CAP Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2013 Civil Air Patrol Cadets Graduate from Encampment at Barksdale Air Force Base New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lakeland- Eighty-six Louisiana Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets graduated recently from Louisiana Wing Encampment at Barksdale Air Force Base. Squadrons represented were from Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Graduates from the local Pontchartrain Composite Squadron included Cadet Second Lieutenant Franchesca Giroir, Cadet Airman First Class Kameron Rome and Cadet Airman Mario Molina, Jr. Cadet Second Lieutenant Franchesca Giroir quickly proved herself and was promoted to a staff position as Assistant Administrator. Local senior member Lieutenant Colonel Kathy Beauford presented on Emergency Services Search and Rescue Navigation, “Are We Alone in the Universe?”, and robotics. The enthusiastic cadets were especially taken with operating the robot. Major Dennis Eschmann was in charge of safety inspections and transportation. Lieutenant Robin Soroe and Lieutenant Brian Vallier were public affairs advisors to the Nuke News, a cadet newspaper. Colonel Patrick Mathews of Barksdale Air Force Base, Commander of the Second Mission Support Group, addressed the cadets on the mission of the 2nd Bomb Wing. Barksdale Air Force Base is the headquarters for the United States Global Strike Command and home to B-52 bombers. A special experience for the cadets and senior staff was the opportunity to “fly” the B-52 Bomber motion simulator in the pilot and navigator cockpits. The Advanced Flight cadets participated in a “Shadow Program” which allowed them to follow Air Force members for five hours as they performed their duties. The cadets especially enjoyed the Camp Minden Obstacle course taught by US Army Captain McKenzie. The activities offered included easy obstacles such as the log jump to difficult ones like the pyramid climb. Cadets exhibited their leadership, teamwork, camaraderie, and physical fitness on the course.. Additionally, the cadets participated in (SERE : Survival, Evasion, Rescue, and Escape) water survival activities such as boarding an air force survival raft and coast guard rescue basket. Courses included wilderness survival taught by Technical Sergeant Mike Slaton, Staff Sergeant Chuck Millicent, and Staff Sergeant Cody Markham of the US Air Force. (Nuke News) Other courses included marksmanship, character development, military demeanor and courtesies, marching cadences called jodies (rhythm chants), drill and ceremony, and physical training. Encampment cadets also toured the static military aircraft park to encounter the history of military aircraft. Major Victor Santana and Captain Lydia Pike, Executive Officer, led the 21 senior staff members who all contributed their skills and experience to enhance the cadet’s experiences. Lieutenant Colonel Kathy Beauford was senior ranking officer. Other Lieutenant Colonels were Charles Chase, Leslie Fife, Arthur Levesque, and Colonel Shelly Thibodeaux. The CAP Barksdale Composite Squadron graciously hosted the encampment and facilitated its activities in The Warrior Center, the installation in which President Bush was protected after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Civil Air Patrol aerospace education activities often include experiments, demonstrations, leadership, and trips to air shows and aviation museums. Activities include robot building and robotics programming, building and flying remote control airplanes, and building and launching model rockets. Civil Air Patrol cadets range from 12 years to 21 years of age. At the age of 18, a cadet can choose whether or not to remain a cadet or become a senior member. A cadet who goes through the whole program enters the armed services with an automatic bump in grade and pay. Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 54 lives in fiscal year 2011. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to nearly 27,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 70 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit gocivilairpatrol or capvolunteernow for more information.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 14:44:02 +0000
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