The Wing Conference is only days away.  The conference officially commences Friday, April 23, with the Hangar Dance at the Stevens Point Airport at 7 pm. 

Attendees to the dance will get a unique opportunity to see the Piper Super Cub named “Little Poof.” Lt Col Dan Donovan will fly the aircraft in just for Friday evening, providing the weather cooperates.

According to Maj Tom Mescher, of the Milwaukee Senior Support Squadron 10,  “Little Poof” got its name in 1957 because the airplane was flown through radioactive fallout a few hours after an atomic blast test in Nevada. The mission was a special project that CAP took on for the US government.

Marshall Lambrecht, also from the WI-086, was instrumental in getting the aircraft based at Timmerman Airport.  Members from the squadron took on the project to restore the aircraft.  The photo shows Little Poof at Yucca Flat, NV in 1957.  Lambrecht is standing far left in the photo.   He died in 2009.

Mescher will be bringing to the conference Saturday footage entitled "Operation Plumbbob" which depicts the training CAP members underwent for monitoring a 1957 atomic blast in Yucca Flat. 

The schedule for Saturday and Sunday is below. A schedule matrix also will be sent out through Wing-Info.

Saturday, April 24:

6:30-8 am: Breakfast

8-10 am, General Session

10 am: Autism: Your Next Search & Rescue Challenge; Your ideas to make CAP better; Operations: All You Ever Wanted To Know;  Chaplain Meeting;  Driving CAP Vans; Project Hyperion; Land Navigation;  Top Knot Challenge.

11:00 am: Essential Elements of Command; Professional Development; Teacher Orientation Flights; Character Development; Communications

12-13:30: Lunch and Awards

13:30: Wearing Uniforms Correctly; Public Affairs Update, ES: Simplify; Safety; Autism for Search and rescue (cadets); CAP History; Rockets Galore; Top Knot Challenge

14:30: Form 5 and the Wings Program; Public Affair writing workshop; Snap Decision; ES: Marketing; Inspector General

15:30: AEO and AEX; More of Your Ideas; Project X-Team building activities; Operations; Drug Demand Reduction; Logistics

16:30: History of Little Poof; Non-denominational Worship Service

17:00: Social Hour/Free time

18:00: Banquet and Change of command

Sunday April 25:

7:30-8:30: Breakfast

8:30-12:00: Commander’s Call

The days leading up to the Compliance Inspection (CI) held April 9-11, there was a flurry of activity throughout the wing as members of wing staff made sure that every “i” was dotted and every “t” crossed. All the time and effort that went into preparing for the inspection paid off when word was received that Wisconsin Wing had received an overall rating of Highly Successful, the highest rating available.

According to the inspectors, this was no ordinary Highly Successful rating. Under the old scoring system the wing would have been awarded an Outstanding as it did in the last CI four years ago, proving that the original standards for inspections are obtainable. Reaching the highest rating twice in a row has proven that Wisconsin Wing is truly the “Best wing in the nation.”

Never before had the inspectors seen a wing that had so many Benchmarks and Commendables according to Gerry Rosenzweig from National Headquarters, who has worked with every CI in the nation for the past 15 years. Obtaining a Highly Successful rating means that the performance or operation exceeds mission requirements and those procedures and activities are carried out in a superior manner. The resources of the wing and its activities are managed relatively free of deficiencies and existing deficiencies do not impede or limit mission accomplishment.

Wisconsin has once again lived up to the motto “Wing of Excellence”. It is not just a reflection on the wing commander, but on the entire wing staff and wing itself.

Col Don Haffner, wing commander, stated to his staff that “It was wonderful to hear the accolades about the wing, but the scores, the credit, and the accolades all go to you for the work you have done. Credit also goes to each member of wing for their help and cooperation with the wing staff. It could not be done without a total team effort. I am proud of each and every one of you individually and collectively as a team!”

Two weeks from today, the Wisconsin Wing Conference, hosted by the Stevens Point Composite Squadron, will be held at the Ramada Inn, 1501 Northpoint Drive, Stevens Point.  The pre-conference social event, a 1940s swing dance at the Stevens Point Airport will kick off the weekend’s activities.

On Saturday, April 24, the conference will commence with the General Assembly, preceded by breakfast from 6:30 to 8:00 am.  Thirty different break out sessions, from sharing ideas to skills building, will be offered for both senior members and cadets from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.  At the Noel Hangar at the airport, cadets will have the opportunity to participate in a rocketry program.  At nearby Iverson Park, a land navigation competition will be held. 

Among the special guests that will be joining us that day will be two members of the WASP.

Both senior members and cadets interested in public affairs are invited to participate in the PA writing workshop.  A special guest, a professional writer, will offer constructive feedback to improve writing skills.  Participants are asked to submit a press release or news story to share.  Please email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it by April 16. 

A non-denominational worship service will be offered from 4:30 to 5:00 pm Saturday. 

The formal banquet will be held at 6:00 pm.  The program, including the change of command ceremony, will follow the sit-down meal service.  Units are asked to bring their guidons for the change of command.

The Commander’s call on Sunday will begin with a 7:30 am breakfast, followed by a meeting from 8:30 am to noon.

Members planning to fly in to the Stevens Point Municipal Airport can call Capt. John Thompson (715-340-1135) for transportation to the Ramada Inn, located about 1.5 miles from the ariport. 

For directions to the hotel, please click on the Location & Directions link on the Ramada Inn website (http://www.ramadastevenspoint.com). 

Registrations are still trickling in, but attendance is projected to be only slightly greater than 100 members from the nearly 1100 members in the state.

On Monday, April 5, Lt Col Peter Fabian handed the squadron guidon to Southwest Group Commander, Lt Col Timothy Slater to begin the age old military ceremony symbolizing the exchange of authority. Lt Col Slater than handed the guidon to Capt Dave Vriezen and asked if he accepted the command, to which he replied with a resounding "I do Sir." With this, the transfer of command of the 153rd Madison Composite Squadron passed from Lt Col Fabian to Capt David Vriezen.

Captain Vriezen steps up to command with a leadership background based in his years of experience in the U.S. Air Force, and has brought his creativity to any position he has held in the 153rd. For the past three years he has been the driving force behind our Color Guard Team, participated in many a successful ES mission and has used humor to successfully promote safety within the unit.

Visiting the unit for the Change of Command and reception afterward were Wisconsin Wing Commander, Col Donald Haffner; Wing Chief of Staff, Lt Col Jeff Thomas and Lt Col Carl Limback of Timmerman Composite Squadron.

It was a bitter sweet moment for the unit as Lt Col Fabian's love of Cadet Programs and dedication to Emergency Services created an atmosphere that inspired cadets and seniors alike. His quiet leadership and good humor made for a successful unit. As a memento of his service, Lt Col Fabian received a handsome engraved crystal stein designed by Maj Angela Thomas on behalf of the squadron.

The time honored tradition of a Military Ball was hosted by the Civil Air Patrol’s Wisconsin Wing Southeast Group on Saturday, March 27 at the Milwaukee War Memorial Art Museum in Milwaukee, WI. Squadrons from around the state flocked to the city with over 225 people who danced the night away, breaking the attendance record of recent years.

The Lt Col William Cooper Award was also given out to five cadets. Originally named after a member from Group XII before it became Southeast Wisconsin Group, it is awarded to a cadet in each of the group’s squadron who has contributed the most to support their unit through activity participation, persistence and hard work. They are not the highest ranking cadet of the squadron nor are they someone who has been in CAP the longest, but they are the hardest working cadet.

The winners of this prestigious award were:  C/Sgt Nathan Fillapelli, Kenosha Composite Squadron; C/Amn Nichole Kokke, Racine Composite Squadron; C/CMSgt Michael Leggett, Milwaukee Composite Squadron #5; C/SSgt Josh Myszewski, Waukesha Composite Squadron; and C/CMSgt Brandon Nance, WalCo Composite Squadron.

The honor of being named the king and queen of the 2010 Mil Ball went to C/2Lt Mitch Lichtenwald, Fox Cities Squadron and C/Amn Nicole Kokke, Racine Composite Squadron. Each squadron in attendance also had a king and queen representing their respective group.

Next year’s Military Ball is set for April 2, 2011.

Milwaukee, WI – SOLO – At last!  Sometimes good things take a long time coming.  Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Niko Ruud of Milwaukee Composite Squadron #5 experienced “relief”, he said, rather than elation when he soloed at Waukesha’s Crites Field on Tuesday, March 23^rd, under the watchful eyes of his flight instructor, Captain William King, of 10^th Senior Support Squadron.  The long delay from the start of his flight training last summer had nothing to do with Ruud’s interest or intent, but rather with aircraft mechanical issues and the weather the past few months. 

On a severe clear day, however, Ruud made three full-stop take offs and landings while staying in the pattern at Waukesha.  He said it felt strange to be making full stop landings after so many “touch-and-go’s” during training, but was confident the entire time.  “You know when you are ready”, he said.

Speaking after he pinned the solo wings on his student Thursday, Captain King said, “He’s a good, dedicated, hard-working student”, and he was pleased that they could finally accomplish this first goal.  Ruud grinned as he returned the compliment.  “I’ve got the best instructor in 10^th Senior Support.”  Captain King went on to say, “The first solo in your whole [flying] career is the biggest thing you are going to do.”  

 

Ruud flew his Phase Check with Lieutenant Colonel Dan Donovan prior to the solo, but has done most of his flight training with Captain King, a Midwest Airlines captain who is on furlough right now.  Captain King’s interest in aviation began with gliders.  He soloed in gliders along with his dad and then went on to get both his private glider license and his power solo on his 16th birthday.  His knowledge of and interest in flying with CAP came from attending an aviation safety seminar at Timmerman just two years ago.  He found everyone very welcoming and he joined 10^th Senior Support shortly thereafter.

Captain King congratulates C/Lt Col Ruud after pinning on his solo wings