Milwaukee, WI  - Rain squalls and 15 knot winds blew but did not deter the public from attending the Armed Forces Military Display hosted by Milwaukee ’s 128th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) at General Mitchell International Airport this past weekend (May 9-10th).  The ramp was full of military aircraft and some warbirds.

Approximately 80 Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol members from 11 units participated each day.  The sun did finally shine thru, but the temperature didn’t really rise to summertime warmth.  Still, the 132nd Army Band - Wisconsin National Guard - played on.

Vice Commander of the 128th ARW, Colonel John Puttre, commended the CAP for doing an “awesome job.”  “We can’t keep an eye on the public for their safety and protect the airframes without the Civil Air Patrol.”  He stated it has been five years since they last had an Open House and that it couldn’t be done without the Civil Air Patrol.  He said the cadets he met were “very well trained, helpful, and receptive to direction.” 

SMSgt Bill Sanders, 128th ANG Security Force, personally thanked CAP members for their work each day, stating he was, “Really impressed with their training and discipline.”  TSgt David Nyland, also with 128th Security said he was amazed that the CAP not only stood the same duty he did each day, but were volunteers doing it without pay!

Two CAP aircraft were on display – the Cessna glass cockpit 182 (based at Timmerman Field) and the C-172 based at Racine.  The Mobile Command Center coordinated communications between the display area on the ramp and the parking area about two miles away at Milwaukee Area Technical College. 

A recruiting table was in the main vendor area along the path from the bus drop-off point to the display area.  Manned by cadets and officers, the recruiting table saw dozens of prospective members each day.  Brochures and fliers were handed out and those outside the Milwaukee area were directed to use the website unit locator feature and to leave their name and contact information so they could be contacted by the unit closest to them.

As always, the best part was getting up close and personal with the aircraft and the pilots who brought them in.  A tour of the C-5 Galaxy was given to CAP members Saturday after the close of public activities.  Standing guardian duty on the ramp was sometimes preferred to parking lot duty away from the planes, but lunch break gave all the members a chance to see the displays.  Food was provided free to all CAP by the 128th ANG at both locations.

Dayton, OH - The Wisconsin Wing Color Guard and Drill Team each placed in the top three in the Great Lakes Region Competition held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio on May 1-3.
The five-member Color Guard Team from the 153rd Madison Composite Squadron placed third overall.

Timmerman Composite Squadron, along with three cadets from Milwaukee Composite Squadron 5 and the 461st Composite Squadron (West Bend), won second place overall. This is the second consecutive year for the drill team to represent Wisconsin at the region level, and though they had gone with less than the normal 13 member team, they finished with a sound second place; unlike 2008 in which they tied for second place. 

Despite obstacles, the Timmerman Composite Squadron moved forward. It started with the Deputy Commander of Cadets leaving for a tour of duty with the United States Air Force Reserves. The drill team commander, C/TSgt Jennifer Waltho, took charge of the team six weeks before competition without any prior leadership experience. She proved herself more than capable and led her team with confidence. That confidence and a determination not to let anything stop them, inspired the team to represent Wisconsin well and finish with scores higher than last year’s competition. As the Wisconsin Wing Commander, Col Donald Haffner stated, “The drill team was only a "mouse breath" away from taking first place in the entire competition.”

Col Haffner also stated that he was extremely proud of both teams!!!  Not only did they perform well, but the camaraderie and sportsmanship they displayed exemplified the spirit of a winning team. In addition, they learned a lot from each other and made some life-long friends from other states.

A New Hampshire man recently purchased a Piper Cub J3C-65  N# 1438N and found the aircraft had served ILWG and WIWG.  The aircraft was purchased by ILWG on 8 December 1951 and sold by WIWG on 3 April 1968 to a David C. Rivet, Rt #1, Box 98, Union Grove, WI.  The aircraft has been sold numerous times since then.  The time gap between 8 Dec 1951 and 3 April 1968 when the aircraft served CAP is of most interest for our historical purposes.  A 2nd Lt Peter F. Eisenmenga, Operations Officer signed paperwork on 12 Aug 1960.  Unknown if he was in ILWG or WIWG.  James Gates, Wing Commander, Wisconsin Wing sold the aircraft in 1968.   If anyone has any older log books listing this aircraft or possible photos of this N # aircraft or any data on the aircraft while it was in WIWG any information would be appreciated.   I have contacted the CAP Historical Society concerning this aircraft.  NHQ Public Affairs has also been contacted.  The newest owner contacted Maj. Bill Bruring of La Crosse Comp. Squadron inquiring if the information he provided would be of interest to us.  It definitely will be interesting to fill in the 1951-1968 gap in the aircraft's history.   Anyone with information please e-mail Lt Col Larry Ochowski, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Green Bay, WI - Brig Gen Donald Dunbar (left) speaks on Saturday, April 25th, at the annual Wisconsin Wing Conference about the missions of the Civil Air Patrol and its importance to the communities of Wisconsin, the state, and the nation.  General Dunbar also commented on the importance of Wisconsin Wing's intercept training mission, particularly as related to the recent intercept mission of a stolen aircraft by the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

Wing Commander, Col Don Haffner (on the left in the photo to the right) presents Brig Gen Dunbar with an award in appreciation for his ongoing support of the Wisconsin Wing Civil Air Patrol.

Baraboo, WI - Cdr Jerry Parchem, Greenwood Memorial VFW Post 987 recognizes Sr-Master Sgt Jerod Meyer with a VFW Certificate of Award and medal for Civil Air Patrol NCO's. Meyer was cited for his contributions to our

Military-Veteran Community during the recent Send-Off Event for our mobilized troops from Baraboo. His position as lead Color Guard during the public recognition for the troops held at the UW Sauk Co Campus event showed a respect to duty and professionalism. His leadership was also recognized during the set-up leading to that event and at the noon Armory luncheon for the soldiers and their families.

1st LT Matthew Barrett recommended Jerod for the many achievements he has gained as a leader-Cadet within the COLSAC Squadron 196.

Note from Editor: This article is reprinted with permission of the author and publisher: Joe Orso and La Crosse Tribune. It was first published March 29, 2009.

La Crosse, WI - When Lake Delton flooded last summer, the Wisconsin Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was on the case.

Members from the all-volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force flew reconnaissance flights and helped control traffic on the ground, said David L. Bates, a captain and public affairs officer in the patrol’s La Crosse Squadron. 
Lt. Col. Harlie Getter, above, and Cpt. John Clark of the Civil Air Patrol set up the training for a training search and rescue exercise at the LaCrosse Airport. (Dick Riniker photo)

This weekend, the squadron is holding search and rescue exercises near the La Crosse Municipal Airport along with the Eau Claire and Superior squadrons.

Bates, who works as an attorney, said the La Crosse Squadron has 90 members, including business executives, former airline pilots, retirees, construction workers and newly joined, high-school-aged cadets.

This weekend’s simulated scenarios will include a first-time training with a K-9 unit, that will help in finding missing persons.

The Civil Air Patrol was founded in 1941.