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Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol

Iowa Wing of Civil Air Patrol
Associated branches
United States Air Force
Command staff
Commander	Col Michael McClanahan
Vice Commander	Maj James McLaughlin
Chief of Staff	Maj Alexander Paul
Command NCO	CMSgt Paul Wallace
Current statistics
Cadets	156
Seniors	205
Total Membership	361
Website	iawg.cap.gov
Statistics as of 2022
v t e

The Iowa Wing of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the state of Iowa and is part of CAP's North Central Region. The Iowa Wing headquarters is located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa Wing consists of over 360 cadet and adult members at 9 locations across the state of Iowa. They operate a total of 7 single-engine aircraft and 1 glider, which flew a total of 975 flight hours in 2022.

Mission

The Iowa Wing performs the three missions of Civil Air Patrol: providing emergency services; providing a cadet program for youth; and offering aerospace education for both CAP members and the general public.

Emergency services

Civil Air Patrol conducts emergency service missions, including: inland search and rescue missions, disaster relief missions including aerial surveillance missions, and air evacuation of the sick and injured. Civil Air Patrol maintains a network of radio stations to maintain communications during an emergency. Civil Air Patrol has also conducted homeland security missions by providing airborne reconnaissance of critical infrastructure.

Notable Emergency Services Missions

In June 1942, a squadron located in Sioux City, Iowa warned local residents of a coming flood, due to rising waters in the Missouri River, by painting "FLOOD" on the bottom of their aircraft and flying overhead.

In June 2008, the Iowa Wing provided aerial surveillance in the aftermath of the Iowa flood of 2008, where 80 of Iowa's 99 counties were federally declared disaster areas due to the extent of the damage. The Iowa Wing conducted 16 sorties, totaling 31.6 flight hours, supporting the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service. The Wing gathered approximately 1,800 aerial photographs of the damage caused by the flood. They notably flew then-Iowa U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D) and Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R) on survey missions over: Ankeny, Mason City, Charles City, Nashua, Waverly, and Des Moines. Then-Iowa U.S. Representative Steve King (R) also participated in a CAP aerial survey mission with the Iowa Wing.

In August 2020, the Iowa Wing provided aerial surveillance in the aftermath of the August 2020 Midwest derecho. The derecho severely damaged several parts of Iowa, most notably Cedar Rapids. Starting on 14 August, over the course of 36 hours, the CAP Wings of: Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois conducted 37 sorties and gathered approximately 3,500 aerial photographs of the damage caused by the derecho.

In March 2022, the Iowa Wing provided disaster relief in the aftermath of an EF-4 tornado touching down in Madison County, Iowa. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a state disaster declaration for Madison County. The disaster resulted in 6 deaths and was the costliest tornado in the United States in 2022, with $220 million in damages.

In May 2022, the Iowa Wing, along with the Michigan Wing, Missouri Wing, and Minnesota Wing, took part in a wing-wide search and rescue exercise (SAREX) at Iowa City Airport. The exercise involved aircrew, ground teams, and drone teams and was conducted in conjunction with the Johnson County emergency management director.

In December 2022, the Iowa Wing was recognized for its participation in Operation Pulse Lift, CAP's humanitarian blood-donation mission in twelve states; launched to assist the American Red Cross in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 13 December 2022, Operation Pulse Lift had lasted 1,000 days and had resulted in the collection and transport of 17,416 units of blood by CAP.

Cadet programs

Civil Air Patrol offers a cadet program which provides leadership training, technical education, scholarships and career education to youth aged 12 to 21. The program includes CAP encampments and access to glider and powered aircraft flights. The Iowa Wing encampment is generally held in the summer at Camp Dodge in Johnston. The North Central Region Encampment has also historically been held at Camp Dodge.

Iowa Wing cadets also participate in National Wreaths Across America Day, an annual nationwide event in December for placing wreaths on veteran's graves in military cemeteries.

Notable Iowa Wing Cadet Program Accomplishments

In December 2021, the Osage Flight of the Iowa Wing won the All Divisions 1st Place State Award, Gold Tier, in the 14th National Cyber Patriot Competition, a cyber defense competition held annually by the Air & Space Forces Association where the Civil Air Patrol, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps compete.

Aerospace education

Civil Air Patrol provides aerospace education to both its members and the general public. Teachers may receive educational materials through the CAP's Aerospace Education Membership program.

History

World War Two

The Iowa Wing was established on 1 December 1941, as part of the newly formed Civil Air Patrol. Six days later, after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, it was called into service to support the home-front following the start of American involvement in World War Two. By 27 January 1942, the Iowa Wing had 575 members.

Missions involved surveying fields in Iowa for abandoned tractors and scrap piles that could be repurposed, along with simulating bombing runs on maneuvering ground troops using quarter pound bags of flour with the then-active Iowa State Guard. Scrap survey missions also involved letter dropping campaigns in order to garner local support and donations of scrap, which are noted in historical documents to have had considerably positive results in Iowa. Simulations of bombing runs using bags of flour are also noted to have drawn large crowds of spectating locals.

The Iowa Wing was also involved in anti-saboteur exercises for local authorities. This included conducting air interception drills, red teaming, and assisting authorities with inspections on explosives storage.

Organization

The Iowa Wing does not utilize CAP's optional "Group" structure. Instead, all squadrons report to the Iowa Wing directly.

Former Units

Charter numbers were not assigned to squadrons in CAP until 1955. Prior to 1955, units used numbers based on Region, Wing, and Group. Iowa was the second Wing under the seventh Region. Groups were the third number and squadrons were assigned a number after the hyphen. Flights did not receive their own unit numbers. Instead, flights acted as detachments of squadrons who held unit numbers. Squadrons sometimes moved locations without changing their unit number. Other times, unit numbers were reused following a previous unit with the same squadron number being deactivated. Some of these units may have continued under different names after being assigned individual charter numbers after 1955.

Aircraft

Current inventory

The Iowa Wing currently possesses 7 powered aircraft, as well as 1 glider and a handful of drones.

Accidents

On March 13, 1971, A Civil Air Patrol Beechcraft A45 with the tail code N9716Z, assigned to the Iowa Wing, clipped a power-line and crashed while conducting flood surveillance over Boone, Iowa. Investigations found that the pilot-in-command had attempted operation with known deficiencies in equipment. A waiver was issued to release the aircraft for flight with a heavily crazed windshield which, combined with a haze in the area, greatly obstructed the pilot's vision. The pilot, then-Iowa Wing Acting Commander Lt Col Robert A. Graybill, and an unidentified passenger serving as an observer were both fatally injured in the crash.

On March 22, 2003, a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182R with the tail code N6211E, assigned to the Iowa Wing's Des Moines Composite Squadron, was destroyed during takeoff and climb out from White Pigeon Airport (ICAO 7IA1) near North English, Iowa. The aircraft was on an instructional training flight that started at Ankeny Regional Airport, manned by Certified Flight Instructor Chaplain (Major) Christie Battle and Private Pilot Second Lieutenant James Johnson. The National Transportation Safety Board reported the cause of the accident was determined to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. The instructor's improper decision to attempt to takeoff from a short, grass taxiway instead of departing from a proper runway aligned with the prevailing winds; the short, grass taxiway itself; the crosswind, trees, and transmission wires all contributed to the accident. Maj Battle was pronounced dead at the scene, while 2nd Lt Johnson sustained serious injuries.

Legal protection

Under Title I §29A.43 of the Code of Iowa, employers in Iowa are required to grant a leave of absence to their employees who are members of Civil Air Patrol when these employees are called to fulfill a Civil Air Patrol mission. Employers are forbidden by state law from punishing an employee in any way for being a member of Civil Air Patrol or for taking a leave of absence for a Civil Air Patrol mission. Employers cannot require their employee to use vacation time or sick leave to cover the employee's leave of absence, and may not reduce the employee's bonus or other employment benefits relating to the employee's particular employment.

List of commanders

The Iowa Wing has had 32 wing commanders from 1941 to 2024.

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Major Daniel F. Hunter	1 December 1941	2 March 1944	2 years, 92 days
2		Colonel Don C. Johnston	2 March 1944	20 February 1948	3 years, 355 days
3		Colonel Willard O. Fuller	20 February 1948	10 January 1950	1 year, 324 days
4		Colonel Harold E. McKinney	10 January 1950	21 December 1955	5 years, 345 days
5		Colonel Robert J. Wade	21 December 1955	29 May 1958	2 years, 159 days
6		Colonel Hal D. Rogers	29 May 1958	17 February 1964	5 years, 264 days
7		Lieutenant Colonel Edward J. Whistler	17 February 1964	1 September 1965	1 year, 196 days
8		Colonel Allen E. Towne	1 September 1965	8 February 1968	2 years, 160 days
9		Colonel William B. Cass	8 February 1968	5 December 1970	2 years, 300 days
-		Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Graybill Acting	5 December 1970	13 March 1971	98 days
10		Colonel William R. Gold	13 March 1971	17 May 1972	1 year, 65 days
11		Colonel William B. Cass	17 May 1972	1 June 1975	3 years, 15 days
13		Colonel Patrica J. Gigstad	1 June 1975	22 August 1979	4 years, 82 days
14		Colonel Donald M. Bailey	22 August 1979	31 December 1981	2 years, 131 days
15		Lieutenant Colonel Evan R. Winters	31 December 1981	13 November 1982	317 days
16		Colonel James L. Black	13 November 1982	9 November 1985	2 years, 361 days
17		Colonel Phyllis A. Dolin	9 November 1985	22 August 1986	286 days
18		Colonel Eugene C. Kellogg	5 September 1986	1 July 1988	1 year, 300 days
19		Colonel Ramona J. Shaver	1 July 1988	14 Nov 1992	4 years, 136 days
20		Colonel Lawrence D. Toigo	14 Nov 1992	23 November 1996	4 years, 9 days
21		Colonel Sheila J. Waldorf	23 November 1996	15 August 1998	1 year, 265 days
23		Colonel John F. Lalla	15 August 1998	1 January 2000	1 year, 139 days
24		Colonel Rex E. Glasgow	1 January 2000	15 June 2002	2 years, 165 days
25		Colonel Russell E. Smith	15 June 2002	12 November 2003	1 year, 150 days
-		Major Gerald P. Lowry Acting	12 November 2003	19 January 2004	68 days
26		Colonel Ralph F. Tomlinson	19 January 2004	26 January 2008	4 years, 7 days
27		Colonel Ronald S. Scheitzach	26 January 2008	12 January 2013	4 years, 352 days
28		Colonel Michael Mouw	12 January 2013	4 September 2014	1 year, 235 days
29		Colonel Anita S. Elliot	4 September 2014	13 November 2017	3 years, 70 days
-		Major Ron Mutchler Acting	13 November 2017	7 April 2018	145 days
30		Colonel Joseph M. Hackett	7 April 2018	25 May 2020	2 years, 48 days
31		Colonel Jonathan W. Lartigue	25 May 2020	1 June 2024	4 years, 7 days
32		Colonel Michael "Sean" McClanahan	1 June 2024	Incumbent	201 days

See also

• Iowa Air National Guard
• Iowa Army National Guard
• United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

References

1. Lartigue, Jonathan (1 June 2021). "Iowa Wing 2020 Annual Report". Civil Air Patrol National History Program. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
2. "2022 Wing Reports". Civil Air Patrol Newsroom. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
3. "Civil Air Patrol's Three Primary Programs". Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
4. Clovin, Christopher. "Iowa Under Water" (PDF). Civil Air Patrol Volunteer Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
5. "Emergency Services". Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
6. "CAP News Bulletin No. 22". Civil Air Patrol National History Program. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
7. Clovin, Christopher. "Iowa Under Water" (PDF). Civil Air Patrol Volunteer Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
8. South, Paul. "'Midwest Miracle': Iowa Wing, CAP Neighbors Quickly Provide Derecho Damage Aerial Images". Civil Air Patrol Newsroom. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
9. Reynolds, Jake (9 January 2023). "2022 in Tornadoes – A Look at the "Worst"". Survive a Storm. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
10. Officials: Tornado kills 6, including 2 children, near Des Moines, Iowa, News 7 Boston, March 6, 2022
11. "2022 Wing Reports". Civil Air Patrol Newsroom. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
12. Myers, Margot. "Operation Pulse Lift Reaches 1,000 Days, 17,416 Blood Units". Civil Air Patrol Newsroom. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
13. "Cadet Programs". Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
14. "Iowa Wing Encampment". Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
15. "CAP News 2001 Vol 33 No. 9". Civil Air Patrol National History Program. September 2001. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
16. "Wreaths Across America". Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
17. "North Central Region Teams Participate in CyberPatriot XIV". Civil Air Patrol North Central Region. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
18. "Aerospace Education". Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
19. "CAP News Bulletin No. 1". Civil Air Patrol Historical Program. 27 January 1942. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
20. "CAP News Bulletin No. 33". Civil Air Patrol Historical Program. 11 September 1942. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
21. "CAP News Bulletin No. 31". Civil Air Patrol Historical Program. 4 September 1942. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
22. "CAP News Bulletin No. 31". Civil Air Patrol Historical Program. 4 September 1942. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
23. "Iowa Wing -> About -> Locations in Iowa". Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
24. Schroeder, Casey. "Squadron Patches of the Iowa Wing, Civil Air Patrol" (PDF). incountry.us. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
25. Struve, Mark (27 April 2023). "ANNUAL COMMAND HISTORY IOWA WING" (PDF). CAP National History Program. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
26. AuxBeacon News Staff (13 March 1971). "Civil Air Patrol Wing Commander Dies in Crash". AuxBeacon. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
27. "NTSB Identification: MKC71AK048". National Transportation Safety Board. 13 March 1971. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
28. "N6211E". Des Moines Composite Squadron. 31 Aug 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
29. Capt Julia Bachtell & Lt Brandon Hanson (31 May 2004). "Aircraft Accident". Des Moines Composite Squadron. Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. Retrieved 5 Oct 2023.
30. "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Investigation CHI03FA088". NTSB Docket. 3 May 2004. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
31. GosHawk (30 June 2004). "NTSB Faults Civil Air Patrol Pilots in Iowa Crash". AuxBeacon. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
32. "29A.43 Discrimination prohibited — leave of absence — continuation of health coverage". Justia. 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
33. Moore, Louisa; Hess, Mark (14 September 2013). "Iowa Wing Commanders". Scribd. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
34. Schroeder, Casey. "Iowa Wing 2014 Annual Report". Civil Air Patrol National History Program. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
35. "Hackett Assumes Iowa Wing Command". Civil Air Patrol Newsroom. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
36. Lartigue, Jonathan (1 June 2021). "Iowa Wing 2020 Annual Report". Civil Air Patrol National History Program. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
37. "New Iowa Wing commander Announced". CAPTalk. 6 January 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2022.

External links

• Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol official website
• Iowa Wing Civil Air Patrol Facebook Page

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