26 May 2008
TOMBALL, Texas - The three missions of Civil Air Patrol are Aerospace Education, Emergency Services, and Cadet Programs. On the 16^th - 17^th of February, CAP members from around Texas Wing came to David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, headquarters of Group 4’s Delta Composite Squadron, to participate in the mission of Emergency Services in the form of a Wide Area Exercise, or WAX. Most Cadets will jump at the opportunity to participate in something like this, and this was the case at the WAX, where around twenty Cadets participated in all kinds of ES training, from Flight Line Marshalling, to Ground Team, to Mission Staff Assistant.  

On the flight line, certain Cadets learned how to perform as Flight Line Marshallers. “Basically a marshaller is there to direct an airplane into or out of parking,” said C/A1C Brian Huffines, one of the Cadets who participated in this training, “You have to always be on your toes because that spinning propeller gives you no mercy”. Cadets also participated in Ground Team and Urban Direction Finding exercise missions. “[Ground Team] is really neat because you can have fun, learn, and help people in trouble all at the same time” we were told by C/Amn Collier Watkins, who participated in Ground Team exercises.  Also among the training was Mission Radio Operator training. Another Cadet, not training, but actually working on the mission staff was C/MSgt Robert Lewis. Cadet Lewis is MRO qualified and has served as the Radio Operator during the exercise. Mission Staff Assistant was another qualification Cadets trained in. Mission Staff Assistants perform a number of tasks, from signing members in, to updating status boards, to escorting VIPs around the Command Post. “Being an MSA is a good experience and a wonderful opportunity to grow in different areas of ES” stated MSA trainee C/SrA Julia Gardiner.  

Most Cadets don’t ever get to experience Emergency Services, and the WAX was a great opportunity for them to do so. By participating in activities like this, the Cadets were fulfilling part of the Cadet oath “Advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and Nation”, something every Cadet should strive to do.

Article and photos submitted by C/2d Lt Matt Norman