Wind River Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol

03/03/2025

Wind River Composite Squadron is pleased to announce that our Cadet Commander, First Lieutenant Nicholas Stong, has been promoted to the rank of Captain on February 26, 2025. Our First Sergeant, Matthew Stong, was also promoted to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, in a ceremony presided over by the Wyoming Wing Commander himself: Colonel Ken Johnston. Captain Nicholas Stong has been a member of Civil Air Patrol for nearly seven years, while Chief Matthew Stong has been a member for four, having joined immediately after his twelfth birthday in 2020. Both have served admirably within our squadron, and we are very proud of their hard-earned achievements.

Semper Vigilans

Article by Senior Member Timothy Stong. Pictures by 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Stong.

01/27/2025

Wind River Composite Squadron's meeting times have changed to 6:30-8:30pm Thursdays at the Lander National Guard Armory. Membership is open to all interested young men or women ages 12 to 18. Currently the unit is working on rocketry, aerospace education, leadership, fitness, color guard training and preliminary training for participating in future search and rescue missions as aircraft observers, communications experts and ground team members.

For more information or to be a guest speaker, contact Joe Stong at 912-547-5189 cell

12/18/2024

This week, our cadets participated in the Wreathes Across America ceremony at Mount Hope cemetery in Lander. During this ceremony, they raised the American flag at the opening of the event, which was attended by many people including Veterans and their families. At the conclusion, they ceremonially retrieved and folded our nation’s colors before parading out, then assisted in placing the wreathes respectfully upon the graves of all veterans buried at this cemetery. Wreathes Across America is a nonprofit organization which seeks to honor all deceased veterans this way, and our squadron joins them every year in ensuring that those who fought for our nation are remembered and respected for their sacrifice. Well done to all our cadets who made this possible, and special thank you to the LOR foundation for assisting us in the procurement of winter uniforms.

Semper Vigilans,

Timothy Stong.

Pictures by 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Stong.

12/14/2024

Yesterday evening, our squadron prepared for our upcoming participation in the Wreathes Across America event, where we will be performing a flag raising ceremony and plant wreathes on the graves of veterans at our local cemetery. This year, we will be wearing the new Class A dress uniforms, made possible through generous funding from the LOR Foundation. Much time was spent inspecting and preparing these uniforms, which needed final adjustments for each Cadet's insignia to be affixed to them. Final training to prepare for the event was also conducted to ensure that our Cadets were well versed in the procedure of raising the American flag. At the conclusion of the meeting, we witnessed the promotion of Airman Prentiss Lyday, who was promoted to the rank of Airman First Class.
Special thanks to the LOR Foundation for supporting our squadron and helping make this event possible.

Semper Vigilans,

Senior Member Timothy Stong.

11/16/2024

Yesterday, our cadets performed an exercise in landing a plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier, which we simulated by suspending a model aircraft on a long string attached to a basketball hoop. Cadets took turns holding a wooden pole to adjust the angle of the string in an effort to safely land the plane into the carrier's arresting cable. This exercise showcased the difficulties of landing an aircraft, as adjusting the angle of the string too much or too little resulted in the model falling short of the target or rolling off the deck after missing the cable. Some Cadets opted to make the landing more challenging for the one landing the plane by launching simulated drones at the vehicle as it made its final approach. Overall, a good time was enjoyed, and much was learned about the intricacies of carrier landings.

11/15/2024