Im sure this has been asked before however I want to ask again as I am considering becoming a member.
I have in the past been charged/convicted with misdemeanor drug possession and served "bench probation" (ie i did not have a probation officer and I reported directly to the court). Since then I have really turned my life around and am even getting my sport pilot certificate. I am also an Embry Riddle graduate and have my bachelors degree in engineering. I have a professional career and live a very productive life (working on a startup company and as a software engineer). Should I even apply? Do any of my efforts as to how I've applied myself as a citizen after my offense count towards my application?
Thanks for your time.
You're welcomed to apply. Just be prepared for it to come up.
If rejected, you can file for an appeal to National Headquarters.
The CAP Form 12 application sheet has a section on prior arrests/charges:
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/F012_Fillable_Mar_17_052D10F8D1B5D.pdf
"Link on a separate sheet, all arrests or charges regardless of age or whether the record in your case has been sealed, expunged, or otherwise stricken from the court records."
So just include that information and be honest about it. Skip the anecdotes.
Thanks for the reply. I will give it a shot then and see what happens.
Just be honest on your application. If necessary, include a letter about it.
I dont make the decision, but "In the past" is pretty vague. Was that last month or 10 years ago? It will make a difference. Just be as up front with everything as possible, and your squadron commander will also want an explanation. When I was a Commander, I held 2 membership boards where I declined them joining because of Recent drug history. I dont recall how long it had been, but they were both still on probation.
It's been said, but I'll say it again, from the perspective of a former police background investigator and later police chief:
Whatever you do, tell the ABSOLUTE and COMPLETE truth. Don't try to rationalize anything to omit it. Don't guess at what might or might not be important.
Tell it all, because there are a lot of things which can be mitigated or reconsidered. But failing to tell it all is pretty much a one-way trip to the trapdoor.
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