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Written by 2008 BCS
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Saturday, 20 December 2008 13:08 |
After months of preparation, cadet staff from the 130th, Valley and Mankato composite squadrons stood ready at their assigned stations while cadets arrived at Airlake Airport in Lakeville for the 2008 Basic Cadet Training School.
Basic Cadet Training School, or BCTS, is an intense training weekend that began with just four students and four staff in early 2007. A year later, the program has grown to more than 40 cadet students and staff.
"Cadets were instructed by the cadet staff in all programs the CAP has to offer," said Capt. Billy Hoffman of the 130th Composite Squadron, cadet commander for the event. "The weekend provided all the building blocks for those new to CAP to succeed as cadets and at encampment."
Hoffman noted that the weekend was mentally and physically intense, but with the teamwork of their peers, the cadets were able to conquer the challenge.
Cadets began the weekend by pulling into the airport’s main gate, equipment in hand, at which point they were quickly loaded into a CAP van and driven to the hangar where the cadet staff waited. The cadets were in-processed, assigned to one of three flights and sent right into the weekend with drill instruction.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 20 December 2008 13:34 )
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Written by Capt Richard Sprouse, Group II PAO
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Sunday, 30 November 2008 15:14 |
Minnesota Wing Group IV Commander, Lt Col John Barsness, congratulates his son, USAF Second Lieutenant Ben Barsness, on his graduation from the navigator school. (Photo courtesy of Lt Col John Barsness)
Group IV Commander, Lt Col John Barsness, congratulates his son, US Air Force 2d Lt Ben Barsness, on his graduation from the navigator school in Pensacola, Florida.
Lt. Barsness received his silver wings on November 21, 2008, after 16 months of intensive training at the Naval Air Station (NAS).
Training at the NAS provides primary, intermediate, and advanced navigator training for the Navy and Air Force. The training Wing consists of 1,500 military personnel, 25 civilian personnel and over 100 aircraft.
After graduating first in his class, Lt. Barsness was selected to fly the B-1B Lancer.
Lt. Barsness is a senior member of Mankato Composite Squadron. As a cadet in Mankato, he served as cadet commander and completed Minnesota Wing Flight Academy. He went on from Flight Academy to earn his private pilot license while a cadet in CAP. He felt his CAP flying experience helped him in the initial phases of navigator training.
The NAS is home base for the Navy's Blue Angles. He said it was very interesting to see them practicing in the air space above Pensacola.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 01 December 2008 12:18 )
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Written by Capt Richard Sprouse, Group II PAO
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Wednesday, 26 November 2008 00:00 |
  
  
Photos by Capt Nash Pherson, CAP.
Members of the Minnesota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol recently found the body of a man missing since late October.
The Scott County Sheriff's Department received a report on November 8 that an abandoned vehicle containing a suicide note was parked along a rural township road near Henderson, Minn. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) activated Minnesota Wing that evening to assist with the search.
The following morning, 43 ground team members, 3 aircrew members and 5 mission base personnel searched the area near the abandoned vehicle.
A CAP aircraft scanned the immediate area including route searches along the Minnesota River, railroad tracks, and roads for possible clues.
While the aircrew made its search, ground team members were busy scoping out land along the river and nearby hillsides for the missing man.
During the ground search, two members of a team from the 130th Composite Squadron in Lakeville noticed something that "didn't quite look right" and discovered the body of the missing man in a camouflaged shelter.
Overall, Minnesota Wing members from 130th, Viking, St. Paul, Mankato, Owatonna and Hutchinson squadrons contributed 51 members, 510 hours and 2 sorties totaling nearly 4 hours to the search. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 01 December 2008 12:23 )
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Written by Capt Richard Sprouse
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Sunday, 16 November 2008 00:00 |
A Mankato Composite Squadron member is being praised by emergency service providers for his quick actions following a car versus bicycle accident along a busy Twin Cities' highway.
Captain Nash Pherson was stopped at a signal light along US Highway 169 in Champlin, Minn., on 6 November 2008, when he noticed what he thought was debris laying on the other side of the intersection.
"A man was moving debris from my lane when he picked up a bicycle," Pherson said. "I then realized there was a victim lying prone and not moving in the thin space between the turn lane and the highway." Pherson called 911 and reported the accident.
While still on the phone, Pherson activated his vehicle's hazard lights and proceeded through a red light and into the busy intersection. He parked his vehicle as far back from the victim as possible and angled the car and turned the wheels towards the side of the road in case it was struck from behind.
Luckily, Pherson had his search and rescue equipment in the car after working the previous weekend with the Civil Air Patrol in the search for a missing man near Marshall, Minn.
Grabbing his reflective vest and medical kit, he approached the victim. Another motorist and the driver of the car that struck the bicycle rider were now present.
Pherson asked the victim his name and to lay his head down on his medical bag, hoping to stabilize the boy's neck and back.
Pherson explains: "The victim was moaning and crying, and it was obviously causing him too much pain to try to lay down. I took hold of his head to try to maintain his c-spine while he was sitting up. I then glanced at the vehicle and saw extensive damage to the glass. I quickly brushed through the victim's hair to look for bleeding and didn't see any. I asked the victim where he was hurting. He said his legs hurt and I noticed he was clutching his abdomen. I looked him over for any serious bleeding, but did not see any.
"I then asked him how old he was, and he responded '14', then '13', then 'I don't know.' I then began to feel the back of the victim's head. It felt soft and misshapen. The victim kept trying to move around, and could not comply with instructions to hold still. I stopped trying to hold his head at this point, as I was worried about doing more damage than good. I positioned myself alongside the victim so that I could hold his upper torso over my body if he started seizing, and I continued to comfort him."
The distraught driver was not injured and stated he had not seen the victim until he actually hit him. The driver also stated that he wanted to move his car to let traffic through.
"Even with the reflective vest on and my car blocking us, I was incredibly scared of a secondary accident. It was rush hour with high traffic, the roads were very wet, rain was reducing visibility, and it was dark," Pherson said. He told the man not to move his vehicle.
In what seemed like an eternity to Pherson, the first police officer arrived at the scene shortly after the accident. Pherson briefed the officer with what he had done to assess the situation and stabilize the victim while other officers and an ambulance arrived at the scene.
Champlin Police Officer Nick Englund thanked Pherson for stopping to provide help.
"Captain Pherson was very helpful at the scene. He provided first aid until we arrived and then provided helpful information to supplement our report. We appreciated the help. All too often people in need are passed by. Captain Pherson is a great example of the good Samaritans that are our there. Please thank him once again for a job well done."
Minnesota Group 4 commander, Lt Col John Barsness, has known Pherson since he was a cadet.
"Captain Pherson has trained in many Emergency Services capacities and has always demonstrated cool response in tense situations," Barsness said.
Original story at CAP NHQ. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 November 2008 14:04 )
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Monday, 30 June 2008 18:58 |
Flag Retirement Ceremony
Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
July 3rd, 2008
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
401 Stoltzman Road, Mankato, Minnesota
The Flag Retirement Ceremony will be conducted under the provision of the U.S. Flag Code, which stipulates; “When a U.S. flag is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 November 2008 15:50 )
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