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News - Group III Squadrons Support Great Texas Balloon Race, 8 August 2010
LONGVIEW, Texas – The Gregg County and Tyler Composite Squadrons teamed up to support the Gregg County leg of the Great Texas Balloon Race. This world class race originates in Longview, Texas and has several stops, one notably at the Letourneau University’s school of aeronautical science at the East Texas Regional Airport (GGG) located near Elderville, in Gregg County. CAP senior members and cadets helped set up security barriers and provided manned security posts for the event. As an added bonus, they also provided air marshalling for vintage war-birds from the Commemorative Air Force.
On July 24, 2010, three senior members and two cadets from the Gregg County Composite Squadron set up security barriers to guide traffic and keep visitors from driving vehicles into ditches and soft ground in the parking areas. The work went quickly and smoothly and finished several hours ahead of schedule.
The main event started on July 30, when vendors and aircraft began to arrive. CAP members set up five security posts and an information booth. Assisting the Gregg County Sheriff’s office, they monitored the airfield perimeter for the duration of the event, during which there were no breaches or attempted breaches.
Many attendees visited the CAP information booth, curious about Civil Air Patrol and its missions. Some of them were members of the event staff and the Texas State Guard, with whom CAP members had been partnered.
The event ran through the morning of Aug. 1, 2010. The event staff thanked the squadrons for their excellent work and provided the volunteers with lunches and dinners during the three-day program.
During break periods, CAP volunteers enjoyed music programs and seeing a wide array of balloons in the air, as well as vintage aircraft flying in formation and demonstrating aerobatic maneuvers.
After duty hours, tired CAP volunteers bunked at the Gregg County hangar, where simple but adequate accommodations away from the activity of the airfield had been set up. Overall it was a good opportunity to serve the community, enjoy an interesting aerospace event, spend some time outdoors, and develop skills in a challenging environment.
Gregg County Composite Squadron participants were: Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Sam Morton, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Ryan Cobb, Cadet Sr. Master Sgt. Hannah Morton, Cadet Master Sgt. Adam Smith, Cadet Tech Sgt. Rebekah Morton, Cadet Sr. Airman Brett Whites, Cadet Sr. Airman Tony Howell, Cadet Sr. Airman Grace Fork, Cadet Airman Grace Morton, Cadet Airman Beau Reinhart, Cadet Airman Basic Jace Lacy, Cadet Airman Basic Chase Rouse, 1st Lt. Carolyn Morton, 1st Lt. Jerry Cobb,1st Lt. Karl Falken, Capt. Steve Schluter, 2nd Lt. Ron Morton, 2nd Lt. Darrell Smith and FO Jeffry Oney
Tyler Composite Squadron Participants were: Maj. Robert "Skip" Smith, Maj. Fredrick Mahaffey, Cadet 1st Lt. Isaac Niedrauer, Cadet 1st Lt. Jesse Carr, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Hughes, Cadet Master Sgt. Sarah Fitzgerald, Cadet Tech Sgt. Peter Goodwin, Cadet Airman 1st Class Jansen Applegate, Cadet Airman 1st Class Stephanie Mahaffey, Cadet Airman 1st Class Juliana Volberding and Cadet Airman Kimberly Dulin
1st Lt. Karl Falken, CAP