Representing NHQ at the Kansas Wing's Annual Conference

The Kansas Wing meets on the Army National Guard's complex.

I flew out to Wichita, Kansas and then drove over to Salina, Kansas for the annual conference of the Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, where I represented National Headquarters. I presented a PowerPoint on June 23 at the general assembly to the attendees and later also presented a workshop on public affairs for those who were interested. The North Central Region commander, Col. Robert Todd, also spoke and took questions.

That evening I sat at the head table, between Col. John O'Neill, the Missouri Wing commander, and Col. Regena Aye, the previous Kansas Wing commander who is now the North Central Region vice commander. 

Col. Rick Franz, the KSWG commander, was most gracious and welcoming to me, inviting me to join him at lunch during his commander's call with squadron commanders. Maj. Linette Lahan, KSWG chief of staff, made sure I knew where to go for the conference and then later that evening to the banquet held at the St. John's Military School. John Atherton, a World War II era member of CAP, spoke at the banquet and the son of Toby Elster, who was also a World War II CAP veteran, acknowledged how proud his father would have been if he was still alive and could have been there.

The Kansas Wing conducts many humanitarian service missions, usually in support of the Red Cross, transporting time-sensitive medical materials such as blood and human tissue when other means of transportation (such as ambulances) are not practical or possible.