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Fort McHenry Squadron presents awards and recognition

Capt. Doug Barth (left), commander of the Fort McHenry Composite Squadron; reads a citation for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal being presented to 1st Lt. Larry Moore (right), a member of the squadron and a staff sergeant in the U.S.
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Capt. Doug Barth (left), commander of the Fort McHenry Composite Squadron; reads a citation for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal being presented to 1st Lt. Larry Moore (right), a member of the squadron and a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force; as U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kenneth Nugent (center), commander of the 22 Intelligence Squadron in the 70th Intelligence Wing of the U.S. Air Force, looks on.

By 2nd Lt. Alvin Sacks
Fort McHenry Public Affairs

4/26/2006–Catonsville, MD–The Fort McHenry Composite Squadron in Group II of the Maryland Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has honored many of its senior members and cadets with promotions and recognitions for their 2005 accomplishments.

Maryland Del. Steven DeBoy (D-12A) read a joint resolution from both bodies of the State Legislature during a ceremony that took place at the squadron’s headquarters.

Capt. Douglas Barth, commander of the squadron, presided at the Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony. He presented Squadron Senior Member of the Year awards to 1st Lt. Larry Moore and to 1st Lt. Sherry McManus and the Cadet Honor Flight award to Cadet Staff Sgt. Laura Boehk and Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Stacey McManus.

Moore, also an active duty staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, received three additional volunteer service recognition awards: the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal from Lt. Col. W. Kenneth Nugent, Jr., commander of the 22nd Intelligence Squadron of the 70th Intelligence Wing of the U.S. Air Force, a Maryland State Senate Citation from Sen. Edward Kasemeyer (D-12) , and a Fort McHenry Squadron Recogniton Award from Capt. Barth.

Moore presented “First Flight Awards” to six cadets: Cadet Senior Airman Laura Boehk, Cadet Basic Gregory Freeman, Cadet Airman Eric Meyer, Cadet Senior Airman Tim Muhl, Cadet Basic Adam Ruhl, and Cadet Airman Earl Watson.

Cadet 2nd Lt. Anne Walker announced promotions for the following cadets: Cadets Basic Gregory Freeman, Eric Meyer, and Lionel Perry to Curry Achievement, cadets Airman; Cadets Airman Adam Darchicourt and Joe Fisher to Arnold Achievement, cadets Airman 1st Class; Cadets Airman 1st Class Laura Boehk and Zac McManus to Feik Achievement, cadets Senior Airman; Cadet Staff Sgt. Kyle Sacks to Rickenbacker Achievement, cadet Tech. Sgt.; Cadet Tech. Sgt. Paul Diss to Lindbergh Achievement, Cadet Master Sgt.; Cadet Master Sgt. Stacey McManus to Doolittle Achievement, Cadet Senior Master Sgt.; and Cadet 2nd Lt. Charles Frater to Flight Commander Achievement.

2nd Lt. Chris Hiles, the squadron's deputy commander of cadets, awarded Cadet Milestone Achievements to Cadets Senior Airman Laura Boehk and Aaron Gloerlich to Wright Brothers Milestone Award, cadets staff sgt.

Capt. Robert Terry, the wing's director of aerospace education, presented the Yeager Award for a Senior Member to Hiles.

Lt. Col. Alexandra Calloway, a squadron member, presented the Northrup Grumman Corp.’s recognition for the squadron’s volunteer assistance in the “Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Run/Walk” at Baltimore-Washington International Airport earlier this year.

Lt. Col. Gerard Weiss, commander of the wing's Group II and representing Col. Kay Joslin Walling, wing commander, presented the 2005 Wing Safety Officer of the Year award to 1st Lt. Martin Sacks. He also complimented the squadron for its many voluntary efforts and successes throughout the year. He cited senior member award winners as deserving of special praise for their accompishments. In addition, he emphasized his expectation for the squadron to set goals to be achieved in 2006.

CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 57,000 members nationwide. CAP volunteers perform 95 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state, and local agencies.

Last fiscal year more than 1,800 of CAP’s dedicated members helped hurricane victims; CAP aviators and aerial observers flew more than 1,000 air missions; ground teams performed 131 missions and visited 4,266 homes; and other volunteers distributed 30,000 pounds of relief supplies. CAP members also conducted 2,507 search and rescue missions, saving 73 lives. Throughout the year, CAP also took part in important homeland security missions; many CAP pilots flew target-intercept training for U.S. fighter pilots.

Members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 23,000 young people currently participating in the CAP Cadet Program. CAP's cadet programs provide young men and women with a safe and motivating environment in which to grow and explore opportunities in the military and aviation industries. Cadets progress through a 16-step program of leadership and aerospace education. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 65 years.

There are approximately 1,300 members of CAP in Maryland. Last fiscal year wing members flew 34 search and rescue missions and were credited with 23 finds.

For information about the Maryland Wing of CAP, visit http://mdcap.org/ or listen to weekly episodes of "Civil Air Patrol Today" broadcast every Sunday morning on the following radio stations:

  • Annapolis, MD - WYRE-AM 810, 8:00-8:30 a.m. ET
  • Baltimore, MD - WFBR AM 1590, 8:00-8:30 a.m. ET
  • Ocean City, MD - WKHZ-AM 1590, 7:00-7:30 a.m. ET
  • Potomac, MD - WCTN 950 AM, 6:00-6:30 a.m. ET
  • Rockville, MD - WLXE-AM 1600, 7:00-7:30 a.m. ET
  • Washington, DC - WZHF-AM 1390, 7:00-7:30 a.m. ET

In addition, programs may be listened to at the Maryland Wing web site at http://mdcap.org/radio/ and can also be subscribed to as a podcast.

The Ft. McHenry Composite Squadron meets 7 p.m. Tuesday evenings at Bloomsbury Community Center, 106 Bloomsbury Ave., Room 106, in Catonsville. Prospective cadets, ages 12-18, and their parents are always welcome. For more information e-mail barth7394@comcast.net.