Congressional Advocay 2013.jpg
Members Advocate for the Funding of CAP
1 March 2013
Indiana Wing volunteer professionals met with members of the Indiana Congressional delegation recently to educate and inform them of Civil Air Patrol's three missions: aerospace education, emergency services and cadet programs. These missions are directed and overseen by Congress. Our emergency services program is especially important as Indiana has been victim to severe natural disasters recently.
Our unpaid professionals swung into action immediately after tornadoes that swept through the Henryville and Marysville areas leveled homes, schools and businesses throughout southeastern Indiana. In the days afterward, CAP pilots flew members of the emergency management community from the Clark County EMA to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On the groud, CAP volunteers from Clark, Vanderburgh and Marion Counties worked under the direction of the EMA alongside neighbors, citizen volunteers and emergency response workers throughout the night, Friday, and into the daylight hours on Saturday, performing welfare checks. Additional volunteers from all corners of Indiana were standing ready to deploy. “Each week throughout Indiana, countless Civil Air Patrol volunteers prepare and conduct training to make our communities safer,” said Col. Richard Griffith, Indiana Wing Commander. “At times of tragedy, CAP stands ready to assist in any way we can.”
This is why we humbly ask that Congress continue to fund Civil Air Patrol. We save lives. And we are able to do it more cheaply than any other resource. It's why the U.S. Air Force tasks us with more than 90% of inland search and rescue missions.
These things we do so that others may live.
19 December 2012
Cadet Col. Chris Weinzapfel has been named Indiana Wing's newest Spaatz Award recipient. Chris, a senior in high school, is the son of Michael and Linda Weinzapfel of Evansville. The Spaatz Award is Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet achievement. On average, two cadets in one thousand earn this extremely rare award. Cadet Weinzapfel's award is #1865 for all of Civil Air Patrol since 1964 when the award was created, and only the 45th in Indiana Wing. He joins C/Col John Paul Franks of the Anderson Cadet Squadron, as one of two active cadet colonels in the Indiana Wing.
Cadet Weinzapfel originally joined CAP in 2007. He is a member of the River City Cadet Squadron and enjoys studying anatomy and physiology as well as biology and economics. During the upcoming Summer 2013 Encampment at Camp Atterbury, Cadet Weinzapfel will act as Encampment Cadet Commander, guiding the planning process in close consultation with Wing Headquarters staff members.
Volunteers from Five Counties Assisted in the Search
3 December 2012
GREENSBURG, IN – The Indiana Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) late Sunday evening completed a search and rescue mission tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at Tyndall Air Force Base. Civil Air Patrol teams traveled to Greensburg at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local law enforcement to conduct a search for a missing Piper Malibu aircraft.
As trained ground teams arrived on scene from Columbus, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Franklin and Shelbyville, law enforcement and emergency responders located a debris field south of the Greensburg Municipal Airport at approximately 10:45pm. Civil Air Patrol teams were immediately re-tasked, quickly locating and silencing the Emergency Locator Transmitter which had been emitting an emergency radio signal to nearby aircraft and air traffic controllers since the plane disappeared off radar around 6:20pm.
Members of Indiana Wing provided critical incident command support to allow the Greensburg Fire Department, the Decatur County Sheriff and Greensburg Police to locate the plane in a swift and safe manner all the while negotiating worsening weather conditions. Trained volunteers helped facilitate a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)—a critical layer of safety around the crash site.
The Civil Air Patrol routinely provides much-needed institutional knowledge to emergency responders during searches for overdue aircraft and general aviation incidents. Civil Air Patrol volunteer professionals also responded in successfully locating the 2006 Bloomington plane crash that claimed the lives of five Indiana University students.
Hurricane Response is CAP’s Largest Aerial Photography Mission in 71 Year History
4 November 2012
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Three Hoosier pilots are joining more than one hundred Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircrews from ten other states in the nation’s Northeast today to conduct Hurricane Sandy aerial photo missions covering more than 300 miles of coastline from Cape Cod, Mass., to Cape May, N.J. Aircrews are expected to take more than 120,000 photos over the next three days for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will use the images for damage assessment.
Indiana Wing assembled a specialized aircrew to help complete the mission and Lt. Col. Matthew Creed, Capt. Margaret Doig and Lt. Justin Clevenger headed to New Hampshire Sunday afternoon to join the effort. Lt. Col. Creed, a commercial airline pilot, has called Bloomington home since March. Capt. Doig is a post-doctoral fellow in Mathematics at Indiana University. She makes her home in Bloomington with her husband, Steve. 1st Lt. Justin Clevenger is a native of Plymouth, Indiana. He is an industrial technology sales manager for CDW Corporation and makes his home in Westfield with his wife, Jen and their four children.
Lt. Col. Creed, Capt. Doig and Lt. Clevenger will assist with more than 200 flight hours of damage assessment, all-the-while capturing images of every square inch of the eastern coastline. In preparation for natural disasters and emergency situations, Indiana Wing conducts extensive year-round training in order to expertly provide aerial photography to FEMA and local emergency response officials.
The mission rivals the aerial photography missions CAP conducted for Deepwater Horizon and Hurricane Katrina. “We took a large number of photos for those missions,” said Col. Dan Leclair of Maine Wing, mission incident commander, “but we will have more photos for Hurricane Sandy.”
“As Hoosiers, we have a great sense of duty to help others during times of need,” said Indiana Wing Commander Richard Griffith. “Indiana CAP members answer the call to help, giving their time and expertise to lend FEMA the broadest view of what’s occurred, in turn positioning them to pinpoint the areas of greatest need.”
The 181st Intelligence Wing (181IW) and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) are partnering in a search and rescue exercise this weekend in Terre Haute to hone joint response skills in times of natural and manmade disasters, emergency situations and severe weather events.
The exercise is designed to enable the 181IW, CAP and other community partners including The Vigo County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), the Terre Haute Chapter of the Red Cross and members of faith-based organizations to successfully work together in the air, on the ground and in the command center.
Ground and air operations will continue throughout the weekend. Civil Air Patrol aircraft will sharpen aerial photography skills and ground teams will be practicing communications and response protocol. Incident staff from both the 181IW and CAP will work side-by-side, refining critical teambuilding aptitude in joint command settings.
The unpaid professionals of Civil Air Patrol practice simulated events throughout the year in order to prepare for actual scenarios such as the recent Henryville tornado where CAP flew National Weather Service and disaster recovery officials to conduct aerial surveys and damage assessment.
Indiana Wing flew 2000 hours in FY 2011 assisting local law enforcement in drug interdiction missions during the 2011 Counterdrug season; infrastructure reconnaissance and active missions of Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) or missing persons searches.
Cadet can now go to the 2012 Summer Encampment website to apply for Basic Encampment, the Advanced Training Squadron (ATS), or Region Cadet Leadership School. Payment and registration information is at the Encampment website.
4 MARCH 2012
PRESS CONTACT: 1ST LT LINDSAY SHIPPS (812) 340-4242
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HENRYVILLE— Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircrews are taking to the sky Sunday at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and the Clark County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to conduct damage assessment and coordinate response operations.
CAP aircraft will fly over Clark, Posey, Ripley, Scott and Washington Counties at a strategic altitude to take aerial images necessary to complete damage assessments. Local, state and federal emergency officials will have the benefit of a birds-eye view of the damage sustained by Friday’s tornadoes that killed twelve Hoosiers and another twenty-five people across the Nation.
“Civil Air Patrol aircrews are in constant training mode in order to be one hundred percent ready in case of an emergency,” said Col. Richard Griffith, Indiana Wing Commander. “Our aircrews provide high quality imagery in a timely, professional and cost-effective manner.”
CAP volunteers professionals from Hamilton, Monroe and Marion Counties comprise today’s aircrews while CAP members statewide remain on alert to provide additional immediate relief and disaster recovery support teams. Since Friday more than 40 CAP volunteers have provided aerial imagery, searched for victims, performed welfare checks, assisted in distributing supplies, and other duties in response to neighbors in need.
As a reminder, anyone uncertain about the safety of residents in affected areas should visit www.redcross.org and click on “List Yourself or Search Registrants” to register or see if their loved one has checked in.
Tornado survivors and concerned citizens can call 2-1-1 (or 317.926.4357) for help and information regarding the recent severe weather event.
Hoosiers in the affected areas are asked to pay attention to and follow the directions of all local law enforcement and public safety officials. Hoosiers NOT in affected areas already are asked to refrain from traveling to affected areas.
The single best way to help disaster survivors in southeastern Indiana is with a cash donation to a legitimate relief agency, such as the American Red Cross, operating in the area.
PDF of 4 MARCH 2012 3pm Release
31 JANUARY 2012
Indiana and Ohio Wing aircrews will take to the skies Thursday, three days before the Super Bowl, as part of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region-1st Air Force’s exercise preparing fighters to protect the airspace around Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the football championship game.
The NORAD air defense exercise is set for 7 p.m.-9 p.m. to allow interagency partners to practice airspace violation procedures. The exercise consists of a series of training flights conducted in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, Customs and Border Protection and CONR’s Western Air Defense Sector, along with CAP.
Two Civil Air Parol aircrews will be involved, with an Ohio Wing plane serving as an intercept target for a Customs and Border Protection aircraft and an Indiana Wing plane flying “highbird,” handling communications from the ground and other aircraft.
1 DECEMBER 2011
INDIANAPOLIS— Today the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol, observes 70 years of vigilant service to Indiana and the nation.
CAP, an all-volunteer service of more than 61,000 members, was founded 70 years ago on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to America’s involvement in World War II. Known at the time as the Coastal Patrol, members soon proved their worth by conducting aerial missions at the request of the Office of Civilian Defense, displaying heroism that discouraged and eventually stopped deadly German U-boat attacks on supply ships leaving American ports headed to support the Allied war effort.
The “subchasers” flew at great personal risk. In all, 90 CAP planes were forced to ditch at sea. Of the 59 CAP pilots killed during World War II, 26 were lost while on Coastal Patrol duty and seven others were seriously injured while carrying out the missions. Their wartime service was highly unusual because they were civilian volunteers flying combat missions in their own aircraft at a time when the military could not adequately respond the U-boat threat. The military decided to arm the aircraft soon after the patrols began and, all told, they sank or damaged two or more submarines, attacking 57.
Legislation has been introduced and is pending in both houses of the U.S. Congress, H.R. 719 and S. 418, that would award CAP a Congressional Gold Medal for its World War II service. It will be a diminished victory, however, if none of the World War II-era CAP members are alive to see this law’s passage.
“These members from our earliest days as an organization helped save lives and preserve our nation’s freedom,” said Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, CAP’s national commander. “They were truly unsung heroes of the war, using their small private aircraft to search for enemy submarines close to America’s shores, towing targets for military practice, transporting critical supplies within the country and conducting general airborne reconnaissance. They provided selfless service, without fanfare, in defense of their homeland.”
Time, instead of a German submarine, is now the enemy of the roughly 60,000 CAP volunteers from World War II. Only a few hundred of them are still alive today. It is unknown if there are veteran volunteers from, or who now reside in Indiana.
“Each week, each month, others are lost,” said Carr. “We want to make sure those who remain, and those who have passed, are rightly honored for their great service to America.”
Anyone with information on CAP members who served the organization during World War II is encouraged to upload their information into the World War II Congressional Gold Medal database at www.capmembers.com/goldmedal.
To support CAP’s Congressional Gold Medal legislation, contact federal legislators, both senators and representatives, and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 719 and S. 418. In both houses, two-thirds of the membership must sponsor a bill before it can be brought up for a vote. Sample letters and other details, including a list of current cosponsors, are available at www.capmembers.com/goldmedal.
7 NOVEMBER 2011
Take time to thank members of YOUR team by participating in our 2012 Annual Awards Program. Last year, Indiana Wing won five national awards because someone like you took the time to write up a fellow volunteer and recognize their work!
22 OCTOBER 2011
Sierra, Cody and Margaret volunteer their time, giving back to their communities.
By Lt. Lindsay Shipps, Public Affairs Officer
Each day members of Indiana's Air Force Auxiliary take time out of their busy schedules to better our Hoosier state. Pilot John Webber, a development engineer from Indianapolis, is spending his Saturday treating cadets to Orientation Flights thanks to our Congressionally chartered cadet programs mission. Lt. Webber hops into one of Civil Air Patrol's gleaming Cessna aircraft with the goal of motivating cadets to fly regularly. It is because of the flying program that CAP is able to accomplish goals in leadership, fitness, and character.
Cadet Capt. Sierra Parsons, a high school junior and Amelia Earhart Award recipient, recently helped bring a contingent of Civil Air Patrol cadets from the Evansville area to Indiana's Statehouse where the group was given a tour by State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, an Indiana Wing legislative squadron member. Treasurer Mourdock thanked the group for their efforts in assisting Evansville with their widespread flooding in April and took the group to meet Governor Mitch Daniels. Traveling to the Statehouse gives cadets and adult CAP members an opportunity to engage in a civic dialogue to educate Indiana's decision-makers about our job performing missions for America.
Cody Gordon is a 19 year old Civil Air Patrol member from Bedford, Indiana. He currently attends Vincennes University pursuing a degree in Homeland Security and Public Safety. Cody retains the rank of Technical Flight Officer and works for the Monroe County Squadron as their Assistant Public Affairs Officer and Drug Demand Reduction Officer. Cody is a musical person who finds inspiration in historical figures such as Winston Churchill and King George VI. Even though Cody is in Vincennes for school he still finds time to give back to the squadron, working with colleagues via email and Facebook to keep the squadron visible in the public eye.
Mission Pilot Margaret Doig is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Mathematics at Indiana University in Bloomington and serves as the Wing Maintenance Officer. She works closely with Brian Sandys, a FedEx pilot who functions as our Wing Director of Operations to ensure the safety and compliance of all our aircraft in Indiana. Capt. Doig's work shows Hoosier taxpayers that Civil Air Patrol takes every effort to steward their assets in the safest, most responsible and most economically viable fashion. Margaret routinely hops into a Civil Air Patrol van in the middle of the night, like many of our trained volunteers, to chase down a sounding Emergency Locator Transmitter for the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Our work assists the Air Force in search and rescue, saving more than fifty lives this fiscal year.
John, Sierra, Cody, Margaret and Brian are joined by 1300 other volunteers throughout Indiana. Each of them gives back to their community each day, providing America with trained professionals to help look for missing aircraft, mission persons; assist with disaster recovery, aerial photography and reconnaissance; helping to move Indiana forward by raising a generation of community-invested young people. On behalf of each volunteer in Indiana, join us. We need you. You can be a part of America's best kept secret.
Email us, message us on Facebookor Twitter, flag us down at an event. We can't wait to meet you!
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