Cadet Programs - 2021 Archive

Four cadets from the David Lee “Tex” Hill squadron (TX-435) in San Marcos performed Color Guard duties at the Central Texas Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Hangar Dance on Saturday evening, November 13, 2021. Cadets C/MSgt Ethan Harrison, C/CMSgt Tanner Lewis, C/SrA Gabriel Muldrow and C/A1C Martin Nguyen performed the Color Guard duties presenting the flag at the opening of the event.

The Central Texas Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is located in the only WWII aircraft hangar left standing on the old Edward Gary Army Training Base that was in operation during WWII. The airplanes were pulled out of the hangar to make room for the dance inside but were available on static display for the many visitors attending the evening’s event. The annual Hangar Dance is a fundraiser to keep the WWII airplanes in the air. It also shows people a glimpse of what it was like in 1942.

Photographs by 2nd Lt. Tom Roach

Five cadets participated on Saturday Oct 23 in Round 1 of CyberPatriot Competition held by the Air Force Association, the first of three rounds of competition. Two teams of cadets, one middle school and one high school, met the previous week at a training/practice session. The cadets involved in the Round 1 competition were: C/A1C Nguyen, C/SrA Seidel, 
C/SSgt Pennington, C/Amn Clark, and C/A1C Gabe Muldrow. Cadet Muldrow showed great perseverance as he was the only participant on the high school team this weekend. Senior Member Pennington was Coach and 1st Lt. Aylstock and 1st Lt. Murphy were Mentors for the two teams.
 
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future. The cadets were given a virtual copy of a Windows PC and they had to perform various tasks to make sure the PC was secure. These tasks included verifying the correct users were authorized to log on to the machine, that password policies were in effect, that all only the authorized software had been installed and various other tasks that would make the system secure. 

This was the first of three rounds of competition for the cadets. The following two rounds take place on 13 Nov and 11 Dec. The competing cadets will receive a CyberPatriot t-shirt and a challenge coin and loads of experience on making computers safe. 
 

The David Lee "Tex" Hill Composite Squadron (TX-435)  announced the following leadership changes: 2nd Lt. Heather Brewer assumed the position of Deputy Commander for Cadets as of 21 Aug 2021, replacing Capt. Mauricio Urquiola. Capt. Mauricio Urquiola assumed the position of Squadron Commander on 1 Oct 2021, replacing Capt. Sam Samani. 

Cadets from the David Lee "Tex" Hill Composite Squadron TX-435 in San Marcos, Texas were introduced to some significant airplane history when the Commemorative Air Force B-29 “Fifi” and B-24 “Diamond Lil” visited the San Marcos Airport over the weekend of Oct 1-3 as part of the Air Power History Tour. While almost 4,000 B-29’s were built between 1942 and 1945, there are only two flying examples of this historic aircraft.

Seven TX435 Cadets (C/2Lt Jeremiah Wood, C/CMS Tanner Lewis, C/MSgt Ethan Harrison, C/SrA Andrew Bailey, C/A1C Gabriel Muldrow, C/A1C Martin Nguyen, C/Amn Jack Evans), and two Senior Members (Lt Col Rich Ferguson and 2nd Lt Tom Roach) assisted the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Central Texas Wing at San Marcos Regional Airport, in parking autos for the Air Power History Tour.  The “Tour” included all the aircraft assigned at the CAF Centex Wing taking guests on flights over the area in their T-6 Texan, T-28 Trojan, T-34 Mentor, UA3 (Cessna 310), Iks’s Air Force One (Aero Commander), BT-13, and C-47, “That's All Brother”.  Flying in from Ft Worth TX, were the B-24 “Diamond Lil” and B-29 “FiFi” also provided guest flights.  Static displays of other Centex Wing aircraft and vehicles such as the B-25 Mitchell, C-45, helicopter, mock-up cockpits, and the Museum, also provided plenty of things to see and do.

Photos by Lt Col Rich Ferguson, 2nd Lt Tom Roach and C/2Lt Jeremiah Wood.

CAF Pilot Col W. A. Calley with cadets C/2Lt Jeremiah Wood and C/A1C Martin Nguyen in front of the B-29 “Fifi”.

Cadets and senior members of the TX-435 squadron in San Marcos showed the squadron Cessna 172 airplane and provided recruiting materials at the Lockhart Airport’s Fifty to Fifty Romeo Fly-in on Saturday, 25 Sept 2021. The squadron displayed their new booth and talked to several youngsters and adults about the many benefits of the Civil Air Patrol.  Members participating at the event were: SM Connor Davis, 2Lt Heather Brewer, Lt Col Rich Ferguson, C/Jack Evans,  C/A1C Kai Boydston,  C/A1C Bella Del Torro,  C/SrA Moise Rhodes, C/CMSgt Tanner Lewis, C/2Lt Jeremiah Wood, C/1Lt Sarah Janicki, C/1Lt Lincoln Brewer and 1st Lt Roger Aylstock.

Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Andrew Wilson of the David Lee "Tex" Hill Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Composite Squadron in San Marcos, Texas passed a checkride and received his Private Pilot’s certificate at the San Marcos airport on Sunday, July 4, 2021. Cadet Wilson’s flight training was paid for by the CAP Wings program.  The program provides funded training to selected Civil Air Patrol cadets to earn their Private Pilot Certificate in an Airplane (Single Engine Land-ASEL or otherwise known as powered), Glider, or Lighter-than-air (Balloon) categories and classes. The Air Force has allocated CAP funds for CAP cadet flight training with the goal of fulfilling its mission of developing tomorrow’s aerospace leaders.

C/CMSgt Wilson was exposed to general aviation through the CAP Orientation Ride program that provides introductory rides in a CAP airplane and lets the cadet handle the controls. Cadet Wilson earned over 60 flight hours before taking his practical test.  His primary CAP flight instructor, Capt. Mauricio Urquiola said, “It took many hours of study time, planning flight lessons around the summer weather and most of all, perseverance for Cadet Wilson to accomplish this goal.”  Cadet Wilson completed his training through Black Hound Aviation flight school at the San Marcos, TX airport.

Cadets and senior members set up a recruiting table at the San Marcos Go Wheels Up airshow at the San Marcos airport on Saturday, May 28, 2021. The booth was originally inside the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) hanger but it was decided to move it outside to see if the location could catch more traffic. The cadets also went into the crowd to find kids that might be interested in CAP. The highlights of the airshow included two MIG-17s, an F-16 exhibition and a F-16 and P-51 "Heritage Flight". 

Senior members participating were: Lt. Col. Ferguson, Capt. Urquiola, 1st Lt Aylstock, and 2nd Lts Brewer and Roach.

Cadets participating were Brewer, Debord, Janicki, Martinez, G. Muldrow, M. Muldrow, Q. Nash, Roberts, Silva, Rhodes, Seidel, and Wood.  

Cadets from the San Marcos Civil Air Patrol squadron performed some community service and got to see some vintage airplanes, motorcycles and cars at the Old Kingbury Aerodrome on Saturday, May 1.

On Tuesday evening, April 27, the San Marcos Squadron conducted a cadet awards ceremony and a Cadet Commander Change of Command. The following promotions and awards were presented: 

Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Andrew Wilson of the David Lee "Tex" Hill Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Composite Squadron in San Marcos was recently accepted into the Cadet Wings Program. Cadet Wings provides funded training to selected Civil Air Patrol cadets to earn their Private Pilot Certificate in the Airplane (Single Engine Land-ASEL or otherwise known as powered), Glider, or Lighter-than-air (Balloon) categories and classes. The Air Force has allocated CAP  funds for CAP cadet flight training with the goal of fulfilling its mission of developing tomorrow’s aerospace leaders.