Tomorrow @ 0600 3 CAP vehicles will start rolling towards Alpena, MI from Grand Rapids, MI; each loaded to capacity with Cadets and three daring Senior Members and a whole ton of gear. What the occasion you ask? Well now... that would be the 2009 Great Lakes Region - North/Michigan Wing Summer Encampment.

This will be my third year in a row for me to make this pilgrimage; to what most people who've been there, call their 'second home'. This will also be my third and final year acting as Public Affairs Officer for it. This may come as a shock to some, I know, but it's time for me to move on to bigger and better things. What those bigger and better things are, will remain to be seen.

Do you have ideas? NESA seems like a possibility, for what, yet...maybe Archer training, Il'l have to decide. I think it would be a blast to escort for IACE.  But an important thing to remember is, no matter how much you plan for something, things can change with the beat of a heart. So who knows, right?

So at this point, I'm wondering... how do I top what I accomplished last year as PAO? I got top story in the local newspaper, with follow up full page photos and an article on the local unit the next day, a rather decent bit of TV coverage on the only TV news station in town and I was able to, with the help of a few keen folk, put out a daily 2 page, 3 column newsletter for seven straight days.

A plus this year will be the fact that we will be honored to have our National Commander, Maj Gen Amy S. Courter on hand for the graduations of our RCLS and MRE (Model Rocketry Encampment) classes as well as the 'Basic Encampment' graduation and PIR (Pass In Review).  I have also heard that our Region Commander, Col Charles Carr will also be in attendance. So graduation will be quite exciting!

Not to jinx things either, but I would have to say that I believe the stars have aligned for this to be the best encampment, as far as I'm concerned anyways. Not only will my son will be on cadet staff for the first time but he'll be receiving his Mitchell award from Maj Gen Courter. Plus my daughter will be a 'basic' cadet this year.

I guess I should end this entry for now and call it 'the first in a series of blog posts about encampment 2009'. Next time you hear from me, I'll be breathing that fresh (naturally) pine scented northern air!