyoming Wing News” • Wheatland Composite Squadron - http://twitter.
highlights events and member accomplishments. com/WheatlandCAP
What are you waiting for? Sign up now and get If you or your unit is using social networking,
to know your fellow CAP members. I would love to hear from you – stonehunter@
• Wyoming Wing Ning (Social Networking) Site capwyhq.org.

11 11
 Cadet Programs Update
Lt. Col. Eric S. Davis
Director of Cadet Programs
Hello and a belated Happy New Year to all!
I hope everyone’s 2009 is going well and I am
sure everyone is looking forward to the summer. I
know I am!
Since we are not currently producing a monthly
Cadet Programs Update as we did for some time,
I wanted to run down the list of what’s going on
in the Cadet realm. Of course all these things are
available on the Cadet Web Site (www.wyocadets.
com), but I know not everyone has ready access
to the internet and I still find Cadets (and Seniors)
who don’t know we have a Cadet Web Site! So, on
with the 411…
CADET ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Cadet Advisory Council seems to be gain-
ing some traction throughout the Wing, for which I
am most grateful! We have a great group of moti-
vated CAC Representatives right now and I hope
they will continue to participate in the CAC. They
are all submitting their monthly reports on time and
virtually everyone is participating in our confer-
ence calls. We also had a great turnout in Casper in
March for the face-to-face meeting in conjunction
with the Senior Member Commander’s Call.
The CAC is a forum for Cadets to positively
influence the Wing’s direction and help set up
and execute activities. It is an opportunity for
Cadets to lead and they should be “chomping at
the bit” to become your unit’s representative and
show what they can do. I consider them, and I am
almost certain Colonel Skrabut considers them,
an invaluable part of the Wing Staff. Squadron
Commanders should consider them an integral part
of the Squadron Staff as well.
All the CAC Representatives report two com-
mon problems in all squadrons. Those two issues
are recruiting and retention. We have done a
couple of things to try to boost this, so far without
success. If anyone has ideas on how to improve
retention, which will help get more people in,
please let us know!
13
Our CAC Representatives are as follows:
Chair: C/Maj. Heather Gould, Sheridan
Casper Primary: C/SMSgt. John Houser
Casper Alternate: C/SrAmn. Josh Kirkman
Cheyenne Primary: C/CMSgt. Josh Vallee
Cheyenne Alternate: C/CMSgt. Ezekiel House
Laramie Primary: C/SMSgt. Christopher Gross
Laramie Alternate: Not yet appointed
Cody Primary: C/SMSgt. Kyle Dewey
Cody Alternate: C/A1C Stephen Myers
Sheridan Primary: C/CMSgt. Nia Cattaneo
Sheridan Alternate: C/MSgt. Elizabeth “Elle”
Parker
Wheatland Primary: Not yet appointed
Rocky Mountain Region Representatives:
Region Primary: C/SMSgt. John Houser, Casper
Region Alternate: C/MSgt. Elizabeth “Elle”
Parker, Sheridan
NATIONAL CADET SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
(NCSA)
This year Wyoming had two Cadets selected to
participate in NCSA. Cadet Major Heather Gould
was picked to attend the National Flight Academy
- Powered, at Ashland, Nebraska. Here she will
earn her solo wings. Cadet Senior Master Sergeant
Kyle Dewy was chosen to attend the Specialized
Undergraduate Pilot Training Familiarization
Course. At this course, Cadet Dewey will get a
taste of what USAF Officers endure when they
attend training to get their wings. Congratulations
to both Cadets!
WING CADET ACTIVITIES
ENCAMPMENT
We regret we are not able to field an Encampment
this year. Camp Guernsey is too busy training active
duty, reserve, and National Guard people to accom-
modate us this time. However, we are confident
we will return in force next year! In lieu of an
Encampment, we are going to do several smaller
activities this year. Here are a few of them…
13
FLYING WEEKEND
Of course by the time this magazine gets to
you, we will have already had the Flying and AE
Weekend in Lander, Wyoming. I feel confident in
saying that unless the weather closes us down, we
should have had a great time with powered and
glider orientation flights, aerospace education, ES-
related classes, a barbecue, volleyball, softball, and
another spectacularly successful CAC meeting!
GROUND TEAM SCHOOL
Captain Josh Thomas and Cadet Christopher
Gross are working to set up a class for ground team
personnel. We have many hurdles to clear before
we get this moving but before the weather gets cold
again, we should be able to get us all together in the
field for some intensive training on ground team
skills. Watch the web site for details as they develop!
DRILL ACADEMY
I have not been 100% happy with the results
of our Cadet Leadership Schools, especially in the
area of drill. I believe we need a class with plenty
of time devoted strictly to drill. We must have
time to practice and time to correct mistakes and
follow-up to be sure we have corrected everything.
Otherwise, Cadets seem to revert to bad practices
once they return to their home units. So, we will
address that through a Drill Academy.
The Drill Academy will be fairly physically
intensive, with the better part of two days devoted
almost entirely to drill. That’s a LOT of drill,
but I believe the Cadets’ ability to perform, lead,
and teach drill will be much improved. Senior
Members wanting to learn how to drill will be
welcome as well.
FIRST AID & CPR
Lieutenant Kelsey Raile of the Laramie County
Fire District 2 (Formerly Known as C/Lt. Col.
Aitchison) has volunteered to teach a CPR/First
Aid Training class for our Cadets. Since First
Aid/CPR qualifications are required for the ground
team qualification anyway, so this should dovetail
nicely with the ground team school.
We are looking for a good time to present this
15
class, since it takes the better part of an entire day
to effectively learn the material. We are looking
at POSSIBLY presenting this class at the Wing
Conference in October. We’ll see how things work
out with the Ground Team School.
CADET LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
As we have done the last two years, this fall
we plan to conduct our Cadet Leadership School
(CLS). We will probably be doing this in October
or early November. This year we will be eliminat-
ing MOST of the drill from the class, as that por-
tion will be expanded and incorporated as the Drill
Academy. So, the Fall CLS will look somewhat
different than the ones in the past. 
Cadets attending this year’s CLS will need to
have attended the drill academy, unless they have
attended previous CLS years’ classes.
CADET UNIFORMS
The Laramie Squadron has a lot of extra uni-
forms. If you need one, please coordinate with your
CAC Representative and Squadron Commander so
that he/she/they can contact Cadet Christopher
Gross, who is assisting the Laramie Squadron in
finding good homes for uniforms.
ORIENTATION FLIGHTS
Units need to pursue Orientation Flights for
their Cadets. I have tasked the CAC Representatives
to help their unit commanders in any and every
way possible to be sure Cadets get signed up and
to “hound” (professionally of course) their unit
commanders to be sure they schedule Orientation
Flights. This is a monthly topic at our CAC confer-
ence calls, and of course Colonel Skrabut watches
the numbers as well. If you want to keep Cadets,
one proven method of keeping them is to fly them!
I think that’s about it for now. Please feel free
to drop me an e-mail at seminole89@bresnan.net if
you have any questions or concerns, or post a blog
out on the Cadet Web Site. I look forward to see-
ing you at a Cadet Activity in the near future! And
remember our web site: www.wyocadets.com. H
15
You Can’t Make This Up
By Col. Stan Skrabut, Wing Commander
I would like to tell you about
my trip to the National Boards in
Washington, D.C. While I was
hoping it was a dream, you can’t
make this up.
My trip was intended to be
a roundabout journey to the
national boards; I was planning
to visit friends in New York,
my mom in Pennsylvania,
and the national boards in
Washington, D.C.
On Saturday morning, I woke
in plenty of time to make flight
from the great Laramie Airport.
It was clear weather with a tem-
perature of 2 degrees. My flight
was scheduled to leave at 0650,
and I was comfortably waiting a
half an hour prior to the flight.
Fifteen minutes prior to take-off,
we were checked through secu-
rity, but oddly enough, our plane
was not in front of the termi-
nal yet. As soon as we checked
into security, ground handling
towed the plane to the front of
the terminal. Interesting, but no
worries, my next flight leaves at
0900. I noticed that they plugged
a power cart into the plane. As
we were waiting, an attendant
notified us that there was going
to be a delay, it was cold out,
and they had to warm up the
plane. I am thinking to myself, it
is 2 degrees, there is snow on the
ground, and it is Wyoming; I am
sure this was just as obvious the
night before. Thirty minutes go
by and we were updated that the
power cart was draining power
from the aircraft, and they would
17
have to go to Cowboy Aviation
to use their cart. So they drag
our aircraft over to Cowboy
Aviation. Fifteen minutes later,
our aircraft was running engines
and taxied to the taxiway to do a
preflight. Great! I will still make
my connecting flight. The pilots
then bring the aircraft over to
the terminal and shutdown the
engines. No problem, this was
expected to load passengers.
However, the TSA attendant
commented that both the pilot
and co-pilot left the plane, this
was not a good sign. Apparently,
no one noticed that we busted
our window, and the pilots had
to redo the paperwork to fly in
to Denver. Once everything was
in order, we finally departed,
and we are expected to arrive in
Denver at 0845.
We arrived in Denver as
expected at 0845 and pulled into
the “A” terminal; unfortunately,
my connecting flight was in the
“B” terminal. In knew that I
could make the “B” terminal
in 10 minutes if I pushed it. At
2,000 less feet, the running was
easier. I arrived at my connect-
ing gate at 0855, only to see my
connecting flight being pushed
back… 5 minutes earlier than
advertised. Here I am in Denver,
standing in line, waiting for
the check-in agent to get done
with the person in front of me
so that I could get instructions
on my next steps. As soon as
the woman in front of me was
done, I stepped up to be assisted;
however, the agent started to
walk away without a word. I
asked her where she was going,
and she told me she had to go
to another counter. Since there
were two others behind me, I
asked her what we were sup-
posed to do. She told us to go
to customer service; obviously,
because we’re certainly not get-
ting any customer service where
we were standing.
After spending an hour in
customer service, I was noti-
fied that I was now on standby
to Chicago, and they directed
me to the proper gate. I was
lucky because they had a couple
of open seats to Chicago and
caught a flight out of Denver;
however, I would never make
my flight to Rochester on time.
When I got to Chicago, I found
out I was again on standby. But
to add to the story, the only
weather front in the nation was
parked right over Chicago and
there was a blizzard. Naturally,
this was delaying all flights out.
Regardless, I report to my gate,
and I am pleased to note that I
am number 5 on the standby list.
I think it was terminal “B.” Well
my plane is reported to be late by
at least an hour. So I grab a bite
to eat and work on some CAP
stuff. Well, my flight comes and
goes, and I never moved from
my fifth place. The next plane
to Rochester will leave from the
“C” terminal. To get from one
terminal to another, you have to
go outside and board a bus. I get
17
to my gate and I am still listed as
number 5. Again, a plane comes
and goes, and I stay at number
5. The next plane to Rochester
will again leave from terminal
“B.” I again bundle up and brave
the blizzard to take a bus to my
gate. When I get there, I ask
about my chances to catch a
flight, the agent said the flight
was full, and my best chance
out was to fly to Buffalo. Well,
Buffalo was certainly closer than
Chicago, so I grabbed a standby
flight to Buffalo. The flight was
to leave at 2200. The problem
with Buffalo was that the car I
had reserved was in Rochester.
I arrived at Buffalo around mid-
night and strolled over to the
rental car place. I checked in to
my rental car agent to see if I
could change my rental to at least
start in Buffalo. Unfortunately,
the computers were down at my
agent. However, the next agent
over was willing to rent me a
car. For $140, I could rent a
one-way to Rochester. It was an
expensive 60 miles. Before I left
Buffalo, I dropped by the lug-
gage agent to get an idea where
my luggage was. I was confident
that it was not in Buffalo, and I
was right, it was still in Denver.
Well, the drive from Buffalo
was rather uneventful other than
the fact that it was snowing,
and it was 0100. I arrived at the
airport in Rochester so that I
could turn in my car first thing
in the morning. I checked into
a familiar motel at 0200. I was
exhausted and jumped right into
bed, setting my clock for 0730
so that I could meet a friend
19
for breakfast. During my great
sleep I awoke due to a loud con-
versation. I thought it was next
door and that it would die down.
Unfortunately, the noise did not
die down, so I got dressed to
ask them to quiet down, I was
surprised to see a group of 4
right out side my door having a
party. After some friendly dis-
cussion, they moved their party.
This was 0330. I went back to
bed only to be awakened by
more loud conversation. Again,
I dressed and opened my door
to find the party has grown to
6 but it moved to two doors
down. This was at 0530. At
0730, I promptly woke up to get
my car and meet my friend.
The day went very well, tir-
ing but well. I gave a martial
arts seminar in the afternoon
with some good friends. After
training, I called the airlines to
find out where my luggage was,
all my uniforms were in my bag
and the next day I was to leave.
The airlines had no idea where
my luggage was; however, I
took a chance and drove an hour
to Rochester to see if my lug-
gage arrived. When I arrived at
the airline, the luggage agents
were just setting it aside and get-
ting ready to call me. With my
luggage in hand, and a car with
XM, I was back in Geneva for a
goodnight sleep.
Prior to leaving on my
trip Rochester, I noticed that
I would be returning through
Washington. I called my travel
company and they told me that
it would be possible to drop
my Rochester to Washington
connection once I arrived in
Rochester. I figured I would just
turn in my car in Washington,
and fly out of there after the
boards. Keep this in mind, it will
come up again.
My mom is doing well; I
thought you would be curious.
I visited for a good day and a
half and then drove down to
Washington. When I arrived in
Washington, I stopped by the
airport to see if I could turn in
my car and cancel my first leg of
my flight. Unfortunately, infor-
mation I received earlier was not
correct. I am glad I checked with
the travel agent prior to turning
in the car.
The national board went well,
and upon completion, I had to
jump in my car for a 7 hour ride
back to Rochester. I stopped in
Corning for a sleep, and woke in
time to turn in my car and catch
my flight. I arrived at my gate an
hour ahead of my flight, so I sat
back and cranked up my com-
puter. My flight was scheduled
to leave at 1050. Fifteen minutes
prior to boarding, we were noti-
fied that our plane was delayed
in Washington due to snow.
Apparently, someone failed to
put deicer on the wings. With
snow on the wings, who would
have thought deicer was needed.
An hour and a half later, our
plane arrived and we departed
Rochester for Washington.
Believe it or not, the only weather
front in the nation was sitting
over Washington. We arrived
in Washington and pulled up
to the gate. We waited for 30
minutes at the gate because
19
Make this up
Continued . . .
someone had to find a set of
Laramie Valley
Composite
steps so that we could get off the
plane. Naturally, I missed my
connecting flight; however, this
time, a flight agent booked me
on a later flight without standby,
and I got extra leg room. This
flight was on time, and I man-
Squadron Change
aged to board, but I was stuck
between two guys who were
twice the size of me. As you
of Command
can imagine, they were pretty
big. I sat for 4 hours with my C/MSgt. Christopher Gross
arms crossed but the leg room Public Affairs Officer
was nice.
Well, we arrived in
Denver, and I strolled to my In a Change of Command ceremony in the Laramie Valley
gate. Everything seems to be Composite Squadron on August 16, 2008, 1st Lt. Vance Hoyt
going well, and I will soon be assumed command. 1st Lt. Hoyt replaced Maj. Randy Schein.
home. Fifteen minutes prior to In attendance: Col. Stan Skrabut, Maj. Randy Schein, Capt.
the flight, we were informed Gery Simpson, 1st Lt. Chris Gallus, 1st Lt. Vance Hoyt, C/
that they needed to find some MSgt. Christopher Gross, C/TSgt. Brock Hileman and C/Amn.
pilots for our plane and that Matthew Hayek.
there would be a delay. I could When the regular unit meeting started, Col. Skrabut
only laugh. Well, a half an hour called SM Vance Hoyt forwarded and awarded the grade of
later, they found some pilots first lieutenant to him. After that, Col. Skrabut called Maj.
and we were ready to board. I Schein forward and Maj. Schein relinquished his position of
was glad to be getting home. Commander. 1st Lt. Hoyt stepped forward and assumed the
We took off and we were on position of Commander. After the Change of Command, Maj.
our way, yeah! However, half Schein said a few words and Col. Skrabut took questions from
way home, the pilot came on all the members in the Squadron. After Col. Skrabut and Maj.
the speaker and informed me Schein left, 1st Lt. Hoyt met with the members and discussed
that there was a problem with the future of the Squadron.
an oil gauge and we would have 1st Lt. Vance Hoyt is retired from the Air Force. He lives with
to divert to a maintenance facil- his wife in Laramie. He plans to be a pilot in the Civil Air Patrol
ity… in this case, the facility while being a Commander for the Squadron.
was in Cheyenne. I could not get
a break. Fortunately, my wife
was notified of the change in air-
ports and left a message on my
phone that she was going to pick
me up. At 2230, I arrive safely
in Laramie. Boy, do I love to
fly. It is all about the adventure.
I am planning my last trip to
Washington to be via Amtrak. H

21 21
 YES! 3 SAR’s in
3 Weeks
By Lt. Col. Mike Carlson

It’s been a dry spell since I’ve written an article for the Wing’s Magazine. I was hoping someone would fill in for me, but, that
didn’t happen. Sooooo, here are my experiences with 3 SAR’s that occurred during a 3 week period of the end of January and
the first part of February, 2009.
The 1st was on Monday, Jan 26th. Three snowmobilers, from Colorado, took the weekend to snowmobile in the Snowy Mtn.
range of south central Wyoming. They
did not return as scheduled on Saturday
so the families called the Albany County
Sheriff around 0920. The weather at the
time was snowing and high winds.
The Albany County SAR Teams were out
early Sunday morning searching but to
no avail by 2300 that night. By Monday
morning the 3 had spent 2 nights out in
the weather. The weather conditions were
slowly improving in the area; by after-
noon blue sky was peeking through but
there was three feet of new snow.
CAP was called out to help provide air
assets to look for them. I was called by
Col. Skrabut to be Incident Commander
(IC) just shy of noon time. With the help
of AFRCC (Air Force Rescue Coordina-
tion Center) and WY JOC (Wyoming
Joint Operations Center) basic informa-
tion of approximately where to start plac-
ing CAP assets came to me.
From here, let me tell you, one person has a hard time putting this together. But, 95% of the CAP WY SAR’s are run this way. When
we have SAR Ex’s we all gather together in one spot. The IC has staff members available to handle all the minute details. He/She can
react personally one on one if needed. But, as I said above, the majority of the times one person ends up handing all the tasks.
I was fortunate to have Major BJ Carlson, my Commander of the Cody Cadet Squadron and our family, at home with me. While
I was trying to obtain information and look for aircrews she was able to take some basic position reports and spot the areas on
several different maps we use in CAP (WY Gazeteer, Grided
Sectional maps, Google Earth, etc., etc.).
I encounter a lot of problems. The biggest one was the newer re-
quirements, set out by National CAP that we now must comply
with the US standards of Emergency Services set out by FEMA
(Federal Emergency Management Agency). They basically say
that all agencies will comply with how they are to manage an
incident. There are certain courses to take to understand the sys-
tem. National CAP said, about April of 2008, that as of January
1st, 2009, for members to continue with their ES jobs they must
take certain NIMS/ICS courses to continue. For most of us that
means we must take on-line courses ICS-100 & ICS-700. Pilots
and Staff also need ICS-200 and SAR Staff positions ICS-300
& ICS-800. For exact details check out CAPR 60-3 the letter
by then Brigadier General Courter dated April 10th, 2008, from

22 22
Regulations & Manuals, from your E-services. I guess a bunch
of us did not take the 7 month opportunity to comply and so
there were fewer qualified folks for me to select from.
Weather and pilot sickness prevented the Cheyenne based aircraft
from being used for the mission. With weather conditions in Casper
and hard time finding crew members shot that option. Jackson
Hole’s look at the weather said they were not able to launch. Same
was true for the Big Horn Squadron. Sooooo what to do?
With time clicking away, now that it’s later than 1400, not able
to get aircraft into the area to search, and not wanting to have
the snowmobilers stay out for a 3rd night, I call AFRCC and
ask if helicopter assets out of FE Warren Air Force Base could
be used with thermal imaging equipment. My reasoning is the
onset of darkness and thermal imaging would have the best
probability of detection. As AFRCC is working on that plausi-
bility I get a call for the Albany County Dispatch office that the
3 had been found alive. They had walked to a nearby trail and
were found by a group of snowmobilers from Iowa. They were
not in need of medical attention. They had no food but were
able to melt snow for water.
GREAT!!! So I start calling folks of the “Call-down.” When
I get to AFRCC they said the helicopter crews were a ½ hour
from “wheels-up.”
So, what started at about 12:00 noon and ended about 1715, did
not end for me and a few others. It was my understanding that the last part of the Search Teams got off the mountains by 2300.
That was about the same time the last piece of paper that I completed and sorted into the Mission Packet.
The 2nd SAR was on Sunday, Feb 1st. Two young snowmobilers from Montana went out snowmobiling in the north end of
the Big Horn Mountains. They did not return as scheduled on Saturday night. Their parents called into the Big Horn County
Sheriff’s Department Sunday morning for help in locating their children. I’m a volunteer firefighter for the community of Burl-
ington and have a Pager/Radio for call out to fires. It’s always on. About 0800 MST the pager goes off and the Sheriff’s Dis-
patch office calls out North Big Horn SAR Team to search for the two. By 0815 I hear the IC, over the radio, ask the dispatcher
to start the process of getting CAP “In the picture.” I want to jump in but must hold back. We can’t join in on a SAR until
“Officially” asked. That means that the dispatch office must call Wyoming Homeland Security (HS). HS calls out to WY JOC &
AFRCC. From AFRCC they give us that all important Mission number to start charging against. They call Col. Skrabut notify-
ing of the commitment, and he in turn starts thinking of which IC might be available to handle it. Like the previous SAR, I am
the only one in Wyoming that completed all the NIMS requirements for Incident Command Staff and was relegated the IC job
by 1030 MST.
The 2 hours of waiting weren’t wasted. Again I use BJ to help out. I call Big Horn Squadron’s Commander Rita Malone and ask
for use of her squadron’s air assets. She puts me in contact with Capt. Orville Moore. I give out the details as I knew at the time
and said to start prepping until we get the official word from AFRCC. With a Mission number in hand I call Capt. Moore and
say it’s a “Go.” I send BJ up to the Cowley Airport with some special maps, radios, and act as Support Staff on scene for me.
Communications is always important. The North Big Horn SAR Team was using FM transceivers operating off the County’s
repeater on Medicine Wheel. CAP has its’ own frequencies along with air-band frequencies. The problem is they don’t work
together. There is one that will work and that is WY’s Mutual Aid frequency. I coordinate the information to both sides and the
call signs to be used. CAP Flight (CPF) 4935 has “wheels-up” at approximately 1215 with a crew consisting of mission pilot
(MP), 1st Lt. T. Herman; mission observer (MO), Capt. O. Moore; and mission scanner (MS), 1st Lt. N. Mayes. They were
tasked to fly a search pattern over a CAP Grid in the Medicine Wheel area.
During the duration my input is minimal, as all IC’s are, when things are up and working. Instead I take on the role of Com-
munications Officer and make sure that the crew reports in on the ¼ hours, before and after the hour. Then, by 1230, there were
rumblings the 2 had been found, but not confirmed. By 1330 it was confirmed. I “Call-off” CPF 4935 and have them return to
base (RTB). Listening to the SAR radio the 2 snowmobilers had gotten their one snowmobile stuck in the deep snow and ended
up running it out of gas. They spent the night out hoping someone would come looking for them. A group of snowmobilers from
Deer Lodge found the two and brought them to the staging area where their pick-up was parked. Under the insistence from the
SAR IC the two were checked out by the on-scene EMT’s. By 1350 I hear a report requesting for ambulance service to the stag-
ing area. It seems that one of the snowmobilers had stepped in a creek and had water seep into the boots resulting in some toes
that were probably frost bitten.

23 23
 The aircrew arrived back safely and set
out, with BJ, to make sure the aircraft
paperwork was completed. I start on the
paperwork trail and complete the Mission
Packet about 2000 that evening.
The 3rd SAR was on Sunday, Feb 15th.
This involved a much older snowmobiler
back down in the area of the Snowy
Mountains. The individual, from Iowa
had just come to the area for the first time
on Saturday. He had gotten his machine
stuck, extracted it with some help from
others, and told them he was going to
head out in a certain direction and be
back later. He never showed up so the
Carbon County Sheriff’s Department was
contacted.
The search started out on Sunday morn-
ing, the Sheriff’s Department went through channels and CAP was called on for air assets around 0730. Here again, Col. Strabut
asked if I would handle the IC duties and volunteered his and Capt. John Burkett’s services so I wouldn’t have to be buried. Col.
Skrabut set up a Skype Chat so one input could be seen by all and entered the sorties into WIMRS. Capt. Burkett took over get-
ting a crew from Jackson while I worked on getting a crew out of Big Horn Squadron. The information of the area to search was
not transmitted accurately. Later communications with Carbon County dispatch set us straight and I made sure the aircrews had
the new info before “wheels-up.”
The process seemed to proceed well and had “wheels-up” out of Jackson by 0930; CPF 4953 was crewed by MP – Capt. A.
LaPointe, MO – 1st Lt. B. Jepsen, and MS – SM S. Foster. Their Ops plan was to fly toward the search area some 2 hrs away
and either refuel in Rawlins or Saratoga. The Big Horn Squadron had Capt. Moore fly CPF 4935 from Powell to Cowley Airport
and pick up other crew members. Their Ops plan had them flying to Casper, pick up other crewmembers and refuel as neces-
sary before proceeding to their assigned search area. They had “wheels-up” by 0948. CPF 4935 was crewed by TMP- 1st Lt. N.
Mayes, MO – Capt. O. Moore, and MS – 1st Lt. T. Herman.
At 1002 I receive a call from the WY JOC saying the individual was found alive and well and was being taken to Saratoga Clinic
for check-up. GREAT !!!! another successful search and people found alive and not hurt. But……. Ohhhh man…… I’ve got to
get in touch and recall the aircrews that are in transit. Capt. Burkett works on contacting the Jackson crew through FSS while I am
lucky enough that the Big Horn crew hadn’t gotten too far, just over Worland, where I transmitted the “call-off” and RTB orders.
I later get a call, approximately 1115, from the Jackson crew at the Saratoga airfield refueling. They had figured out the mission
had been called off and were planning to return to Jackson. On the way to Saratoga they had experienced 30 – 45 knot tailwinds.
The 2 hours they had flown to Saratoga would most likely take 3 hours back to Jackson. They had “wheels-up” out of Saratoga
by 1145 and I expected not to hear from them until at least 1445.
In the meantime Capt. Moore had returned the plane to Powell and refueled it. He said he would like help in filling out the
paperwork for his flights and asked for my assistance. I’m NEVER going to turn down an opportunity like this. Soooo, I spend
about an hour on the phone with Capt. Moore helping work his way through adding data to WIMRS and completing CAPF104’s
for the flights.
Around 1400 I get a call from the Jackson crew that they were on the ground and refueling the plane. But…… wait a minute……
they’re in early. Instead of flying at higher altitudes they stayed lower and made it back in 2 hours. At least they had a good flight.
With all crews back safe I take a looooong deep breath and let out the tension. Since the CAP plane crash in the Big Horn Moun-
tains 1-1/2 years ago I act like an old mother hen and worry about the safety of my troops.
The remaining time until 1830 is spent on that great paperwork shuffle. Making sure that WIMRS is updated, IMU has all the
people involved imputed, ICS Forms 201, 211, etc, etc, etc…. are finished.
To Major George Twitchell, who has been doing this for what seems forever, “How have you kept all your hair?”
What I have learned (through the School of Hard Knocks) is the IC doesn’t have to be the Lone Ranger. Now that we have
qualified folks having access to e-mails, computers, and phones the IC won’t be alone and can delegate things that need to be
accomplished in a timely manner. Those of us, that are IC’s, just have to remember there are qualified CAP members out there
biting-at-the-bit, willing to help in any way. We just have to step back, take that deeeeeep breath when the situation is coming
down fast and furious, and say,

“I…. need…. HELP!” H

25 25
What is with these New
FEMA Requirements?
By Major BJ Carlson
Some of you may be wondering about the
new requirements set forth by FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency) for all enti-
ties involved with emergency services. All ES
personnel in WY are required to complete at least
the IS100a and IS700a courses which are on-line
through the FEMA website at http://training.fema.
gov/IS/NIMS.asp. Depending on your specialty
level, CAP Emergency Services personnel may
need additional courses such as IS200a, IS800b,
ICS 300, and ICS 400.
All but the ICS 300 and 400 courses are avail-
able on-line. There are study materials available
as PowerPoint presentations or pdf files. The tests
have between 20-25 multiple choice questions and
the answers are usually easily accessible in the
study materials. An easy way to proceed is to do
a key word search in a pdf file to find the answers.
These can be completed in comfort of one’s home
or through group training at the squadron level.
All-in-all it does not take a lot of time and once you
have received this certification it does not expire
(of course that does not mean that there might not
be other requirements as we go along). Once you
receive a certificate of completion that information
can be entered into the Operations Qualifications
section of e-services. Once it is approved by the
unit commander and Wing Staff it will be regis-
tered permanently on your training record.
The ICS 300 is required for all command and
general staff positions (Operations, Planning,
Finance/Administration, Logistics, Safety, Liaison,
Incident Commander, Information Officer). This
is where the WY Wing is hurting right now. We
currently do not have many members qualified
with ICS 300 and therefore at SAREX’s or SAR’s
we can function with only a handful of people.
That really taxes the current qualified members.
Unfortunately, the number of ICS 300 courses
available throughout the state is limited and many
require a person to be available for 2-3 weekdays.
27
Just before Easter I completed the ICS 300
course in Worland. Due to my spring break vaca-
tion schedule I only needed to take one day off
from work. Our class had 12 participants and I was
the only one serving in a volunteer capacity. The
rest of the participants were from law enforcement,
fire departments and other agencies that may need
to use the ICS (Incident Command System) guide-
lines. It was quite an interesting group and one
good thing about the class was that it was free.
The premise of the ICS 300 course was to
discuss incidents that could expand and use the
expertise of various organizations. The use of
common terminology and standardized, defined
staff positions allow various groups to function
under one system. FEMA is trying to get everyone
using the same system across the nation in order to
streamline emergency services and provide a way
for groups to work together to make efficient use
of resources, people, equipment, and money.
The class was a mixture of PowerPoint pre-
sentations and practical exercises. The nice part
about the exercises was that they were always
done as a team effort. Because each team member
had a different background, understanding, and
approach to handling things, it was good to get
different viewpoints. It also let us know that we are
not alone in this ICS business. It really cemented
the notion that “two heads (or more) are better
than one.” In a real ICS situation we are expecting
people to work together so the class was purposely
set up that way.
I would encourage WY Wing members to take
all of the necessary courses on-line as soon as pos-
sible. Then search out and sign up for the ICS300
course in order to help the Wing fulfill its emer-
gency services mission. And, if you wish to be an IC
(Incident Commander) or Agency Liaison you will
need the ICS400 course as well, but that is a matter
for another article. I have not taken that course and
am not sure if I want to go that route quite yet.
27
Wheatland Composite Squadron News
Lt. Col. Assunta McDonald

On March 10th promotions

were held for Cadets at Wheatland
Composite Squadron. Cadet Matt
Court was promoted to C/MSgt.,
Cadet Evan Schmitzer was pro-
moted to C/SSgt., Cadet Jamie
Ames promoted to C/SrAmn.,
Cadet Tyler Stovall promoted to C/
A1C, and our newest cadet, Shelby
Sterling was sworn in as a C/AB.
Cadets from Wheatland
Composite Squadron began the
CAP Rocketry Program this April.
We have completed the
REDSTONE chapter. This pro-
gram is progressive in nature. after school program begins basic emergency service,
Each of the at Torrington Middle School. safety, and drill and ceremo-
three sections named for a Middle School students at nies. When they complete the
type of rocket; Redstone, Titan TMS will begin the brand program they can graduate into
and Saturn. Each chapter begins new revamped after school the regular squadron.
with a reading and 10 question program hosted by the mem- Drug Demand Reduction
test. Each member get their bers of Wheatland Composite will be a big part of this program
OWL signed and then complete Squadron. The group will meet also. The companion book “A
two hands on activities have each Monday after school at Flight Above” compiled by Lt.
a qualified senior sign off and the Middle School from April Col. McDonald, combines les-
get your commander to sign off 20 and will run until the last sons from the Cadet Leadership
and you received a nice certifi- week of school in early June. Book, Aerospace Dimensions,
cate. Once all three sections are The students will get a taste AEX and the brand new Let’s
completed you earn your model of the full CAP cadet program Go Flying book written by Dr.
rocketry badge. by participating in leadership, Ben Millspaugh for the NHQ
The “A Flight Above” aerospace, physical training, CAP DDR/AE program.

29 29
 H HEADQUARTERS H
Wyoming Wing, Civil Air Patrol
Bldg. 233, Warren AFB
(307) 773-4519 • Fax (307) 773-4783
www.capwyhq.org • www.gocivilairpatrol.com
Mailing Address: Wyoming Wing, Civil Air Patrol
P. O. Box 9507, Cheyenne, WY 82003-9507

31 31
 My First SAREX
By 2nd Lt. Jeanne Stone-Hunter

Cadet 2nd Lt. Zubik relaxing in his home for the SAREX.

I recently attended my first SAREX. I had no idea what I was getting into and was a little hesitant. I
wasn’t sure what I’d be asked to do or if I was up to whatever tasks I’d be assigned. I’m still in my first year
in the Civil Air Patrol and somewhat behind the learning curve. I arrived at Wing Headquarters Friday,
July 20th at 1710 (that’s 5:10 for you non-military and Air Force types). I was to meet Colonel Skrabut
at 1730 and had a few duty chores to do before he arrived. As always seems to happen when one makes
plans to meet another, the Colonel didn’t arrive until nearly 1800. I got far more work accomplished than
I thought I would. “You’re late.” I pointed out (not a whine) when he finally arrived.
We loaded the Comm Van with our gear and with only two trips back into the building (one to print a
Form 73 and the other to grab some Commander Commendation Certificates) we were finally underway.
“When are we eating? I’m hungry and need a Coke.” I asked (also not a whine) as we pulled out of the
Wing parking lot. So, our first stop was the base gas station for road snacks. A young airman, who used to
be a cadet, recognized the Colonel’s uniform. We spent nearly 30 minutes trying to recruit him for either
the wing or the Cheyenne squadron. We, of course, felt this was time well spent.
We jumped back in the van, ready to hit the road but all that happened when the Colonel turned the
key was the starter made a clicking noise. I thought for sure our trip was not going to happen. After several
tries the van finally started. It turns out the van prefers the key to be turned a very specific way before
it will condescend to start. It was nearly 1900 before we were lumbering down the highway in what I’d
decided to call the Ford-osaurus, aka Comm Van. I was shocked when we starting flying past everything

33 33
on the road. I didn’t think the van could go that fast and was pretty sure the Colonel wouldn’t speed in a
CAP vehicle. “Why are we passing everyone? How fast are you going?” I asked (also not a whine). He
checked the speedometer. It indicated we were traveling at 75 miles per hour. The GPS had a different
story to tell. According to it we were flying along at 91 miles per hour. The Colonel immediately slowed
to a reasonable, safe and legal speed. (Note – soon after the SAREX Captain Schein took the van in for
repairs so in the future we shouldn’t have people unwittingly committing traffic violations.)
”Are we there yet”, I asked (also not a whine) somewhere north of the Torrington highway
interchange..
As we neared Wheatland I noted (also not a whine) that I was hungry and asked, “Can we get
something to eat?” Having spent long days at Wing during our recent inspection preparation and the
actual inspection, I’d had the occasion to pick up lunch a couple of times and it was always Subways.
“Do we have to eat Subway again? Can’t we eat somewhere else?” I asked (also not a whine).
With our subs in hand we set out again for Casper.
“This seat is killing me. My back hurts.” I commented (also not a whine) to no one in particular. The
Ford-osaurus must have the most uncomfortable seats. They’re hard, pushed too far forward and don’t
really recline because of all the equipment in the back.
We finally arrived at the campsite at 2130. In Squadron Leadership School part of what is taught is
ethics so I was quite surprised when we didn’t stop to pay the required park fees. I was equally shocked
to see a “No Overnight Use” sign posted next to the fee schedule. Heedless of the warning, the Colonel
blasted through the entry while assuring me that we had permission to stay for free and overnight. I
reasoned that as a CAP officer, he wasn’t likely to lie to me, so I relaxed.
When we arrived Major Mike Carlson and Cadet Lt Zubik were already set up and relaxing. C/Lt
Zubik had quite the tent set up (see photo).
A thunderstorm had been brewing for the last hour or longer. The wind, lightening and impending
darkness had us hurrying to set up the Colonel’s tent and mine. Tent building was made more difficult
because the Colonel and Major refused to allow flashlights and everything had to be done in the dark.
God, however, seemed to not care about their “light discipline” rule as He kept lighting the entire sky in a
spectacular fashion! My tent went up fairly easily, even in the dark. (How many CAP officers does it take
to build a one-person pup tent? Three seniors and one cadet officer.) The Colonel, however, had a three-
room mansion and he and Major Carlson were forced to endure the now very damp weather to complete
construction of his palace. “It’s raining. I’m getting wet.” I noted (not whined) when the rain started. I,
being the wily second lieutenant, had decided an inspection of potential leaks on the inside of my tent was
necessary so I climbed in. Who says lieutenants are dumb?
Within a few minutes, a torrential downpour started and I began to fear my tent would float into the
nearby Platte River to the Mississippi River, and eventually through the New Orleans, to the Gulf of
Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. I only hoped that one of the CAP wings downstream would have good
enough weather and be well rehearsed through their own SAREXs to mount a SAR to find me before my
untimely death at sea.
At 0530 the next morning (Saturday) the Colonel gently shouted us awake. It’s a great sign of my
self-discipline that he wasn’t maimed. I imagine I’m like a particularly unpleasant bear being awakened
too early from his hibernation. I tend to snarl, bare my teeth and growl when spoken to too early. The hour
wasn’t a problem. I’m up by 5:30 every morning. The issue was that I don’t want to see, talk to or hear
from anyone the first hour or so I’m awake (ask my hubby!). At least my stony silence and monosyllabic
answers couldn’t be mistaken for whining. I wanted to permanently silence everyone in camp’s voices.
As we neared the airport, we pulled into a truck stop for breakfast. “Why can’t we eat in the restaurant
like Captain Burkett? What do you mean I have to eat stale, prepackaged donuts for breakfast?” I asked
(also not a whine). Donuts and Cokes in hand, we drove the final mile or so.

35 35
 Capt. Patricia Clark and Maj. Mike Carlson checking qualifications in WMIRS.

We arrived at the Natrona County International Airport by 0700 and set up shop. Since this article
isn’t really about the SAREX, I’m going to skip the details. Suffice to say, I had a great time, completed
several tasks for Mission Information Officer qualification, learned a little about using WMIRS and spent
that afternoon participating in a ground crew. Everyone was fantastic, incredibly knowledgeable, willing
to help me learn and just fun to be with. I never once felt my lack of experience was a hindrance to the
team or that I wasn’t welcome to participate in anything they were doing. If you’ve ever stayed home
from a SAREX with those fears, trust me, you have no need to worry.
Saturday night we stopped at Safeway for dinner – more fine dining. Captain Todd joined the rest of
us campers. We gathered around to eat dinner. The mosquitoes also gather for their dinner – US! Even
with a lack of artificial light to draw them, these enterprising pests located us easily. “The bugs are eating
me alive.” (also not a whine) I commented. I was given a can of bug spray which helped immediately
upon appilication.
When I climbed into my tent, I noticed it had developed an odd odor. It might have been me.
The Natrona County Sheriff Deputy, who woke us at three AM Sunday morning, didn’t buy the
Colonel’s story that we had permission to camp overnight for free. He didn’t seem to know that CAP
officers have the utmost integrity and never lie. After grilling the Colonel for what seemed like an hour,
he decided to let us remain and we were able to get another hour or two of sleep before the wake up ritual
mentioned previously began anew.
Fresh from our four hours of sleep in tents with hard, lumpy floors, we arose again at 0530 to complete
the second day of the SAREX. All went well again and by shortly after noon we were done.
I never once whined during the entire weekend but I think Colonel Skrabut disagreed. Actually, I know
he disagrees because he accused me of it. I think he believes I achieved a high level of proficiency and

37 37
may feel I am at least qualified as a technician in
the Whining Officer Specialty Track. Or maybe
he’ll let me pass right up to the master level! Oh,
wait; I haven’t completed ECI-13 yet. I guess it’s
just technician for me for now.
Lesson I learned but didn’t cover in this
article include:
• Don’t stay at a campground without a
shower.
• Don’t wear your best dress uniform.
That’s why they make BDUs.
• Wear comfortable shoes if you do wear a
dress uniform. Wear comfortable boots if
you’re in BDUs.
• Bring lots of extra batteries, both the
disposable kind and the rechargeable
ones the radios use.
• GPS and ELTs are cool toys.
• Don’t let a spinning prop hit you in the
head (didn’t have to experience that one
to learn it, but thought I’d throw it in!) H
Members learn about using GPS for ground team searches.
39
Tracking Transmitter for Search
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Perfect for wilderness use!
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To order or for more information:
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ARS License required for operation.
39
First SAREX
(of the season)
Maj. BJ Carlson

W
ith the weather predicting a fierce spring
storm, the organizers of the first SAREX of
the season (April 17-19) were wondering
whether it would be a go. By Thursday night it was
decided that it would indeed be a GO!, at least for the
upper and western portions of the state. Unfortunately, the storm brought a heavy blanket of snow from
Casper to Cheyenne and did not allow most CAP members from that region to participate.
With members from Jackson, Cody, Big Horn, Wheatland, and Sheridan along with the Wing
Commander (who managed to get out of Laramie before the storm hit), we began the SAREX at 0745 on
Saturday. It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and warm temps. Following the safety and com-
munications briefings, Senior Member Mike Carlson, who was serving as Incident Commander, was for-
mally promoted from Major to Lt. Col. by Wing
Commander Stan Skrabut. Congratulations!
Air and ground sorties were distributed
and soon crews were busy doing the necessary
paperwork and briefings to work their mis-
sions. Air crews were sent to take photos and
the ground team was tasked to work with one
aircraft to search for an overdue plane . With
nothing to go on but a flight path, both the plane
and van proceeded east to Greybull.
Thank heavens for SAREX’s to work the

kinks out. Effective communications were a concern for the

first portion of the day. Once that was cleared up we were
tasked to search in a certain grid. The problem then was a
fluctuating signal that would be strong one moment and weak
the next. It was frustrating, but after about 3 hours of flight
the plane crew finally spotted the “debris” and marked the
spot for the ground team by flying in a tight circle around
the area. The ground team drove as far as possible and then
hiked for 45 minutes to the sight. There was a faint signal
still emanating from the beacon and we were able to walk

41 41
right to it so it was a success-
ful find. The cadet crew did
a good job of dealing with
the frustrations during the
day but promptly fell asleep
on the way back to Cody. A
well-earned supper was the
next order of business.
Sunday began with even
nicer weather than Saturday
and more sorties were
assigned. Three CAP mem-
bers from Casper were able to
join the rest of the crew and
soon everyone was busy with
their tasks.
Lt. Col. Carlson had a missing person scenario for the ground team, which included doing an interview
of the person’s wife (aptly played by Lt. Col. Carlson, beard and all). Cadet trainees were prompted to ask
additional questions as Major BJ
Carlson conducted the interview
of Mrs. I. M. Strawman.
Following an intensive ques-
tioning period the team set out
to a recreational area just north
of Cody and were successful in
finding I. M. Strawman tucked
away in the rocks. The poor head-
less victim was litter carried back
to the van and ceremoniously
thrown back into the van and
transported to mission base.
All in all it was a successful
SAREX, with all the crews work-
ing through various missions. Everyone arrived safely back at their home base and the IC was able to
close out the training.
More SAREX’s are planned for the months of May, June (and possibly July), all leading up to an
Air Force evaluated SAREX at the end of August. Come and join the rest of the crowd and participate in
important training opportunities. This is the place to make mistakes and learn from them. No one is per-
fect and everyone is able to
learn new skills or improve
old ones. So come and hone
those skills!!
Below are some com-
ments from some of the con-
tingent from Sheridan:
“I thought this SAREX
was an absolutely wonder-
ful experience to have as

43 43
a cadet. I thought the best
part of the whole entire trip
was learning and trying the
positions of a Ground Team
member, such as work-
ing with DF equipment,
or operating the vehicle
radios. But unfortunately I
did have one problem with
the SAREX, and that was
the “Fire Watches.” Being
woken up at 0115 in the
morning after a few hours

of sleep is not an enjoyable

thing. But even after all that,
it was still fun to find Mr.
Straw- Man in the morning.
I am now looking forward to
the next SAREX, and the rest
of my experiences as a Civil
Air Patrol Cadet!!” - C/Amn.
Gheryn Height
“I thought this weekend
was good and was a very
good learning exercise for the
other Cadets and somewhat
for me. Everyone got along
and we had some fun. I think
the ground mission and air
missions went off without a
hitch but we could have done
some things a little bet-
ter and so on. Finally,
we just had a fun time
at this SAREX.” - C/
CMSgt. Chris Hodges
“I felt like I was
going to visit God when
Captain Moore did
a 30 degree left bank
turn and all of the blood
went to my feet. Been
there done that - once
is enough. Thank you
Captain Moore.” - 1st
Lt. Ju’than H

44 44