Squadron 188 at Edwards AFB for Aerospace Education Summer Camp

By Maj. Mark Fridell

I was tasked to coordinate the orientation rides for the 53 cadets attending the Aerospace Education Summer Camp, or AESC, at Edwards AFB.  The program ran from July 30th to August 5th.

The program included some great tours of the base, rides in some of the flight simulators, hands on STEM projects including building, flying RC aircraft, working with robotics, designing aircraft and our day of flying orientation rides.

Maj. Charles Christian served as Incident Commander, and we had lined up 9 aircraft to fly in for the day. Unfortunately, one "crumped" due to a maintenance issue.  In spite of losing two more aircraft that day to maintenance, we were able to get all of the participating cadets up for a flight with a lot of smiling faces exiting the aircraft at the end of their sorties.

Our desire was to get all the cadets a front seat ride, but due to the issues with losing aircraft some of the cadets only received a flight in the backseat.

We were fortunate to have cloud cover for the day, which, while making it a bit muggy, kept the temperature down from the previous day, which hit 105F.

All in all it was a successful program that we hope to repeat next year at Edwards!

CAP airplanes on the Edwards flight line. Photo by Maj. Fridell. 

The Tehachapi News also published a story about the AESC.

Squadron 188 Change of Command Ceremony

By 1st Lt. Karin Hollerbach, photos as noted

Capt. Hayes, photo by 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev

In lieu of the monthly All Hands meeting, Amelia Earhart Senior Squadron 188 welcomed its new Commander during a change of command ceremony held on 1 August, at the squadron’s headquarters at Oakland Airport.

Capt. Jordan Hayes assumed the leadership role from outgoing Commander, Capt. Lou Rivas.

Capt. Rivas, photo by Lt. Hollerbach

Capt. Rivas deserves a big round of applause for his leadership these past years.  Thank you for your leadership, dedication and hard work!

Capt. Rivas has been a member of CAP since 2009.  He is an active pilot and has achieved numerous emergency services ratings for aircrew, base staff and ground teams since joining the organization. Capt. Rivas served as Squadron 188 Commander since August 2014, when he took over command from Maj. Noel Luneau.

Under Capt. Rivas’ leadership, the squadron has grown by 15 members and has won numerous awards, including the Unit Citation Award (2014 – and again in 2017) and the Squadron of the Year (Group 2) award (which Squadron 188 has won every year since 2011). In addition, Capt. Rivas was awarded the Commander of the Year (Group 2) award (2016).

Capt. Edwards, photo by Lt. Roudnev

The squadron is truly grateful to Capt. Rivas for his dedicated service in supporting Squadron 188, Group 2, and CAWG.

Distinguished guests at the ceremony included:

• Lt. Col. Michael Prusak, CAWG Vice Commander (North)
• Maj. Stephen Renwick, CAWG Deputy Director of Operations, Special Projects, and former Commander, Group 2
• Capt. Joshua Edwards, Deputy Commander, Group 2
• Maj. Paul Kubiak, Operations Officer, Group 2
• Maj. Elsie Lam, Commander, Squadron 10
• Maj. Peter McCutcheon, former Commander, Squadron 10
• Lt. Col. Roger Glenn, former Commander, Squadron 188
• Maj. Jeff Ironfield, former Commander, Squadron 188

Award-winning Color Guard, from L to R: C/MSgt. Katia Cahoon (Guard), C/SMSgt. Jordan Poloway (U.S. flag),
C/SMSgt Karissa Cahoon (CAP flag), C/SrA Valerie Gomez (Guard), photo by Lt. Roudnev

Capt. Edwards served as emcee for the ceremony, at which the award winning Color Guard from Diablo Composite Squadron 44, based in Concord, presented the colors.

Col. Prusak (L), Capt. Rivas (2nd L), C/SMSgt Cahoon (2nd R), Capt Hayes (R), photo by Maj. Renwick

Lt. Col. Prusak presented Capt. Rivas with Squadron 188’s second Unit Citation Award, for contributions to CAP’s emergency services mission.

Squadron 188 and Group 2 proudly welcomed Capt. Hayes into his new leadership role as Commander.

Capt. Hayes had been serving as the squadron’s Deputy Commander since 2014, as well as serving in numerous administrative and emergency services functions at the Squadron, Group and Wing level. Capt. Hayes is very active in the amateur radio communications community, and has served both Squadron 188 and Group 2 as Communications Officer.

Capt. Hayes will be working closely with the new Deputy Commander, 1st Lt. Christopher Devine, who has been serving to date as the squadron’s Asst. Information Technology Officer. Thank you very much, Capt. Hayes and Lt. Devine, for taking on this enormous responsibility and for leading the squadron into the next phase of our growth.

Members of Squadron 188, photo by Maj. Renwick.