Phillip H. Aye, Jr.  July 18, 1968-October 8, 2009.  After a courageous battle with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, Phillip passed way at St Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri on 8 October 2009.  Phillip was born in Pensacola, Florida but spent most of his childhood in Allen, Kansas and Emporia, Kansas.  He graduated from Emporia High in 1986.

Phillip joined the US Army and departed for basic training shortly after graduation. After basic training he attended jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.  Phillip also graduated from the Escuela de Paracaidismo de Honduras.  Phillip served as a scout/sniper in the 2/504 PIR until a double parachute malfunction on 27 October 1989 separated him from his beloved Army.  Phillip recuperated and attended college, earning an Associate of Arts from Allen Community College in May 1998 and graduating from Emporia State University in December 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in History with honors and Bachelor of Science in Education with honors.   Phillip worked for USD420 in Osage City as a substitute teacher and junior high football coach for a short time.  He also taught as an adjunct for Allen Community College for a few semesters.  Phillip married Regena Bailey on December 3, 2000 in Osage City, Kansas.

Phillip loved music, shooting sports, muscle cars and grilling. Phillip had a zest for life and a sense of humor that was admired by many and will be greatly missed.  He loved to drink coffee and shoot pool with his best friends Robert Stockton and Jeff Rensing.  Dedicated to helping others, Phillip touched the lives of more than fifty teen boys through his service as a foster parent and countless others nationwide as a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) officer.  A patriot to the core, the mission always came first with Phillip and he always found the time and energy for an ELT mission, a blood run, to help a cadet attend an activity, or to teach marksmanship.  In CAP, Lt Col. Aye earned many honors including Outstanding Tactical Officer at the 2005 Nebraska Wing Encampment, Kansas Wing Aerospace Education Officer of the Year 2003, three Commander’s Commendations, the Search and Rescue Ribbon, the Disaster Relief Ribbon, the Find Ribbon, and the Exceptional Service Award.  Lt Col. Aye earned the Gill Robb Wilson Award, CAP’s highest award for senior member professional development, in 2009.  Lt Col. Aye served as the Homeland Security Officer for Kansas Wing and the commander of the 77th Composite Squadron.  Major Aye attended more than ten encampments, National Blue Beret seven times, National Staff College, and Hawk Mountain Ranger School.  Phillip was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, the National Rifle Association, and the Patriot Guard.

Phillip will be greatly missed by his wife Regena, his parents Phillip and Janice Aye and Albert and Geraline Wamser.  Phillip will be remembered by his devoted brothers Sam Aye and Dave Sprinkle as well as his loving sisters Cindy Rhudy, Debbie Weaver, Vicki Padilla, Sheri Thurston, Linda Elopre, Donna Chevalier, Kristi Davenport, and Jeanie Hedgepath.  Innumerable other friends and family were blessed to know him.

Friends and family are invited to attend a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 16, 2009, at the Burlingame Federated Church in Burlingame, Kansas.  Interment with military funeral honors will follow at the Burlingame Cemetery. He will lie in state from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, at Carey Funeral Home in Burlingame, where the family will meet with relatives and friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions can be made to Kansas Wing, Civil Air Patrol.  Donations will be used to fund cadet scholarships for National Special Activities so that Phillip may continue to touch the lives of young people in a positive way, and sent c/o the Funeral Home, P.O. Box 196, Burlingame, KS 66413.

TO ALL KSWG MEMBERS:

It is with great sorrow that I announce that Major Aye lost his battle with pneumonia and ARDS today.  It is difficult to quantify what the loss of this stalwart volunteer means to Kansas Wing.  We have lost a squadron commander, a staff officer, a marksmanship instructor, a grant writer, a ground branch director, and a friend to name just a few of the roles he filled.

Although he began as an aerospace officer, Major Aye participated in all three of Civil Air Patrol’s missions.  A dedicated participant in Emergency Services, it was never too late to call him for a blood run or an ELT.  Major Aye would drive a cadet across the country and back to ensure he or she could participate in an encampment or an activity of interest.   A seven time attendee at National Blue Beret, Major Aye took the Beret motto to heart and in his CAP service, “The mission came first.”   In eight years, he has touched the lives of countless others through his dedicated service to his community, state and nation.  This loss will not be an easy one to overcome but we must stand together as a team and work to do so.  Our wing is small and like a family.  I know we will lean on each other during this difficult time.

I greatly appreciate the efforts of those who volunteered for extra duties and helped cover tasks and events during Major Aye’s illness.  Your dedication and support bolstered my spirits and allowed me to spend more time with Phillip during these last months.  Details regarding his services will be forthcoming.

Yours in sorrow,

Regena Aye, Col, CAP

Commander, Kansas Wing

Encampment: Transforming Average Cadets into Superb Leaders

What is the military definition of leadership? The military definition of leadership is as follows: The art of influencing and directing people in such a way that it will win their obedience, confidence, respect and loyal cooperation in achieving a common objective.

This is just one of the many things that cadets will learn at the 2009 Kansas Wing Winter Encampment.  Encampment is being held from 26 December 2009 through 2 January 2010 at Kansas Wing Headquarters in Salina, Kansas.  Cadets can expect to learn important life skills such as how to work in a group, how to make their bed, how to keep organized and even how to manage their time.  On top of learning about emergency services and aerospace education, cadets will be exposed to numerous hands on activates to stimulate their minds to aid in the learning process.  Cadets will walk into encampment as cadets and emerge a week later as leaders.  This is a great opportunity to grow.

We are now accepting Basic Applications (CAPF 31 with signatures sent to Kansas Wing Headquarters).  Come and experience the event of a lifetime!

Questions can be directed to the Encampment Commander, Maj Rick Franz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or to the Cadet Commander, C/Lt Col Mitch Edwards at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Members of Kansas Wing,

Attached are the documents for the Kansas Emergency Services Academy at Milford Lake, KS.  KESA is going to be a fast-paced training weekend that trains our members in GT3, GT2, UDF and GTL tasks.