WYOMING

WINGS
March 2007

See cover story on page 31 . . .

 Wyoming Wings
The Wyoming Wings is an autho-
rized magazine published three
times a year in the interest of the
members of Wyoming Wing,
Civil Air Patrol. The printers are
a private firm in no way connected
with the Department of the Air
Force or Civil Air Patrol. Opin-
ions expressed by the publishers
and writers are their own and not
to be considered official expres-
sion by Civil Air Patrol or the Air
Force. The appearance of adver-
tisements in this publication, in-
cluding supplements and inserts,
does not constitute an endorse-
ment by Civil Air Patrol or the De-
partment of the Air Force of prod-
ucts and services advertised.
★ HEADQUARTERS ★
Wyoming Wing
Civil Air Patrol
Bldg. 233
Warren AFB
(307) 773-4519
Fax (307) 773-4783
★ MAILING ADDRESS ★
Wyoming Wing
Civil Air Patrol
P. O. Box 9507
Cheyenne, WY 82003-9507
Wing Commander:
Colonel Robert Cook
Editor:
2d Lt Jeanne Stone-Hunter
For information on
advertising rates and space,
please call
1-800-635-6036
Commander’s Corner
An Interview With the New Wing
Commander Colonel Robert Cook
C
olonel Cook assumed
command of Wyoming
Wing last fall. He was
gracious enough to subject him-
self to a long list of questions.
His answers give us an idea of
who he is and what he would
like to accomplish with our help.
Wyoming Wings Magazine:
Where were you born and
raised?
Colonel Cook: I was born in
Binghamton, New York and
was raised in New York State.
WW: What is notable about
your high school career?
CC: Most notable was the fact
that I graduated.
WW: Did you attend college?
CC: I started my college career
at the Univ. of Maryland,
Extension Division in England
and in Greece. I attended the
SUNY at Binghamton, NY and
graduated in Electrical Tech-
nology. I attended the Univ. of
Denver and graduated with a
BSEE Electrical Engineering.
I attended the Univ. of Phoenix
and graduated with an MA in
Management Sciences. I did
post-graduate studies in
Mechanical Engineering at the
Univ. of Colorado at Boulder, CO.
WW: What are your notable
accomplishments, personal or
professional?
CC: I married Alberta Hills in a
civil ceremony at Brackley,
Northhants, England. I served
5 years active duty with 3rd
Air Force with a specialty in
Cryptology. I was posted to an
RAF Base in Croughton, England
and at the US Embassy in
Athens, Greece. I later was
employed by IBM and served
in numerous management and
engineering positions.
WW: How long have you been
married?
CC: We celebrated our 50th wed-
ding anniversary this past year.
WW: Children and grandchildren?
CC: We have three children.
Our son is a Major in the US
Army stationed at Fort Meade,
Maryland. Our youngest
daughter lives in Costa Rica
Continued on page 7 . . .
1
Laramie Peak
Squadron
Balloon Launch
Follow-up
By
2d Lt Jeanne Stone-Hunter

As reported in the Novem-

ber 2006 Wyoming Wings
magazine, last fall the Laramie
Peak Squadron successfully
launched a balloon carrying a
payload. On board was a Hobo
data logger with pressure, inter-
nal and external temperature and
relative humidity sensors. The
payload also included an ELT
transmitter beacon with lithium
battery and a 1.3 MP digital
camera with added timer circuit.
Total weight with batteries and
parachute was less than 350
grams and it was launched on a
Kamont 300g balloon inflated to
48 inches in diameter. Although
the squadron tried valiantly to
locate the payload the day of the
launch, they were unable to find it.
Preparing for such an even-
tuality, the payload was well
labeled with the squadron’s
address and phone number and
contained Priority Mail postage
inside. The launch team hoped
whoever found it would return
the payload to the Squadron.
In late November the squad-
ron received a very pleasant sur-
prise in the mail. A citizen in
Albin, WY had found the payload.
It had eventually landed in the
small community nearly 110 miles

east of Laramie. The payload had accomplished its

mission providing a wealth of data and some amazing
pictures, including these.
The squadron plans another launch in the near
future, weather permitting.
For more information on the NASA grant that
funded the launch and starting your own program
contact Maj Mark Carlson. ★
 DIRECTOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TRAINING AND GUIDANCE
By Maj Steven L. Ellis/Wyoming Wing HQ/DPD
Many of our members are
new to Civil Air Patrol. This
guidance is provided by your
Wing to assist all Seniors and
Cadets as they progress in train-
ing from Level I through Level
V as the finest group of volun-
teer members augmenting the
United States Air Force in Aero-
space Education, Search and
Rescue, Cadet Programs, and
Special Operations. As all of us
have come into the 21st Century
the United States Air Force pro-
vides most of the funding for
Civil Air Patrol in different
ways. The United States Air
Force expects all of us as Civil
Air Patrol volunteer members to
progress in training and be as
proficient as possible for all
Missions assigned to us no mat-
ter what Specialty Track we
chose for our volunteer career
service. CAP Regulation 50-17
spells out the specific require-
ments for completing each level
of training and there is a chart
Attachment I, CAP Senior
Member Professional Develop-
ment Program Progression and
Awards which briefly explains
what is required for a member to
move from Level I to Level V
and the time requirements for
that progression. All Senior
Members are encouraged to
enroll in Specialty Track 215,
Aerospace Education. Complet-
ing this Specialty Track will
give you the background to
become the Aerospace Educa-
tion Officer for your Squadron
or the Wing. As Senior Mem-
bers in the United States Air
Force Auxiliary AFIADL Cor-
respondence courses are avail-
able to enhance your career pro-
gression and training require-
ment. This is the same training
Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve
Military members are mandated
to complete within (1) year of
enrollment to maintain their
military career fields. All of the
Specialty Tracts are listed in
CAP Pamphlet 15 for career
track you decide to choose and
complete. Every Senior member
is required to be enrolled in a
Specialty Track even if your
interest is specifically Search
and Rescue. This area has Pilot,
Scanner, Observer to include
Slow Scan, and Ground Search.
All of this training is to be docu-
mented in your Senior Member
Master Training Record on the
CAP Form 45b. If you are a
Squadron Member it is the
Responsibility of the Squadron
Commander to see that these
records are kept up to date and
that an Awards Program is
active in each Squadron. The
Cadet program is in CAPR 52-16.
Civil Air Patrol is the finest
volunteer organization and the
best kept secret; learn more
about it at www.cap.gov. Please
contact me with any questions!

Editor’s Comments
By 2d Lt Jeanne M. Stone-Hunter
This is my second edition and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the magazine as much as I’ve
enjoyed putting it together. It’s fascinating to learn what all of you are doing and it makes me proud
to call myself a member of this outstanding organization.
I want to thank everyone who submitted articles this month. We had a nice variety of informa-
tion about cadets, squadrons and the Wing. We even have one very good article written by a cadet. I
know how busy everyone is and can’t thank you all enough for taking the time and effort to write
these articles on top of all your other Civil Air Patrol, personal and professional responsibilities.
Please keep sending the good news in!

5
An Interview with Col Cook
Continued from page 1 . . .
and owns a Bed and Breakfast.
Our older daughter is married
with two children and works as
a commercial real estate devel-
oper. Her most recent project
is the extension to the Denver
Art Museum.
WW: Do you have other volun-
teer activities besides CAP?
CC: I have served in numerous
positions with several
Homeowners Associations and
as a property manager and
financial officer for non-profit
corporations.
WW: Do you have any hobbies?
CC: I like to rock and ice climb.
I like to mountain bike, ski,
hike, boat, and snorkel.
WW: What is your favorite
memory?
CC: Meeting my bride at
Southhampton, England just as
she arrived from the US on the
HMS QE to marry me.
WW: What is the best advice
you’ve ever received?
CC: My father once told me that
you can lead a horse to water,
but until you can get him to
float on his back you have not
done much.
WW: What is your life philosophy?
CC: You must be truthful in all
matters. If you are not, you
will loose the trust of those
who mean the most to you.
You have to maintain integrity
in what you say and in what
you do. Be loyal to those
whom you regard.
WW: How long have you been
with Civil Air Patrol?
CC: I joined CAP in January
1990 with the Vance Brand
Composite Squadron.
WW: Why did you join CAP?
CC: I was getting ready to retire
and I wanted to find something
that I could make a contribu-
tion to and give me an interest
I could focus on.
WW: What positions have you held?
CC: I was an Admin Officer at
the squadron level; I was the
Personnel Officer, Cadet Pro-
grams Officer, and Recruiting
Officer at Group level. I was a
squadron commander for the
Timber Ridge Composite
Squadron; I was the Profes-
sional Development, Chief of
Staff and Region Vice Com-
mander. I have served on the
National Professional Devel-
opment Committee.
WW: What schools have you
attended?
CC: SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC
and I have served on staff at
numerous RSCs.
WW: What commendations
have you received?
CC: I have received the Com-
manders Commendation at the
Wing, region and national lev-
els. I have numerous Meritori-
ous Service and Exceptional
Service Awards.
WW: What made you accept the
challenge of Wing Com-
mander?
CC: I did not say no enough
times.
WW: What do you think the Wing’s
strengths are? Weaknesses?
CC: The strengths of the Wing
lie in its members. The weak-
ness of the Wing lies in the
ability of command to define
the direction and maintain the
focus of the Wing in accom-
plishing the goals of the Wing.
WW: What does the future hold
for the Wing?
CC: I feel the future for the
Wing lies in what the senior
members and cadets want that
future to be. If there is a direc-
tion and focus that is shared by
all then there is nothing that
will hold the membership back
from making this Wing what
they want it to be. The future
lies in us.
WW: What is next after this
command? Do you see your-
self involved at the Region
level again or higher (or
lower)?
CC: I serve at the pleasure of
the Region and National com-
manders. When this assign-
ment is successfully concluded
I am sure there will be other
opportunities to make an
impact regardless at what level.
WW: What is your favorite
CAP related story?
CC: I received the Gil Robb
Wilson Award at the NSC ban-
quet by the National Com-
mander, Brig Gen James
Bobick. This was especially
important to me since Gen
Bobick had been my Wing
Commander, my region com-
mander and the national com-
mander and it was the last
opportunity for him to make
this presentation to me.
WW: What is your most memo-
rable CAP event?
CC: The most memorable event
was the search for the missing
A-10 based out of Davis-
Monthane AFB in Tucson,
Continued . . .
7
An Interview with Col Cook
Continued . . .
AZ. The aircraft had been
tracked to the Vail area of
Colorado. Brig Gen Running
of the 12th Air Force held a
briefing after we had searched
for 21 days for this aircraft. He
showed pictures of what he
thought was wreckage of the
aircraft and handed the photos
around. When I saw one pic-
ture I said “Bingo”. Gen Run-
ning asked me to explain. I
pointed out that the rock stick-
ing out of the snow in the
photo looked odd in that it had
a checkered square marking on
it and that the only thing I
knew to have that marking was
the very top portion of the ver-
tical stabilizer on the A-10’s
located at DM. He agreed, but
swore us to secrecy until he
could confirm the wreckage by
the serial numbers from the
recovered parts.
WW: What do you want people
to know about your manage-
ment style?
CC: CAP is a corporation and as
a Wing Commander I have to
make decisions based on the
needs of the Wing, but make
no mistake, as a corporate
officer I have to be fiscally
responsible to CAP, Inc. My
management style is to
empower the staff and then
give them the support and
encouragement to succeed.
WW: What is the most valuable
piece of advice you’ve ever
received regarding CAP?
CC: CAP will ask you for all
you can give and then come
back and ask for more. You
have to decide just how much
you can give.
WW: What is the one piece of
advice you’d like to impart to
our Wing members?
CC: If you are called to take on
a task and you agree, you have
an obligation to carry that task
to completion. If you find that
you are unable to do so, you
also have an obligation to say
that you find you cannot com-
plete the task. This is no reflec-
tion on you as a person; it is
just that other things have
entered into play. The soonest
you inform your supervisor
makes it easier to find some-
one else who can carry on your
work with minimal disruption
to the unit.
WW: Are there any misconcep-
tions you feel need to be
cleared up about CAP, the
Wing, etc.?
CC: CAP is in the very serious
business of saving lives. The
work that we do has some
inherent risk to its members
who perform the missions
across the country. We are pro-
fessionals in these tasks just as
we are professionals in the
careers that we make our live-
lihoods at. The missions we
perform for CAP must be
accomplished in the safest
manner possible. This is
equally true for the Wing. If we
do not project ourselves in the
best professional manner, then
we will be seen as something
other than who we really are.
The choice is ours.
WW: Thank you, sir, for taking
the time to share with us.
★ tion or other important events.
Help us
out!
UPDATE YOUR
ADDRESS AND
CONTACT
INFORMATION
www.capnhq.gov
By Lt Col Stan Skrabut
During the past year and
half, I have had a need to contact
members of Wyoming Wing,
and on a regular basis, I run into
bad addresses, telephone num-
bers and e-mail addresses. This
causes an undue burden on the
Wyoming Wing staff and your
squadron staff. Please take a
moment to update your informa-
tion in either e-services, or
by contacting your personnel
officer.
If you want to do it yourself,
here is how you do it: First of
all, go to e-services and log on.
Here is the URL: https://
www.capnhq.gov/. In the center
column, click on the link
“Review/Edit My Member
Info.” If successful, you can
then click on the links for
Address Information, Contact
Information, and Personal Char-
acteristics. Within each of these
areas, you can add, edit, or
delete information.
We use this information to
contact you, please take a
moment to ensure it is correct or
you may miss out on an invita-
9
Harnessing technology to
improving unit operations
In order to accomplish all
that I am tasked to in Civil Air
Patrol, it is imperative that I
effectively leverage technology.
I use a number of web-based
tools to manage my activities as
well as collaborate with others.
Here is a list of Web-based
applications that I feel are essen-
tial as well as detailed explana-
tion of how to use them: Gmail,
Del.icio.us, Skype, Google
Calendar, Writeboard, and
Campfire.
Gmail
I consider Gmail the most
important tool I have in my
toolbox. Without e-mail, I
would not be able to effectively
operate in today’s information
rich world. More and more is
being accomplished through
e-mail, this is also true in Civil
Air Patrol; It is imperative you
have a good e-mail program, and
I consider Gmail one of the best.
In order to keep my personal
life separate from my Civil Air
Patrol life, I created a separate
account strictly for CAP activi-
ties. If you want to create a
Gmail account, you can go to
http://gmail.google.com/.
To be most effective, you
should live by the empty inbox
rule. Gmail can help you
achieve this state. First of all, if
you don’t need to read it now, it
should not be in your inbox.
Having labels (a term Gmail
By Lt Col Stan Skrabut
uses) established will help you
organize your email. I have
separate labels created for all the
squadrons, and all the functional
staff areas. When an email
comes in, I have a filter that
automatically labels the email; I
simply need to archive the mes-
sage. Messages that are not
automatically labeled will show
up in your inbox. If you already
responded to an email message,
it should not be in your inbox.
Ensure that you message has a
label on it, and archive the mes-
sage. Schedule time to review
your e-mail, and do not become
a slave to it. I used to respond to
every message as it arrived. I
now schedule different times in
my day to respond to messages,
this actually saves me time in
my day. Here is more informa-
tion on the same topic: http://
www.downloadsquad.com/
2006/11/15/five-simple-rules-
for-keeping-an-empty-inbox/
del.icio.us
I am going to use del.icio.us’
help to explain what is.
del.icio.us is a social
bookmarking website — the pri-
mary use of del.icio.us is to
store your bookmarks online,
which allows you to access the
same bookmarks from any com-
puter and add bookmarks from
anywhere, too. On del.icio.us,
you can use tags to organize and
remember your bookmarks,
which is a much more flexible
system than folders.
You can also use del.icio.us
to see the interesting links that
your friends and other people
bookmark, and share links with
them in return. You can even
browse and search del.icio.us to
discover the cool and useful
bookmarks that everyone else
has saved — which is made easy
with tags.
I use del.icio.us to save all of
my favorite Web sites. There-
fore, anywhere in the world, I
can access my favorite Web
sites. I use del.icio.us to store
personal Web sites, school Web
sites, and CAP Web sites. Here
is my del.icio.us site: http://
del.icio.us/skrabut/. I also net-
work to friends who have the
same interests so that I can ben-
efit from their research; often,
we benefit from each other.
Skype
Skype is a little piece of
software that lets you talk over
the Internet to anyone, any-
where in the world for free… if
they are also using Skype. It is
important that you are using a
highspeed Internet connection.
With Skype, you can also make
regular calls, but it will cost you;
however, if your intended party
is using Skype, the call is free.
One of the added benefits is that
you can make conference calls
Continued . . .
11
Improving Unit Operations
Continued . . .
to up to four people.
Google Calendar
We recently changed the
calendar on the Wyoming Wing
Web site to a google calendar.
You can see the change at http://
www.capwyhq.org/
calendar.asp. This new calendar
provides a number of benefits, if
you subscribe, to include:
Calendar Sharing: Set up a cal-
endar for your unit, and share it
with the whole roster. Or share
with friends and family so you
can view each other’s schedules
side by side. You can also create
a unit calendar and a personal
calendar. If you subscribe to the
Wyoming Wing calendar, you
can then see all your calendars
side by side.
Invitations: Create event invita-
tions, send them to friends, and
keep track of people’s responses
and comments, all in one place.
Your friends can receive your
invitation and post responses
even if they don’t use Google
Calendar themselves.
Quick Add: Click anywhere on
your calendar where an event
belongs (or use the Quick Add
link), and start typing. Google
Calendar understands whole
phrases like “SAREX at Casper
7am on Saturday,” and will pop
new events right into your
agenda.
Gmail Integration: Add your
unit’s open house to your calen-
dar without ever leaving your
Gmail inbox. Gmail now recog-
nizes events mentioned in
emails.
Search: Find the date of the
encampment (you knew it was
sometime this summer). Or,
search public calendars to dis-
cover new events you’re inter-
ested in and add them to your
own calendar.
Mobile Access: Receive event
reminders and notifications on
your mobile phone or email.
Writeboard
Writeboard is a collabora-
tive writing tool. You can use
Writeboard to put together a
document that needs to be
worked on by many people.
Unlike a Word document that’s
stored at your office on one
computer, you can get to your
writeboards from any computer
in the world with an internet
connection and a modern web
browser. Sharing writeboards is
easy — simply enter someone’s
email address and they’ll get an
invitation with a link to view
and edit the writeboard.
Every time you save an edit
a new version is created and
linked in the sidebar. This
allows you to write without fear
of deleting something, overwrit-
ing something, or losing a better
version of the document from
last week. Writeboard encour-
ages you to explore ideas
wherever they may lead.
Don’t like what you wrote?
Just click a previous version
and you’re back to the way
you had it before.
Ever want to know what
changed between two versions
of a writeboard? Simple. Just
check off two versions and click
the compare button. Everything
that was deleted will be grey and
struck, everything that’s new
will be highlighted green. This
is especially useful when you
are collaborating with multiple
people on a writeboard. Now
you can see what others have
changed or added to their ver-
sions of the writeboard.
Campfire
Campfire is a web-based
group chat tool that lets you set
up password-protected chat
rooms in just seconds. With
Campfire, you can invite a a fel-
low CAP member to chat, col-
laborate, and make decisions.
Everything is done in real time
like instant messaging. Instant
messaging is great for one-on-
one chats, but it’s not ideal for
groups of three or more. Instant
messaging is also network
dependent — if you are on AIM,
and your co-worker is on MSN
or Skype, you can’t instant mes-
sage. Campfire is network-
agnostic, optimized for groups,
and only requires a web
browser. Campfire also main-
tains a transcript that you can
refer to later. Campfire is great
for coordinating without having
to get folks together at the same
table; deal for Wyoming.
These are the tools I use and
they keep my life sane. If you
are having problems coordinat-
ing, scheduling, and organizing,
I then recommend using these
tools. If you have questions on
how to use any of these tools,
please drop me a line at
wywg.cv@gmail.com.
★
13
Where are we heading?
By Lt Col Stan Skrabut
“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously con-
sider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do
along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”
I don’t know about you, but I like to be part of
a winning organization. Throughout my life I have
been part of one, and I like the feeling. Whether
you want to accept it or not, Wyoming Wing not
only performs life saving missions, but we are also
in competition with other wings both in and out-
side our region. The units are in competition
between themselves. In order to be success-
ful we need to raise our standard and achieve
various goals.
By the time you read this, the Wyoming Wing
goals should be finalized, published, and distrib-
uted to all the units. These goals were created
through the collaboration of the entire Wyoming
Wing staff and, based on our experiences, we feel
they are achievable. However, to achieve them,
they will require the support of the entire wing.
The goals encompass a number of significant areas
to include membership, aerospace education, cadet
programs, emergency services, professional devel-
opment, and flight operations. The goals cover
years 2007-2010.
When the units receive these goals, we recom-
mend that you establish unit goals based on the
wing goals. In other words, what can you or your
teams do to help achieve these goals. Additionally,
squadron of the year will be based on these goals
and which unit best helps the wing achieve these
goals. Each quarter, a report will come out show-
ing where each unit is in relation to each goal, and
where the wing is as a whole.
In the area of membership, the wing is looking
to increase its membership by recruiting more
members and retaining members we already have.
What can you do? Simply be active in your unit
and try to build the best program possible. This
will encourage others to stay and to join.
Each year, we turn in an annual report on
—Denis Watley
aerospace education to the region. These reports
are graded and a regional winner in aerospace edu-
cation is announced. I cannot remember when
Wyoming Wing was announced as a winner in this
area. We would like to change this. Here are the
areas where we have set goals: Aerospace Educa-
tion Program for Senior Members (AEPSM),
Aerospace Education Officers (AEO), Aerospace
Education Members (AEM), Aerospace Excel-
lence Program (AEX), and aerospace education
awards. What can you do? As a unit, you can get
involved in the AEX program, submit annual aero-
space education awards like the Crossfield and
Brewer awards, and encourage members to partici-
pate in the other programs. As an officer, you can
pursue the AEO specialty track and complete the
AEPSM Yeager Award program.
The cadet program is on the right track; how-
ever, we still have a number of goals to achieve.
We need to improve encampment participation,
special activity participation, and establish a color
guard and/or drill team to compete against the
other wings. We also need more involvement with
wing-sponsored activities to include the Cadet
Advisory Council. Finally, we need to see more
progression through the cadet milestone awards.
What can you do? Get involved and advance in
the program.
Emergency Services… this is Wyoming
Wing’s bread and butter program. We are already
doing a lot of positive things in this program,
but we can do better. We have set goals in
advancement in emergency service specialty
achievements, 100% general emergency services
completion, expending all training funds in the
fiscal year, conducting both a ground and air
operations school. Also, we would like to see more
Continued . . .
15

Where are we heading?
Continued . . .
involvement by cadets in the emergency service
program. What can you do? Ensure that you are
current in your qualifications and advance in the
various achievements. Additionally, ensure that
you have completed the most recent GES training
and examination.
In professional development, we are having
mixed results. Some units are doing well while
others are lagging behind. We have set goals in
professional development course attendance, e.g.,
squadron leadership school, corporate learning
course, and unit commander’s course. We would
also like to see advancement in the professional
development levels. We would like to see 100%
completion in Level I training. Finally, we would
like all officers to be enrolled and advancing in a
specialty track. What can you do? First of all,
ensure that you are enrolled in a specialty track
and advancing in it. Next we would like you to get
out and attend course that you have not yet
attended. Finally, we would like you to complete
the requirements necessary to advance through the
professional development levels.
Finally, we have goals established in flight
operations. First of all, we have goals established
to increase the numbers of hours flown on each
aircraft. We would like to have more orientation
flights flown, both cadet and AFROTC. We have
goals established around the FAA Wings program;
we would like to see more participation in this pro-
gram. We would also like to see more advance-
ment in the various pilot qualification programs.
Another goal that we have established is to create a
glider program in Wyoming Wing. How can you
help? Get out and fly, fly, fly. Let’s use the
training funds provided, and fly the wings off
these aircraft.
Does this sound pretty ambitious, it does if you
are trying to do it alone; however with the support
of the entire wing, it is certainly achievable. It
would be great a year from now to report that we
have met all our goals; wouldn’t it be nice for you
to individually look back and show how you
helped to achieve these goals? ★ Israelis, Itay Mizrahi and Michel Balak died in the crash.
Credit Casper Star-Tribune for plagiarized copy.
Wyoming Wing
Participates in
Two Search and
Rescue Missions
Almost
Simultaneously
By 2d Lt Jeanne Stone-Hunter
The Wyoming Wing of Civil Air Patrol crews
responded to two separate reports of missing air-
craft January 18, 2007.
The Wyoming Wing received a report from the
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Colorado
Springs at 11:05 p.m. the 17th of satellite hits in
the southwestern part of Natrona County. Lt Col
Jim Henderson of the Casper Squadron notified an
aircrew to prepare for a morning takeoff. At 7 a.m.
the Natrona County Sheriff’s received another re-
port from a federal agency about an emergency lo-
cator sending signals from that area. At 9:10 an
aircraft was launched. Using electronic reconnais-
sance, the CAP crew located the plane between
Riverton and Casper at 9:35 a.m.
The plane, owned by American Industrial
Laundry, Inc. had left Lander and was headed to
Gillette. The crash victims were identified as David
Hinkle of Lander and Kyle Moser of Gillette.
The pilot and a passenger did not survive the
crash of the Cessna 182R
In Carbon County, crews were dispatched to
Brown’s Peak, where a plane headed from Califor-
nia to Nebraska with three people on board
crashed after refueling in Rock Springs. Denver
Flight Service had a lost signal on the plane at
10:18 p.m. Wednesday the 17th. Again, the Wyo-
ming Wing responded and caught a faint signal but
couldn’t pinpoint the crash from the air. Friday
morning, ground crews finally located the plane.
One US and Israeli dual citizen, Jared Harel, and two
17
 WANTED
PILOTS & AIRCREWS

REQUIREMENTS: Become a Member

Desire to contribute Time and Talent
BENEFITS: Pride in Supporting your Country and
your Community
Flying Opportunities in:
★ Search and Rescue
★ Homeland Security
★ Cadet Orientation Rides
★ Emergency Services

CONTACT WYOMING CIVIL AIR PATROL

1-800-FLY-2338 http://www.capwyhq.org

18
What the Heck is SUI?
Written & picture taken by Major Mike Carlson
(Major Carlson was part of the inspection team
that visited four of the Squadrons)
What the heck is this SUI stuff? Is it a new TV show like CSI or
NCIS? Or, is it a funky acronym we see on the Internet? Well, SUI
started to get noticed when the WY Wing had it’s Unit Commander’s
Course (UCC) late August in Casper. A lot of us just thought it was
another program from national, which meant more paperwork. By
the Wing conference, in Sep-
tember, the seriousness of the
SUI hit everyone like the punch thrown by Muhammad Ali (Cassius
Clay) against George Foreman in the 1974 boxing match, “Rumble
in the Jungle”.
SUI Stands for Subordinate Unit Inspection. These are Inspec-
tions previously required by CAPR 60-2. It’s all stated in CAPR 123-
3 Civil Air Patrol Compliance Assessment Program which I’m sure
we have all read. The CAP National Board approved a new CAPR
123-3 in August 2004. They said that these inspections had to be all
conducted no later than 24 months. If not done then a complete shut-
down of CAP activities would prevail until units complied. That meant
no CAP flying, no CAP meetings, no cadet programs, etc. As stated:
CAPR 123-3 11. b. SUIs are to be conducted on an approximate 24-month cycle with the
purpose of improving both safety and regulatory compliance. Any excess interval between SUIs
beyond 24 months will be subtracted in computing the next SUI due date. Any unit that exceeds
27 months without a completed SUI will be prohibited from participating in any CAP activities
until an SUI is completed. Waivers to exceed the 27-month maximum without restrictions being
placed on the unit must be approved by the CAP/IG and the CAP-USAF/IG.
Basically inspections (SUIs) are conducted by region, wing or group headquarters on units subordi-
nate to their headquarters. A wing may conduct an SUI on a group, squadron or flight within the wing.
Likewise, a group headquarters may conduct an SUI on a squadron or flight within the group. Well, we
don’t have a Group any more in Wyoming so that means that the Wing must perform the inspections on
each Squadron. That means 12 inspections will have to be completed within a 2 month period. The in-
spection team looks at a bunch of different areas that Squadron’s should be doing for CAP’s mission ca-
pability. These areas are:

A. AEROSPACE EDUCATION D. MISSION SUPPORT E. COMMAND

B. CADET PROGRAMS 1. Professional Development 1. Command
C. EMERGENCY SERVICES 2. Chaplin 2. Safety
1. Emergency Services 3. Finance
2. Counter Drug 4. Administration Each area is looked at, as all
3. Operations 5. Personnel Squadron Commanders have
4. Aircraft Management 6. Public Affairs been finding out, and given a
5. Aircraft Shipping & Receiv- 7. Supply rating on how well the unit is
ing 8. Transportation & Vehicle doing.
6. Aircraft Inspection Inspection
7. Communications 9. Drug Demand Reduction Continued . . .

19
What the Heck is SUI?
Continued . . .
Outstanding: Performance or operation far exceeds mission requirements. Procedures and activities
are carried out in a far superior manner. Resources and programs are very efficiently managed and are
of exceptional merit. Few, if any, deficiencies exist.

Excellent: Performance or operation exceeds mission requirements. Procedures and activities are
carried out in a superior manner. Resources and programs are very efficiently managed and relatively
free of deficiencies.

Successful: Performance or operation meets mission requirements. Procedures and activities are
carried out in an effective and competent manner. Resources and programs are efficiently managed.
Minor deficiencies may exist, but do not impede or limit mission accomplishment.

Marginal: Performance or operation does not meet some mission requirements. Procedures and
activities are not carried out in an efficient manner. Resources and programs are not efficiently man-
aged. Deficiencies exist that impede or limit mission accomplishment.

Unsatisfactory: Performance or operation does not meet mission requirements. Procedures and
activities are not carried out in an adequate manner. Resources and programs are not adequately
managed. Significant deficiencies exist that preclude or seriously limit mission accomplishment, or
endanger personnel or resources.

Then there are some observation categories that point to good and possible bad practices.

Benchmark Candidate—The best of the best processes observed and researched to date by the
assessment team to be considered for emulation by other units.

Commendable Item—A highly effective concept, technique, or management practice not observed in
other units or significantly better than those found in other units.

Observation—A minor deficiency documented to place emphasis on the need for resolution before it
develops into a more serious problem, to provide cross feed to other units or to act as an indicator of
overall unit health.

Finding—A significant deficiency that requires specific answers to CAP-USAF on actions taken to
correct the deficiency. In the report, a finding is identified by either a single asterisk (*) or, if potential for
Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) exists, a double asterisk (**). Units must answer findings with enough
detail to permit the HQ CAP and CAP-USAF staffs to determine the adequacy of corrective actions and
provide assistance as required. See CAPR 123-3 and CAP-USAFI 90-201 details.

Repeat Finding—A finding reported in the unit’s previous IG inspection report or recent audit agency
report, which was subsequently closed, which exists again during the current assessment. Repeat
findings are normally answerable findings.

Open Item—An answerable finding from a prior assessment in which the unit or higher headquarters’
corrective actions are incomplete and NHQ and CAP-USAF has not closed the item. Corrective action
progress is evaluated and documented in the report. If corrective actions were complete, but not
reported, and the inspector determined the problem or deficiency solved, the open item is closed,
indicating that no further actions required. If corrective actions are incomplete or inadequate, the item
remains open. Open items are not repeat write-ups. Continued . . .

21
What the Heck is SUI?
Continued . . .
So what happens at an
SUI?? First, a team of inspectors
is put together by the Wing IG
(that’s the Inspector General).
Then a schedule is arranged for
the team to visit each and every
unit. During the time before the
visit each unit should be making
sure that each area is up to snuff.
Hopefully the unit commander
has appointed people to each of
the areas to do the job. If they
don’t then the unit commander
has a lot of work to do. On the
day of the inspection the unit
hauls all it’s records to the meet-
ing spot agreed upon. They all
sit down and go over the param-
eters, like I wrote above, and
then go at it. Each inspector has
a list of questions they ask for
each subject area, and it’s up to
the unit to reflect the informa-
tion (verbally and documented)
of what they are doing, within
the area, to accomplish CAP’s
missions. So all things have to
be inspected, like the van is in-
spected from top to bottom, and
if the unit has a CAP plane it
gets inspected also from prop to
tail along with all it’s paper-
work. In the picture we see the
Cody Cadet Squadron being in-
spected by Lt Col Stan Skrabut
(right). Captain Stan Strike (top
left), Aerospace Officer for the
unit, and Major BJ Carlson (bot-
tom left), Squadron Com-
mander, discuss the Aerospace
Education portion of the inspec-
tion.
How long does it take to per-
form one of these audit/inspec-
tions?? Well, let’s just say that
it’s best not to schedule any-
thing that day. It depends how
many folks from both sides at-
tend the inspection, how many
assets have to be inspected, etc.;
but plan on at least 4 hrs of your
time and make sure there are a
few hours open on the other end.
So the next questions is…
“What happens after the inspec-
tion?” Well, I’ve got to believe
that some looooong sighs come
from both sides. By that I mean
sighs of relief that it’s over. The
Inspection team has to travel
back home, and in Wyoming
that can mean traveling long dis-
tances, to “write-up” the find-
ings. At the unit level it means
packing all those documents
back to their filed spots, and
then spend the rest of the day
trying to get rid of the headache.
For some of you that have
been around CAP a long time
you know about this stuff, but
those of us “newcomers”, who
have never experienced this be-
fore, find it quite awesome. It
sure gives a good hard look at
what the whole CAP program is
all about and whether we are
fulfilling the mission.
So a report is published on
the good and not so good points
of what the unit has been doing.
It’s a good gauge for the unit to
look at what needs improvement
and then, hopefully, make some
plans on how to remedy the situ-
ation. Because, in another 20
months or less, the unit will
have to go through the whole
thing again.
★
23
Getting Ready
Article and pictures by
Major Mike Carlson, Cody Cadet Squadron’s Logistics Officer
It’s been a looooooooong time since the last
WY Wing SAR Ex. With new cadets joining the
ranks of the Cody Cadet Squadron, an up-coming
Table-Top Exercise planned for Guernsey, WY,
plus being Emergency Services night for the
squadron meeting, it was time to make sure every-
one was qualified to participate. For cadets this
means passing the 50 question CAPT 116 test to
receive their 101 card, making sure they have their
CAP ID Card, and getting that first stripe (passing
the Curry and physical tests). For new cadets this
is a daunting experience. Finding out something
about what Incident Command (IC) means, why a
CAPF 108 is VERY important, what Command/
Planning/Operations/Admin-Finance/Logistics
has to do with S&R, etc., etc., etc…. So with all Cadets Dimock, Beatty, and Longo working on their
this bookwork taken care of we tell them they now CAPT 117.

have to wait to experience a SAR Ex.

Let’s not forget about those that are Ground
Team (GT) qualified. They think they’ve done
everything and can skate by. Wrong-Oh - have
they taken the CAPT 117???? A check of their
records finds gaps in their documentation. So, they
all sit down grumbling and take tests just like the
new cadets.
If you are on a Ground Team (GT), that 24 Hr
Pack is always ready to go, right???? Sure enough,
they all bring in their 24 Hr Packs for a spot
inspection and there were some “oops”. It seems
there were a few items that didn’t get replaced af-
ter the last SAR Ex. So… this is why both Major
Carlson’s stress the “4 R’s” (REPLENISH,
REPAIR, REPACK and REST)!! Somehow a few
cadets missed 3 out of the 4 “R’s”. Hopefully
lessons well learned if they are called out on a
real SAR.
PHOTO ON LEFT
L/R Cadet Basic Kyle Dewey, C/2d Lt Tyler
Dimock, C/2d Lt Jeremiah Longo, C/CMSgt Cory
Zubic check through their 24 Hr Packs and find
some “oops”.

25
 Ground - Troposphere - Stratosphere –
Mesosphere - Thermosphere – Exosphere
and Beyond…
from Dreams to Reality for this Wyoming Cadet
Written by C/SrA Andy Crawford
Pictures by Major Michael Carlson, Cody Cadet Squadron

I have been involved with with where I was. I got tired of

model rockets from a young age
and as a result I have decided to
pursue a career in aerospace
engineering. CAP has given me
an opportunity to share my
knowledge of rocketry with
other people that have similar
interests as me.
When my mother asked me
what I wanted for my seventh
birthday I told her, “All want is
a rocket”. I had seen a rocket kit
at Wal-Mart that took pictures
from the sky, and decided I
wanted it for my birthday. I
don’t remember anything else I
got that year except for that
rocket. I fell instantly in love
with rockets and I decided I
would grow up and become “A
Rocket Scientist”.
Many young kids love rock-
ets but they usually grow out of
it, however, I still love rockets
and I still build and launch them.
When I first started I could
hardly get a “ready to fly”
rocket to work properly. There
were many crashes and lost
rockets, but, as I progressed, I
learned tricks to successful
flights until each rocket flew
perfectly. Every time I got one
thing right I would move on to
the next thing until I had that
down too. I was never satisfied
building kit rockets; I wanted to
design my own. Before long I
was building clusters and two
stage rockets and even making
them fly. My rocket collection
exceeded forty rockets at one
point. However, rockets do not
always fly on course and I lost
many rockets. I also lost rockets
due to malfunctions and stupid
mistakes.
The worst case of a rocket
malfunction involved my most
beloved rocket, The Mirage. I
received this rocket for
Christmas in 1998 but was too
scared to launch it. The Mirage
C/SrA Andy Crawford showing
was 7' 7" tall with a 4" diameter
the Saturn V.
and its power plant was a
GW- 35 rocket motor. You see, you launch an $85.00 rocket,
most rockets operate on A check everything twice. I don’t
through C rocket motors, each know what went wrong, but I
letter representing twice the remember saying repeatedly,
power of the one before it. This “Any minute now it will deploy
rocket was four times more its parachutes”, however, it did
powerful than anything I had not. It just arched over and
launched before. I decided to pointed its nose to the ground,
launch it on my 18th birthday in almost like shooting an arrow
2006 and it was spectacular. into the air. I heard it whistling
When I pressed the red button, as it hit the ground roughly 50
that GW-35 Aero-tech motor yards away, and landed in the
came alive and it was loud! It horse pasture. My seven-foot
lifted off slowly but it quickly rocket had shrunk to three. It
gained speed and before I knew was a sad . . . sad day.
it my rocket was at its apogee. When I was seventeen I
Now I have to tell you, when Continued . . .

27
Dreams to
Reality . . .
Continued . . .
joined the Cody Cadet Squad-
ron, CAP, and soon after we
began the rocketry program for
our aerospace education. I was
very excited! When I first
started building rockets I made
many mistakes, but I had to
learn the hard way. In CAP I can
share my knowledge of rockets
and help other cadets avoid
Saturn V
C/SrA Andy Crawford showing the Tallon.
making the same mistakes I
made in the past. The CAP rock-
etry program requires us to build
several rockets, including a two-
stage rocket, and a rocket from
aerospace history. I had already
built these rockets before, so I
brought in two examples to one
of our aerospace education
meetings to show them to the
other cadets.
The aerospace history rocket
is a replica of the infamous Sat-
urn V, which was the powerful
rocket that took man to the
moon. I picked this kit up in
Texas when I was about eleven
years old, however, when I
started assembling it, it proved
to be too advanced for me to
build. I put it back in the box. A
couple of years later I brought it
back out and finished it. This
rocket looks like a fragile plastic
model, but it actually does fly. It
flies with D9-6 rocket motors
and does quite well.
The other rocket I took is a
two-stage rocket that I named
the Tallon. I designed this
rocket using a wrapping paper
tube for the airframe, balsa
wood I got from the local hobby
store for the fins, and a nose
cone I spun on a lathe. The
Tallon operates on a C6-0 and
C6-7 rocket motors. I estimate it
to fly around 2500 feet. It was
the first two-stage rocket I ever
got to operate correctly.
Rocketry had sparked my
interest in aerospace even before
I found CAP, however, CAP has
encouraged me to pursue my
dreams in aerospace and has
taught me self discipline and
other values that will help me
attain my goals.
★
29
Llama
Wranglers
Innovative Game Plan Empowers Cadets
By Lenore Vickrey, CAP Volunteer Magazine
M
ajors B.J. Carlson and Mike Carlson have
combined their love of CAP with their love
of llamas to introduce a new generation to
this native South American animal.
The adventure began when the Wyoming Wing’s
Cody Cadet Squadron was started a few years ago.
Since some of the 12 to 13-year-old cadets weighed
only 80 pounds; they were unable to carry a 60-pound,
72-hour pack up the Wyoming mountains during the
ground team operations on emergency service mis-
sions. That’s when the llamas came into the picture.
The Carlson’s, who own the Wayfaring Traveler
Llama Ranch near Cody, Wyo., taught the squadron
members how to pack with llamas during a special
encampment. The training led nine cadets and four
senior members to earn a “Junior Llama Wranglers”
rating from the Wayfaring Ranch.
During a wilderness pack trip that followed, a
search and rescue exercise with an emergency locator
transmitter location test was conducted.
“For these young cadets, who weighed 100 pounds
or less, carrying packs of 40-60 pounds can be a tough
haul,” said Major Mike Carlson. “With llamas carrying
the weight, the cadets could cover more ground without
the exhaustion.”
Former cadet commander 2d Lt Krystina Betty, 15,
was one of the cadets on the trip who enjoyed having a
llama carry her equipment. “They are gentle animals,”
she said. “They don’t do much to humans, but they can
kill a wolf, so they are good protection as well.”
Major Mike Carlson points to the “natural moun-
taineering ability” of the llama, which is a member of
the camel family. Llamas have long been hired in the
Andes to be beasts of burden and they are able to cover
the roughest terrain “with remarkable surefootedness,
carrying loads up to 100 pounds,” he said.
He describes llamas as “strong and gentle, quiet
and agile,” which makes them “the perfect trail com-
panion with no more impact on the ecology than a deer,
and they can be easily led by those with no previous
experience handling pack stock.”
They also can have their stubborn moments,
according to Beatty. “They can stop and lie down and it
takes 10 or 15 minutes to get them back up again,” she
said. But with some nudging and “pulling real hard,”
they can be persuaded to resume the journey.
Since the initial llama pack training, the squadron
has had a retraining event, and while they have not
been called on to perform an actual search and rescue
ground operation, they will be ready when that hap-
pens, said Major B.J. Carlson, squadron commander.
The Cody squadron remains unique among all
1,500-plus units in this country, as the only one that
uses llamas for emergency services. “There’s nothing
similar to this,” said Beatty.
31
Cody Cadet Squadron
Promot ions
Promotions
Promotions
Promotio
Promotions
Promotions ns
Promotions Promotions
Article written by Maj Mike Carlson

O
n 23 January, 2007, the
Cody Cadet Squadron
conducted several pro-
motions following a Moral
Leadership lesson. What
seemed a long time since some-
one was promoted (maybe due
to the holiday schedule and
“finals” testing for the high
school), nearly half the squad-
ron was either promoted or
received E/S ribbons or com-
mendation awards.
Those promoted were:
• C/SSgt Joseph Bernavich to
C/TSgt
• C/A1C Andy Crawford to
C/SrA
• C/Basic Kyle Dewey to C/Amn
• C/CMSgt Corey Zubik received
the Armstrong Award. Now
just one final step to the cov-
eted Mitchell Award and
Those being promoted R/L: Cadets Dewey, Crawford, Bernavich, and
being an Officer!! Zubik. Maj BJ Carlson is Commander of the Cody Cadet Squadron.
Those receiving other awards Photograph taken by Lt Col Raymond Carpenter
were:
• C/2d Lt Jeremiah Longo who
received the coveted “Ground • Major Mike Carlson received for the number of “finds”
Team Badge” for completing the “Search & Rescue” ribbon while at NBB. Maj Carlson
GTM phases 3,2,1. Cadet with “Bronze Prop” for the received 2 “Bronze Prop”
Longo also received the sorties he participated in pins for receiving a National
“Search & Rescue” ribbon during the 2006 National Commander’s Award while at
for the sorties he partici- Blue Beret and WY and 2006 NBB and for partici-
pated in at the 2006 National CO Wings’ SARs. He also pating in WY Wing’s 2006
Blue Beret. received the “Find” ribbon Encampment.

33
Prairie Wind Composite Squadron presents:
s p a c e
Aero
in the Classroom
In October 2006, we visited
the 5th and 6th grade combina-
tion classroom of Terri Pollard.
We talked about the need to stay
off drugs and remain in school.
We learned about careers in
aviation, and about the four
forces of flight. Each student
constructed the balsa plane
given to them courtesy of the
Wing DDR program.
Students and faculty have
invited us back for quarterly
activities in aerospace educa-
tion. They want to learn about
the Shuttle program and the ISS
using hands-on activities pro-
vided by the AEX program.

Wheatland Middle School Flight begins

The students of Wheatland Middle School have
the opportunity to grow and learn from the program
provided by CAP. Prairie Wind Composite Squadron
has stepped up to the plate to provide an after school
program at the request of the school principal.
This program is a regular part of the squadron
differing only in the location of meetings. These
cadets will participate in all aspects of the CAP
program and are especially excited to get their first
orientation flight. The applications and dues are
being turned in this month.
They are learning the basic drill movements
and assimilating the Curry chapter. They have had
their first taste of a safety meeting, Core Values
class, uniform class, Cadet Oath and the chain of
command. We have already begun to raise money
with the help of the school to help each cadet
receive a complete set of BDUs. Our first fund-
raiser is a raffle of a kite modeled after the Wright
Brothers Flyer. We will also be manning the school
concession for the Basketball Tournament in late Feb-
ruary. The group is small but determined to succeed.
Prairie Wind Composite Squadron
Participates in . . .

“Wreaths Across America”

Submitted by Lt Col Sue McDonald
Prairie Wind Composite Squadron, Wyoming Wing, Civil Air Patrol

(Wheatland, WY)—Thursday
December 14th, members of
Prairie Wind Composite Squad-
ron gathered with VFW mem-
bers, VFW Ladies Auxiliary
members, community members,
veterans, active duty and
National Guard personnel to lay
wreaths honoring our fallen
heroes and those still serving
our country. The Platte County
activity was part of the annual
Wreaths Across America Cer-
emony that takes place at
Arlington National Cemetery
and numerous other locations
nationwide.
VFW Post #3558 provided
the Color Guard and the Navy,
Army, Air Force and Marine
flags for the ceremony. The
VFW Post #3558 Ladies
Auxiliary served coffee and pie
for refreshments. Arlene Birkle,
Auxiliary state president, pro-
vided help with advertising
funds and arranged the donation
of a Coast Guard flag. Mrs.
Birkle also photographed the
event. The Coast Guard Enlisted
Association of Ketchikan,
Alaska donated the Coast Guard
flag. 2d Lt Kyle McDonald,
Civil Air Patrol, provided the
music and video slide presenta-
tion and Jeff Billings of the
Platte County Fair Board gener-
ously allowed the squadron to
use the 4-H building.
Wreath laying personnel
included: 1Sgt Bill Motley,
Wyoming Army National
Guard, representing the
Army; HM1 Jeffery Williams,
Cheyenne Navy recruiting
office, representing the Marines
and Navy; Joanne Rice, parent
of a prior service Marine and
current Coast Guard member,
representing the Coast Guard;
Captain Dennis Cornell, CAP,
represented the Air Force; and
Neil Neupel of the Patriot
Guard Riders represented the
POW/MIAs.
The squadron would like to
publicly acknowledge the
Worchester Wreath Company
for their generous donation of
wreaths and for their continued
support of this event. Majors
Merrill and Murray of the Civil
Air Patrol provided logistical
expertise to the Prairie Wind
squadron.

If you desire more information on the

WYOMING CIVIL AIR PATROL,
please complete this form and mail to:
Wyoming Wing, Civil Air Patrol
P. O. Box 9507, Cheyenne, WY 82003-9507

Name ____________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________

City ________________________________________ State ________________ Zip ____________

36