fort mchenry squadron - sep 2008

8/2/2019 Fort McHenry Squadron - Sep 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fort-mchenry-squadron-sep-2008 1/7

RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

Civil Air Patrol, Maryland Wing

Third Quarter Newsletter, 2008

Congratulations to Our New Commander!

2d Lt Donald J. Ells, Lt Col Chris Ready, Capt Chris Hiiles. Photo Credit: Lt Col James Steinmeier, CAP



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

Fort McHenry Composite Squadron hosted a change of command ceremony onTuesday, August 25, 2008. Capt Karen Walker is stepping down to pursue her doctoral studies. Lt Col Chris Ready, Group II Commander, handed 2d Lt Ellsthe squadron guidon, representing the change of command. Acting Commander,Capt Chris Hiles, assisted in the ceremony.

Incoming commander, 2d Lt Donald J. Ells, a native of Wisconsin, has been amember of Fort McHenry Composite Squadron for one year. Currently, he is aStaff Sergeant in the United States Air Force working in military intelligence. Hecame to Maryland after assignments in Japan, Arizona, and Florida. He iscompleting his Bachelor of Arts degree in Intelligence Studies with aconcentration in Intelligence Analysis from the American Military University. Heholds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Communication ApplicationTechnology from the Community College of the Air Force.

2d Lt Ells is a native of New Lisbon, Wisconsin. He attended New Lisbon High

School. He joined the USAF upon graduation in 2003 at the age of 17. Hisfamily has resided in the New Lisbon area for more than three generations.

Congratulations, 2d Lt Ells!

Post Script: 2d Lt Ells is now 1st Lt Ells. Congratulations times two!



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

IACE and FMCS Visit AAFB

On August 1, 2008 members of theFort McHenry Composite Squadronsponsored members from theInternational Air Cadet Exchange(IACE) on a tour of Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Donald Ells(2nd LT, CAP; SSgt, USAF) set upthe tour for five IACE members andmembers from the Fort McHenryComposite Squadron and theMaryland Wing.

The IACE members included Dick-Sang Ho and Harry Mintono fromHong Kong and Yariv Cintron,Sharon Aviram and Netanel Ben-Zaken from Israel. Upon arrival at

Andrews Air Force Base, participantswere treated to a briefing about the1st Helicopter Squadron and itsimportant mission. Its job is toairlift high-ranking government

officials out of Washington D.C. inthe event of an attack or a disaster inthe capital area. After the briefing,participants were given a tour of 1stHelicopter Squadron hangar and theUH-1N helicopters that are flown toaccomplish their mission. Next, theparticipants watched a K-9demonstration by the 316th Security

Forces Squadron. Participants

watched as the K-9 teamdemonstrated a number of take-down techniques using trained policedogs. Next, the tour was moved tothe air traffic control facility whereIACE and Wing members were givena tour of the facility. Participantsreceived briefings on weather operations and pilot briefings.Lastly, we were given a spectacular tour of the control tower and were

able to witness air operations inprogress at Andrews Air Force Base.

Started in 1947, the International Air Cadet Exchange is an annualexchange of visits by air-mindedyouth of the U.S., Canada, Europe,the Middle East, Africa, East Asia,and the Pacific. The objective of theprogram is to promote internationalunderstanding, goodwill, and

fellowship among the youth of theworld. The IACE program sends UScadets to other countries to meetwith other youth for just over twoweeks. In return, we host cadetsfrom other countries. There is verylittle cost for cadets. Check the CAPOnline website if you are interested.



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

C/Capt Frater and others. Photo Credit: Lt Col Steinmeier

Capt Karen Walker

Former Commander Capt KarenWalker has launched into her studiestoward her doctorate degree. She ispursuing her degree throughNorthcentral University, School of Business. Her focus will be oncomputer science. “I have not yetdecided if I will go for a PhD or aDBA (the doctorate level of an MBA)degree,” said Capt Walker. She hastwo degrees in computer science so

her current focus is working on thebusiness classes.

We wish her good luck in thisambitious endeavor.

Promotions

S. Reed to CaptD. Ells to 1st Lt

A. Sacks to 1st Lt

Kudos

Cadet Imhotep got 1st Flight

Special Welcome!

Greet FMCS newest members!

Cadets:Reem AhmadWilliam Allison

Alex ColemanGabriel LaJeunesse

Senior Members:John WoodcockKevin Jagh

Returning Members

The McManus Family:Capt Sherry McManus,2d Lt Patrick McManus,C/1st Lt Stacey McManus, andC/SMSgt Zach McManus



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

Duty Changes

1st

Lt Ells to Squadron Commander Capt S. McManus to DeputyCommander of Seniors and of Operations1st Lt A. Sacks to Safety Officer 1st Lt L. Moore to DeputyCommander of Cadets2d Lt P. McManus to Drug DemandReduction Officer SM Woodcock to AssistantEmergency Services Officer and

Disaster Relief Officer

Operation Purple Haze

Cadet Airman 1st

Class Melissa Weinhold of the Mount Airy Squadron, newly made up to simulate a terrorist attack victim. Photo Credit: Ron Long

The streets around MT BankStadium (Ravens’ stadium) wereblocked off.

Within minutes fire trucks,emergency medical service vehiclesand police cars fromacross Baltimore screeched to a stop

around the stadium exits to assistinjured and confused Ravens fans asthey came pouring out.

.A “dirty bomb” that had been

detonated in the stadium resulted ina number of casualties andcontaminated many others withdeadly Cesium-137 radioactivematerial.

About 65-70 Civil Air Patrol membersand their families from across thestate served as mock victims of aterrorist attack. They were joined byother volunteer groups and first

responders, such as the Red Cross,medical and hospital groups, andother civic organizations. In all,about 500 volunteers attended.

The Maryland EmergencyManagement Agency requested Civil

Air Patrol members to participate asactors in this full-scale emergencymanagement exercise held by theBaltimore Ravens, the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland. The exercise providedthat opportunity to evaluate responseprocedures in the event of an actualdisaster at the stadium.

Each “victim” was given a carddetailing the injury suffered in theattack and was to act out thatcondition for the first responders.Victims were triaged according totheir simulated injuries, which variedfrom sprained ankles to life-threatening injuries.

For 1st Lt. John Ralph of the FortMcHenry Composite Squadron,things were over quickly.



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

“I died,” said Ralph, felled by asimulated thoracic injury.

The “walking wounded” weredirected between fire trucks, where

they were blasted with water fromboth sides and above. Tested for radiation, those still “dirty” wentthrough another washing in specialdecontamination units brought to thescene by the Anne Arundel andHoward County fire departments assoon as they got word of the attack.

Following the seconddecontamination and further medicaltesting, volunteers were given lunchand sent home -- a bit soggy,perhaps, but safe and sound.

1st

Lt Fulmer with members of FMCS. Photo Credit:Maj D. Barth

1st Lt Fulmer Returns

FMCS welcomed 1st Lt ThomasFulmer home with a special partyand cake. 1st Lt Fulmer (a 1st Lt inthe United States Air Force, too) hasreturned to Maryland after 195 daysin the Iraqi desert. Most of his timethere was at the Forward Operating

Base at Kalsu, near Iskandariyah.1st Lt Fulmer grew up in Fort Smith,

Arkansas and was a CAP cadet from1997-2001.

Shelter Management

FMCS was pleased to welcomeBethany Brown from the AmericanRed Cross for a Tuesday nightEmergency Services time. Shediscussed how the Red Crossassists in disasters by setting up andmanaging emergency shelters. Did

you know that BloomsburyCommunity Center is a designedshelter? In an informative and funquestion-and-answer session, sheasked us for solutions for hypothetical problems that we mightface if we were working at a shelter.What would we do if someonebrought in their beloved pets?Brought in weapons? Got suddenlyseriously ill? Didn’t speak English?

Ms. Brown will be arranging classesto become certified in CPR. Theclass will be part computer-basedand part hands-on. Look for it sometime in October.

The Civil Air Patrol, the officialauxiliary of the U. S. Air Force, was

founded on Dec. 1, 1941, less than aweek before the Japanese attack onPearl Harbor brought the U. S. intoWorld War II. CAP is a nonprofitorganization with more than 56,000members nationwide. Theorganization’s members perform 95percent of continental U.S. inland



RAMPARTS 3rd

Quarter 2008

search and rescue missions taskedby the Air Force Rescue CoordinationCenter, and were credited by the

AFRCC with saving 103 lives in fiscalyear 2007. Its volunteers also perform

homeland security, disaster relief andcounterdrug missions at the requestof federal, state and local agencies.

Members take a leading role inaerospace education and serve asmentors to the almost 25,000 youngpeople currently participating in the CAP Cadet Program. CAP’s cadet programs provide young men andwomen with a safe and motivatingenvironment in which to grow andexplore opportunities in the militaryand aviation industries. CAP hasbeen performing mission for

American for more than 63 years.

There are approximately 1,300members of CAP in Maryland. Lastfiscal year wing members flew 42search and rescue missions and werecredited with 31 finds. For moreinformation, visit www.mdcap.org.

The Fort McHenry Squadron meetsweekly 7-9pm on Tuesday eveningsat the

Bloomsbury Community Center 106 Bloomsbury Ave.

Rm. 106Catonsville, MD 21228

The Fort McHenry SquadronNewsletter is published by the FortMcHenry Composite Squadron of theCivil Air Patrol.

Editor - Capt Gayle Hirst, CAP

For more information about the FortMcHenry Squadron please contact:

1st Lt Don Ells, CAP

Commander Fort McHenry [email protected]

Capt Gayle Hirst, CAPPublic Relations Officer (410)[email protected]

Major Doug Barth, CAPRecruiting Officer

[email protected] (301) 518-0046

fort mchenry squadron - sep 2008

Documents