CAP vs. Coast Guard Aux

[Ricochet13]

^ Thank you Skipper   :clap:

If you have an interest in aviation, CAP has something for you. If your interest is boating then the CG Aux has something for you.

As a past time, hobby or whatever you should have fun.   

There are opportunities for aviation in the USCG Aux too.

[TarRiverRat]

When I was in the CG Aux, I had opportunities to fly on the helicopters as well as C-130s for search missions and we also had member owned aircraft as well.  We had to go through the dunker training before we could be assigned, just in case we went down at sea we had the chance of survival.

[danhawkeye]

longtime lurker here: I've been getting interested in the CG Aux, so this thread is pretty interesting.
Are there any Auxies here that have had a really positives experience with the CGAux?

I show up for every meeting and put on a smile, but as a non-pilot LT (with no kids in CAP), I've been getting increasingly bored with CAP. Not much interesting to do unless you really like working with kids. I feel bad saying that because the cadets are all great kids. I just feel like an overdressed scoutmaster, collecting ribbons and badges that no one outside the building cares about.

[Eclipse]

Not much interesting to do unless you really like working with kids.

That is hardly CAP as a whole - time to find a new unit or move to a different echelon.

[RiverAux]

There are several folks here that are in both, including me.  I like the CG Aux because it offers you a chance to do a lot of real work on your own schedule -- you don't have to wait for a disaster or a lost plane in order to use your skills.  On the other hand, the Aux isn't really an emergency response organization like CAP so you sit out a lot of stuff.  You basically find the same sort of people in both organization with CAP having slightly more young adults due to the influence of the cadet program. 

[Майор Хаткевич]

There are several folks here that are in both, including me.  I like the CG Aux because it offers you a chance to do a lot of real work on your own schedule -- you don't have to wait for a disaster or a lost plane in order to use your skills.  On the other hand, the Aux isn't really an emergency response organization like CAP so you sit out a lot of stuff.  You basically find the same sort of people in both organization with CAP having slightly more young adults due to the influence of the cadet program.

Heh.


At 23, I think there might be one or two other guys maybe within 7-10 years of age to me (both non-cadet in the past, so we rarely get to interact). Everyone else is pushing an easy 15-20 on me at the unit. Not surprisingly, some incoming newer folks tend to confuse me for a cadet, since I'm much closer in age to them.

[TarRiverRat]

I had a fairly pleasant experience as a whole with CG Aux, but as in all organizations you can find your self in a group that wants to play dress up and do very little.  I was in a group of older ladies and gentleman and they just wanted to be a boating club that could wear the Coast Guard uniform.  On patrol, they wanted to ride around their little area and not much else and have float parties.  Same as in some CAP squadrons that just want to be a flying club and nothing else.  In the end they all disappear when they find out that they cant just be a boating or flying club that they have to perform as the parent service needs them to.  Not all CAP or CG Aux units are this way.  Majority are hard working and are great assets to the parent service.

[BHartman007]

There are several folks here that are in both, including me.  I like the CG Aux because it offers you a chance to do a lot of real work on your own schedule -- you don't have to wait for a disaster or a lost plane in order to use your skills.  On the other hand, the Aux isn't really an emergency response organization like CAP so you sit out a lot of stuff.  You basically find the same sort of people in both organization with CAP having slightly more young adults due to the influence of the cadet program.

Heh.


At 23, I think there might be one or two other guys maybe within 7-10 years of age to me (both non-cadet in the past, so we rarely get to interact). Everyone else is pushing an easy 15-20 on me at the unit. Not surprisingly, some incoming newer folks tend to confuse me for a cadet, since I'm much closer in age to them.

I'm 31, and I'm aware of two other seniors who are younger (26 and 24 or 25) in our unit. Most of the others I would say have between 10 and 30 years on me.

[Eclipse]

I'm 31, and I'm aware of two other seniors who are younger (26 and 24 or 25) in our unit. Most of the others I would say have between 10 and 30 years on me.

The unit won't get "younger" if the next wave just scrams - recruit your friends and move forward.

[SunDog]

I might have some perspective, being ex-USAF, then a  civilian employee of the Coast Guard;

We used the CG Aux to cover real gaps, and in a lot more places than just boating safety - recruiting support, oil spills, even IT. CG  is spread THIN, with major mission creep. Sometimes the Aux was the only reason some AD guys could get a day off at all.

There is a CAP guy in MD Wing who is also CG Aux, and often mans tbe radio watch on weekends at the CG station near PAX River, AND he acts as the Duty Officer for CAP Bay Patrols. He has internet access at the station, and can watch the weather radar for us during the long patrols.

Using the Aux like this is real common for CG . On the other hand, CG Reserves is a mess, and USAF utilizes Reserves (and ANG) much better than CG. There are no CG Reserve aviators; but USAF Reserve and ANG fly more hours than AD, routinely win the competetions, and  generally have the more experienced aircrews.

So, yeah, USAF could get more value out of CAP, but the will and corporate culture aren't there.  I know one CAP wing DOES augment dining facility staff at one base, by the way, but that is unusual. 

CG gets a lot of mileage out of the Aux, but drops tbe ball on doing the same with Reserves. USAF utilizes CAP for not much, aside from ELT searches, but wears the Reserves OUT!

CG Reserves has a small Reserve force, as a percentage of the total CG force (AD+Aux+Reserves). USAF Reserve and ANG are much larger as a percent of the USAF total.

Could CAP augment the staff at AMC terminals? Base gym, base library? First level IT support? Public Affairs?Motor pool? No reason not, really, except it's not the way USAF operates.

[Spaceman3750]

Could CAP augment the staff at AMC terminals? Base gym, base library? First level IT support? Public Affairs?Motor pool? No reason not, really, except it's not the way USAF operates.

At least half of those things are handled by civilian contractors, at least in my limited experience.

This might sound bad to you, but you won't see me signing up to take a shift handing out towels or answering phones at the hell desk.

[Archer]

Not much interesting to do unless you really like working with kids.

That is hardly CAP as a whole - time to find a new unit or move to a different echelon.

All-SM ground teams come to mind.

[antdetroitwallyball]

As I type this, I am an an Auxiliarist currently sitting at a Coast Guard Station ON WATCH. Right now, I'm filling in for an active duty E-3 who would rather play basketball with the rest of the station's crew than sit on watch. At any moment, I may get a call from some ship sinking, and a rescue operation will commence, starting with the information I provide. Right now, our station's cook is an Auxiliarist who is filling in for the Active duty E-7 who is away at training. I'm also a 25 year old University Senior.

This is the type of integration the Coast Guard Aux offers.

I routinely monitor CAPTalk because I'm interested in eventually joing the Air Force Aux. I find the differences and simularities of the two organizations facinating. The two organizations may have different missions, but I sometimes get the impression that CAP gets less thanks.

Just thought I'd give my two cents.

[Private Investigator]

Thanks for sharing and welcome aboard the CT ..   :clap:

[Devil Doc]

I did research for 3 months on CAP and USCGAUX. I can tell you, round these parts, the CGAUX didn't really do much, esp when I called the local Flottillas and asked them questions, I was not impressed with there answers. I contacted the local CAP, which was closer also, they told me to show up, gave me the code to the gate, etc. I was looking for certain things, CAP offered it

[RiverAux]

CAP vs CG Aux:

Air Power -- Advantage CAP due to numerical superiority, however, having twice as many unarmed airplanes as the other guy doesn't give you a major leg up.

Naval Power -- Hands down this goes to CG Aux.  If all else fails they can retreat by sea and be totally out of reach of CAP.  And while CAP planes are prohibited from dropping stuff, I'm not aware of any prohibition on CG Aux launching stuff upwards.

Ground Forces -- CAP has both a numerical advantage in having twice as many total people, they also have better uniforms for ground conflict and at least a few thousand have some basic training in land navigation and survival.  And, they have training in how to bluff people not to get around them to sensitive areas.

Overall, I'd have to pick CAP in a fight.

[Archer]

CAP vs CG Aux:

Air Power -- Advantage CAP due to numerical superiority, however, having twice as many unarmed airplanes as the other guy doesn't give you a major leg up.

Naval Power -- Hands down this goes to CG Aux.  If all else fails they can retreat by sea and be totally out of reach of CAP.  And while CAP planes are prohibited from dropping stuff, I'm not aware of any prohibition on CG Aux launching stuff upwards.

Ground Forces -- CAP has both a numerical advantage in having twice as many total people, they also have better uniforms for ground conflict and at least a few thousand have some basic training in land navigation and survival.  And, they have training in how to bluff people not to get around them to sensitive areas.

Overall, I'd have to pick CAP in a fight.

A literal kind of guy. I like you, warfighter.

[antdetroitwallyball]

I did research for 3 months on CAP and USCGAUX. I can tell you, round these parts, the CGAUX didn't really do much, esp when I called the local Flottillas and asked them questions, I was not impressed with there answers. I contacted the local CAP, which was closer also, they told me to show up, gave me the code to the gate, etc. I was looking for certain things, CAP offered it

This is an interesting point you bring up. I agree with you that some flotillas (AUX equivalent to your CAP squadrons) are rather curmudgeon-y in the sense that you really have to put a lot of effort into getting started into the CGAUX. I too, find this aspect to be regretable. It took a lot of me doing my own homework and making phone calls on my own behalf. The crazy thing is, that once you are in the CGAUX, you can really just blaze your own path. I got my uniform, showed up at a station and said, "What can I do, and how do I get started?" The active duty CG has little idea about how the aux works, but they do know that they can put the auxies through the same training routines as all of thier active duty people. So they do. The big thing with the CG is that they don't teach their enlisted people ANYTHING at boot camp. They teach everything at the unit. So to the Coast Guard, training an auxiliarist is the SAME PROCESS as training an E-2/E-3. The integration is wonderfull. They give me a military email address and computer access so I can do the job. I even have my own berthing at the STA when I work there on weekends, and they cover the cost of my meals in the galley. I've even had opportunities to get underway with the Canadian coast guard on their ships.

Perhaps what the CGAUX would do well to do, would be to take a lesson from CAP in terms of recruitment and personnel management..

[SAREXinNY]

As a CAP member with less than 1 year under my belt so far, I find this thread very interesting.  I, too, did a lot of research between CG Aux and CAP prior to joining.  Really, the only thing that tipped the scales in CAP's favor was the ES mission.  I wanted a little excitement.  I think I made the right decision (based on my wants/needs), but I do wish I had a thread like this to read a year ago when I first joined.  It's hard to know what you're actually signing up for (even after doing all the research, and attending a squadron meeting or two).  They both definitely have their advantages and disadvantages (in my view anyway).

[Archer]

I did research for 3 months on CAP and USCGAUX. I can tell you, round these parts, the CGAUX didn't really do much, esp when I called the local Flottillas and asked them questions, I was not impressed with there answers. I contacted the local CAP, which was closer also, they told me to show up, gave me the code to the gate, etc. I was looking for certain things, CAP offered it

This is an interesting point you bring up. I agree with you that some flotillas (AUX equivalent to your CAP squadrons) are rather curmudgeon-y in the sense that you really have to put a lot of effort into getting started into the CGAUX. I too, find this aspect to be regretable. It took a lot of me doing my own homework and making phone calls on my own behalf. The crazy thing is, that once you are in the CGAUX, you can really just blaze your own path. I got my uniform, showed up at a station and said, "What can I do, and how do I get started?" The active duty CG has little idea about how the aux works, but they do know that they can put the auxies through the same training routines as all of thier active duty people. So they do. The big thing with the CG is that they don't teach their enlisted people ANYTHING at boot camp. They teach everything at the unit. So to the Coast Guard, training an auxiliarist is the SAME PROCESS as training an E-2/E-3. The integration is wonderfull. They give me a military email address and computer access so I can do the job. I even have my own berthing at the STA when I work there on weekends, and they cover the cost of my meals in the galley. I've even had opportunities to get underway with the Canadian coast guard on their ships.

Perhaps what the CGAUX would do well to do, would be to take a lesson from CAP in terms of recruitment and personnel management..

If you don't mind sharing, where do did put in your time with the Orange that allowed you to work with Canadian Coast Guard? I'd love an opportunity to do that.