Thinking of Joining....Some Questions First

[antdetroitwallyball]

Hello There:

I am Detroit-area university student who is currently giving some consideration to joining CAP. In fact, I've been giving it consideration for well over a year now. I've been "researching" the current state and condition of the CAP organization, largely by spending A LOT of time reading through these forums (for over a year now). This website has given me a wealth of insider info regarding what CAP membership is like.

I have an extensive history of volunteer work in the Emergency Response sector, most recently being very heavily involved with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, where I spend a great deal of time working at various local CG boat stations. Prior to this, I did several years with a few Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and Big Brothers Big Sisters.....

I mention this, because it appears that involvement in a composite CAP squadron would be somewhat a blend of both: Emergency response (to the extent that CAP is involved) and youth mentorship.. Perhaps you now see why membership in CAP has some appeal to me.

At anyrate, I was starting to look at CAP membership requirements and expectations. What I need more information on is the time commitment to get a worthwhile experience, and overall membership costs (dues + uniforms, etc). I only work part time, and attend the university part time (I'm a senior now, almost done), so I do have some free time. Money, on the otherhand, is limited, but not completely out the question.

Any one have any input or advice here? Thanks.

[johnnyb47]

Detroit area? That's my stomping grounds!

There are several squadrons in the area to choose from.
I'd be happy to PM you my phone number if you'd like a local insider to chat with or would like to come visit us in Clinton township to see a Tuesday night meeting in action.

[Panache]

I've been "researching" the current state and condition of the CAP organization, largely by spending A LOT of time reading through these forums (for over a year now).

Oh God, no.

Seriously, your best bet to get a idea of what CAP is really about is to attend a couple of meetings with your local squadron(s). 

[GroundHawg]

A former Flint boy sends his regards...

Go Red Wings!
Go Lions!
Go Tigers!
Go C.A.P? 

I think if you have done that much research in this land of negativity, and you are still considering joining, you might as well sign up. I have heard great things about MI Wing, and hopefully the transition from USCGA to CAP wont be that difficult.

Good Luck!

[LSThiker]

antdetroitwallyball,

Since you said you were researching CAP through the forums and what not, I am curious:  what is your impression of CAP from these forums and your other research? 

Be honest please.  No hurt feelings or what not.  I am curious because I rarely get the pleasure of asking someone that is in your situation.  I get the opinions of people that have a limited experience or no knowledge of CAP prior to exposure.  However, you said you were researching the organization for over a year, which I find interesting.

[mwewing]

I too went to school in the Detroit area. Unfortunately, that was between my cadet membership, and rejoining as a senior member. I wish I had been smart enough to continue as a cadet and progress further in the program.

There are many many units to choose from in the Detroit area. As you may have read in other threads, each unit has it's own personality. The location, size, leadership, focus, etc. all impact the overall experience. I would strongly encourage you to contact and/or visit all the units within acceptable travel distance to you. If you have not done so already, you can visit http://hosted.where2getit.com/civilairpatrol/ to search units based on your address.

The time commitment will depend in large part on 2 factors: The size of the unit (how many senior members) and your personal drive. Units with few senior members generally assign people to several duty positions, which increases workload. Larger units allow you to focus more in 1 or 2 areas, but can also limit your ability to stand out as a solid performer. Your personal drive is perhaps the biggest factor in time commitment. If you actively participate in our ES missions, complete the PD courses, present at Wing Conference, or staff SAR Academy/Encampment, your time commitment will be significant. If you focus more on your home unit, it will be lower.

Dues run $65 for Michigan Wing members. Any local unit dues are in addition to this amount. Depending on your unit's resources, you may be able to get some uniform items and gear assigned from existing supplies, but I would plan to purchase them yourself. This can be done over a period of time. Members of the unit you join can help you put together a list of needs and prioritize them based on your available funds. Bear in mind that CAP expenses can be tax deductible.

I have had the privilege of working with many members from the Detroit area units in various ways. There are some outstanding members and units in that area. I think you will certainly find a unit that matches your interests.

Welcome!

[NIN]

Former MI Wing bubba here, too (Represent!).

You want to look closely at "local" squadrons, too.  No need to drive from Ypsi to Selfridge (and past 3 other squadrons) just because. When your unit is local, you'll be more inclined to get there even when you're running late from work, traffic is bad, etc.

My first unit was in Sterling Heights (I lived in Warren) but I did not know there was a unit 3-ish miles away in St. Clair Shores. I transferred there at the end of my time as a cadet.

I commanded a unit (briefly) nearly in Utica for awhile, while still living near the St. Clair Shores unit.  The drive sucked.

I later commanded a unit in Southfield, about a mile from my apartment. That was fantastic.

When I moved out of Michigan, I was lucky in that moved to the town that my (new) unit was in (as well as the wing HQ). From 1999 to 2006 I was less than a mile from both.  I moved back to town last year, and I'm even CLOSER to both HQ and the squadron (on the order of less than 800 yards..)  Thats *convenient*

[antdetroitwallyball]

Hehe, calm down.....:-D

I already know what you are worried about. Yes, I've read these boards and have picked up on many of the challenges the CAP organization experiences. But this does not deter me. I was a member of an SDF (which I actually enjoyed a lot), but we struggled with all the same issues..........uniforms debates, struggles for legitimacy with the parent organization, inflated egos, etx. Having said this, I understand that cap is a 30000+ member strong unit. Any volunteer organization of this size is bound to have issues like these to some degree, and that's ok. I would prefer to join a squadron that has a minimal level of issues, but I'm not too concerned.

The USCGA has an increasingly aging populaton of members that all to often get curmudgeony and dificult to work with. I'm accustomed to working with people like this. CAPTalk has given me the opportunity to learn what the distinguishing features of a good CAP squardron look like, and this is a good thing.

Thanks again for your time and help....

EDIT

NIN: Some good words there my friend. Personally, I would like to be involved in a more active squadron.........but I totally get the if-its-closer-you'll-show-up-more thing. My USCGA flotilla is located like 20 miles from where I live, and while they are very active, I also don't show up as much as I should.

[Eclipse]

What "other boards" or "other organizations", especially those that "compete" for membership think of CAP is irrelevant.

Check out some squadrons in your area, leave any preconceived notions at the door, and don't assume
that because CAP might "look" like something else that it's "like" something else.

[EMT-83]

99.99 percent of what you read about on CAP Talk will never occur in your local squadron. That's just a guess, the actual percentage might be higher.

[antdetroitwallyball]

OK....here's another question:

I theorize that by joining a composite squadron, I will likely have more or less an equal opportunity to get involved in ES and Cadet programs. Meaning, I don't have to give up a chance to do emergency services by joining a cadet-only squadron just so I can have a quality experience working in cadet programs? I should be able to find a composite squadron that offers me just as good of an opportunity at both "tracks?" Right?

Does this sound accurate? Thanks again....

[NIN]

OK....here's another question:

I theorize that by joining a composite squadron, I will likely have more or less an equal opportunity to get involved in ES and Cadet programs. Meaning, I don't have to give up a chance to do emergency services by joining a cadet-only squadron just so I can have a quality experience working in cadet programs? I should be able to find a composite squadron that offers me just as good of an opportunity at both "tracks?" Right?

Does this sound accurate? Thanks again....

Nothing, in theory, really precludes a Cadet Squadron from participating fully in ES.  Seniors in a Cadet Squadron tend to be more focused on the CP aspects, but ES is still an available option for things, especially if the cadets are interested in that mission aspect.

[antdetroitwallyball]

Alright then.....

Thanks again to everyone for their advice and input. I think I've decided I'll give CAP a try. After New Years, I want to start visiting some local squadrons and figure out which squadron seems to offer me the most in terms of what I am looking for (emergency operations + youth mentorship).

I should also note that this forum, CAPTALK.net should not be viewed by members here as portraying CAP in a primarily negative light. On the contrary, CAPTALK is pretty much the number one thing that convinced me to give CAP a try.

The reality is that every volunteer organization always has a shiny recruitment website: Join Me! Join Me!. I am not that easily fooled. I wanted to hear about the organization from some of it's members. Obviously, I'll probably get the best opportunity to do that by talking face to face with members when I start visiting prospective squadrons in January. However, these forums here at CAPTALK also gave me a pretty good opportunity to get a feel on some of the interesting things that CAP does.

Thanks again for all your help. If anyone here has any further advice, please feel free to continue posting.....I'll check back on this thread..

[BHartman007]

I should also note that this forum, CAPTALK.net should not be viewed by members here as portraying CAP in a primarily negative light. On the contrary, CAPTALK is pretty much the number one thing that convinced me to give CAP a try.

I was thinking that I was glad I didn't find this site until after I joined 

[RiverAux]

The primary advantage to working with CAP in comparison to CG Aux, is the opportunity to work in emergency situations.  Of course, if you're interested in the youth development angle that isn't really possible in CG Aux outside of boating safety teaching situations.  The primary disadvantage is that CAP is much, much, more highly regulated than CG Aux and there is very little room for individual initiative.  You'd think it would be the other way since the CG makes just about every decision of importance to CG Aux members but since CAP members do make a lot of the everyday decisions they've highly regulated things so that members can't do anything too stupid or bad for the program. 

I personally like both since in CG Aux I can pretty much schedule my activities when I want and that can keep me occupied in long stretches with no CAP ES missions. 

[EMT-83]

The primary advantage to working with CAP in comparison to CG Aux, is the opportunity to work in emergency situations.  Of course, if you're interested in the youth development angle that isn't really possible in CG Aux outside of boating safety teaching situations.  The primary disadvantage is that CAP is much, much, more highly regulated than CG Aux and there is very little room for individual initiative.  You'd think it would be the other way since the CG makes just about every decision of importance to CG Aux members but since CAP members do make a lot of the everyday decisions they've highly regulated things so that members can't do anything too stupid or bad for the program. 

I personally like both since in CG Aux I can pretty much schedule my activities when I want and that can keep me occupied in long stretches with no CAP ES missions.

My experience is 180 degrees opposite. One or two members showing personal initiative can make a huge difference in this organization.

[Eclipse]

My experience is 180 degrees opposite. One or two members showing personal initiative can make a huge difference in this organization.

I agree, unfortunately that is both the strength and weakness of CAP, because when something is successful, but too "personality based",
it only takes one or two people leaving for the whole thing to collapse.

But with that said, it generally only takes one or two strong voices to turn a unit or activity around and get it back on a self-sustaining path.

[RiverAux]

The primary advantage to working with CAP in comparison to CG Aux, is the opportunity to work in emergency situations.  Of course, if you're interested in the youth development angle that isn't really possible in CG Aux outside of boating safety teaching situations.  The primary disadvantage is that CAP is much, much, more highly regulated than CG Aux and there is very little room for individual initiative.  You'd think it would be the other way since the CG makes just about every decision of importance to CG Aux members but since CAP members do make a lot of the everyday decisions they've highly regulated things so that members can't do anything too stupid or bad for the program. 

I personally like both since in CG Aux I can pretty much schedule my activities when I want and that can keep me occupied in long stretches with no CAP ES missions.

My experience is 180 degrees opposite. One or two members showing personal initiative can make a huge difference in this organization.

Yes, if you are trying to do something like re-invigorate a squadron or something that falls 100% within the norm, there is room for individual initiative.  But, if you want to do anything just a bit unusual (even if fully allowed within regs), you've got a much tougher row to how. 

But, to more fully explain the context, in CG Aux if I want to go do some CG Aux activity I can just go do it on my own so long as I inform the proper folks and I'm good to go.  If I want to go do vessel safety checks every day all summer, I can go do it.  The same just isn't the case in CAP, but then again CAP doesn't have very many missions that can be performed by a single CAP member -- its much more a team activity.   

[mwewing]

OK....here's another question:

I theorize that by joining a composite squadron, I will likely have more or less an equal opportunity to get involved in ES and Cadet programs. Meaning, I don't have to give up a chance to do emergency services by joining a cadet-only squadron just so I can have a quality experience working in cadet programs? I should be able to find a composite squadron that offers me just as good of an opportunity at both "tracks?" Right?

Does this sound accurate? Thanks again....

This really depends on the unit. I am currently at a Cadet Squadron, but we are extremely active in ES. Many of our cadets staff the Michigan Wing SAR Academy, and I have learned a great deal from these cadets when they help train at the unit. I was previously in a composite squadron, that was not focused on ES at all. In fact, I would submit that my current unit provides a more well-rounded experience to CAP in general than the previous composite one did. I do supplement my ES training at a nearby Senior Squadron that has an aircraft to train in. Much will depend on the focus of the units you are considering. Even if you like the atmosphere of a Cadet Squadron, in Metro Detroit there should be ES training opportunities available with other units or at the Group level.

Enjoy your visits with squadrons. I hope I will see you at wing level SAREXs and Activities in the near future!

[RiverAux]

Don't put a lot of faith in determining what the squadron does by what type it is.  You may run across a composite squadron that is 90% senior members and 10% cadets or one that is 90% cadets and 10% seniors or one that is entirely mixed.  Or, you could find a cadet squadron with more seniors than cadets (rare, but it could happen).