Butler Squadron - Nov 2007

8/2/2019 Butler Squadron - Nov 2007

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We had a very successful annual Squad-

ron Awards Banquet on 12 November

2007. Nearly every member of the

Squadron brought along family or friends

as we gathered at The Runway restaurant

at our home field, the Butler County Air-

port.

As I stood in front of our group that night I

was struck by

the strength

and depth of

participation

and support for

Squadron 712.

It occurs to me

theres a lot

more to our

unit than just

those who put

on uniforms and come to our weekly

meetings.

As a volunteer organization, Civil Air Pa-

trol depends on members giving freely of

their time to support its missions: Emer-

gency Services, Aerospace Education and

Cadet Programs. Were fortunate that so

many choose to give their time for this,

and more, at 712. What the banquet high-

lighted was the deeper commitment, and

strong support our Squadron receives

from the family members of our Senior

and Cadet Corps! Its rarely seen, and

probably not appreciated enough, but its

the support and encouragement members

receive that help strengthen 712!

Parents and grand-

parents who trans-

port cadets to unit

meetings and ac-

tivities, pay dues,

buy uniforms keep

our thriving Cadet

Corps moving for-

ward. Spouses,

parents and signifi-

cant others of our Senior members adjust

their schedules to accommodate the time

our adult members spend making our

cadet program a success and keeping us

prepared for service should a disaster or

emergency arise.

As I sat down to a feast at Thanksgiving a

little over a week later, I was thankful for

the active participation and support for

Squadron 712 that was evident the night

of our banquet!

Regards,

Kevin Berry, 1Lt CAP

Commander Squadron 712

Commanders Call:

Lt. Berry on the Air!Early this month, our commander, Lt. Kevin Berry,

made two appearances on local radio stations to pro-

mote the Squadron 712 Open House and Civil Air Pa-

trol. On 2 November long-time host of Its Your Turn

Dave Malarkey interviewed Lt. Berry for nearly an hour

on station WISR. Monday, Lt. Berry appeared with

Bob Cupp on station WBUT. Recordings of both inter-

views are available in the Squadron archives. If youd like to listen to these

recordings, request them through your chain-of-command.

Call to Attention:

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe now in CAP!

712 Veterans Day Activities

5 NOV 712 OPEN HOUSE a SUCCESS

Squadron 712 Banquet Pictures

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 3

20 November 2007

Professional Development 2

712 Veterans Day Activities 2

Cadet Commanders Comments 3

Maj. Daryl Metcalfe sworn in! 3

Squadron 712 Picture Page 4

712 Open House 5

Lt. Heads Nightingale Award 6

USAF Academy Program @ 911th 7

Upcoming Events 8

CAP Sinks Subs During WWII 8

Drill Instruction Coming! 8

Inside this issue:

Challenge: How many enemy submarines did CAP aircrews sink during WWII and where?

Maj. Bob Frost, Mr. John Gumpper, Lt. Kevin Berry

Lt. Berry


2/8

By Keith McMillen, 2Lt CAP

Each level of membership in the CivilAir Patrol has their own tasks involvedwith advancement and acquiring moreknowledge to perform our tasks. Thetraining opportunities for the variouscourses for advancement will be avail-able in the next year. Please make anote on your calendar for the follow-ing training sessions according to thetraining that you need.

Unit Commanders Course West,March 8 and 9, 2008.

Corporate Learning Course Central,April 12 and 13, 2008.

Squadron Leadership School West,May 16, 17 and 18, 2008.

Training Leaders of Cadets West,June 7 and 8, 2008.

Besides these weekend course, thereare numerous training informationavailable through the National CAPwebsite under the Professional Devel-opment page. Another source of in-formation that I have found valuablehas been the CAP Knowledgebase,

where I search for the topics that I aminterested in learning. These refer-ences will also reference the sectionof the manual, pamphlets and associ-ated forms.

eServices through the National CAPwebsite is another valuable source forgaining information for your own pro-fessional development. The Aero-

space: The Journey of Flight book isavailable for those seeking to studytoward their Yeager Award. Yourpersonal status for emergency ser-

vices are available at the link underMy Operations Qualifications/National Reports link. This page willallow you to review all of your recordsfor progressing towards various emer-gency services qualifications.

If you have further questions for pro-fessional development, then please letme know at the meetings or by send-

ing me an email [email protected].

Professional Development

Im hoping 712 will be marching in But-lers parades in the future!

1Lt. Kevin Berry

Commander

significance being the 11th hour of the11th day of the 11th month; the date ofthe Armistice that ended WWI.

Bands from 5 of the school districts inButler County were interspersed withvarious marching units, military vehi-cles (current & historic), emergencyvehicles and the Several Shiners motor-ized units, including those crazy littlecars that criss-cross all over!

After the parade, our members paidtheir respects at the Butler WWII me-morial. (See accompanying picture.)

Squadron 712 at Veterans Day ParadeThree members of Squadron 712 wereable to attend the Butler Veterans DayParade on 12 November: Lt. Berry, Lt.

McMillen and Cadet Zinn. We stood atthe corner of Main and DiamondStreets, across from the courthouse andon the block where there are severalmemorials to those whove served ourcountry.

The parade, typically one of the longestof the year, lasted nearly one hour. Itsplanned to begin at 1040 so the grandmarshal, and other dignitaries arrive atthe Memorials just before 1100. (The

Page 2 The Communicator

Squadron 712 Cadets who at-tend Slippery Rock High Schoolparticipated in a special Veter-ans Day program at their school.Cadets were asked by the Stu-dent Counsel to escort specialguest for the event. Our cadets

willingly accepted this honorand donned their BDUs for theoccasion.

Cadet Will Morrison escortedState Representative RichardStevenson, Cadet Tom Raisleyescorted Lt. Col. William Bialo-zor of SRU ROTC, Cadet JustinO,Hara escorted State SenatorMary Jo White And Mr. JeffGriggs, retired AF Captain. andteacher at SRHS.

712 Cadets Escort HonoredGuests at Veterans Day Program


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Page 3

By my last installment, I

hope that most of you per-

ceive my "Gung-ho" approach

to the Emergency Services

(ES) program within the Civil

Air Patrol. It may seem that

all we do is prepare for a

mission that may never hap-

pen. That is most definitely

not the case. If we do not

prepare, how are we supposed

to know how to do our duty ifwe do not train like we were

on missions like they happen

all the time.

Although, it may seem monoto-

nous, you will apply the

skills that you learn both in

and out of CAP. On missions

you will learn to apply your

skills when looking for a

missing plane/person, or when

setting up site security. Bysetting a perimeter, keeping

a log book or even making

rounds, you are implementing

your training. Most of the

missions that I have been on

have been site security, and

putting into place things

that I have learned have been

key to those missions. At

Basic Encampment, you will

implement using basic ES

skills in fire watch andkeeping the log book. The Log

Book keeps coming up because

it is so important.

Everything that we do within

CAP must be documented for

legal purposes, and can be

used in a court of law for up

to 7 years. Therefore, it is

very important that you keep

an accurate log as well as

take care of it.

You may wonder how you may

use your training outside of

CAP. If you hunt or are ever

searching for that ever elu-

sive sock some morning, you

are implementing a variety of

different search techniques.

By tearing up your sock

drawer or cleaning your room,

you are looking in every dif-

ferent direction and under-

neath objects. It is this ex-

act same principle that gov-

erns how we execute searches.

I use these techniques while

looking for deer while hunt-

ing, and looking for my

socks. The psychological as-

pect of the mission - sleepdeprivation, and the wear of

the actual mission - have

helped me to deal with foot-

ball by having an exhaustive

day of camp with a lack of

sleep, also it has developed

my stubborn sense of never

giving up.

As different as it may seem,

search techniques are not

different anywhere you choose

to apply them. With that in

mind, remember our motto:

Semper Vigilins...Always

Vigilant!

C/2Lt Ken Berkopec

Cadet Commander

Cadet Commanders Comments:

We invited Pennsylvania Representative Daryl Met-

calfe to be the guest of honor at our 5 NovemberOpen House; when he we to our web site to learn

more about CAP, he was so impressed he decided to

join!

Rep. Metcalfe is seen in the picture at the right being sworn in by Lt.

Berry as a member of the PA Legislative Squadron. This was a tremen-

dous honor for Squadron 712 and we may look forward to more interac-

tions with MAJOR Metcalfe in the future! Semper Vigilans!!!

PA Rep. Daryl Metcalfe joins CAP!


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Squadron 712 Picture Page



5/8

Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron712 Butler Pennsylvania held its OpenHouse on 5 November 2007 in re-sponse to Gen. Courters request thatall Squadrons host such an event.

The 712 Open House was well at-tended with more than 50 people com-ing through the doors between 1900and 2100! Our guest of honor wasPennsylvania State RepresentativeDaryl Metcalfe, 12th District, ButlerCounty. Squadron Commander 1LtKevin Berry said, I was very pleased

when Representative Metcalfe agreedto attend our open house. I was de-lighted when, after he learned moreabout CAP and its missions, Represen-tative Metcalfe decided to apply formembership in the Pennsylvania WingLegislative Squadron! It was a bighonor for me to swear him in and pre-sent him with his Major epaulets duringour open house!

Representative Metcalfe addressedthose present after his swearing-in; hiswords focused on the responsibility of

all Citizens to protect and defend theconstitutions of the United States, ourState and CAP. He went on to empha-size the importance of volunteerism

through organizations like the Civil AirPatrol, and encouraged all present totake advantage of the training and ser-vice opportunities available throughSquadron 712 Butler, and CAP state-wide.

During the open house members ofSquadron 712 Butler hosted displays ofEmergency Services equipment, SeniorMember Professional Development,Cadet Program and communicationscapabilities (CAP HF and VHF stationson the air!) Our Cadets provided park-

ing assistance, escorted guests to ourSquadron Headquarters and promotedCAPs cadet program by looking sharpand conveying their enthusiasm to ourguests.

712 meets on the west side of HangarC-1 at the Butler County Airport. Wehave this fantastic meeting facilitythanks to the generosity of the ButlerCounty Airport Authority., said Lt.Berry. The space theyve provided hasenabled this squadron to grow signifi-cantly over the past few years. Being

located on the Butler County Airport,712s HQ can also serve as a strategi-cally positioned CAP mission base forSearch and Rescue and Disaster Reliefactivities in Western Pennsylvania.

Open House visitors were greeted by acontinuous PowerPoint slideshow of theSquadrons activities this past year setto a background of upbeat march mu-sic. In the Squadrons administrativeoffices, our laptop ran a continuous loopof the CAPs Missions for America andEveryday Heroes videos downloaded

from the PAO Toolkit pages ofwww.CAP.gov.

Major Frost, Commander Group OnePennsylvania Wing, Major Hartmann,his Chief of Staff, Col. Herbst, PAWG

Assistant DC and Lt. Nicholson, GroupOne PAO showed their support for 712by attending this event. Another unex-pected and welcomed guest was TSgt.Jeannette Drake, Group Ones newCAPRAP (Reserve Assistance Pro-gram) representative. Lt. Berry says,As a new Squadron Commander I rely

heavily on the support and guidanceoffered by more experienced membersof CAP and the Air Force. I truly appre-

(Continued on page 8)

Page 5

Squadron 712 Open House


6/8


Friday, December 07, 2007 Every two years

since 1920, the International Committee of the RedCross (ICRC) has honored nurses and volunteerhealth aids worldwide who have shown excep-tional courage and devotion to the sick, woundedand disabled in times of war and peace.

The ICRC award is named in honor of British-bornnursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, who is

credited with founding the modern nursing profes-sion. In the mid-19th century, Florence Nightin-gale was able to elevate nursing from an occupa-tion akin to servants work to an internationallyrecognized healthcare profession with consistenttraining and standards.

Since Nightingales time, nursing has made enor-mous strides in education, skills and responsibili-ties. In addition to working in a wide variety ofsettings and continuing to manage traditional pa-tient care, many nurses have become leaders inthe development of complex systems of medicalassessment and treatment. This years medal win-ners demonstrate that Nightingales pioneering

spirit and creativity continue to live on today.

2007 Florence Nightingale Medal Recipients

Catherine Head has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Prior to serving as an

American Red Cross volunteer, Head worked extensively as a nurse midwife in urban and rural settings. She then establishedone of the first full service birth centers in Pennsylvania. Along with Heads many Red Cross duties, she established a process fordeploying a healthy work force during disaster relief operations. As a result of Heads new screening process, fewer relief work-ers need to be sent home in the middle of their assignments. Other recipients included: Brenna Aileo is a retired Army nurse,Lt. Col. Steven Drennan is a nurse in the U.S. Army Marilyn Selfhas worked in paid and volunteer capacities with the Ameri-

can Red Cross for more than 25 years.

Squadron 712 is proud to have Lt. Head in our ranks! Her Red Cross duties often keep her away from regular meetings, but shesalways with us in spirit! As this is written, Lt. Head is in the state of Washington responding to the needs of flood victims near the

city of Olympia.

Lt. Head, 712s Medical Officer, is also a CAP pilot who is Cadet Orientation Flight Qualified. She holds the CAP Emergency Ser-vices qualifications of Ground Team Member 2 and Urban Direction Finding Team member.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and

35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members

separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of

blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red CrescentMovement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red

Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

From left to right: Lt. Col. Steven Drennan, CatherineHead, Marilyn Self, Brenna Aileo.

(Photo by Bill Crandall)

1Lt. Catherine Head receives

Red Cross Highest Honor!


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Cadet and Senior Members of Squadron 712 and our friends from the community

traveled to the 911th Air Base for a United States Air Force Grass Roots gathering

program. We joined nearly 100 others for this evenings presentations.

Major Bob Frost, Commander Group 1 was the Master of Ceremonies. After

a short welcome, he invited the two United States Air Force Academy Cadets

to address those present. Cadets Kurtz and Bucey, a junior and freshman

respectively, spoke about their Academy experience. Both described what

motivated them to apply to the Academy, life as a Cadet, and the opportuni-

ties available to them through the USAF as USAFA graduates. Both are origi-

nally from the Pittsburgh area. Cadet Kurtz explained, Everyone [cadets]get to go home for Thanksgiving, with the expectation that theyll participate

in a Grass Roots presentation while there.

Cadet Kurtz is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Cadet Bucey has not

yet declared a major. I went to the academy with Aeronautical Engineering

in mind, but there are many op-

portunities and I want to explore more of them before choosing a major., he ex-

plained. The engineering school of the USAFA ranks among the top 10 in the nation!

I didnt go for the free tuition., said Kurtz, And nobody I know at the Academy

has. He continued, I wanted to serve this great country, to give something back for

all Ive gotten

Academy graduates have the highest rate of placement in the USAF Pilot School. And

being an Academy graduate gives one an edge on any career path theyd choose in

the USAF.

Also present were members of the 911th Air Reserve Station and members

of the Air National Guard 171st Air Refueling Wing. One of the representa-

tives of the latter is a former CAP cadet who joined the ANG as a mechanic,

and worked his way through to

officer training school and pilot

training. Hes now flying KC-135

tankers for the Guard!

Lots of opportunities, lots benefits

and lots of pride; that how Id sum

up our trip to the Grass Roots pro-

gram at the 911th Air Station!

Lt. Kevin Berry

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712 Attends USAFA Grass Roots Program

at 911th Air Base

USAFA Cadet Kurtz

USAFA Cadet Kurtz, CAP Cadet Gilliss

Maj. Bob Frost Addresses the group, 712 cadets

are right up front! USAFA Cadet Bucey


8/8

Squadron 712 Upcoming Events:See squadron calendar posted at HQ or online at

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

Drill training will be-gin 7 January! Well

be using the PennChristian Academy

gym from 1930-2030.

SSgt. Donald Kimball,

USMC is coming to

put us through our paces. Cadets and

Seniors will partici-pate and its going to

be a learning experi-

ence for all!

Drill Training

15 December 712 Cadet Orientation Flights KBTP

14 January Commanders Inspection of Cadet Corps

28 January Squadron 712 Inspection by Group 1

February date TBA Radio Operator Authorization (ROA) Class

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

Newsletter The Communicator deadline 15th of each month

Civil Air Patrol Butler Composite Squadron 712

ciate the interest so many have shownin fostering the success of 712. I amespecially grateful for the help I getfrom Major Frost, the former com-mander of Squadron 603, and MajorHartmann, the Squadron Commanderin whose footsteps I follow at 712.Their experience and advice has helpedme recognize whats important to makea Squadron succeed!

Squadron 712 Butler meets every Mon-day (Federal holidays excepted) from1900-2100. Lt. Berry summed it up say-ing, Every 712 meeting is an OpenHouse! We encourage anyone who isinterested in CAP to attend our meet-ings and learn more about the opportu-nities available to learn, serve and havefun in the Civil Air Patrol!


Commander

Squadron 712 Butler

(Continued from page 5)

Hangar C-1

Butler County Airport

470 Airport Road

Butler, PA 16001

Commanders Phone: 724-586-1182

E-mail: [email protected]

Semper Vigilans, Always Vigilant

CAP is on the Web!

WWW.CAP.GOV

YES YOU!!!

Colonel Earle Johnson, CAPs com-mander during WWI, while visiting awar criminals' prison in Germanymanaged to get an interview withthe ex-commander of the Nazi sub-

marine "wolf pack" that had oper-ated off the U.S. Atlantic coast.Earle asked, "Commandant, whatdo you consider to be the most out-standing factor of your defeat off theAtlantic coast of America?" Thecommandant angrily replied, "It vosdose gottdamned leetle red andyellow airplanes!"He was refer-ring to planes like that picturedabove!

Thank you for the Wal-Mart

gift card given to me at the

Squadron Banquet!


Butler Squadron - Nov 2007

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