Pontchartrain Composite Squadron wins 17 Awards at Wing Conference

New Orleans,- Pontchartrain Composite Squadron swept the awards at the Civil Air Patrol (State) Wing Conference on March 9, 2014, in Pineville, Louisiana with 17 wins, including the Squadron of Merit Award and flag streamer.

The Wing Commander’s Commendation for Outstanding Duty Performance went to Major William Hunton (Squadron Commander), Major Dennis Eschmann, Captain Robin Soroe, and 1st Lt. Mike Giroir. The Jack V. Sorenson Cadet Programs Officer of the Year was won by Captain Robin Soroe.

Lt. Col Kathy Beauford, Director of External Aerospace Education, won The Frank G. Brewer Memorial Aerospace Education Award and the Aerospace Education Officer of the Year Award.  Lt. Col Kathy Beauford was also presented with The Lt. Col. Red Sevin CAP Award of Excellence and the Commander’s Personal Award.

L to R, standing: Squadron Commander Major William Hunton, 1St Lt. Mike Giroir,
Cadet 1st Lt. Franchesca Giroir, Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Garrison Garcia,
Major Dennis Eschmann, Captain Robin Soroe, Lt. Col. Kathy Beauford.
Kneeling: Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Dean Scott, Cadet Senior Airman Colton McClintock,
Cadet Airman First Class Mario Molina, Jr., Cadet Senior Airman Andrew Rodrigue.

The Pontchartrain Composite Squadron won The Emergency Services Ground/Urban Direction Finding Team of the Year Award and The Col Dion deCamp Ground Team of the Year Award. Major Dennis Eschmann won The Emergency Services Senior of the Year Award and Cadet 2nd Lt Franchesca Giroir won The Emergency Services Cadet of the Year Award. When engaged in search and rescue missions, CAP is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

Col. Art Scarbrough relinquished command and Col Thomas “Doc” Barnard assumed command of Louisiana Wing.

Dr Les Johnson, NASA Deputy Manager of Advanced Space Concepts at Marshall Space Center, was awarded The Frank Brewer Memorial Aerospace Education Award.

Civil Air Patrol aerospace education activities include experiments, demonstrations, leadership, physical training, and trips to air shows and aviation museums. Activities include robot building and robotics programming, building and flying remote control airplanes, and building and launching model rockets. Civil Air Patrol cadets range from 12 years to 20 years of age. Cadets can qualify for search and rescue missions. A cadet who goes through our whole program enters the armed services with an automatic bump in grade and pay. The public is invited to meetings on Tuesdays from 7 to 9pm at the VFW Hall at 1133 Hickory Avenue, Harahan, La. 70123 

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs about 85 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 71 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.