Report of Unit Visit

Subj: RE: 2005 Unit Visit Date: 2/18/2005 12:21:55 PM Eastern Standard Time From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent from the Internet (Details)

I will have an updated list of requested items ready for email next Tuesday morning. The squadron meets on Monday nights from 1900 to 2100 hours on the ANG North end of Ellington Field building Number 1254. Please update one of the emails you have for me, my home email is now [email protected] so DROP the ev1.net address.

Jerald Landis Ellington CS

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 11:52 PM To: Landis, Jerald; [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: 2005 Unit Visit

TO: Major JERALD R. LANDIS TX098 ELLINGTON COMP SQDN 14657 Sneider, Houston, TX 77034 e-mail: ([email protected]) Unit: 281-484-1352 Home Phone: 281-485-9558 Office: 281-488-4115 Pager: 281-632-9191 CAP - Ellington Composite Squadron

Major Landis,

Ed Brown has assigned me to come down for a unit visit. This can accomplished concurrent with a Squadron meeting -or- during a casual get- together. Whatever works best for you.

At your convenience, could you forward meeting location/dates, staff roster and latest highlights of your squadron/cadets.

Respectfully, Brus D. Messinger, LTC, USAFR FAX 212-202-3984 CEL 214-850-7777 REPORT OF UNIT VISIT

UNIT VISITED: TX098 COMMANDER: CAPT. JERALD LANDIS DATE OF VISIT: 20 May 02 RATING OFFICIAL (s): MR FRED HAM MR ED BROWN ##################################################################### FACILITY: The squadron meets Monday evenings at a facility provided to the unit on Ellington Field in Houston. The facility is large, in very good condition, and more than meets the needs of the unit. The squadron does not have a written MOU with the 147 FW (ANG). We recommend they ask the installation commander to enter into a written agreement for the space.

COMMAND: The commander is properly assigned in writing as required. The commander is enthusiastic, an active leader and participant, and is knowledgeable of all unit activities and functions. Capt Landis has done an excellent job delegating responsibility and motivating his staff. During our visit, all senior members were conducting business in their respective areas.

CADET PROGRAM: The Cadet program is excellent. The unit is most attentive to their needs and development. Regular sessions are held with seniors and cadets, and all seniors are actively involved. Regular testing and individual progression are closely monitored. The cadets participate in local community activities. We recommend the unit upgrade to a better lock system for securing testing materials.

AEROSPACE EDUCATION: The AE program is outstanding. Continuity and development of the individuals and the squadron as a whole are at the forefront. This unit is very fortunate to have the resources and help of several NASA employees. They have one of the most active AE programs in the state including a cadet rocketry program.

ADMINISTRATION / PERSONNEL: The admin files are in order. All required letters of appointment and the like were on file. While some wing supplements were on file, the unit admin section was unaware of what was missing. We recommend a review of available wing supplements on the CAPLO website. Several outdated rosters and info sheets were on display in the admin area including a very outdated group roster and an sheet identifying a wing IG who left the position over three years ago. Recommend a review of all posted and bulletin board items for currency and relevancy. SM Joe Conte (assistant admin officer) has a good interface with the professional development section and is working hard to ensure senior members are trained and the training is properly documented.

SAFETY: Regular safety briefings are in order. Safety bulletins are posted. The unit has had no incidents or accidents since the last unit visit.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SENIOR PROGRAMS): All seniors have received proper training and are familiar with appropriate regulations, policies, and guidelines. TRAINING: Training records are satisfactory. Some work needs to be done to update the SMTR so the national records reflect actual status of members.

LOGISTICS / SUPPLY: This area requires some work. A number of equipment, communications, and computer items were not properly tagged or otherwise identified. Several items in varying equipment categories have not been properly added to the unit inventory, and the program overall does not meet minimum standards. A new Supply Officer has been appointed. She and the commander were apprised of the deficiencies, the corrective actions needed, and it was agreed that all discrepancies can and will be corrected by 1 July 2002.

AIRCRAFT: The assigned corporate aircraft was down for maintenance and unavailable for inspection.

PILOTS’ RECORDS: Some of the assigned pilots are no longer qualified to fly CAP missions due to lapsed certifications in the aircraft. Proper actions will be taken when the assigned Cessna 172 becomes available to the unit again.

COMMENTS: This is a very good unit, with a good mix of senior personnel and cadets. The anticipated growth of the unit is excellent, with an estimated 3-5 seniors and cadets per month to be added to the roles. SM Lisa Kelly has an excellent orientation program for briefing prospective members. She has a “new-member” kit with information brochures and paperwork for new applicants. Lack of attention to detail with administrative and logistical programs detracted from an otherwise outstanding outfit. Immediate attention is required to correct the deficiencies in the supply and logistics arena. The facility was a beehive of activity during our visit. The commander and staff are enthusiastic, energetic, and focused on the people and people programs. The Ellington unit definitely has the potential to be one of the most outstanding in the Texas Wing. Report of Unit Visit

Unit Visited: TX-098 Commander: Captain Jerald Landis Date of Visit: 22 Mar 04 Reviewing Official: LtCol Brian Egan #########################################################################

Facility: The Ellington Composite Squadron meets on Monday evenings. The Cadets assemble at 1830hrs and the Senior members commence their meeting at 1900hrs. They meet in building 1254 at Ellington ANGB, Houston Texas. The 147th Fighter Wing donates the use of office space in the building at no cost. Their operation is enhanced by having administrative offices, meeting rooms, a communications room, and a supply area. Since the last unit visit they have asked for and received a written agreement for use of the space. The 147th FW occupies a portion of the building but will vacate by the end of the year, moving into a new building.

Command: Captain Jerald Landis is the commander of the Ellington Composite Squadron. He is an active leader, very capable, and has recruited a motivated staff of knowledgeable individuals. Captain Landis has an energetic staff, which assists him in running the squadron. He is properly assigned in writing. He has a vibrant active squadron where I observed senior members attending to business in their functional areas. One the evening of my visit, three senior members in addition to the Deputy Commander for Cadets participated in the cadet’s physical training. I complimented them on their leadership by example.

Cadet Program: The cadet program is among some of the best I have observed. Capt Ron Perry, Deputy Commander for Cadets, wears multiple hats also serving as unit finance officer, and assisting with the membership committee. The senior members are actively involved in the training, mentoring, and development of the cadets. The cadet participation is very active with a strong turnout at the meeting I observed.

Aerospace Education: The unit has a well-supported and expertly run aerospace education program. Not only are the cadets getting all the required education, they are receiving enrichment that goes well above standards. In the area of rocketry they have a superb program. The project they have underway is as fine as undergraduate projects undertaken at a university. They are building a large rocket that would rival a rocket flown by Goddard. The unit has the luxury of having a couple of senior members, employed as rocket scientists by NASA, assisting in the project. The capsule includes a payload and a telemetry module to send back data on flight progress. I doubt there is a finer rocketry program in CAP.

Administration /Personnel: 1Lt Joe Conte headed an efficient administration section. All records I observed were in order. He was very helpful and during my review of squadron records. My impression was he had good handle on record keeping for the squadron. No discrepancies were noted in this area.

Safety: SM Stuart Hagedorn, the safety officer, though not flight qualified, was enthusiastic about his program and actively sought the position. Unit safety briefings were conducted on a regular basis and properly documented. Members not in attendance are required to review minutes of the meetings they had not attended. I offered a suggestion to enhance flight safety knowledge by subscribing to the free newsletter, “Callback” written by NASA published monthly. Safety bulletins were posted, briefings and records were in order, and the facility was safely maintained.

Training: This area was not reviewed.

Logistics/Supply: In regards to building security, this area is a concern. Last October a TV/VCR unit valued at roughly $150-$200 and new Dell laptop computer worth $2500 were stolen. The TV/VCR unit was stolen from the administration office and the laptop was taken from the Commander’s office. A report of survey was filed and its status is pending. Keys to both offices were pretty tightly controlled with only three individuals having keys to the commander’s office. Others outside the TX-098 have access to the building, but not to the CAP squadron areas. There was some question about the security of CAP office doors, which had metal grates secured by screws covering the lower half of the door. There was no sign of forced entry and it was proposed that the integrity of the doors might have been a factor. Since the burglary, rivets have been added to the metal grates to prevent removal. There is a work order on file to re-key the doors. The re-keying was to be completed by the end of March. I think follow-up on the re-keying would be a good idea.

Aircraft: The unit is not assigned a corporate aircraft.

Vehicle: The unit is not assigned a vehicle.

Finance: The unit maintains a small account for funding various activities. Funding comes primarily from donations for community service. No discrepancies were noted in this area.

Pilot’s Records: The unit has eight pilots. Pilot medical and Form 5’s were in order for the two pilots that were qualified to fly. The remaining six pilots were in various stages of training. The unit has plans to train more pilots, with their sights set on regaining a corporate aircraft.

Comments: This is an active, robust and involved unit. They have a solid core of adult members, active parent volunteers and a fine cadet program.