|
2nd Annual Aerospace Dimensions Activity at Patrick Air
Force Base-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Activity- 17-19 AUG 07
Written by Maj. Steve Colbert and Capt. Mitch Drucker
Twenty-four Civil Air Patrol members from Bayside Bridge Composite
Squadron (Group 8) and Coral Springs Cadet Squadron (Group 11)
participated in an extraordinary aerospace education weekend between
17-19 AUG-07 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tour was
conducted and supervised by FL WG Deputy Director of Aerospace
Education Capt. Gary Dahlke. Capt. Dahlke provided details about
each of the launch complexes and sites that were visited. Capt.
Dahlke also happens to work for Space Ops and the Space Shuttle
program. Following the tour of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Capt. Dahlke gave participants an overview of the history of Cape
Canaveral, the Space Shuttle program and the future of space
exploration.
Pictured above are CAP members from Bayside Bridge Composite
Squadron and Coral Springs Cadet Squadron with FL WG Deputy Director
of Aerospace Education, Capt. Gary Dahlke standing in front of a
Mercury Redstone rocket at Complex 5/6.
Lt. Col. Joe Tirado offered the use of Patrick Composite Squadron
as a base of operations for participants lucky enough to attend this
extraordinary activity. Dr. Tom Steffen, a Coral Springs Cadet
Squadron member and Aerospace Education Officer works at SpaceTEC,
located at Cape Canaveral Industrial Park. SpaceTEC provided
participants with the use of a school bus from Brevard Community
College. Dr. Steffen also acted as an educator escort. This activity
included an up close and personal viewing of many historic and
operational launch sites located at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station.
SpaceTEC provided the participants with a pizza lunch. Mr. Robert
Ward, an employee of SpaceTEC talked about his United States Air
Force career and of being a test subject for the space program, his
membership in CAP and the incredible work he is doing at SpaceTEC
today.
The tour of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station included a visit to Air
Force Space and Missile Museum located at launch complex 26. This
was the site of the first successful launch of an American
satellite. Hanger R at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station contained
many historically significant restored missiles and rockets. Launch
Complex 14 and the blockhouse was another stop on the tour. This is
the site where Astronaut John Glenn climbed aboard Friendship 7
during Project Mercury and successfully placed an American into
orbit for the very first time. The group also took time to stop at
Launch Complex 34 where Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II,
and Roger B. Chaffee lost their lives when a fire broke out during a
simulation.
There were many other historical sites visited during this activity.
The participants utilized the facilities at Patrick Air Force Base
for dining and the Military Clothing store provided cadets and
senior officers an opportunity to purchase uniform supplies during
this activity.
Below, Capt. Mitch Drucker presents Capt. Gary Dahlke with a
Certificate of Appreciation
Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to Capt. Gary Dahlke, Lt.
Col. Joe Tirado, Dr. Thomas Steffen, SpaceTEC and Jerry Angley
State Director, CAP-USAF for making this activity possible.
Civil Air
Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit
organization with almost 60,000 volunteer members nationwide. It
performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions
as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers
also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter drug
missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The
members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as
mentors to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in
CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for
more than 60 years. For more information please see
www.flwg.cap.gov and
www.cap.gov . |
