2016 Holiday Party at Sub Par Mini Golf

By 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach, photos by Lt Col Juan Tinnirello

Happy holidays to CAP and the communities we serve.

Last week, Squadron 188 enjoyed its annual holiday celebration.  This year, we went to Sub Par Mini Golf in Alameda, which we had to ourselves.

The following members and their guests attended the celebration:

Lt Hollerbach and CAP guests

• Lt Col Juan Tinnirello
• Maj Steven DeFord
• Maj Maggie Wang
• Capt Lou Rivas
• Capt Jordan Hayes
• Capt Don Eichelberger
• Capt Georgios Michelogiannakis
• Capt Doug Ramsey 
• Capt Chris Fenolio
• Capt Matthew Gast

2d Lt Forenza and guests

• 1st Lt Pat Bitz
• 1st Lt Al Chavez
• 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach
• 1st Lt Tim Roberts
• 1st Lt Jim Hipp
• 1st Lt Eric Choate
• 1st Lt Joseph Spears
• 2d Lt Terry Baldwin
• 2d Lt Antonio Forenza
• SM Dhawallah Aisien

Maj Wang

Sub Par Mini Golf was a lot of fun – with games including mini golf, a great variety of video games, billiards, and more. Since it’s a family friendly place, several members brought their families, including kids.  Even better, it was warm (unlike some of our previous years' choices, also fun but... brrrr...)!

We had a great time, celebrating another year of camaraderie, training, professional and personal growth, community service, and successful Search & Rescue (SAR) and Disaster Relief (DR) missions.

By coincidence, we also got to celebrate Lt Chavez’s birthday that same evening.  Happy birthday, Lt Chavez!

Happy birthday to Lt Chavez!

Thanks to everyone at squadron 188 for making ours a fantastic squadron to belong to, and to our members’ families for your ongoing support, without which our efforts would not be possible.

Lt Hipp

Capt Hayes

Capt Rivas explaining the Cuban food

Members and guests

Prospective member, Robbie Campbell, and guest.

Guest

Lt Choate and guests

Lt Col Tinnirello

Lt Spears and family members.

Members and guests waiting to help themselves to dinner.

SAREX at RHV, December 2016

By 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach, photos by 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev


Despite the wet weather canceling half the training exercises, last weekend’s SAREX held at RHV airport in San Jose was another great success in enhancing  California Wing’s SAR and Disaster Relief readiness.

Capt Dave Nicholson (Mission Pilot, MP)  and Maj Elsie Lam (Mission Safety Officer, MSO)

The primary goal of the exercise was to train and/or re-qualify Ground Team (GT) and Urban Direction Finder (UDF) team members as well as base staff and aircrew members.

Lt Roberts and Maj Zoe Morozko inspecting the CAP vehicle with cadet Lee. 

Aircraft and aircrews were used in a supporting role including training with the newly acquired airborne repeater systems as well direct support to ground/UDF teams.

Close to 50 people participated in the SAREX.

IC-T Maj DeFord

Led by IC-Trainee (IC-T), Maj Steven DeFord, Squadron 188 members participating included:

• Maj Steven DeFord
• Maj Maggie Wang
• Maj Mark Fridell
• Maj Jeff Ironfield
• Capt Jordan Hayes
• Capt Kathy Brown
• Capt Don Eichelberger
• 1st Lt Tim Roberts
• 2d Lt Terry Baldwin
• 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev
• 2d Lt Scott Booth

Cadet Lee working on map-reading skills.

Maj John MacKenzie (Air Ops Branch Director, AOBD), Maj Lam (MSO) and Capt Chris Welch (Communications
Unit leader, CUL)

Logistics Section Chief (LSC)
Capt Hayes

Operations Section Chief (OSC) Maj Steve Renwick

UDF Team: 2d Lt Frank Geelhaar, Maj Morozko, Lt Roberts, and Lt Roudnev, with cadet Lee. 

Maj Mark Fridell

Lts Roberts and Geelhaar, with cadet Lee and Maj Morozko, have found the practice beacon.

All Hands Meeting - December 2016

By 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach, photos by Lt Col Juan Tinnirello

This month’s All Hands meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Lt Col Tinnirello,.  The Pledge of Allegiance was followed by a moment of silence, in honor of last weekend’s Oakland warehouse fire victims. A big thank you to all of the first responders who assisted in the aftermath of this tragic event.

Members awaiting the start of the meeting

Also a sad farewell to two of our members, Maj Kathy Johnson and Maj Chris Johnson, who are moving to Group 6.  You’ll be missed here!

Squadron Monthly Recap

Promotions, Renewals of ES Ratings and Awards

Congratulations to Maj Steven DeFord and 1st Lt Eric Choate for their Form 5 checkouts in the 206.

Congratulations to Lt Roberts for completing his Level II.

We thank Maj Chris Johnson for his service as Group 2 Assistant CD Coordinator and congratulate Lt Choate on his appointment to that role.

Capt Hayes.

Congratulations once again to California Wing:

• Pilot of the Year: 1st Lt Choate
• MO of the year: Capt Hayes

And to Group 2 awardees from our own Squadron 188:

• Senior Squadron of the Year: Squadron 188
• Newsletter of the year: Logbook
• Squadron Commander of the Year: Capt Rivas
• Senior Officer of the Year: Capt Michelogiannakis

Missions

• 6 Nov: EPIRB at Moss Landing - thanks to Maj DeFord (Mission Pilot, MP) and Capt Kathy Brown (Mission Observer, MO) – and congratulations on your find! 
• 28 Nov: ELT @ Corning (0O4) – thanks to Maj DeFord (Incident Commander 3/Trainee, IC3-T), Capt John Stevulak (MO) – and congratulations on your find!

Lt Bitz holding showing a globe of Mars. 

Events 

• 4-6 Nov: CAWG Education Conference, Bakersfield: thanks to the following members for giving talks: Maj Jeff Ironfield[DOV], Capt Don Eichelberger (Airborne Photography, AP), Capt Jordan Hayes (Communications), Capt Georgios Michelogiannakis and Lt Choate (SAR), 1st Lt Bitz (Aerospace Education). Additional attendees included: Lt Col Tinnirello, Maj Noel Luneau, Maj Maggie Wang, Maj DeFord; Capt Brown, Capt Lou Rivas, Capt Doug Perreira. Click here for details. 

• 12 Nov: Group 2 Advanced Communications Course @ HWD: thanks to Capt Hayes, Instructor. Additional participants included Lt Col Tinnirello, Maj Wang, Capt Eichelberger, 1st Lt Al Chavez, 1st Hollerbach, 2d Lt Scott Booth, 2d Lt Tim Roberts, and 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev. Click here for details. 

• 1 Dec: This marks the 75th Anniversary of Civil Air Patrol! 

Lt Roberts during his safety update on noise.

Aerospace Moment

Lt Bitz gave a reprise of his Wing Conference talk on Mars. During his talk, Lt Bitz passed around a glove of Mars and explained details of the landscape, which contains a volcano 16 miles (25 km) high! This volcano towers above the surrounding plains and stretches 374 miles (624 km) across - roughly the size of the state of Arizona. Click here for details on this impressive feature of the Mars landscape.

Upcoming Events

• 10-11 Dec:  Group 2 Basic SAREX @ RHV – Project Officer: Maj DeFord 
• 13 Dec: Holiday party 
• 17 Dec:  Wreaths Across America ceremony (click here for details from last year's ceremony)  

Safety Update

Last but not least, thank you for Lt Roberts and Capt Doug Ramsey, for providing this month’s Safety Update on noise safety, including airport noise issues and noise abatement.

Happy Holidays to all!

2016 CAWG Wing Education Conference in Bakersfield

By 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach, photos by Lt Col Juan Tinnirello

On 4-6 November, CAWG held its annual California Wing Education Conference in Bakersfield. Participants from Squadron 188 included:

• Lt Col Tinnirello
• Maj Jeff Ironfield
• Maj Noel Luneau
• Maj Maggie Wang
• Maj Steven DeFord
• Capt Lou Rivas
• Capt Jordan Hayes
• Capt Kathy Brown
• Capt Doug Perreira
• Capt Don Eichelberger
• Capt Georgios Michelogiannakis
• 1st Lt Pat Bitz
• 1st Lt Eric Choate

Many thanks to the following Squadron 188 members for taking a leadership role and giving presentations at the conference:

• Lt Choate and Capt Michelogiannakis - on the Universal Method (Advanced SAR Techniques) - an alternate technique for using any GPS to plan and fly search patterns using a single waypoint in most cases. 
• Capt Eichelberger (together with Maj Marc Sobel and Capt Michael Sullivan) - on Setting up the Garmin VRB and a second one on Overview of AP Capabilities and Training Opportunities 
• Lt Bitz - aerospace education presentation on CAP Goes to Mars - introducing several of the technical and social challenges involved in sending a human crew to Mars for a one-month visit. 
• Capt Hayes - on Communications for all CAP Communicators
• Capt Ironfield - led a Stan / Eval and Check Pilot Meeting

And congratulations again to all Squadron 188 and Group 2 members for their CAWG awards this year!  Click here for details!