CIVIL AIR PATROL TEXAS WING ENCAMPMENT: Heroes behind the scenes

SAN ANTONIO – The 2021 Texas Wing Encampment just concluded with 117 graduating cadets from Camp Bullis, Joint Base in San Antonio.

As the last cadet marched across the improvised parade grounds, a sense of camaraderie could be felt amongst the cadets and placed this event in the history books.

However, with every success there is a story behind the story.

As with any machine, you must provide fuel to keep the machine running and any competent leader will tell you the most important part of any machine is the people.

To feed the machine, the Italy Cadet Squadron stepped up in a big way.

Last year, the Italy Independent School District purchased a Military Kitchen Trailer as part of the disaster preparedness program between the school district and its Civil Air Patrol Squadron.

The MKT served as a base of operations for Senior Members Major Lee Guidry Jr., Second Lieutenant Melinda Zachary, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Noah Cate, Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Chance Shafer, Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Erin Roberts and Cadet Airman First Class Madison Caudle to wield their talents.

This team was often the first up in the morning to prepare the coffee for encampment staff and more than 200 meals for each sitting.

The team continued to produce meals in the austere environment with inclement weather including lighting and high winds, which at one point destroyed their working tent.

However, they pushed through, even boiling water to ensure clean utensils during the heat of the day.

While behind the scenes, their efforts did not go unnoticed.

The United States Air Force Liaison to Civil Air Patrol, Major Nick Silva, presented Maj. Guidry and Second Lt. Zachary with his command coin in celebration of him and his team’s herculean efforts to ensure the encampment did not go hungry.

First Lieutenant Joshua Taylor of the Kerrville Composite Squadron stated, “The fires that he stoked for his dishes are the same that kept our spirits aflame through all of our strives.”

It wasn’t just the fires under the meals that were stoked by the Italy team, but they loaned out their Gladiator Helmet as inspiration to the flight with the best mess chant. These chants reinvigorated the morale of each flight as they came through the line bellowing their pride.

When talking to Maj. Guidry about the team he built, he speaks of the huge strides his cadets continue to make every day.

We asked Maj. Guidry how he built such a dedicated team and his response was succinct. He stated it is because he “set the squadron up to be a family atmosphere,” and that he makes it a priority to “connect, relate, challenge, [and] support.”

It is probably no surprise that this attitude is what caught the eye of the Texas House of Representatives, and with his selection as Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year where the Honorable Jake Ellzey from District 10 contends Maj. Guidry’s success is the “direct result of [his] hard work and dedication to [his] students.”

Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force.

In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and 1,550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cell phone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 110 lives in fiscal 2019. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.

As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

Members also serve as mentors to over 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.

One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually.

Visit www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.