Janesville's AirFest has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition for most members of Walco (WI-184) and Rock County squadrons.  This year, the weekend began with a twilight air show dubbed the Friday Night Take-Off Party and ended late Sunday afternoon with the Thunderbirds final high bomb burst.  It was a long, sunny, and hot weekend, particularly for those members who also spent a portion of Saturday night searching for an elusive ELT "somewhere between Beloit and Fort Atkinson," but worth every minute because of the opportunities it presents. 

Opportunity number one came in the form of Lt Col Derek Routt of Buffalo, NY.  Lt Col Routt, Thunderbird Number 7, is an F-15C/D pilot with 80 hours of combat time and the Thunderbirds' Operations Officer.  Interestingly, Lt Col Routt, in his second season with the Thunderbirds, has been a member of the Air National Guard since 2006 and is sponsored by the state of Nevada.  He was gracious enough to provide the squadrons with an up close and walk-around of the Number 4 aircraft after the pilots signed autographs for everyone who wanted one.

Opportunity number two was Captain Marc Velasco of Vancouver, British Columbia.  Capt Velasco is the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron's Public Affairs Officer, and he requested cadets to assist the Snowbird pilots with their autograph session, noting that both he and the Snowbirds' Commanding Officer, Lt Col Maryse Carmichael, got their start as pilots in the Air Cadets (Canada's equivalent of the CAP's Cadet Program).       

Captain Velasco explained that the Snowbirds use few support personnel because they travel from air show to air show without returning to their home base.  Instead of a transport aircraft, spare parts and equipment are hauled in an 18-wheeler and all personnel fly to the next show in the Snowbirds' eleven two-seater CT-114 Tutors.  Designed and built in Canada, the Tutor was the Canadian Air Force's basic trainer until 2000, and has been flown by the Snowbirds since 1971.

Members of Racine Composite Squadron participated in a flag placing ceremony on Saturday, 29 May 2010, to honor our veterans during a Memorial Day celebration.

Racine Composite Squadron members were Lt. Col. Connie King, Capt. Craig Czerwinski, Capt. Amanda Grandke, 1st Lt. Kathy Dugas, 1st Lt. Stanley Dugas, 2nd Lt. Ed Hernandez, 2nd Lt. Jimmy Hernandez, 2nd Lt .Steve Rubinson, 2nd Lt. Richard Gobeli, 2nd Lt. Ed Herandez, 2nd Lt. Jimmy Herandez, 2nd Lt. Jim Pritikin, 2nd Lt. Steve Rubinson, C/1st Lt Reese Grabowski, C/2d Lt Robert Resch, C/2d Lt Michael Thoennes, C/CMSgt Amber Silvers, C/SSgt Scott Dugas, C/SrA David Rubinson, C/A1C Alyssa Polasky, C/Amn Joseph Cocchiola, C/Amn Branden Haugen, C/Amn Nicole Kokke, C/Amn Summer Myers, C/Amn Nathan Pritikin, C/Amn Miguel Torres, C/Amn Brieanna Willis, and C/AB Joshua Haugen.

Over 200 members of CAP, local girl/boy scout troops, as well as their families and friends were involved in the ceremony which placed over 9,000 flags at the veterans' headstones or wall urns. 

Participants were warmly welcomed by Mr. Marian Lewandoski, Director of the U.G. Cemetery, given a brief history of Memorial Day by Mr. Al Vittori, a local veteran, and were thrilled to meet and talk with two young men from the Navy (LS1 Shannon Heberling and OS2 Nick Heiser) who assisted with the ceremony.

The Sheboygan County squadron of the Civil Air Patrol was the featured unit at Elkhart Lake's Memorial Day service at the Elkhart Lake Veteran's Memorial.  Major David Martiny, the squadron's commanding officer, delivered the keynote address.  Martiny, a US Army veteran, is also the commanding officer of the Greenbush Post #261 of the American Legion.

"Memorial Day is a most sacred of American holidays.  It's different than Veteran's Day, which is for all who have served.  This day is specifically for Americans to spend some time considering the cost of the freedoms we enjoy," Martiny said. 

He also spoke about how veterans continue to serve America by participating in community patriotic organizations like CAP and the American Legion.

"We have the opportunity to help local young people ‘find their way' during the difficult teen years by sharing with them the discipline and camaraderie of the Air Force lifestyle, including Search and Rescue missions, and flying and space studies.  They are a dedicated group of young people that love their country and their community."

The squadron's color guard presented all of the honors and posted the colors during the memorial.  Participating were Cadet Jonathan Brusky, 15 of Manitowoc; Cadet Tech Sergeant Marya Zychowicz, 16 of Kiel; Cadet Chief Master Sergeants Adam Erickson, 17 of Kiel, Emmitt Henkel, 15 of Plymouth, and Austin Davis, 17 of Manitowoc. 

Cadet Second Lieutenant Ethan Henkel, 17 of Plymouth, remarked, "It's an honor to carry our nation's flag on Memorial Day.  It means a lot to us to be able to do that for our community." 

Springtime gave Captain Matt Kopp from Timmerman Composite Squadron the opportunity to take six cadets to West Bend to familiarize them with Orca 2, Wisconsin Wing Civil Air Patrol's mobil command center. The massive recreation vehicle which has been converted into a command center is used during missions when Civil Air Patrol is called upon for disaster relief and search and rescue missions.

Orca 2 and the Jolly Green Giant, the backup vehicle for the command center, are Civil Air Patrol's most prized possession vehicles and were on display for the cadets. The cadets learned the history behind the naming of Orca 2 and were informed that the original Orca had faced a fire, totally destroying the vehicle.

Since this is a rare opportunity, the cadets took full grasp of the training offered to them. The cadets started the day touring the exterior and interior of Orca 2 as well as learning the rules and regulations of setting up the massive 40 by 12 foot RV. Learning the many facets of how to ascend and descend the satellites, how to set out the two slide-outs of the RV, as well as the many safety regulations that go along with Orca 2 took the full day. These rules and regulations are all set forth in a small handbook that seems to carry all the answers for setting up the massive masterpiece of modern technology.

Since the RV is so large, the cadets were also taught just how to guide the RV in and out of the parking lot and in between parked vehicles.

During the first day of training the cadets learned a lot of useful information, in the hopes of one day to be a part of the emergency services experience. Day two was spent teaching the cadets how the equipment works. The cadets learned technical aspects of the computers and networks that are used on the mobile command center.

The two training days used for the command center allowed the cadets to have an inside look of what it has to offer, leaving the cadets with inspiration to meet all the requirements needed to be involved with emergency services.

Orca 2 has been a big help in the disaster relief situations and has been called upon for many emergency service missions. It has made it all the way down to New Orleans when Katrina struck in 2006, it was a big help and a proud moment for this emergency mobile unit. Since being the only one of its kind in the nation, it is often displayed in several air shows across Wisconsin.

This weekend, the mobile commander center will be used in the Wisconsin Search and Rescue Evaluation (SAR Eval) being held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The center will be used to coordinate communications between all Civil Air Patrol aircraft, ground teams and mission base.

Civil Air Patrol's Colsac Composite Squadron located in Baraboo, Wisconsin would like to thank Kayser Chrysler Center, Sauk Prairie for their generous donation of free oil changes for the squadron van for the next four years. The all volunteer organization relies on donations like these help in their day to day operations.

The van is used as transportation for Civil Air Patrol personnel to official functions and serves as an emergency services vehicle for search and rescue operations.

Commander Capt Matthew Barrett (left) accepts the donation of oil changes for their squadron van from Kayser's finance manager Tony Scialabba (right).

The month of May 2010 will not be one easily forgotten for one 17 year-old cadet from Timmerman Composite Squadron as three milestones occurred for this young man.

The month started with Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Josh Gonwa receiving the Air Force Sergeants Association's Certificate of Recognition at the May 3 squadron meeting. Representing the association and presenting the award was Bill Rheingans (SMSgt ret). This yearly award is given for outstanding achievement and exceptional leadership ability. Cadet Gonwa also received a medal and ribbon to add to his ever growing ribbon rack.

The Air Force Sergeants Association was created in 1961 to be the voice for those brave young men and women who serve our country as policies are being made on their behalf. They are enlisted grades of Air Force Active Duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command, retired, veteran, and family members.

Immediately after receiving the award, Lieutenant Colonel Christoffer Trossen presented Cadet Gonwa with his Billy Mitchell Award as he was promoted to Cadet Second Lieutenant.

Captain Matthew Kopp continued the tradition of passing down one's epaulets from a former cadet officer to a new cadet officer when he gave Cadet Gonwa his epaulettes. Both Captain Thomas Kondziella, deputy commander of cadets, and First Lieutenant Jeri Gonwa, public affairs officer and Josh's mother, slipped the officer boards onto his epaulets.

The award honors the late General Billy Mitchell, an aviation pioneer and staunch advocate of an independent U.S. Air Force. Mitchell showed that aircraft could be significant in war fighting by sinking several captured and overage battleships from the air in 1921 and 1923.

Only 15% of Civil Air Patrol cadets earn the Mitchell Award, according to the National Cadet Program's office. Recipients are eligible for various Civil Air Patrol scholarships and special activities designed for those in leadership roles.

Those who obtain their Mitchell Award are also eligible for advance placement to the grade of Airman First Class (E-3) should they join the U.S. Air Force and for advance credit in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC).

On May 23, Cadet 2nd Lt. Josh Gonwa realized his dream as he passed his check ride and obtained his private pilot's license.

He did so with the help of Lt Col Dan Donovan and Capt Andy Blochowiak from 10^th Senior Support Squadron, who tutored Cadet Gonwa on ground school; Gran-Aire, Inc, a flight school located at Lawarence J. Timmerman Airport where he did the majority of his flight training; and with the help of Spread Your Wings Academy through Experimental Aviation Association (EAA), Cadet Gonwa received additional aerospace education and a scholarship which went towards the flight instruction.

The dream started when Cadet Gonwa was a young child and could draw planes. He has never wavered in his desire to fly. After graduation from high school this spring, he will be attending the University of North Dakota and will be joining Air Force ROTC. His lifelong goal is to graduate with a degree in Aviation Management and become a fighter pilot in the Air Force. He is well on his way to reaching that dream.