Fun and Learning at LESA, 21-28 June

BIG SANDY, Texas – This year's Lone Star Emergency Services Academy (LESA) marks the start of a new Texas Wing tradition. Years from now, I'll be able to say that I was part of it from the beginning. With more than 150 participants, instructors and students, it was a smashing success. LESA was held in Big Sandy, Texas, a few miles north of Tyler, Texas, at the Air and Land Emergency Resources Training (ALERT) facility. To lower our costs, the LESA staff and students did some of the daily work, such as serving the food and cleaning the dining hall, and we were thankful to all the volunteers from ALERT that prepared the meals and helped serve them.

I was a student in the Public Affairs/Information Officer School, and had the honor of being taught by the Southwest Region Director of Public Affairs, Capt. Arthur Woodgate, along with my fellow students: Maj. Robert Brecount, 1st Lt. DeeAnna Adams-Gorman, 1st Lt. Johanna Augustine, 1st Lt. Mark Petrosky, SM Stefani Stephens, C/1st Lt Raphael Erie, and C/1st Lt Brandii Re-Ann Davis.

1st Lt. DeeAnna Adams-Gorman, the Oklahoma Wing Public Affairs Officer, participated actively in our class and, along with Maj. Robert Brecount, the Victoria Composite Squadron PAO, gave us samples of their very effective writing style. Although outnumbered 5-to-3, the three cadets in the class managed to keep up with the senior members and enjoyed the school very much. With a little help from Cdt Erie and this author, Cdt Davis summed up the week with an impressive slide-and-video-clips show set to lively music, showing all the wonderful things we had done during the week at LESA.

Mission Staff School spent much of their time practicing scenarios where they interacted with other agencies, as well as going through the needed academics. Communications School ensured superb radio coverage for the entire week, besides working very hard themselves. An additional burden placed on Comm School was a request from CAP National to take a comprehensive set of photographs and videos showing all that they did, to be posted as stock images on the CAP National website.

Chaplain (Maj.) Ron Whitt taught and graduated one very needed Mission Chaplain, Lt. Col. Alexander Alvarez, whom we will greatly appreciate. Flight Line School also turned out a single student, C/2d Lt. Michael Moody. According to his instructor, Maj. Richard Hunt, the student could have been the teacher. Mission Aircrew turned out several more qualified Mission Scanners, Mission Observers, and Mission Pilots.

I am proud to announce that GSARSS (Ground Search and Rescue Specialty School) graduated almost fifty new ground team members. These cadets and senior members are the backbone of Search and Rescue missions, and do all the crawling around in the boonies looking for lost persons or objects. Also, Texas now has one more Incident Commander, 1st Lt. Matthew Whisennand. Hoooah!

Everyone at LESA was happy that Lt. Col. Brooks Cima and her staff were there, to help make ours a very successful week, and a special thanks to all the school commandants and their staff, who made themselves and their students available for photos and quick interviews.

I had a great time and will come back next year.

C/TSgt Christian Nelson, Apollo CS