OK, here's a different kind of "gear"

[NIN]

For years, one of the funny things I've noticed about CAP members is that anybody who's stayed in more than about 3 years and remained at the squadron level has, at some point, sat down with (back in the day) a pad of graph paper or (more recently) some architectural software and sketched up "the ultimate squadron headquarters."

So, my fellow travellers, if you've done the above, share with us your "ultimate bit of kit" so to speak.  Show us your design be it a scan of your "back of the napkin sketch" or a full-up 3d rendering out of Google Sketchup....

Post away (I'm still trying to find the files I  stashed on a hard disk someplace...<GRIN>)

[Eagle400]

Looking for a different kind of gear?

How about this:

[SarDragon]

Ancient news.

[Eagle400]

Ancient news.

But still funny.   

[JoeTomasone]

For those illegally downloaded cadence MP3s?   

[jeders]

For years, one of the funny things I've noticed about CAP members is that anybody who's stayed in more than about 3 years and remained at the squadron level has, at some point, sat down with (back in the day) a pad of graph paper or (more recently) some architectural software and sketched up "the ultimate squadron headquarters."

So, my fellow travellers, if you've done the above, share with us your "ultimate bit of kit" so to speak.  Show us your design be it a scan of your "back of the napkin sketch" or a full-up 3d rendering out of Google Sketchup....

Post away (I'm still trying to find the files I  stashed on a hard disk someplace...<GRIN>)

Yes, I've done this.

Unfortunately my drawings are a) in AutoCAD and you would have to have a viewer to view those files, and b) on my other computer which I don't have access to right now.

Basically it started with a hangar space large enough to house the GA-8. From there you go through a set of 2 doors (for security purposes) into the main building. The ground floor has a large open bay for formations and drill. Off to the side of the drill bay you have two classrooms, I think about 20'x40'. Above the classrooms you have staff offices, a comm room, inform/supply room, file room, and break room. The front of the building has an entry area that is about 20' x (whatever the width of the building is)'. This entry area is for newcomers to be met as well as an area to showcase CAP history and coolness, and possibly even to use for press conferences. Also, the main bay has a door to allow a CAP van to be pulled inside and parked.

I'll try to find the printouts of it and scan those in some time next week.

[NIN]

see if you can output it as a DXF or similar.. Email it to me and I can import it into Google Sketchup, I think.

IIRC, AutoCAD has the ability to export to image files like JPG...

I could be wrong, tho.

[SarDragon]

Unfortunately my drawings are a) in AutoCAD and you would have to have a viewer to view those files, and b) on my other computer which I don't have access to right now.

I was going to suggest that he print directly to PDF until I reread the quoted paragraph.

[NIN]

Keep in mind:

Anybody can sit down and draw the III Corps HQ and say "this is my ULTIMATE HQ!"  but unless your rich uncle drops dead and leaves you $25M as an inheritance, you're going to be hard pressed to make this a reality.

So, the "Drill Mahal" may be a great idea, but is it realistic?  And be prepared to explain how your place fits your unit ..

[MikeD]

For years, one of the funny things I've noticed about CAP members is that anybody who's stayed in more than about 3 years and remained at the squadron level has, at some point, sat down with (back in the day) a pad of graph paper or (more recently) some architectural software and sketched up "the ultimate squadron headquarters."

So, my fellow travellers, if you've done the above, share with us your "ultimate bit of kit" so to speak.  Show us your design be it a scan of your "back of the napkin sketch" or a full-up 3d rendering out of Google Sketchup....

Post away (I'm still trying to find the files I  stashed on a hard disk someplace...<GRIN>)

Yes, I've done this.

Unfortunately my drawings are a) in AutoCAD and you would have to have a viewer to view those files, and b) on my other computer which I don't have access to right now.

Basically it started with a hangar space large enough to house the GA-8. From there you go through a set of 2 doors (for security purposes) into the main building. The ground floor has a large open bay for formations and drill. Off to the side of the drill bay you have two classrooms, I think about 20'x40'. Above the classrooms you have staff offices, a comm room, inform/supply room, file room, and break room. The front of the building has an entry area that is about 20' x (whatever the width of the building is)'. This entry area is for newcomers to be met as well as an area to showcase CAP history and coolness, and possibly even to use for press conferences. Also, the main bay has a door to allow a CAP van to be pulled inside and parked.

I'll try to find the printouts of it and scan those in some time next week.

Get something like Cute PDF (www.cutepdf.com)  Free program to print to PDFs.  I use it at work sometimes.

Fixed quote - MIKE

[SarDragon]

Unfortunately my drawings are a) in AutoCAD and you would have to have a viewer to view those files, and b) on my other computer which I don't have access to right now.

If he doesn't have the files available, it's pretty hard to print them to anything.

[Eeyore]

This is what we have planned for our Squadron. Present and future (hopefully).

[NIN]

Hey, wow, that's awesome!

[DC]

My absolute, money-is-not-an-issue dream building is actually more of a compound. A main building with two or three classrooms, an office for the CC and one for the senior cadet staff, a comms room, supply rooms, probably a breakroom/kitchenetteand a small lobby. Attached to the main building would be a hangar for our 182 and potential ground vehicles. Near the building would be a paved drill pad for the cadets and an athletic area with a measured track for running, as well as space for various sports and PT.

But, unless someone wins the lottery or we get a few million in donations this is not going to happen, so I would settle for a building large enough to house our squadron.

[brasda91]

this is the floor plan of the Readiness Center we will be moving into Spring '09.  We have a small room that will be for CAP, and then the rest of the center will be available to us as we need it.

[mikeylikey]

^ Awesome!  That will surely be a good deal for you.  Your Office is actually a real office inside, and close to the bathroom, breakroom and weapons Sim.  Nice setup!

[N Harmon]

For years, one of the funny things I've noticed about CAP members is that anybody who's stayed in more than about 3 years and remained at the squadron level has, at some point, sat down with (back in the day) a pad of graph paper or (more recently) some architectural software and sketched up "the ultimate squadron headquarters."

Why stop at just a headquarters?    I remember a group of us cadets passing the time by designing an entire air base for Civil Air Patrol. I think we called it...CAP Air Station Detroit. I no longer have the diagrams but I do recall it included...

- Two perpendicular runways
- Enough flight line space to park 20 Cessna aircraft and a huge hangar for when it gets cold
- A NORAD-esque mission operations center that would put our present NOC to shame
- A few barracks buildings
- A garage to store ground team vehicles

I think we also planned out a shooting range and obstacle course. Oh the power of imagination when it's not constricted by practicality. 

[NIN]

Oh, Nathan, you laugh...

Let me find the info I have on it,  but Michigan Wing *did* have a base during WWII.  Its own airfield with hangars and barracks and shooting ranges and a fully-functional DZ.

Unfortunately, its a Ford plant now.

[N Harmon]

Let me find the info I have on it,  but Michigan Wing *did* have a base during WWII.  Its own airfield with hangars and barracks and shooting ranges and a fully-functional DZ.

Cool, I've never heard of that before. Do you know which Ford plant claimed that land?

[NIN]

Here's the excerpt from the article "WWII Parachutists of the Civil Air Patrol" by Don Strobaugh (publication unknown at the moment, I need to dig out he original article.. it somehow got missed when I OCR'd this item)

Michigan Wing 63 Order 17 dated 8 June 1943 designated Wings Airport on 18 Mile Road between Mound Road and Ryan Road (Macomb County) about 10 miles north of Detroit as the Civil Air Patrol Training Base for CAP personnel and equipment only (not a designated U.S. airport). The airport had been started by a Polish flying club. When Parachute Squadron 632-5 was looking for a field that would be suitable for a drop zone, the Polish group gave them the area in July 1942 to use for their training. The airport was officially dedicated on 4 October 1942, but there was still a lot to be done. During 1942- 1943, the field was converted into a training base by a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of Wing 63 personnel. An estimated $115,000 in volunteer labor was provided to develop the facility. At the time it was dedicated, it was the only airport in the United States conceived by, constructed by and for the exclusive use of the Civil Air Patrol.

As part of the 1st birthday celebration of Wings Airport on 9 July 1943, wing personnel moved former CCC barracks at Camp Kingston to the airport for use as barracks and offices. The airport area was used extensively for maneuvers, bombing practice, parachute training and jumps, signaling, rescue training and many of the other important duties for which Michigan Wing 63 was responsible during the WWII years.

EDIT:
Here is a picture of the area now (attached).  Might want to quiz Sue Ann F'Geppert, the MI Wing Historian. I'm sure she has a treasure trove of this stuff...

[RiverAux]

this is the floor plan of the Readiness Center we will be moving into Spring '09.  We have a small room that will be for CAP, and then the rest of the center will be available to us as we need it.

I would strongly recommend that you remove this floor plan from the site since it represent a National Guard/Reserve building. 

[Gunner C]

this is the floor plan of the Readiness Center we will be moving into Spring '09.  We have a small room that will be for CAP, and then the rest of the center will be available to us as we need it.

I would strongly recommend that you remove this floor plan from the site since it represent a National Guard/Reserve building. 

Yep, that could be Mr. Bad.    That's prolly FOUO or at least would really piss off the reserve folks.

[NIN]

Geez, come on. Its not marked FOUO, and its not like it says "Security panel installed here" or "Sharks with frickin' lasers on their heads here, here and here."  Doubtful most folks would get their tighty-whities in a wad over that.

You can spend 15 minutes on the Internet and find all kinds of plans like this for the new-style barracks/admin/readiness area construction going at military bases all over the country.  Hell, the Army even HOSTS them on their website.

Lets get back to the topic, shall we?

[Eeyore]

Heh, we don't have to worry about FOUO with our floor plan, it's a double-wide sitting in a rental car parking lot, next to the airport. Or do we? 

[brasda91]

Geez, come on. Its not marked FOUO, and its not like it says "Security panel installed here" or "Sharks with frickin' lasers on their heads here, here and here."  Doubtful most folks would get their tighty-whities in a wad over that.

You can spend 15 minutes on the Internet and find all kinds of plans like this for the new-style barracks/admin/readiness area construction going at military bases all over the country.  Hell, the Army even HOSTS them on their website.

Lets get back to the topic, shall we?

Agreed.  If the Army Lt Col thought this was FOUO, he would have said so in his e-mail, when he sent the plans to me.

[mikeylikey]

^ You can find the same floor plans on multiple open Government websites.  It is part of the bid process and the GSA and other sites most likely have it available. 

PLUS, floor plans are one thing, but if you put out the plans that show the post 9-11 terrorist protections (like concrete wall thickness etc) then it would be BAD for you. 

Don't let the FOUO dorks get to you, they really have no idea what FOUO is to begin with.  Once they sit through 5 days of DOD force protection and information protection training, then maybe I will listen to what they think FOUO means. 

[NIN]

Heh, we don't have to worry about FOUO with our floor plan, it's a double-wide sitting in a rental car parking lot, next to the airport. Or do we? 

Officer #1: "Oh, you have a double wide... We have to make due with a closet."
Officer #2: "At least you have a closet.  At my squadron, there's 74 of us, all crammed together in the middle of a drill hall, surrounded on all sides by equipment and vehicles."
Officer #3: "Luxury....  At least you've got a drill hall. All we have is a shoebox in the middle of a car park."

Why am I suddenly channeling Graham Chapman?

O

[NIN]

Finally found the files for the squadron's trailer park dive...

This is just the first floor.  2nd floor would overlook the drill hall over top of the front offices and would have classrooms and some other features.

[NIN]

And, for more giggles, here are Phase I (we have money) and Phase II (we have *more* money) plans for a Wing HQ.

Phase I would be just the HQ building, Phase II is the hangar.   Of course, the hangar could get built first.

(you will note as you go down the wing toward logistics, the function becomes more operationally oriented. The idea was that the work area and all the offices along that right hand side would be setup so that in the event of an operational mission, you could be doing GT & aircrew briefs/debriefs in these offices (ie. the Aerospace section's office can become a nice small briefing room), the aircrews preparing to go out can be doing their stuff in the flight briefing area (with direct access to the flight line), the "work area" can become sort of a bullpen area, and you can use the conference room or briefing room for the IC, etc.)

[Fifinella]

Finally found the files for the squadron's trailer park dive...

This is just the first floor.  2nd floor would overlook the drill hall over top of the front offices and would have classrooms and some other features.

And I thought 2 story trailers were only in the South...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisemar10/4748379/

[NIN]

And I thought 2 story trailers were only in the South...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisemar10/4748379/

Hehe, caught me on that.

After thinking about this particular building for a bit, there are 8-10 things that could be done differently (its an old design), but the general idea is that this could be built using a good sized steel building/pole barn-type building and sized somewhat to suit a site or geographic area.

Some things missing from that plan:

• a "mechanical" area for heating, cooling, electrical, etc;
• a commo shack;
• a kitchen or similar food-prep area;
• an area for lockers or similar member gear storage (perhaps lining the walls of the drill hall?);
• a large rolling door into the drill hall;
• storage for "stuff" (chairs/tables, flag stands, AV equipment, etc);