 Civil Air Patrol Tent and Operations Center |
| Photo By Lynae-Curtis Christian |
GONZALES: The Louisiana Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) participated in the first Louisiana Hot Air Balloon Championships Festival in Ascension Parish. The festival, which has been held in Baton Rouge for the past 9 years, needed and new venue and found what appears to be the perfect new home at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, Louisiana and Civil Air Patrol was key to the success.
When Captain Lydia Pike, Deputy Commander for Cadets at the local squadron received the call from Festival Coordinator Charlotte Guedry requesting CAP support for the festival, neither fully grasped exactly what that support would be. After a meeting between representatives of the Ascension Festival Committee and several representatives from several squadrons in Group 3, it became clear the two entities shared a common goal, “Getting youth interested in Aerospace Education.” But Pike and her fellow squadron leaders, Major David Taylor, Commander of Hammond Composite Squadron, 2LT Danielle Woldt, Deputy Commander for cadets at Capital City Composite Squadron and SM Tammy Geromini saw much more. They saw an opportunity to get Civil Air Patrol more visible in the community and involved in an event that had a history of drawing visitors from across the state with a gate estimate of 40,000.
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| Major Taylor, Hammond Composite, Model Rocketry Demo Photo By Janelle Townsend |
With the blessings of Wing Commander Col. Art Scarborough, they began brainstorming about ways CAP could participate. First, the committee was looking for volunteers. They were particularly interested in cadet volunteers since the goal was to reach youth. Other ideas included assorted aerospace activities, Taylor’s specialty as AE Officer for the Wing and some way to share information about CAP’s Emergency Services capabilities. This was an opportunity to let CAP shine through all three missions.
It all came together on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22, 2013. The Festival committee provided 5 air conditioned rooms for CAP members to stay on the Property; Capital Area American Red Cross provided 50 cots and on Thursday evening members began arriving at the barracks style accommodations to begin the setup. Thirty-eight cadets and fourteen senior members put in countless hours throughout the weekend.
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| C/CMSgt Delbasty is briefed by C/TSgt Townsend about Tissue Paper Balloon Launch event. Photo By Lynae-Curtis Christian |
Pike, being local to Gonzales, where Ascension Composite Squadron (LA022) is based, was tapped to be Event Manger but, as is typical, she turns to cadets to take the lead. Using an Incident Commander type system, she assigned cadets to different positions then found Senior Members to act as their guide or “go to” person. Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Nic Delbasty, (LA022) was appointed Assistant Event Manager but for all intended purposes, would be the IC. Chief Master Sgt. Chase Blank (LA022) was selected to function as Operations Section Chief and his adult guide was Lt Col Phil Collins, also of LA022. Cadet 1LT Cody Nash (LA014) was tapped as Logistics Section Chief with Major Ken Brummett (LA022.) Cadet Staff Sgt Sarah Nogueras, who had trained with Admin/Finance at a recent SAREX accepted the Admin/Finance Section Chief under the guidance of Pike and veteran cadet MRO Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Clare Gaudin (LA022) would serve as Communications Unit Leader, a challenging position with an estimated 50 ICOM radios being issued and used throughout the weekend. Cadet Staff Sgt Daniel Sturm was selected to be Safety Assistant to primary Safety Officer, Captain Mark Attusso (LA022.)
Activities were run by cadets with a cadet team leader. Those included: The CAP Tent/Booth where the hub of activity would take place; Flight Simulator; Straw Rocket launch demo; Model Rocket Launch Demos; Tissue paper balloon building and launch, Honor Guard, DDR, Emergency Services and Aerospace displays. In addition to the CAP tent activities, cadets were posted at entry gates and the VIP/Pilots tent to great visitors and ensure the festival rules of entry were followed.
One center stage event conducted on Saturday, before balloonist took the field, including a walk-thru narrated demo of a Search and Rescue Exercise, complete with a fly over by a CAP plane that picked up the signal from a practice ELT located on the grounds and two vans arriving on the field with two ground teams to prosecute the signal. While C/CMSgt Blank, assisted by Wing Commander Col Scarbrough and Captain Pike tag-teamed a narration of the activities and used the PA system to let the crowd listen in on radio communications between the Aircrew, Mission Base (Gaudin) and Ground teams Alpha and Charlie.
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| C/TSgt Townsend and Safety Officer Captain Mark Attusso Launch one of over 50 Balloons crafted and set aloft over the weekend Photo By Janelle Townsend |
The cadets were in high demand both days, from three hours prior to the gate opening though close of festival. Covering gates and entrances, assisting with hot air balloon inflation and repacking and conducting the CAP activities and received many accolades from festival committee members, vendors, Law Enforcement and festival goers alike. In fact, when the cadets entered the grounds the second morning, marching in formations and carrying our nations Colors. the Louisiana State Flag and the Civil Air Patrol flag, they received a standing ovation from all who were there.
“This is a good thing.” Commented Scarborough. “Next year, we start planning early and find more funding to support this very worthy activity.”
Thanks to all who participated and Congratulations on a job well done!
