Butler Squadron - Dec 2007

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Serendipity. It’s a funny word that means

unexpected good fortune. We’ve had a lot

of that at 712 this past year. Some of our

good fortune we’ve worked to achieve

(Washington trip, Flashlight Drags, Open

house.) Other good fortune has just

dropped right on us: Rep. Metcalfe’s sear-

ing in at our squadron, the C-130 flight

and a big one, the Civil Air Patrol’s 65th

Anniversary Time Capsule.

Serendipity!

When Lt. Tom Marak called to tell

me about our opportunity to wit-

ness the sealing of the CAP Time

Capsule, he began saying, “You’re

going to like this…” He was right!

Of all the Squadrons in all the

Wings in all of CAP, 712 had the

unique opportunity of being the

one to literally be a part of CAP

history! There’s a lot more about the Time

Capsule and the role 712 played in it’s

journey to National Headquarters in this

newsletter. Suffice it to say here, we were

very lucky to be a part of this and I am

proud of the way all our members re-

sponded to make the Time Capsule Seal-

ing ceremony a very special event for our

Squadron and for Civil Air Patrol.

I’ll be forwarding pictures and the story to

our Wing and National Public Affairs Of-

fices. I’m expecting to see a write up in

both the Wing Slip and Volunteer maga-

zines; keep an eye open for those.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the

stories about the Time Capsule, and 712’s

role in it, in this newsletter.

Regards,

Kevin Berry, 1Lt CAP

Commander Squadron 712

Commander’s Call:

2Lt. Tom Marak, our Supply Officer, is also the owner of

Time Capsules, Inc. This is the company that produced

Civil Air Patrol’s 65th Anniversary time capsule, and

many others too. Lt. Marak’s company has an interest-

ing web page with many pictures and descriptions of the

time capsules he’s produced; here’s the web address:

http://www.timecapsulesinc.com/

“It’s About Time” is their company motto, and it’s a lot

of fun to think about the day when the items we placed in the CAP Time Capsule

will be removed and examined by CAP members of our future!

Call to Attention:

• Pearl Harbor Attack Remembrance

• Encampment’s Importance

• Airman Sara Pelusi: American Hero

• Time Capsule Sealing Pictures

• 712’s letter to the future!

• Where does it go from here?

The Communicator

C I V I L A I R P A T R O L B U T L E R C O M P O S I T E S Q U A D R O N 7 1 2

Volume 7, Issue 4

20 December 2007

Pearl Harbor Attack Anniversary 2

What’s in that fancy box? 2

Cadet Commander’s Comments 3

Cadets’ Mission Preparedness 3

Squadron 712 Picture Page 4

CAP Time Capsule Sealing 5

A Special Gift 6

712’s CAP Time Capsule Letter 7

“It’s Completely Boring” 7

Upcoming Events 8

Where does it go from here? 8

Inside this issue:

Challenge: What place is nicknamed Motaritaville?

Capt. Mike Lazaroff, Lt. Sean O’Neil, Lt. Kevin Berry,

Lt. Keith McMillen, C/CMSgt Zach Macurak, Lt. Tom Marak

CAP’s Time Capsule

Time Capsules, Inc.



The Communicator

Pearl Harbor Anniversary

December 7, 1941 was the day that the Japanese attacked the US military bases in Hawaii. One of these installations was the US

Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The purpose of the Japanese attack was to destroy the US naval forces minutes after the declaration of

war was delivered by the Japanese Ambassador in Washington, DC. Unfortunately for the Japanese, their declaration was deliv-

ered after the attack had taken place because of the complications that they had in translating the declaration.

The attack relied upon the carrier based aircraft from a combined Japanese fleet. The Japanese planes that were used in the at-

tack were the Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, Mitsubishi A6M “Zeke” fighters and the Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers.

The US forces defending against this surprise attack had a variety of US Army and US Navy aircraft. Most of the planes were de-

stroyed by the attacking Japanese aircraft or were on the US aircraft carriers that were not in the harbor because they were train-

ing away from Hawaii on this fateful day. Most of the defense in the air fell to the Brewster F2A3 fighters, Curtiss P-36 Mohawk,

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Grumman F4F fighters, Seversky P-35 fighters and numerous other fighters, bombers or scout aircraft.

The response from the US forces was greatly limited because of the lack of warning before the attack and the amount of destruc-

tion that the Japanese raid did to the various Army and Navy airfields across Oahu. As it was, some of these fighters made their

way into the air on that eventful day and managed to damage or shoot down a number of Japanese planes.

1Lt. Keith McMillen, Deputy Com-

mander Seniors

The CAP Time Capsule’s contents are nosecret, especially to the members of Squadron 712 who helped transfer them

from their shipping container to that fancy

stainless steel box. Here are some high-lights from the list received from NHQ:

• Middle East Region: An emergencylocator transmitter.

•

NE Region: Region newsletter. • SE Region: Patches, a cigar to repre-

sent the fun of CAP volunteer service,a bottle of water to represent their con-tributions to the region’s hurricanerelief efforts and the region com-mander’s business card.

• Hawaii Wing: A news clip from theHonolulu Advertiser and a short narra-tive about the wing's role in the is-lands' tsunami warning efforts.

• NC Wing: A package on the 100thanniversary of powered flight with in-formation explaining its significance tothe wing.

• PA Wing: The latest Report to theCommonwealth, a wing challenge coinand a wing newsletter from 1945.

The complete list of Time Capsule contentsis posted at Squadron HQ. You may seethe letter, and description of other articles,placed in the time capsule by Squadron712 on page 7.

Lt. Berry

What’s in that fancy box?



It's that time of year yet again! Inthe depths of winter, we all start tolook forward to the sunny summer and all that it may entail. Encamp-ment and all of the special activi-ties that CAP offers are there to beapplied for and attended, but youmust start now!

First, you must have achieved your Curry (Airman), which enables youto attend the Basic Encampment.

You can only go up from there andthe possibilities are endless. Be-lieve it or not, your first school willbe your most memorable and bond-ing school. I can remember my firstENC because I choose to associatemyself with that school.

Next, you must complete the appli-cation to attend Encampment. ENCis a week long experience that isheld every year at Fort IndiantownGap, just north of Harrisburg. Ca-dets stay in Army National Guardbarracks, use their facilities andinteract to an extremely limited de-gree. Some of the activities thatare included are the M-16 simula-tors, a C-130 Hercules flight andthe Leadership Reaction Course(LRC). However, due to the size of the school, not everyone will beable to participate in all the activi-ties; however, everyone is given anequal activity. For example, my ba-sic year at ENC, my squadron wenton a C-130 flight, while Barnes’ and

Campbell’s did not. Instead, theygot a tour of the Stryker Brigadehoused at the Gap.

After you have completed ENC,because not everyone does, theCAP world is at your fingertips, allyou have to do is go after it. En-campment is the stepping stone for all other schools that CAP offers,

with the exception of Hawk. Also,with an Encampment under your belt, you can achieve grade up toand through the officer ranks. If youcannot see that ENC is the steppingstone to your future, seek out anyENC graduate. If you like Encamp-ment, you can go back and staff itafter you complete CLS and themandatory training that accompa-nies it.

Hawk Mountain Ranger TrainingSchool is the only school offered byCAP that does not require a basicencampment as a prerequisite. Istrongly suggest not attending aHawk Mountain Ranger Summer School until after basic Encamp-ment. The reason is that you willlearn how to be a better leader andteam player after attending ENCbecause it is centered on leader-ship, and Hawk is not.

With all that in mind, I strongly em-phasize the importance of ENC andall that it offers to you. Feel free toapproach the staff or other cadetsand talk about what ENC meansand what it can do for you. I hope tosee you all at a CAP school thisyear, either as staff or as students,and I will look forward to seeingwho has the drive to succeed byattending Encampment.

C/2Lt Ken Berkopec

Cadet Commander

Cadet Commander’s Comments:

The weather has already changed

from the wonderful sun to the bitter

cold. This change increases risks,

and the likelihood that 712 will be

called out on a mission.

In order to participate in CAP mis-sions you need to be up to date with

all your requirements. First, you

need to go to eServices and com-

plete General Emergency Services

tests 116 and 117, copy them and

forward a copy to the squadron for you personnel file. Next, you need

to find a CPR and first aid class to

take and be qualified. Finally, the

most important part is your

gear. You need to pack light and

right. Pack the essential items pro-vided in your uniforms and equip-

ment handbook. You mightalso pack things you think you

might need on a mission. Talk to

cadets who’ve been on missions

and learn what you need to do to be

prepared.

C/TSgt Herbert

Cadets’ Mission Preparedness



Squadron 712 Picture Page

The Communicator



Civil Air Patrol Time Capsule: A bridge from our Past, through the Present, to our FutureOn 10 December 2007 members of Butler Composite Squadron 712, Pennsylvania Wing, and their invited guests,

gathered at the Butler County Airport to assemble a piece of Civil Air Patrol history. The centerpiece of the gather-

ing was a stainless steel time capsule created for Civil Air Patrol’s 65th Anniversary by Time Capsules, Inc. whose

owner Tom Marak, 2Lt CAP, is our unit’s Supply Officer.

The CAP time capsule began its journey into the future at a dedication ceremony held during

the 2007 Winter National Board meeting. Items from CAP NHQ, each of the 52 Wing command-

ers and eight region commanders were placed into a temporary display box, pending the

creation of the permanent time capsule.

The CAP Time Capsule is a work of art, an example of ap-

plied science and a substantial vessel which will protect the

pieces of CAP history contained therein for the next 65

years. The Time Capsule measures 24” high by 36” wide

and is 18” deep. It is constructed of 14 gauge grade 316

stainless steel which has which has a particularly high resis-

tance to corrosion. The lid seals against the box with a Vi-

ton® gasket, a material used for many sealing applications inthe aerospace, automotive and chemical industries. The lid

is held in place by dozens of stainless steel hex screws spaced about two inches

apart around the perimeter of the lid. Time Capsules, Inc. has patented its time

capsules and the proprietary sealing process used to preserve the contents. After

a small bag of special chemicals are added, the lid is secured and the time capsule’s atmosphere evacuated with a

vacuum pump. The void is refilled with the inert gas argon. Time Capsules, Inc. guarantees its product for 500

years, considerably longer than the CAP capsule will remain sealed; it is destined to be opened in another 65 years

at the 2072 CAP Winter National Board meeting.

Squadron 712’s role in CAP’s 65th Anniversary time capsule came about through Lt. Marak’s discussions with James

Tynan, Civil Air Patrol’s Deputy Director of Creative Services at NHQ; he is the man responsible for securing the time

capsule for CAP. When Mr. Tynan told Lt. Marak he’d ship him the contents to be sealed in the capsule, Lt. Marak

suggested that maybe 712 could help. Mr. Tynan secured the necessary permissions to allow 712 to handle the con-tents and witness the time capsule’s sealing on behalf of Civil Air Patrol.

And so we gathered in the lobby of the administration building of the Butler County Airport (KBTP) the airfield where

our squadron is headquartered (thanks to the generosity of the Butler Count Airport Authority.) The lobby made a

great setting as it is nearly all windows and you can see a CAP Cessna 182 is the backdrop for many of the pictures.

Cadet and Senior members of Squadron 712 lined up and each in turn transferred an artifact from the shipping con-

tainer to the time capsule. We took plenty of pictures then place the lid on the box,

and Lt. Marak went about the “boring” task of sealing the time capsule (see related

story on page 7.)

In addition to the members of Squadron 712 many others joined us for this very spe-

cial occasion: Lt. Col. Bob Meinert, Executive Director PA Wing and pilot Maj. Bruce

Russell flew in to attend the ceremony in that Cessna 182 seen in the pictures. Maj. Jeffrey Hartmann, acting Commander of Group 1 and former Commander Squadron

712 also joined us. USAF Reserve Sergeants Kevin Wells and Gary Jacobs our

CAPRAP representatives attended too. Pennsylvania Senator Jane Orie, and Repre-

sentative Daryl Metcalfe, both members of the CAP PA Legislative Squadron, sent

proclamations for placement in the time capsule. And many of the Squadron’s family members were also present.

The youngest member of Squadron 712 at the of the Time Capsule Sealing Ceremony was 12 years old; it’s my hope

he will still be an active member of Civil Air Patrol at age 77 and be present for the capsule’s opening in 2072!

Kevin Berry, 1Lt CAP, Commander Squadron 712

712’s flag flies over the

Time Capsule just after

its sealing

712’s Cadets line up to each place

an artifact in the CAP Time Capsule

The lid is set in place.



The Communicator

Steve Pelusi (you met him and his wife Diane at the Squadron Banquet) called me a few days before Christmas saying, “We’re in

the neighborhood and have something we’d like to bring by.” I figured a bottle of wine or maybe a box of Peter’s Chocolates, so

I gladly told him to come on over! It’s always nice to see good friends over the holidays.

The doorbell rang and what I saw when I opened the door took my

breath away! Standing there were Steve and his wife Diane, their sonMark and their daughter Sara. What took my breath away was the sight

of Sara!

Now I’m sure many-a-young man has had his breathing effected by

Sara, she is breathtakingly beautiful, but that’s not what did it to me. It was the knowledge that this young woman, this young American, was

on duty with USAF Security Forces, weapon at her side, at Balad Air

Base in Iraq just days ago! Her parents told us she’d been grantedleave and would likely be home for the holidays; for some reason I

hadn’t consider her when Steve told me he had, “...something we’d

like to bring by.” What a SPECIAL GIFT!

During Sara’s visit we learned she departed Balad in a USAF C-130, like

the one 712 members rode in this past summer. HOWEVER, her plane

was shot at during its departure and had to use tactical countermeasures to avoid being hit by anti-aircraft fire! Sara told us the

combat theatre takeoff and departure were quite a ride that included significant acceleration, fast climb and rather violent eva-

sive maneuvers all designed to make the plane a more difficult target. Thankfully, all that

paid off when the enemy did fire at her flight! Sara said she prayed, and had great faith in theaircrews who guided the flight to safety. She also mused that, “The Army guys who got on the

flight all cocky were the ones using the barf bags; Air Force personnel were all fine!”

Logistics Support Area Anaconda, or simply LSA Anaconda (known in the media as Camp Ana-

conda), is one of the largest American military bases in Iraq. It is also designated Balad AirBase by the United States Air Force. It was decided that the facility would share one name,

even though for many reasons and for its many occupants, it has differing names. Balad is the

busiest Department of Defense-operated air base in the world and is currently the second

busiest airport in the world. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed "Life

Support Area Anaconda."

Located near Balad, Iraq in the Sunni Triangle 68 miles north of Baghdad, its concrete wallshouse 28,000 U.S. service men and women and 8,000 civilian contractors. Unlike most bases in

Iraq, LSA Anaconda offers amenities including movie theaters, fast food courts, dance lessons,

and an Olympic size swimming pool. The base is a common destination for celebrities and

politicians visiting American troops in Iraq.

“The worst part about being based at Balad are the mortar attacks; they’re pretty scary.”, says

Sara. In 2004, many enemy mortar rounds were fired per day, fortunately; by mid-2006, this

rate had dropped about 40% . Due to these attacks, some soldiers and airmen refer to the

base as "Mortaritaville.” “During Ramadan mortar attacks increased. We’ve had as many as

12 a day and as few as just a couple.”, says Sara matter-of-factly. “Everyone carries a weapon

and we live in Pods [modular housing accommodating 6 people, 2 to a room] behind 10’ con-crete barriers. One girl had a mortar round come right through her pod, but the timed fuse on

it malfunctioned and it didn’t explode, thank God!”

(Continued on page 8)

A Special Gift

Me with my hero

Airman Sara Pelusi, USAF Security Forces

Balad Pizza Hut behind 10’ concrete barriers

Airman Pelusi in the “Bone yard”

where Sadam’s old weapons rot.



This is a copy of the letter placed in the CAP 65th Anni-versary Time Capsule, along with the October issue of

our Newsletter and a CD-ROM containing a compilation

of picture files from Squadron 712’s 2007 activities.

“It’s completely boring.” That’s how Lt. Tom Marak describes thesealing process for his Time Capsules. “There’s not much to watch, weadd some chemicals, screw down the lid, pump out the air and replace itwith Argon; it takes about 20 minutes.”

But I did find it fascinating (geek that I am), especially when considering how the items in CAP’s time capsule willbe perfectly preserved by a patented process and will be in great shape when seen again in 2072. That’s whenthe capsule will be opened at CAP’s Winter National Board meeting. What will they think as they go through theitems inside? How will they react as they read the letters the capsule contains? What will their uniforms look like?What will they be flying?

A lot has changed in the first 65 years of CAP history, surely there are many great advancements and achieve-ments are to come! I hope some of Squadron 712’s members will be there at the Capsule’s opening to remind allpresent how important it is to remember the past, and how critical it is to look towards the future!

Kevin Berry, 1Lt. CAP

Sealing the

Time Capsule



Squadron 712 Upcoming Events:

See squadron calendar posted at HQ or online at

www.google.com/calendar then search for “Squadron 712”

Drill training begins 7

January! We’ll reposi-

tion to the Penn Chris-tian Academy gym from

1930-2030.

SSgt. Donald Kimball,

USMC will put us

through our paces.

Cadets and Seniors will

participate and it’s go-

ing to be a fun learning

experience for all!

Drill Training

ο 8 January Meeting: First Drill Training Session

ο 14 January Commander’s Inspection of Cadet Corps

ο 19 January 712 Cadet Orientation Flights KBTP

ο 28 January Squadron 712 Inspection by Group 1

ο February date TBA Radio Operator Authorization (ROA) Class

ο 29 Feb.-2 Mar. Trip to USAF Museum Dayton, OH

ο Newsletter “The Communicator” deadline 15th of each month

Civil Air Patrol Butler Composite Squadron 712

Hangar C-1

Butler County Airport

470 Airport Road

Butler, PA 16001

Meetings every Monday 1900-2100

Commander’s Phone: 724-586-1182

E-mail: [email protected]

Semper Vigilans, Always Vigilant

CAP is on the Web!

WWW.CAP.GOV

YES YOU!!!

When asked about the “Best” part of being stationed at Balad Sara replied,

“It makes you appreciate all the

things you have back home!” She also

allowed that the camaraderie of her

unit was a great thing. “Morale waxes

and wanes, but is mostly up. Every-one was really up when we learned

we’d be home for the holidays!”

As you may remember, Sara’s brotherSean is a Marine who is currently sta-tioned in Iraq. Two more of her broth-

ers, Chas and Ross, served with the

Army Reserve in Iraq early in the cur-

rent conflict. They, along with so

many other dedicated American ser-

vice men and women protect us eachday, and make possible the SPECIAL

GIFT of Freedom we enjoy in this

great country. They’re currently on

the front lines and follow in the foot-

steps of a long line of all who’ve dedi-cated themselves to the defense of the

United States of America throughout

our history. They deserve our undy-

ing gratitude and congratulations for a

job well done. Take some time to

thank one of these service men or women for standing between us and

our enemies. They need to know

they’re appreciated! And thank you

Sara for your Special Gift!

1Lt. Kevin Berry

Commander Squadron 712 Butler

(Continued from page 6)

The Civil Air

Patrol 65th An-niversary Time

Capsule is

filled, sealed

and good to go.

“Where does it

go from here?”you may ask?

To National

Headquarters,Maxwell Air

Force Base Ala-

bama, where it

will remain on

display until

2072.

That’s pretty straight forward. But the

question, “Where does it go from here?”is the real challenge.

We’ve created a memento of the past for

CAP members of our future. Pragmatically

speaking, it’s just a bunch of stuff in a box,

a nice gesture, but it’s not what we’rereally about. CAP celebrated its 65th An-niversary because of the Legacy created

by all those who’ve served until now. It’s

up to us to build on that legacy of Volun-

teerism, Integrity, Excellence and Respectand provide our comrades of the future

with a source of pride and inspiration as

they look to their future.

Semper Vigilans! 1Lt. Kevin Berry

Where does it go from here?

Butler Squadron - Dec 2007

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