Cyberspace Squadron - Online Squadron

[JAFO78]

Has anyone thought about starting a cyberspace squadron? Can it be done under current regulations?

What I am talking about is a fully chartered Civil Air Patrol squadron that allows any person in any state or region to become a member. Any and all meetings would be held online.

Comments?

[davidsinn]

Has anyone thought about starting a cyberspace squadron? Can it be done under current regulations?

What I am talking about is a fully chartered Civil Air Patrol squadron that allows any person in any state or region to become a member. Any and all meetings would be held online.

Comments?

Why? Technology has come a long way but you still can't beat face time. How do you salute a computer? How do you stand in formation? There are still mandatory in person training sessions that must be done.

[DC]

What would a virtual squadron do?

We all go to weekly meetings to attend training, maintain currency and all that jazz, but it all seems kinda useless unless there is a real mission being accomplished. You can't fly a Cessna from a laptop (yet...), nor can you do GT ops, train cadets, conduct AE activities, etc.

So unless you really enjoy giving up two hours of your life per week to sit in front of a webcam and attend virtual safety briefings for no real reason...

[JoeTomasone]

Besides, wouldn't most Wing and Region HQ's already kinda qualify?   Most of the time they are too spread out to meet in any other way.

[JAFO78]

If you can take online classes, and you have online gaming, IM's, Web cam's, then why couldn't you have an online squadron. You could meet once a month in the field for training. As far as flying I'm not stupid, I know you have to get into an airplane.

What I am talking about is weekly or even nightly meetings. If you can post comments here why couldn't you get together and hold squadron meetings online. What about people who are working in the afternoon / evening. If your meeting night is Tuesdays and 4 to 6 folks work Tuesday, you could still attend with an online squadron.

You got to think out side the box. You have to change the way things are done. You don't think the Air Force changes. We would not be the #1 military in the world if we did not change.

Maybe that's why membership in CAP is down.

[Always Ready]

I think it would be a great idea for certain squadrons. For example, in my squadron we have a 'senior meeting' every other week. It's almost completely focused on pilot stuff that could be handled over e-mail, phone, Skype, etc. It's all passing out information. Half of the SMs don't show up anyway. The SMs involved in cadet programs don't go to this meeting so it's more of a 'lets talk about pilot stuff' meeting.

I'm not a pilot and I'm not fully involved in cadet programs (I'm AE) so I try to attend but none of the information pertains to me. Anything that does pertain to me is generally handled through e-mail. Besides teaching my AE class, I usually have no reason that I would *have* to show up. The rest of my job can be handled online and once a month for 15 minutes.

[Rotorhead]

If you can take online classes, and you have online gaming, IM's, Web cam's, then why couldn't you have an online squadron. You could meet once a month in the field for training. As far as flying I'm not stupid, I know you have to get into an airplane.

What I am talking about is weekly or even nightly meetings. If you can post comments here why couldn't you get together and hold squadron meetings online. What about people who are working in the afternoon / evening. If your meeting night is Tuesdays and 4 to 6 folks work Tuesday, you could still attend with an online squadron.

You got to think out side the box. You have to change the way things are done. You don't think the Air Force changes. We would not be the #1 military in the world if we did not change.

Maybe that's why membership in CAP is down.

What you are describing is no more than a social club, where people get together to talk online.

"a fully chartered Civil Air Patrol squadron that allows any person in any state or region to become a member" as you defined it earlier, would not have an operational purpose.

If I live in California, how would I fly the squadron's aircraft, which might be stationed in Florida?

How would the Florida member go on a SAREX with his/her squadron, if they're living in 10 different states?

The idea is very techy, but an unnecessary effort. Go to your local squadron meetings. If you're too lazy to do that and want to sit in front of a computer, then maybe CAP isn't for you.

[D2SK]

Here ya go:

http://www.freewebs.com/vusafaux/

Now you can play CAP whenever you want.

[LtCol Hooligan]

I actually had been kicking this around about a year ago to see if we could get some of the college aged people to be active in CAP again.  My idea, in a nut shell, was that college aged people want to be in CAP, but don't have time to do it.  Some are cadets and some are officers.  My thought was to have on-line meetings with discussions, chats, etc and keep them in the CAP mindframe.  Keep them connected.  This idea would be focused on a college campus where they could become a college sponsored organization.  The unit would be a flight under a regular unit in the local area. 

From there, as they got more established, they could meet on campus once a month for AE forums or other cool things they want to be involved with.  Now, if they are a cadet and want to advance, they would then go to a regular squadron meeting for testing and such.  Otherwise, they keep their membership and attend on-line meetings.  I have personally seen so many people in the 18-25 year old range leave CAP even though they really love the programs and would like to remain connected to it. 

The missions in ND Wing have reenforced this for me.  There are so many members who could have maintained Ops quals through the on-line program and by participating during the summer that we could have called them in as a reserve force.  I think we are letting a very important aspect escape us.

[Tubacap]

^Concur, especially for those of us that are used to doing this sort of thing as a primary means of business. 

[Rotorhead]

I actually had been kicking this around about a year ago to see if we could get some of the college aged people to be active in CAP again.  My idea, in a nut shell, was that college aged people want to be in CAP, but don't have time to do it. 

Having gone to college, I can tell you that if "college-age people" really want to do something, they always find time to do it.

If "no time" is their excuse, then they don't really have a commitment to whatever it is, including CAP.

[RiverAux]

Hmm, perhaps this could be used as a tool in conjunction with the Civil Air Patrol Reserve concept I promoted in another thread.  One of the reasons I proposed for the Reserve concept was as a way to get people involved that live too far from an estalibhsed unit to participate in regular activities. 

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=3840.0

If you were to add in some sort of regular web-based meeting to the other requirements I proposed, it might be a little more palatable to those who hated the concept. 

[JayT]

I actually had been kicking this around about a year ago to see if we could get some of the college aged people to be active in CAP again.  My idea, in a nut shell, was that college aged people want to be in CAP, but don't have time to do it. 

Having gone to college, I can tell you that if "college-age people" really want to do something, they always find time to do it.

If "no time" is their excuse, then they don't really have a commitment to whatever it is, including CAP.

I disagree.

I'm taking sixteen credits at Stony Brook, I'm finishing up my EMT-CC course at an EMS Academy 30 miles away, which involves 6 hours per week class room/lab, and lately about 12 to 24 hours per week with clinicals and field internships. I also work 12 to 24 hours per week at a busy ambulance company, and I have a lovely girlfriend.

Where do I have time for CAP?

[RogueLeader]

really,
I had 18 creds, 35+ hrs at work, GF, Gat a 3.8 that semester, plus a observing in a class for all semester.  I found CAP midway through, I found time.

I know that for many it is hard, and I am glad you got your prioritys the way you want them.  You are better than some other college students that I knew.  They would show up looking like they fell out of an A-bag.  Good luck on your EMT.

[Rotorhead]

I actually had been kicking this around about a year ago to see if we could get some of the college aged people to be active in CAP again.  My idea, in a nut shell, was that college aged people want to be in CAP, but don't have time to do it. 

Having gone to college, I can tell you that if "college-age people" really want to do something, they always find time to do it.

If "no time" is their excuse, then they don't really have a commitment to whatever it is, including CAP.

I disagree.

I'm taking sixteen credits at Stony Brook, I'm finishing up my EMT-CC course at an EMS Academy 30 miles away, which involves 6 hours per week class room/lab, and lately about 12 to 24 hours per week with clinicals and field internships. I also work 12 to 24 hours per week at a busy ambulance company, and I have a lovely girlfriend.

Where do I have time for CAP?

Prioritize.

No one ever has time for everything they want to do, in college or not. We all have the same number of minutes per day.

You've just told us CAP is at the bottom of your list, after classes, clinicals and field internships,  work, and your girlfriend.

That's fine. But if you choose other priorities, then you choose to allocate time to them, not CAP.

[JAFO78]

"What you are describing is no more than a social club, where people get together to talk online."

Well in that case isn't that what CAP is now nothing more than a social club? I have been to these senior only units. They spend more time BSing than doing anything else.

Before anyone gets their Depends in a bunch, I also realize that CAP has good units going great work.

[NIN]

I actually had been kicking this around about a year ago to see if we could get some of the college aged people to be active in CAP again.  My idea, in a nut shell, was that college aged people want to be in CAP, but don't have time to do it. 

Having gone to college, I can tell you that if "college-age people" really want to do something, they always find time to do it.

If "no time" is their excuse, then they don't really have a commitment to whatever it is, including CAP.

I disagree.

I'm taking sixteen credits at Stony Brook, I'm finishing up my EMT-CC course at an EMS Academy 30 miles away, which involves 6 hours per week class room/lab, and lately about 12 to 24 hours per week with clinicals and field internships. I also work 12 to 24 hours per week at a busy ambulance company, and I have a lovely girlfriend.

Where do I have time for CAP?

I think the idea was that if CAP is that big of a deal to someone, even if they're in college, the "well, they're in college, they don't have the time" thing isn't necessarily accurate.  I worked at a college for 4 years, let me tell you that college students will find the time for ANYTHING they really WANT to do.  Mischief, the Internet, XBox, etc...

In your case, if you were a Total CAP Geek™ (pay me a quarter every time you use that, please!), you might not take 16 credits, or the EMT course, or have the girlfriend.   Based on what you posted, however, it seems that you've subordinated CAP to some other goals.  (which is good, actually!)

Not everybody is such a blatant overachiever...  You sure you didn't get a Spaatz?

[JayT]

It keeps me out of the house, and out of mischief!

Which is exactly what CAP used to do.

hmmmmmmm.

[Rotorhead]

"What you are describing is no more than a social club, where people get together to talk online."

Well in that case isn't that what CAP is now nothing more than a social club? I have been to these senior only units. They spend more time BSing than doing anything else.

No.

It isn't.

[JAFO78]

"What you are describing is no more than a social club, where people get together to talk online."

Well in that case isn't that what CAP is now nothing more than a social club? I have been to these senior only units. They spend more time BSing than doing anything else.

No.

It isn't.

Some are, BUT there are great units that are not. Think out side the box.  Civil Air Patrol as a whole is dying. We need to recruit, retain and expand. 

Civil Air Patrol should be the number one choice above all others.