News from J.C. Bradshaw

As J.C. works hard to recover from brain surgery to remove a tumor, he will begin Chemo and radiation therapy at the end of the week.  He’s able to get around pretty good and works hard at his physical therapy - hoping to begin the difficult treatment at the top of his game.

His symptoms first manifested from the brain tumor, but more tests revealed that he has a spot in his lung.  So, the doctors have now determined that he is fighting lung cancer.

 Please sent him your thoughts and wishes through either his snail-mail address at:  4049 Hull Rd, Snowhill, NC  28580, or through the email account that he shares with his wife Nancy:  jcng@esn.net.  J.C. still has a very bad hearing problem that makes phone communications difficult.

Brenda L. Hall  585-7037

SUBJECT: 2011 USAF CCT, PJ, SERE, CRO AND STO OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1.  LT GEN HAWK CARLISLE, HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR OPERATIONS, PLANS, AND REQUIREMENTS, EXTENDS HIS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 2011 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COMBAT CONTROL, PARARESCUE, SERE SPECIALIST, COMBAT RESCUE OFFICER AND SPECIAL TACTICS OFFICER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.  ALL OF THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES WERE SUPERB AND REPRESENTED THEIR MAJCOM IN AN EXCEPTIONAL MANNER DURING THIS VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS.  THE 2011 AWARD WINNERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES ARE:

1.1. USAF COMBAT CONTROL SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – SMSGT JEFFREY R. GUILMAIN, 320 STS, KADENA AB, JAPAN (AFSOC)

1.2. USAF COMBAT CONTROL NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE YEAR – TSGT JASON R. WESTBROOK, 24 STS, POPE AAF, NC (AFSOC)

1.3. USAF COMBAT CONTROL AIRMAN OF THE YEAR – SRA DANIEL R. CUTRELL, 23 STS, HURLBURT FIELD, FL (AFSOC)

1.12. USAF SPECIAL TACTICS OFFICER OF THE YEAR – CAPT NATHANIEL L. SMITH, 321 STS, RAF MILDENHALL, UK (AFSOC)

Col (Ret.) Charles "Chuck" Corey has passed away

Please pass this information to our membership.  I've gone through the CCA Directory and added many of the people who were teammates or knew of Col Corey.

It's with a sad heart to inform you that Col (Ret.) Charles "Chuck" Corey has passed away.  See link below provided by Red Ghormley for additional information and services.  http://burnhammortuary.com/

Col. "Chuck" Corey was a pioneer in Combat Control and was one of the finest CCT officers to ever wear a CCT beret.  He only left CCT because he out promoted himself from within the CCT officer ranks.  He was so highly regarded by Air Force leadership that he was either twice or three times a Base Commander, at Kunsan AB, Korea, Osan AB, Korea and I think at Clark AB, RP.

One of my favorite stories of Col. Corey was at the Langley AFB, Virginia NCO Club back in the early '70s.  In those days the separation of ranks and clubs was strictly enforced.  One evening at the NCO Club the Langley Team (1st Aerial Port Squadron CCT) were causing a little ruckus (drunk & disorderly). So the Security Police were called and came to investigate the situation. They asked each one around the table their rank, name, squadron and who their commander was.  They were obviously going to call the commander to turn these guys in for disciplinary action.  So around the table they each answered... it

probably went like this:  I'm MSgt Lou May, 1st Aerial Port Squadron and my commander is Lt Col Chuck Corey, then on to John Smith, Lee Everson, Bob Lanier, Joe Orr, Gus Phillipou, Derek Lyske, Gus Rhinehart, Waldoo Willis, Gil Bigelow, Wayne Dalton, Jim Donaldson, Bill Frankenberger, Dave Pearson, Mike Lisk, Larry Clausen, Don East, etc.  Then the last person at the table responded "I am Lt Col Chuck Corey and I am the commander."  No arrests were

made.

Fraternally,

Wayne

Combat controller posthumously awarded Silver Star

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- Senior Airman Mark Forester had an American flag wrapped around his chest plate inside his body armor when he was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper's fire Sept. 29, 2010.

This simple act is a testament to how Forester lived his life, a life respected by all who knew him.

Forester, a combat controller assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Field, N.C., was posthumously awarded the Silver Star on June 15 in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. 

The Silver Star, the third highest combat medal, is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the U.S. while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.

The medal was presented to his parents, Ray and Pat Forester of Haleyville, Ala. 


Read article :


http://www.shadowspear.com/special-operations-news/106095-cct-mark-forester-silver-star.html

John M. Lewis obit and funeral information

 

John Marion Lewis, Jr., age 84, passed away on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 in San Antonio surrounded by his cherished family. Born October 19, 1927 in San Antonio to John M. and Mary Tom Hale, Mr. Lewis was a loving husband, father and grandfather who showed an undying devotion to family, God and country. He enjoyed a blessed life in humble service of the Lord, living in the faith that he would one day join his savior in Heaven.

Lewis rose to the rank of Major in his long career with the U.S. Air Force. He began his military career in the U.S. Navy, serving from Oct. 26, 1945 to Oct. 6, 1947. He joined in the Air Force Reserves in 1953 and in 1961 was called to active duty in the Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He served as Officer-In-Charge of the Combat Control Team of the 60^th Aerial Port Squadron. During a tour of duty in France from 1964 to 1966, he parachuted throughout Western Europe. Back in the states, he received the Air Force Commendation Medal for leading a dangerous mission that involved parachuting in snow-blinding conditions to air-drop supplies and gifts to children stranded in a school on the Arizona Navajo Reservation during the Christmas of 1967.

Subsequently, Lewis was public information officer at Travis Air Force Base in California and later at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. During his eight-year assignment at Travis, he coordinated the media coverage of the U.S. homecoming of POWs from Vietnam in 1973. He also spent part of 1974 and 1975 in Thailand supervising the American Forces Thailand network of radio and television stations. After his retirement from the military May 31, 1979, Lewis was the manager of the San Antonio Visitors Information Bureau for 10 years until 1990.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University in 1952. Lewis was also an accomplished public speaker, broadcaster and writer. He was dedicated to the Catholic Church and served as a lay minister.

Lewis is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Mary G. Lewis; daughters Christina Lewis, Diana Lewis and Rachel Larsen; son John Marion Lewis III; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

ROSARY

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

7:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING MORTUARY NORTH CHAPEL

MASS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

12:30 P.M.

ST. ANTHONY DE PADUA

Internment with Military Honors will follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wounded Warriors.

You are invited to sign

The Guestbook at

www.porterloring.com

Arrangements with

PORTER LORING MORTUARY NORTH

2102 NORTH LOOP 1604 EAST

SAN ANTONIO, TX 78232 – 210-495-8221

Mister P304 (from Roger Klair)

Eddie,

J. C. Bradshaw has survived a brain tumor operation and is now recouping at home in N.C.  Please pass this info on to Childress for the CCA Blog. 

Thanks,

J. C. welcomes e-mail at:  jcng@esn.net.

Roger Klair sends

Maj (Ret.) John Lewis passed away

FYSA,

Al Huddleston called me earlier this morning to inform us that Maj (Ret.) John Lewis (CCA LM-0236) had passed away earlier this morning. As most of you are aware, he wrote the Red Beret Poem that you often see on the CCA Reunion banquet program. He recently attend the San Antonio Mini-Reunion, unfortunately his last. Alvin will keep me abreast of plans for a service/funeral. He will take care of flowers or donation to a charity if that is requested and we will reimburse him up to the $100 amount we set earlier this year.

More to follow when arrangements are final. Thanks.

Fraternally,

Wayne 

24th SPECIAL OPERATIONS WING

Mission The 24th Special Operations Wing (24th SOW) is one of three Air Force active duty special operations wings assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The 24th SOW is based at Hurlburt Field, FL. The primary mission of the 24th SOW is to provide Special Tactics forces for rapid global employment to enable airpower success.  The 24th SOW is USSOCOM’s tactical air/ground integration force and the Air Force’s special operations ground force to enable global access, precision strike, and personnel recovery operations. Core capabilities encompass: airfield reconnaissance, assessment, and control; personnel recovery; joint terminal attack control; and environmental reconnaissance. Special Tactics is comprised of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Special Operations Weather Officers and Airmen, Air Liaison Officers, Tactical Air Control Party operators, and a number of combat support Airmen which compromise 58 Air Force specialties. These unique skills provide a full-spectrum, air-focused special operations capability to the combatant commander in order to ensure airpower success.  With their unique skill sets, Special Tactics operators are often the first special operations elements deployed into crisis situations. Organization The 24th SOW has two operational groups, a training squadron, and 16 special operations recruiting liaison operating locations. Altogether, the wing has elements in 29 locations. The 123rd Special Tactics Squadron (STS) based at Standiford Field, Kentucky, and the 125th STS based at Portland International Airport, Oregon are Air National Guard gained units that augment the 24 SOW in support of national security objectives, combat operations, humanitarian efforts, and training. Units 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.: 10th Combat Weather Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 17th Air Support Operations Squadron, Ft. Benning Ga. 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 720th Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 724th Special Tactics Group, Pope Field, N.C.: 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. 724th Operations Support Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. Special Tactics Training Squadron (STTS), Hurlburt Field Fla.: Special Operations Recruiting Liaison Operating Locations (OL): OL-A, HQ 24 SOW, Hill Air Force Base, Utah OL-B, HQ 24 SOW, Lackland AFB, Tex. OL-C, HQ 24 SOW, New Cumberland, Penn. OL-D, HQ 24 SOW, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. OL-E, HQ 24 SOW, Encino, Calif. OL-F, HQ 24 SOW, Sacramento, Calif. OL-G, HQ 24 SOW, Colorado Springs, Colo. OL-H, HQ 24 SOW, Nashville, Tenn. OL-I, HQ 24 SOW, Syracuse, N.Y. OL-J, HQ 24 SOW, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio OL-K, HQ 24 SOW, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. OL-L, HQ 24 SOW, Des Moines, Iowa OL-M, HQ 24 SOW, Goldsboro, N.C. OL-N, HQ 24 SOW, Warner-Robbins Air Force Base, Ga. OL-O, HQ 24 SOW, Milwaukee, Wis. OL-P, HQ 24 SOW, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Current as of May 29, 2012