Wearing Blues to School

[TheSkyHornet]

I am fully aware of CAP Sabbath/Sunday, as well as the regulations regarding wearing the uniform during a presentation at school affiliated with CAP. But I've recently been told that cadets would be allowed to wear their uniforms all day at school as a pride/recruiting occurrence, but I have heard nothing official come down from Ohio Wing on this.

I want to make sure I'm hearing right or if something was mistaken somewhere in the chain of command. I've asked people in my own squadron what they know of this and so far nobody seems to know where this came from, which makes no sense to me considering it was brought up at our last meeting.

[MSG Mac]

Told by whom? You state that no one in the Squadron knows and your Wing hasn't established a policy. Sounds like a rumor. Check with your Squadron Commander for the policy. 

[kwe1009]

Who did you hear it from?  For something like this I would imagine that it would have been pretty well publicized by the Wing.  Definitely check with your chain of command before wearing your uniform anywhere outside of CAP events.

[TheSkyHornet]

The answer I received is that this is something our squadron has historically done, not disseminated down from Wing.

I believe the authority descended from this post on the NHQ answer page:
http://capnhq.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/802/kw/cadets%20wearing%20the%20uniform%20to%20school/session/L3RpbWUvMTQ0ODk0MTEwOC9zaWQvVWMyZW5SQ20%3D

I know by reading on CAP Talk that some squadrons/groups in the past have authorized this practice as a recruiting tool, but I'm not so sure it is necessarily appropriate to have a "wear your uniform to school for publicity" type practice, especially if cadets aren't prepared to hand out pamphlets and there isn't any confirmation that this is okay from Wing to do. It's something I'd like to see in writing.

As a CDC, I'm not too keen on hearing cadets have been instructed/authorized to do something just because I missed a meeting, especially if it involves doing something that I don't see inline with a CAP activity. I somewhat think of it as an equivalent of wearing your national guard uniform to your college physics class "just because."

I was just looking for some outside perspective on this before deciding if this is something to address further or just accept as Commander's authority.

[lordmonar]

Well....the only authority you as a CAP member needs is the permission of your squadron commander.

39-1 already grants him this permission.

As for appropriateness.....that is up to your and your commander's best judgement.   

One can argue, just wearing the uniform and being able to answer "what is CAP" and "When and Where do you meet" is all you need for basic recruiting.    Providing your cadets with a simple hand out (my unit used to make up recruiting business cards) is a cheap and easy way to fill the gap on "cadets aren't prepared to hand out pamphlets".

The point of a CAP Sabbath or CAP School Day is to start the conversation of "what's with the uniform?" that leads to generating interest in CAP.   

It is six of one/half dozen of the other as far as I'm concerned.   

Bottom line.   It is your commander who can authorize it per CAPM 39-1.

[Paul Creed III]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to have the cadet check with a school official on whether they are OK with a cadet wearing their uniform too.

[TheSkyHornet]

Fair enough. Commander's discretion.

[SARDOC]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to have the cadet check with a school official on whether they are OK with a cadet wearing their uniform too.

+1.  Some schools have rules about the wear of military style uniforms in school.  (Depends on the jurisdiction)  Some would encourage it and some not so much.  If I was the Squadron Commander in question I would reach out to the school to get their take on it before I'd authorize it.

[TheSkyHornet]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to have the cadet check with a school official on whether they are OK with a cadet wearing their uniform too.

+1.  Some schools have rules about the wear of military style uniforms in school.  (Depends on the jurisdiction)  Some would encourage it and some not so much.  If I was the Squadron Commander in question I would reach out to the school to get their take on it before I'd authorize it.

I already made that point with everyone. They need to make sure it's okay with their school before wearing any uniform. Even if CAP says you can wear your Blues to school, via Commander, it may still violate school policy, especially in the modern era of "tolerance."

(regarding the bold text) Love it. That's exactly how I would have gone about this.

It's just another thing on the docket that I feel should have been discussed with me before telling my cadets what they can and can't do with their uniform and at what activities. I would have liked to have been part of that decision-making process from the start at the squadron level, but that's a separate issue of using your command not so applicable to the original question.

I have advised those in my chain of command, and shifting chain of command, of my concerns with this subject and they do seem to agree that it might not be the most appropriate option to just authorize uniform wear "because we always have." There should be a purpose behind every time you put that uniform on, not to look cool and turn heads. It's a debatable subject I suppose.

[Paul Creed III]

There should be a purpose behind every time you put that uniform on, not to look cool and turn heads. It's a debatable subject I suppose.

Concur. I always ask why a cadet wants to wear their uniform and there have been occasions that I said no.