# Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol

The Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol (abbreviated INWG) is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol in the state of Indiana. Its headquarters is located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Indiana Wing involves 1,354 adult and youth volunteers organized into five group headquarters, a legislative squadron, and twenty-five total subordinate squadrons located throughout the state, including four School Enrichment Programs. Civil Air Patrol's 2nd largest cadet squadron, the Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron (GLR-IN-803), is located in Anderson, Indiana.

## Missions

Indiana Wing performs Civil Air Patrol's three key missions: emergency services, which includes search and rescue (by air and ground) and disaster relief operations; aerospace education for youth and the general public; and cadet programs for teenage youth.
Indiana Wing supports Civil Air Patrol's Emergency Services missions by flying eight Civil Air Patrol aircraft, small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and operating twenty vehicles. The Wing operates 19 high-frequency (HF) stations, and 16 very high-frequency (VHF) repeaters and 177 VHF base and mobile radios. Indiana Wing is involved in search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
Indiana Wing offers the CAP Cadet Program in a number of communities across the state, and provides a free orientation flight program that flew 277 cadets in 2023. Of the 2023 flights, cadets were provided 348 powered orientation flights and 52 glider orientation flights.
Support for CAP's Aerospace Education mission includes outreach to schools, education for cadets, and participation in local aviation events. As part of CAP's Aerospace Education program teachers who join Civil Air Patrol as an "Aerospace Education Member" may receive a flight in CAP aircraft as well as free national academic-standard aligned books, STEM kits, and award programs. The AEM program has a one-time only fee with no requirement for meeting attendance and uniform wear -- and is available for home schools. Additionally, Indiana Wing maintains a hot air balloon for aviation education and community outreach.

## Organizational structure

Indiana Wing is organized into a wing headquarters unit, five group headquarters overseeing 25 squadrons, and a legislative squadron. In addition, the Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron reports directly to the wing headquarters.
Four group headquarters are aligned with Indiana's Department of Homeland Security districts and have oversight for the squadrons within those districts. The fifth group headquarters oversees units within school districts.
* Indiana Group I: IDHS Districts 1, 2, and 4
* Indiana Group III: IDHS Districts 3 and 6.
* Indiana Group V: IDHS District V.
* Indiana Group XII: IDHS Districts 7, 8, 9, and 10.
* Indiana Group 800: Indiana Wing Schools Group
| Group | Designation | Squadron Name | Location | Notes |
| XII | IN-002 | Monroe County Composite Squadron | Bloomington | |
| I | IN-036 | Valparaiso Composite Squadron | Valparaiso | |
| I | IN-049 | St Joe Valley Cadet Squadron | Nappanee | |
| V | IN-069 | Col James H. Kasler Senior Squadron | Greenwood | |
| I | IN-084 | Lafayette Composite Squadron | West Lafayette | |
| I | IN-085 | Ferrier Cadet Squadron | Camden | |
| III | IN-086 | Grant County Cadet Flight | Gas City | |
| V | IN-123 | Weir Cook Cadet Squadron | Indianapolis International Airport | |
| XII | IN-126 | Falcon Composite Squadron | New Albany | |
| I | IN-144 | La Porte Senior Squadron | La Porte | |
| XII | IN-181 | 181st Composite Squadron | Terre Haute | |
| V | IN-184 | Shelbyville Composite Squadron | Shelbyville | |
| V | IN-193 | Indianapolis Senior Squadron | Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport | |
| III | IN-201 | Fort Wayne Composite Squadron | Fort Wayne | |
| III | IN-205 | 205th Composite Squadron | Muncie | |
| V | IN-206 | Eagle Composite Squadron | Indianapolis Executive Airport | |
| I | IN-211 | Lake County Cadet Squadron | Lake Station | |
| XII | IN-214 | Bakalar Composite Squadron | Columbus | |
| XII | IN-216 | Patoka Valley Cadet Squadron | Huntingburg | |
| XII | IN-220 | River City Cadet Squadron | Evansville | |
| III | IN-223 | Anderson Composite Squadron | Anderson | |
| V | IN-228 | Ft Benjamin Harrison Composite Squadron | Greenfield | |
| V | IN-802 | Titan Cadet Squadron | McKenzie Career Center | School Enrichment Program |
| Direct Report to Wing HQ | IN-803 | Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron | Anderson Preparatory Academy | School Enrichment Program |
| I | IN-806 | John Adams High School Cadet Squadron | South Bend | School Enrichment Program |
| Direct Report to Wing HQ | IN-999 | Indiana Legislative Squadron | Indianapolis | General Assembly Members and their Staff |

## Past Wing Commanders

Commanders of the Indiana Wing :
| Commander's Name | Period of Service |
| Col Walker W. Winslow | 1941–1949 |
| Col Walter B. Smith | 1949-1950 |
| Col Merle L. Denney | 1950-1952 |
| Col Wayne W. Ricks | 1952-1955 |
| Lt Col Sumner M. Sadler | 1955-1956 |
| Col Stanley H. Arnolt | 1956-1959 |
| Col Donald H. Lessig | 1959-1961 |
| Col Cecil W. Armstrong | 1961-1962 |
| Col John W. Richards | 1962-1964 |
| Col M. Fred Wood | 1964-1966 |
| Col Kenneth Lebo | 1966-1970 |
| Col M. Fred Wood | 1970-1972 |
| Col James N. Mahle | 1972-1977 |
| Col Jack R. Hornbeck * | 1977-1981 |
| Col Edwin D. DesLauries | 1981-1983 |
| Col George W. Young | 1983-1987 |
| Col Peter C. Crasher | 1987-1989 |
| Col Paul Bergman ** | 1989-1991 |
| Col Joseph S. Gilkey II | 1991-1992 |
| Col Edward F. Mueller | 1992-1995 |
| Col Larry W. Landick | 1995-1998 |
| Col Glenn A. Kavich | 1998-2002 |
| Col Charles Greenwood | 2002-2006 |
| Lt Col John Bryan *** | 2006-2007 |
| Col W. Mark Reeves | 2007-2010 |
| Col Richard L. Griffith *** | 2010-2013 |
| Col Matthew R. Creed * | 2013-2016 |
| Col Philip Argenti | 2016-2020 |
| Col Robert W. Freese | 2020-2023 |
| Lt Col Aaron Angelini*** | 2023-2024 |
| Col Robert W. Freese (Interim) | 2024 |
| Col Jamie Griffith*** | 2024-Present |
| *Went on to serve as Great Lakes Region Commander. **Went on to serve as Great Lakes Region Commander and National Commander in the grade of Brigadier General. ***Spaatz Award recipient. | |

## Spaatz Award Recipients

The General Carl A. Spaatz Award is the highest award in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. The award honors General Carl A. Spaatz, who was the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and the second National Commander of Civil Air PatrolAir Patrol.
First awarded in 1964, only 0.5% of CAP cadets ever earn the Spaatz award. Indiana Wing ranks 18th among the 50 U.S. states in the number of Spaatz awards earned. Award recipients from Indiana include:
Spaatz Awardees of the Indiana Wing :
| Award # | Spaatz Recipient | Award Date |
| 24 | David G. Ehrman | 20-Sep-66 |
| 81 | Bruce A. Newell | 8-Jan-69 |
| 181 | Michael K. Hayden | 8-Sep-72 |
| 235 | Christine O. McKannon | 7-Sep-73 |
| 252 | Melvin K. Hayden | 26-Dec-73 |
| 253 | Stephen G. Atkins | 26-Dec-73 |
| 346 | Gregory A. Moore | 29-Aug-75 |
| 358 | Michael D. Duke | 3-Nov-75 |
| 441 | Ronald F. Reimer, Jr | 14-Oct-77 |
| 497 | Michael J. Caylor | 4-Jan-79 |
| 498 | George F. Williams | 4-Jan-79 |
| 565 | David M. Finkel | 9-Feb-81 |
| 597 | John M. Thackston | 9-Mar-82 |
| 611 | Michael T. Orr | 14-Jun-82 |
| 612 | David J. Amin | 14-Jun-82 |
| 623 | Peter J. Conte | 12-Nov-82 |
| 665 | John P. Moorman | 30-Sep-83 |
| 679 | Chris T. Conte | 9-Jan-84 |
| 705 | James L. Daniels | 3-Aug-84 |
| 850 | Patrick K. McLaughlin | 8-Jun-87 |
| 852 | Mathew M. Roush | 11-Aug-87 |
| 972 | Mark C. Rusk | 12-Jan-90 |
| 1022 | Thomas C. Judd | 21-Aug-90 |
| 1061 | Thomas A. Valentine, Jr. | 13-May-91 |
| 1068 | Andrew D. King | 24-Jun-91 |
| 1178 | Michael J. Noffze | 6-Jul-93 |
| 1196 | Nora L. Stephenson | 8-Dec-93 |
| 1199 | David B. Dennis | 24-Jan-94 |
| 1228 | Richard L. Griffith* | 24-Oct-94 |
| 1262 | John F. Bryan* | 31-Jul-95 |
| 1273 | Charles A. Greene | 29-Sep-95 |
| 1317 | Christopher C. Curtis | 19-Dec-96 |
| 1318 | Kathy L. Hoverman | 13-Dec-96 |
| 1329 | Jamie L. Foote | 27-Aug-97 |
| 1338 | Kelly L. Waelde | 15-Aug-96 |
| 1365 | Jason T. Attinger | 28-Apr-98 |
| 1454 | Noel R. Schutt | 19-Mar-02 |
| 1470 | Meaghan N. Patten | 9-Aug-02 |
| 1488 | David E. Bass | 13-Feb-03 |
| 1507 | Philip M. Foust | 27-Jun-03 |
| 1646 | Kate A. Whitacre | 13-Jun-07 |
| 1708 | Daniel A. Fowl | 20-Aug-08 |
| 1724 | Thomas A. Redfield | 10-Jan-09 |
| 1849 | John-Paul W. Franks | 10-Jul-12 |
| 1865 | Christopher Weinzapfel | 9-Dec-12 |
| 1867 | Elizabeth A. McClamrock | 12-Jan-13 |
| 1874 | Sierra D. Parsons | 9-Mar-13 |
| 1957 | Nathan C. Shinabarger | 14-Jun-14 |
| 1964 | Jason S. Reed | 18-Jul-14 |
| 2050 | Luke Grace | 13-Jun-16 |
| 2253 | Kamryn T. Schmidt | 10-Aug-19 |
| 2354 | Tom L. Huynh | 27-Jun-21 |
| 2437 | Brayden M. Schrock | 29-Dec-22 |
| 2457 | Miriam A. Carpenter | 12-May-23 |
| * Subsequently Indiana Wing commander. |||

## Legal protection

Under Indiana law, private employers whose businesses are within the borders of Indiana are forbidden from disciplining their employees who are members of the Indiana Wing, if those employees miss work in order to respond to an emergency as a part of Civil Air PatrolAir Patrol. Private employers are only exempted from this rule if they designate an employee as an "essential employee to the employer," and the state commander of the Indiana Wing must be notified.
The State of Indiana and all political subdivision of the state do not have a right to seek an exemption to giving Civil Air Patrol employees leave time by designating them an "essential employee to the employer." Rather, they are forbidden from penalizing any employee who takes leave from their work responsibilities to respond to a Civil Air Patrol mission.
All Indiana secondary school students, whether public or private, are entitled to leave from school to participate in Civil Air Patrol training and missions. Schools are forbidden by law from marking these students as absent or penalizing them in any way.