Capt Geier  receives a Certificate of appreciation from Capt Mike Lain, Curriculum Director (left) and Maj Eric Templeton, AKWG MAS Commandant (right)

SC Wing member Capt Billy Geier is one of only 11 Civil Air Patrol officers nationwide selected to launch Alaska's National Emergency Services training for Alaska-based CAP. Capt. Billy trained real-world mission CAP aircrew at both Anchorage and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, from May 9 through May 16 with instructors arriving May 4 to develop training scenarios. The Alaska Wing is standing-up a national-level training program based on the National Emergency Services Academy Mission Aircrew School, Camp Atterbury, Indiana, and requested qualified instructors.
 
"We are excited to have the staff of the NESA Mission Aircrew School here in Alaska to train or aircrews," said Col Carl Brown Commander of the Alaska Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.  "We have had great experiences with the few members that have been able to make the trip to Indiana for training, and wanted to speed up the training process here in Alaska."
 
The NESA-MAS training consists of academics and actual in-flight training that includes various search patterns and procedures that occur during search and rescue or disaster relief missions.
Geier, a member of the Spartanburg Composite Squadron, S.C. since 1994, graduated from NESA-MAS, in 2002 and has staffed and instructed there every year since. "Billy (Geier) was the perfect choice as one of the seminole instructors for CAP's newest National Emergency Services training," said CAP Maj. Eric Templeton, commandant, NESA-MAS. "His five years of instructing at our school and his participation on several real-world search and rescue missions for lost aircraft gives him the perfect combination of skills needed to help launch this new program."
 
The first graduating class in Alaska will include approximately 20 members of Alaska's CAP. "I see this as a great opportunity to share this national training program with the Alaska wing since the distance is practically cost-prohibitive for them to travel and participate in Indiana," Geier said. "I always enjoy being able to teach others as well as being able to learn from them which allows me to expand and grow in experience." Geier, who is a volunteer with the CAP, currently resides in Boiling Springs, S.C., and works full-time for the University of South Carolina Upstate, Information Technologies Dept. Client Services, since 2001.