CIVIL AIR PATROL

Upcoming Events:
29 September: Alpha Air Centers Inaugural Annual Fly-InJoplin Municipal Airport 13 October: Fitness Challenge Celebration 19-21 October: Wing Conference 15 December: Wreaths Across America Ceremony

Col. Travis Hoover Composite Squadron Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 6 September 19, 2012

Dinner With Major Bill KnottsProfile of a 50 Year Member

Ive always found something to like about every place Ive beenand its mostly the people. Bill and I are sitting down for dinner together at the Sirloin Stockade, along with his wife Caroll. He just finished a long list of mostly South and Central American countries he was stationed at during a 24year tenure in the US Army. The statement was made after a comment about how most of his friends would complain about the unfamiliar surroundings. That is not Bill! William was born February 20, 1946 in Carthage, Arkansas to Edward Van and Mary Sue Knotts. In the early 50s, after his mother and father divorced, he moved with his mother and two siblings (Kenneth and Catherine) to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His father was an enlisted ground school instructor for the Army Air Force and later a commercial pilot. Needless to say, he and his family did not see much of his father after the divorce. In fact, Bill tells the story of his father attending his brothers wedding (20+ years after the divorce) and his mother saw him but didnt recognize himand doesnt know, to this day, that her ex-husband attended his sons wedding. Listening to Bill talk about his family history is a reminder of the way things used to be. His grandparents were lumber company kids who lived most of their lives in the deep woods of Arkansas. Imagine having to walk more than a mile through the woods to the nearest roadside school bus stop every day for school and your town moving every 2-3 months when all the houses were loaded on flat cars and transported on temporarily-lain rail tracks to the next work site. Some of the stories he tells about his grandmother are priceless. Bill grew up with an interest in flying and search and rescue. When he was 14, living in Pascagoula, Mississippi, he inquired about Civil Air Patrol (CAP). National HQ at the time (Ellington AFB) informed him that the nearest squadron was at Keesler AFB, which was too far away for his single/working mother to drive him to every week. That didnt hinder Bill from pursuing a pilots license. When he was 16, he sold his shotgun and went to the Jackson County Airport and began flight instruction in a Piper J-3 Cub. When money ran out, he washed planes and did just about anything else at the airport in exchange for flying time. Eventually he was hired as a line boy and then mechanics helper. It turns out, that airport was a CAP WWII Coastal Patrol Base. It wasnt long after he started flying lessons that Bill was approached by one of the flying club members about starting a Civil Air Patrol squadron at the Jackson County Airport. He was one of the charter members of the Jackson County Composite Squadron (later named the Singing River Composite Squadron). As a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, Bill joined as an acting 2d Lt, though he never earned the Mitchell Award. He says he has never been concerned about rank, but joined because of his interest in flying and search and rescue. Only a few months after he joined, he participated in his first real search and rescue mission. The details of the mission are not appropriate to mention, but it was an experience that exposed Bill to nearly every aspect of search and rescue in CAP, to say the least. He experienced what it was like working with other organizations before there was real coordination and how CAP was the only group focused on searching for survivors instead of bodies. The year after he joined, he earned his CAP Pilots Wings and attended a CAP multi-state encampment at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. He realized later that basic drill and ceremony at the squadron combined with encampment are excellent training for entry into the military. As a senior member in the Civil Air Patrol, early on, it was a balance between his Army career and CAP activities. Bill has endured and remained active throughout the years despite military and family responsibilities.With the Army Special Forces, he was stationed in at least 13 countries throughout his 24 years of serviceall the while, remaining active in Civil Air Patrol whenever and wherever it was possible. Continued on page 2

Inside this issue: Dinner With Major Bill Knotts... (Continued from page 1) 2

September Awards 2

Fitness Goals 2012 3

Aerospace Word Search

Webb City Farmers Market Benefit Breakfast

Page 2

Col. Travis Hoover Composite Squadron Newsletter

Dinner With Major Bill Knotts... (Continued from page 1)

And to reiterate his feeling about rank, once he joined a new squadron as a 2dLt. The squadron commander refused to recognize any rank that he, himself, did not promote. Bill didnt argue, he just took off his pips and got to work. I could care less, the pay is the same, that is how he puts it. All four of his children joined CAP as cadets, two continued on as senior members, though none are currently active. Bills wife, Caroll, joined CAP early on in their marriage, so most of his favorite moments in CAP have to do with being active as a family. When asked why he stays involved today, he says, Same reason I joined in the first place. Search and rescue, training, Ive got the experience that I can use to train the senior members and cadets with. If I could just figure out how to operate the blasted computer That stands out in Bills discussion of how CAP has changed over the years. He talks about his perspective of how computers and the internet seem to have added just another layer of bureaucracy to mission operation and reporting. He had hoped it would be more like Star Trekyou would just feed information in (plane type, pilots experience, flight plan, last known position, fuel on board, etc.) and the computer would tell you the most likely areas to search. He says it hasnt worked out that way. To get a full appreciation of who he is, and what Bills character and experience have and continues to offer the Civil Air Patrol, you have to know about his flying hobby and his career in the Army Special Forces. You already know Bill obtained his pilots license as a teenager. Last he checked (which was years ago) he had logged over 1500 hours of flight time. I stopped listing the different planes he has flown at 20. He has personally owned four airplanes (a Piper Cub, a Luscomb 8A, a Citabria, and he currently owns a Slebcev Storch). He isnt able to do this now, but his favorite type of flying is aerial aerobatics. Not only flying, but jumping out of airplanes is another skill of his. In the Army Special Forces, he taught high altitude low opening (HALO) techniques. The HALO maneuver is a way to introduce troops into critical areas undetected by jumping out of an airplane at very high altitudes, gliding to a much lower altitude, then opening the parachute just in time to land safely and precisely where needed. Bill was assigned as an instructor at the Special Forces Advanced Medical School and to the Defense Attach System in Mexico, Venezuela, and Yemen. He is fluent in the Spanish language and has experienced, first hand, living in the South and Central American cultures. Whereas conventional soldiers go overseas to a U. S. Base, in effect a miniature U.S. community complete with U.S. stores, theaters, bowling alleys, craft shops, etc., Special Forces go overseas and live with the local populations in their villages or military bases, eating the local food and speaking the local language. Even when he and his family were overseas, with the Embassies, they lived in local housing (sometimes even slightly modified with flush toilets and screen windows!). They bought their food from local merchants, and the kids went to the local/international school. Our meal is complete and our discussion has transitioned to what is planned for our next squadron meeting. I assured Bill that there is no way I will be able to do his story justice. Between our 2-hour long discussion over dinner and the information he provided me beforehand, I have too much information to summarize. And I know weve only touched the surface of most of his experiences. My goal will be to pique the interest of cadets, in particular, so they will want to approach him. He has an amazing life story and we can all learn a lot from what he has experienced and accomplished in his life thus far.

Cadet Knotts Being Presented His CAP Pilots Wings

Ive always found something to like about everyplace Ive been...and its mostly the people - Major Bill Knotts

September Awards: C/Capt. Rouse, Major Knotts

This month, C/Captain Caleb Rouse was officially presented his Amelia Earhart award by State Representative Charlie Davis. We also celebrated the 50 year membership anniversary of Major Bill Knotts. Commander Workman had a plaque made for the occasion ...along with a cake.

Rep. Charlie Davis Presenting Plaque to Major Knotts

Volume 1, Issue 4

Page 3

Fitness Goals 2012

Article Submitted By: 1st Lt Andi Edwards In August, the squadron discussed a topic near and dear to a nurses heartfitness. Of all the topics that Health Services Officers can cover, the value of regular exercise is the one thing that can most change a members life. Almost all the other topics are meant for helping to save anothers life. Exercise is something one does to save ones own life. It is the closest thing to a magic bullet that medicine has for preventing disease, prolonging life, improving mood, boosting energy and an endless list of other benefits. One of the benefits not often considered, but greatly valued in this instance, is the ability of exercise to develop character and perseverance. After a conversation of the benefits of exercise, the squadron then covered setting fitness goals for the fall. The goals were to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound. A large number of both senior members and cadets set out to write goals that they felt were important to their fitness lives. A lot of the goals for cadets were set in areas in which they are struggling to pass PT. Some are improving their times in the mile and shuttle run or increasing their push-ups and sit-ups. Others are working on a new goal for running a 5k or 10k. The senior members also set great goals. Examples include walking, running, playing tennis, swimming and biking multiple times a week. Several senior members are also working on doing a 5k or 10k program. The time limit for attaining the goals is October 9. Each member also chose a buddy to provide encouragement and accountability. This past Tuesday marked the one month line for the goals. Each participant reported on where they and their buddy are at in their training. Some have already achieved their goal and are working to improve it. Several members are right on track at a halfway point. Others said they sure are working hard at push-ups and sit-ups unfortunately their goal is in running! Well, they still have a month, anyways. As extra incentive, those who complete their goals will be recognized at a party celebrating the end of the goal time on October 13. More to come on the exciting events planned for that day. Several of the members will have something extra to celebrate as they will be participating in the annual Maple Leaf Festival 5k and 10k that morning. Whether the goal is in running, PT exercises, or some other form of fitness, the true aim is the same. Setting a habit of healthy living for a lifetime will reap great rewards. The choices made each day about getting up and disciplining ones body also helps bring discipline to the rest of ones life. The Travis Hoover Composite Squadron is set on becoming an example of fitness in all areas of life. This is just step one.
Fitness: The Magic Bullet

Aerospace Word Search

Find 34 Aerospace-related words. List them here: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Cadet Programs, Emergency Services, Aerospace Education Squadron History: CIVIL AIR PATROL Our squadron is named after retired Air Force Col. Travis Hoover, one of the famous Doolittle Raiders who led the first U.S. retaliatory raid on Japan after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittles 79-member crew flew 16 Army Air Corps bombers off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet on April 18, 1942. They brought the United States into World War II by flying to Japan and bombing industrial targets in Tokyo without enough fuel to safely reach landing strips in China. The raid inflicted little damage, but roused American spirits and proved that Japan was vulnerable to U.S. bombers. Hoover flew the second B-25 bomber behind Doolittle. When his plane ran out of fuel, he crash-landed the aircraft into a Japanese rice paddy. Hoover and his four crewmen survived the rough landing, and were met by Tung Sheng Liu, a Chinese aeronautical engineer who helped them evade Japanese troops and reach China. For his service in the historic raid, Hoover received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Joplin Regional Airport Old Terminal Building Joplin, MO 64801 Phone: 417-529-5251 E-mail: jeredhorn@gmail.com

Webb City Farmers Market Benefit Breakfast

cap143coltravishoover.com
On Saturday, 15 September, several cadets and senior members participated in one of our annual fundraising events, the Webb City Farmers Market Benefit Breakfast. By preparing and serving breakfast to farmers market attendees, we raised approximately $150 for the squadron.

1st Lt Edwards and 2d Lt Workman are pictured here (bravely) handling foil.

Here you see Captain Workman preparing the orange juice with other work being done in the background.

Here, C/SMSgt Horn is keeping an eye on the sausage. The pictures on the right feature our serving line, customers eating our food, a wagon somebody couldnt keep his hands off of, and cadets playing in the rain.

C/Captain Adams, Cadet Banks, and C/TSgt Harter pictured here at work.