Leesburg Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, VA117

09/09/2022

Photos from Colonel Liz Sydow, CAP's post

08/24/2022

On the evening of August 23rd, 2022, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had their monthly leadership night. The cadet leadership team led a discussion on critical thinking and logical fallacies.
Simultaneously, the Section 2 Training Officer, 2nd Lt Nour, conducted PT testing for the cadets working on their Wright Brother's milestone achievement and concluded with Drill & Ceremonies testing.

08/10/2022

On the night of August 9th, Leesburg Composite Squadron underwent its biannual change of command ceremony for the cadet leadership.

The meeting began with the recognition of the cadets who had been promoted in rank within the past month and those who attended and served as cadre in the 2022 Virginia Wing summer encampment.

C/Captain Nicholsen then assumed the position of Cadet Commander. Staff positions were announced and cadets were separated into their new flights.

07/20/2022

On July 19th, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had our monthly “PT Night.” During the meeting, the cadets conducted PT testing, which started with “the pacer” - a cardiorespiratory endurance activity where cadets ran back and forth on a 40-meter track.
Next, there were sit-up and push-up tests. After that, our senior member training officer, 2nd Lt Nour, led the cadets in a physical fitness activity where they also learned about healthy food choices. The meeting concluded with a Team Leadership Challenge (TLC)

07/14/2022

On July 13th, the Leesburg Composite Squadron, with assistance from members of the Burke Composite and Knight Composite Squadron, hosted the American Red Cross, providing as a Blood Donor Center (BDC) at the Virginia National Guard armory near Leesburg Executive Airport,. Leesburg’s blood drive is only the beginning of a 4-day traveling BDC, which will immediately follow by a 2-day operation in Mesa, Arizona, and will end at the Joint Lackland Base in San Antonio, Texas. Fifteen CAP members volunteered at the event, from throughout Virginia Wing Group 3, in the effort. Throughout the day, a total of 28 units of blood were collected, bringing Civil Air Patrol's Operation Pulse Lift’s overall unit count to 13,798 units—92% towards the goal of 15,000.
Yesterday’s blood drive will hopefully be the first of many more blood drives throughout Virginia, and all of CAP in general, contributing to the nationwide, life-saving mission: Operation Pulse Lift…"And the ❤ beat goes on. “...”Straight from the ❤."

07/13/2022

Today's American Red Cross blood drive at the Virginia National Guard armory in Leesburg, Va., is in full swing!
Come on down, give a little (1 unit of blood), and get a free cookie or two!!! Walk-ins between 1pm and 3pm are welcome!!!

07/13/2022

On the evening of July 13th, 2022, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had "Aerospace Night," during which they learned about aircraft carrier operations. 2nd Lieutenant Nour, CAP, shared his own experience working on an aircraft carrier.
As seen here, several cadets participated in drill testing while others faced off in a cadence competition between sections

07/06/2022

Sign up for your blood donor slot at: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=National%20Guard%20Armory%20Civil%20Air%20Patrol

Have you heard of Civil Air Patrol's Operation Pulse Lift?

This effort from Civil Air Patrol to address the nationwide blood shortage started as a small project and is now a full nationwide operation. Units of blood donated to the Red Cross by members can be reported to Civil Air Patrol to add to our total numbers as well as the number of units donated for your wing! (Check your PROPS newsletter for reporting details!)

How can you join and help support this? Units are encouraged to partner with local Red Cross to set up blood drives, like Leesburg Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, VA117 on Wednesday, July 13th. They have partnered with the Red Cross as well as the Virginia National Guard to host a blood drive in the National Guard armory that they use as their weekly meeting location! See more information: https://fb.me/e/2COQY4iQH

06/30/2022

The Civil Air Patrol's Leesburg Composite Squadron, in cooperation with Aero Elite Flight Training, will be hosting an American Red Cross blood drive at the Virginia National Guard Armory (across Sycolin from the airport) on Wednesday, July 13th, 2022, between 10am and 4pm.

41905 Loudoun Center Pl, Leesburg, VA 20175

To schedule your appointment to donate, visit this link: https://redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=National%20Guard%20Armory%20Civil%20Air%20Patrol

06/29/2022

On the evening of June 28, 2022 - the cadet members of Leesburg Composite Squadron had "Physical Training," or "PT" night. Testing was conducted, consisting of pushups, curl-ups, and a cardiorespiratory endurance assessment called the PACER. Cadets then participated in a PT activity to conclude the night.

06/22/2022

On the evening of June 21st, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron enjoyed "Leadership night," where officers led a guided discussion on topics ranging from the importance of listening to how to choose a profession. The cadets then conducted drill testing, followed by a cadence competition between sections.

06/16/2022

On the evening of Tuesday, June 14th, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had "Aerospace Night," during which senior aerospace officers shared their insights on air traffic control, followed by an interactive activity.

06/08/2022

On the evening of June 7, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had our monthly "blues" uniform night, during which the cadet Character Development Officers led a discussion about the different types, and the importance, of friendships.

Most notably, the squadron also hosted a visit by both the Virginia Wing Commander, Colonel Liz Sydow, and the VAWG Group 3 Commander, Lt Col Daniel Brodsky. Col. Sydow presented several awards to VA-117, and both senior & cadet members, including the prestigious Amelia Earhart Award to two of the squadron's cadets.

06/01/2022

On the evening of May 31, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron conducted their biannual "Staff Day," during which the Cadet Commander and Operations Officer briefed them on the upcoming staff change - sharing their insights on the application process, roles available, and benefits to both the cadet in the job, and others.
Between the briefings, cadets also participated in Team Leadership Challenges (TLCs), where cadets first had to communicate their favorite snack to each other without speaking, mouthing, or writing, and then arrange themselves alphabetically according to the type of snack food.
For the second activity, cadets participated in a hypothetical shipwreck scenario where they had to choose 8 items from a list of items that would help them “survive” the situation, explaining how the items would help them.
Lastly, for the third activity, the cadets, in cooperation with the members of their flight, built a stable structure out of spaghetti and marshmallows.

05/25/2022

On the evening of Tuesday, May 24th, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron participated in physical training. Flight commanders and sergeants led their units first in warm up activities, followed by PT testing, consisting of curl ups, pushups, and the PACER test - an aerobic capacity test which consists of running, back and forth, on a 40 meter track. They then conducted a PT activity in which sections competed to see which one could accumulate the most balls in its bins through means of shooting them in after a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors - all while staying on their feet, performing various exercises. "

05/23/2022

Photos from Virginia Wing, Civil Air Patrol's post

05/21/2022

Mission Pilots from Leesburg are at Wi******er today to participate in CAP's "Mountain Fury" flying course to develop their skills in search & rescue and disaster relief operations over mountainous terrain.

05/18/2022

On evening of Tuesday, May the 17th, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron had our annual leadership night. Our cadet leadership officers led a discussion about military customs and courtesies during which members of our Honor Guard trained prospective members. Afterwards, our Deputy Commander of Cadets hosted a presentation about Virginia Wing Encampment, Civil Air Patrol for cadets and their parents who are interested in attending this summer.

05/12/2022

On the evening of Tuesday, May 10th, the cadet members of the Leesburg Composite Squadron hosted guest speaker Don Sargent for its monthly Aerospace Education night. Mr. Sargent shared stories from his career with NASA, discussing his insights on different components of rockets, space debris. and the International Space Station. Afterwards, cadets conducted drill & ceremony testing.

02/10/2022

Outstanding work! In late January, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center notified Virginia Wing of an active Personal Locator Beacon in the vicinity of Richmond. Seven ground team members responded to the search, and managed to locate and silence the beacon within 15 minutes of their deployment - earning the first “Find” credit for the Virginia Wing in 2022! Thank you for all that you do!

Southside Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol Coastal Composite Squadron

01/31/2022

Photos from some of today's Cadet Orientation Flights. Five cadets each experienced their first flights aboard a Cessna 182 Skylane, with all of them getting to fly under the guidance of our cadre of trained pilots.

01/26/2022

Incoming VA-117 Squadron Commander 1st Lieutenant Shannon Smith receives the unit's colors and assumes the leadership of the squadron from VAWG Group 3 Commander Lt. Colonel Daniel Brodsky

01/26/2022

Major David Thornton, outgoing squadron commander, receives the Civil Air Patrol Meritorious Service Award for his four years of service from VAWG Group 3 Commander Lt. Colonel Daniel Brodsky

01/25/2022

"Flying Aces" lead the way!

Please join me in recognizing the following members of Virginia Wing (VAWG), who were among the 25 participants recently approved by our National Headquarters (NHQ) to receive the Disaster Relief Ribbon (with V device) for their assistance after December’s tornado outbreak across several midwestern states. They supported the crowdsourcing mission for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by providing preliminary damage assessments from aerial photos in response to the Quad State Tornadoes. Leading the national effort was Capt Scott Kaplan (Group 3’s deputy commander) and VAWG members were some of the project’s most significant contributors. In the award memo, Mr. Ronald Olienyk, CAP’s Deputy Director of Operations, shared “Your support of this mission was extremely valuable and provided outstanding service to CAP and FEMA.” I am proud to have served alongside these members (virtually) in accomplishing this important task. Well done!

- 1st Lt Lester Flores, Knight Composite Squadron
- Capt Christopher Freeze, Leesburg Composite Squadron
- Capt Scott Kaplan, Group 3 Headquarters
- Capt Joe Krenzberger, Leesburg Composite Squadron
- Capt Stephen Littlewood, Prince William Composite Squadron
- SM Jeremy Weatherford, Lynchburg Composite Squadron
- 2d Lt Carl Wilson, Leesburg Composite Squadron

01/07/2021

Congratulations to Leesburg’s own C/Lt Col Julia McGee for her selection as Commander for VAWG Spring Encampment 2021!

12/25/2020

Happy Holidays from Leesburg Composite Squadron!
Enjoy this CAP Christmas poem written by one of our own in the Florida Wing!
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, (including PC and mouse).
I had finished the toys, and the tree, and the wrap,
And had just settled down for a few hours nap.
When out from the street there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
From my window my eyes did spy a lone man,
Who was dressed in a uniform, a thing in his hand,
That screamed a loud noise, so horrid and sick,
It was clear in a moment this wasn’t St. Nick!
He turned, and he walked, and he looked to and fro,
From the hill up the street to the valley below,
His look was determined; eyes fixed on some quest,
But what could have stirred this young man from his rest?
For what was he searching? Why wouldn’t he leave?
What could be so important this cold Christmas Eve?
I flew open the door and yelled to the man,
“Now, why do you stand there, contraption in hand;
That wails with a noise as if screaming in fright;
What brings you out here in the middle of the night?”
He said, “Be at ease, sir; do not be alarmed,
We’re the Civil Air Patrol (and we are not armed),
‘Tis an emergency beacon that my team and I seek;
And the signal is fading, indeed is quite weak.
It might be an old unit that was tossed in the trash,
Or it might be an aviator, downed in a crash.
And so we do search on this cold winter night,
In the hopes that all’s well; everyone is all right.”
Tired and confused; I thought it absurd
That of this strange group I’d heard nary a word;
They weren’t well known, I then quickly surmised;
And did thusly comment; he said, “No surprise
That of us you’ve heard nothing; we tend to be quiet,
But our name is well known to many a pilot,
For many we’ve rescued; in cold and in fright,
This reason compels us to search here tonight.”
“For such service”, I guessed, “you earn much through the years.”
“Not a cent,“ he replied, “We are all volunteers.
From my team on the ground, to the crew in the sky.”
(Skyward, he pointed, as their aircraft flew by)
“For how long?”, I asked, in much consternation,
Said he, “Since ‘41 we’ve been serving this nation,
Through wartime and peacetime, through calm and disaster,
We serve this great Country; we practice to master
The skills I now use; and I’m happy to say,
We’re training the youth who will lead us someday.”
With a shake of my hand he took then his leave,
And continued his search on this cold Christmas Eve.
I returned to my bed, and chuckled, and said,
“He’s out chasing ghosts, and I’m snuggled in bed;
He’s certainly crazy, it’s easy to see;
He searches all night – and he does it for free?”
I thought no more of it, and in the morn did arise,
To find my wife sobbing, with tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I inquired, “And why are you crying?”
“Your father”, she replied, “To visit was flying
A small plane he’d recently learned how to fly,
But he crashed in the valley – they do not know why.”
She broke down anew; as she fought back her tears,
And said, “He was found by some volunteers,
Who hunted the beacon he had in his plane,
And found him alive, but cold and in pain.”
We rushed to his side; the story he told,
Was of those who had searched through the night and the cold,
Until they had found him, of them he did say,
“Son, without them I’d have missed Christmas Day;
Or any that followed; for them I give thanks;
‘Tis some outstanding folks that they count in their ranks.”
My eyes then grew wide; my heart skipped a beat,
As my thoughts suddenly turned to that man on the street,
How his “mission”, I’d thought, had been not worth the bother;
But how likely it was that he’d found my father.
He’d given us Christmas, and New Year’s, and more,
And the nature of his calling I no longer could ignore.
The next week I joined up with the local C.A.P.,
With whom I serve our Country - voluntarily – for free.

Maj. Joe Tomasone, FLWG Director of Communications
December 2008

12/19/2020

Today, Cadets from Leesburg Composite Squadron participated in Wreaths Across America, an event which honors American Veterans who have served in the past and given their lives for our country. The Cadets layed wreaths on dozens of American soldiers graves, and payed respect to each branch of the military by laying wreaths in their honor. Our squadron was truly honored to participate in such a patriotic and humbling event. Thank you to those who participated.

12/19/2020

Congratulations to all Units! Job well done!

16 VAWG Units have been awarded the QCUA!

Virginia Wing,

It is my distinct honor to announce the 16 units that have earned the 2020 Quality Cadet Unit Award for their performance in 2019-2020. This award recognizes squadrons that have vibrant cadet programs. Many of these units have received these consecutively and for many years.

A special congratulations to Newport News and Burke for meeting 8 out of 10 criteria, of which only 16 units in the nation met, and to Langley and Prince William for meeting 7 out of 10 criteria, of which only 52 units in the nation met. These four units are in top 13% of units for exceeding the minimum criterion.

I look forward to presenting the streamers and certificates at our wing conference in the spring.

V/r

Deano

DEAN E. GOULD, Col, CAP
Commander
Virginia Wing

Mid-Atlantic Region, Civil Air Patrol Knight Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Lynchburg Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Danville Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Tidewater Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol, Wi******er Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Montgomery Composite Squadron, Southside Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Newport News Composite Squadron, Carolyn A Guertin Cadet Squadron, Coastal Composite Squadron, Prince William Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Fredericksburg Composite Squadron, Leesburg Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, VA117, Burke Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Minuteman Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol