Volume 12 - Issue 1 Behind the 8 Ball Page 1

Behind the 8 Ball

The Official Newsletter of National Blue Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Volume 12—Issue 1 14 July 2015 From the Activity Director Welcome to National Blue Beret 2015! I am excited to see nearly 150 cadets and 45 seniors attending this year. National Blue Beret is the most diverse National Cadet Special Activity with members representing 44 wings and all 8 regions. However, diversity is what brings us together and adds to the “Beret” experience.

The next 2 weeks will bring a myriad of challenges as you develop and hone your emergency services skills. Take advantage of each and every training opportunity and use this time to add to your mission skill set. The long days of training will pay off as we begin our operational period on Friday.

Whitman Field will be home to nearly every type of General Aviation aircraft that you can name. Saturday will start this process as hundreds of Cessna’s, Mooney’s, Bonanza’s, and Cherokee’s begin making mass arrivals. By the end of the activity, over 10, 000 civilian and military aircraft will call AirVenture home.

Be proud of the fact that you are taking on a greater responsibility than most members will experience in their entire time in the program. Whether it is marshalling aircraft, assisting with ultra-lights/rotorcraft, searching for overdue aircraft, or monitoring the Warbirds area, you are an integral part of AirVenture. The Experimental Aircraft Association entrusts NBB to provide assistance and we will not fail. You represent the finest group of professional volunteers that our great nation has to offer.

Be sharp! Look sharp! Stay sharp! I am a Blue Beret. Follow Me! James D. Peace, Lt Col NBB Activity Director 2015 National Blue Beret Statistics

Total attending – 193 Wings Most Represented: Number of Wings - 44

Total Cadets – 148 Number of Regions - 8 Texas - 24 Total Senior Officers – 45 Furthest Distance Traveled: Hawaii Region Staff – 1 National Staff – 0 Kansas - 11

Volume 12 - Issue 1 Behind the 8 Ball Page 2 Arrival and In-Processing Cadets began their National Blue Beret (NBB) experience with a journey to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As last minute details flooded in about commercial flight delays and arrivals, personal vehicle arrival times, bus stop locations, and the ever-unpredictable weather, senior members tirelessly worked to orchestrate the constant movement of vehicles and to assist arriving cadets. At nearby Outagamie Regional Airport and the local bus station, cadets met senior officers who shuttled them to Beret Base.

Welcome to In-Processing, the complex, first step towards becoming a Blue Beret! For two days, the NBB Dining Facility (DFAC) transformed into a center of administrative activity, in which nearly 200 of the top CAP members from around the nation found their place and began to learn more about Blue Beret. Upon arrival at the compound, cadets were greeted and oriented by returning who introduced new attendees to the Grassy Knoll, the Beret Creed, and lining up along the DFAC wall.

Once inside the DFAC, attendees went through a series of nine stations to complete the administrative requirements for Beret. Cadets completed multiple activities, such as confirming their departure plan, verifying ES qualifications and other pre-requisites, reviewing pertinent medical information, completing a contraband check, receiving their barracks assignment, and being issued t-shirts by the Cadet Executive Staff. At the end of the stations, all members posed for their Beret ID picture (ensuring the camera only saw their good side) and then called home one last time before turning in their cell phones.

Having completed the complex yet efficient In-processing, flight staff took cadets to the barracks, where they met their new Beret family for the first time. Nervousness and homesickness disappeared as friendships started to form.

Tyler Hoover, C/Col Public Affairs Officer

Volume 12 - Issue 1 Behind the 8 Ball Page 3 Beret Safety: Heat and You!!

Welcome to National Blue Beret and sunny Wisconsin. I know most of you were expecting cool winds and moderate temperatures but Wisconsin has a way of making Blue Beret an exciting event from year to year.

We will spend a considerable amount of time outside in the sun, so remember these outdoor safety tips from the USAF Safety Center to prevent heat exhaustion and keep you safe while at Beret:

 The first and probably best line of defense against the harsh sun is wearing the proper clothing like a long sleeved shirt and/or long pants, sunglasses that block 100 percent of ultraviolet rays and a with at least a three-inch brim

 Sunscreen is imperative when out in the sun. Apply and reapply sunscreen when out in the sun, especially during peak hours

Keep an eye on yourself and your flight members while you are here. Remember to drink plenty of fluids, get as much rest as you can and wear sunscreen at all times.

Jeffery Morris, Lt Col Safety Officer NBB Public Affairs Needs You! The role of public affairs at NBB is challenging and varied. Among our many duties, one finds producing information for external stakeholders following the activity as well as internal stakeholders attending the activity. From parents to former Berets to future Berets there is no shortage of interest in what is happening at NBB!

Telling the NBB story involves using many methods. Our team of four will produce seven newsletters like the one you are reading. These will be posted on Facebook and the NCSA website. We will take hundreds of photos to make a disk for each of you to take home at the end of NBB. We write press releases, make a variety of visitor packets, update Facebook, and stage a group photo. We also interact with visitors who want more information about NBB and approach Air Venture participants who might like to enhance your visit to Oshkosh with a trip to the compound. NBB Public Affairs Officers use many tools to accomplish our mission including cameras, Facebook, press packets, and even handwritten notes.

What can you do to help us? We welcome any writers among you who would like to submit article suggestions or drafts for possible publication. We also welcome any photos you can share with us. Please note that photo submissions must have a date so that we can organize them. The most important thing you can do for Public Affairs is to have a positive, professional image at all times. Hundreds of photos are deleted each year due to violations and awkward or inappropriate actions. Show the best of CAP in all that you do!

If visitors ask you about NBB, we will provide a basic statement you can share. You can also refer people who want to know more about NBB to Public Affairs personnel. During the event when you meet individuals who want to speak, donate items, or otherwise support NBB, please let Public Affairs know. Finally, remember OPSEC and don't share mission specific information with anyone outside of the mission without prior approval.

Regena Aye, Col Chief Public Affairs Officer

Volume 12 - Issue 1 Behind the 8 Ball Page 4 Expectations of a New Beret After five long years of being in Civil Air Patrol, I finally have the opportunity to work alongside hundreds of the best cadets and seniors in CAP. Attending Na- tional Blue Beret has been an ambition of mine since I earned my first stripe, and now I literally get to “live the dream” by being here at the compound. It’s a stressful feeling but trust me- I’m excited to be able to work with each and every one of you! When I was asked to write this, they wanted me to talk about my expectations of being a new attendee at NBB… To be honest, I don’t know what to say! I’ve come with an open mind, and am ready for any challenges that get thrown my way. I will say that I am looking forward to the emergency services operations and I am a little nervous about the large number of aircraft. But like I said, I’ve come with an open mind and I am ready for the next two weeks! If you’re nervous about being here, or start to question why you even signed up, try this: realize that you are a part of something great! We are all leaders, and every one of us is an example for the future generations of CAP. So keep your head on a swivel, your chin up, and have fun! We’re on the path to becoming Blue Berets- Follow us!

Cole Oakland, C/2d Lt Foxtrot Flight

NBB History -NBB was originally founded in 1966 by Col Allen Towne as an Iowa Wing Ground Search and Rescue Training School. -The 8 Ball emblem was originally designed by Chaplain Aydt in 1969 to rep- resent the 7 Wings in the North Central Region and region headquarters. -NBB was once called the North Central Region Special Service Corps. -In the 1980s, cadets from Britain and Canada joined American cadets at Blue Beret. -Blue Beret became a National Special Activity in 1985. -Blue Beret moved to Oshkosh in 1988.

*Facts from blueberet.org Matthew Chirik, C/Capt Public Affairs Officer