Just got back from NESA

[flyguy06]

I just returned from NESA MAS school last week and I had a GREAT time. It was very good training and I learned a lot about Search and Rescue. Now if you guys have read my previous posts, you know that I am more of a Cadet Prograsms guy and have never really been a big fan of ES..........but I must say I am comming around to the dark side. I acutally enjoy this ES stuff. I had a good time flying grid searches and route searches.

The only issue I have is because I am so used to dealing with cadets.I am used to the whole "military" thing. You definantly dont have that when working with Senior Members. This is really my first CAP activity in 20 somtehing years with 100% Seniors. Too be honset I didnt like it. I was called by my first name so many times and it really irked me. To me CAP is a military organization. There are many Seniors that dont subscribe to that theory. I usualy just let them be to themselves but I have a differant opinion.

The day I left for NESA I had guard drill and I had gotten promoted in my Guard unit to Captain. I litteraly left drill and got on a plane and headed to Indiana. I am a military guy and I look at CAP as a military organization. I wish other seniors saw it the same way.

Anyway, again I had a great time at NESA and look forward to going back next year.

[JoeTomasone]

I look at CAP as a military organization. I wish other seniors saw it the same way.

Amen.   I've long maintained that if you want to be non-military, there are other organizations like Scouting that are always looking for people. 

So tell us more about NESA - I've never been.

[Eclipse]

Double AMEN, though the adherence to military customs and courtesies is not uniformly poor either, there are
units where the expectations are set properly and the members are much tighter without going overboard.

[Short Field]

I look at CAP as a military organization. I wish other seniors saw it the same way.

Civilian Auxiliary....  sorry, it is in the charter.  We might be the auxiliary to a military organization but despite some peoples' desires - the only status CAP gives you is "Civilian".    By the way, if you attend ACSC, all the students and seminar instructors are on a first name basis and the grade spread in class goes from Captain to Lt Colonel.   

I was at MAS the first week and had a great time.  Probably the best instruction I have had since joining CAP.  Good rigor in the classroom and high standards in the air.  The NESA black T-shirt, cargo shorts, and tennis shoes were a lot more comfortable than the required uniforms back home.

[Eclipse]

The NESA black T-shirt, cargo shorts, and tennis shoes were a lot more comfortable than the required uniforms back home.

Yes, they are, and its part and parcel of the problem - a national school teaching something "important", overtly telling everyone there that the uniform and other courtesies and customs aren't necessary to the mission.

We are a civilian auxiliary with a paramilitary structure.  You can't play only one side of the street.

[flyguy06]

NESA was great. I arrived at Indianapolis Airport and a CAP dude was waiting for me and some others in the USO. I hadnt eaten since my promotion ceremony so they waited for me to grab a bite at the airport. Keep in mind I wasin my Army ACU's so I got a lot of stares.

We loaded up and went to Camp Atteberry. I road with this nice lady who was to be in my MAS class. She was from CAWG and I had never met anyone in CAP from California. she was cool. We had arrived in Indy late and so we got to camp at like 11 pm. The camp CS checked us in and I went to the barracks and got some sleep. Woke up the next morning at 5:30 and went to breakfsat and we vanpooled it to the Columbus airport.

One thing I learned is this school is serious about Mission aircrew stuf. We took a test first thing. Then it was all day death by power point. But it was neccessary things we needed to know especially if you are new to aircrew stuff.

Our class was very diverse in our class. from retired airline pilots to folks that have never ridden in a single engine airplane before.  We were paired up into crews with one pilot candidate and one observer candidate and an instructor. My Observer was great (he's a lurker on captalk btw)   My instructor was awesome. He actually had two crews to train cause they are short instructors. There were CAP planes from all over the nation here. We went up first day and flew a route search. Landed at a very remote airport ( I fly in GA and have never seen so many cornfields in my life) Then we took aff and did a grid search. Its funny. my instructor is a CAP instructor and FAA private pilot. So, technaically from the FAA's standpoint becasue i am a CFI, I was the highest rated person onthe aircraft. but he was my instructor. It was all good.

The next day it rained   and we couldnt fly. So it was ALL day of powerpoints(that was rough) The next day we flew a creeping ine search. That was a tough one for me cause the winds were kind of rough at 2000 ft.  Anyway, On friday,we finished up with an exit exam and we flew our last mission which was anexpanding square, sector search, and ELT search. He worked the dog dodo out of me that day with 2.5 hours logged.

After we got back I rested a bit then I got the thrill of life to date. The powers that be allowed me to fly right seat in a Gippsland GA-8. I always thought you had to know somebody to get in that plane. The advanced MAS students were training on it and the ARCHER system and one of their instructors invited me to fly. So I jumped on that. It was a great ride. it feels like a big cessna 172. But Ilooked back and a lasrge cabin and felt like an airline pilot.

We had graduation on Saturday morning. The GSAR cadets and seniors were with us and like I said before I am used to being withcadets and they loked sharp with their D&C. The MAS folks, well...............

All in all it was a positive experience and  I would recommend anyone attend that wants to know a standardized way of doing SAR. Take it back to your WIng and maybe, just maybe we can all get on the same page.

[flyguy06]

I look at CAP as a military organization. I wish other seniors saw it the same way.

Civilian Auxiliary....  sorry, it is in the charter.  We might be the auxiliary to a military organization but despite some peoples' desires - the only status CAP gives you is "Civilian".    By the way, if you attend ACSC, all the students and seminar instructors are on a first name basis and the grade spread in class goes from Captain to Lt Colonel.   

I was at MAS the first week and had a great time.  Probably the best instruction I have had since joining CAP.  Good rigor in the classroom and high standards in the air.  The NESA black T-shirt, cargo shorts, and tennis shoes were a lot more comfortable than the required uniforms back home.

yeah, i never wore that black T-shirtthing. I wore a uniform evetyday. If I have to inadvertantly go down, or if I land at an FBO which I did. I want the people to know that I represent a professional organization and I am not just some weekend general aviation flyer.

i am a Iraqi freedom vet and it was hot and uncomfortable wearing full battle gear in Iraq in the summer but I did it anyway and didnt complain about it. When you are a member of a professional organization sometimes you have to sacrafice your comfrot to maintain a professional image. Unfortunantly e live in a society where peoplejudge based on what they precieve about you. You canbe themost professional person aroundd but if you show up in a t shirt and shorts people wil not view you as a professional. Just my opinion

[SJFedor]

NESA did have another great year. I didn't hear that anyone died, and we didn't break anything.

Got to meet quite a few CAPTalk'ers in person. Hope to see more of you up there next year, and all the ones that were there this year, back as instructors!

[flyguy06]

It would great to come back as an instructor. but I am also thinking of doing the GT Leader course next year as well.

It was cool meeting Fedor also. We gotta go flying soon

[_]

We had graduation on Saturday morning. The GSAR cadets and seniors were with us and like I said before I am used to being with cadets and they looked sharp with their D&C. The MAS folks, well...............

We all though it was funny that the MAS formation took the exact shape of the shadow of the tree at the one end of the formation. 


Wiseman - Advanced GSAR Field Training Advisor

[SJFedor]

We had graduation on Saturday morning. The GSAR cadets and seniors were with us and like I said before I am used to being with cadets and they looked sharp with their D&C. The MAS folks, well...............

We all though it was funny that the MAS formation took the exact shape of the shadow of the tree at the one end of the formation. 


Wiseman - Advanced GSAR Field Training Advisor

And as the sun rose, our formation adapted 

[Eclipse]

Did the MAS come up with an insignia this year?

Some members of one of my units who went were wondering when they would be out.

[SJFedor]

Did the MAS come up with an insignia this year?

Some members of one of my units who went were wondering when they would be out.

Both basic classes (08-01 and 08-02) came up with a class patch. 08-01 didn't really do too much with it other then the design, I believe 08-02 got a little farther with it. I'm hoping that when our FASC guy from MAS sends out the buddy form (contact info for everyone from the school) that there will be emails going around and they'll get them produced.

[Mustang]

The only issue I have is because I am so used to dealing with cadets.I am used to the whole "military" thing. You definantly dont have that when working with Senior Members. This is really my first CAP activity in 20 somtehing years with 100% Seniors. Too be honset I didnt like it. I was called by my first name so many times and it really irked me.

Not real familiar with Air Force culture, are ya....durn near everyone's on a first-name (or "callsign") basis, especially among the officer corps.  The USAF is about as close to being a civilian and still get veterans benefits as you can get.

[SarDragon]

The Canoe Club operates on a similar basis. When there are no enlisted folks around (or those that are can be kool about it), officers, particularly in the Aviation community (my area of knowledge), go by first name or call signs almost all the time, except for the CO and XO, who are "Skipper" and "XO" respectively. I would guess that the Surface and Submarine communities are similar.

I had always though that the AF was the most "tightass" about that issue (maybe just on the enlisted side), but apparently the Army is.

YMMV.

[0]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

Got back from my two weeks at NESA one at MAS and the other GSAR in the GTL school.  Best two weeks I've spent in a long time.  I can't wait to go back next year.  Thinking of doing one week as staff and one week in the ICS school. 

[adamblank]

I second that.  GTL school was filled with so much great information and great people to work with.

[robfly]

I was in the ICSS-Advance course for week 2.  Excellent program.  The first couple days was the ICS-400 course, and that was another death by powerpoint.  After that we got in some excellent tabletop exercises.  Very intense.  Instructors all highly qualified.  Some worked as IC's for Katrins, 9-11, Columbia breakup, etc.  A classmate was an AOBD for the Steve Fossett search.

From our area, we had two for the ICSS school, one in MAS for Mission Pilot, one staff at ARCHER, one staff at MAS, and one instructor for the ICSS.

I completed PSC and OSC.  In addition, I got several tasks for IC-3 completed.  I can't wait to go again!

[sarflyer]

Rob,

Thanks so much for the kind words.  It was a little nerve racking my first year instructing at ICSS.  I wasn't kidding when I posted to people that this was the "best bang for the buck!".

We need to get the word out to get your people to this event and bring back the best education to our individual wings.

It was a pleasure meeting you and hope to see you there again!

[_]

Photos from NESA

Fedor, do you have a special sense for when a camera is pointed your way so you can ensure you're properly posed?