Anybody Else from the UK?

[Brit_in_CAP]

I am a moderately new member of the CAP (May 2011) and I serve as a CDI in VA-002.

After chatting to some of my colleagues in the Chaplain Branch and also to some of the cadets, I thought I would try something of a straw poll.

I am originally from the UK, I served in the Royal Air Force for 14 years (Engineer Branch, final rank O-3) and I am a licensed Reader (lay preacher) in the Anglican Church.

Being curious I was wondering:

• Are there are other CAP members originally from the UK?
• Are there any other former RAF personnel serving in CAP?
• Are there any other Readers working as CDIs or in other Specialty Tracks?

I'd like to add that joining the CAP was suggested to me by a friend who served a full career as a US Navy Chaplain and later worked for the Episcopal Church HQ, then in New York.  He had had many enjoyable contacts with the CAP during his ministry.  I have not regretted taking his advice!  Thanks for making me so welcome.

I did read another post, which concerned recognition of prior service so allow me to share one of my first teachable moments as a CDI.
One of the cadets, having politely questioned me at length about my past, inquired if the CAP would recognize my prior service.  I pointed out the lack of relevant DD form, which is the basis for recognition of any prior service and that I had served in an allied service as opposed to the US military. 

I then neatly inserted the point about that which is worth having is earned, not given.  I love it when you get these little opportunities offered up!

Again, thanks for making me so welcome and I look forward with interest to any answers to my straw poll.

Antony Davies
2/Lt, CAP
VA-002

[NIN]

I know we had a Kiwi in Michigan Wing some years ago (co-worker of mine, actually, although I did not recruit him), and we had a bloke here in the Northeast some years ago (2001-2002? oh, dear lord, it was that long ago?) who was on a year-long internship to the US and got into CAP.  He was a RN Midshipman at his Uni, and never wore anything but DPMs or his No 1s.  (quite the hoot)

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My first squadron had a French-Canadian retired from flying CF-5's.

OK, that's not the RAF, but it's still Commonwealth, and he still pronounced "lieutenant" as "leff-tenant."

I live near the Canadian border, and when I go over I see Royal Canadian Air Cadets (like your ATC) now and again.

By the way, welcome to CAP, former Flight Lieutenant.  You'll find that many, many CAP members hold the RAF in high regard.

[bosshawk]

I have a good friend who was RAF before he moved to the US and became an American citizen.  He was a member of Sq 80 in San Jose, Ca and I assume that he may still be a member.  He happens to live in Pnom Penh, Cambodia and has for a number of years.  I believe that he was an enlisted member of the RAF.

I happen to have a long-time friend who served a lifetime in the RAF and retired to Dorset as a Wing Commander: was an intelligence officer.

[andysum15]

Hi Antony
Welcome to the Civil Air Patrol. I am from the UK and still a British citizen. I have been in the USA for 9 years and a member of CAP for just over 8 years. I started way back when as an Air Training Corps Cadet and after almost six years joined the Royal Air Force where I served for 12 years as an Electronic Technician Telecommunications, I left at the end of my contract as a Corporal. I then served in the Royal Navy Reserve for a couple of years before going back to the Air Training Corps where I was a Warrant Officer and DI for 4 years before taking my commission in the RAFVR(T) after five and half years and finishing as Squadron Commander of 198 Squadron ATC, I moved to Vermont, USA. I hold a number of specialty tracks in CAP, Communications, Personnel, Personnel Development and Cadet Programs. I am also a Mission Observer and Ground Team member.
Andy

[Al Sayre]

Welcome Antony.  Our MSWG/CV is a Brit (he tells people his accent is from South MS), as is Col Hayden (NER/CC) I believe.

[spacecommand]

Yes Colonel Hayden, the Northeast Region Commander is originally from the UK as well according  to his biography:

http://www.ner.cap.gov/staff/staff_bios.php#105

Hayden is a former film and television producer and broadcast executive. He was born and educated in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States in 1970 and has been a full US Citizen since 1979. He learnt to fly in the United Kingdom on both the Tiger Moth and Piper Colt and is presently getting close to 2,000 flying hours.

[Pylon]

Welcome Antony!  While not a Brit, I did have the privilege of spending time with lots of your ATC and RAF brethren on IACE to the UK back in 2003.  We made quite a few trips around England, saw a bunch of ATC units as well as RAF units, flew your "Grob", and did some touristy stuff in-between.  Great people!  We had such a blast there, I don't think I single one of us wanted to actually go back.

[NIN]

We had such a blast there, I don't think I single one of us wanted to actually go back.

Go back home to their respective countries, you mean, right?  The way you wrote that, my first read thru was "We had such a great time in England in 2003, none of wanted to go back." 

Which made me say "LOL, whut?"

[Brit_in_CAP]

Pylon: I'm glad you enjoyed the IACE; that always seemed to be far from our grasp when I was an ATC cadet "back in the day"!  Where did you go for the tourism experience?

I have to admit to pre-dating the Grob; I did my Air Experience in the De Havilland Chipmunk -the RAF's secret weapon in the Cold War... - and my gliding tuition in the Kirby Cadet Mk III and Slingsby Sedburgh.

That said I was fortunate to attend one of the last Overseas Camps (AKA Encampment) in Malta, just prior to the UK closing their bases in that country; not as good as IACE but it had it's moments!

[JeffDG]

OK, that's not the RAF, but it's still Commonwealth, and he still pronounced "lieutenant" as "leff-tenant."

I'm not a Brit, but a Canadian, and I still pronounce it leff-tenant.

I had some Lt. Col. ask me once about that...he asked "Where's the 'f' in lieutenant?" to which I responded "Where's the 'r' in Colonel, sir?"

In January I meet TIG for my second bar and I can stop getting funny looks when I introduce myself for briefings...

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I'm not a Brit, but a Canadian, and I still pronounce it leff-tenant.

I had some Lt. Col. ask me once about that...he asked "Where's the 'f' in lieutenant?" to which I responded "Where's the 'r' in Colonel, sir?"

In January I meet TIG for my second bar and I can stop getting funny looks when I introduce myself for briefings...

My sister lived at the former Fort Ord in California when her then-husband was stationed there.  She tended bar at the O'Club and used to meet all kinds of troops from other countries training at Ord: Brits, Canadians, Germans, Australians, New Zealanders, French, Italians, you name it.

She said "I always wondered if there was a counterpart to a 'leff-tenant' like a 'right-tenant."

The late Peter Jennings said that stagehands would have to often hold cue cards up saying "LOOTENANT" to remind him not to use his native pronunciation.

Alex Trebek drops it now and then.

Apparently there are blooper reels of William Shatner from the original Star Trek addressing "Leff-tenant Uhura."

But I use it myself...I'll blame it on seeing "The Battle Of Britain" too much, living in a border city and overdosing on CBC.

[troutbaron]

I'm from the UK originally and now I am a dual citizen.

I was a cadet in the ATC for 8 years in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area, with 2510 (West Denton) and 131 (City of Newcastle) Squadrons.  I then took a commission in the RAFVR(T) and held that for 8 years.

I moved here in 2001 and decided to join CAP just over a year ago. I was dismayed to find that none of my prior service counted for anything!

Regards

2Lt Andrew Baron, NER-NJ-009, Cape May County Composite Squadron.

[Garibaldi]

OK, that's not the RAF, but it's still Commonwealth, and he still pronounced "lieutenant" as "leff-tenant."

I had some Lt. Col. ask me once about that...he asked "Where's the 'f' in lieutenant?"

Yeah, when I got promoted to 2LT, I got that question a LOT...wait for it...

[NIN]

I'm from the UK originally and now I am a dual citizen.

I was a cadet in the ATC for 8 years in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area, with 2510 (West Denton) and 131 (City of Newcastle) Squadrons.  I then took a commission in the RAFVR(T) and held that for 8 years.

I moved here in 2001 and decided to join CAP just over a year ago. I was dismayed to find that none of my prior service counted for anything!

My mate who spent a year in CAP while here on an internship is the OC of the 861 Wideopen Sqdn there near Newcastle. Small world.

[NIN]

Met a gent from Kent who was part of the IL Wing aircrew that came out here for the post-Sandy recon flights

[ol'fido]

What's his name, Darin? I know we have a female SM (or did) from the Whiteside Comp Sqdn who had the loveliest British accent.

[JeffDG]

What's his name, Darin? I know we have a female SM (or did) from the Whiteside Comp Sqdn who had the loveliest British accent.

You know, there's actually no such thing as a "British Accent".

Even as a Canadian, I can tell the difference between someone from London vs. say Manchester, or certainly the difference between a Welshman and a Scot.

[NIN]

What's his name, Darin? I know we have a female SM (or did) from the Whiteside Comp Sqdn who had the loveliest British accent.

Cliff. I'll be darned if I can remember his last name. 

[abdsp51]

The DCS and the DCC at Travis are both from the UK and they were awesome and a pleasure to work with.