AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND - FAMILIARIZATION COURSE (FL)

Citizens Serving Communities: Above and Beyond

Article By Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Lydia I. Wiff

Minnesota Cadet Has the Experience of a Lifetime

The summer of 2009 has flown by for me, and now I have time to reflect on one of the most enjoyable things I did during it. In the two years I have been in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), I’ve known that the Cadet Program had much to offer cadets. This past winter, I applied for the Air Force Space Command Familiarization Course (AFSPC-FC) in Florida, a course that  gives cadets from all around the country an in-depth look at the National  Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Launch Center, and the 45^th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base.

When I went online to check out the National Cadet Special Activities (NCSA), I read about the AFSPC-FC in Florida. I visited the activity’s website and became excited when I read about the things that last year’s group was able to do and see. I also read about a similar NCSA in Colorado, but opted for Florida because I had never been to Florida or the ocean. I decided to apply just two weeks before the deadline, late last year, and was happy to make it. Prior to attending the activity, I had an interest in NASA and the Space Program, but had never studied it in great detail. This activity provided the perfect chance for me to learn more about NASA and the Air Force Space Command.

As I prepared to attend the activity, I had looked forward to seeing some fascinating sights, but I never even imagined what I would get to do and see. When I arrived in Florida and stepped outside the airport, first I noticed the humidity, then the heat. Minnesota is quite different, so you can imagine how I felt, going from the dry, frigid North to the damp, boiling South. Later that night I met all the cadets and Senior Staff. The cadets came from all over the country. Not all were planning to make Space a part of their career, but all had an interest in Space and wanted to learn more about it. Almost all the staff had some connection to NASA and the Shuttle Program, and they were willing to share their vast knowledge with us. CAP has an interesting way of bringing together people from many different careers who are willing to share their knowledge with the younger generations.

While our group went to many places and had multiple tours, some activities I will never forget. We toured the Orbiter Repair Shop and actually saw the Orbiter Atlantis. Tourists seldom get the chance to be that close to flight hardware. We even were in the right place at the right time and got to drive next to the Space Shuttle Discovery as it was rolling out to the launch pad. The sheer size of it was amazing, and to be less than 50 feet from it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will not forget. After the Space Shuttle reached the Launch Pad, we were allowed to go back and take individual and group pictures from across the road, where the public is allowed under rare circumstances. For me, seeing the Space Shuttle that close was the highpoint of the week.

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Another wonderful memory is the International Space Station Facility, where they build hardware that will be part of the International Space Station (ISS). We saw food that astronauts eat in space, and touched some hardware that had actually been in Space. My favorite part of the tour was sitting in a chair that had gone to space and hold a boot that was part of a space suit.

We met some amazing people connected to NASA. We had lunch at the Kennedy Space Center with astronaut Colonel John Blaha, who has been part of 6 missions on the Space Shuttle. He described what it felt like to be in the Space Shuttle when it launched. He also met with our group afterwards, to talk and take pictures. It was truly a privilege to actually meet an astronaut. We also met Earl Driscoll, a former NASA engineer who had worked on all Apollo Program missions.  We toured the building where he is teacher and curator, and saw his personal, never-before-seen collection of souvenirs from his NASA years. His collection included a manual for the Apollo 13 mission signed by Alan Sheppard. He told us that, as employees, they were not allowed to ask astronauts for their autographs, or they would be fired. So it is very rare for a former NASA employee to have an astronaut’s autograph. He is working to convert the building into a museum, and told us that we were the first to view his collection, which he values at over a million dollars. 

I had a blast seeing Florida for the first time, and learning about NASA and the Space Program.  I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to attend the AFSPC-FC (FL) activity, and would recommend it to any Civil Air Patrol cadet who has even the slightest interest in Space. The great thing about this activity is that you do not have to be interested in being a part of the Space Program or becoming an astronaut. You just need to be interested in Space and willing to learn more.

I would like to say to a big “Thank you” to all the Staff that put months of preparation into the activity. I know they worked very hard to make this activity a success, and they did a stellar job. I would also like to say “Thank you” to Patrick Air Force Base for hosting the activity and to the Riverside Dining Facility, who provided our meals.

I would like to encourage Cadets out there who have never applied for a National Cadet Special Activity to apply for this one, and have the experience of a lifetime. You will never forget it and, like me, you will plan on returning to sunny Florida some day. At the beginning of the activity I was not what you would call a “Space geek.” Now I can say that if you are not a Space geek when you arrive, you will be a Space geek when you leave. 

Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Lydia I. Wiff

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