Maryland Wing Wraps its 2021 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony
November 13, 2021--- GRANITE, MD -- For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, approximately 200 Civil Air Patrol airmen converged on Columbia Md to attend Maryland Wing annual conference on November 5-7, 2021. During the conference, Maryland Wing kindly welcomed Brigadier General Regena Aye, Civil Air Patrol National Vice Commander; and Colonel Bruce Heinlein, Commander Civil Air Patrol Mid-Atlantic Region, as distinguished guests.
“Busy hands are happy hands.” expressed Colonel Wes LaPre, Commander Maryland Wing, during his “State of the Wing” presentation. “The ideas of our Maryland Wing members and their continued service over the past year helped with building essential relations required to better support our communities and our federal, state, and local governments.”
Colonel John Knowles, National Headquarters Deputy Chief of Plans/Programs, provided the status of Maryland Wing’s continued support to the ongoing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts. As of August 2021, over 159 airmen from 25 different units have supported Maryland’s COVID-19 response efforts. Knowles also emphasized that Civil Air Patrol has contributed more days supporting county and local level COVID-19 response efforts than other volunteer organization. To date Maryland Civil Air Patrol airmen have assisted with distributing over 1.03 million N95 Respirators, 60.5 thousand KN95 Respirators, 5.5 million gloves (pairs), 279 thousand face shields, and 1.56 million isolation gowns across the state.
The event also hosted many break-out topics where speakers provided insights into essential facets of Maryland Wing subject matters to include homeland security related missions; space and counterspace; cadet team-building and leadership; critical incident stress management; geospatial sensor tools; crisis communication; cadet science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs; and small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).
This year’s conference highlighted the accomplishments of many remarkable Maryland Wing airmen. In turn, the following are recognized for their achievements with corresponding award:
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 1st Lt. Rose Driftmyer
PERSONNEL OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Maj. David Webster
MAJ GEN JEANNE M. HOLM CIVIL AIR PATROL AEROSPACE OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Col. Lawrence Trick
AEROSPACE EDUCATION OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 2d Lt. Jennifer Martucci Bond
AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION (AFA) AEROSPACE EDUCATION CADET OF THE YEAR - C/1st Lt. Vincent Martucci Bond
FRANK G. BREWER-CIVIL AIR PATROL MEMORIAL AEROSPACE AWARD (CADET) - C/1st Lt. Michael Petschk
FRANK G. BREWER-CIVIL AIR PATROL MEMORIAL AEROSPACE AWARD (SENIOR) - CMSgt Thomas Reed
JOHN "JACK" V. SORENSON CADET PROGRAMS OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Maj. Dana Hooper
DEPUTY COMMANDER OF CADETS OF THE YEAR – Capt. Nathan Rolfe
CADET JUNIOR OFFICER OF THE YEAR - C/Maj Caleb Eyler
CADET OF THE YEAR - C/Col Greggor Hines
AIR FORCE SERGEANTS’ ASSOCIATION OUTSTANDING CADET NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR - C/SMSgt Peyton Matejovich
CADET PROGRAMS ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR – Maj. Victor Santos
COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR - 2d Lt. Chon Gann
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR – Maj. David Webster
CISM TEAM MEMBER OF THE YEAR – Capt. Michele Bell
CHAPLAIN MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT PRESTON TAYLOR CHAPLAIN OF THE YEAR – Maj. Sung Kwon
SENIOR MEMBER OF THE YEAR – Lt. Col. Michael Starr
FINANCE OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Capt. Janis Tucker
HEALTH SERVICES OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Capt. Frederic Roche
COLONEL LESTER E. HOPPER CAP WING HISTORIAN OF THE YEAR – Lt. Col. Brenda Reed
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 2d Lt. Anthony Naia
WEBMASTER OF THE YEAR - C/Lt Col Andrew Rioux
PROPERTY MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Maj. Kristen Santos
LT COL T. KEITH RIDDLE AIRCREW MEMBER OF THE YEAR – Capt. Brent Hippert
COL DAVID KANTOR OPERATIONS STAFF OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Lt. Col. Ronald Tucker
COL DION E. DECAMP GROUND TEAM OF THE YEAR - Calvert Composite Squadron
EMERGENCY SERVICES OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 1st Lt. Carlos Gonzalez
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 2d Lt. Robert Rapp
COLONEL EDWIN W. LEWIS, JR. INCIDENT STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR – Capt. Dustin Winter
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Maj. David Trick
EDUCATION & TRAINING OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Col. Lawrence Trick
SAFETY OFFICER OF THE YEAR - 1st Lt. Olivia Higgins
WING HQ STAFF OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Lt. Col. Peter Lowenheim
THE TORCH AWARD – Capt. Nadine Hartman
SQUADRON COMMANDER OF THE YEAR – Lt. Col. Barry Feinstein
Guidon Streamers
2021 Group 1 Squadron of the Year – Mt Airy Composite Squadron
2021 Group 2 Squadron of the Year – Towson Composite Squadron
2021 Group 3 Squadron of the Year – College Park Composite Squadron
2021 Maryland Wing Group of the Year – Group 3
2021 Maryland Wing Squadron of the Year - College Park Composite Squadron
Certificates
Top A Mission Hours: 2nd Lt. Christopher Everich (Number of hours: 117.4)
Top Total Hours: 1st Lt. Richard Marko (Number of hours: 176.60)
Maryland Wing also extends its gratitude to the conference’s guest speakers and the team of dedicated volunteers that coordinated the planning and implementation of this conference.
Nearly 1,500 members serve in Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing. Last year, wing members flew 13 actual search and rescue missions. Overall, the Maryland Wing flew 32 missions for the State of Maryland, flying 2,245 hours in all mission categories, and was credited with four finds. Volunteers contributed services estimated at $4.6 million. For information, contact the Maryland Wing at mdwg.cap.gov or follow the wing on Facebook.
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 more than 2,000 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of all search and rescue operations within the contiguous United States as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives during the past fiscal year. CAP’s 54,000 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 20,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs.
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Prepared by: 1st Lt. Jeffrey Robertson, MDWG PAO, jeffrey.robertson@mdwg.cap.gov