AF Times: GAO pushes Civil Air Patrol expansion

[A.Member]

Haven't seen this posted here yet (perhaps it was lost among the uniform discussions  ):

http://www.airforcetimes.com/mobile/news/2012/11/air-force-airpatrol-112112w

The Government Accountability Office is urging the Air Force to work with the Department of Homeland Security to expand the work of its auxiliary wing in training and homeland security missions.

The Civil Air Patrol, a nonprofit auxiliary of the Air Force, could expand its ability to respond to homeland security missions, if the service and DHS study legal parameters, mission funding, capabilities and operating capacity of the volunteer force, according to the Nov. 1 report.

The Civil Air Patrol is made up of 61,000 volunteer members and received $38 million from the Air Force in fiscal 2012. Approximately 75 percent of the patrol's missions are conducted in Air Force auxiliary status, according to the report.

In fiscal 2011, the patrol devoted 46,132 Air Force-assigned flying hours for training and flight orientation, with the rest devoted to homeland security operations. Air Force officials told the GAO that expanding the patrol's law enforcement and homeland security activities is lengthy and requires consent from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The Air Force is limited by the Posse Comitatus Act in playing a direct role in law enforcement, but Defense Department and Civil Air Patrol personnel can assist civilian law enforcement with aerial reconnaissance and the monitoring of traffic.

In 2011, the Civil Air Patrol reported 2,583 Air Force-assigned hours for air defense, which includes the patrol's participation in the Defense Department's low-flying aircraft readiness exercises and exercises training Air Force pilots to intercept low-flying aircraft.

The patrol flies about 550 aircraft, primarily made up of Cessna 172s and 182s, which can perform aerial reconnaissance, damage assessment, search and rescue, and targets for air intercept exercises.

The Civil Air Patrol responded to the report by saying its leadership is looking forward to working with the Air Force and DHS. The report came shortly after teams from Civil Air Patrols from the Northeast, Middle East and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. supported state and government agencies in response to Hurricane Sandy.

"These ongoing emergency missions highlight CAP's ability to augment others using unpaid professionals and cost-effective high-tech equipment," said Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, the Civil Air Patrol commander, in a release.

It would be nice to see this gain traction.  More importantly, it'd be nice to see some specific proposals around mission profiles, etc. 

It's time for National to carry the ball across the finish line.

[Walkman]

At the moment, HLS mission in my wing are very limited. It's mostly secret squirrel stuff and you have to get known a bit in the wing to get to do them. I'd be very excited for an expansion of any of our missions.

[Fubar]

Haven't seen this posted here yet (perhaps it was lost among the uniform discussions

Actually, it was posted here:

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=16372.msg295910#msg295910

The study doesn't recommend expansion, the study recommended more study. It also pointed out the Coast Guard and Border Patrol have significant doubts in CAP's ability to perform HLS missions due to the equipment we use and our own regulations.

[usafcap1]

My Squadron Commander knows that I really want to do HLS in CAP. When he read this is at last week meeting I just about died!

[a2capt]

You might, too, of old age .. before that happens. 

[usafcap1]

Maybe we will get authorization to wear ABU's. I know, I know. . . its just a dream.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Maybe for some...

[Eclipse]

My Squadron Commander knows that I really want to do HLS in CAP. When he read this is at last week meeting I just about died!

What, exactly, do you believe / hope for CAP's role, at the max, would be in HLS?

[Eclipse]

Maybe we will get authorization to wear ABU's. I know, I know. . . its just a dream.

I dream of many things - last night I was doing a tour of Hyatt hotel properties across the US and kept running
into weather issues at the airports (which, oddly, were in the hotels).  I have no idea why the dream was so brand specific.

I had a dream once that during an encampment all the TAC officers turned out to be Cyclons (probably because I had Netflix on).

I've never had a dream that involved uniforms, at least beyond it being a closed issue for all.

[Майор Хаткевич]

I had a dream once that during an encampment all the TAC officers turned out to be Cyclons (probably because I had Netflix on).

I knew it!

[krnlpanick]

I had a dream once that during an encampment all the TAC officers turned out to be Cylons (probably because I had Netflix on).

FTFY

[Garibaldi]

My Squadron Commander knows that I really want to do HLS in CAP. When he read this is at last week meeting I just about died!

What, exactly, do you believe / hope for CAP's role, at the max, would be in HLS?

I envision something like our counter-drug program, a lot of support rather than front-line activities, not-so-covert surveillance, maybe a return to our post-WW2 missions.

[Eclipse]

I had a dream once that during an encampment all the TAC officers turned out to be Cylons (probably because I had Netflix on).

FTFY

Mine are Cyclons.  They spin at high speed and produce copious amounts of rain.  That's how you spot them.

[Eclipse]

I envision something like our counter-drug program, a lot of support rather than front-line activities, not-so-covert surveillance, maybe a return to our post-WW2 missions.

HLS deals primarily with terrorist threats, both domestic and foreign.  An arena we are ill-equipped to deal with, and one that has enough
personal risk that volunteers should stay out of it.  It is also a dreary, mundane, duty punctuated by short bursts of potentially deadly events.

We'd be much better off back-filling local agencies in traditional ES and DR, to give them more time and money to deal with HLS issues on their own.

"You watch the walls, we'll watch your homes."

[Garibaldi]

I envision something like our counter-drug program, a lot of support rather than front-line activities, not-so-covert surveillance, maybe a return to our post-WW2 missions.

HLS deals primarily with terrorist threats, both domestic and foreign.  An arena we are ill-equipped to deal with, and one that has enough
personal risk that volunteers should stay out of it.  It is also a dreary, mundane, duty punctuated by short bursts of potentially deadly events.

We'd be much better off back-filling local agencies in traditional ES and DR, to give them more time and money to deal with HLS issues on their own.

"You watch the walls, we'll watch your homes."

We can perform such duties as being radar targets, practice intercepts for the AF. Aerial photography of suspected areas. Well, then we run the risk of being shot down. Basically, letting the DHS guys practice dealing with threats from small aircraft.