NEWSLETTER OF THE GENERAL CURTIS E. LEMAY OFFUTT COMPOSITE SQUADRON Squadron Phone: 294-4597 E-Mail: OFFCS.CAP@Offutt.af.

.mil Squadron Web Site: http://www.OffuttCAP.org

APRIL 2007
COMMANDERS THOUGHTS WOW!
As I write this article, it is the day after the wing conference. What can I say except, WOW! We really did well at the awards banquet earning 7 of the 14 awards that could be won by the unit or its members. See the article later in this edition of the Eagle with more details. The biggest prize of the evening was winning the Carl B. Lang Memorial Trophy. This trophy designated us as the runner up to the squadron of the year. But what is more impressive is that this award is selected by the other squadrons within the wing. Meaning that among our peers we had a really good year. This is the fourth time that the unit has won this award. The unit previously earned the award in 1959, 1966, and most recently in 1995. The traveling trophy is ours to display for the next year at the squadron. I would be remiss if I did not give credit to our previous commander, Lt Col Darrell McMillan, who led the squadron for most of the year that this award covers. Our cadets looked really sharp at the conference as well and won several prizes as part of the quiz bowl competition. They also seemed to really enjoy the scavenger hunt because every time I saw them they were constantly running around looking for the answers in every place imaginable around the aircraft. Keep up the great work, there is a lot more to come! As always, if you have any concerns our suggestions please let me know. Dave Waite, Lt Col, CAP Commander The Official Newsletter of the General Curtis E LeMay Offutt Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Auxiliary P.O. Box 13402, Offutt Air Force Base, NE 68113 Commander: Lt Col David M. Waite Editor: 2Lt Angel Waite

Emergency Services
Nebraska Wing SAREX in Seward 21 April We plan to launch a ground team to respond to the Seward SAREX. Please RSVP with Lt Besaw and whether you plan to be part of a ground team, aircrew, or mission staff. American Red Cross Disaster Courses Were currently working out a game plan with the local American Red Cross to reciprocate training in Disaster Relief and Assessment. We hope to start training in June. Senior Training 2nd Tuesdays Like the new name of the meeting indicates, the 2nd Tuesday is ES Training for Senior Members. Since we also have ES training on the 3rd Thursday for cadets, the 2nd Tuesday training focuses on Mission Specialties that restrict participation to 18 and 21 year olds or older, respectively. The following Preparatory and Familiarization Tasks will be taught, buy month and specialty: April - Mission Radio Operator May - Flight Line Supervisor Jun - Mission Scanner Jul - Ground Team Leader Aug - Ground Branch Director Sep - Communications Unit Leader Oct - Liaison Officer Nov - Mission Staff Assistant Dec - Mission Observer We focus on the Preparatory and Familiarization Tasks as they're required before you can become a supervised trainee. Advance training will be the secondary focus if time permits, but can also be accomplished on Missions, both practice and actual. Want to stay informed? Join the Squadrons ES Yahoo! group. Messages, Calendar (with reminders); Polls, and links to other documents and related websites. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/offcs-es/join Copyright 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Note: You must be a squadron member, under invitation, or possess a CAP ID Number to be approved to join.

Nebraska Wing Conference

The 2007 Nebraska Wing Conference was quite an event for our squadron! The unit brought home six individual trophies and one unit trophy. This was an incredible feat for the unit. In addition to the cadets having their own program, they enjoyed the scavenger hunt and the quiz bowl. The adult members attended various seminars put on by the wing staff. The 2006 winners from the unit were: Evelyn Sharp Award Aerospace Officer of the Year 1Lt Ben Starzyk Phil Svitak Emergency Services Award Cadet David Pingleton Tex Marymee Emergency Services Award 1Lt Rick Besaw Public Affairs Officer of the Year 2Lt Angel Waite Lt Col Harold Brissey Communicator of the Year Captain Chris Coville Safety Officer of the Year Lt Col Bill Sander Carl B. Lang Memorial Trophy Unit Selection Offutt Composite Squadron Good luck to our winners at the North Central Region award boards!

Cadet Programs

Squadron Parents and Cadet Group - Parents and cadets can stay informed of the squadron's activities by subscribing the unit's user group on Google. Sign up here: http://groups.google.com/group/offutt_cadets

Squadron Leadership School (SLS) to be hosted at Offutt AFB

Mission: The purpose of the Squadron Leadership School is to prepare senior CAP officers to more effectively fulfill squadron-level corporate duties. This is accomplished through classes in leadership and technical concepts, and group activities. Who should attend: Those requiring SLS for completion of Level 2. Also looking for instructors to teach various parts of SLS!! Location: The NEWG SLS will be held at the Offutt Composite Squadron located on Offutt AFB, 28-29 April 2007. Uniform: The uniform for daily classroom activities is any CAP Uniform (BDUs preferred) as prescribed in CAPR 39-1, Civil Air Patrol Uniform Manual. Arrival: Plan to arrive between 0730 and 0815 on 28-Apr-2007. Students should report to building 404. Directions to the unit can be found on our unit web page: www.offuttCAP.org. Student Registration: Registration will be held until 21-Apr-2007. The SLS begins 28-Apr-2007. All applications must be received NLT 21 April so that we can get you on the base. Costs: Meals are not provided, however there are places on base to eat. Please bring money. Physical Requirements: The SLS schedule is demanding. If you have special physical needs, please advise the SLS director immediately to assist you. Graduation: Graduation is scheduled for 29-Apr-2007 at 1630. Guests are welcome to attend the ceremony, please let the SLS director know upon registering, they will need access the base. SLS Director: The director of the SLS is: 2dLt Richard Besaw Phone: 402-510-2303 Email: rickbesaw@gimail.af.mil Graduation Requirements: Participation in all scheduled activities is required for graduation.

Have your tires exploded?

Many of us may be driving to danger and may not even know it. Experts say tires that look brand new could actually be several years old and fall apart at any moment. We've all been told what a good tire looks like and feels like, but checking for deep tread, rotating the tires, and even replacing them doesn't guarantee they're safe for the road. This story from Fox news in Providence, Rhode Island, provides just one example: Bobby Crane was a teenage boy with big dreams that all came to a crashing end when the SUV he was riding in with his brother rolled over. His brother Joey was at the wheel. Joey heard a loud band and the car began to swerve; he lost his struggle to regain control. According to the police report the cause of the fatal crash: tread separation on one of the tires a full-size spare that was put on shortly before the accident a spare that ended up being 14 years old!!! Even if a tire looks new, rubber inside the tire breaks down with age. The glue that holds the belts together hardens, becomes less viable, and can tear apart. Tires age, both in use as well as in storage. In fact, tires that are not used (think spares or tires setting on the shelf at the dealer) actually age faster. Sources disagree on a tires life expectancy, with times ranging from 4 to 10 years. After that, tires expire and may burst while in use. You have to use your own judgment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is studying the problem and conducting tests to find out how tire-aging affects tire performance. They already say it is undeniable that rubber tires go downhill, even if they are not being used. To find out how old your tires are, learn to decipher the code: a series of numbers on the sidewall that begin with DOT. If the code has 11 numbers and letters, check the last 4 digits. For example, if one said 4002 (photo at right), it means the tire was made in the 40th week of 2002. If the code only has 10 numbers and letters, check the last 3 digits. For example, if it ends

in 414, that means the 41st week of either 1994 or 1984. Thats probably too old in either case. Until test results are available, be mindful when driving on aging tires and cautious when buying new ones. They may have been setting on the shelf and already be old.
PHOTOS FROM THE BEACON INSURANCE COMPANY

Spring Safety
Playground Safety Did You Know... Falls are the most common cause of playground injuries. Three quarters of the children who die by falling from playground equipment have brain injuries. Checklist for Parents on Playground Safety:

o o o o o o

Check the surface under playground equipment. Avoid asphalt, concrete, grass and soil surfaces. Look for surfaces with shredded mulch, pea gravel, crushed stone and other loose surfaces. Platforms should only be six feet or less above the ground with guardrails at least three feet high to prevent falls. Bars on equipment should be spaced less than three and a half inches apart or more than nine inches apart to prevent trapping a child's head. There should be at least six feet of space between play equipment and any wall or fence. All concrete anchors on play equipment should be covered, cushioned or placed below the ground. Swings should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas for lighter weights.

Teach Your Child To: Avoid walking in front of moving swings. Wait until the swing stops before getting off. Go feet-first, not head-first, down the sliding board. Wait until the slide is clear before going down.

MARCH PROMOTIONS Doug Tweedt to Captain Carson Foss to Captain Kari Starzyk to 1st Lt Rachael Schnitker Cadet SrA Rachael Morse Cadet SrA Dan Deever Cadet SrA Richard McVay Cadet SrA MARCH NEW MEMBERS SM Dennis Witas

MARCH AWARDS Doug Tweedt Level 2

APRIL BIRTHDAYS Besaw , Richard R Gendapodi , Pradeep R Kea , Brandon L Tarpey , Brianna L Yonamine, Akin

FUTURE DATES TO KEEP IN MIND 21-22 April 2007 NEWG Cadet Staff School 4-6 May 2007 Offutt Air Show 16-23 June 2007 Colorado Wing Encampment 23 June 1 July Missouri Wing Encampment 7-15 July 2007 Joint Dakota Wing Encampment 29-30 September 2007 NEWG Cadet Programs Officer Course 10 November 2007 NEWG Color Guard Competition