| Winter in Missouri isn't the best time for outdoor
youth activities, and with school in session there is little time for cadet
activities above the local squadron level. But, in the period between
Christmas and the New Year, Missouri Wing Cadet programs and Aerospace
Education staffs manage to squeeze in a one week Winter Encampment focused
on the aerospace education aspect of cadet training. This year's
encampment was held at the Ike Skelton Training Facility operated by the
Missouri National Guard in Jefferson City Missouri and was attended by
approximately 40 cadets. |
|
| The opening session and many subsequent classroom
sessions were held in the well appointed auditorium of the Skelton Training
Facility. Some training sessions included powerpoint slide presentations,
movies and videotapes. |
|
|
| Meals were served in the Facility's cafeteria.
Most were served by the Skelton Center's cafeteria employees, but some
were cooked by CAP encampment staff, using the facility kitchen equipment. |
|
|
| One popular exercise was "Build a Base" conducted
by Air Force Reserve Officers. Cadets were divided into groups and
each group was assigned the task of building a base within a given budget.
At the end of a prescribed planning period, the group presented their plan
to the fuul encampment, explaining how they had determined what they would
need, the overall base design and the cost involved. Of course, some
vital items were overlooked and some ran over budget, but it was a fun
learning experience. |
|
|
| Cadets matched Aerospace knowledge in Aerospace Bowl
contests, where they vied to out-perform their companions in answering
diverse questions about aviation history, space vehicles, aircraft and
engine construction, weather, physics of flight, military customs and courtesies,
and drill and ceremony. |
|
|
| Cadets used contruction paper and Fuji film canisters
to construct "Alka-Fuji" rockets for a later competition to determine which
designs would travel highest and have the best controlled trajectory. |
|
 |
|
| As it turned out, rocket construction wasn't complete
until after dark and the launch competition was not measurable, but a successful
launch was still a matter of personal pride and cause for celebration. |
Housekeeping was a priority item
and two
inspections were conducted during
the week
long encampment. Don't let
anybody tell you
teenagers can't be neat and clean.
Barracks
looked very good. |
|
|
| A highlight of the encampment was the field trip to
Whiteman AFB, and one of the top attractions at Whiteman was the visit
to the B-2 "Stealth" Bomber docks, for a hands on session with the USAF's
hardest to see offensive weapon. The cadets found that it may be
hard to see on radar, but it is solid to the touch. |
|
|
| Another attention getter at Whiteman was the visit
to the 442nd AS (Air Force Reserve Unit) who fly A-10 Warthogs. The
cadets were awed by the homely beauty of the birds with the admirable record
of ground support kills. |
|
 |
|
| Learning about the Warthog began with a briefing from
a Warthog pilot who told us about how effective the bird is at its job
of killing tanks and attacking other ground targets. |
Following the briefing, every cadet
had an
opportunity closely inspect the famous
A-10
from nose cannon to cockpit. |
|
| The Missouri National Guard also wanted to show off
their new Apache helicoptors, another formidible offensive weapon. |
|
|
| Cadets nearly overwhelmed the Whiteman AFB control
tower even when divided into small groups for their visits, but tower personnel
were gracious hosts, sharing insight into their work and answering all
questions. |
|
|
| From the brightness of the control tower greenhouse
we went to the cool, darkness of RAPCON where military aircraft operating
out of Whiteman are tracked and controlled. |
|
|
| As encampment comes to an end, cadets enjoy themselves
at a social gathering following the formal dining in, improvising a limbo
bar using a cadet's necktie. |
|
|
| Cadet Sgt. Caleb Cascairo holds the Spirit Stick awarded
to "C" Flight the overall Honor Flight of encampment. 1st Lt.
Debbie Koebel, Commandant of Cadets, explains the decorations on the stick
which was held by every unit in the encampment at some point. Small
segments of a banner displayed on the stick during encampment were laminated
and presented to each participant to commemorate the competitive comraderie
of the group. |
|
|
| And the final event, graduation, when the cadet complement
passes in review. Congratulations on a job well done, and good luck
in the coming years. |
|
