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Civil Air Patrol gives recruits early taste of air force life

^[[CC Post + Mail]]
^[[8/16/03]]

By REBECCA L. SANDLIN
Staff Writer

The Civil Air Patrol is looking for a few good teens.

And they'd love to recruit potential cadets from Whitley County.

The Indiana 221 Chapter meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoosier Air Museum, located just south of the DeKalb County Airport.

The Civil Air Patrol accepts youths between the ages of 12 and 21.

At meetings, Cadets learn about airplanes and aerospace, emergency mission procedures, and military customs and courtesies.

Cadets also have the opportunity to earn and advance in rank.

Military procedures are the order of the day at meetings, as cadets wear either dress blues or battle fatigues and are drilled in marching formations prior to class instruction sessions.

Although it is a volunteer organization, the CAP provides invaluable service as the U.S. Air Force's only auxiliary arm.

It flies about 95 percent of the Air Force's emergency search and rescue missions throughout the United States.

The group also functions in a

[[image - photograph of Mindy Bass and William Jones]]

Post & Mail photo by Rebecca Sandlin

Lt. Mindy Bass confers with senior 1st Lt. Bill Jones before drilling cadets. Jones, along with Capt. Steve Dummitt, founded the Indiana 211 chapter three years ago.

[[image - photograph of Civil Air Patrol cadets standing in formation]]

Post & Mail photo by Rebecca Sandlin

Civil Air Patrol cadets wait for their next orders from officers. Youngsters as from 12 to 21 years may join the ranks, learning military and flight procedures in a fun, exciting and rewarding atmosphere.

public relations capacity, providing color guards in parades, air shows and other events.

Cadets come to chapter meetings from as far away as Indianapolis and Coldwater, Mich.

Lieutenant Mindy Bass, a high school senior, is from Harlan.

Bass has been in a cadet for 2 1/2 years. She has served as a cadet advisory officer and has achieved her emergency services certification.

"I've been to Basic Encampment twice," she said, explaining that the program provides basic training similar to Air Force boot camp.

That training has allowed Bass to obtain her first officer rank.

Another cadet, Lt. Col. Joshua Hornbarger of Fort Wayne, joined when he was 12 years old after visiting a recruitment booth at an air show.

Hornbarger will study mass communications as a freshman this fall at Taylor University Fort Wayne.

"I've done a lot of flying, and a lot of orientation flights" he said.

"This is a good thing if anyone is interested in the military as a career, or if you like to fly."

Hornbarger said cadets can attend week-long camps during summer and fly gliders as well as powered aircraft.

Other incentives offer cadets a fun way to learn about aerospace, especially if they intend to move toward a military career.

At age 21, cadets earn senior rank in the CAP. After completion of training, they're entitled to enlist in the Air Force as an Airman First Class.

The three-year-old chapter at the Hoosier Air Museum presently has 28 cadets, but is looking for more.

No cadets are currently from Whitley County.

Interested youth should contact the chapter's squadron commander, Lt. Col. John Mannarino at (260) 485-7915.

Or, prospective cadets may simply attend the Tuesday meetings by arriving with their parents at 6:15 p.m. at the Hoosier Air Museum.