Arkansas Wing

(February 25) Today Capt. Frank Warner, Wing Aerospace Education Officer, and 1st Lt. Duane Feltemeyer of the 99th Composite Squadron received a T-37 Cockpit Familiarization Trainer from Columbus AFB, MS. The device, which is a static duplicate of the interior of the T-37, is currently being stored at the Commemorative Air Force Hanger in Memphis, TN until such time as a trailer can be obtained for use in making it available to units around the state.

(February 23) The 115th Composite Squadron was the winner of the 2008 Arkansas Wing Color Guard Competition. Cadet Chief Master Sergeants Nathan Hassett, Juliana Lestina, Emily Loewer, and Will Smith will go on to represent the Wing at the Regional competition in Louisiana. The 95th Composite Squadron won second place in the competition.

CAP Chaplain Conducts Service at Military Funeral

(February 15) Today Chaplain (Capt.) Don Seaman, of the 115th Composite Squadron, conducted the funeral service and internment ceremony in Springdale for U.S. Navy Master Chief (retired) Jerrold Dean Kiser, who passed away on February 10th.

The service for this former SEAL was held with full military honors including an Honor Guard from Little Rock Air Force Base, a rifle squad, a bugler, and a contingent of three Navy sailors to handle the Presentation of the Flag at the conclusion of the service at the National Cemetery in Fayetteville.

A CAP Chaplain was requested by the Air Force to conduct the ceremony in place of a military chaplain as none were available on this day. Many of the active duty services as well as the National Guard and Reserves are suffering a shortage of chaplains and the Civil Air Patrol has increasingly been assisting in filling the gaps when needed.

Chaplain Seaman noted, "The experience is one I will not forget and I believe it opened some doors in my life that will require additional service on my part," and that "It is times like this that I am pleased to be able to say I am a member."

Arkansas Wing Responds to

Tornado Outbreak

(February 9) Members of the Arkansas Wing actively assisted in the response to the devastating tornados that struck northern Arkansas on the evening of February 6th by performing 18 air sorties on behalf of state and federal agencies.

The 107th Composite Squadron was activated Thursday and performed 4 flights in Izard County. The crew, consisting of Maj. Bruce Bailey and 2nd Lt. Byron McDaniel, took photographs of storm damage in Guion, Melbourne, and Zion and later took Izard County Judge Rayburn Finley and Izard County Emergency Management Director Dennis Williams, on flights over the affected areas to give them a first-hand view of the situation.

An aircrew from the 115th Composite Squadron, which was in the area on another mission Thursday, took photos of Gassville, three-quarters of which had been destroyed by the storm.

On Thursday, the 1st Air Force tasked the Arkansas Wing with performing damage assessment flights over 60 targets across the state any observed damage. In response to this request aircrews from Rogers, Mountain Home, Monticello, Little Rock, and Russellville launched on Friday and Saturday and photographed damage at numerous sites including Atkins and Cleveland as well as Little Rock Air Force Base.

While this disaster relief mission was ongoing, on Friday the 67th Composite Squadron was activated to find and silence a non-distress ELT in Warren.

On Saturday, Lt. Col. Terry Thompson, of the 40th Composite Squadron, flew two National Weather Service scientists over the track of the major tornado which stretched 123 miles from Yell to Sharp county, the longest tornado track in Arkansas since 1950.

The Wing itself also suffered damage due to the storm on the 6th; the small pavilion in the parking lot at Wing headquarters was blown down and destroyed. The shelter was built in 1995 as an Army Community of Excellence project by the former tenants of the building, the176^th Public Affairs Detachment, 106^th Army Band, and 204^th Dental Detachment of the Arkansas National Guard.

Southwest Region G-1000 Training

(January 20) Over 60 Civil Air Patrol pilots from 6 southwestern states converged on Little Rock, Arkansas this weekend, to learn about the new Cessna 182s with Garmin G-1000 “glass cockpit” instrument panels that are gradually becoming the standard aircraft in CAP’s fleet. While CAP has primarily flown a mixture of C-172 and C-182 aircraft a decision was made several years ago to transition to the new C-182s in order to take advantage of the most advanced general aviation instrument panel available. As CAP operates the largest fleet of single-engine aircraft in the world, the transition to the new aircraft will be slow; 30 new aircraft were added in 2007.

Due to the complex nature of the equipment, CAP pilots have to undergo additional training and supervised flight time prior to being certified in the aircraft. The session in Little Rock, conducted at Arkansas Wing Headquarters, provided a ground school to pilots new to this version of the airplane as well as a ground school and airborne training for the CAP flight instructors who will be charged with ensuring that other CAP pilots are proficient in this model.

New CAP Services Coordinator Hired

(January 19) The Arkansas Wing is happy to announce that the state military department's CAP Services Coordinator position has been filled by Mr. Robert Loeber and that he started this past week. Mr. Loeber is a 26 year veteran of the Air Force who retired in 2004 at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. He spent most of his career working with C-130s and was intimately involved with the transition to the C-130J aircraft.

Cadet From 107th Earns Pilots License

Maj. Pete Orlebeke

(January 9th) Cadet S/Sgt Colby Harris became the second cadet in the 107th Composite Squadron in Mountain Home to earn his private pilot license while training in a CAP airplane. He follows Cadet 2nd Lt. Justin Matthews, who earned his license in 2006.

Thanks to donations from local business's and civic organizations the squadron is able to award a solo scholarship that allows a cadet to receive instruction in the squadron's aircraft to the point he or she can fly solo. Squadron Commander Bruce Bailey instructed both Harris and Matthews.

Cadet Harris is a graduate of Yellville High School and is the son of Michael and Vicky Harris, of Yellville.

102nd Holds Awards Banquet

1st Lt. Jennifer Richardson

(January 8) The 102nd Composite Squadron recently held their annual banquet and awards ceremony in Russellville. Cadet T/Sgt Justin Moore earned the Cadet of the Year Award. Cadet Sr/Amn Rebekah Powell was named the Cadet Airman of the Year and Cadet S/Sgt Eric Whitbey received the Cadet Ground Team Member of the Year Award. Cadet Seth Masters received the Mitchell Award and was promoted to the rank of Cadet 2nd Lt.

Five officers were presented with Commanders Commendations: Maj. Steve Green, Maj. Earnest Standridge, Capt. Marchelle Jones, Capt. Tommy Littleton, and 1st Lt. Lee Nelson.

95th Goes to the Armed Forces Bowl

1st Lt. Lisa Worthington

(December 31st) This morning 6 cadets, 2 senior members, and 6 guests traveled to Fort Worth, TX to see the Air Force Academy’s football team participate in the Armed Forces Bowl against California University. The day was cool and beautiful, just perfect for a football game. Unfortunately, Air Force lost 42 to 36, but everybody enjoyed seeing the game.

Former Wing Commander Passes Away

(December 29) Col. Donald F. Huenefeld, former Arkansas Wing Commander, passed away in Springdale on December 18th at the age of 81.

Col. Huenefeld commanded the Arkansas Wing from January 1, 1975 to January 1, 1978. He focused his efforts on increasing public awareness of CAP and on the cadet program, which had suffered a significant membership decline due to the Vietnam war. During his service as Wing Commander the Wing was recognized for Best Sustained Efforts in Disaster Relief in the Southwest Region in 1977, the Civil Defense Effectiveness Winner in 1975, and Runner-Up for the Logistics Excellence Award in 1975.

Perhaps one of the Wing's more unusual missions took place on Col. Huenefeld's watch when in January, 1976 a meteor passed over Arkansas. The event led to reports that a small plane had crashed and CAP launched an airplane from Little Rock to listen for an ELT.

Col. Huenefeld was as a Navy fighter pilot and had a 22-year career in the Naval Reserve. In civilian life he operated a large farm near Augusta in Woodruff County and served as Chairman of the Woodruff County Airport Commission.

Memorials may be made to the Arkansas Children's Hospital, PO Box 2222, Little Rock, AR 72203. Condolences may be sent through Moore's Funeral Chapel.

42nd Holds Annual Awards Banquet

(December 17th) This evening over 80 members and guests of the 42nd Composite Squadron attended the annual awards banquet held at Wing Headquarters. After a potluck supper, Lt. Col. Robert Penton, a three-time commander of the 42nd, and Col. Joseph Jensen, Southwest Region Commander spoke about the CAP and where it is heading.

Many cadets and officers recognized for their service during 2007. Among them were Cadet Major Ross Macheak and his father, Technical Sergeant Sam Macheak (of the Air National Guard and the CAP-USAF detachment in Arkansas), who were awarded the CAP Certificate of Recognition for Lifesaving, for their actions at the scene of a car accident in Maumelle on August 2nd, and Cadet Airman Daniel Hughes, who was the recipient of the Scott K. Powell Cadet of the Year Award.

Arkansas Wing Honors Those Who Have Served in Poignant Ceremonies

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(December 15) The 115th Composite Squadron opened the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the Fayetteville National Cemetery Saturday at 11:00AM. On a misty Saturday morning in freezing temperatures, Capt. Dave Myers addressed the small crowd gathered. He stressed the importance of honoring and remembering those who have served in the armed forces, and have endured sacrifices everyday to ensure the freedom our nation enjoys today.

An honor guard comprised of cadets from the 115th opened the ceremony. Cadets then placed wreaths on gravesites of a member from each branch of the armed services. A wreath was also placed at the cemetery's flagpole to honor those labeled as POW/MIA.

Representative from each service branch were present, as well as the local Patriot Guard and the Veterans of Foreign Wars/ American Legion Post. The wreaths were donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Fayetteville National Cemetery Directory Tommy Monk was impressed by the cadets' exemplary role in the solemn, poignant ceremony. He was struck by the professionalism and dignity they exhibited.

2nd Lt. Ron Wingfield, commander of the 42nd Composite Squadron, spoke at the wreaths ceremony held at the Little Rock National Cemetery at the same time. Cadets and and an Officer of the 42nd placed the wreaths around the main flagpole near the Pearl Harbor monument in front of a small crowd containing representatives from the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Wreaths Across America is a ceremony that takes place nationwide each year to honor and remember those who have served this country. A tradition that began when Worcester Wreath Company donated extra wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery in 1992, support for the tradition has spread throughout the country and is now performed at more than 230 state and national cemeteries.

Training Leaders of Cadets Course

Capt. Adam Boyd

(December 9) This weekend 17 senior members from across the state completed the Training Leaders of Cadets Course at Arkansas Wing Headquarters in Little Rock. This 2-day course is meant to prepare adults to lead cadets and administer the CAP Cadet Program at the squadron level.

TLC is organized around four blocks of instruction: Strategic Perspectives, Leading Cadets, Managing a Cadet Program, and a Practicum, the "Virtual Cadet Squadron." Instructors were Lt. Col. Larry Webster, Maj. Bobby Allison, and Capt. Jean-Andre Parmiter, the new Wing Director of Cadet Programs.

42nd Tours New ADEM

Emergency Operations Center

(December 6) This evening over 20 cadets and officers of the 42nd Composite Squadron had the opportunity to visit the new headquarters building of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management that was completed this year at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Capt. Aaron Adams, also an ADEM employee, conducted the tour which included the press briefing room, the NASA control-center like EOC, and the Governor's conference room. A video tour of the facility is available here.

(November 29) Cadets from the 102nd Composite Squadron provided a color guard to open the Russellville Christmas Parade. Cadets pictured from left to right include: C/Amn Ault, C/CMSgt Masters, C/SSgt Whitbey, and C/SrA Powell.

Cadets from 102nd Attend

Texas Wing CTEP

1st Lt. Jennifer Richardson

(November 25) Two cadets from the 102nd Composite Squadron recently completed leadership training as part of the Texas Wing Cadet Training and Education Program (CTEP). CTEP, held each spring and fall at Camp Mabry in Austin, TX, is designed to provide cadets with an intense, hands-on leadership experience.

C/2Lt Seth Masters attended Cadet Officer Training School which focused on topics such as decision making, problem solving, communication, and the supervisory role of cadet officers. C/SrA Rebekah Powell attended Cadet Non-Commissioned Officer Academy where she received training in leadership and effective communications skills as well as advanced instruction in the execution and teaching of drill and ceremonies.

While the cadets sacrificed part of their Thanksgiving break to attend, both reported that they were glad they went.

Wing Receives Two New Planes

(November 19) Monday afternoon the Arkansas Wing took delivery of two new airplanes that will be assigned to Little Rock and Rogers. The brand new Cessna 182T single-engine airplanes have the most advanced avionics on the market, the Garmin G-1000 glass-cockpit system, and have an approximate value of $350,000 each.

These 4-seat aircraft have 230 horsepower engines that allow them to cruise at about 150 miles per hour with a range of over 600 miles. Additionally, each aircraft is equipped with advanced communication equipment that allows the transmission of photos taken while in flight to the ground stations using a satellite-based cell-phone and also have radio-tracking devices used to locate aircraft emergency distress beacons.

Major Joel Buckner, Wing Vice Commander, said, “With these aircraft the Arkansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol will have the capability to rapidly respond to any national or state emergency need from the Gulf Coast to the upper Midwest.”

Field Exercise in Perry County

Capt. Jacob Hiles

(November 18) Today twenty CAP Officers and Cadets from the 42nd, 40th, and 102nd Composite Squadrons completed a three-day field training exercise held at Glenhaven Youth Ranch, near Plainview in Perry County.

The Youth Ranch was the focus for a massive lost person search in August in which CAP played an important role and that scenario was incorporated into a practice grid search.

Among the skills taught were patient packaging, treatment and prevention of hot and cold weather injuries, search theory, ELT search, fire and shelter building, and land navigation.

One of the practice searches was conducted partially at night and the exercise was capped with a 1.2 mile hike carrying a full 72-hour pack.

Arkansas Wing Honors Veterans Day

(November 11) Two Arkansas Wing units, the 95th and 99th Composite Squadrons, participated in events honoring our nation's veterans this weekend.

On Saturday, the 95th Composite Squadron had 12 cadets and 6 officers march in the Veterans Day parade in Texarkana. The squadron fielded a flight of cadets in addition to the color guard, comprised of C/AB Harley, C/SMSgt Woods, C/TSgt Brown, and C/SrA Jones.

On Monday, the Color Guard from the 99th Composite Squadron of West Memphis led the Vietnam Veterans Association Group in the Memphis, Tennessee Veteran's Day Parade.

CAP Building in Hot Springs Gets New Look

Lt. Col. Charles Bishop

(November 10) Despite facing poor weather members and family of the 40th Composite Squadron dedicated part of their Veteran's Day weekend to sprucing up squadron headquarters at the Hot Springs Airport. The entire building was scraped, caulked, and then painted with CAP colors (gray with blue trim).

95th Holds Bivouac

1st Lt. Lisa Worthington

(November 3) Today fifteen members of the 95th Composite Squadron concluded a two-day bivouac in Little River County. The event focused on training new cadets in ground team search and rescue skills such as land navigation, use of signal mirrors and whistles, line searches, and emergency shelters.

Arkansas Wing Holds Annual Conference

(October 27) The Arkansas Wing held its annual conference at Wing headquarters in Little Rock today. The day opened with presentations on the status of the Wing and Region by Col. Bucky Britton and Col. Joe Jensen. Lt. Col. John Desmarais, of CAP National Headquarters spoke on the CAP operations and upcoming missions

Several members of the Little Rock Air Force Base's 314th Airlift Wing briefed the members on bird strike hazards in the area and low-level routes flown by C-130s in the central Arkansas area.

After lunch a variety of sessions were held including leadership seminars for cadets, aerospace education, public affairs, the Web Mission Information Reporting System, emergency services training qualification documentation, airport construction, and the wing cadet program.

The Wing banquet held in the evening at the Scimitar Shrine Center. Arkansas Department of Emergency Management Director David Maxwell spoke about challenges involving current homeland security and natural disaster preparation and response issues.

The following awards were presented during the conference by Colonels Britton and Jensen:

Squadron of the Year

115th Composite Squadron (Rogers)

Squadron Commander of the Year

Lt. Col. Max Gore, 115th Composite Squadron

Senior Member of the Year

Capt. Reba Wingfield, Wing Headquarters

Robert L. Penton Aircrew Excellence Award

Lt. Col. Loren Ainsworth, 95th Composite Squadron

Ground Team Member of the Year

Maj. James "Chic" Matthews, Wing Headquarters

James C. Stevens Support Award

Lt. Col. Herb Williams, Wing Headquarters

Commanders Award for Excellence in Flight Training Maj. Bruce Bailey, 107th Composite Squadron

Arkansas Wing Outstanding Family of the Year

The Stuart Allen Family, 115th Composite Squadron

Outstanding Unit Public Affairs Officer Award

1st Lt. Anne Formanek, 115th Comp. Squadron/Wing Staff

Frank G. Brewer Aerospace Education Award (Senior)

Capt. Craig Young, 115th Composite Squadron

Frank G. Brewer Aerospace Education Award (Cadet)

Cadet 1st Lt. Johanna M. Gomez, 115th Composite Squadron

Cadet of the Year:

Cadet Davyd R. Fitzhugh, 95th Composite Squadron

Cadet Junior Officer of the Year

Cadet 1st Lt. Jason P. Finney, 115th Composite Squadron

Cadet NCO of the Year

Cadet 2nd Lt. Kendal Worthington, 95th Composite Squadron

Cadet Ground Team Member of the Year

Cadet SMSgt Nathan Hassett, 115th Composite Squadron

Additionally CAP-USAF State Director Robert Betzold was named as the FAA's Southwest Region Safety Team Representative of the Year.

Guard member, son make a difference

Master Sgt. Bob Oldham

189th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

(October 26) In a coma, 19-year-old Katie Gleason of Little Rock didn't know Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Sam Macheak (also a member of the Arkansas CAP-USAF staff) or his son, Ross, a 42nd Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol cadet major, before she slipped into an unresponsive state.

They all met Aug. 2, but she doesn't recall it. They helped stabilize her until the ambulance and fire crews could arrive.

Young Katie was driving along Maumelle Boulevard on her way to meet a Mary Kay cosmetics client. It was about 6:20 p.m. as she attempted to make a left turn across two lanes of traffic. Unfortunately, she couldn't see past a row of cars that were opposite of her that were also trying to make a left turn. She waited patiently for an opening in the traffic. She thought she had one and pressed the accelerator with her foot. Today, she still doesn't remember the Ford F-250 that slammed into her four-door Toyota Camry at about 55 mph.

"It's like playing Russian roulette" at that intersection, Katie's mother, Kelly Gleason, said. To date, there have been more than a dozen vehicle accidents at that intersection. The Macheaks -- Sam, Ross and family -- were on their way out to eat in Maumelle. They were in heavy traffic when Sam saw the accident happen.

As the truck hit, he saw a perfect bubble erupt from the car as the glass in Katie's car exploded in every direction from the collision. Sam pulled off the road and jumped out. Ross followed.

"(Katie) was semi-conscious for a moment," Sam said.

She was in good hands. Sam works in the information technology department at Baptist Health and has current life-saving skills in first aid, plus annual Air Force self-aid and buddy care training. Ross has received training from the Civil Air Patrol to search for downed aircraft. Aircraft often go down in remote locations, so searchers have to know how to treat a myriad of injuries.

"I jumped in the (driver's side) back door," Sam said. "Ross went in through what was left of the passenger-side door."

The car was a crumpled mess. "The [front] passenger's seat just basically disappeared," he said. "I don't know where it went, either; under the car or into the engine."

As traumatic as the crash was, Katie was fortunate. She was wearing her seatbelt, and she was wrapped in an airbag cocoon. In 2003, 5,240 teens were killed in passenger-vehicle crashes, and 458,000 teens were injured, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. Sixty-three percent of the fatally injured 16-to-20-year-old passenger vehicle occupants were unrestrained, compared to 55 percent for adults 21 or older. In 2003, an estimated 2,488 lives were saved by air bags.

Katie was banged up, bruised and bloodied. She was having trouble breathing, and her car was starting to smoke.

While Sam and Ross stabilized her in the driver's seat, someone unhooked the battery cables, causing the smoke to stop.

Sam kept her airway open while Ross ran a mental checklist of injuries: lacerations, possible broken bones, possible head and neck injuries, light pulse. Within five minutes, emergency crews were on scene, working to remove her from her car.

Four excruciatingly long days later, Katie's eyes opened. She had suffered a tiny bleeding brain injury, lacerations and a fracture at L3 in her back. She spent a month in the hospital, followed by weeks of physical therapy and occupational therapy. She's well on the road to recovery, thanks to a father and a son who chose to make a difference on Aug. 2.

Cadet Promotions in the 107th

Maj. Pete Orlebeke

(October 9) Three CAP cadets received awards and were promoted at a ceremony this evening at the Ozark Regional Airport near Mountain Home. Cadet Josiah Marcum, Cadet Commander, received the prestigious Amelia Earhardt award and was promoted to Cadet Captain. Cadets Jesse Ludvigsen and Justin Matthews received the Billy Mitchell award and were promoted to Cadet 2nd Lieutenant.

115th Holds Milestone Ceremony

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(October 8) This evening the 115th Composite Squadron held a Milestone Ceremony at the Rogers Airport, promoting two individuals.

Lt. Col. Stephen Gray (USAF) presented the Billy Mitchell Award to C/2Lt. Matthew Heckmann. Col. Gray, President of the Northwest Arkansas Veterans' Association and Senior Military and Veterans Advisor to Rep. John Boozman, spoke about aspects of leadership. He emphasized the importance of fighting through difficult times, making tough decisions, and taking care of those who work for you. The CAP cadet program introduces these aspects early on, providing a chance to identify and develop skills needed for difficult situations.

Evelyn Allen was then promoted to Captain. Capt. Allen has completed Level II of the Senior Member Professional Development Program, and has earned her Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. award.

A short reception offering cake and refreshments followed the ceremony.

Cadet from 120th Receives Mitchell Award

Capt. John Brandon

(October 1) Davis L. Spurlock received the General Billy Mitchell Award and was promoted to Cadet 2nd Lieutenant in a Civil Air Patrol ceremony at Jonesboro this evening.

2nd Lt. Spurlock is the new Executive Officer for the cadets of the 120th Composite Squadron in Jonesboro, and he is a sophomore at Valley View High School. 2nd Lt. Spurlock joined CAP in May, 2004, and has exhibited exceptional leadership qualities in his involvement in CAP activities. He is the son of Dennis and Marilyn Spurlock of Jonesboro, both of whom are also CAP members. 2nd Lt. Spurlock also participates in the ROTC program at Valley View High School.

Barbara Halsey, 2nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge in Jonesboro made the presentation of the Billy Mitchell award to Spurlock, and his new rank was pinned on him by Judge Halsey and his mother. The Billy Mitchell award has existed since 1964, and honors the late Brigadier General Billy Mitchell who was an aviation pioneer and staunch supporter of an independent Air Force for America.

News from the 95th

1st Lt. Lisa Worthington

(September 22) The 95th Composite Squadron has been undergoing some leadership changes this month; Capt. Leonard Russell has assumed the position of Deputy Commander for Seniors and 1st Lt. Lisa Worthington is now the Deputy Commander for Cadets.

The 95th is conducting a recruiting drive and is manning an informational booth all week, next to the Air Force and Air Force Reserve recruiters booth, at the Four States Fair. The booth won 1st Place for "Inside Commercial Booth". The squadron will be hosting an open house for prospective members on September 24th, which was promoted in an article in the Texarkana Gazette on the 21st.

Arkansas Wing Receives WMD/Terrorist Awareness Training

(September 22) Seventeen members of the Arkansas Wing were the first to complete the AWR-160 WMD/Terrorist Awareness course under the direction of Capt. Aaron Adams, a full-time employee of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management as well as Arkansas Wing Emergency Services Training Officer (Ground). This course is the National Weapons of Mass Destruction Standardized Awareness Program training curriculum provided by the US Department of Homeland Security and is designed for all emergency response and coordination personnel nationwide, and provides these personnel with the basic training needed to recognize, avoid, and identify WMD’s and suspicious / terrorist activities.

Change of Command in the 42nd Composite Squadron

(September 17) This evening 2nd Lieutenant Ron Wingfield assumed command of the 42nd Composite Squadron in a ceremony presided over by Wing Commander Col. Bucky Britton. Captain Bruce Brown, who has led the 42nd since April, 2006 will continue his duties as the Wing's Assistant Disaster Relief Officer.

Lt. Wingfield joined the Civil Air Patrol in October, 2005 and has been serving as the squadron's Deputy Commander for Seniors. After a long career as a computer programmer he is currently co-owner of SSX Boats, a boat building company. He is a pilot and owns a Beechcraft BE77 Skipper.

Multi-Squadron Exercise Focuses on Ground Team Training

(September 15) As part of the Wing-wide distributed SAREX for September 1-15, elements of three squadrons participated in a search and rescue exercise today in the Flatside Wilderness Area that concentrated on ground team training. Simulated SARSAT information for an ELT were delivered to an aircrew from the 102nd Composite Squadron which launched and after pinpointing the location of the practice beacon guided in ground teams from the 40th and 102nd Composite Squadrons to the "crash" site. A team from the 42nd Composite Squadron joined them at the site where they conducted a missing person search for the a survivor of the crash. The exercise concluded with a search for a second practice emergency beacon.

Arkansas Wing Hosts SAR Management Course

(September 9) This weekend the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center brought their Search and Rescue Management Course to Wing headquarters in Arkansas where over 20 students from CAP, the Air Force, ADEM, and local emergency management agencies learned how the AFRCC oversees missing airplane, ELT, and other missions and the resources available in these circumstances. The 2-day course concluded with a tabletop exercise simulating a missing airplane search.

Arkansas Wing Searches for Missing Person in Perry County

(August 30) The Arkansas Wing was activated this week to participate in the search for Mr. John Thompson, 85, who went missing in Perry County early Monday morning. An 11 person ground team comprised of members of the Rogers, Batesville, and Fort Smith squadrons arrived at the Incident Command Post at the Glenhaven Youth Ranch on Wednesday and joined with personnel from other local and state agencies in searching the thick underbrush for any signs of the missing man. The ground team was led by Sgt. Sean Walters, of the 115th and Maj. Chic Matthews, of Wing Headquarters, served as the CAP liaison with mission staff.

An aircrew, equipped with a heat-sensing camera, from the Russellville squadron launched on Wednesday evening but was forced to return to base after a thunderstorm began over the search area. The ground team stayed at the youth ranch that evening and continued their efforts on Thursday despite intermittent rain assisted by an aircrew from the Texarkana squadron, which flew search patterns over the search area for about two hours. The ground team members returned to their home units Thursday evening after finding no trace of the missing man.

On Saturday and Sunday the Russellville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, and Texarkana units returned the search area until the search was suspended by local authorities Sunday afternoon.

115th Receives $1,000 Donation

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(August 28) Today the 115th Composite Squadron was presented with a check for $1,000 from the Regional Operations Center of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Cadet Commander C/2Lt. Arthur Formanek accepted the check on behalf of Capt. Dave Myers, who was unable to be present. The check, designated for the cadet program, was presented at the Rogers Municipal Airport at 7pm.

Two Cadets Promoted in Texarkana

(August 27) This evening two members of the 95th Composite Squadron in Texarkana received cadet program awards at a ceremony attended by Wing Commander Col. Bucky Briton, Vice Wing Commander Maj. Joel Buckner, and Wing Director of Cadet Programs Maj. Bobby Allison.

Davyd Fitzhugh received the Amelia Earhart Award and was promoted to the rank of Cadet Captain and Kendall Worthington was presented with the Billy Mitchell Award and promoted to Cadet 2nd Lieutenant.

Change of Command in Hot Springs

(August 21) At a ceremony held tonight at the CAP building in Hot Springs, Capt. David Robbins turned over command of the 40th Composite Squadron, which he has held for two years, to Capt. Richard Davis. Capt. Davis joined CAP in January, 2004 and had been serving as the Assistant Counterdrug Officer at Wing Headquarters.

ELT Mission in Eastern Arkansas

(August 8) The Civil Air Patrol was activated by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center Monday evening to look for an aircraft distress beacon in eastern Arkansas that was detected by a satellite monitored by the Air Force. While designed to activate when an airplane crashes, these beacons are prone to being set off by mechanical failure or hard landings, or mishandling by pilots or mechanics and the receipt of a signal from these beacons does not necessarily indicate that an airplane crash has occurred. Only 1 in 12 signals from the type of beacons carried by most aircraft are the result of a distress situation.

A CAP ground search team from West Memphis and a CAP airplane from Jonesboro worked with local authorities throughout the night in an effort to determine the source of the emergency signal.

On Tuesday the Tennessee and Mississippi Wings were activated while Arkansas Wing stood down as it seemed as if the signal was no longer in Arkansas. This evening the search was suspended after a crew from Mississippi Wing was able to get close enough to the signal to overhear voices on the frequency, which indicates that it was actually originating from a radio transmitter rather than an emergency beacon, but they were not able to determine its exact location.

Since the transmission was not related to emergency communications, the CAP search was called off and information about the transmission will be provided to the Federal Communications Commission which is responsible for responding to improper use of emergency frequencies.

The search was made difficult because the satellite that monitors this frequency was unable to provide consistent information on where it originated from on the ground, probably due to what we now know was the probable source of the signal. At various times the signal was traced to sites between Forrest City, Memphis, and Tunica.

An unusual amount of media activity was associated with this search, most likely due to misunderstandings about the generally routine nature of ELT searches.

Wing Assists in Search for Missing Teenagers

(August 2) An aircrew from the 107th Composite Squadron in Mountain Home was activated by the AFRCC today at the request of the Searcy County Sheriff to participate in the search for two teenagers who have been missing for four days. The 107th conducted a route search along the Buffalo River from the Hwy 65 to Highway 14 bridges, but did not find any evidence of the couple.

Arkansans Complete Advanced Training

(August 2) Five senior members of the Arkansas Wing recently completed advanced training in leadership and emergency services.

Major Chic Matthews of Wing Staff and 2nd Lieutenant Daymond Hill, of the 95th Composite Squadron attended the National Emergency Services Academy in Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Maj. Matthews completed the Incident Command System Basic and Advanced Courses. Lt. Hill completed the Mission Aircrew School and was honored by his classmates as the Distinguished Graduate.

Capt. Jacob Hiles, Assistant Emergency Services Officer for the 42nd Composite Squadron, attended the Hawk Mountain Ranger School in Pennsylvania. This was the fifth year he had attended the school and this time he served as a Commander of the school's Delta Squadron.

Capt. John Gender of the 95th Composite Squadron and 1st Lieutenant Bruce Brown of the 42nd Composite Squadron graduated from the 2007 Southwest Region Staff College held at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The curriculum is designed to increase students' ability to communicate effectively, to build teams or workgroups, and to solve problems encountered in daily CAP operations. They received specially adapted versions of the current USAF courses on these subjects and exercises in their application. Completion of this course is one of the pre-requisites to being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Wing Receives ICS Training

(July 29-30) This weekend members of the Arkansas Wing received classroom training in the Incident Command System (ICS) utilized by first responders nationwide to manage emergencies. Capt. Aaron Adams, Wing ES Training Officer taught ICS-100 for 17 CAP members and ICS-200 for 15 CAP members. Students from the 40th and 42nd Composite Squadrons, Arkansas Wing Staff, and the Louisiana Wing participated in the course.

Missing Plane Located in Oklahoma

(July 25) At 11:20 AM a ground search team made up of Civil Air Patrol members from Oklahoma and Arkansas arrived on the site of an accident near Page, Oklahoma involving an aircraft that had been missing since Friday. A CAP aircraft from Oklahoma had observed aircraft wreckage and directed the ground team to the site by radio.

Maj. Tom Rea and 1st Lt. Tommy Rea of Wing headquarters were members of the ground team that confirmed that the wreckage was that of the missing aircraft.

The discovery of the plane concluded a search begun Saturday evening. Aircrews from Texarkana, Hot Springs, Mountain Home, Little Rock, Monticello, Rogers, Russellville, and Jonesboro flew 57 sorties for 77.5 hours. Additionally, a GA8 Airvan aircraft equipped with the ARCHER system flew 5 sorties for 9.7 hours.

Up to four ground teams were in the search area each day, with teams coming from Russellville, Fort Smith, Rogers, Hot Springs, and Little Rock.

The primary mission base for Arkansas efforts was at Wing Headquarters in Little Rock, however Maj. Bobby Allison operated a secondary mission base at Mena airport from Sunday through Tuesday.

Search Continues for Missing Plane

(July 24) On Tuesday the Arkansas Wing concluded its third full day of searching for a missing airplane whose flight path may have taken it into western Arkansas late Friday afternoon.

Today a total of 36 CAP members including aircrews from Russellville, Hot Springs, Texarkana, Mountain Home, a CAP plane from Texas equipped with advanced sensing equipment, and CAP ground search teams from Fort Smith and Rogers participated in the mission on the Arkansas side of the border with Oklahoma. The GA-8 plane with the ARCHER system returned to Texas Wing this afternoon after identifying several areas of interest that were investigated by ground and air crews.

ARCHER System Utilized in Search for Missing Airplane

(July 23) A CAP GA-8 Airvan aircraft equipped with the ARCHER hyperspectral imaging system , based in Texas, arrived in Mena and flew two sorties this afternoon as part of the continuing search for a missing aircraft along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.

The ARCHER system uses a high-resolution camera mounted in the airplane that can detect differences in light frequencies reflected from the ground that may indicate the presence of an object such as an airplane and can also detect the frequencies of light associated with specific types of materials. Typically search flights using the ARCHER system are flown at 2500 feet above ground level at a medium rate of speed resulting in a camera resolution of 1 square meter per pixel.

Over 30 hours were flown by Arkansas Wing aircraft from Mountain Home, Hot Springs, Monticello, Jonesboro, and Little Rock. CAP ground search teams from Fort Smith and Rogers conducted interviews with potential witnesses and retrieved sample materials for use in calibrating the ARCHER system.

Arkansas Wing Incident Commander, Lt. Col. Herb Williams, has announced that the search will continue on Tuesday.

Arkansas Wing Searches for Missing Aircraft Near Mena

(July 22) The Arkansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol has concluded its first full day of searching for a missing airplane whose flight path may have taken it into western Arkansas late Friday afternoon. Four CAP airplanes and 4 CAP ground search teams from Arkansas participated in the search west of Mena on Sunday.

CAP planes based in Little Rock, Texarkana, Rogers, and Hot Springs as well as CAP and law enforcement aircraft from Oklahoma took part in the search. Twenty-two CAP members on ground teams from Fort Smith, Little Rock, Russellville, and Hot Springs looked for signs of the aircraft along roads which the missing aircraft may have been using as navigation aids.

Col. Britton has announced that the Wing plans on launching 5 aircraft and possibly a ground team to continue search efforts on Monday morning.

The privately-owned single-engine airplane departed Big Cedar, Oklahoma with one person on board and may have been bound for Mena, Arkansas. CAP was activated by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at about 6:30 PM on Saturday to assist in the search and flew two sorties that evening. Civil Air Patrol units from Oklahoma and local and state law enforcement agencies also participated in the search.

115th Holds Milestone Ceremony

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(July 10) The 115th Composite Squadron held a Promotion Ceremony tonight at the Rogers Municipal Airport to honor two of its members.

Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Max Gore opened the ceremony and introduced the guest speaker, Colonel William R. Pogue, USAF (Ret.). Col. Pogue presented C/2Lt. Kyler Selleck with his Mitchell Award. Col. Pogue then spoke of his experiences in the Air Force. A former Thunderbird pilot and professor of mathematics at the Air Force Academy, Col. Pogue was one of the 19 astronauts chosen by NASA in 1966.

Stuart Allen was then promoted to the rank of 1Lt. His two sons, Jacob and Joseph Allen, both cadets, placed his new epaulets on.

A short reception was held after the ceremony for guests and relatives.

97th Hosts Golf Tournament

(July 8) Today's "Firecracker Scramble" golf tournament held at The Course at Eagle Mountain in Batesville raised an estimated $1,200 for the 97th Composite Squadron. Forty-seven golfers participated with the winning team, consisting of Mike Long, Blaine Teddar, Noah Flannery and Chris Matthews, coming in at an outstanding 16 under par.

115th Marches in 4th of July Parade

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(July 4) Cadets and officer members from the 115th Composite Squadron participated in Bella Vista's first Fourth of July parade today.

A cadet flight, led by C/2Lt Arthur Formanek, marched down Dartmoor Road to Allen's Food Market behind a parade of corvettes, jeeps, golf carts, tractors, and armored vehicles sponsored by various organizations and decorated in red, white, and blue. C/SSgt Daniel Beasley called out cadences and jodies, which were met with cheers and applause by the audience gathered along the route. Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Max Gore preceded the cadets in a red 1956 Ford Thunderbird, accompanied by his wife. The parade ran from Sugar Creek Soccer Park to the Sugar Creek Center, and lasted approximately two hours.

115th Assists in VFW Chicken Bake

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(July 4) Members of the 115th Composite Squadron assisted the VFW Post 3031 at an outdoor chicken bake in Rogers this morning. Cadets and officer members held signs to advertise the sale of chicken, ribs and baked beans; they also lent hands in serving the dinners. Several members were drafted to help cook the meals over an open barbeque pit. Together, the 115th and the VFW sold over 200 chicken dinners. An annual fundraising event, the chicken bake raises revenue to benefit the VA's Children's Hospital.

New Cadet Commander Appointed for the 42nd

Capt. Chuck Bolin

(June 28) In a ceremony tonight at Wing Headquarters in Little Rock, Cadet Major Ross Macheak was named as the new cadet commander for the 42nd Composite Squadron. Cadet Macheak has worked his way through every staff position since joining the Civil Air Patrol in April, 2003 and is now the first official cadet commander the 42nd has had in two years.

New Aerospace Education Opportunity Available

(June 23) Captain Frank Warner, the Wing's new External Aerospace Education Officer, has made arrangements for Arkansas Wing cadets to be given tours at the Federal Express Flight Training Center in Memphis.

Recently, members of the 99th Composite Squadron were the first to visit this facility where Federal Express Flight Instructor Mark Noble led the tour, during which each cadet spent at least 25 minutes at the controls of the Boeing MD-11 simulator.

These simulators are so advanced that all Federal Express pilots receive their check rides in them, rather than in an actual airplane.

Cadet Wesley Shannon, who is training for his Private Pilot license, was presented with a more advanced challenge and had to fly the jet in for a landing on only 2 engines after a simulated bird strike disabled the third engine.

Squadrons interested in taking advantage of this new opportunity should contact Capt. Warner, who will serve as the liaison with Federal Express.

Wing Participates in Regional Exercise

(June 20) Today the Arkansas Wing continued to support the Spills of National Significance Exercise which involves state and federal agencies from across the midwest. The scenario to date includes a pollution incident affecting the Mississippi River and a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault.

The four sorties flown on Tuesday and the 12 flown today were primarily our standard post-earthquake reconnaissance routes though we did receive a special request from ADEM for a flight over I-55. The exercise will continue on Thursday.

SAREX in Russellville

(June 16) The Arkansas Wing gathered in Russellville today for the second of the regional search and rescue exercises planned for the state this year. Despite having to send units home somewhat earlier in the day than planned 25 air sorties totaling 40 hours were flown.

Arkansas Wing Assists in Revision of State Airport Directory

(June 10) Every five years the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics updates its state airport directory and for the 2007 update the Arkansas Wing was selected to provide photographs of each airport in the state which will be included in the publication, of which 15,000 copies are expected to be printed.

Lt. Col. Herb Williams, Wing Homeland Security Coordinator, directed the effort involving aircrews from the Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain Home, Rogers, Russellville, and Texarkana squadrons.

Besides being of great assistance to the state, this mission was excellent training for our aircrews as it closely simulated the types of photographic missions we typically perform following natural disasters such as the recent tornado in Dumas, Arkansas.

115th Holds Promotions/Awards Ceremony

1st Lt. Anne Formanek

(June 5) Tonight the 115th Composite Squadron honored several outstanding senior members with an awards and promotion ceremony. Squadron commander Lt.Col. Max Gore opened the ceremony by addressing the fully assembled squadron.

James Allen and Anne Formanek were promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Elmer Crumbliss was promoted to Captain. Evelyn Allen was honored for her Excellence in Safety Award awarded to her by the Transportation Safety Administration in March. Jesse Simpson was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and praised for his service in the Iraq war. Tom Eastman received the Benjamin O Davis award, a certificate of completion for Level II of the CAP Professional Development Program. William Drittler received the Grover Loerning award.

Also recognized Tuesday night was Capt. Dave Myers, for his selection to receive the prestigious 2007 Jack Sorenson Award. The Sorenson Award singles out the most outstanding Cadet Programs Officer in all of Civil Air Patrol. Capt Myers will be presented with the award by the CAP National Commander at the CAP's upcoming national conference in Georgia in August.

Cadet Change of Command in Texarkana

2nd Lt. Lisa Worthington

(June 4) Cadet Capt. Davyd Fitzhugh assumed command of the cadets of the 95th Composite Squadron in Texarkana this evening. Fitzhugh relieves Cadet 2nd Lt. Josh Sims, who will become a senior member late this month who will become a CAP officer with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

115th Assists in Memorial Day Celebration

(May 28) Cadets and officer members from the 115th Composite Squadron assisted in the Fayetteville National Cemetery's Memorial Day service.

On a cloudy Monday morning, a color guard from the 115th opened the memorial ceremony by posting the colors. After the pledge of allegiance and invocation, Lt. Elmer Crumbliss presented WWII veteran Milo Cumpston with a plaque from the Sons of the American Revolution for his service and dedication in ensuring that the cemetery remain open. Capt. Dave Myers and cadets from the 115th then assisted in the memorial wreath placement.

The Keynote Speaker, Dr. H.D. McCarty, a retired Air Force brigadier general and founder and president of Ventures for Christ, spoke to the cadets after the ceremony. He stressed the importance of good leadership, commenting that what marked a good leader was one's ability to understand the viewpoint of troops on the ground.

An audience of about 1,600 gathered at the cemetery Monday morning to honor U.S. men and women who sacrificed their lives for their country. Funeral Director Tommy Monk said that it was one of the cemetery's largest crowds.

115th Officer Receives National CAP Award

(May 27) Capt. David L. Myers, Deputy Commander for Cadets of the 115th Composite Squadron, was recently named as the Civil Air Patrol's 2007 Jack Sorenson Cadet Programs Officer of the Year.

Captain Myers, a 20-year veteran of the Air Force, has led the cadet program in Rogers for three years. During this time he developed a computer program that tracks the activity and performance of each cadet and has seen average cadet meeting attendance rise from 25% to 66%. In this period cadets of the 115^th Composite Squadron have earned one Spaatz, two Eakers, twelve Mitchells and fifteen Wright Brothers Awards. Through his efforts, cadets have participated in eighty six local activities in the last three years and completed 2,383 hours of community service in the year 2006 alone.

Capt. Myers will serve as Commander of the 2007 Arkansas Wing Cadet Encampment at Little Rock Air Force Base in June.

Congressman Snyder Joins CAP

(May 27) During the last meeting of the CAP National Board members of the Arkansas Wing met with legislators from the state to discuss Civil Air Patrol. As a result of these meetings, Representative Vic Snyder, of Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, joined the CAP's Congressional Squadron.

Col. Bucky Britton, Rep. Snyder, Col. Charles Sharp, and Lt. Col. Jim Gilbert.

Congressman Snyder served with the First Marine Division during the Vietnam War and sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Arkansas Wing Drops In on Operation Skyhook

(May 24) Each Memorial Day Weekend the Black Pilots of America conduct their annual Fly-In at Grider Field in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Known as “Operation Skyhook”, the 5-day event draws pilots from around the United States to this former Army Air Field where they participate in pilot seminars, flour-bomb drops, aircraft static displays, pylon races and several events designed to introduce youths to aviation.

This evening Arkansas Wing Vice Commander Maj. Joel Buckner was asked to speak to the attendees about the Civil Air Patrol and it’s programs during the FAA Safety Meeting held in conjunction with the event. After the conclusion of the meeting, BPA members had the opportunity to inspect the Cessna 182T aircraft with Garmin G-1000 glass cockpit operated by the Arkansas Wing that was used extensively during the Hurricane Katrina and Rita missions.

Maj. Joel Buckner demonstrates the capabilities of the Garmin

G-1000 to Black Pilots of America President Palmer Sullins, Jr.

Shortly after the conclusion of the meeting word was received by the local FBO that an aircraft bound for Pine Bluff was about an hour overdue and during their return flight to Little Rock the CAP crew maintained a close radio watch on 121.5 mHz and with the Becker Direction Finder unit. Thankfully, Major Buckner and his Observer, Maj. Blake Sasse, overheard radio traffic from the overdue aircraft and even visually confirmed that it was okay as they passed it in the air as it flew towards Pine Bluff.

42nd Cadet Earns Mitchell Award

Cadet Carrie Batie, of the 42nd Composite Squadron, receives her Mitchell Award from Maj. Bobby Allison, Arkansas Wing Director of Cadet Programs on May 24.

Operation Southwest Sentry A Success

(May 19) This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the Arkansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol participated in Operation Southwest Sentry, a training exercise that spanned CAP's entire Southwest Region. Flight operations in Arkansas were intense throughout the week and focused on missing airplane searches, earthquake response and terrorist incident damage assessment and photographic missions as well as a missing airplane search. During Saturday's activities, 3 Arkansas Wing aircraft were even assigned tasks that took them well into Oklahoma.

Over 40 people checked in during the mission at Arkansas Wing Headquarters on Friday and approximately 70 participated on Saturday, with participation by almost all of our squadrons and aircraft.

This exercise also marked the "graduation exercise" for the new CAP Crisis Coordination Center (C4) that was recently established at Wing Headquarters. This will be one of three C4s throughout the country that will control the flow of CAP resources during the response to a major national emergency.

During Southwest Sentry the C4 was operated by members of the Southwest Region staff including CAP's National Deputy Chief of Staff for Operatio