NJROTC cadet to CAP senior member

Started by Tom1650, September 13, 2012, 04:53:05 PM

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Tom1650

I learned about CAP 3 years ago, in a discussion with our units old Adjutant, who is now in AFROTC.  Fast forward those years, I am currently a high school senior, and the Command Master Chief (senior enlisted cadet) of my unit.

Knowing I will miss the uniform once I hang it up back in supply come June, I am considering taking up volunteering in the Civil Air Patrol.

Could someone provide info about the actual joining process? For example, how long does it usually take to JOIN, and end up in the uniform, a full member of the unit. I have researched much on CAP in the past, and am looking forward to a possible long future of service in this capacity.


Garibaldi

Well, as a high school senior, if you join now as a cadet, you have 3 years (almost) before you HAVE to turn senior member if you decide to stay in CAP. 18 is a tricky age, for me, with regards to membership. On the one hand, you can get a lot done in those 3 years, but knowing you have a deadline before you turn into a pumpkin can take a lot of starch out of your sails. With that said, let's see what we have here.

Join as a cadet at 18 and a high school graduate: You must attend 3 meetings before you can turn in your paperwork, just to see if you really want to join. This is mainly so that you don't get all excited about seeing a family night or special event and turn around next week and nothing really exciting is happening. You will also need to take the Cadet Protection program that all members, 18 and up, must take in order to be a member.
Things you can do as a cadet: You can go to flight encampment and earn your solo wings. You can go to all sorts of summer programs, including encampment, that are held during the summer months all over the country. You can earn your Mitchell award, which will help if you go in the military. You can enjoy the camaraderie of being with cadets from ages 12 to 21.

OR

Join as a senior member at 18: You must also attend 3 meetings before joining. You have to be fingerprinted in order to work with cadets. You have to complete Level 1 within 6 months of joining to be promoted to Flight Officer. This includes a round of classes such as Cadet Protection, Foundations, OPSEC, Equal Opportunity, and CAP history. Not really hard to do, and it doesn't take 6 months to complete these classes, but you still have to wait 6 months to get grade. You also have to pick your primary job as a senior member. Yes, we do work as seniors. We don't just sit in a room having farting competitions (been there, believe it or not). Until you turn 21 you will be in the Flight Officer grades. Once you turn 21, if you've reached Senior Flight Officer, you automatically become a Captain.

You won't promote as often as a senior, but the work is harder. There are no military benefits to being a CAP senior member like there are as a cadet (see the aforementioned Mitchell Award).

Cadets progress in ranks in as little as 2 months between stripes. Seniors progress at 6 months(2LT), 1 year(1LT), 3 years(CPT), 4 years(MAJ). There are certain things you have to do to progress to those levels as well. We do not have an NCO program.

In a nutshell, it doesn't take long to become a CAP member in either part. You can do just as much in either program, but remember there is a time limit for you to be a cadet.

Hope this helps. NyQuil is kickin' muh tail.
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

Phil Hirons, Jr.

Quote from: Garibaldi on September 13, 2012, 06:44:33 PM
Cadets progress in ranks in as little as 2 months between stripes. Seniors progress at 6 months(2LT), 1 year(1LT), 3 years(CPT), 4 years(MAJ). There are certain things you have to do to progress to those levels as well. We do not have an NCO program.
...
Hope this helps. NyQuil is kickin' muh tail.

That NyQuil is tough stuff.

Seniors progress at 6 months(2nd Lt), 1 year(1st Lt), 18 months(Capt), 3 years(Maj), 4 years(Lt Col).

johnnyb47

With 3 years experience in the JROTC program you are allowed to promote every month up to the grade of C/Capt in CAP.
You'll want to speak to any potential squadron commander about it as I am hardly an authority on the subject.
I just know that the provision exists (or existed) to recognize achievements in the JROTC program.

It may help you decide to join CAP as a cadet if you know you have a shot at 'completing' the cadet program within three years.

Just my $.02
Capt
Information Technology Officer
Communications Officer


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spacecommand

See below Paragraph 10-1 of  CAPR 52-16 Cadet Program Management 1 FEBRUARY 2011 INCLUDES CHANGE 1, 2 JUNE 2011 .

10-1. CAP Policy For Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) Credit.

The CAP Cadet Program and JROTC organizations of the armed services (Air Force JROTC, Army JROTC, Navy JROTC, and Marine Corps JROTC) are complementary and mutually supporting. CAP encourages support of JROTC through dual membership of CAP cadets whenever possible.

a. Accelerated Promotions. Cadets who possess 2 or more years of JROTC experience may qualify for accelerated promotions in CAP. These cadets fulfill the usual requirements for each achievement and milestone award (see chapter 5) under the supervision of CAP personnel, but are waived from the standard time-in-grade requirements, as shown below. To request a milestone award under the accelerated promotion program, cadets follow the procedures found in chapter 2, but also must attach to their completed CAPF 52 a memo endorsed by their JROTC instructor certifying they successfully completed 2 or more years of JROTC.

(1) Two full years of JROTC – The CAP cadet may be promoted at the rate of one achievement per month up to the Mitchell Award.
(2) Three full years of JROTC – The CAP cadet may be promoted at the rate of one achievement per month up to the Earhart Award.
(3) Four full years of JROTC – The CAP cadet may be promoted at the rate of one achievement per month up to the Eaker Award.

ßτε

Quote from: Garibaldi on September 13, 2012, 06:44:33 PM

... You have to complete Level 1 within 6 months of joining to be promoted to Flight Officer.
... but you still have to wait 6 months to get grade.
... Once you turn 21, if you've reached Senior Flight Officer, you automatically become a Captain.

A couple of corrections.
1: It is three months for FO, not six.
2: SFO does not give automatic promotion to Capt except for Spaatz Award earners. All others need a combined 18 months of TIG as SFO/1st Lt. 

Tom1650

I appreciate the insight on rank, but its not my concern at this time. I'm simply seeking a way to continue service through the uniform, but the military at this current time is on a back burner as a plan. I was previously going to go through with the split-option army program, but ended my contract after the recruiters started getting "funny" with things.

manfredvonrichthofen

Quote from: Tom1650 on September 13, 2012, 11:00:26 PM
I appreciate the insight on rank, but its not my concern at this time. I'm simply seeking a way to continue service through the uniform, but the military at this current time is on a back burner as a plan. I was previously going to go through with the split-option army program, but ended my contract after the recruiters started getting "funny" with things.
when it comes to recruiters don't listen to anything they say. They are really only a means for beginning stages of paperwork, and to get you up to MEPS when you get there, you will get What's going on in writing. Until then tune out most of what they are saying. I wish someone had told me that in the beginning, my counsellor at MEPS told me that one, and I'm glad he did.once its all in writing, it is done, your recruiter can't change it without your consent... Trust me, my recruiter tried changing my MOS and duty station, but couldn't because I simply said no.

Tom1650

I was through MEPS and such, no big deal. The famous "NO NO NO" and "scare tactics". Its all behind me now, as I got through the most stressful part of joining-and didn't even go in.

Now I am just considering how I can still serve, while living my life as a civilian. I've considered a Sea Cadet officer, but they are just that-officers for the cadets, nothing else, the program is too narrow for me. Then I was considering joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary before the Army even came up-but didn't join that due to just that-the Army. And now we come to CAP, which seems to be filled with opportunities.

a2capt

Seriously, though. If you start as a cadet if you still can, you do have -a lot- more that you can do right now, -and- still do the community service, ES, and AE outreach.  If you get the Mitchell Award, you do get some benefit if the Military comes off the back burner again. It would just mean you need to attend an encampment before getting that.

But yes, you can do what you want, and even at the same time serve to help/motivate/mentor some other cadets with what you already know.

Flying Pig

#10
Quote from: Tom1650 on September 13, 2012, 11:00:26 PM
I appreciate the insight on rank, but its not my concern at this time. I'm simply seeking a way to continue service through the uniform, but the military at this current time is on a back burner as a plan. I was previously going to go through with the split-option army program, but ended my contract after the recruiters started getting "funny" with things.

Just outta curiosity, is joining the military in any capacity not an option for you anymore?  If you really have the desire to serve in uniform, youll get a lot more traction out of that at your age.  Not sure what "getting funny" means.  So you dont like a recruiter... so what.   Find another one.  If you had your sights set on the military, I dont think CAP would be a replacement.  I spent 8years in the military and 20 in CAP.  The two dont even compare.   You joined, had one "scare" whatever the heck that means, and now your looking at Sea Cadet, Coast Guard Aux and CAP?  OK. 

Depending on where you are, the opportunities may or may not be anything close to what you see on a wing or national CAP web page.

Майор Хаткевич

Unfortunately a lot of recruiters, at least 5 years ago were NOT top 50% Service members. Hell, I'm not sure if the local guys would be in the top 75%.

Tom1650

I may still join the military eventually, but its not currently in my plans. I'm going to college first, if I decide to join post that, then I will.

If I join, I'm going to wait awhile, as I intend to move around, see some parts of this great country. Kinda hard to do that even in the reserves.

My recruiter began to simply phase away from me, opting out of working with me to try to get more people to sign on. If I had a question about something, it could take up to a month to receive an answer. I know recruiters are busy, but it got to the point that when my uncle was in a failing state, they didnt even want to excuse me from training. When it got to that, I began to speak to another recruiter at the station, one who was very good to me. He was very understanding and took my situation into account and said if its not the best thing for my life right now, to come back if I feel that time is ever right again. And that is what I did. I still speak with him frequently when he visits my NJROTC unit.

Flying Pig

Quote from: usafaux2004 on September 14, 2012, 03:01:20 PM
Unfortunately a lot of recruiters, at least 5 years ago were NOT top 50% Service members. Hell, I'm not sure if the local guys would be in the top 75%.

Are you meaning recruiters are the left overs?  Where did you get that stat?

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: Flying Pig on September 14, 2012, 03:15:34 PM
Quote from: usafaux2004 on September 14, 2012, 03:01:20 PM
Unfortunately a lot of recruiters, at least 5 years ago were NOT top 50% Service members. Hell, I'm not sure if the local guys would be in the top 75%.

Are you meaning recruiters are the left overs?  Where did you get that stat?

I'm simply comparing the "cream of the crop" RDCs at Great Lakes with what I saw at the Army Recruiting office/offices in my area when I planned to join the Army.

Flying Pig

OK.  Pretty blanket statement though to suggest recruiters are the bottom 50%-25% of the military.  Navy and Army?  Did you ever join? 

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: Flying Pig on September 14, 2012, 05:47:46 PM
OK.  Pretty blanket statement though to suggest recruiters are the bottom 50%-25% of the military.  Navy and Army?  Did you ever join?

QuoteHell, I'm not sure if the local guys would be in the top 75%.

If the people I saw there are anywhere higher than that, then I would worry about anyone below that. This is based on observations between various recruiters while a cadet, Navy RDCs, and just general knowledge of service members.

Tom1650

Well, this conversation has drifted into the dump...

oracle471

I had to laugh a little bit when i was this post. I was in almost the exact same situation when I joined CAP. I was in my senior year of High School, had just turned 18 and was the Command Senior Chief of NJROTC unit. Twelve yeas later I am still a member. I decided to join as a senior member right from the beginning. The idea of starting from the bottom of a new cadet program was just not that appealing. I started off as my squadron's Communications Officer then the Emergency Services Officer. My experience in CAP has for the most part been a very positive one. I have met alot of great people, and learned a great deal about myself.  As a former Air Force NCO I will say that I agree with some of the other comments that CAP is in no way a substitute for actual military service. This organisation is however a great place to serve your community. It all just depends on what you are expecting to get out of the experience.
Justin Holloway Lt Col CAP
Andrews Composite Squadron