What I like about Civil Air Patrol!!

[James Shaw]

Looking at many of the different posts, I see that many people have alot of negative things to say about CAP. I want to see what some Like about CAP. I would like to see if this post will get the same level of attention that other posts get. Can anyone give me 3 paragraphs about how good CAP is? I am sure I could and I am sure others would be able to as well. I like it when someone "standsup" and identifies themselves and is know and doesn't hide behind their "user name".

Are we up to the challenge?

[Chris Jacobs]

I love CAP.  It has given me opportunities that i would have never gotten if i hadn't joined.  When i joined 6 years ago as a little 12 year old all i wanted to do was fly.  I want to do a lot more than just fly these days and i accredit it almost all to CAP.

1)  CAP has taught me how to fly.  Before i joined CAP i had only flown on a commercial plane once.  I know am a solo student in the Oregon Wing glider.  I had always dreamed of the day that i could go flying on my own and CAP brought that to me.

2)  CAP has also given me the ability to grow up.  I know have no problem speaking in front of a crowd, i can lead almost any group of people, and there are few things that i wont try.  CAP has taken me from being that little small 12 year old to an 18 year old that is ready to enter the world.  My parents fell that one of the most important things that i have gotten out of CAP is the ability to do things on my own.  They have no problem with me going out and going any where, because they know i can handle my self.

3)  Finlay i know where i am going.  when i joined CAP all i wanted to do was fly.  I really wasn't sure how to get there or what i wanted to do specifically but i wanted to fly.  I know am wanting to attend west point and become an army aviation officer.  CAP has given me the ability to go for this goal and has provied me with a lot of good opportunities to prove to the academies that i am worthy of going there.  So CAP has helped me on my road to becoming an officer in the military.

I could actually go on forever about how much i love CAP.  But you asked for 3.  I think people might gripe about CAP so much and complain so much because they see that it is not as good as it could be and they love the program too much to see it not be the best that it can be.  I know that is the basis for most of my complaints.  I want every one else to get what i have gotten out of CAP.

[Pylon]

I enjoy a lot of things about CAP. I can agree that it's easy to discuss the issues that people want to pick a bone with, but know that many of us discuss these issues for the reasons of wanting to improve the organization.  If I didn't enjoy CAP for many reasons, I wouldn't still be in it after a decade.  Many of us have the best interests of the organization at heart; we want to see CAP succeed and do better, so we look at ways which things need to be improved.

So, of course, I'd be happy to share reasons why I like CAP.

1) Being the Deputy Commander for Cadets has been one of the most rewarding things I've done.  Seeing the progress in the cadets is priceless, and knowing you perhaps had a small hand in that is equally priceless.

2) Service the community means something important to me.  I know I'll always find myself volunteering in the community in one fashion or another.  CAP allows me to serve the community, and while I may not always be doing ES missions, I'm furthering the CP mission in between.

3) Leadership.  Having been a cadet for a number of years, and earning the Earhart award, I know that CAP positively affected my own growing up.  It gave me direction, it gave me a leg up for college and the working world, and it's exposed me to experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise.   I know my own leadership abilities stem in great part due to my CAP cadet experiences and they continue to grow as I participate as a senior member.

CAP has much to offer many people; things we can't always explain in a brochure or during a recruiting pitch.  But those of us who have been in the organization long enough realize that no matter how much we give to the organization, we always seem to get back more in the long run. 

[mmouw]

I also love CAP. It has given me a chance to continue to serve the people of the United States. I am former active duty Air Force and Air National Guard, but I never got the same satisfaction as I have in CAP. I joined in 1991 for a bullet in my EPR, and realized that the work was more important and enjoyable than I could have ever imagined. Having worked in different wings and squadrons it is gratifying to see others feel the same way I do through out the country. I think that the reason a lot of the postings here seem negative is because our people really care about what is going on in CAP. They see CAP as I do. CAP is an organization that has changed and adapted to the world around us.

My great uncle joined CAP in 1942. He later went on to join the Army Air Corp as a tailgunner in a B-17, but never talked about his experience in the Air Corp as much as he does about CAP. He is responsible for my knowledge and interest in CAP. I spoke to him recently about what we are doing and what CAP has become. He lives in Iowa, and was ah struck to hear what Iowa was doing with their wing.  He always says that he is amazed that CAP is still around, but proud that we have found a way to survive and become an outstanding organization.

My wish is to know that I have inspired someone as much as he does for me in this program. It would make the hard work and dedication much more satisfying and rewarding. It gives me great pride to tell people that I am in the Civil Air Patrol. Nothing will ever change that.

[Eclipse]

I love it when a plan comes together...

Whether its an encampment, large exercise, ELT search, or something as elegant as SIMs.

Every once in a while you get a group of people who check their egos and personal needs at the door, work together and get real, meaningful things accomplished.

I am lucky in that, because of the people I am surrounded by, it happens for me a lot more often (apparently) than it happens for many.

CAP tends to be cyclical, I don't know if that is inherent in the program, or just the nature of working with volunteers, but it seems like just as ES is ebbing for me, Cadet Programs are flowing, so there's usually a win "just around the corner".

That's why I encourage my members to get "fully engaged".  Those that limit themselves to a small component of CAP don't have the advantage of the curves, they only get the random win.

I joined in my mid-thirties, and learned many of the same things cadets get at twelve:

How to be a part of something bigger.

Self-sacrifice is important, and its own reward.

A small sliver of a taste of military life (more than most “civilians” ever get, and I have been blessed with a higher than normal involvement even for CAP members).

How to take photos from the air.

How important and meaningless grade is at the same time.

Followership and leadership.

CAP has been an incredible influence on my life, made me a better person, employee, and citizen.

[Hotel 179]

The Civil Air Patrol is an opportunity for me to work with adults on adult activities.  In real life, I am a music teacher at a public middle school here in Foley, Alabama and 2 nights per week I teach in the music/theatre department at Pensacola Junior College and the University of West Florida.  Asking me to work with cadets is like asking the Postman to take a walk....do that all day and have done that for many years. 

I wanted to fly in the service, didn't care what branch just wanted to fly.  My dad was working on his private ticket when I was young and I really got a kick out of hanging around the airport and making hops.  My poor eye-sight prevented me from flying in the service so I went the civilian route.  Flying in the Civil Air Patrol as a Mission Pilot gives me a chance to fly with professional pilots and perform a tangible service to the community.  Ours is a very active squadron, both socially and operationally.  We flew 108 AFAMs last year, sometimes logging as many as 65 flight hours in a month as a squadron of 10 pilots.

The Civil Air Patrol is very fraternal, and I mean that in the most positive light.  This discussion board has been a means of meeting people all over the country.  When I travel to your area, there are some folks that I plan to look up and share a cup of coffee or adult beverage.

Thanks for the forum.

Semper vi, y'all.

Stephen

[mawr]

To me CAP is home and family.  I have several interests and hobbies and when time and money are short I put them aside but I've never apologized for the time and money that I give to CAP.  CAP has given 10 times what I've given CAP.

I've become a better leader, follower, husband and father due to CAP and any of my family can tell you that I'm a better man as well.  In my youth, I was selfish.  But CAP has taught me how to give of myself, my time, my knowledge and yes, of my wallet too.  I feel that I am part of community and not just an observer and I'm proud when I go home from a SAREX or Mission and my back and knees ache.  I could have spent the day doing so many other things but I know that I've had a positive influence on peoples lives at the end of the day.

I guess I'm still selfish because, in the end, I'm involved with CAP for the buzz that I get.  It's my drug of choice.

[Monty]

Shoot, I can sum up why I like CAP in 6 words or less:

I met my wife in CAP.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I like working with the cadets.  I spent more than 25 years as a policeman, dealing with long-haired, slack-jawed, pants-drooping, unfocused, drug-addled youth.  To have the chance to work with the top 5 percent of America's youth is a refreshing change, and gives me hope that the torch can be passed to people who can run with it.

I like flying, and I like guys who like flying.  The fellowship and comradery of the military is alive in CAP.

I have spent most of my life in the military, and I find it hard to leave.  Sort of like the old war horses that are kept around the fort to pull wagons once they are past the age when they can be used as cavalry mounts.

I'll stick around until I'm too old to pull the wagon.  Then I'll be butchered and served up in the mess hall, I guess.

[A.Member]

I enjoy a lot of things about CAP. I can agree that it's easy to discuss the issues that people want to pick a bone with, but know that many of us discuss these issues for the reasons of wanting to improve the organization.  If I didn't enjoy CAP for many reasons, I wouldn't still be in it after a decade.  Many of us have the best interests of the organization at heart; we want to see CAP succeed and do better, so we look at ways which things need to be improved.

Agreed 100%. 

If people didn't care, they wouldn't say anything.  I'd be more concerned about that.  There is nothing wrong with taking a critical look in the mirror.  It's healthy.  That said, there is also a lot of good discussion that occurs here (simple information sharing) – perhaps more than you're giving credit?  Also, keep in mind the total ratio of particpants here vs. actual membership totals.

But to the OP's question:

1.  Camaraderie.   Over the years, I've made some very good friends and we all share a common bond in the love of aviation.  It keeps me actively involved in something I truly enjoy.  I've learned new skills and developed new techniques as a direct result of the relationship.  Esprit de corps is fantastic.  It's a terrific atmosphere to be around.  This wasn't a key factor in my decision to join but it's certainly a key factor in my decision to stay.
 
2.  Cadets.  One of the primary reasons I joined.  I enjoy helping promote aviation and develop leadership skills in our youth.  If you've had the chance to observe and particpate in the transformation of a meek 12 year old to a confident and disciplined teen in just a few years, then you know what I'm talking about.  I was pretty unaware of CAP in my youth.  I wish I had known about it.  Great things happen here.  These are future leaders.

3.  Service.  Like others, CAP allows me to provide a valuable service to my community and the country I love.  This is probably one of the primary reasons most join and I'm no exception.  The idea of service before self is generally alive with many in this organization.

BTW, I also need to take exception with the following comment from the OP only because I've seen similar comments here before:

I like it when someone "standsup" and identifies themselves and is know and doesn't hide behind their "user name".

Posts should be evaluated solely based on their content, not whether it has some name listed with it.  If you can't address a comment/argument without having that info, then perhaps your rebuttal is not valid (ad hominem).  If you're really evaulating statements on their own merit, then to imply that someone is "hiding", etc. because a post doesn't have a signature with a name in it (all of which are meaningless on the internet) is really absurd. 

[dwb]

A well-run CAP cadet program is, as far as I'm concerned, the best opportunity for young adults out there.  Better than scouts, other cadet organizations, church youth groups, etc.

Not only does CAP provide a good curriculum for running an excellent local program (where else can you form a drill team, learn to fly, and search for ELTs in the same organization?), they have also really stepped up the national opportunities in the last few years, with the abundance of new NCSAs.

Combine that with scholarships, community service, a strong commitment to core values, and you've got the makings of a program that actually prepares youth for their adult lives.

Sure CAP has its problems, sure there is disparity in the quality of local units, but when you look at what CAP can offer, it really is quite amazing.  And it has several aspects are unique to CAP.

I like it when someone "stands up" and identifies themselves and is know and doesn't hide behind their "user name".

Meh.  I'm not exactly anonymous here, but I also don't think it's necessary to sign every single post with my resume.

[Smokey]

I like the service aspect most of all.  I didn't have the opportunity to serve in the military and CAP has given me the chance to serve my country. I've been involved in other volunteer work (scouting, etc) but find this much more rewarding. I come from a proud military family (My grandfather's cousin was a General of the Army [5 star] ) and dad was a tank commander in WWII.

I enjoy working with others who want to serve in the same manner. Some are former military some not. But for the most part my squadron...a senior(I hate that term-makes me fell really old) flying squadorn (and those from group and wing that I deal with) has folks dedicated to serving and live up to the "Service before Self" core value.

I do of course enjoy the flying. While I actualy fly more on my own (aero club rental) I much more enjoy the SAR, ELT,SDIS, WADS, etc missions. They give my flying a sense of purpose rather than just $100 hamburgers.

I like the opportunity to work with cadets. Most of the cadets are some of the most dedicated, brightest, hard working bunch I've seen.   Like Kack I've been a cop for almost 35 years.  I much prefer working with the cadets than the mutants I have to deal with. Cadets invigorate me and give me hope that the younger generation still has a few folks with their act together.

[James Shaw]

I believe it and  am very happy to see this type of informaiton being shared as well. I want to cover a few remarks I made. When I addressed people naming and underming other members whether they are the Nat Com or a Cadet it bothers me to see it because that person most likely will not be able to defend themselves in this forum. Another example would be playing down the accomplishments of another person because we may or may not agree with the way we think it may have happened. One example would be MG Pineda and the SMV.

I dont know if anyone on this forum has directed traffic around a large accident with hundreds of cars flying by and goosenecking to see what is going on but you do put your life at risk when you do that. Just watch some episodes of "cops" when officers are killed because of the same thing. I worked as a Deputy Sheriff for some time and I can assure you it is not a walk in the park but more like a russian roulette when you step out of that car and into that situation. You are putting your life on the line point blank when you are trying to protect antohers. 

When I speak of anonymous post I do not mean that you are hiding your identity but what I have seen is those that dont seem to have any positive things to bring up are the ones who have nothing in their profiles or anything else. Case and point; member in forum has been blasting CAP and just about everything we do as crap and that everyone at NHQ is an idiot. Come to find out this person has been in CAP for less than 4 months buts puts alot of page length posts telling us about whats wrong and nothing else.

I know this forum is meant as an exchange of ideas and information but in many of the posts I see and read I dont see much of the positives only the negatives. I will however visit everyone of them and look a little closer. If I make a mistake than I will be the 1st to admit it.

[fyrfitrmedic]

I got a lot out of CAP as a cadet. I still get a lot out of CAP as an adult, first and foremost the opportunity to 'pay forward' everything positive I gained during my cadet years.

Sure, there are a number of things [and sometimes people] that have led me from time to time to question my involvement. At the end of the day, it's all down to whether the positives outweight the negatives - as long as I can continue to do something positive, I'll stick around.

[Psicorp]

When I first joined CAP I thought it was a way to learn more about the military and to be a part of something so closely related to the Air Force, since my father was Active Duty.   It definately looked like more fun than the Boy Scouts, especially since the Cadet Program was completely seperate from the Adult program; Cadets could become leaders and have a real say in the program.  Who wants to go camping when you can go bivouacking?   Where else can you learn to fly...for free?

When I became a Cadet NCO, I learned more about why the organization runs and more importantly, how.  I got my introduction to Paperwork 101.  I learned that reports are important and why.   I started applying more of CAP to my daily life.  Yes this homework assignment is silly and seems like a waste of time, but there is a reason for it, someone wants it, and I better [darn] well do it.  Then the shocker hit...new Cadets are looking to me for answers and guidence.   Not only am I being looked to for answers, but I'm being looked to by Officers (Cadet and Senior) to accept some responsibility.  Translate this to my personal life and I'm learning to accept more responsibility at home too; I'm starting to manage my own life and not just doing what I'm told.

As a Cadet Officer I learned how to take what I learned as a Cadet NCO and apply it.  I learned that Ethics, a "moral compass", and Integrity are everything.  I learned that just because I'm the only Officer in the room really does mean I have to not only know what's going on right now, but also what's going to happen next.  I learned how to manage and motivate people. That taking a group of 12 to 19 year olds and turning them from a group (which collectively would have someone calling Security) and transforming them into a group which would later have an Air Force Colonel beaming with pride means something beyond measure and classification.  I learned to care less about my personal success, but rather rejoice in the successes of those under me.   I also learned that Paperwork 101 isn't just a single class but the beginning of specialty in which I could earn a Doctorate.   These skills and collection of knowledge were directly translated while in college and in my first real job.

As a Senior Member (Officer), I'm learning that every duty position is important and that there is always something which needs to be done, it only stops being fun when you lose site of why it is you're doing what you're doing.    I watch the Cadets during meetings and realize that sky no longer is the limit of possibilities for them and we all need to be ready.  I look at the possibilities for us as Officers and realize that we have an opportunity to be more than we are, not better than our Founders, just more.   We didn't become CAP because they decided to sit around and wait, they stood up and stepped forward.  We won't continue to be CAP unless we stand up, step forward, learn all we can and apply it.

So say we all.

[alexalvarez]

I love CAP because of all the reasons mentioned here. CAP has meant alot to me since I was a cadet and then later has a CAP officer. CAP has been a blessing to me and still continues to bless me and others in so many different ways. God Bless you all.

[smj58501]

The members. Plain and simple. We may agree with some, disagree with others, and agree to disagree with many, but at the end of the day they are what makes this organization solid.