Volunteer Magazine

[Flying Pig]

Question...

The LTC on the cover of the November issue......why are all of the patches on her uniform photoshopped on?  Nice try.  In fact, even her cover was photoshopped onto her head.  What, did nobody take any real pictures?

[Pylon]

Question...

The LTC on the cover of the November issue......why are all of the patches on her uniform photoshopped on?  Nice try.  In fact, even her cover was photoshopped onto her head.  What, did nobody take any real pictures?

It was a good photo, so it was used for the cover.  But because her uniform was terribly messed up, her uniform was photoshopped.

[Flying Pig]

Not to good if I laughed the second I pulled it out of the mailbox.  Again....that was the best photo we had?  One we had to doctor?

[BuckeyeDEJ]

I haven't yet seen the cover, but I'm going to be blunt, with all due respect to everyone in CAP. Based on some of the photos they run in the Volunteer:

It's no wonder we get the cold shoulder sometimes -- just look at us.

If you aren't disciplined enough to wear your uniform correctly, how can you be disciplined to take care of a $200,000 airplane? Or take care of corporate assets? Or follow regulations, whether they involve safety, legal procedures, logistics, finance or... uniforms?

Unit commanders, including me, need to take a firmer stand on uniforms. Period. We can't be afraid to hurt feelings -- the people who wear our uniform incorrectly are insulting the organization and the Air Force.

[Indaweeds]

^+1

[JoeTomasone]

^+1

^+2.

[LoyalNine]

It was a good photo, so it was used for the cover.  But because her uniform was terribly messed up, her uniform was photoshopped.

...if thats the case it was not a good photo.  Actually its really not that good of a shot (or especially a cover shot) for that matter.  I received the magazine in the mail yesterday and was a bit surprised when I saw that mess of a cover.  I understand that this is the CAP magazine but killing a cover like that really is not necessary with all the shots taken of the hurricane damage. There are plenty of shots that could convey the needed message without resorting to photoshopping a composited image.

Then again maybe the guy/gal that did this is a donating time and skills to do this. (if thats the case I won't nipick it) Maybe this is all they had to work with. 

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Unfortunately, many times the National PA staff only has the bottom of the image barrel with which to work. And a lot of photos never see the light of day because they're WORSE than what's in the magazine.

Again, it comes back to unit commanders to be the uniform police. But -- and I failed to say this before -- it's up to each of us as MEMBERS to police ourselves. Image counts for a lot, folks, like it or not.

That lardbucket 400-pound second lieutenant squeezed into her BDU has No. Friggin. Business. in an Air Force uniform. It's disrespectful, especially when CAP has uniforms for Lardo-Americans and those who are hair-endowed. Wear the corporate grays, folks.

And frankly, if we can't tell Lt. Fatso (or, for that matter, FO C.C. DeVille) to get out of a uniform she has no business in, someone with Air Force authority should be allowed to. (I actually saw this image recently, and yes, those were CAP nametapes and a Florida patch on her shoulder, at a non-CAP public event.)

But it's not just uniforms. Someone on this site said something recently about how senior members don't get leadership training. Well, they don't. But many times they don't know how to present themselves professionally, either. I saw a recruiting booth manned one time by a senior member in the white uniform actively (and sloppily) stuffing a hot dog down his gullet. (And there were no other CAP members nearby to rescue him.) Tell me you want to join an organization where the first image you get is of someone with no real situational awareness, nor desire to maintain an "open" appearance.

Hmmph. Another reason second louie shouldn't come so easy, if you ask me. The rank SHOULD mean something....

Respect for the uniform reflects self-respect and respect for the organization. And having the opportunity to wear a CAP uniform doesn't come as an entitlement.

SLS comes too late in a senior member's professional development, and doesn't address a lot of this stuff. We need -- and I know they're working on -- a CAP officer course as a Level I requirement for potential officers, but that course needs to address much more than "here's how to fill out this form" and "Gill Robb Wilson was...." It needs to address military bearing and personal leadership and responsibility... and common sense.

[_]

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=6333.0;all

[Eclipse]

SLS comes too late in a senior member's professional development.

SLS comes whenever the member decides to take it.  I encourage my members to participate in it during their first year - first 6 months if possible, and considering my wing runs 3-4 each year this is usually not an issue.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Yeah, Eclipse, but when is it required? Not for Level I. It's needed for Level II. It should come before Level I is completed.

As for the photo, which I just saw? Holy....

The hat and the ES patch were added/edited sloppily. But after looking at the original photo:
-- The shirt is too wide across her shoulders.
-- The collar isn't ironed flat, as it should be.
-- She's not wearing a cover at all.
-- The ES patch is higher on the shirt, over a ground-team badge that should not be there at all. Is this colonel wearing all her bling, regardless of regulation?
-- The boots are funky.

You should expect someone wearing oak leaves in CAP to be a lot more squared away. But then again, a lot of them just sit around mission bases, sucking down coffee....

(Wait, I wear oak leaves. D'OH!)

[cap235629]

That lardbucket 400-pound second lieutenant squeezed into her BDU has No. Friggin. Business. in an Air Force uniform. It's disrespectful, especially when CAP has uniforms for Lardo-Americans and those who are hair-endowed. Wear the corporate grays, folks.

And frankly, if we can't tell Lt. Fatso (or, for that matter, FO C.C. DeVille) to get out of a uniform she has no business in, someone with Air Force authority should be allowed to. (I actually saw this image recently, and yes, those were CAP nametapes and a Florida patch on her shoulder, at a non-CAP public event.)


Respect for the uniform reflects self-respect and respect for the organization. And having the opportunity to wear a CAP uniform doesn't come as an entitlement.

These comments, in my opinion, are MORE disrespectful than any uniform violation.  Though I agree with you about the proper wear of the uniform (I am the squadron uniform nazi AND a fat and fuzzy), your total lack of respect for fellow members reflects horribly on you, your chain of command and CAP.

Make observations but do not attack people who are contributing to the program based upon your personal contempt for people not meeting your idea of what a CAP member should look like.

[Eclipse]

Yeah, Eclipse, but when is it required? Not for Level I. It's needed for Level II. It should come before Level I is completed.

I wouldn't argue that, but the fact that its not required until Level II doesn't mean you're supposed to wait until the month before your TIG is due before you even think about it - that's the "ticket punch" mentality so many of us complain about.

I push my guys to get into one as soon as they can and then participate as staff from there on.

[LtCol057]

A little off topic, but I agree with Eclipse on this one matter.  I try to get all my people to get as much of the training as soon as they can. I myself went did Level 1, SLS and CLC all within the first 18 months. And for each of them, I had to travel from 50 to 120 miles one way. We didn't do the Level 1 locally then.  Some of my seniors don't want to do any training unless it's right here at the local squadron HQ.

[SilverEagle2]

I guess it is time for us that can wear the uniform correctly to start sending the PA office some good pics of members/cadets properly outfitted in correct uniforms so that they can and do use them instead of the horribly doctored ones.

[JoeTomasone]

I guess it is time for us that can wear the uniform correctly to start sending the PA office some good pics of members/cadets properly outfitted in correct uniforms so that they can and do use them instead of the horribly doctored ones.

That's what we have PAOs for, isn't it?

[Major Carrales]

I guess it is time for us that can wear the uniform correctly to start sending the PA office some good pics of members/cadets properly outfitted in correct uniforms so that they can and do use them instead of the horribly doctored ones.

That's what we have PAOs for, isn't it?

Actually, it is everyone's responsibility as it is for safety and every other program in CAP.

[PaulR]

Can someone please Imageshack(or other image hosting link) a photo of the cover here?

[Eclipse]

I guess it is time for us that can wear the uniform correctly to start sending the PA office some good pics of members/cadets properly outfitted in correct uniforms so that they can and do use them instead of the horribly doctored ones.

That's what we have PAOs for, isn't it?

Or...we could just wear it correctly and then no one would have an issue.  None of this is a new issue with national publications.

Those of us who remember the old newspaper-style magazine can still remember the cringe-inducing cut lines on the back page..."This photo contains safety and/or regulation violations and is not to be used for training or other purposes." (Though it was so "cool" we had to publish it nationally, even though the people in it are probably getting in trouble for doing the "cool" stuff in the photo).

The fix is another uncomfortable conversation, one we've been having locally for years - nothing gets published without review, and if you are out of uniform or doing something stupid your photons will remain in the wild, or the photos will never be published.

But as I say, if everyone is in proper uniform and following regulations, the need for ILM is greatly reduced.

[winterg]

That lardbucket 400-pound second lieutenant squeezed into her BDU has No. Friggin. Business. in an Air Force uniform. It's disrespectful, especially when CAP has uniforms for Lardo-Americans and those who are hair-endowed. Wear the corporate grays, folks.
And frankly, if we can't tell Lt. Fatso (or, for that matter, FO C.C. DeVille) to get out of a uniform she has no business in, someone with Air Force authority should be allowed to. (I actually saw this image recently, and yes, those were CAP nametapes and a Florida patch on her shoulder, at a non-CAP public event.)
Respect for the uniform reflects self-respect and respect for the organization. And having the opportunity to wear a CAP uniform doesn't come as an entitlement.

These comments, in my opinion, are MORE disrespectful than any uniform violation.  Though I agree with you about the proper wear of the uniform (I am the squadron uniform nazi AND a fat and fuzzy), your total lack of respect for fellow members reflects horribly on you, your chain of command and CAP.
Make observations but do not attack people who are contributing to the program based upon your personal contempt for people not meeting your idea of what a CAP member should look like.

Well maybe it needs to be said more.  I see nothing wrong with his comments.  How sad is it that a Lt. Col. cannot wear a uniform correctly and it needs to be photoshopped to be presentable.  And sadly, the only other photos they had available were most likely worse.  Maybe it's time someone started shouting from the mountain top that we need to reevaluate what we're doing and get back to basics. 

And if I hear one more person complain that I'm discriminating against overweight members I'll scream.  Put the [deleted] bag of chips down and take a fricking walk once in a while!  Your contribution IS valuable, but being overweight is NOT a disability.