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Special Announcement – Leadership Presentation
Greetings,
Washington Squadron 601 is proud to announce as our special guest speaker, Timothy Hillock, former Navy SEAL. Mr. Hillock will give a presentation on Leadership at the Washington National Guard Armory at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 3, 2010.
Mr. Hillock’s experiences offer both adults and students the chance to learn about a variety of leadership styles and applications. A Navy SEAL until the early 90s, he served almost six years as an operator in the field and then one year as a First Phase instructor at the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA. He has taught leadership to all levels of managers at FedEx Ground and is currently a contract negotiator.
Mr. Hillock will be speaking about:
* Servant Leadership
* Engagement Leadership
* Understanding your leadership style
This is a special professional development opportunity. For those of you who would like to learn more about CAP and have been interested in coming to one of our meetings, this would be a great night to do so.
Everyone is welcome! We hope you’ll join us for this great opportunity. For more information, contact 2dLt. Felicia Browell at felicia.browell@gmail.com or 2dLt. Peggy Secunda at lt.secunda@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Peggy Secunda, 2dLt, CAP
Public Affairs Officer
Washington Squadron 601, PA Wing
1 January 2010
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL MEMBERS, PAWG CAP
FROM: PAWG/CC
SUBJECT: Nondiscrimination
1. It is the policy of Pennsylvania Wing, Civil Air Patrol to provide members equality of access to and participation in all Wing activities without regard to, and without discrimination based upon race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability. Membership in CAP will not be denied to any applicant meeting CAP’s minimum age and other legitimate requirements on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability. All members of Pennsylvania Wing are directed to comply with all laws, regulations and directives regarding nondiscrimination, including those contained in this memorandum.
2. Unit commanders are hereby directed to ensure that all members under their command are aware of and adhere to this policy, and to further ensure that diversity is considered in the course of recruitment, training, promotion, assignment and selection for activities. All commanders will brief the policy to unit members during the first calendar quarter of each year.
3. Complaints and allegations of discrimination are to be processed in accordance with relevant CAP regulations, as outlined in the National Commander’s memorandum entitled Nondiscrimination (attached). Discrimination complaints will be forwarded to the Equal Opportunity Officer at National Headquarters, or to the National Headquarters Equal Opportunity Administrator. Complaints of harassment or hazing are to be handled under the CAP Inspector General Complaints program and not under the Nondiscrimination Policy.
4. All members are expected to familiarize themselves with CAPR 36-1 (Civil Air Patrol Nondiscrimination Program) and 36-2 (Complaints Under the Civil Air Patrol Nondiscrimination Policy).
5. A copy of the National Commander’s Nondiscrimination memorandum will be posted at every unit location, or otherwise made available to all members in the unit, and will be posted on the PAWG web site.
6. Any questions concerning the Pennsylvania Wing Nondiscrimination Policy should be directed to the undersigned.
Mark A. Lee
Colonel, CAP
Commander
From the
Pennsylvania Wing Commander
Mark A. Lee Col, CAP
Wing Commander
Civil Air Patrol – Pennsylvania Wing
colmarkleecap@prodigy.net
215-313-4537
15 APRIL 2010
— On Mon, 4/12/10, Col (Chris) Hayden NER/CC wrote:
From: Col (Chris) Hayden NER/CC
Subject: For the Commander – Pride in our Personal Appearance
Date: Monday, April 12, 2010, 8:45 AM
NER Wing Commanders,
Please disseminate the following to your members.
This is our simple but powerful mission statement; ” Civil Air Patrol, America’s Air Force Auxiliary, building the Nation’s finest force of citizen volunteers…Performing missions for America!”
Our Civil Air Patrol is a wonderful organization of unpaid professional citizen volunteers! As volunteers we have chosen to liberally give our time in support of our (CAP’s) mission and the United States Air Force. As volunteers, we join and choose to continue to serve within an organization when that organization’s goals meets our personal goals and needs and we feel a sense of pride in our accomplishments and affiliation. We are a diverse group, in skills and age. The challenge of leadership and membership (cadets and seniors) is to channel our collective experiences, skills and energy into successful mission accomplishment. We should take pride (honor, dignity, self-respect) in the accomplishment of our missions. We should also take pride in our professional appearance.
We recognize and appreciate the sizable investment that many of us have in uniform items – both CAP distinctive uniform items and the AF-style uniform. However, please remember all uniforms must be worn properly and according to published written standards. These standards are not suggestions – if you are in doubt or unsure of the regulatory requirements for a particular uniform combination, don’t wear it until you find out the right answer – please don’t hesitate to ask your unit commander for guidance. If you do not wish to or cannot meet the standards required for wear of a certain uniform combination (i.e., hair, beard, weight for the Air Force Style combination’s), please consider wearing another appropriate combination. When a uniform combination is not worn properly it reflects negatively on the individual, the unit, CAP and on our parent organization, the United States Air Force. If you are unable to acquire a complete basic CAP uniform (i.e., gray slacks and blue CAP polo shirt) consider wearing appropriate civilian attire. Please remember, a “uniform” is required only when flying or when you are working with cadets.
We value you as a volunteer not what you wear! CAP needs – and we greatly appreciate – your service. However, we are not all alike in physical attributes and abilities and – for uniforms – one size does not fit all! Please be assured, if your desire is to be a citizen volunteer in CAP, it is our desire to facilitate that service through proper training and adequate equipment not to overly burden you with cumbersome and confusing uniform requirements.
Remember you represent CAP daily. When you are on a military installation, or dealing with the public in a crisis or emergency services situation, the goal is not for you to be remembered because of your attire but rather the incredible professional work you perform. Remember our core values; Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence and Respect! You demonstrate your pride in CAP daily by your selfless dedication to our missions. As our most valuable asset and representative, please take pride in your appearance and insure that your attire meets standards and reflects favorably on you and Civil Air Patrol.
Always be safe and thank you for your service!
For the Commander
Lou Walpus, CMSgt (Ret)
Civil Air Patrol
National Chief
Education and Awareness are Keys to Safety in the Woods
Learn to recognize signs of drug labs or fields, and be aware of your surroundings
28 January 2009
Lt Col Paul Falavolito, 1Lt Pat Nicholson, 2Lt. Felicia Browell
Group 1
Pennsylvania Wing
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
If you say to yourself or your team, ‘hey, what’s this thing doing way out here?’ and it doesn’t belong where you are, don’t touch it, Pennsylvania State Trooper Josh Giran explained as he launched the Safety in the Woods class, Saturday 24 January 2009, at the U.S. Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Squadron 602 hangar, Allegheny County Airport.
This was just one theme the presenters emphasized. The all-day class proved very enlightening for the many participants of a Civil Air Patrol-organized class that had all involved thinking very differently about what real Safety in the Woods means today. Planned and organized by Civil Air Patrol Lt Col Paul Falavolito and hosted by Major Robin Steiner and the members of Squadron 602, one hundred seventy attendees learned how to recognize many of the hazards of drug-manufacturing chemicals, by-products and waste products, and the dangers created by marijuana growers. All this in addition to the effects of the drugs themselves.
 Trooper Giran, a Vice and Narcotics specialist, educated attendees on these issues and various rules to raise everyone’s awareness of potential safety issues around illegal drug labs, methamphetamine labs in particular. He discussed the history of methamphetamines, who makes it and how, and its effect on the people who use it. The slides that Trooper Giran showed illustrated the signs not only search and rescue personnel should be ready to recognize, but also how to stay safe. Key to this is knowing what to look for.
Remember the game something here is not like the others? Keep that in mind, because if something in an area doesn’t belong, it should be suspect. For example, a milk jug in a bathroom, a bucket of liquid on a roadside, a cooler in a field, or a discarded propane tank, like the one shown here. All could contain  dangerous or deadly chemicals and should be treated as potentially hazardous. Other things to watch for include large quantities of out-of-place garbage, empty solvent containers, propane tanks with greenish or bluish residue around the valves, and buildings, areas, or even vehicles with odd odors. Strange behaviors, too, can be a clue.
Meth users can be paranoid, Giran explained, If you happen on someone you think is using the drug or making meth, you need to stay calm and talk to them slowly. Keep your hands visible and tell them everything you are going to do before you do it.
Trooper Giran repeatedly emphasized that CAP and EMS personnel must be aware of things that are out of place and pay attention to their surroundings. He gave a detailed presentation on meth lab operators, how they make their illegal drugs (called cooking), and how dangerous this cooking process is and why. Trooper Giran displayed a variety of tools and containers used to cook meth, and showed actual pictures to demonstrate the dangers presented when SAR personnel walk into an operating or abandoned lab. The class also learned how to recognize signs that they could be approaching a meth lab; Giran explained how deadly these labs can be. The class received the very clear message that under no circumstances should any SAR personnel approach a lab. If someone finds what looks like a lab, never touch anything don’t go inside, don’t turn anything on that is off, don’t turn anything off that is on. Some of those who cook meth also set traps for intruders traps that can pose a real danger to CAP, EMS, and law enforcement persons.
Lt. Col. Paul Falavolito, director of Counter Drug Operations for PAWG, presented next, educating the attendees about Cannabis sativa, a.k.a. marijuana. Marijuana is a cash crop, and growers are protective of their plants. Attendees were reminded of the dangers of using marijuana, as well as the dangers presented by the growers themselves, for example how they booby trap their fields. With the media hype more commonly given to designer drugs and narcotics, marijuana is sometimes called ‘the forgotten drug’ but it is still out there, still big business, and far more potent than it was in the 1960s and 70s.
The THC concentration in marijuana was about 7 percent in the 70s; today it can be as high as 80 percent, Lt. Col. Falavolito said. Participants watched a video and slide presentation, and with a little practice, most were able to tell the difference between marijuana and similar looking plants in a slide show quiz. Depending on the age of the plant, it has particular growth and flowering habits, and the leaves have from five to nine lobes each. They also learned to identify potential marijuana plants in aerial photographs.
Next Lt. Col. Bill Geyer showed photos and discussed how to recognize the obvious signs that you might be  approaching a marijuana field if you are on a ground SAR mission. Some human-created signs include gardening tools, garbage bags or water buckets, fencing to protect young plants, and nylon bags containing human hair to make animals avoid the area. Sometimes, growers will booby trap their plants or the areas around plants, too.
 Retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jim Fulmer spoke about booby traps, adding his experience and comments to the slide show that illustrated several types, often built from commonly available parts like animal or rat traps, some using shotgun shells. The example shown here would have used a shotgun shell. Several mock-up booby traps were on display to help attendees recognize them.
To tie all the marijuana information together, the program closed with a video called ERAD 97, showing an actual marijuana field being eradicated.
Attendees comprised CAP members from many squadrons in Groups 1, 2, and 6, as well as agencies like the FBI, state and local police, the medical examiner’s office, other SAR organizations, and paramedics and EMTs. In follow-up discussions later, several attendees summed up lessons learned as this: look for out of place, excessive quantities of unusual garbage, or unusual odors when on a SAR mission. It was an incredible turnout for an eye-opening, informative, and often entertaining set of presentations.
The instructors received a standing ovation for a great class.
# # #
First Aid & CPR Class
6 March 2010
0900 – Approximately 1530
Somerset County Airport
Terminal Building
Friedens, Pennsylvania
Participants are to pre-register with LTC Edgar R. Flick with name, grade, & CAPID number to edgar.flick@gmail.com by 4 March 2010. Friends and family of CAP members are encouraged to take advantage of this very worthwhile educational experience. Please refer questions/comments to MAJ Catherine A. Flick @ 814-233-1721
Uniform of the day, for CAP members, is black sweat pants, orange T-Shirt and athletic shoes.
Participants are to arrive with a “brown bag” lunch and a check or money order for $10.00 made out to Blacklick Valley Ambulance.
President Barack Obama issued an executive order Oct. 1, 2009, that bans Federal employees from text messaging when driving a government owned vehicle, when driving their privately owned vehicle while on official government business, or when using electronic equipment supplied by the government while driving.
Specific policies to implement this order are being developed by all departments and agencies, and special consideration is being given to those law enforcement or emergency functions that would require use of texting or handheld electronic devices while operating a vehicle. This order applies to Civil Air Patrol personnel when performing Air Force-assigned missions. Hands-free devices are already required when driving on any DoD installation, which means not touching the phone to answer it or type on it.
It is well established that texting and the use of handheld devices while driving is hazardous. In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that distracted drivers were involved in 16 percent of fatal accidents. In July 2009, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported that texting truckers were 23 times more likely as their non-texting counterparts to be involved in a crash or a near miss.
Dear CAP Volunteer:
The holidays are upon us. It’s a gift-giving time of the year, but I realize it is you – the
CAP volunteer – who gives our nation wonderful gifts all year through.
In this very hurried world of ours, perhaps the dearest gift you could have given to CAP
is your time. In addition to routine squadron meetings, I know I can count on you at a moment’s notice to leave your own loved ones behind as you brave often harsh conditions and grueling hours to search for the lost or deliver relief to those hit by disaster. And I am comforted by the time you devote to our cadets, mentoring them and molding them into proud and dedicated citizen leaders.
All of America appreciates the skills you so generously donate to your work with Civil
Air Patrol. Like America itself, you come from many walks of life, with so many talents,
whether you apply them on your job or on your own time. Taken together, your skill set makes Civil Air Patrol a self-sufficient community. We have members who can fly a plane, who can repair an engine, who can inspire with teaching, who can communicate our messages, who can dress a wound, who can balance our books.
One of the presents that is best not placed and wrapped in a box is the energy and
creativity you bring to CAP. You overflow with ideas for making CAP a better organization for its members and for those it serves. Together, we are working on enhanced safety for our fleet and members, a new text for our cadet program and better access to online learning for all our members. Thanks to your innovation, I am planning for and look forward with great anticipation to an even better CAP in 2010!
As we close out 2009, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for the gift of remembrance
you have given veterans with your extensive participation in Wreaths Across America, a major community service project for CAP. Our country’s cemeteries are now adorned with holiday wreaths for which you sold sponsorships and which you individually placed on gravesites and memorials. Largely due to your devotion, the number of wreaths placed this year increased by almost 50% over last year’s success.
May you enjoy your holiday traditions with family and friends, knowing that you have
made life in America all the better with your many selfless gifts. I am proud to serve with and for you.
Semper Vigilans!
Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter
CAP National Commander
1-January-2010
DCs (and all communicators),
After over a decade of planning, today marks the first day that the CAP
VHF-FM system is officially 100% narrowband, and fully NTIA compliant,
as a result of the termination of all wideband operation.
To the hundreds of Communications staff members across CAP who did the
hands-on transition work over the last 16 months, I want to offer my
congratulations and thanks!
The repeater replacement and radio reprogramming done by CAP
Communicators would equate to millions of dollars, had it been
contracted professionally. I know that the transition has often been
stressful and has meant a massive time commitment from many people. But
I hope you, as Communicators, have also felt some rewards from your
involvement in this comprehensive refurbishment of our VHF-FM system.
I again want to remind Comm staff to prepare award/decoration
nominations, if you have not already done so, for the key people in your
wings and regions who actively supported this transition. Where the key
person WAS the DC (certainly true in many cases) other Comm staff
members should prepare the CAPF 120, Recommendation for Decoration.
I know that there are some repeaters where it was just not practical to
get the narrowband equipment on line, and the former wideband site is
now dark, leaving a gap in needed coverage. And I know that in some
cases, where the original site has “fallen through”, the wings continue
working to find alternative sites. It is important to continue work on
these locations, getting them on the air as early in 2010 as is feasible.
But 2010 will also bring new challenges to the Comm program. We have
ORMS coming online in the next few days. And our planning and
development focus will be changing to our HF systems.
In the next several days I plan to send a series of “update” messages to
you, providing status reports on several of our Comm projects and
initiatives. I think that is a better way than trying to put everything
into one single massive message. 
Again, thank you for all of your hard work, your thoughtful planning and
your generous service in the Comm program!!
Mike Marek, LtCol, CAP
Communications Team Leader
Saturday, December 12th, 2009 we will be assisting with the placement of wreathes from the Wreaths Across America Program, we will be at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. See you all there before noon!
To All Communicators,
The radios provided for Civil Air Patrol are programmed as are
repeaters. Possibly the only reason a member would need to know the
frequency so that the radios can be properly tuned for use by our members.
I have checked the listing for radios compatible for our requirements and
there are only a couple that might meet the requirements we must meet.
What is the accepted radio that is currently being purchased personally
from our members and if possible, can information on a price be provided.
It is important that if members choose to purchase a radio, that possibly
the wing would support the members by assisting the member with programming
the radio.
I am enthused by the support the Civil Air Patrol is getting by the new
radios being provided by the Air Force. It is a long time coming and is a
good step in the
Proper support needed to provide Civil Air Patrol with the communications
equipment needed to support all of the missions of the Civil Air Patrol I
am sure that
Many of our members will be more willing to participate in the radio
communications and obtain the necessary experience in all areas of
communications.
Thank You to the National Communications Team for their efforts to
provide information on training and for their work to insure that the new
equipment is issued
Properly to our members. It is extremely important that commanders work
directly with their comm.. logistics members to insure that equipment is
properly issued and not kept in storage where it is not a usable asset for
our mission.
Lt Col THOMAS P. DOMBECK CAP
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