Article & photos by
Christopher Colvin, Captain, CAP
PAO
Winchester Composite Squadron,
Winchester,
Va.
May 16, 2009- The Civil Air Patrol’s Middle East Region, Virginia and Maryland Wings, and predominantly by the Winchester Composite Squadron from Winchester, Virginia, represented the Civil Air Patrol’s National HQ Aerospace Education and Drug Demand Reduction Programs at this years Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC).
The Civil Air Patrol’s Drug Demand Reduction instills an aggressive, positive, drug-free attitude in Civil Air Patrol members, Air Force families, Department of Defense civilians, and school-age children through a comprehensive program that promotes;
·
Civil Air Patrol as a positive community service lifestyle.
·
Encourages youth to remain in school.
·
Focuses on drug abuse education, prevention and awareness.
·
Provides positive activities as an alternative to drugs and gang violence.
Members from the Middle East Region HQ and the Virginia Wing and Maryland Wing HQ spoke with hundreds of people as they visited Drug Demand Reduction and Aerospace Education displays set up a short distance from the rocketry challenge launch pad.
Visitors to the display were greeted by cadets and senior members with the same message, the Civil Air Patrol striving to be a leading force in
America’s drug demand reduction strategy.
First Lieutenant Walt Murphy, Assistant Drug Demand Reduction Coordinator for the Middle East Region and Drug Demand Reduction Administrator for the Maryland Wing said, “the Civil Air Patrol’s participation in event’s like TARC do more than increase awareness of the CAP Drug Demand Reduction program. It allows CAP through its DDR program to reach more of
America’s youth before they fall prey to drugs. The DDR program can be followed by the positive features of the Cadet Program if they desire membership. It involves adult mentorship and the positive influences made by other cadets, more advanced in the program. It teaches our youth to have the self discipline to set goals, to make a plan to reach those goals.”
CAP members met a very special guest, the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley, who not only took the time to thank everyone for their efforts but also went through the Drug Demand Reduction obstacle course using Fatal Vision goggles designed to impair vision as if the wearer was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
The visual impact of watching people use these goggles and try to perform the simplest was funny to some and sobering to others.
When each person removed the goggles at the end of the course they were asked if they would drive car in the condition just experienced or would they ride with someone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The answers always came with a quick shake of the head.
Murphy continued, “The most important thing I take away from an event like this is we get to reach kids from the elementary school age range to the young adults going to college. Before they have been reached by drug abuse, they get to see, while sober, what some of their actions would be like if impaired. They get the problems with perception. Sometimes they get the nausea associated with being drugged or drunk. They get the loss of balance. The difference is this time they can take it off. They can make it stop. The reality of drug abuse is you can’t take that off like a pair of “Fatal Vision Goggles”
Teaching Ordinary Subjects in Extraordinary Ways
The main event of the day was the rocketry challenge which was sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry in the U.S., and the Society of British Aerospace Companies, Tri Polus Ltd, UK Rocketry Association, Space Connections and the Royal Aeronautical Society in the UK, the programs are designed to encourage students to pursue careers in aerospace.
“Today’s contest demonstrates a tremendous global enthusiasm for aerospace,” said Marion Blakey, president and CEO of AIA. “The fact that thousands of students have taken part in these programs since their inception is an encouraging sign for our industries. We are looking forward to other countries joining the international championship next year.”
The Civil Air Patrol promotes and supports aerospace education, both for its own members and the general public. CAP educational programs help prepare American citizens to meet the challenges of a sophisticated aerospace society and understand its related issues.
In addition, the CAP offers national standards-based educational products, including a secondary textbook, Aerospace: The Journey of Flight, and the middle-school-level Aerospace Dimensions. Teachers can get free classroom materials and lesson plans from CAP by joining CAP’s Aerospace Education Membership program.
Some of the national standards-based aerospace education materials (for homeschoolers, too!) include awards, such as the Aerospace Excellence Award.
For schools that adopt aerospace education into their curriculum Grants available from Air Force Association to incorporate aerospace into the classroom. There are low-cost aerospace textbooks for grades 6-12 and Aerospace and education newsletters full of useful information Orientation flights in powered aircraft.
Aerospace-oriented summer workshops and Aerospace education speakers and resources nationwide not to mention the nation's premier aerospace education conference for teachers.
As part of their prize packages, the
U.S. and
UK champions will attend the International Paris Air Show in June. In addition, TARC champions share a prize pool of more than $60,000 in prizes and scholarships, as well as an invitation from NASA to participate in its Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. Raytheon Company sponsors the
U.S. team at the Paris Air Show and Lockheed Martin Corporation provides $5,000 scholarships to each of the top three TARC winners.