T HE N EWSLETTER

OF THE

M C H ENRY C OUNTY C OMPOSITE S QUADRON

W OODSTOCK P ATROL
C IVIL A IR P ATROL - US A IR F ORCE A UXILIARY HTTP :// WWW . GROUP 22. NET / MCCS F EBRUARY 2006

U NIT C ITATION A WARD

I NFORMATION

Deadline for all submissions is the 25th of the preceding month. Email submissions to jkalemis@comcast.net or deliver a hardcopy. All photographs are by Lt. James Kalemis unless otherwise noted.
Major Grant Farrell, Group 22 Commander, presents Cadet Maria Mangano, Cadet Commander, and Major Rhonda Anderson, Squadron Commander, with the Unit Citation Banner for the Squadron flag.

The McHenry County Composite Squadron received the Unit Citation Award for meritorious service during August 2003 to August 2005. The cadets and seniors that were members of the squadron during this time period will now wear the Unit Citation ribbon. The squadron met and exceeded the goals set forth by its commander, Major Rhonda Anderson, since taking command of the squadron in August 2003. Also, several members made exceptional contributions to the squadrons merit. The squadrons accomplishments and exceptional contributions in Cadet Programs included: monthly promotion boards instituted for all promotions; color guard competed in the Illinois Wing color guard competition; conducted monthly orientation flights (18 done in the two-year period); sponsored cadet initiative King of The Rock which included Wisconsin Wing (four years running); winners of group-sponsored model building contest; Cadet Advisory Board representation by two cadets; International Air Cacontinued...

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U NIT C ITATION A WARD

det Exchange members hosted by senior members; joint activities with other units in the group, including Challenger Center visit, orientation flights, physical training, and emergency services training; trips to Washington D.C., Oshkosh, Chicago Air & Water Show, and museums; participated in frequent community service programs including serving meals at the VFW, assisting chaplain with gift wrapping, family readiness group; and providing a color guard to multiple parades. In Emergency Services, the squadrons contributions included: representatives participated in local Emergency Services & Disaster Agency meetings; two squadron members became First Aid Instructors and conducted classes regularly; one of the few full ground teams in the wing; emergency services training activities facilitated quarterly, and supported 39 missions, practice and actual. Contributions in Aerospace Education included: the Aerospace Education Excellence program completed three years in a row; AE presentations conducted at schools, Boy Scout clubs, and libraries; model rocketry program completed with nine cadets receiving the Rocketry Badge; Charles E. Chuck Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award received by three members; grants received from the Aerospace Foundation and the Palwaukee Pilots to purchase books and conduct school & community events. Other accomplishments included: A perfect safety record; formal safety briefings every month with monthly reports filed; squadron membership tripled; eight recruiting fairs attended; posters and brochures available at all local libraries in McHenry County; created the official on-line news source for the wing; weekly local press releases; unit newsletter implemented; website implemented; articles consistently published in CAP News online; squadron funds increased tenfold; and quarterly annual fund raising conducted, including at the Chicago Air & Water Show.

The squadron celebrates receiving the Unit Citation Award.

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PT- ING W ITH L AKE I N T HE H ILLS S QUARON

On Jan 24th our squadron hosted the LITH Squadron to a friendly PT day. As many of you know, I am the PT officer and enjoy it thoroughly. Watching the meeting go smoothly from the stretching to the leadership activities was outstanding. I would have to say that it was one our best PT days of all time. The cadets and senior members that came could not have been nicer. I definitely enjoyed having LITH and would love to do it again. Cadet Jared Hendler

The experience and interaction between the two squadrons was great! I am sureand all the cadets at Lake in the Hills would agree that the time we had with McHenry squadron doing PT was certainly an activity we always look forward to. Thanks for the space you provided and the time we had to get involved with your squadron. Thank you! Cadet Matthew Menadier, LITH Squadron

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H OW CAP H ELPS Y OU P REPARE

Capt. Mason W. Kehs C/Colonel & Illinois Wing Drill Team Commander, Retired I thought you all might be interested to get a glimpse of just how much the things youre learning in Civil Air Patrol might help you out in the future. Today I spent my whole ground school period (for my commercial rating) talking about aerodynamics (the four forces of flight) and the different types of lift (namely, Bernoullian and Newtonian). My entire Air Force class (Junior level, mind you) was on the job (knowing what it is, how to do it, and doing it), the leader-follower relationship, and the responsibility to ourselves. Then I spent Leadership Laboratory reviewing customs and courtesies and wear of the uniform with the sophomores. Then we headed to field training. Just something to think about as you engrave all that Drill Team (and CAP) knowledge into your brain. All that training definitely pays off down the road

C OMMANDER S C ORNER
Receiving the unit citation was a monumental accomplishment. The front page article says it all - this could not be done without the teamwork so aptly evident at all our MCCS events. Thank you one and all for making our flag the proud bearer of the unit citation banner. It is going to be fun trotting it out to the next community event! With the same teamwork, the same safety record, the same cutting edge activities, and the same dedication to CAP core values, we should be able to apply for a star for our ribbons in another couple of years! It feels good to be the current flagship in the group. The gauntlet is down, go Group 22! Thank you parents for your support, it took us all. My special thanks to Major Grant Farrell for his support and encouragement for the task.

Major Rhonda Anderson

NCSA R EVIEW B OARDS

National Cadet Special Activities Review Boards took place on January 14, 2006. I was particularly nervous but still delighted to attend the review boards as one of the cadets in McHenry County Composite Squadron. For me, my nervousness did not start to occur until I was standing in front of the door waiting to enter. I was lucky to have the board members I had because they made me feel much better when they told me to relax and that this was nothing to worry about. While in the review board I was asked many questions but there were only one or two I did not know. Some of the questions included what I was applying for and why I should be accepted. One senior member asked me what airline companies had just gone bankrupt or are in the process of going bankrupt. Overall I believe I did well in the review board and hope to be accepted to at least one National Cadet Special Activity. Cadet Shelby McMahon When I first arrived at the NCSA boards, I was a little nervous. After I got into my uniform and started to talk with the other cadets, my nerves settled down a bit. We started with the inspection, test, and then the boards themselves. I did not have to wait long for my board, since I finished my test fairly quickly. Once I had entered my board, the three "boarders" asked me a series of questions from what do flaps act to increase to "what would you do if...." integrity questions. At the end of the board, I was confident and thought, "If I can be in a board with Lt. Col. Kelly, and come out alive, I must have done well". This year I applied for Cadet Officer School and National Blue Beret and am hoping to get both of them. Cadet Steven DeCraene

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P ROMOTIONS

C/Amn Jennifer Irocky

A1C

C/CMSgt Steven Decraene

Armstrong Ribbon

C/SSgt Scott Hendler

TSgt Wright Brothers

C/TSgt Brian Freund

MSgt

C/TSgt Emily Medina

2Yr Service Ribbon

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S ENIOR S TAFF
Commander ... Major Rhonda Anderson Deputy Commander Seniors . 2Lt James Kalemis Deputy Commander Cadets . Major Kenneth Anderson Medical Officer ... 1Lt Doris Mangano Safety .... 2Lt Mike McMahon Administration .... 1Lt Sharon Freund Aerospace Education ... 2Lt James Kalemis Cadet Programs ... 1Lt Esther Medina 2Lt Paul Ebanks 2Lt Diane Workman Communications . SM John Peterman Finance ...... 1Lt Doris Mangano Logistics .. 1Lt Esther Medina MIS/IT .... 2Lt Estera Corcoran Public Affairs & Marketing .. 1Lt Doris Mangano 2Lt James Kalemis Emergency Services ..... 2Lt James Kalemis Personnel ....... 1Lt Sharon Freund Professional Development ... Open Moral Leadership Officer . 2Lt Mike McMahon Orientation Flights ... 2Lt James Kalemis Newsletter Editor .... 2Lt James Kalemis Assistant Editor .... 2Lt Diane Workman

C ADET S TAFF
Cadet Commander .. Capt Maria Mangano Executive Officer . 2d Lt Krystal Freund First Sergeant .. SMSgt Emily Medina Flight Commander .... CMSgt Steven DeCraene Romeo Flight Sergeant SrA Shelby McMahon Zulu Flight Sergeant ... SSgt Jared Hendler Administrative Officer ..... 2d Lt Krystal Freund Aerospace Education Officer ... Capt Maria Mangano Emergency Services CMSgt Steven DeCraene Communication Officer 2d Lt Krystal Freund PT Officer ..... TSgt Jared Hendler Logistics Officer .. 2d Lt Krystal Freund Color Guard Commander .... SMSgt Emily Medina

E VENTS
February 18 February 25 March 18 March ??? Ground SAR Exercise, LITH Airport Color Guard Competition, Champaign Mitchell AFB visit with LITH, WI O-Flights Kmart Candy Sales

CAP-USAF Liaison TSgt Kenneth Roth (847) 688-5810 email: kroth1@owc.net

April 8

W EBSITES
McHenry County Composite Squadron http://www.group22.net/mccs Illinois Wing News Blog http://ilcapnews.blogs.com Group 22 CAP http://www.group22.net Illinois Wing CAP http://www.ilcap.org Great Lakes Region CAP http://glr.cap.gov/files/index.html National Headquarters CAP http://www.cap.gov

C ONTACT I NFORMATION
3806 Spy Glass Ridge Road Crystal Lake, IL 60012 (815) 788 0737

M EETING I NFORMATION
Tuesdays 6:309:00pm Illinois National Guard Armory 1301 Sunset Ridge Rd Woodstock, IL 60098