Just Starting in Emergency Services

[CAP428]

I've been in CAP a few months now and want to start getting qualified for ES.  The thing is, each time I ask my chain of command how to go about it, all I get is "Take the tests online."

Well, that's fine, but what am I supposed to do, take the test and just hope I guessed the right answer?

I looked at an old topic similar to this one here on CAPTalk, "How do I get qualified in ES?" but I'm still confused.  I can't figure out what texts I should read very first.  When I say I'm starting out, I literally mean I have no ES experience to date through CAP.

So, somebody posted this link in the other thread:  http://group22.net/es/esupdates.html    but I have no clue as to what I'm supposed to do.


Can anyone help?  Thank you.

[Camas]

You'll need to login to e-services (you should have set up an account with them by now) and then off to the leftside go to CAP online exams.  Once you've opened up that page go to the Emergency Service Online Examination.  The two tests you'll want to complete right away are the two parts of the CAPT 116 which includes GES and ICS100 training.  You'll also want to check out the three parts of the CAPT 117; which parts you test on will depend on what mission tasks you wish to participate.  Check with your ES officer or unit commander.  You can wait on the SET tests but you'll want to do those in time as well.  Study - and get to know - CAPR 60-3.  This'll give you the resources to complete the CAPF 116 tests.  Good luck to you.

[DeputyDog]

There is a powerpoint presentation available for the GES on the test site. I'm not going to post the link for it on here (might get in trouble with OPSEC and all that). But it should point you in the right direction.

[ELTHunter]

There is a lot of training material located here:

http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/operations/

under Training Materials.  You will need to study the General Emergency Services training materials first and take both parts of CAPT 116.  You have to have the GES qualification on your 101 card in order to do any other training.  Once you are GES qualified, you will need to demonstrate proficiency in a few preparatory tasks in the specialty you want to work on in order to begin your OJT training.  Once those tasks are signed off by a qualified Skills Examiner Trainer (SET), you can start training on actual or practice missions depending upon your and your OJT supervisors comfort level.

Also you can get a lot of usefull information from the Ground & Urban DF Team or Aircrew & Flightline materials depending upon what area of ES you want to be in.  The Reference Text and Task Guides cover everything you will need to be able to demonstrate.  However, it will be a lot easier if you have good mentors.  If you are in a composite squadron, the cadets often have ES training classes as part of their regular meetings, so you might want to sit in on some of these.  The older cadets can be a good source of learning the DFing, etc.  I initially joined CAP to do aircrew ES, but began assisting in the cadet program, and I ended getting qualified as GTM and GTL in addition to MS & MO.  I learned almost all of the basics from working with Cadets and reading the materials you will find on line.

[Pace]

Unless you're on time constraints, I recommend completing all the tests in that bracket: both parts of CAPT 116, all 3 parts of CAPT 117, and SET.  As stated, CAPR 60-3 (clickable link - I recommend right clicking and saving it as it's fairly extensive) will have the material for CAPT 116.  The material for CAPT 117 will be on the page of the test itself.  SET is common sense for most people that have ever had to teach a class or evaluate others, but if you need it there is a slideshow for SET on the page of the test, I believe.

Make sure your Curry Achievement or Level 1 is entered in MIMS.  If you're a cadet, you'll have to input your Curry completion yourself unless you have a REALLY generous commander or ES officer that is well versed in MIMS.  If you're a SM, your professional development officer should have sent in a CAPF 11 documenting completion of Level 1 (orientation and cadet protection course).  Once you have CAPT 116 and either Curry or Level 1, you will have GES on your 101 card in e-services.  Print that card out once "GES" is on it.

Also start trying to find out when someone is teaching a BCUT (Basic Communications User Training) class.  You'll need BCUT to get your ROA (Radio Operator Authorization) card so you can use CAP radios.

Once you have your 101 card, if you're not sure what you want to do, I suggest training as a Mission Staff Assistant to give you an idea how a mission base operates.  If you like that, then persue Mission Radio Operator or some other mission base rating.  If not, train for either Ground Team/Urban Direction Finding Team or, if you're old enough, Aircrew.

[CAP428]

Oh, I didn't know that we had to enter our own info on MIMS.  I'm not really very familiar with the system.  I have an account and all, but I'm not sure what to do.  I am a C/SrA, how do I make sure that is entered in the system?  The only thing I see is when I click on "Review/Edit Member Info" it only shows me as rank "Cadet" type "Cadet", so I assume my acheivements have not been entered?

[Pace]

It's not a difficult system once you've used it just a little.  The way I learned is by going through all the links on the left in e-services and see where they take me.

To enter your Curry information in, first you need to know the dates you completed your Curry PFT, moral leadership, leadership test, and unit activities.  If you don't know each date, just use the date you completed the Curry achievement as the date for all 4.  Here's how to get to the spot to do that:

1. Log into e-services.
2. Look on the left for "Personal ES/CD/Cadet Task Entry" and click on it.
3. That will bring up a box with your CAPID.  Click "Submit".
4. Click on the dropdown box that says "[Select Functional Area]".  Select "Cadet_Programs".
5. In the right dropdown box, make sure you see "Achievement 1 (Curry)".
6. Click "Submit".
7. That will bring up four links:
"Achv 1 - CPFT"
"Achv 1 - Moral Leadership"
"Achv 1 - Leadership Test"
"Achv 1 - Unit Activities"
Click any of those four links.  It doesn't matter which one.
8. Now you're at the page where you can enter your completion data into the system.  Put in dates for all 4 blocks.
9. Once you've put in all four dates, click "Save".

From here you can go wherever you want, but your Curry completion will have to be verified by your commander through his or her e-services account before it will be official.

Once you take CAPT 116 and pass both parts, it will go into the system automatically without you having to enter anything.

After your CAPT 116 and Curry are in the system and your commander approves your GES rating, you can print out your 101 card through the "Personal CAPF 101" link on the left in e-services.

When you have your 101 card and start training in a specialty, you can use the same system above to enter the data into MIMS by selecting "OPS-Emergency_Services" instead of "Cadet_Programs".  Then in the right dropdown box you will select whatever specialty you're working on to fill in the information for the tasks you've completed.  *[FYI, to have a task completed you need to have a skills evaluator sign off on your SQTR for whatever specialty you're working on once you've demonstrated proficiency in that skill/task.  To get an SQTR, click the link on the left that says "Personal SQTR(old 101T) ".]*  Once all the tasks for a specialty are done, it goes to your commander for approval automatically.

To enter information quicker than that system, you can click the "Personal ES SQTR Quick Entry " link on the left.  Select your "Achievement"/specialty.  Then enter your skills evaluator's CAPID, then the mission number (if there is one - there only has to be a mission number for sortie credit), and the date of completion of the task(s).  Then click "Display tasks".  Click the "Check to Save" box by each task that you've completed and the information from above will appear in that box.  This way it's just quicker because you only have to type the CAPID, mission number, and date once.  *This doesn't work for entering your Curry information, just ES specialties.

[CAP428]

Thanks for the help!  I see what you're talking about but......

....in the right dropdown box after selecting 'Cadet Programs' in the left, there is no Curry.  There is only a blank option, nothing appears in the right dropdow box. 

[Pace]

In that case, talk with your commander.  That may have been one of the items they changed in the past few years that now requires the commander to enter that info into MIMS.

Squadron commanders, can you shed some light on this?

[Lancer]

Thanks for the help!  I see what you're talking about but......

....in the right dropdown box after selecting 'Cadet Programs' in the left, there is no Curry.  There is only a blank option, nothing appears in the right dropdow box. 

What I did after seeing the same thing was to select 'Record Completed Tasks for New Achievement', then a menu appears to the left. Expand 'Cadet_Programs' and you should see 'Achievement 1 (Curry)', then 'Achv 1 Requirements'. After that you should see the entry screen for the achievement dates. Enter your dates, click 'Save' and your done.

[Pace]

Thanks.  It's been far too long since I've had to put in Curry info.

[Lancer]

Thanks.  It's been far too long since I've had to put in Curry info.

Hey, glad to help. At the same time I'm new, so is my son who just completed his first achievement. Of course If I wasn't on here I wouldn't know half the stuff I need to know to get things done. I guess to my fellow squadron leaders, me saying 'I was a former cadet' is CAP speak for 'ahh cool, he'll take care of himself'  Of course I don't mind, I love 'discovering' my way back into CAP. It's a lot easier now, since there was no 'interweb' 20 years ago. hehehe.

Thanks to ELThunter for posting the http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/operations/, you would think a useful page like that would be linked in e-Services.

[Eclipse]

CAP248

What state are you in?

Do they use the WMU or MIMs for the 101 cards (ILWG still uses WMU)

Are you a cadet? If so, its possible your Curry was not properly recorded at NHQ.

More after I see the answers.

[CAP428]

Well, I don't really like giving states online, but I can say that yes I am a cadet and we use MIMS.

What worries me most though is the prospect that this may not stop at Curry.

I am currently a  C/SrA so I have more than just Curry to enter and want to find out if there are problems or if NHQ is not recognizing the fact that I am promoting.  This could become an issue when I'm up for more milestone type acheivements like Mitchell, etc.  I would like to get these issues resolved ASAP to prevent future issues.

Thanks for your help everyone.

[MIKE]

NHQ only cares about your Curry (for ES and encampments), and milestone awards.

[Pylon]

Well, I don't really like giving states online, but I can say that yes I am a cadet and we use MIMS.

What worries me most though is the prospect that this may not stop at Curry.

I am currently a  C/SrA so I have more than just Curry to enter and want to find out if there are problems or if NHQ is not recognizing the fact that I am promoting.  This could become an issue when I'm up for more milestone type acheivements like Mitchell, etc.  I would like to get these issues resolved ASAP to prevent future issues.

Thanks for your help everyone.

As Mike said, NHQ only tracks your curry and your milestone awards.   There would be no issue when you're up for milestone awards, unless your local unit is not tracking them.  Your squadron should be tracking each promotion along the way on your paper records, meaning your CAPF 66 (Cadet Master Record - the big green thing in your file) and CAPF 52-1 (Cadet Progression, Phase I - the one you and your CC or CD have to sign for each promotion).  With the new CAPR 52-16 release on 1 Oct 2006, your squadron can also officially track these by computer, with a system such as SIMS or an Excel spreadsheet.

When you go up for your Wright Brothers Award (C/SSgt), a completed copy of your CAPF 52-1 will need to make its way to National. That's how National ensures you've completed all your achievements up to that award.   Anything other than Curry, or milestones is not noted at the National level -- kind of like Flight Officer grades for Senior Members.

Good luck with the Emergency Services, stuff!

[DNall]

NHQ only cares about your Curry (for ES and encampments), and milestone awards.

It's there cause curry for cadets or lvl I for adults is required before you can go on a mission even as a trainee. They don't track Curry out of the cadet programs shop, just your milestones, and those go by whatever is signed on your 52s, meaning as up to date or not as your local personnel officer & CC are keeping them.

[CAP428]

Oh  okay, I get it.  Thanks.  I've already filled out 52-1 up till now and I know my squadron has everything recorded, so it looks like once I get my Curry entered I'll be fine for now.

Thanks.

[DNall]

NP, it does seem like they try to make it as confusing as possible at times.

[connelly]

do a google for cap 116 test and it will bring you to a page at capnhq.af.mil with a couple of tests. Take the 116 for GES and 117 for GT3 and UDF