"USAF Explorers"-WTH is this??

[RepublicofE]

I stumbles across this...thing...a few months ago.  Never heard of it before and no one I have talked to about it has either.  Nor can I find any information online outside this site:

http://www.usafexplorers.org/index.html

[Brad]

Not listed: http://exploring.learningforlife.org/

Sounds similar to US Ranger Corps and other niche cadet programs that want to do their own thing because CAP/USNSCC/whatever made them mad.

[JC004]

ST:DS9 reference FTW.  100 bonus points.

[NCRblues]

100% unathorized by the U.S. Air Force.

A joke and an insult to our good Cadet Corps.

This "colonel" had a falling out about the same time as HWSNBN and the other more uh, unsavory, members.

(Look at the mix of uniforms, good lord it's worse than our worse day)

[RepublicofE]

yeah to me it looks like a case of a faction of Senior Members who spent years of their SM careers trying to remold the CAP cadet program into something it's not, then finally got tired and decided to go off and form their own knockoff.

[RepublicofE]

100% unathorized by the U.S. Air Force.

A joke and an insult to our good Cadet Corps.

This "colonel" had a falling out about the same time as HWSNBN and the other more uh, unsavory, members.

(Look at the mix of uniforms, good lord it's worse than our worse day)

HWSNBN?

[Holding Pattern]

Their private page is protected with an unencrypted logon screen.

I'm not going to bother investigating that site further as that tells me everything I need to know about their cybersecurity footprint.

[RepublicofE]

Yeah the whole site always looked sketchy to me.  Though I did bring this to the attention of YKYICAPW and one member there assured me that this is in fact a real thing and she knows a CAP cadet who is also a USAF Explorer cadet.

[RepublicofE]

Also some of the people on that thread thought the "Colonel" was in fact Antonio J. Pineda under a different name.

[RepublicofE]

100% unathorized by the U.S. Air Force.

A joke and an insult to our good Cadet Corps.

Well for being unauthorized according to their "missions" page they have done some pretty cool stuff with the USAF.

[Spam]

No, he isn't Pineda. I knew Cal and flew with him once or twice back in the mid/late 80s when we were in Florida together. He went on to be FLWG/DOS for a while. A quick search indicates that he's still in CAP, in the AZWG Ghost Squadron. I never recalled any odd business with him, for what its worth, although I lost touch 25 years ago.

V/R
Spam

[RepublicofE]

But the resemblance is uncanny and I could totally picture Pineda going off and doing this kind of thing.

[RepublicofE]

Not listed: http://exploring.learningforlife.org/

They don't actually claim anywhere on the site that they have any direct linkage to BSA/Learning for Life, but they do seem to strongly imply it in their "history" section.

[RepublicofE]

The impression I get is that this program is supposed to be geared more toward those teenagers seeking the intensive military lifestyle, more of a military academy prep curriculum than CAP's cadet program.  I still think the program looks rather redundant as long as CAP and AFJRTOC are still around, but at least the more people join that program the less we'll have left in CAP trying to turn CAP's cadet program into that.

[RepublicofE]

Oh and get this, apparently they don't have cadet enlisted grades, only cadet officers. There's a 15 week intensive summer training program and then it's automatic C/2Lt.

[Holding Pattern]

There really isn't any further point in beating this horse IMO.

[MSG Mac]

100% unathorized by the U.S. Air Force.

A joke and an insult to our good Cadet Corps.

This "colonel" had a falling out about the same time as HWSNBN and the other more uh, unsavory, members.

(Look at the mix of uniforms, good lord it's worse than our worse day)

HWSNBN?

Former National Commander of CAP who was relieved of his position, grade, and membership.

[Panache]

HWSNBN?

Former National Commander of CAP who was relieved of his position, grade, and membership.

He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named

[THRAWN]

The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end. 

[Eaker Guy]

Just took a look at the site. Scarred for life.