Col Shorty Powers Composite Squadron
About Us
Directions
Contact Us
Heraldry
Calendar
New Members
Our Meetings
About Us
Our Name
You may be curious about our squadron name. Originally, this squadron was named the Downers Grove Composite Squadron because it was based in Downers Grove. At about the time the squadron was formed, Colonel John “Shorty” Powers was a public affairs officer for NASA and became known as the voice of Mission Control during the Mercury Program. Col. Powers grew up in Downers Grove and when visiting his parents would also visit the squadron from time to time. The squadron wanted to pay tribute to Col. Powers, so the name of the squadron was changed to what it is now.
Where We’ve Been
Over the years the squadron’s meeting place has been in a variety of different places. What’s interesting to note is that for an aviation-related organization, the squadron has only had a meeting place at an airport twice. We are fortunate to be able to meet at an airport now, and are very grateful to the Illinois Aviation Museum for hosting us. The following table shows where we’ve been over the years.
| 1961 – ? | Church in Downers Grove | |
| ? | Brookridge Airport, Downers Grove | |
| 1966 – 1986 | Downers Grove North High School, Downers Grove | |
| 1986 – 1988 | Montini Catholic High School, Lombard | |
| 1989 – 1990 | Lincoln Center, Downers Grove | |
| 1991 – 1994 | Naperville Central High School, Naperville | |
| 1995 – 2004 | Naperville Emergency Operations Center, Naperville | |
| 2004 | Safety Town Complex, Naperville | |
| 2004 – | Illinois Aviation Museum, Bolingbrook |
Who has led us
The squadron has had a proud cadre of leadership.
| 1961 – 1 January 2004 | Lt Col Florence Westholm | |
| 1 Jan 04 – 18 Mar 08 | Lt Col Jim Bartel | |
| 17 Mar 08 – 7 Apr 11 | Maj Debbie Peters | |
| 7 Apr 11 – 29 Nov 11 | Capt Mike Pettinger | |
| 29 Nov 11 – 22 Jun 16 | Maj Edward Danley | |
| 22 Jun 16 – 29 Sep 16 | 1st Lt Janet Orzech | |
| 29 Sep 16 – 24 Aug 17 | Maj Edward Danley | |
| 24 Aug 17 – 20 May 18 | Maj Curtis Kmiecek | |
| 20 May 18 – 31 May 22 | Lt Col Gerry Baumgartner | |
| 31 May 22 – 31 Aug 23 | Maj Valerie Espinili | |
| 31 Aug 23 – 22 Mar 25 | Maj Edward Danley | |
| 22 Mar 25 - Current | Capt Duc Le (Interim) |
Contact Us
For questions regarding our programs or activities, contact one of our command or recruiting officers by email.
| Commander | Capt Duc Le | il189@ilwg.cap.gov |
| Deputy Commander for Seniors | - | il189-dcs@ilwg.cap.gov |
| Deputy Commander for Cadets | Lt Tetyana Sienicki | il189-dcc@ilwg.cap.gov |
| For membership or general questions, please contact our Recruiting and Retention Officer |
- | il189-rr@ilwg.cap.gov |
Meeting Location and Time
The squadron’s current home is the Illinois Aviation Museum located at:
Clow International Airport
130 S Clow International Pkwy
Bolingbrook, Illinois
Meeting nights are:
7 PM
When a month has five Tuesdays, on the fifth Tuesday we take time off from our training and other CAP activities and may not meet at the Clow location.
Directions
Use this Google Maps link to get directions to our meeting place. Use Google Maps to zoom in/out to get context.
Our meeting is in Hanger 1, also known as the Illinois Aviation Museum. The Cadets meet in the front of the hanger and the Seniors meet in the classroom in the back of the hanger.
Shorty Powers Emblem Heraldry
Blazon
On a disc Azure, the propeller Gules Fess Point, outlined Sable; Triparted, Dexter Chief the symbols of our unit’s namesake, the Mercury Rocket Couchant in Sable, detailed and outlined Argent, surmounted by the Greek Symbol Mercury Sable; Sinister Chief – a Search Aircraft Soaring Right Bank, Superior Argent, Inferior Dark Azure, trimmed Gules; Base – the US Flag Gules, Argent and Dark Azure, Wavy, Inclined Dexter, Nimble Point, Satirize by a Parade Rifle inclined Sinister in Brown Silhouetted Argent.
Significance
The significance of the emblem begins with a light blue background which symbolizing the freedom of the American skies. The red propeller of courage and strength divides the disc into three sections aligned with the three missions of CAP. To the wearer’s right, in the first third, the Mercury Rocket and Greek symbol represent the namesake of the squadron – Col. John “Shorty” Powers, a native of Downer’s Grove and creator of the Air Force’s Office of Public Affairs who was later assigned to NASA and became the “Voice of Mission Control” during the initial Mercury and Gemini flights. The horizontal rocket represents the historical significance of the manned rocketry program and Col. Powers memory, while the Greek symbol hints at science, technology, engineering and math and indicates the challenge for excellence in all we do and living up to the expectations of Col. Power’s legacy. This section symbolizes the Aerospace Education Mission.
To the wearer’s left, in the second section, the search aircraft representative of a Cessna 182 in our corporate colors, symbolizes volunteerism and the emergency services mission. The right banking aircraft soars above a FIND and reflects positively on our unit’s air crews who stand vigilant with the desire fly the mission in order to save lives. The aircraft is also a key part of the Cadet Orientation Flight Program.
In the base third, the American Flag whose staff is crossed with a parade rifle symbolizes the cadet program, our allegiance to the American flag, and participation in cadet activities such as color guard, cadet competition and national special activities.
The black background of the shields signifies determination, while the gold lettering signifies member honor gained through hard work accompanied by wisdom provided by those in the chain of command. The grey outline signifies discretion and maturity.
Calendar
If you wish to subscribe to the calendar outside of Google, add this URL to your calendar (not a clickable link): https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/il189%40ilwg.cap.gov/public/basic.ics
New Member Information
Our unit meets on Tuesday evenings from 7pm-9pm in Hanger 1 at Clow Airport in Bolingbrook. Using the map on this web page is the best way to visualize where we meet: Directions.
Cadet Membership
We have a formal Cadet application process that begins quarterly (dates to be announced). Prior to accepting a formal membership application, we require that you have visited at least 3 consecutive formal meetings beginning with the first week of the quarter. On the 4th Tuesday of the month we have a monthly membership review board where everybody gets a chance to ask any remaining questions you may still have. A parent/guardian is required to attend the review board.
Members start to arrive around 6:45pm so the meeting can start on time. You can look for 1st Lt Tetyana Sienicki or Senior Member Joe Shane who works with our new Cadet members. If none of them are available, feel free to ask anybody who is present. Anybody can start to answer the many additional questions you have.
Please view this page, https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/join/youth-in-cadet-program, and the sub-pages (especially the FAQ page) for more details about Civil Air Patrol in general.
If you have more questions that need to be answered sooner than later, please contact us at il189-rr@ilwg.cap.gov and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We look forward to meeting with you.
Adult (Senior) Membership
Adults are free to visit at your convenience. Prior to accepting a membership application, we request that you have visited at least 3 meetings. On or after the third meeting we have a monthly membership review board where you get a chance to ask any questions you may still have.
Members start to arrive around 6:45pm so the meeting can start on time. The adults (Seniors) meet in the training/conference room in the back of the hanger, just head to the back of the hanger after signing in.
Please view this page, https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/join/active-adult-in-cap, and the sub-pages (especially the FAQ page) for more details about Civil Air Patrol in general.
Last reviewed: 8 April 2025