Recruiting thesis

[RiverAux]

This link below takes you to a recent thesis from the Naval Postgraduate School enttitled ENHANCING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY.

While the focus is obviously on the CG Aux, they spend a fair bit of time comparing CG Aux membership trends to CAP senior member trends (Pages 45-47, 88-89, 113-114) and some other places.  An interesting chart on page 114 shows CAP senior membership as basically flat from 1970 until today except for a bump of about 10,000 that held through the early 1980s. 

The thesis speaks a fair bit about issues unique to CG Aux (as you would expect), but could still prove somewhat useful to CAP folks as well. 

http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2008/Dec/08Dec%5FDooris.pdf

[RADIOMAN015]

Great information source :clap:  Thank you!

Reading the study got to wonder if basically the same types of issues addressed (positive & negative) would apply to CAP.

However, as you know we have no membership recruiting & retention problems in CAP as the author of the study shows.  As one knows CAP membership statistics are somewhat difficult to determine because of the various classes of membership, that aren't really reported separately to the general public.

Also even "current" so called active senior as well as cadet membership is subject to a wide definition of what an "active" member is.  For example we have about 50 senior members in our unit.  Weekly there's a core of about senior 15 members that are there every week.  So that's about 30% attendance.

It's interesting that pilots seem to have the most latitude about not attending scheduled squadron meetings and it's doubtful that any of them will ever be placed in "patron" status because apparently aircraft assignment is based partially on the number of pilots in an area.  Those in ground staff position are pretty much expected to attend weekly meetings.

It seems to me that the USCG Aux has more opportunities for non flying personnel to participate in direct support of the USCG than CAP members do in currently supporting the AF.
Perhaps it's something that all senior member non pilot/non flight crew members in CAP should considering exploring
RM       

[RADIOMAN015]

This link below takes you to a recent thesis from the Naval Postgraduate School enttitled ENHANCING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY.

http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2008/Dec/08Dec%5FDooris.pdf

I thought another interesting aspect of the study was that each USCG District (now known as Sectors), had an Officer appointed as a liasion to the local USCG Aux units.  The report indicated it was actually an additional duty being handled by a junior officer.  Contrast this with Civil Air Patrol, generally the Wings' civilian administrators are seasoned military retirees, as well as the Regional LO's  & HQ USAF-CAP has field grade officers & senior/semi senior NCO's specifically assigned to support CAP.  Hq also has a liasion person assigned to AF NORTH.  IF I remember correctly CAP/AF assignments, are considered special duty assignments.
RM   

[RiverAux]

The report is wrong on this or at least misleading.  Districts are still Districts.  Sectors are brand new and are found underneath Districts in the org chart.  The CG officer at the District is usually a Commander  and usually has a few people on staff (some military, some civilian) and it is their primary job to work Aux issues including approving the Aux equivalent of ES quals and all Aux awards. 

At the Sector level there may be someone who is the Aux liasion (there are Aux personnel assigned to be liaison to each Sector) and if there is, it is probably an additional duty.