New Senior Member with a Disability

[2ltAlexD]

Hi there! I am a new member of CAP. I am totally blind. I am going to be the squadron bugler. I wish I could help more though. I feel like I will never move up rank. I joined because I love our country and my granddad was a major in the Air Force. How can I do more with my disability? Will I ever move up? What am I now, I'm a new recruit, but am I a Basic Airman?
I am also a bugler for various honor guards and a leader of a bugle corps called Bugles Across America. Thanks for your advice.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Taps,

First off, thanks for joining CAP!! 

If you should be held up in advancing in rank due to your eyesignt, give me a call, you have a heck of a case for discrimination.

Your eyesight, or lack thereof has nothing to do with your ability to serve CAP at the local or for that matter national level.  Ones ability to move up in rank is laid out in the Professional Development of CAP.  I see nothing in there about the ability to see anything.  Another part of advancement I do not see is the ability to take part in all aspects of CAP.  I personally know of 10+ cadets that have advanced through rank having never done a day of ES work.

In my opinion you have nothing to fear about stagnating at Senior Member.  You will earn rank just like the rest of us.

Bugle on, and once again welcome to CAP.

--Amended--

After reading the post, I realized that I didn't give you ideas on how you could help out in CAP other than your Bugleing skills.

How about Mission Radio Operator? or Finance Admin, Mission Staff Assistant, any one of the Squadron jobs should be open as well.

[Pylon]

Welcome to CAPTalk and welcome to Civil Air Patrol! 

I think you'll find there can be a number of opportunities for you to help out your local squadron.  I didn't get a clear sense from your post if you joined as a Cadet (12 to 18 years of age) or as a Senior Member (18 and older). 

If you joined as a Cadet, you'll spend time working your way through the various achievements (and also promote).  Pair up with fellow cadets in your squadron to work on the textbooks with you.  CAP testing can be given orally, so no worries there either.

If you joined as a senior member (adult), there are a number of ways in which you can help the squadron.  Of course, a squadron having a bugler is pretty neat.  Some other areas you may want to get involved with include radio communications, activities planning, leadership or aerospace education (and other ways of working with the local cadet program), certain ES functions, or even helping with logistics and other jobs around the squadron.   Talk to your squadron commander to find out what is needed at your unit, and to help match your skills and abilities to what the squadron could use help with.

One last word of advice:  Don't get discouraged.  Sometimes things in CAP can be slow-moving or require you to supply the initiative to get it done.  But when you do get things to move forward, it can be very rewarding.  Good luck and welcome!

[NIN]

Gosh, I wish I could remember the name of the young man about 10 years ago who joined CAP and was blind as well. He was very active on the CAP-Talk mailing list "back in the day."  I want to say he had a guide dog named Henrietta or something like that..

Robert.. er.. crud. I think his name was Robert and he was from Texas. 

But he was VERY active in things like ES (radio operator!).  IIRC, he also got involved in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

I'll do a little research.  He was certainly a groundbreaking dude, and his experiences may help smooth your path.  I think its pretty frickin' awesome, in general, BTW, so good on ya!

[davedove]

We have a senior member in MDWG who is blind.  He is very active in communications.

[chiles]

We have a senior member in MDWG who is blind.  He is very active in communications.

We have two in MDWG. The second was a 2nd Lt who was at the Professional Development Weekend and seemed to be steaming along nicely. We've also had a cadet who was legally blind who participated in and completed Encampment. Handicaps won't slow us down from getting you into a slot that helps the mission if it won't slow you down. Welcome to the team!

[2ltAlexD]

Hi there you guys! Thanks so much for your support! Yeah, the part I'm really looking forward to is being in uniform and hopefully getting to go to encampment. I'll share this topic with my commanders. Please keep posting more advice. It is much appreciated. I just felt a little discouraged last night since I didn't feel like I could do much.

[jimmydeanno]

In response to your "not promoting" question, there is a course that is required for completion of level 2 of the senior training program.  It is called AFIADL Course 13 - CAP Senior Officer Training Course.

This might be the biggest hurdle if they don't have a replacement early.  I don't believe the materials are available electronically or in brail.  However, you can get a waiver to have the exam administered orally.

[2ltAlexD]

Hi there! I wish I were a Cadet though, because it seems like they can do more. I feel like I can't help much in that area because I can't see the kids or drive them places. I also joined CAP because of encampment. My dream has been to go through Basic Training. I would have served in the Air Force if I could of, so this is the closest I can get. I think it is hard, because my squadron has never had a blind person before.

[mynetdude]

In response to your "not promoting" question, there is a course that is required for completion of level 2 of the senior training program.  It is called AFIADL Course 13 - CAP Senior Officer Training Course.

This might be the biggest hurdle if they don't have a replacement early.  I don't believe the materials are available electronically or in brail.  However, you can get a waiver to have the exam administered orally.

He would have to have the materials transcribed into braille for him. The braille service may or may not be free at least where I am it isn't.  His other option is he would need a reader, which is fine too and then like someone said the test could be administered orally with a waiver.

I for one have multiple disabilities, not blind though but I do have limited vision.  I certainly would have a hard time with taking an AFAIDL ECI-13 course being 4 volumes and taking the whole test all at once.  I will pass on the test and wait for the replacement.  ECI-13 isn't needed until you need to make Captain so even if you don't take your test while you are a 2d Lt you can take it while you are a 1st Lt since you have to serve 18 more months then anyhow.

Good luck, you will do well and just fine We need to band all the folks who have disabilities in CAP together and share our accomplishments and how we did it .

[mynetdude]

Hi there! I wish I were a Cadet though, because it seems like they can do more. I feel like I can't help much in that area because I can't see the kids or drive them places. I also joined CAP because of encampment. My dream has been to go through Basic Training. I would have served in the Air Force if I could of, so this is the closest I can get. I think it is hard, because my squadron has never had a blind person before.

The basic training is really for the cadets, though you'll get to hear and for those who can see would see how it goes.  Don't worry you'll hear PLENTY nonstop drilling and yelling (and lots of echo at Oregon Military Academy's 2nd floor barrack bays).

[2ltAlexD]

Hi there! Well, my commanders said they would try to put me with a flight and let me experience as much of it as possible. Gosh, I wish I could still be a Cadet. I am only 22. They should have some sort of Cadets for college kids.

[mynetdude]

Hi there! Well, my commanders said they would try to put me with a flight and let me experience as much of it as possible. Gosh, I wish I could still be a Cadet. I am only 22. They should have some sort of Cadets for college kids.

I'm 28... darn! but I can still be a kid at heart!

Wow... now I envy you, your commander rulez!!!

Seriously if they will put you into an cadet flight for encampment, that will be fun. Will you have a guide to help you do the moves and all?

I would have liked to have done the same thing, however with my limited walking/standing I could not have done it for very long anyway.

[Dutchboy]

In response to your "not promoting" question, there is a course that is required for completion of level 2 of the senior training program.  It is called AFIADL Course 13 - CAP Senior Officer Training Course.

This might be the biggest hurdle if they don't have a replacement early.  I don't believe the materials are available electronically or in brail.  However, you can get a waiver to have the exam administered orally.

He would have to have the materials transcribed into braille for him. The braille service may or may not be free at least where I am it isn't.  His other option is he would need a reader, which is fine too and then like someone said the test could be administered orally with a waiver.

I for one have multiple disabilities, not blind though but I do have limited vision.  I certainly would have a hard time with taking an AFAIDL ECI-13 course being 4 volumes and taking the whole test all at once.  I will pass on the test and wait for the replacement.  ECI-13 isn't needed until you need to make Captain so even if you don't take your test while you are a 2d Lt you can take it while you are a 1st Lt since you have to serve 18 more months then anyhow.

Good luck, you will do well and just fine We need to band all the folks who have disabilities in CAP together and share our accomplishments and how we did it .

out there somewhere there is the AFIADL COURSE 13 in electronic form. minus the pictures. I have seen it.

[SSgt Rudin]

Welcome to Civil Air Patrol!

I am surprised no one answered this yet, but no you are not an Airman Basic. You are what we call a Senior Member with out grade (SMWOG) it is similar to an officer candidate. You will be required to take a short quiz called Cadet Protection Policy, it basically covers stuff like "don't touch the cadets in bad places" and "don't punch the kids." There is another set of quizzes called Level One, they are 5 quizzes of 10 questions each, they are on the basic knowledge needed to be a member of CAP. The final training is called Operational Security (OPSEC) it basically covers "don't tell people things they don't need to know." After that all you need to do to be promoted to Second Lieutenant is wait six months.

I have no doubt that you will be able to find an area of specialty that you will be able to excel at. Never let anyone tell you that "you cant do that because you are blind." You know your limitations, if you feel you can accomplish the task at hand just as well as anyone else GO FOR IT!

[O-Rex]

We have a senior member in MDWG who is blind.  He is very active in communications.

We also have a member in our group who is blind and very active in communications, in fact, he's been running our nets for years.  He actually went on a recent FTX, and was awesome at DF'ing!

[Capt Rivera]

Hey Alex,

Welcome to CAP & specifically the ND Wing. I am sure the members in the Fargo Squadron will treat you with the same respect deserving of any other person. I won't make it to encampment this year but I am sure our paths will cross eventually. If your in Grand Forks feel free to stop by the Grand Forks Composite Squadron, you have a open invitation from the squadrons Vice Commander .

[Maj Daniel Sauerwein]

Alex,

I second Lt. Rivera's welcome to the ND wing. I hope that our paths will cross at some point. Hope you can get up to Grand Forks at some point.

[wacapgh]

IIRC - it was Robert Dittman, I think he's CGAUX now.