Encampment stories

[Sgt. Papa]

Echo Exterminators

[Struts]

Echo Exterminators

Oh I like that! But I'm still going to use that Echo Echo thing.

[PHall]

Echo Exterminators

Oh I like that! But I'm still going to use that Echo Echo thing.

How about showing a bit of initive and maybe a little imagination and coming up with something new?

Anybody can use something that has been around forever...  Prove you're better then that!

[Cool Mace]

How about showing a bit of initive and maybe a little imagination and coming up with something new?

Anybody can use something that has been around forever...  Prove you're better then that!
[/quote]

Echo Eagles, or Echo Excaliburs.

Ok, Eagles aren't really new, but Excalibur is!

[Cool Mace]

How about showing a bit of initive and maybe a little imagination and coming up with something new?

Anybody can use something that has been around forever...  Prove you're better then that!

Echo Eagles, or Echo Excaliburs.

Ok, Eagles aren't really new, but Excalibur is!
[/quote]

Tried to fix the quote, but it wouldn't let me...

[Struts]

I'll put a nice sword in a rock on the guidon

[Equinox]

Alpha Avengers
Bravo Boomerangs
Charlie Copperheads
Delta Dragons
Echo Eradicators
Foxtrot Firebirds

[Struts]

Any brand new encampment stories yet? I know that Pennsylvania, Arizona, Oklahoma and Ohio Wings have already had their summer encampments.

[krnlpanick]

I am not currently there, but Colorado is having their encampment this week with a Forest Fire right down the road. I imagine that will generate some stories.

[NC Hokie]

Not my story, but a group of cadets at the NC Wing encampment last week were practicing air to ground communications and setting up a helicopter landing zone when a NCNG Apache decided to accept their offer!

[a2capt]

LOL

In some instances, a story like that would lead to an "Ooooooh sh**!!!!! - we're in trouble!!!!! - run!!" moment.

[Struts]

I am not currently there, but Colorado is having their encampment this week with a Forest Fire right down the road. I imagine that will generate some stories.

I can see the safety briefings now.

Not my story, but a group of cadets at the NC Wing encampment last week were practicing air to ground communications and setting up a helicopter landing zone when a NCNG Apache decided to accept their offer!

That is a unique story for sure.  :clap: It actually landed?

[a2capt]

Hawaii ended about 15 days ago, too. But I'll let someone else share stories.. for the moment..

[NC Hokie]

Not my story, but a group of cadets at the NC Wing encampment last week were practicing air to ground communications and setting up a helicopter landing zone when a NCNG Apache decided to accept their offer!

That is a unique story for sure.  :clap: It actually landed?

Yep, there are photos and a video on the NCWG 2012 Encampment Facebook page. Can't access Facebook from work to send a link, but I'm sure you can find it!

[ol'fido]

How about showing a bit of initive and maybe a little imagination and coming up with something new?

Anybody can use something that has been around forever...  Prove you're better then that!

Echo Eagles, or Echo Excaliburs.

Ok, Eagles aren't really new, but Excalibur is!

[/quote]Some years ago at encampment we had a squadron commander for Echo that wanted his cadets to call it "Psycho Echo". So the cadets were going around saying "Psycho....Echo". The squadron commander was also a cadet at the Citadel. Encampment started on Saturday and this "id...individual" was hoarse by Sunday evening from screaming so much. Some of us seniors started calling him "Semper Psycho".

[Cap'n]

Well, I have a story to tell.

As mentioned earlier, Colorado is currently in a very big crisis right now because of a span of fires throughout Fort Collins, USAFA, Colorado Springs, Black Forest/Monument, etc. I live in the middle of all of that next to the USAFA. While my home has yet to be evacuated (we may be soon- already in pre-evacutaion with plans on where to go and already packed), we have taken in one family, and can be expecting more soon. Some good friends of mine have already had their houses burned down, while some have been stated that they will catch fire before the end of the day. It's safe to say it's pretty bad up here.

Some of you may know the COWG Encampment was going on at the USAFA Prep School from June 23-30. We went through the first few days fine. Or at least, as fine as it gets by the fourth day for a Basic. We were finally working together as not just a flight, but a squadron, we had gotten Honor Flight, our SOP memory work had become a tons better, and we were finally at the point where the last days to come would be frankly, a lot better.

Monday morning, it was announced that we were going to pack a bag of a set of PT gear, a toothbrush, and toothpaste to keep in our dorms if anything happened. We all could see and smell the smoke a little by then, so no one asked too many questions. Now Tuesday. Tuesday morning we woke up, and put on PT gear like always, just to be told we couldn't go out and do PT because of the smoke. While that was a bonus for some people, it created a somewhat nervous tension through out the dorms of the Basics. We didn't have phones, iPod, TV, or internet to tell us what was going on in the slightest. All we saw was the smoke outside.

The rest of the morning went smoothly, and then the afternoon. Until we got to dinner. It was around 1800, and while we were waiting in line to eat, the staff informed us that we were in a Pr-evacuation plan. We would have to eat fast, and head back to USAFA (we were on Peterson AFB for classes) and we would go from there. It didn't exactly work out that way. While I don't know all of the details at the point, we were sent to a room in the COWG HQ. There, they split the basics up to fit as many as they could in each room to wait, which we did for about 2 hours. The RMR commander was there, as well as the COWG Commander, while we got to meet and talk to the first. Then the DC came in and told us we had to call our parents, and they got a list of all of our names. Later on, they had to move us to the theater on Peterson, since we would be staying the night there. No one was allowed on USAFA. We got outside to do a head count before getting on buses. Lots of cadets had to keep their shirts over their mouths because of the smoke.

We got onto a bus, and the staff made a big attempt to calm everyone down by singing jodies, which worked. A few of the younger cadets got very upset, and had to be sent to Medical, and it seemed everyone was frazzled. Many didn't know if their houses were evacuated, burned down, or what was going on at home, and with so many parents to call, a few people like myself had to wait 4-6 hours afterward to talk to our parents to see what situation we were in. We ended up being moved to a large room on base, where everyone hung out at table with their squadron for an hour or two, trying to pass the time while the Staff planned.

After that, we were sent outside in formation, where they had us sit, gave us a little food and water, and let us talk at At Rest. We were there for maybe an hour and a half, and then had to get onto buses to the theater. We were then told the encampment was done, and they answered a ton of questions. We would be staying the night in the theater if we had to, and parents would be contacted to come pick us up when they could at first notice.

While at the theater, cars with our luggage came and we helped move everything inside. Some luggage will not be coming until today, so some cadets did not get their stuff. I myself did not get a smaller bag (the evacuation bag) with my sweatpants and sweatshirt, etc, which is obviously not a big deal compared at all to what some cadets couldn't get of theirs. We officially signed and In-Processed out in the theater, while we splitted between groups of people who were spending the night, and who was going home before 2400. I left with a friend around Midnight, and we said good-bye to our friends, staff, and the Encampment four days early.

From what I understand, the AFB brought cots, food, blankets, and other necessities for the over-nighters, and that most, if not all, or home now.

As I said, I don't know every single detail. But if you're curious and have questions, I may be able to answer some.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Hope this event won't became a huge tragedy (in human cost, not money), but in the end this may be the most memorable encampment ever. Any idea as to what will be done regarding Encampment Credit?

[Eclipse]

Well, there's a non-negotiable set of curriculum hours that have to be met, but whether and how they are met is up to the State Director with input from the Wing CC, Wing DCP, and Encampment CC, there's also the 80% rule for situations like these.

Past that there are some challenging issues of finance.  It would certainly be reasonable for parents to request at least a partial refund, especially if
the cadets don't ultimately get credit, however depending on what kind of up-front costs this one might have, there may not be any more to
return.  The average encampment has a budget that is about 1/3 to 1/2 the average operating budget of an entire wing.

Since this is at the USAFA and Petersen, one could assume there's no billeting costs and meals are in a galley at non-surcharged prices, but maybe not.
Meals not eaten are checks not written, but coins, shirts, office supplies, etc., are likely sitting in containers or already distributed.
Some encampments have to pre-buy all the food, or bring in catering companies, and in those cases, the money is spent.

Makes you wonder if there's any value in larger activities like these getting performance bonds.

[Cap'n]

They talked to the National Commander, and said at this point it will count as Encampment credit, since it was an entire shutdown of the Encampment, and because we finished over half.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The 80% rule is exactly what I was thinking about. Especially given that Summer Encampments are more "relaxed" on fulfilling the requirements when compared to Winter/Spring/Fall events.