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Squadron News! |
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Newsletter – April, 2007 The Kasler Squadron was awarded the top senior squadron in the Indiana Wing at the recent 2007 Indiana Wing Conference Dining Out! The squadron is the recipient of this high award for the third straight year. The squadron has been described as one possessed of an unusual amount of talent in its membership. The members of the squadron, itself, however, agree that its talent is personified in its leadership, LTC Lopshire and LTC Cecere who make the best use of the rest of us. We are all focused on our training to be ready to provide disaster relief and homeland security to the community and nation.
Nine of our members received Commander’s Commendation Awards: Dave Harness These folks do a heck of a lot for us and are very deserving of their awards. LTC Larry Lopshire received the prestigious Garber Award. We have continued success, also, in finding elusive ELT signals. Shelly Pietra, Tim Turner, and Tony Cecere found one involving a truck at and a building at a truckstop, and, at the busy Army training facility Camp Atterbury , Indiana, Larry Lopshire and Tim Turner had no trouble in finding the signal emanating from a Mooney MU-2 turboprop twin-engine aircraft right under the noses of the Army personnel. In all fairness, the Army was probably neither trained nor possessed of equipment for the job. These Finds, again qualifying the afore-mentioned persons for Find Ribbons, were ground operations requiring the use of hand-held direction finding equipment. These folks are so good at direction finding that they can make triangulations on ELT signals faster than Captain Cuthbert can eat half a dozen donuts! Great job, guys!
Please remember to try to attend and volunteer for representing the squadron at the American Legion Conference on Saturday, April 14; and, the Marine Corps League function on April 15.
Respectfully submitted, Press Releases
Kasler Squadron Promotions
11/2/05 Courtesy: Capt Tim Turner GREENWOOD, INDIANA - Mary Ann Hess, Anthony Lafata, Joni Lafata, and Jennifer Thompson have been promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant in Civil Air Patrol. Each are members of the Col James H Kasler Senior Squadron based at the Greenwood Municipal Airport.
Civil Air Patrol adult members are promoted based on
training, experience, and years of service in Civil Air Patrol.
Civil Air Patrol, the official U.S. Air Force
Auxiliary, is a civilian, volunteer, nonprofit, service
organization. The unpaid members perform more than 95 percent of
the inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force
Rescue and Coordination Center. Additional duties include aerial
reconnaissance for homeland security, disaster-relief and damage
assessment, transport of time-sensitive medical materials, and
counter drug missions. Volunteers also take a leading role in
aerospace education and conduct one of America’s finest youth
programs through CAP Cadet Programs.
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Squadron News Letters
2007-2nd Quarter
2006 -2nd Quarter
2006 -1st Quarter
2005 - 4th Quarter
(192kb
pdf)
2005 - 3rd Quarter
(192kb
pdf)
2005 - 2nd Quarter
(140kb
pdf) 2005 - 1st Quarter (144kb pdf) |
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Kasler Squadron Finds ELT
8/16/05 Courtesy: Capt Tim Turner GREENWOOD, INDIANA - August 16, 2005 - At approximately 2:00 am this morning, members of Civil Air Patrol tracked an ELT(emergency locating transmitter) signal to a parked aircraft at the Greenwood Municipal Airport. Monday evening, SARSAT satellites picked up signals from an ELT in the Greenwood area. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) in Langley, Virginia notified Civil Air Patrol's Indiana Wing around midnight.
Two members of the Kasler Senior Squadron were
dispatched to locate the transmitter. While weather coditions did
not permit an aerial search, the team did not have far to look.
Upon arrival at the Greenwood Municipal Airport, where the squadron
is based, the team was able to to track the signal right there at
the airport. Utilizing urban direction finding techniques, the team
was able to locate the ELT in a plane located in one of the hangars
at the airport. One team member was able to recognize the plane as
one that had been in the maintainence shop earlier in the day.
Airport officials were notified this morning in order that the ELT
could be disabled.
The Kasler Squadron team members were Lt Col Larry
Lopshire, the squadron commander, and Capt Tim Turner, the
squadron's public affairs and legal officer.
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| Johnson County
Senior Squadron Renamed Col James H Kasler Senior Squadron 3/23/05 Courtesy: Capt Tim Turner HOOSIER NATIVE HONORED IN NAME CHANGE Greenwood, Indiana -- DATE 27-Feb-05 – Civil Air Patrol (“CAP”) announced today that the Johnson County Senior Squadron, part of the Indiana Wing, has been renamed the Col. James H. Kasler Senior Squadron. Kasler is a Hoosier native. Born in South Bend, he graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis and later attended Butler University. The idea for a squadron name change was first brought up in the Fall of 2004. According to squadron commander Lt. Col. Larry Lopshire, “We wanted a name that was not so geographically limiting because we serve all across the State of Indiana.” In searching for a namesake, the squadron wanted to be certain to honor a Hoosier veteran, preferably one from the U.S. Air Force or its predecessor the US Army Air Corps. Lopshire went on to say, “ultimately, research lead to Colonel Kasler, who seemed like a perfect candidate.” A three-time Air Force Cross recipient, Jim Kasler served in WWII as a B-29 gunner seeing combat over Japan. After the war, he attended Butler University for three years before entering the Air Force pilot training program in 1950. During his service in Korea, Kasler became an ace pilot. On August 8, 1966, while flying a mission over North Vietnam, he was shot down and captured. He was held at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” with other such notables as James Stockdale and John McCain. Enduring frequent torture, Kasler was released on March 4, 1973 after spending 6 1/2 years in captivity. An official name change ceremony is planned for April 23, 2004 during the annual Indiana Wing awards luncheon.
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Johnson County Senior Squadron Scores Another Find
Special recognition, and a thank you, should also go to the ground team at Shelbyville. They were waiting in stand-by, ready to start their duties. |
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| Johnson County Senior Squadron At Operation Iceberg 2/9/02 NARRATIVE-ICEBERG
II About mid-morning, on Saturday, we were asked to fly a practice mission to digitally photograph five dams, and one railroad trestle, all in an area north and northwest of Clark Co. Their locations were provided as general directions from small towns and private airstrips. The flight was assigned to LTC Cecere, pilot, 2LT Duncan, observer, and CAPT Ouellette, scanner. Prior to takeoff, it was discovered that the camera battery had lost its charge, so we asked if we could still do the mission visually. This was approved, and we got off just before noon in good weather, but with some uncomfortable turbulence. The targets were located easily, and circled for a good visual. Communication was good, via a highbird. VHF was used, since the CAP radio is still non-compliant. Returned to base. Total time was 1.5.
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| Johnson County Senior Squadron Scores Another Find 1/7/02 Courtesy: Norm Chance, CAPT, CAP Last night, the Johnson County was placed on alert for a ELT signal emanating from an area stretching from east Muncie to north-east of Anderson airport. I was contacted around 10:30 p.m. by Major Brockman, and started down the alert roster list. Ltc Tony Cecere and Capt. Ed Lange were the mission pilots. I joined the aircrew at Greenwood Airport as the Observer, and after a preflight, we were wheels up at 11.45 p.m. First signal acquisition was at 12:10 a.m., near Mt Comfort. After checking the initial satellite reports of the signal being near Muncie and Anderson airports, it was determined that the signal was indeed strongest at Mt Comfort. Col Cecere called RF50 ( Major Brockman ) who drove to Mt Comfort to verify the signal. Major Brockman verified that the signal was on Mt Comfort, then released us to return to base. For our new members, this is what's called a "find". Col. Cecere and Capt. Lange both located there first ELT signal under AFRCC jurisdiction, so they will both get to receive a "find" ribbon for there efforts. The Incident Commander congratulated both of them for a job well done, and wanted me to extend his gratitude for finding it so quickly. Another job well done by the members of Johnson County.
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| Johnson County Senior Squadron Assists in Successful SAR 4/24/01 Courtesy: Norm Chance, CAPT, CAP Johnson County participated in a S.A.R. on
Tuesday, At 5 a.m., Major Gary
Brockman asked me to assist the Shelbyville Ground Team in for an Air Force
requested mission near Muncie. We were also asked to provide a aircraft, so
as a result Major Mark Smith and Lt Bob Chance gallantly operated CAPF1254
to the vicinity of the Muncie Airport. The AFRCC ( Air Force Rescue Coordination Center ) had provided our ground team with five SARSAT hits.
After I plotted all five, they all seem to be two to three miles east of the
Muncie Airport. CAPF1254 determined that the signal was indeed emanating
from Muncie's airport, so our Ground Team moved in, searching the airport
grounds. We discovered the signal was being emitted from a Cessna 337 parked
in an enclosed hanger adjacent to the F.B.O. terminal building. Upon asking
maintenance, it was discovered that they new they ELT had been a problem,
and immediately unplugged the unit. After notifying the Mission Coordinator,
we were directed to return to base. Another successful mission closed. |
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Click here to read about Johnson County Senior Squadron's Help in a an actual rescue at Greenwood airport.