Pacific Partnership: A Working Vacation Opportunity

[sandman]

I've been thinking about the program I'm involved with here onboard the USS Peleliu. The ship has travel from San Diego to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, and finally returning to San Diego via Pearl Harbor.

The mission is to provide humanitarian care to the population of the areas visited (except Singapore, that was a liberty port!).

All along the way we had U.S. and foreign military members embark and disembark. We also had many, many civilian members embark and disembark as well.

These humanitarian service missions are projected to go on for quite awhile (barring changes due to election 2008).

My focus is on the civilian groups. Groups such as Project Hope, Aloha Medical, and Project Smile among others.

After having talked with the JAG and several key members, it would seem that any group could conceiveably volunteer for this mission as long as certain criteria are met. The criteria are covered in memorandum of understanding and signed by the Pacific Fleet Commander (easy to get) and the representative from the group. I have that MOU.

I asked about a group (specifically CAP) volunteering in uniform (BDU's, BBDU's, CAP AF uniforms, TPU's) and there was no problem. (Polo shirts are welcome and encouraged too!)

The volunteer would pay for his/her own airfare to point of embarkation and from point of debarkation. No cost for the "three hots and a cot" while onboard. Actually, there are four "hots" (midrats), all the soda and coffee you can drink, popcorn every night, special snacks on Friday nights (ice cream social, pizza, nacho night, etc), and of course several steel beach picnics with all the food you can eat!

I guess I should mention AFN TV, movie nights, phone capability, internet and e-mail. Cigar smokouts on the fantail. Church is held onboard of course and the Chaplain gives the nightly benediction (Any Chaplains willing to serve?? We could use your assistance as well!!)

I wanted to put a trial balloon up to see if any CAP members might want to have a "working vacation" as a volunteer or know another CAP member that might be interested! The opportunities are on the East coast and West coast onboard a US warship or USNS/MSC ship (USNS Mercy and Comfort).

People needed include Doctors, Dentists, PA's, NP's, CRNA's, RN's, Environmental Health, basically any medically related dicipline (even EMT's).

Also needed are able-bodied members to help out with community relations projects (play "football" with the kids, help with construction projects, etc).

Often there are civilians who serve as the officer in charge or assistant officer in charge of a medical civil assistance program (MEDCAP). You can be placed in "charge" of real military members....believe it or not (don't let it get to your head )

People can go as individuals or small/large groups. Some volunteers stay for a week, some for the whole four months.

Any takers? Any constructive thoughts on this?

Thanks!
v/r
LT

[mikeylikey]

I am all for humanitarian missions, but come on.  Guam??  Hawaii??  VIETNAM???

I should have joined the Navy, perhaps that would have kept me out of Iraq for 2 years and Afghanistan for 1 year.

Seriously......this sounds very interesting.  I would love to do it, but I am sure I will be back pounding the sand not too long from now.  I wonder if I could take a vacation, and come on board as a CAP member even though I am an Army Officer.  Would that be allowed?  I always wanted to visit Guam, and perhaps make my way to America Samoa (where most of our tuna fish comes from BTW). 

I hope a lot of members volunteer for this, it would be a good thing on a personal level and on the PR front!

Good work LT, keep it up........what are you hoping to do for the PHS?   

[RiverAux]

Although you've got approval from the ship, have you gotten approval from CAP and the AF?  There are a lot of unfortunately very vague AF and CAP regulations for this sort of direct support to the military.  You're going to have to go pretty high up the chain of command for this one. I'm all for it though.  Good luck.

[JC004]

I am all for humanitarian missions, but come on.  Guam??  Hawaii??  VIETNAM???

I should have joined the Navy, perhaps that would have kept me out of Iraq for 2 years and Afghanistan for 1 year.

Seriously......this sounds very interesting.  I would love to do it, but I am sure I will be back pounding the sand not too long from now.  I wonder if I could take a vacation, and come on board as a CAP member even though I am an Army Officer.  Would that be allowed?  I always wanted to visit Guam, and perhaps make my way to America Samoa (where most of our tuna fish comes from BTW). 

I hope a lot of members volunteer for this, it would be a good thing on a personal level and on the PR front!

Good work LT, keep it up........what are you hoping to do for the PHS? 

Free tuna sandwiches, eh?  Big fan of sandwiches.  Where do I sign up for such a thing?

[flyerthom]

Sounds very interesting. The whole four months I couldn't do but maybe a shorter stint.

[JohnKachenmeister]

This sounds real interesting, and would bring my life "Full circle," since I served as an HM3 on the USS Repose (AH-16) in Vietnam when I was just a young trooper.  I was assigned to the International Ward, and was responsible for medical care of Vietnamese women and children.  Unfortunately, my EMT certification (the highest civilian medical certification I ever got) is expired.

Any call for Public Affairs Officers? 

The only other thing I'm trained for is law enforcement, which I suspect is not in much demand on a mission such as this.

[Tubacap]

I like construction and could do a week in the summer.

[sandman]

Great!
I'm getting some positive PM's and good posts here on this board. I will try to tap into the CAP medical providers who are gabbing on the Yahoo group.

I will be gathering more information for those of you who are not medically trained but are able to spend maybe a week or two or more as a COMREL augmentee working with the chaplain and/or Seabees.

I'll also work on a packing list to include uniforms. Again, there's no problem with wearing the CAP uniform onboard. You may also want to consider investing in a couple of Navy coveralls. The AF folks onboard, E's & O's, are wearing the Navy coverall as an additional uniform. I'll have guidelines for wear and actual sew-on rank for you (and it won't be that crappy day-glo blue on the current BDU's). Of course if you don't want to wear "rank" we'll just use CAP cutouts or something like that. Anyway, that's just a small detail to be fleshed out later.

Biggest things that I would ask for all volunteers to work on ASAP are:

1) Current U.S. Passport.
2) Current immunizations with documentation.
3) CAP photo ID card.
4) Current field uniform of choice, up to date, no old shabby uniforms, at least three. (uniforms are laundered by the ship, you launder your own personal items and civvies)
5) At least one current, appropriatly tailored, dress uniform---there will be functions and "hob-nobbing" to attend!

This is just a short list....more to follow!

/r
LT

(self appointed mission commander / liason officer )

[JC004]

sweet.  make it happen.   

[sandman]

I am all for humanitarian missions, but come on.  Guam??  Hawaii??  VIETNAM???

I should have joined the Navy, perhaps that would have kept me out of Iraq for 2 years and Afghanistan for 1 year.

Depends on your profession.....after almost a decade, my only deployments have been six months in GTMO and 3+ months on the USS Peleliu.....I had to ask for both.

Seriously......this sounds very interesting.  I would love to do it, but I am sure I will be back pounding the sand not too long from now.  I wonder if I could take a vacation, and come on board as a CAP member even though I am an Army Officer.  Would that be allowed?  I always wanted to visit Guam, and perhaps make my way to America Samoa (where most of our tuna fish comes from BTW).

Certainly allowed. Though you might get some ribbing if your dual status is found out! What is you profession again?

I hope a lot of members volunteer for this, it would be a good thing on a personal level and on the PR front!

Not only that, but a real operational mission especially for those CAP members in the medical field.....I keep hearing a lot of "complaints" from the Yahoo medical group about not being able to work in their profession in CAP uniform. Potentially the best operational deployment since WW2!

Good work LT, keep it up........what are you hoping to do for the PHS?

Same thing I'm doing in th Navy. I'm just getting too old to play the military game anymore. I have job offers with DIHS (immigration health), BOP (federal prisons), IHS (working on the rez....indian health), and FDA (FDA enforcer, I'll have a badge, gun, gov't plated cop car....all to make sure your lipstick wasn't illegally tested on dogs and such.....no really, it's true!  )

/r
LT

[mikeylikey]

^  I hope this really takes off!  I am an Artillery Officer in Army, currently preparing to instruct cadidiots cadets in ROTC when the semester begins after the holiday.  Perhaps if I can take a week or two off, that would be awesome.  I am in need of getting a second Humanitarian award.  Not that it would be the ONLY reason I would join up for the cruise, of course.

[sandman]

I hope the idea comes to fruition with actual deployment of CAP volunteers.

This is an idea in a conception phase. No guarantees right now. As before, the framework is already tested and available. Now I gotta work out the details with at least three entities: Navy=no problem, AF=precedence already set, I'm working with seven AF officers and 6 AF enlisted on board right now, CAP NHQ=gotta do some legwork on that.

Anybody have some inside contacts with CAP NHQ? How about some of you "guests" out there?

[RiverAux]

Sandman, can  you comment on whether you have the CAP and AF approvals necessary (and who you got them from) for this sort of service to be done in CAP uniform and as a CAP duty?  Others interested in this general sort of activity would probably like to hear how you navigated your way through these arcane rules.  Thanks.

[JohnKachenmeister]

The rules are not all that arcane, River.

If the AF is involved in humanitarian missions, then the missions are "Non-combat missions and programs of the Air Force" and we can do them.

NHQ must bless the plan, which is why they MIGHT have a job for me (PAO, 300th MP Command, 6 years; PAO, TF-364, 6 month, Honduras;  Broadcast Officer, 367th PA Detachment, 2 years; Graduate, Defense Information School, 1984) even though my medical skills go back to when "Attachment of Leeches" was considered a highly technical medical procedure.  They will need someone to tell the story of CAP's overseas exploits.

Sparky... Want a job as asst PAO?

[RiverAux]

John, please refer to the many AF and CAP regulations and MOUs cited in the AF base augmentation threads to see how much would have to be done to make this an official CAP activity.  In particular AFI 10-2701 which lays out procedures for AFAMs.  And since any mission in support of a federal agency must be an AFAM and since this regulation prohibits CAP from conducting AFAMs outside the US without specific permission, it isn't as clearcut as you might think. 

[mikeylikey]

If we are going to look for ways not to do this, perhaps sandman can just ask for volunteers, not CAP volunteers.  Then afterwards, the PAO tagline will be "35 CAP members donate time to help rebuild (insert place here)".

[sandman]

Sandman, can  you comment on whether you have the CAP and AF approvals necessary (and who you got them from) for this sort of service to be done in CAP uniform and as a CAP duty?  Others interested in this general sort of activity would probably like to hear how you navigated your way through these arcane rules.  Thanks.

Good question RiverAux. The short answer is no. Not yet.

This idea worked its way up to my frontal cortex only a few days ago so there are challenges yet to face.....I give it a less than 50% chance.

My focus will be to challange the USAF to meet its mission statement as written in the CAP-USAF website (emphasis added):

Our Mission
Guide, Assist, and provide Oversight to the Air Force's Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol, as they serve America by performing Homeland Security and humanitarian missions for our communities, states, and nation; developing our country's youth; and educating our citizens on the importance of air and space power.

I will welcome the assistance of anyone with connections and the ability to schmooze (John? Sparky?).

Let's keep the momentum going....this could be a good thing!  

[RiverAux]

I'm not looking for a way not to do it....I'm strongly in favor of it.  However, if it isn't done right it could be a major disaster that keeps CAP from doing similar missions in the future. 

Sandman, I'd recommend putting together a nice professional proposal on this issue and forwarding it up the chain to your Wing commander and then make sure you get an Air Force Assigned Mission number for it -- there is no way to do this as a corporate mission. 

[sandman]

I'm not looking for a way not to do it....I'm strongly in favor of it.  However, if it isn't done right it could be a major disaster that keeps CAP from doing similar missions in the future. 

Sandman, I'd recommend putting together a nice professional proposal on this issue and forwarding it up the chain to your Wing commander and then make sure you get an Air Force Assigned Mission number for it -- there is no way to do this as a corporate mission. 

I couldn't agree more. The idea is great but needs to be looked at from several perspectives. I cannot put this together alone so I will need any assistance I could get.

An AF assigned mission number would be icing on the cake as it may defer airfare costs for members willing to participate (flying MAC one way or both).

If corporate blesses it then all the member needs to do is secure airfare / transportation from embarkation point of choice and from debarkation point of choice. The devil is in the details however.

I'll work on the proposal after completion of this mission but I sure wouldn't mind some helpful hints and suggestions from the many CAP oriented minds out there. I'm sure someone has greater experience with writing proposals and grant requests than myself....there's gotta be some brighter minds out there

[JohnKachenmeister]

I'm not looking for a way not to do it....I'm strongly in favor of it.  However, if it isn't done right it could be a major disaster that keeps CAP from doing similar missions in the future. 

Sandman, I'd recommend putting together a nice professional proposal on this issue and forwarding it up the chain to your Wing commander and then make sure you get an Air Force Assigned Mission number for it -- there is no way to do this as a corporate mission. 

River:

You are right.  This is an Air Force mission, since it is working for the Federal government.  But, Sandman, I am not the one to schmooze.  The closer people get to the "Flagpole" the more likely they are to dislike me.  Something about my overall lack of tact and diplomacy, or something.

I concur with River that a proposal to National is indicated.  Susie Parker would be your POC, since she is the POC for just about everything there.  I would:

1.  Write a detailed background ststement detailing the mission and why CAP officers would be needed.

2.  Identify the skills needed.

3.  Establish a POC who can match skills to needs and availability, an S-1 sort of guy.

4.  Develop a standard checklist of requirements (You have a start there already).

5.  Develop a standard application procedure, with a standard-format bio statement attached as an annex that people can use as an exemplar.