Airport site used for cadet training

This weekend the Wyoming wing of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) utilized the Thermopolis airport as its home base, as CAP cadets practiced their search and rescue skills. The airport also was the camping site for cadets, with many sleeping in tents while others chose to lay out under the stars.

Major Tera Cowles explained CAP provides help to any county agency or mutual aid that requests their assistance. The cadets learn leadership skills and also train in aerospace education, so at the same time they're also learning about the aircraft they're flying in. Each cadet is teamed with a professional pilot in these exercises, though they can also get some stick time while flying with their pilots.

Among the cadets who have had some flight time is Tech Sergeant Rachel Dawson, who went through and recovered from a stalled flight. Though scared for the stall, having heard a lot about it, she said the experience wasn't as scary as it sounded. Captain Jerry Cowles noted demeanor of the pilots that the cadets fly with can have a big impact on how well the cadet performs.

The planes used are Cessna 182s, four of which were at the airport over the weekend. Tera said several cadets are almost ground team qualified, so if there's time they will go out on ground missions.

Through the exercises, cadets are given specific duties. Mission staff assistants are basically the secretaries of the operation. "They keep us running smoothly," Tera said. "They deliver messages to boards, they update computer systems . . . in a pinch they'll do just about anything they ask."

The weekend's mission was also something of a "dress rehearsal," Tera said, as they have their Search and Rescue operations evaluation with the Air Force in September. If they pass, it will re-certify CAP for search and rescue operations for another two years.

Major Mike Heaberlin, an evaluator for the exercise and director for the cadet program, explained to prepare the evaluation they create their own in-house evaluation team. His job is to observe the air operations branch director, and keep an eye on air crew operations.

As to the scenario itself, Tera said emails come in from the evaluation team, and are passed along from the incident commander to different areas including planning, operations, safety, finance, public information, communication and logistics.

When not actively participating in the exercise, she said the cadets are either shadowing someone on a new task or studying the courses they need to qualify for a new task. For instance, if they're interested in communications, they'll shadow someone who is working with the radios.

"I have lots of jobs," Tera said. "If they tell me they're bored, I'm going to make them study."

Colonel Jeff Johnson, the wing commander, said the cadet program takes youth and turns them into "people who understand leadership, who understand customs and courtesy in the military, who are good citizens. It doesn't matter if they go into the military or not. We're producing good citizens who understand work and responsibility."

Johnson said about 10 percent of military academy graduates come out of Civil Air Patrol, and involvement in the cadet program gives them something of a leg up when they apply for the military. Many colleges also ask applicants to list their non-school activities, and being the cadet program might provide an advantage there.

Johnson also noted CAP is all volunteers. "The pilots that fly the airplanes don't get paid. The staff that put [the exercise] together don't get paid. We often contribute our own gas money. We stay on our own, we eat on our own." He added they are also cost efficient, able to put a search plane up for about $150 per hour, whereas it would cost the Air Force about $5,000 per hour.

Finance Administration Chief Mike Moore noted the budget for exercises depends on what needs to be done and how much work there is to do. For the Thermopolis exercise there was a budget of $5,000, which covers transportation, training and flying.

Moore also noted the State has been very generous in providing funds, and without that funding on some of their exercises, they wouldn't be possible.

As for the cadet program, Moore said this training gives them experience in doing their jobs and putting their skills to use. "They get to do their job instead of just training. We're simulating an actual mission, and doing actual search and rescue operations."

CAP is part of the first Air Force, Tera said, and the auxiliary of the Air Force. Jerry said on Dec. 1, 1941 the CAP program was begun through a presidential executive order. The cadet program was started in October of 1942. Both were before the establishment of the Air Force in 1947, though CAP would later become part of the Air Force.

To join the CAP cadet program, you must be at least 12 years old and you can stay on until you're 18 or even until you're 21. "It depends on what their plans are for their future," Tera said. "But they're not locked in. They can leave at any time if they decide they don't like it."

She further added it is a big time commitment, as cadets have a two-hour meeting each week along with training regarding ground team, leadership, drill team, color guard and honor guard.

First Lieutenant Jeffrey MacHott said he's been interested in CAP since high school, but never took the time to join until recently. During the exercise, he was training to be a mission staff assistant and mission radio operator. He noted those are the ground staff members who keep people updated on the operation and pass on information to leadership, and vice versa.

Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Caleb Dawson will reach his two-year mark with the program in August. Among his accomplishments, he has been to the Middle East region honor guard academy, learning customs, drill and ceremony to build up character.

Dawson said honor guard is one of the hardest programs to get through, as it requires a high level of professionalism and a high level of understanding of customs, courtesy and respect.

His time in the cadet program has been good, Dawson said, and he has learned a lot of leadership along the way. He noted he was in Boys Scouts and once he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout he moved to CAP. He also sees the program as a good way to give back to and help out in communities.