Former cadets, who was your mentor?

[jeders]

I had two while I was a cadet. The first was Capt. Jean-Andre Parmitter who showed me how to be a good leader and how to take care of my fellow cadets.

Ahhh Jean-Andre...we were buds back in the day (a Wednesday by the way).

He was in Prince William Squadron, right?  Or do you know him from another wing.  I know he went into the AF and was in TX at one point.  I still have his self-made business card he made when he was a 1st Lt in the mid-90s.  In fact, we worked on a missing child search near Quantico together.  Results of search were not good.

Yep, the same Jean-Andre that you knew way back when. Now he's in Little Rock, though I knew him when he was here in TX.

[Trung Si Ma]

Trung Si Ma:  Heard back from Gordon.  Did you know Don Parman?  I guess he and Gordon were buddies back in MIWG during their cadet days.

I know "of" Don more than I know him, but we have some mutual friends.

Ask him if he remembers the '75 MIWG encampment to Ft Knox.  I was a Senior CWO then.  That should put a name with a screen name.

[Stonewall]

I know "of" Don more than I know him, but we have some mutual friends.

Ask him if he remembers the '75 MIWG encampment to Ft Knox.  I was a Senior CWO then.  That should put a name with a screen name.

Oh yeah, '75 (the seventies), I think I had Gordon's time as the mid sixties.  Add 10 years to my earlier post.  I think he joined CAP in 1972 and served 35 years in CAP before retiring.

[Duke Dillio]

^^^^  But he still looks like a 13 year old cadet....

[Stonewall]

That's why he's dating someone 20 years younger... 

[chiles]

I've been honored to have three people who have really set me on my way.

The first is former Cadet Colonel Tammy Blevins. When I first joined, she was a C/1st Lt and the Cadet Commander of St Mary's Composite Squadron (18089). She encouraged me to work hard and attend Encampment. She gave me guidance as a I progressed and made the sometimes murky road of being a cadet seem a lot more simple.

The second is former Cadet Colonel Gabriel Lutz. Gabby helped get me into the Cadet Advisory Council and mentored me when I wanted to participate as a staff member at the, then, Maryland Wing Encampment. The lessons I learned from her about leadership, politics, and planning have helped a great deal in everything I have ever done since.

The third is 1st Lt Christopher Stone. He's a former Army combat medic and the man who introduced me to medicine. I became an EMT and later a nurse because of him. He took a snot-nosed kid with just enough training to be on a ground team and turned him into the beginnings of a medical professional.

[Duke Dillio]

That's why he's dating someone 20 years younger... 

Dating?  I thought he was married?  Bah, time goes by too quick I tell you.  It seems like only a few years ago that Lt. Col. McIntosh was telling me he had more time in a field latrine than I had in CAP.  Now, I'm telling that to my cadets...

Ah, I wish for the old days like those before I became a complete idiot...

[Trung Si Ma]

It seems like only a few years ago that Lt. Col. McIntosh was telling me he had more time in a field latrine than I had in CAP.  Now, I'm telling that to my cadets...

Ah, I wish for the old days like those before I became a complete idiot...

More time in a T-10 than you have in a T-Shirt 

[Stonewall]

More time in a T-10 than you have in a T-Shirt 

STUPID ME.  All I saw was "T-10" and I thought for some reason you were talking about Training Area 10 on Ft. Belvoir.   Sq72DO used to be at the Ft. Belvoir squadron and I thought you were talking about that.

But heck, even I have more time in a T-10 (parachute) than Sq72DO, and I only jumped those in jump school.

Training Area 8 from Ft. Belvoir for Sq72DO...

[Slim]

The late Maj Kevin Adams, CAP.  Kevin was a Spaatz cadet, accomplished martial artist, skydiver, military parachutist, and pilot.  He served six years in the Air Force, including a tour at JSOC at Pope/Bragg.  All this despite growing up in less than ideal conditions in the ghettos of southwest Detroit.  A lot of people lived in fear of Kevin (including me initially), but eventually learned that he was just pushing us to exceed our potential.  He taught me that it didn't matter where you came from, that you could excel anywhere and at anything.  He also taught this young senior member that the standard was the baseline, not the expectation.  He also taught me a good chunk of what it means to be an officer and lead.

Lt. Col Ron Padavan, CAP (ret).  He helped fill in a lot of those blanks that Kevin missed.

Between the two of them, I learned a lot of invaluable lessons on the military aspects of leadership and what it meant to wear the grade I had.

The late Lt Col Mildred Boehmer.  I don't know what it was that really made me respect this woman so much.  Perhaps its the way she intimidated us into doing our best.  Maybe it was the day she sat me down at my first encampment as a s'member, and told me that she had fought and argued to keep me off staff that year (I had a less than stellar reputation as a cadet).  But I had stepped up and proven her wrong, that she was beyond pleased with the way I handled myself.  From then on, I looked to her for a lot of the CAP specifics of how to lead and motivate people who could tell you off without breaking a sweat.

[NIN]

More time in a T-10 than you have in a T-Shirt 

I told a cadet of mine once that "I have more time on sh*t burning detail than you have taking one on your own."  I thought one of my officers was going to fall into the firepit he was laughing so hard.

One of our newer skydivers mis-read my experience level and thought he was going to give me a history lesson this summer when I was working with a student on spotting.   I said "Kid, I have more time looking out of the airplane than you have looking AT airplanes.."  Another of our jumpers, who I think was a test-jumper for Leonardo DaVinci, says "Hell, we barely _had_ airplanes when _I_ started.." 

[ThorntonOL]

I had one in particular who was a mentor in a sense.
Major Charles Lefevere (Still don't if I got the last name right.) He was Commander of NY 292 for most of my cadet years (being about 2-2 1/2 years out of 4 years.) and when he was in CAP (don't know if he is still in it or not.) he was also South Central Group's Communications Officer.

[NIN]

As a cadet, I had a couple mentors. One was C/Col (then C/WO) Darren Whiteside. I'd say "C/Col Leo Burke" but his head would get all swollen and stuff and then he'd have to have his house remodeled yet again.   Funny thing was, I can't point to any mentors, per se, that stuck out really well in my first 4 or so years as a cadet.  We had a good squadron, one of the best in Michigan Wing, but "mentorship" wasn't one of those "things we did by name" kinds of things.   Interestingly, I look back and there were a LOT of cadets in my unit who all sort of "hung together" in a way that I haven't seen CAP cadets do since, and we were very mutually supportive to one another.  Some folks were officers while others were NCOs, but we were all sort of in this "melting pot" and we just made it work without any real formal "here, let me mentor you" stuff.

Encampment was a different story, and we had folks out there setting the example for us and we tried hard to emulate them both as cadets and seniors.  LtCol (then Capt) Curtis Boehmer was one such senior member, along with Curtis' mom, Mildred, who was the first Lt Col I'd ever met and she scared the living bejeebers out of me as a C/B..<GRIN>.   From what I've understood over the years, MI wing's encampment program was much like CA's, in that there was a very dedicated corps of officers who pretty much made sure that encampment was "the" activity of the year.    Folks like Curt Boehmer, his parents Gordon & Mildred, Mike & Pam Saile, Tom Knaub, Richard King, etc, etc, etc.. 

And on the cadet side of things we had folks like Julie Jankowski, Kevin Adams, Mark Davalos and others who were the 'senior cadets' who looked at the rest of us and said "Alright guys, you are the folks following us, get with the program here, and follow along.."

As a newbie s'member, I had folks like Ron Padavan, Kevin Adams, Bob Haase and some others who were guys I looked to for answers and guidance (well, Ron was my CO in several incarnations, so yeah, I would tend to get that from him).  Heck, I'm lucky to be able to say that I was mentored by MG Courter (back when she was "Captain Courter" and "Major Courter," of course.) 

I just hope I'm able to have the same effect on others.

[Stonewall]

Dern, NIN, I was wondering when you were going to reply to this.  Couldn't wait to see what you'd say and I knew a few of the names you would mention.  Bob, Leo, Ron...

I just hope I'm able to have the same effect on others.

Probably my biggest concern since becoming a s'member.  Although I have gotten feedback from a number of cadets that have gone on to bigger and better things who remind me of something I did or said that stuck with them.  To me, that one little thing is proof enough that I had an affect on their lives.

[JosephArlinghaus]

I lived in Birmingham, Michigan and was a cadet from 1982 to 1987.  I started in Thunderbolt squadron in Birmingham which eventually closed down.  I then went to a squadron in Southfield, then to a squadron in Troy and finally to Five Points squadron in Redford.  I have so many nice memories although so many of the names have slipped away.  I accidentally found this sight when one of those names was jogged in an unrelated search today.  His name was Mark Davalos and for about a year, maybe two, he was a big part of my life.  He was a Cadet Colonel who led my second squadron and invited me to join the drill team which won the Wing tournament and then came in 2nd at Region.  He was a fascinating guy who motivated me a great deal.  He was ordinary in many ways and extraordinary in others.  I believe he was Cadet Commander of the second or third encampment I attended.  In order to get better prepared for our rill competitions, he convinced me to go running every day from my home to his workplace.  He worked in a butcher shop and I made that 5 mile rountrip run most every day for months on end.

So many other folks played a part in my life, but Mark is one of the best people I remember. 

CAP was a great experience in both good times and bad.  I had a lot of fun, I learned a lot, and I am better for it.

[Slim]

I lived in Birmingham, Michigan and was a cadet from 1982 to 1987.  I started in Thunderbolt squadron in Birmingham which eventually closed down.  I then went to a squadron in Southfield, then to a squadron in Troy and finally to Five Points squadron in Redford.  I have so many nice memories although so many of the names have slipped away.  I accidentally found this sight when one of those names was jogged in an unrelated search today.  His name was Mark Davalos and for about a year, maybe two, he was a big part of my life.  He was a Cadet Colonel who led my second squadron and invited me to join the drill team which won the Wing tournament and then came in 2nd at Region.  He was a fascinating guy who motivated me a great deal.  He was ordinary in many ways and extraordinary in others.  I believe he was Cadet Commander of the second or third encampment I attended.  In order to get better prepared for our rill competitions, he convinced me to go running every day from my home to his workplace.  He worked in a butcher shop and I made that 5 mile rountrip run most every day for months on end.

So many other folks played a part in my life, but Mark is one of the best people I remember. 

CAP was a great experience in both good times and bad.  I had a lot of fun, I learned a lot, and I am better for it.

You'll be happy to know that Mark is back active in CAP.  He was on senior staff at the Great Lakes Region/MI wing encampment that just ended yesterday.

BTW, I'm interim commander of one or two of your old units.  Columbia and Starfire were merged to form South Oakland cadet squadron in 1997.

[FARRIER]

I was a cadet 1982 through 1985. Maj. Dave Meyers, Master Sgt. USAF (Ret) was my mentor. He taught me that leadership was how a person lead themselves first, an attitude. He was one of a couple adults that told me that, even as a teenager, you could do anything you put your mind to. I've carried both of these attitudes into my adult life where people telling me no has only pushed me to prove them wrong and irritate them.

[Senior]

Colonel Eric VanderLinden, USAF.  He taught me a lot about real leadership, great encouragment. 
Pararescuemen at PJOC and APJOC.  They taught me to never quit.
Major Anderson, Admin officer in my first CAP squadron. 

[flyboy53]

There were three when I joined in 1966: Capt. H. Douglas Brown, and Maj. Don Beatty, and C/Col. James Heald.

Captain Brown and Major Beatty were charter members of the CAP and friends of my parents. Captain Brown was an oil company engineer, airmail pilot and flight instructor. He had organized my first squadron in World War II and served as its commander. He then did a tour of CAP active service as a flight instructor. He had focus.

Major Beatty was a neighbor of ours. He had a great sense of humor and a lot of insight that came from industry and post World War I aviation cadet and Pennsylvania Army National Guard service....strictly no nonsense with higher-level commanders.

Jim Heald was the cadet commander when I joined. He had a lot of patience. He's a doctor now. 

[Cool Mace]

(Big bump(nice topic :clap: ))

Mine was/is Capt. Travis Kyle. He's helped me out more then anyone else I know. Not just in CAP, but outside also. He's the kind that will tell you straight up, get you butt in gear, while at the same time explaining to you how things should be done.
He's a great mentor to all the cadets that meet him, and(in my book) deserves more respect in CAP then anyone else I've met.

There's no way I would have made it this far without his help. He's the one that talked me in to going for my Spaatz(I was about to transfer to SM).