2011 IACE Netherlands Written By C/Capt.

Victor Santos, CAP

othing puts everything in perspective more than traveling to a different country and experiencing the culture and lifestyle of the people that live there. This past summer I was given a unique opportunity to serve as a cadet ambassador to the Netherlands as part of the 2011 International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE). If there was ever an activity worth waiting to be eligible for, then this would be that activity. To summarize my IACE experience is difficult to do in a short article, however I hope you enjoy hearing about the many fun and interesting things I was able to do. The IACE program can be broken up into two separate parts. The first being the DC phase where cadets and escorts gather in Washington D.C. Here is the first time that I met my escort face to face due to the fact that cadets and escorts are chosen from wings throughout the entire United States. After meeting my escort, Captain Scott Johnson from Minnesota Wing, we were able to meet other CAP members going to other countries around the world. One of the highlights of the DC Phase is the day touring D.C. where I, along with my escort and the Belgium IACE Delegation, spent the day visiting a number of memorials, the Old Post Office, the Washington Monument and the White House. That evening we dressed up in our formal uniform and had a Miss Manners dinner where we were taught the basics we would later use at the formal dinners overseas. Once dinner was over we readied our bags for travel day. My flight to the Netherlands took me from Washington D.C. through Baltimore to Schipol Airport located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. My escort and I were immediately greeted by our Dutch Escorts who had been waiting at the airport as cadets from all over were flying in. After waiting a few hours for the rest of the cadets to fly in, we made our way by bus to an Army Base located in Harskamp, Netherlands. Before the base each of us was issued an ID that would give us access to the various army and air force bases we would be visiting throughout our stay. The barracks we stayed in held four to a room and I chose a room with a cadet from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. By the end of the day our group consisted of twenty-nine cadets coming from Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea, France, Turkey and the United States. The next few days brought us all over the northern part of the Netherlands. We visited the European Space Agency which was very interesting due to the fact that I had never really heard the European side of the space program and all of the work they have been putting in. Our tour guide brought us through the many different facilities which included a giant shaker, were equipment going into space is tested for its ability to withstand the vibrations and shaking it will experience on its way to space. The shakers could shake equipment and satellites that weighed up to 22,000 lbs. We were able to visit an exhibit for the International Space Station where our guide highlighted the various European contributions and their functions. After spending the day looking around at the different exhibits and facilities we ended the day with a 3D virtual tour of the space station which was a really cool experience. The following day we were brought to visit Delft University, the oldest and largest public university in the Netherlands. There we visited a number of research facilities where graduate students studying aerospace engineering were conducting test in all kinds of different wind tunnels. Here is where we also got to enter and look at a full motion flight simulator that aerospace engineering students use to familiarize themselves with different aircraft systems. Following lunch at the university we made our way to the city itself where we got to shop and look around until it was time to head back to the base. The highlight of the next few days was getting the opportunity to go gliding with a local gliding club. We spent the entire afternoon gliding, but what made it different than other gliding experiences was the fact that the gliders were winched launched where you hit over 1,000 feet in altitude is just a matter of seconds and the fact that the gliders had the ability to do aerobatics. The first few days of my stay were busy, but getting to know the other cadets made it so much better. Towards the middle of stay we visited Volkel Airbase where we spent the entire day looking and learning about the F-16. The F-16 comprises much of the Dutch militarys air power. During the tour we spent time
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Document Title in simulators in which we ran through startup, takeoff and landing as well as a few different scenarios where we got dogfight against other fighters. I was able to suit up in full flight gear and sit in an actual F-16 while the flight instructors familiarized us with the cockpit and the different missions their F-16s fly. The highlight of the day is when we got to witness an F-16 start up, taxi and takeoff. What made this different was the fact that we got so close to the fighter as it started up and taxied away. During takeoff we were only about 20 feet from the runway when we see the F -16 rolling towards us. It then lifts off and kicks over so that it comes directly over us at about 60 feet. It was definitely a remarkable experience. The following day after looking at helicopters we were led in physical training by our Dutch Air Force escorts. We did log PT which included sprints, pushups, situps, log lifts and an obstacle course where we had to take the log with us through each obstacle. Although very tiring, it was a lot of fun getting a little dirty in the grass, sand and mud. After a good nights sleep we made our way across the border into Belgium were we met up with the Belgium IACE Group and played a game of soccer, where unfortunately our team lost. It was nice to get to have some fun with the Belgium group that also had a few Civil Air Patrol members. The last few days of the trip was spent with the host families. Families whose children have gone on IACE volunteered to take 2-3 cadets back to their homes for two days. Fortunately enough for me I went to stay with a family that lived only thirty minutes from the army base. The couple I stayed with was a family that had been to more states within the United States than I had. The reason was that the husband worked as an Aerospace Engineer and worked in the states for a number of years before moving back the Netherlands. I really enjoyed my time with them; we went on bike rides around the area to different museums including the military police, World War II and Dutch Air Force museum. The World War II Museum was in fact a private museum that showcased items found in the ground that had been left by World War II. The most interesting part of the day was talking to my hosts and hearing their stories from World War II and how the war laid waste to the area. The second day of my stay with the family we went on a thirty minute bike ride to the Dutch Princesss Palace. The palace was enormous! We spent a few hours just walking through the hundreds of rooms. Behind the palace was a beautiful garden. After the two days were over I said my goodbyes and headed back to the army base for the last day of my stay. IACE is a different kind of activity. It really opens your eyes to the different programs similar to that of Civil Air Patrols. After finally getting back to the United States I realized that what made the trip so amazing was not the many different bases, museums and cities we visited, but the people who I met along the way. I made some very good friendships with cadets from around the world that I still keep in touch with today. This activity had been one of my favorite and most memorable activities I have gone on in my time as a cadet in CAP. I encourage you all to earn your Earhart Award so you too can experience IACE.

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