Civil Air Patrol, San Angelo Composite Squadron

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Just like the Air Force, once the Emergency Services (ES) or ground team badges are earned, they can be worn forever. The ES patch requires a member to be current and qualified though, which means that once a member is no longer qualified they are supposed to remove the ES patch.

TX023 goes to NASA

One very successful fundraiser and months of planning by senior members culminated in a weeklong trip to Houston and Galveston for members of the San Angelo Composite Squadron. Seniors and cadets departed San Angelo on 15 July 2007 for a two-day stay in the Houston area.

On 16 July, squadron members were treated to a Level-9 tour at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The tour is an exclusive, behind the scenes tour allowing for a more personalized experience.

The group toured the Sonny Carter Neutral Buoyancy Lab, the Astronaut Training Facility, the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Space Shuttle Mission Control, Space Station Mission Control, Historic Mission Control, and the Saturn V Rocket. View images from the trip here.
On 17 July, we returned to the Johnson Space Center for a tram tour and souvenirs, and then it was off to the campsite to pack and head to Galveston. Our first stop was the Lonestar Flight Museum, an eclectic collection of aircraft on display or being restored, from various periods of American history. After a few hours at the museum, we went to Galveston State Park, where we pitched tents and enjoyed the beach.

We spent the day of 18 July at Galveston's Moody Gardens. A wonderful attraction, it includes a rainforest, aquarium, IMAX theater, 3-D movie theater, paddlewheel boat ride, and a manmade beach and pool. That evening we enjoyed a seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

As enjoyable as the day was, the weather continued to deteriorate. Upon return to camp, many tents were down and all had water inside. Some were less fortunate than others, but the rain didn't dampen spirits. Everyone pitched in to return the campsite to normal and then headed to bed hoping for better weather.

19 July started sunny, but Galveston weather is fickle. After breakfast, it rained for a few hours. A plan adjustment took squadron members to the boardwalk for souvenir shopping. After the rain subsided, we were off to the beach for sand and surf.

The morning of 20 July started off clear but a large, ominous cloud loomed on the horizon. Everyone worked quickly to pack the vehicle before the rain poured from the sky. A lightning storm greeted us as we headed off the island and the rain continued all the way to San Angelo.

Many thanks to Lt Col Don Roberts, Capt Bill Knight, and 2nd Lt Lisa Knight for making all of this possible. A special thanks to our NASA tour guides -- Jerry and Georgene who hopefully inspired at least one cadet to become an aerospace engineer. And we can't forget our wonderful neighbors at the Galveston State Park who tried to fix our tents during the storm.

Squadron cadets participating were: C/SrA Chris Brown, C/SrA Robert Foate, C/SMSgt Linden Lansford, C/MSgt Bessie Knight, C/A1C Cody McCallum, C/Amn Sean McCallum, and C/Amn Dylan Simkins. Senior members were LtCol Don Roberts, Capt Bill Knight, 1st Lt Carol Roberts, 2nd Lt Lisa Knight, and 2nd Lt Johanna Augustine.

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