Saint Croix Composite Squadron’s
03 Jan 2019 Meeting Notes
18:30-20:20 Cadet Programs
Drill/Testing/Training
Opening Formation
Classes/Activities:
• Aerospace Education
• Drill Tests/Practice
________________________________________
19:00-20:20 Senior Member Meeting
Pledge
• Introduction of Guests
– George Withbroe
– Laurel Carlson
• Thank You to:
– CMSgt Donald Vance and Betsy for hosting 27 Dec 2018 Holiday Party.
• 31 Dec 2018 Senior Members New Year’s Eve Party – postponed due to illness.
• STX Annual Safety Down Day – Project Officer STX Safety Officer, Maj Michael Bordonaro. Thursday, 17 Jan 2019.
• Maj. Dale Armstrong, MN Wing Director of Operations, provided information to squadron’s required to update the MN Wing Flight Planning Calculator for the newly installed ADS-B equipment. Please go to the MN Wing Intranet site and download the new file.
The site is: https://www.mncap.org/online/do/do_downloads.cfm
• CAP’s new mandatory hosted website solution – Project Officer, Capt Michael Engbrecht. (Lt Col Paul Prior sent an e-mail to MNWG IT Director, Lt Col Stan Kegel requesting an update.)
• Commander’s Emphasis Items
– One of the Commander’s Emphasis Items evaluated for the Unit of the Year is current Senior Member Drivers Licenses at the end of the calendar year. This is compared with the number of Senior Members in your unit as of March of that calendar year so that you are not penalized for a recruiting effort toward the end of the year and provides a time period for a new member to accomplish the license requirements. Attached is the report of Drivers Licenses from Ops Quals at the end of CY 2018. STX has 17 Members with CAP Driver Licenses
– Another Commander’s Emphasis Item is the updating of the ES Unit Resources List in the Intranet Restricted applications (right side) for your unit. The scoring for this Emphasis Item is 2 points if it is updated in the last half of the year and 1 point if it is updated in the first six months (Max points = 2). No points if has not been updated in the last year. I have attached a list with the date the list was last updated for each unit as of the end of CY 2018. Commanders or ES Officers can update the list. STX will earn one (1) point, as there were multiple updates prior to 01 Jul 2018, but no subsequent changes.
• STX Duty Assignments and Organization Chart – Lt Col Paul Prior requested STX Senior Members update the Organizational Chart and Duty Assignments. Maj Michael Bordonaro and Maj Scott Richardson will coordinate eServices and History Report Organizational Chart and Duty Assignment Updates, as appropriate. Deadline is 15 Feb 2019 to coincide with March Subordinate Unit Inspection.
• Subordinate Unit Inspection (SUI) – Project Officer, Lt Col David Yost. He detailed expectations, responsibilities and timelines.
The following folders have been established in Google Folders:
A1 – Aerospace Education – Patrick Kookier (Paul Prior)
B1 – Cadet Programs – Steve Keller
D1 – Professional Development – Scott Richardson
D3 – Finance – [Melissa Slater] Jennifer Jara
D4 – Administration – [????] Eric Ekstrand
D5 – Personnel – William Willis
D6 – Public Affairs – ????
D7 – Supply – James Higgins
D8 – Transportation – Higgins, Jents, Larson
E1 – Commander – Paul Prior
E2 – Safety – Michael Bordonaro
• Cadet Orientation Flights – Lt Col Paul Prior asked for Saint Croix Composite Squadron (STX) Pilots to fly Saturday, 05 Jan 2019 Orientation Flights. Both Maj Charles Jents and Lt Col David Yost volunteered.
• Color Guard equipment storage and removal from Readiness Center – Project Officer, 2Lt Kimberly Larson. Items for donation to Stanton Composite Squadron were placed in CAP Van. Lt Col Paul Prior will coordinate pick up with Stanton Composite Squadron Commander.
• Storage Cabinets Wheels purchase and installation – Project Officer, Bill Lambrecht provides details for options, e.g. locking versus free-castoring, load bearing, pricing.
• Corporate Learning Course (CLC) – A CLC will be hosted by Anoka County Composite Squadron Saturday and Sunday, 12-13 Jan 2019. Seniors who have completed SLS are eligible to attend as students.
• 2019 Shrine Circus – Lt Col Paul Prior asked if STX wishes to participate in the March 2019 Volunteer Service and fundraiser activity in light of Monday, 24 Dec 2019 Kowalski’s Market Fundraiser success. STX overwhelmingly voted to offer the Shrine Circus Fundraiser event to Saint Paul Composite Squadron (STP). STX would facilitate introductions and assist with Thursday parking. Lt Col Paul Prior will reach out to STP Commander, Maj Will Craig.
• 07 Feb 2019 STX’s Quarterly Awards Ceremony. Project Officer(s):
– Refreshments – 2Lt Tamera Ekstrand
– Program – Maj Michael Bordonaro and Maj Scott Richardson
– Master of Ceremonies – Lt Col David Yost
NOTE: Lt Col Anna-Marie Bistodeau will present Billy Mitchell Award to C/2Lt Evan Ekstrand.
• STX’s Next Unit Commander – Lt Col Paul Prior reminded STX Senior Members that his term as Unit Commander ends in November 2019. Anyone interested in the Unit Commander position should contact him to learn more about the position.
• Annual Awards – Lt Col Paul Prior reminded STX Senior Members the deadline for submitting MNWG annual awards nominations is January 15, 2019.
STX award nomination drafts due to STX Awards Committee was pushed back to 01 Jan 2019.
Send ALL STX award nominations to ALL of the following STX Awards Committee Members:
• Maj Michael Bordonaro
• Capt Steve Keller
• Lt Col Paul Prior
• Maj Scott Richardson
Nominations must include documented accomplishments. Use positive adjectives.
STX award nominations will then be be submitted via the Wing’s online form at https://mncap.org/awards/index.cfm. This allows all nominations to be reviewed by the MN Wing Awards Review Board as required by CAPR 39-3.
DO NOT submit award nominations through eServices, as this may lead to a nomination being rejected or ignored without review by MNWG.
Fill out the form to the fullest extent possible. Provide detail regarding the nominee’s performance or action in the award or decoration category. To help in organizing the justification, emphasis should be placed on:
– the ACTIONS the nominee took,
– the RESULTS obtained and
– the IMPACT they had.
Consult CAPR 39-3, Award of CAP Medals, Ribbons and Certificates for a complete listing and descriptions for all CAP awards and decorations. Pay particular attention to paragraph 9, Criteria for Awarding Decorations. Also see CAPP 39-3, Awards Made Easy. It is highly suggested that one take the time to write a strong nomination, using some of the tried and true techniques included in this guide to improve the chances that the award will be approved.
Lt Col Paul Prior thanked everyone for taking time to recognize the outstanding efforts of fellow STX volunteers. If you have any questions throughout the nominations process feel free to contact Lt Col Paul Prior.
• Aircrew Briefings – Project Officer is Maj Michael Bordonaro passed around a sign up sheet.
FAAST Credits – Lt Col David Yost.
– Date TBD – 1Lt Patrick Kookier Flight Line Marshalling.
•
STX Tours – Project Officer, Capt Jackson Maddux, MD presented a list of several tour options. STX will begin monthly tours in mid-February.
• Around the Room
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20:20-20:45 Commander’s Call
• Pledge
• Introduction of Guests
– George Withbroe
– Laurel Carlson
• Safety Brief – STX Safety Officer, Maj Michael Bordonaro presented Beacon Newsletter density altitude and runway lengths calculations, and “Go Around” practice and situations.
• Commander’s Call Question – At the conclusion of Commander’s Call, there will be a question based on material covered in Commander’s Call. The first person with the correct answer wins a fabulous Aerospace Prize, so please pay close attention. Tonight’s Prize: Air Force Reserve Command Playing Cards – 1948-2018.
• Thank You to everyone involved in the 20 Dec 2018 “Operation Saving Santa” Emergency Services Training and holiday activity.
• Thank You to the following participants in the Monday, 24 Dec 2018 Kowalski’s Market Volunteer Service, fundraising and recruiting event:
Seniors:
– Maj Michael Bordonaro
– 2Lt Erik Ekstrand
– 2Lt Tamera Ekstrand
– 1Lt Jen Jara
– Maj Charles Jents
– 1Lt Patrick Kooiker
– Lt Col David Yost
Cadets
– Bergman, Hayden
– C/2Lt Evan Ekstrand
– C Riley Stelter
– C/SrA Nikeese Waters
• Aviation Briefing:
YouTube.com video: “How did Pappy Boyington effect the Pacific Theater of WWII?”
3 January 1944: Major Gregory Boyington, United States Marine Corps Reserve, commanding VMF-214 at Bouganville, Solomon Islands, led 48 fighters in an attack against the Japanese naval base at Rabaul on the island of New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago.
Flying a Vought-Sikorsky F4U-1 Corsair, Bu. No. 17915, Boyington shot down four enemy airplanes, bringing his total score to 28. He was then himself shot down.
Wounded by bullets and shrapnel and with his Corsair on fire, Boyington parachuted to the ocean only 100 feet (30 meters) below. He was rescued by the Japanese submarine I-181 a few hours later, and was eventually taken to Japan and imprisoned for the next 20 months under the harshest conditions.
Believed to have been killed, Major Boyington was “posthumously” awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Boyinton’s autobiography, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, was published by G.P. Putnam, New York, in 1958. A novel, Tonya, was published by Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1960.
For his service during World War II, Colonel Gregory Boyington, United States Marine Corps, was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, Purple Heart Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with bronze star (two awards), Prisoner of War Medal, American Defense Service Medal with bronze star, American Defense Service Medal with bronze star, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with silver star, and the World War II Victory Medal.
• Cadet Orientation Flights – Lt Col Paul Prior asked for STX Cadets to fly on Saturday, 05 Jan 2019 Orientation Flights.
• 25-27 Jan 2019 – Winter Survival Weekend. All details as well as the application link may be found on our web-page at: http://mncap.org/es/wsw/.
• 21st MNWG CTG. The following information is on the MNWG Calendar. Here is the basic information:
– Cadre Selection Exercise (CSE) 22-24 Feb 2019.
– The CSE is where staff is selected for Encampment. To be eligible to apply, you must have attended an Encampment.
-The Cadre Training Weekend (CTW) 28-31 Mar 2019.
-Encampment Preparatory School (EPS) 10-12 May 2019.
-Encampment Dates 29 Jun- 06 Jul 2019.
• ALL – Please review the Wednesday, 02 Jan 2019 Aerospace Education Newsletter. This is the first of what will become a quarterly publication.
• Thursday, 17 Jan 1019 STX Annual Safety Down Day – Project Officer, STX Safety Officer, Maj Michael Bordonaro indicates more information will be made available, as the date draws closer.
• 07 Feb 2019 STX’s Quarterly Awards Ceremony. Project Officer, ____________.
• MN122.org is Saint Croix Composite Squadron’s Website.
• Saint Croix Composite Squadron Cadets and Senior Members are encouraged to participate regularly at squadron meetings and activities, and continue testing, training and advancing.
Around the Room:
• Cadet Commander, C/2Lt, Jack Britten
• Deputy Commander of Cadets, Capt Steve Keller
• Deputy Commander of Seniors, Maj Michael Bordonaro
Commander’s Call Question:
– How Many total enemy aircraft did Gregory Pappy Boyington shoot down to become WWII’s highest scoring Ace?
Answer:
– 28 total.