(Top)
The IACE visitors – (from left) chaperone Kevin Dekroes of Belgium and cadets Cedrick VanGoethem of Belgium, Mel Thyberghien of Canada, Tim Keymis of Belgium and Jordan Bailey of Canada – drill with Cadet Col. Daniel Metcalf of the host Kansas City Composite Squadron.
(Second)
(From left) Cadet Sr. Airman Joseph Crockett of the Kansas City Composite Squadron and the unit’s IACE guests – Jordan Bailey of Canada; Cedrick VanGoethem, Tim Keymis and Kevin Dekroes, all of Belgium; and Mel Thyberghien of Canada -- stop for a photo near the entrance for the Mamba roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Mo.
(Third)
New cowboy hats on their heads, the visitors prepare to ride in style in a Hummer limousine to the airport for their departure.
(Fourth)
The IACE participants find a new way to make friends with law enforcement.
(Bottom)
(Standing, from left) Cedrick VanGoethem of Belgium, Mel Thyberghien of Canada; (middle row, from left) , Kevin Dekroes of Belgium, Jordan Bailey of Canada, \Tim Keymis of Belgium; (front row, from left) Cadet Sr. Airman Joseph Crockett, Cadet Airman Daniel Scarbrough and Cadet 2nd Lt Grant Collison, all of the Kansas City Composite Squadron, during their visit to Forbes Field in Topeka, Kan.
Sr. Mbr. Gena Borden
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
Kansas City Composite Squadron
Kansas Wing
KANSAS – The Kansas City Composite Squadron hosted five International Air Cadet Exchange participants this summer, making sure their visitors stayed busy with a taste of Kansas City, aviation-related activities and exposure to various aspects of U.S. culture in Kansas and Missouri.
Three of the IACE guests came from Belgium -- chaperone Kevin Dekroes and cadets Tim Keymis and Cedrick VanGoethem. Cadets Jordan Bailey and Mel Thyberghien hailed from Canada.
Outside the realm of aviation, activities included:
- A historic tour of the Steamboat Arabia at the Kansas City, Mo., City Market.
- A Kansas City Royals baseball game.
- Visits to the Plaza, Union Station and Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.
- A day at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Mo.
- A tour of the Merriam, Kan., Fire Department, where the IACE team was able to see the ladder tower in action.
American culture proved fascinating for the visitors, who encountered many personal firsts, including the baseball game and the amusement park.
The Kansas City squadron members made sure their guests were exposed to cultural experiences that could only be encountered in the U.S. Stops included several fast food establishments and retail stores in Kansas City. At a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop the IACE team was able to see the dough mixed, cut, cooked and frosted, followed by a tasty sample at the end of the tour for a special treat.
The guests were also struck by their visit to a Cabela’s outdoor outfitters, from the taxidermy to the weapons on display.
Aviation activities began on the visit’s second day with observation flights out of New Century AirCenter airport in Johnson County, Kan.
On the fifth day the IACE contingent spent time at Forbes Field in Topeka, Kan., for a tour of the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard facilities, including a close look at a KC-135. Then it was off to visit the Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field to view 33 different aircraft, aircraft engines and military aviation artifacts, ranging from World War I to modern-day.
Day Six featured a visit to the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kan., and some time trying out a flight simulator in Leavenworth, Kan.
The ninth day was spent at Smokey Hill Air National Guard Range near Salina, Kan. for a public display of military aircraft – including an AH-64 Apache, A-10 Thunderbolt, B-52, B-1, F-16 and C-130 – in conjunction with an aerial gunnery training show.
The visitors also attended a Kansas City squadron meeting, where they had a chance to meet fellow cadets and discuss the differences among the different programs. Part of the evening was devoted to drilling techniques by the Kansas City cadets and their Canadian counterparts.
A send-off reception marked the final day, with the visitors and the host squadron meeting for cake before heading off to a pool party, complete with backyard barbecue pot luck.
In the end, the team left Kansas City in style with a Hummer limousine ride to the airport.