What the Future Holds • 2012 Summer Encampment The 2012 Summer Encampment will be held at Columbus AFB, FL this year. For those cadets that want to fulfill this requirement, the encampment will be held from June 27 th to June 30 th , 2012 in Mississippi. If you wish to attend, talk to the Cadet 1SG and go to the website at http://almsencampment.eventbrite.com/ . Encampment is needed for the Mitchell Award. Wing Emergency Services School (WESS) The next iteration of the Wing Emergency Services School to help cadets and senior members to become Ground Team qualified will be held 12-14 October 2012. Pack your bags and survival gear and join us. An application, packing list and timeline e-maile d to each of you at the beginning of the month. More info at: www.wess.alwg.us Dothan Squadron Subordinate Unit Inspection (SUI) Every two years our squadron must go through one of these inspections to ensure our squadron is providing its members with a quality program and that they are adhering to the required policies and regulations. Our inspection will be held on June 2, 2012 from 0900 until complete. Everyone will meet at the squadron building. Operation Backwoods-Austere Incident Command Post SAR/DRex The Alabama Wing will be hosting the Operation Backwoods-Austere Incident Command Post SAR/DRex in Cullman, Alabama from 15-17 June 2012. The objective of this training activity is to conduct an integrated search and rescue exercise (SAREX) involving both aircrews and ground teams with possible additional DR taskings being run with a staffed mission base, which will plan and execute sorties to achieve an overall mission objective as would be encountered during a typical AFRCC or EMA tasked mission. As ALWG sometimes operates in austere environments, this exercise will attempt to make no use of commercial power or shelter. Temporary capabilities will be used as much as practical to both evaluate our ability to operate under such circumstances and to hone the skills necessary to do so. Plea se contact Maj David McGonegal, Operations, or 1 st Lt Gray, ES, if you wish to attend this training. W W W W W W .G G O O D D O O T T H H A AN N C C A AP P . .C C O O M M Civil Air Patrol USAF Auxiliary W W W W W W . .G G O O D D O O T T H H A AN N C C A AP P . .C C O O M M OUR SQUADRON PERIODIC UPDATE D D D O O O T T T H H H A A A N N N C C C O O O M M M P P P O O O S S S I I I T T T E E E S S S Q Q Q U U U A A A D D D R R R O O O N N N C C C I I I V V V I I I L L L A A A I I I R R R P P P A A A T T T R R R O O O L L L , , , U U U S S S A A A F F F A A A U U U X X X I I I L L L I I I A A A R R R Y Y Y M M M O O O N N N T T T H H H L L L Y Y Y F F F L L L Y Y Y E E E R R R C CC C’ s s C CO OC CK KP PI I T T This will be my last newsletter to address you as the commander so I wanted to take this opportunity to say something. It is hard to believe that over two years has passed since I became the Dothan Composite Squadron Commande r. It literally feels like it was just yesterday I was trying to find out why I was in trouble for not submitting a report on time to wing, that I didn’t even know existed. If it wasn’t for each and every one of you, this squadron would not be wha t it is today. It has been a complete honor and privilege to work with each of you and I look forward to continue working with you while conducting ES missions, training flights or just hanging out at the airport to find out if a cadet passed their checkride and earned their pilot’s license. I have truly learned a lot from you; from figuring out that report I didn’t know about to conducting Search and Rescue Missions. I will be visiting each of you to thank you personally, because naming everyone that has been there to help when the squadron needed it, is too long to put on this small area I’m given on this ne wsletter. I know this squadron will continue to succeed in everything it does. I believe this squadron has the most combined aviation experience in this entire wing and probably in the entire region; the Civil Air Patrol is lucky to have you as part of its organization . Lt Col Bob Irsik is a professional and strives to do his best at whatever task he takes on. His new job as your incomin g Squadron Commander will be no different. Remember, as I have always said, this is your squadron and it will succeed based on your hard wo rk. Please cont inue to take care of him the way you did me. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to serve you as your squadron commander. I will see you in the air. Fly Safe! Semper Vigilans! Brett Lewis, Lt Col, CAP Commanding C CA AD DE ET T P PR RO OM MO OT TI I O ON NS S C/Amn Josh McGlone C/Amn McNabb C/Amn Beld C/Amn Wilson C/A1C Sean McGlone C/TSgt Halverson C/TSgt Byrne C/CMSgt Irsik S SE EN NI I O OR R P PR RO OM MO OT TI I O ON NS S SM Justin Douglas-1 st L t SM Jim McGlone- Lt Col SM Kerry Keel- 1 st Lt S SE EN NI I O OR R P PD D A AW WA AR RD DS S SM Dave Cooner-Level 1 SM Jim McGlone-Level 1 SM Jimmy Womack 1 St Lt Justin Douglas-Level 1 SM Matt Bricker-Level 1 & 2 Lt Col Lovely-Level 4 C CA AP P P PI I L LO OT T R RA AT TI I N NG GS S C/CMSgt Richard Irsik- Pilot N NE EW W M ME EM MB BE ER RS S I IN N L LA AS ST T 9 90 0 D DA A Y YS S: : Cadet Sean Ayers Cadet Calvin Beld Cadet Sean McGlone Cadet Joshua McGlone SM Jimmy Womack SM Chesley Cooner SM Justin Dou las C C CA A AD D DE E ET T T R R RI I I C C CH H HA A AR R RD D D I I I R R RS S SI I I K K K E E E A A AR R RN N NS S S H H HI I I S S S P P PI I I L L LO O OT T T L L L I I I C C CE E EN N NS S SE E E! ! ! On Saturday, May 19, 2012, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Richard Irsik became the newest Private Pilo t in the United States. To anyone, especiall y at the age of 17, that is a pretty lofty goal to accomplish. Sitting through the grueling oral that lasted hours, question after question, wa s hard enough. It felt like it would never stop. Richard though t to himself, “I thought this was a flight test”. Eventually the Federal Aviation Administration ’s (FAA) Desig nated Examin er gave the go ahead to prepare the aircraft for the practical flight portion of the exam. Another hour and change passed and he finally returned. He was sweating profusely, looking exhau sted. The aircraft slowed to a halt and he crawled out of the aircraft just as it shut down. After the thorough post-flight, the check pilot and the evaluator returned to closed doors where more grueling oral resumed. Everyone was pacing outsid e like a baby was to be delivered. Just as some were getting nervous, the examiner asked that everyone come into the room. He finally made the anno uncement that Cadet Irsik had waiting to hear all of his life; “Ladies and Gentlemen, the newest pilot in the United States”. He was overcome in joy as each memb er of the squadron an d family gave him a hug. It was probably another several hours before it dawned on him that he was actually a pilot and no longer a student pilot. This story is probably pretty common among those who have aspired to get their pilot rating. The one difference, how ever is that Richard has Type 1 diabetes. He heard doctors tell him for years that it would never happen and not to waste his money on flight training. But his perseveran ce and drive never relented. He would not take “No” for an answer. The result is obvious , “Success!” I am not telling this story because of the incredible odds he has overcome or that Richard has met a personal goal, although those both true. I am telli ng this sto ry because it is a direct depiction of the message I have been communicating to every cadet and senior member I have met In Civil Air patrol. It is a story of someone who took the initiative and never gav e up. No one was going to take that flight training for him. No one was going to bug the doctors, over and over again, until they got the answer they were looking for. He knew w hat he wanted, he devised a pla n, and he went after it. Of course there were some obstacles in the way. There always are and will be, but the person that succeeds in life is the one that negotiates those obstacles and finds a way to get it done. Richard still wants to be a Commercial Pilot one day. The expert aviation doctors have told him that his diabetes will never allow him to get a Class 2 medical so he can fly for a living. Something tells me he is not g oing to give up. I have a feeling that one day I will see Richard Irsik in a Commercial Pilot’s uniform. The only person that will make his dream a reality is Richard. Congratulatio ns, your future is unlimited! T THIS I I S SSU UE I IRS SI I K K P PA AS SS SE ES S HI S S C CHE EC CK KR RI I D DE E P P. . 1 1 C CA AD DE ET TS S E EA AR RN N A AC CC CO OL LA AD DE ES S P P. . 2 2 I I T T’ ’S S A A C CA AD DE ET T L LI I F FE E P P. 3 3 W WH HA AT T T TH HE E F FU UT TU UR RE E H HO OL LD DS S P P. . 4 4 I I S SS SU UE E M MA A Y Y 2 2 0 0 1 12 2 0 06 6 D DC CS S FL L Y YE ER R I IS SS SU UE E # #6 6 MA A Y Y 2 20 01 12 2 CONGRATULATIONS! In the Last 90 Days: Dothan Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, US Air Force Auxiliary 750 Flightline Drive Dothan, AL 36307 PAO: 1 st Lt Justin Douglas