A view of the intersection
before the work began to relieve the flooding.
2d Lt. Scott McKnight (left)
works with 1st Lt. Bob Gould (seated right) in preparing sandbags. Also
pictured in the center of the photo with the blue ball cap and blue polo shirt
is Congressman Mark Kirk. To his left is 2d Lt. Damon Card as well as a number
of US Navy sailors that also volunteered in the effort.
Pictured with Congressman
Mark Kirk (center) are Major Bob Dempsey, Deputy Commander, Cadets (left) and Capt. Jim Griggs, Deputy Commander, Seniors, both of
the Palwaukee Composite Squadron.
(Photos by 2d Lt. Marc
Stanley)
By 2d Lt MARC STANLEY
Public Affairs Officer,
Palwaukee Composite Squadron
PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill -- At mid-day on
Saturday 13 September, the Palwaukee Composite Squadron was contacted by local
officials from the Village of Prospect Heights, Illinois regarding flood
assistance. The Des Plaines Riverwas
at flood stage, and some subdivisions were already being saturated by the
quickly rising water. After calls to the National Operations Center (NOC), and
the ILWG Director of Operations, a mission number was assigned, and an alert
was sent out.
Shortly after the contact by local officials,
Palwaukee Squadron personnel started planning for the impending mission, and
queried its members for availability. Ninety minutes after the alert was sent
out, the first team assembled mustered at the Mission Base located at the
Palwaukee Squadron's meeting facility, and was then sent into the flooded area
to assist with sandbagging duty.
Working with members of the local fire
department, Public Works, Village officials, local residents, as well as
sailors from Naval Station Great Lakes that had also volunteered to
participate, the CAP teams assisted with the flood mitigation efforts until
after midnight. Congressman for the Tenth District of Illinois, Mr. Mark Kirk
showed up with staff members to personally assist in the filling of sandbags.
Congressman Kirk took the opportunity to shake hands with the many CAP members
at the scene, and thank them for their assistance to the local communities.
Village officials have indicated CAP will be on its list of 'go to' agencies
for future disaster relief (DR) situations.
In all, 28 members from 6 different units responded to
the REDCAP. The units represented were: Forest Park Composite Squadron, Lake
County Composite Squadron, Lewis Composite Squadron, Midway Composite Squadron,
Palwaukee Composite Squadron, and Group 22 HQ.
Members that participated were as follows: Majors Bob
Dempsey and Paul Hanna; Captains David Gillingham, Jim Griggs and Brian Pokuta;
First Lieutenants Charles Brown, Bob Gould, Mark Halman, Scott Murphy, Jay
Trivedi and Axel Velazquez; Second Lieutenants Damon Card, Kenneth Hartogh,
Scott McKnight, Marc Stanley, John Stys, and John Trimarco, SM Mike Grenz as
well as Cadets Ryan Blasky, Hannah Gottschalk, Clint Greenlee, Zack Hagner,
Chris Hartogh, Brett Krueger, Kenneth Macejak, David Miller, Seth Thomas, and
Adam Wallace.
C/1st Lt Ethan Peterman receives the cadet command from Captain James Kalemis, Commander, McHenry County Composite Squadron.
Captain Kalemis presents C/Capt Emily Medina with a plaque of photos from her early years in the Civil Air Patrol as gratitude for her service. Captain Kalemis urges the audience to take a look at the photos and how young some of the cadets looked!
C/1st Lt Peterman addresses the audience, praising C/Capt Medina's service and providing some goals for his upcoming command.
Major Bob Williams, Commander Group 22, presents C/CMSgt Shelby McMahon with the Mitchell Award.
Captain Kalemis and Major Williams promote Cadet McMahon to C/2nd Lt.
C/AB Bailey Hoffeditz is promoted to C/Airman. Cadet Hoffeditz has the special honor of completing a high score on her Curry test on the first attempt.
Great Lakes Region Vice Commander, Col. Robert Karton (left) presents Cadet Hannah Gottschalk with her Gen. Billy Mitchell Award
By: 2d Lt. MARC STANLEY, CAP
WHEELING, Ill -- Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Hannah Gottschalk
received the General Billy Mitchell Award and was also promoted to Cadet Second
Lieutenant at the August 19th meeting of the Palwaukee Composite Squadron.
Presenting the award was Great Lakes Region Vice-Commander, Col. Robert Karton,
joined by Group 22 Commander, Maj. Robert Williams, and Squadron Commander
1st Lt. Scott Murphy.
C/2d Lt Gottschalk joined the Palwaukee Squadron shortly after it became a Composite
unit again in 2006 after a hiatus of ten years, and is the first cadet in
recent years to begin her CAP career at the squadron and then subsequently earn
the Mitchell Award. Both of the other Mitchell awardees in the unit transferred
to Palwaukee from other squadrons.
Maj. Robert Williams stated: 'I view this as the culmination of the efforts of
a lot of people who worked hard to bring back a robust cadet program here at
Palwaukee. We didn't want them to just show up for meetings, we wanted them
active and fully engaged in everything CAP has to offer. I put the goal on the
table, but Maj. Dempsey and others executed on my ideas and made them their
own. Cadet Gottschalk's achievement is proof that the program here is fully
functional and I expect to be handing out a lot more Mitchells in the near
future.'
The Mitchell Award is given after completion of the first eight structured
segments of the CAP cadet program. In addition, a cadet must also pass an
examination covering leadership theory and aerospace topics. Cadets who receive
the Mitchell Award are eligible for advanced placement in the grade of E-3
(Airman First Class) should they choose to enlist in the US Air Force. They are
also eligible for advanced credit in the Air Force ROTC program. Mitchell Award
cadets may also apply for a variety of scholarships and CAP special activities.
C/2d Lt Gottschalk is a student at Prospect High School in Arlington Heights, IL.
'She will be a great cadet leader in Palwaukee Composite Squadron' says Maj.
Robert Dempsey who supervises the Squadron's cadet program.
2d Lt. Scott McKnight (left)
works with 1st Lt. Bob Gould (seated right) in preparing sandbags. Also
pictured in the center of the photo with the blue ball cap and blue polo shirt
is Congressman Mark Kirk. To his left is 2d Lt. Damon Card as well as a number
of US Navy sailors that also volunteered in the effort. 
Pictured with Congressman
Mark Kirk (center) are Major Bob Dempsey, Deputy Commander, Cadets (left) and 
