The Water Rudder

April 2010-Spring Issue Volume 4 Number 2

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

A couple of items are coming up. The first is that HarryWhitaker, Air Force Liaison for the Alaska Wing will be coming to Juneau at the end of March to conduct his annual review of the squadron. The second is that the Inspector General will be here sometime in May or June to conduct the squadron inspection. More information will follow on that.

Condolences for the Hazelton Family: Commanders Call:

Major Ken Nestler A couple of new officers have been appointed: Bob Goetz is the new emergency services officer. Kirt StageHarvey has been appointed to the Standards and Evaluations officer. We have been actively providing the crews for the Guardian Angel Flights. In addition we have been having Monthly Search exercises. The weekend of March 13 we had a wing wide practice for the upcoming Wing SAREX testing. We put up two aircraft for the practice search. The second round was canceled due to weather. We are looking for folks to participate as crew members in the exercises and real searches. We need folks to act as scanners along with the observers and pilots. Scanners are the folks scanning the terrain looking for the object of the search. If interested let Bob Goetz know. In addition, the cadets are working on getting a ground search crew going. If you are interested in that let Karl or Lisa Marx know.

With deep sorrow we announce the passing of Lt Colonel Al Hazelton, who was a stalwart member of the CAP. He joined June 28, 1965. He was commander of the Juneau Squadron for many years. He was a flight instructor and check pilot. He was very active in the Cadet program and was a cadet orientation pilot along with an instructor 1

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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for both the glider and power encampments. His specialty was the gliders. He even spent many winters in Arizona teaching glider flying. He had numerous certificates and awards. Al and his wife Evelyn were just about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

We will miss him! Evelyn, our prayers are with you.

We had the privilege of meeting the new US Coast Guard Commander for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District; Rear Admiral Christopher C. Colvin. His command includes Alaska, its surrounding waters, and the Arctic; encompassing more coastline than the remaining forty-nine states combined. During the summer of 2009 he coordinated the airlift of nearly 7000 people from New Orleans just prior to the onset of hurricane Gustav, the largest air evacuation of a U.S. city ever undertaken. Rear Admiral Colvin provided us with an inspiring talk, and we all went away feeling this next season of partnership with the US Coast Guard would be very positive indeed. We were also treated with the opportunity to meet USCG Sector Juneaus Deputy Sector Commander Matt Jones. Sector Juneau is one of our primary SAR partners in Southeast, having responsibility for Coast Guard missions up to 50 miles offshore. While we didnt get an opportunity to hear from Deputy Commander Jones, many of us had a chance to talk with him one-onone. It is obvious his faith, love for his country, his family, and kids are very important to him; which is a good thing since he is the father of six. I think he had a special warm spot for our cadets. The passion, integrity, and humility of these USCG representatives was 2

Southeast Composite Squadrons Annual Awards Banquet 2009:

Story and photo by 1Lt Bob Goetz

The business of the Christmas season precluded us from providing many of the details on our annual awards banquet in the Winter Newsletter. Well it was a great success! And The Hangar on the Wharf once again treated us to their culinary creativity. This years theme centered around our long standing relationship with the US Coast Guard in Southeast. Our MC for the banquet was Todd Buck, whose day (and often night) job was in the Coast Guard Command Center here in Juneau. Todd did a great job of keeping us on task and adding a bit of humor throughout the night.

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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obvious. We look forward to working with them in the coming months and years. Who knows, we may even see one of more of their sons and daughters joining our CAP cadet program. Outgoing CAP Alaska Wing Commander, Colonel Carl Brown, was unable to join us this year due to a last minute Pacific Region commitment. Lt Colonel Charles Palmer was gracious enough to step in and represent the Alaska Wing. Charlie as he is know to most of us is our Wings Inspector General, and current Vice Commander. He provided us with a history of the Civil Air Patrol in Alaska, and some insights into his 20 year career with the US Air Force; including some 300 combat missions in Viet Nam. We expect to see more of Charlie in the future when he takes command of the Alaska Wing this spring. Lt Col Palmer presented the following Senior member awards: Paul E. Garber Maj Steve Sztuk AK Wing, Safety Officer of the Year 1Lt Dan Logan AK Wing, Certificate of Achievement in Aerospace Education Maj Martha DeFreest Commanders Commendation Capt Jon Ahlgren Commanders Commendation 1Lt Robert Goetz Lt Col Palmer announced the following Senior member promotions: Maj Steve Sztuk was promoted to Lt Colonel, effective 18 Nov 2009.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

Maj Ken Nestler were promoted to Lt Colonel, effective 29 Oct 2009. Rear Admiral Colvin presented the following Cadet awards: Non Commissioned Officer of the Year Cadet Master Sergeant Russadell Buzard Cadet of the Year Cadet Master Sergeant Kevin Burgess 1Lt Goetz presented this years Top Flyer Squadron awards: Top Flyer for A Mission Flight Time - Lt Col Ken Nestler (80 flight hours) Top Flyer for Total Flight Time - Lt Col Ken Nestler (104 flight hours) Top Flyer for Mission Observer Time 1Lt Dan Logan (18 flight hours) Lt Col Ken Nestler presented this years Squadron awards: Senior Member of the Year - Lt Col Steve Sztuk. As in past years our Cadet Color Guard did and excellent job of opening and closing our ceremonies. This years banquet committee included Ken Nestler, Bob Goetz, and Sheila Goetz. Shawn Damerval once again rescued us at the last minute with our printed programs, and Jon and Brook tackled the thankless job of issuing tickets and collecting money at the door. Special thanks to Philippe Damerval for honoring us with his talented rendition of our National Anthem, and Jean Sztuk for scrounging up all the wonderful door prizes. And lastly, thanks to all the Southeast Composite Squadron members 3

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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and guests for making this years awards banquet another success.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

Emergency Services - Missions:

Limited suitable flying weather this winter made it a challenge to complete our mission objectives for the many sorties we planned. Though a challenge, we still managed to get some good airtime for our aircrews. Due to funding limitations AK Wing was only able to provide us with one monthly SAREX this quarter which ran from 08Jan thru 08Feb. That said, the creativity of our AK Wing administrative personnel succeeded in enabling us to double our flyable mission time each month. THANK YOU!

legal, the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system no longer monitors them. On a recent sortie the following old abandoned aircraft was sited and photographed. Keep your eyes open, you may have an opportunity to spot it yourself on your next ES training flight. Each week a Guardian Angel flight is planned for a 2 hour duration along predetermined routings at a minimum planned altitude of 4000 AGL. This provides approximately 8 flight hours each month to ES qualified aircrews. Since these missions can be redirected by RCC to an actual A-1 (AFRCC SAR) the aircrew is required to be current and qualified in Ops Quals, and include at least a SAR Mission Pilot and Mission Scanner. Qualified and 101 carded ES trainees can also participate. While each sortie should include mission training, these missions cannot be used for CAPF5 check rides.

Our monthly Guardian Angel flights continue to be a great opportunity for our aircrews to maintain their proficiency, while at the same time providing a valuable service to citizens we serve. These missions place aircraft on established routes at an altitude which enables them to listen for emergency beacons transmitting on the 121.5/243MHZ frequencies. While use of ELTs transmitting on these frequencies is still

Our squadron is also participating in spin up exercises in preparation for this years Graded Wing Exercise to practice procedures, workflow, assigning tasks, etc.; which will occur in May of this year. The Wing will be evaluated to measure the effectiveness of our 4

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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operational capabilities. During the second training (spin-up) in March we launched two aircrews with specific mission objectives. Weather was interesting and our Berners Bay crew was unable to execute their assigned tasks due to low hanging clouds and fog as seen in the photo. After a bumpy ride home each crew returned safe and sound.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

Missing Person in the Dry Straight Area

Major Wallace Long and Captain Jon Ahlgren along with a dog ground team flew a shore line search on Feb 11th for a missing person. They searched from Thomas Bay to Dry Straits and over flew several cabins on the Stikine River and along the shore line of Sumner Straight. They dropped off a search dog and handlers; Kerry Kirkpatrick and Mike Pilling at the Petersburg Airport to continue the search from the ground. The missing person was not located by the air or ground team.

current, or in a supervised training status. Specific requirements are described in CAPR 60-3 (CAP Emergency Services Training and Operational Missions). Chapter 2 provides detailed guidance on the standards which must be met. Most ES specialty qualifications expire 3 years from the date they were attained or renewed, and the member has an additional 2 years to re-qualify once they expire without having to start all over. See sections 2-4 and 2-5 for specific guidance on how to renew your qualifications. Contact 1Lt Bob Goetz to discuss your specific ES training needs, or what options are available to you to renew your qualifications. Another option available to all members is to participate in one of the annual Emergency Services training academies, Wing or National. This years AK Wing Mission Aircrew School is planned for May 16th thru 22nd, and more information can be found on the AK Wing web site (www.akwg.cap.gov). Additionally, you can attend the National Emergency Services Academy (NESA) at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. There are two sessions this year from June 13th to June 26th. More information is available at www.nesa.cap.gov.

Senior Development - Training:

Maj Martha DeFreest is beginning preparation for a Senior Leadership Class (SLS). Completion of an SLS class is required to complete Level II of your Professional Development training. To obtain credit for completing an SLS you must have completed Level I training. If you are interested in 5

Emergency Services - Training:

To participate in emergency services training and operational missions you must be either fully qualified and

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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participating in this class please contact Maj Martha DeFreest or 1Lt Bob Goetz. More information will be forthcoming as the details and dates come together.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

Cadet Activities:
C/CMSgt. Kiefer was accepted into the Honor Guard Academy in Maryland. C/CMSgt. Holt has been accepted into the Evergreen Aviation Business Academy in McMinnville, Oregon. He also received a generous scholarship from the Alaska Wing to Glider Academy in Clear, Alaska. C/CMsgt. Buzzard was also accepted into the Honor Guard Academy in Maryland. C/CMsgt. Hales was also accepted into the Honor Guard Academy in Maryland

organization as being in the interest of the security and/or defense of the nation. This ribbon applies to all members participating on the mission in any capacity. Personnel performing duties, such as base support or staff functions, may be credited with one sortie for each 8 hours of participation, but not to exceed two sorties for any 24-hour period. Clasps may be added to the ribbon for participation in every ten additional sorties.

Light Repair:
Story by Jean Sztuk

High winds tore loose the main outside light of our hangar. Lt. Col. Steve Sztuk rides up in scissor-lift and replaces it. As a past Journeyman Lineman, he has no fear of heights or electricity. The new light illuminates the whole front and side of the hangar, like daylight at night. A big THANK YOU to Chatham Electric Co. that donated the light replacement!

New Ribbon:
It appears we now have a HLS ribbon in the CAP regs; Wow, that was a few years in the production! This ribbon was designed by our own former Cadet Bates. CAP REGULATION 39-3 22 FEBRUARY 2010 AWARD OF CAP MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND CERTIFICATES l. Homeland Security Ribbon. Awarded for participation in ten actual Homeland Security sorties as defined by the tasking

Safety News:
Submitted by 1LT Rob MacDonald; Safety Officer

Bird Flu/Avian Influenza Status: For a few years now a hot topic has been bird flu, or more officially, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1. News of this bird flu has decreased in recent months. However, its still an environmental threat for other countries. In fact, the most recent case of Avian Influenza H5N1 was November 2009 in Egypt by a person who was involved in the poultry industry. The person is in stable condition. 6

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

The Water Rudder

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

Avian Influenza H5N1 is an infectious disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms in birds from mild illness to rapid death. More than 100 million birds in the affected countries have died from this virus. There are many different types of avian influenza viruses occurring naturally that are common among domestic poultry and some wild birds. Most of these have no apparent affect on birds and do not spread to humans. Since 1959 humans had previously only been known to have acquired avian influenza 10 times and symptoms were mild. The effects of this Avian Influenza H5N1 virus have been the exception. Avian Influenza H5N1 occurred first in a farmed goose in China in 1996 and the first human infections started in 1997. Since then, 15 countries have reported cases of Avian Influenza H5N1. All combined, 442 human cases have been reported and this has resulted in 262 deaths. The concern in Alaska and North America is that many bird species breeding in Alaska migrate to and winter throughout parts of Russia and Asia and its feared these birds could carry the bird flu virus here in their spring migration. Then, birds that migrate to Alaska from Canada, the lower 48 states, and Mexico could possibly contract bird flu and carry it down there. Over the past 4 years, federal and state agencies and other groups have sampled over 47,000 wild birds, subsistence taken birds, and sport hunter harvested

birds throughout Alaska to check for Avian Influenza H5N1. No Avian Influenza H5N1 viruses have been found. A concern was that Avian Influenza H5N1 could cause a pandemic. But, this hasnt been the case. A pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of disease that has 3 components: 1) a new influenza virus with little or no human immunity; 2) it must infect humans and cause illness; and 3) it must spread easily and continue without interruption. The Avian Influenza H5N1 virus meets the first two conditions but it hasnt met the third. So, its not officially a pandemic. Aircraft Status:
Beaver N5142G Mission Ready at JNU Cessna N4950R Mission Ready at JNU

Meet Our Members:

Submitted by: Jean Sztuk

C/CMSgt Cadet Myles Kiefer What is your rank? C/CMSgt, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant What CAP position do you hold? Cadet Commander Employment? Yes, I work at the valley movie theater Family? Tell us about your family. 7

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com

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Mom, Dad, 2 brothers, and a Half sister. Mom: Stephanie Kiefer, Dad: Brad Kiefer, Brothers: Logan and Nathan Kiefer, and Half Sister: Malie Phealen. What else do you want our members to know about you? Please brag! We dont know unless you tell us! Ive been in the Civil Air Patrol sense I was 12. I moved my way up inch by inch, from Safety Officer to Administrator to Cadet Commander now. I plan to make my Billy Mitchel, 2nd Lieutenant, maybe higher. I am a Junior at Juneau-Douglas High School and cant wait to graduate next year. After high school plans: I hope to be in the Air Force Academy or Coast Guard Academy. I do Track & Field as an after school sport. What is your most vivid memory of flying? My best trip was to Baltimore, Maryland. I went there for three weeks for Honor Guard training. It was a 14hour flight all with stops and everything, and flying by myself was amazing, I actually met a retired Air Force enlistee, he was telling me the amazing trips he took all over the place in a KC-135. What is your most vivid memory of flying with CAP? The first time I went up, Major Long let me have the controls of the plane and I was scared because I had no idea what to do. Well when I took control I was so nervous that I pushed in on the yoke and it felt as if my butt was in the air and the plane was leaving me. It was a blast after that experience. Do you have pets? Types & Names I do, I have one dog. He is a Border Collie and Australian Shepard mix with Black and White fur.

The Official Newsletter of the Civil Air Patrols Southeast Composite Squadron Juneau, Alaska

His name is Mojo. Do you have a pet peeve youd like to share with the members? People who cant be themselves around others. Everyone should be able to have a good time no matter who theyre with. And I hate it when people one-up another persons answer or statement. CAP Supporters & Sponsors:

Terry Papf, owner of See Gee donated their Weight & Balance Calculator for both the U206 and the Beaver that we fly here in Juneau. The device makes a weight and balance calculation before every flight an easy operation.

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Southeast Composite Squadron - Juneau, Alaska

For further information contact Major Jeff DeFreest, Public Affairs Officer, PCR-AK-022 at: jdefreest@gmail.com