VSAF Annoucement

[NIN]

Now this is surely interesting

Civil Air Patrol buoys AF home front concerns with new support program
Volunteer Support of the Air Force program will match CAP members' capabilities with opportunities to serve military families

January 10, 2008

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- On Jan. 11, 1949, the secretary of the Air Force described the Civil Air Patrol as a "civilian auxiliary of the Air Force."

Today, 59 years later, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the Honorable Craig Duehring announced a new pilot project which will kick off at two bases this month. Randolph Air Force Base and Wright-Patterson AFB were selected as the two sites for evaluating the potential of an additional Air Force non-combat mission for CAP using existing statutory and Secretarial authorities.

"This program called Volunteer Support to the Air Force, or VSAF will provide greater volunteer opportunities for citizens through the CAP while enhancing the Air Force capabilities as a part of the Air Force's Continuum of Service program," Mr. Duehring said.

"The members of the Civil Air Patrol, all patriotic American citizens, are proud to have this opportunity to help the brave men and women defending our country and the loved ones they leave behind when they deploy, but before now, a structure did not exist to match volunteer capabilities with base needs," said Interim CAP Commander Brig. Gen. Amy Courter. "Our 57,000 volunteers welcome this opportunity to support the military families in their communities across the nation."

Continuum of Service (CoS) is a Department of Defense initiative that seeks to provide opportunities for service along a continuum from military active duty to civilian volunteer. The CoS recognizes that people are the key ingredient to the sustained success of our Air Force and focuses on eliminating the barriers that allows our highly trained, motivated people to continue to serve as their personal situations change over the course of their career.

This endeavor builds on the willingness and capabilities of our citizen volunteers. In the pilot project announced today, the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol continue their historic partnership to involve America's citizens in Air Power's ongoing adventure from Heritage to Horizon.

CAP group commanders will serve as project liaisons, coordinating with base personnel to identify and fill needs.

CAP members will wear a distinctive polo and khaki uniform while performing VSAF duties. Those who join CAP in order to perform VSAF services will be considered full-fledged CAP members, with the same rights and responsibilities that membership entails.

[Ricochet13]

Now this is surely interesting

Civil Air Patrol buoys AF home front concerns with new support program
Volunteer Support of the Air Force program will match CAP members' capabilities with opportunities to serve military families

January 10, 2008

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- On Jan. 11, 1949, the secretary of the Air Force described the Civil Air Patrol as a "civilian auxiliary of the Air Force."

Today, 59 years later, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the Honorable Craig Duehring announced a new pilot project which will kick off at two bases this month. Randolph Air Force Base and Wright-Patterson AFB were selected as the two sites for evaluating the potential of an additional Air Force non-combat mission for CAP using existing statutory and Secretarial authorities.

"This program called Volunteer Support to the Air Force, or VSAF will provide greater volunteer opportunities for citizens through the CAP while enhancing the Air Force capabilities as a part of the Air Force's Continuum of Service program," Mr. Duehring said.

"The members of the Civil Air Patrol, all patriotic American citizens, are proud to have this opportunity to help the brave men and women defending our country and the loved ones they leave behind when they deploy, but before now, a structure did not exist to match volunteer capabilities with base needs," said Interim CAP Commander Brig. Gen. Amy Courter. "Our 57,000 volunteers welcome this opportunity to support the military families in their communities across the nation."

Continuum of Service (CoS) is a Department of Defense initiative that seeks to provide opportunities for service along a continuum from military active duty to civilian volunteer. The CoS recognizes that people are the key ingredient to the sustained success of our Air Force and focuses on eliminating the barriers that allows our highly trained, motivated people to continue to serve as their personal situations change over the course of their career.

This endeavor builds on the willingness and capabilities of our citizen volunteers. In the pilot project announced today, the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol continue their historic partnership to involve America's citizens in Air Power's ongoing adventure from Heritage to Horizon.

CAP group commanders will serve as project liaisons, coordinating with base personnel to identify and fill needs.

CAP members will wear a distinctive polo and khaki uniform while performing VSAF duties. Those who join CAP in order to perform VSAF services will be considered full-fledged CAP members, with the same rights and responsibilities that membership entails.

Surprise! Surprise!  (Gomer Pyle) . . . and apparently another uniform option! 

[Gunner C]

Holy crap!  More golf polo shirts.  So much for a more professional looking force.

GC

[pixelwonk]

Always with the knee-jerk up in here...

Chances are, a distinctive polo and khakis are typical dress for Wing Administrators and State Directors (of liaison services)
They are around this wing, and the two gentlemen in those positions who work in our Dept of Military Affairs building exemplify professionalism.

Do not, I say again, do not turn this into a uniform thread.

[afgeo4]

Anyone wants to take a guess if this will spread to other branches/reserve bases/ANG bases?

[jeders]

With the exception of the polo/khaki combo, I think this sounds like a great program. Of course I have no idea what they'll have people doing, but it still sounds like a good start to build a better relationship with the Air Force on. If the pilot program goes well and is done at most/all bases, then I think that this may lead us back to the close relationship that many of us want, and CAP needs.

Who knows, maybe someday we'll see 172s carrying bombs. 

[SeattleSarge]

I wonder if this program comes with base privileges and one of those "please don't treat me like a red-headed step-child vehicle stickers"...

Yeah, right...

-SeattleSarge

[afgeo4]

I wonder if this program comes with base privileges and one of those "please don't treat me like a red-headed step-child vehicle stickers"...

Yeah, right...

-SeattleSarge

Considering that USAF isn't supposed to issue those stickers anymore, I'm going to guess it'll come without them.

I wonder if this will come with some sort of CAC for those approved for VSAF duty. THAT will enhance security for the SFs and allow for ease of movement on base for volunteers. Since meals are no longer free at active duty bases anyway, the volunteer should have no problems with that. BX and base lodging come with AFAM orders.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Actually, the AF already has a uniform like the one described, worn by the recruiters.  On the "Uniform" thread there has been a suggestion that the CAP golf shirt uniform switch to a khaki pant to match the AF counterpart uniform.

Now... implementation of this program had BETTER be done right.  If we do this right, we come off looking like pros.  If, on the other hand, we "Send in the clowns," we end up confirming the worst rumors about us and validate all the negative stereotypes.

My recommendation to MY Group CC (and for any others that ask me) would be to:

1.  Immediately poll all Group members to see who wants to participate.

2.  Collect a DETAILED resume from each person interested.  I suggest following a modified military bio statement format.  Whatever is used, the format must be standardized.

3.  Select one officer as POC with the base personnel shop, or the Group CC may opt to do this himself/herself.

4.  Review with the personnel shop the available pool of volunteers and work it against the needs of the base.

5.  Have all selectees interview with the OIC of the shop they will be working.

6.  Provide for OJT/local training.

7.  Provide for frequent follow up, performance review, and productivity tracking.

[ddelaney103]

I'd like to see some idea of the tasks they expect the VSAF to perform.

Their continuing reference to "military families" makes me wonder if this is a "helping families with deployed Airmen" support work.  The Family Readiness briefing I got last weekend talked about ways for people to help families.  While mowing lawns for single parents is a noble task, it may not leverage any CAP specific capability.

I'd like to see more of the meat of the proposal before assuming the AF is welcoming us home.

[afgeo4]

Group/Wing CCs aren't in position to provide training for this, OJT or otherwise. They are also not in a position to conduct reviews. The only thing they can as for is training from the military side and for copies of reviews to be filed with the group CC when the member is reviewed by their immediate supervisor on the military side.

In my opinion, the concept still needs a lot of work. Specific jobs have to be identified with specific requirements sought. Members have to be found willing to contribute their time and effort to this project, but those members have to be sufficiently qualified, non-essential for CAP operations, and in close proximity to the base. That's a tough slot to fill.

We'll see what happens. I wish some of this help would be for recruiters. Just about every squadron in the nation has a USAF/USAFR recruiting office nearby and just about anyone could help given some simple training.

[Walkman]

Aside from knowing all the particulars, I'm ready to sign up. Hill AFB is about 30 minutes from me and one of my neighbors is a civilian working in the legal dept.

[mikeylikey]

hmmm....this may turn out to be nothing.  I have serious doubts until I see a release from the AF detailing exactly what the VSAF will be doing.  If this does go through, I tottally expect CAC cards, and full base privileges. I doubt that too.

[JohnKachenmeister]

It MAY turn out to be nothing, or it may be good.

I do not think the AF is in a position to identify specific jobs that need to be done.  That really needs to be identified at a local base level.

I also disagree that the Group CC is not in a position to manage this program.  The Group CC should be the person who knows the capability of his/her officers, and should be able to match officer skill sets with base requirements.  Performance and productivity reviews should be a part of supervision, and I assume that the CAP chain of command will still be involved with members assigned to VSAF.

I also do not think that these positions will involve mowing lawns.  I hope not, anyway, since I don't even mow my OWN lawn.  (I live in Florida, there are certain advantages to illegal immigration!)  I think the "Family Support" will most likely involve community-level assistance to families of deployed reservists.  ID card matters, CHAMPUS paperwork, maybe employer support issues.  I agree with George that support to recruiters should be included in this plan.

The AF has had a serious drawdown of personnel, and some of us on these boards saw such a program coming for more than a year. 

 

[NIN]

Does it come as any surprise that the acting commander of the CAP unit on one of the two bases selected for this program had to hear about it on a message board similar to this one?

[Short Field]

[

"The members of the Civil Air Patrol, all patriotic American citizens...

NOT TRUE!!!

CAPR 39-2 states:   "be a citizen of the United States of America or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States of America and its territories and possessions or any lawfully admitted non-citizen residing in the US speciafically approved by the National Commander;s designee (NHQ CAP/LMM)."

[Nomex Maximus]

So... the VSAF is sort of like the civilian volunteer auxiliary to CAP - which is the civilian volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force...?

...and we want to make sure that VSAF members are not incorrectly identified as regular CAP members...?

[pixelwonk]

Please keep this thread about the concept itself.
A separate thread has been established for those wishing to discuss the uniform of the VSAF. 
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=4024.0
enjoy.

[ddelaney103]

Having had another chance to review the web version of the story, I see a few things:

    * This seems to be directed at supporting military families - I see nothing that would indicate support to operations.
    * The "uniform" seems to be a CAP, as opposed to a VSAF, uniform.  This seems to indicate VSAF is working for CAP instead of us working for VSAF.
    * Still no idea on the work envisioned or the imagined skillset.


Right now, the jury is still out if this is just another "Mission for America" or a mission suited for CAP.

[sardak]

The "Continuum of Service" mentioned in the article is a concept first proposed by DoD several years ago, but is based on the same term/concept used in the civilian world.

For DoD it's primarily aimed at issues related to impacts on the Guard and Reserve members and their families because of the ongoing deployments.  A Google search will  bring up numerous articles and presentations within DoD.

One book, Service to Country: Personnel Policy and the Transformation of Western Militaries, edited by Curtis Gilroy and Cindy Williams and published in April 2007 includes this:
"Enhanced Volunteerism
Another aspect of the continuum-of-service proposal focuses on individuals who are not currently serving in the military.  These are people with a needed civilian high-technology skill who would agree to serve on a stand-by basis to provide service as needed.  This service could be performed in uniform or as a civilian volunteer.  One group of particular interest is military retirees."

"The continuum of service could also accommodate mission augmentation, to be performed by civilian volunteers who are trained to service standards.  Existing volunteer auxiliaries such as the Coast Guard auxiliary could be expanded to attract individuals from all age groups who wish to volunteer their talents.  Auxiliaries offer a way to manage and employ those military-retiree volunteers who are not required on active duty.  Under the Coast Guard auxiliary model, for example, civilians regularly deploy on cutters and Coast Guard aircraft as augmentees, just like their active-duty and reserve counterparts.  The Civil Air Patrol provides the Air Force with similar operating capabilities.  Such models could be extended and adopted more broadly."

The section of the book these come from can be read at Google books: Continuum of Service

While this doesn't tell what this initial VSAF activity will be, it gives some idea of the overall concept of CoS.

Mike