About CAP
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 04 May 2011 12:32
- Written by Maj. Brandon Welch
CAP has some 57,000 senior and cadet members in over 1,500 local units in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and at numerous overseas Air Force installations. CAP members are civilians and are not paid by the US government for their service. Rather, the organization is 100% volunteer.
Senior membership is open to all US Citizens, and resident aliens aged 18 and over who are able to pass an FBI background check. There is no upper age limit, nor membership restrictions for physical disabilities, due to the number of different tasks which members may be called on to perform. Cadet membership is open to those aged between 12 and 18 who maintain satisfactory progress in school, as determined by the cadet's unit commander; upon their 18 birthday, cadets may become senior members or remain in the Cadet Program until they are 21.
The Civil Air Patrol motto, to which all members ascribe, is "Semper Vigilans", Latin for "Always Vigilant". All CAP members are also obligated by their service to the organization to abide by its core values: integrity, volunteer service, excellence, and respect.
Senior Membership
Senior members are members who are over 21 years old, who joined CAP for the first time past the age of 18, or who are former cadets who transferred to the senior member program. Senior members who have not yet turned 21 years are eligible for Flight Officer ranks, which include Flight Officer, Technical Flight Officer, and Senior Flight Officer. There is no retirement age for CAP members, and there are no physical requirements for joining. The only physical requirements an officer must follow are the grooming and weight standards required of members who wear the Air Force-style uniforms (these do not apply to members who choose to wear those uniform designs unique to Civil Air Patrol).
Ranks up to Lieutenant Colonel reflect progression in training and organizational seniority, rather than command authority. Because of this, it is not uncommon for senior members commanding groups and squadrons to have members of superior grades serving under them. Current, retired and former members of the United States Armed Forces may be promoted directly to the CAP grade equivalent to their military grade, although some choose to follow the same standards as non-prior-service members. Except for a few exceptional cases, senior members are only promoted to the grade of CAP Colonel upon appointment as Wing Commander, responsible for the administration of CAP units across an entire state.
Senior members are provided with an optional Senior Member Professional Development program and are encouraged to progress within it. The professional development program consists of five levels, corresponding with ranks from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel. Each level of development has components of leadership training, corporate familiarization and aerospace education, as well as professional development within chosen "Specialty Tracks". There are many Specialty Tracks and they are designed both to support the organization and to provide opportunities for senior members to take advantage of skills they have from their private lives. Available Specialty Tracks include Logistics, Communications, Cadet Programs, Public Affairs, Legal, Administration, Emergency Services, Finance, and many more.[25] Additionally senior members with specific civilian professional qualifications may be awarded rank on the basis of their professional qualifications. Examples include FAA Certified Flight Instructors, attorneys, medical professionals and clergy, who are often promoted directly to First Lieutenant or Captain.
Cadet Membership
Civil Air Patrol's cadet program is a traditional military-style cadet program, and is one of the three main missions of the Civil Air Patrol. CAP cadets wear modified versions of Air Force uniforms, hold rank and grade, and practice military customs and courtesies. They are required to maintain physical fitness standards, and are tested on their knowledge of leadership and aerospace subjects at each promotion opportunity.
Concept
The current CAP Cadet Program was designed by John V. "Jack" Sorenson who held the position of Civil Air Patrol's Director of Aerospace Education in the 1960s. This program is composed of four phases (Learning, Leadership, Command, and Executive) each of which is divided into several achievements. Achievements generally correspond to grade promotions, while phases are tied to levels of responsibility. The Cadet Program operates at a local unit (squadron) level with weekly meetings and weekend activities, but also has national and wing-sponsored events, including week-long and multi-week summer activities and camps.
As Cadets progress through the program, they are given additional responsibility for scheduling, teaching, guiding and commanding the other cadets in their units. They also assist their Senior Staff in executing the Cadet Program. It is not unusual for a cadet officer to command an encampment of hundreds of junior Cadets. Cadets are given many opportunities to lead and to follow; they may hold leadership positions at squadron and wing activities, and are often involved in planning these activities. Cadets may complete paperwork, command other cadets, and teach at weekly meetings and at weekend and summer events. The U.S. Congress stated in the Recruiting, Retention, and Reservist Promotion Act of 2000 that CAP and similar programs "provide significant benefits for the Armed Forces, including significant public relations benefits".
Organization
The Cadet Program is overseen and administered by senior members, who generally specialize in the Cadet Program. At the squadron level, the Cadet Commander's chain of command passes through the Deputy Commander for Cadets before reaching the squadron commander. There are 'Director of Cadet Programs' positions at all command levels higher than squadron. In addition to the Deputy Commander for Cadets, squadrons also have a Leadership Officer, a senior member whose job is to see to the military aspects of the Cadet program, such as uniforms, customs and courtesies.
Cadets have a rank structure similar to the United States Air Force enlisted and officer grades, excluding those of General Officers. A Cadet starts as a Cadet Airman Basic, and is promoted as he or she completes each achievement. Unlike the regular Armed Forces, where it is possible to enter as either a commissioned or non-commissioned officer, a cadet must be promoted through every enlisted grade in order to achieve the rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant. To complete an achievement, a cadet must pass a physical fitness test as well as two written tests, one for leadership and one for aerospace education. The only exceptions to this rule are the promotion to Cadet Airman and Cadet Staff Sergeant, which have no aerospace test. For some achievements, an additional test of drill proficiency is required.
The milestones in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program are the Major General John F. Curry Award, Wright brothers Award, the General Billy Mitchell Award, the Amelia Earhart Award, the General Ira C. Eaker Award and the General Carl A. Spaatz Award. As of January 29, 2009, 1,721 Spaatz Awards had been earned since the first was awarded to Cadet Douglas Roach in 1964. Cadet Roach went on to an Air Force career and later became a pilot in the US Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.
Each milestone award in Civil Air Patrol confers upon a cadet various benefits. Upon earning the Mitchell Award and the grade of Cadet Second Lieutenant, a cadet will automatically be given the rank of Airman First Class (E-3) upon enlistment in the United States Air Force. Along with being awarded the Earhart Award and being promoted to C/Capt a cadet may attend International Air Cadet Exchange.
According to the CAP Knowledgebase website, the percentages for cadets receiving the milestone awards are estimated to be as follows:
- Mitchell: 15%
- Earhart: 5%
- Eaker: 2%
- Spaatz: 0.16%
Cadets that transfer to the senior member side between the ages of 18 and 21 receive the rank of Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Mitchell), Technical Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Earhart) or Senior Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Spaatz). If the cadet waits until their 21st birthday, at which point they are required to transfer to the senior member program, they are eligible for the rank of Second Lieutenant (if the highest cadet award was the Mitchell), First Lieutenant (if the highest cadet award was the Earhart), or Captain (if the highest cadet award was the Spaatz).
Activities
Civil Air Patrol's core cadet activity is the summer encampment. Typically a week to ten day long event, cadets are put into an intense, military-structured environment similar in certain respects to USAF Basic Military Training (BMT) for enlisted personnel, or the first few weeks of USAFA 4th class cadet training, college Air Force ROTC summer Field Training, or USAF OTS for officers, with emphasis on physically and mentally demanding tasks and required classes and activities. These classes include aerospace education, Air Force organization, cadet programs, and drug demand reduction. Activities include the classroom courses, physical training, and drill & ceremonies. Encampments are usually held at the wing (state) level and, when available are usually at military installations, preferably active Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command or Air National Guard installations, with military support.
The Region Cadet Leadership Schools (RCLS) provide training to increase knowledge, skills, and attitudes as they pertain to leadership and management. To be eligible to attend, cadets must be serving in, or preparing to enter, cadet leadership positions within their squadron. RCLSs are conducted at region level, or at wing level with region approval. The RCLS programs are more or less modeled on USAFA upper classmen programs, the college Air Force ROTC Professional Officer Course (POC) and latter stages of OTS. One variation on this theme are CAP Cadet Non-Commissioned Officer Schools and Academies, which are Cadet NCO schools designed to teach basic leadership and principles to cadet leaders during their earlier duty positions in the Cadet Program.
Oath
Cadets ascribe to the following oath during their membership:
- I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program, and that I will attend meetings regularly, participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and nation.