RESCUE Creed

[Stonewall]

Man, I am full of it tonight!

Again, from my e-pile of CAP junk, I found the "RESCUE CREED" written by one of my young ground team members who is in her 3rd year at West Point now.   I believe she was 15 when this was written.

No, no one was forced to memorize it.  There was no hazing involved.  I'm sure it was just one of those times at school when you get bored and decide to think of something like this.  It was just for fun...

RESCUE Creed

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Civil Air Patrol ground team member,
fully knowing the expectations of my chosen specialty, I will always
endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor and high esprit de corps of
Civil Air Patrol Emergency Services.

Exceeding all others, CAP ground teams are elite searchers, who respond
at the first call of the AFRCC, I accept that as a ground team member my
squadron expects me to move further, faster, and search harder than any
other team.

Semper Vigilans. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically
strong and well trained, and I will shoulder my share of the team
equipment whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.

Courageously I will show the world that I am a specially qualified and
well-trained searcher.  My survival skills, land navigation, and care of
equipment shall set the standard for others to follow.

United, my ground team will meet the challenges of the search.  I shall
find the objective when all other teams have chosen defeat, for I am better
trained and will search till the dead of night.  Failure is not a ground
team word.  Never will I leave a search victim to fall into the hands of
death and under no circumstance will I ever embarrass my organization.

Energetically will I display the duty, valor, and strength to drive on to the search
objective and complete the mission. Though I be the lone ground team member.

SEMPER VIGILANS!

[SJFedor]

Sounds just like the US Army Ranger creed, with a few different words thrown into it.

Not bad though, definitely drives the message across, though the last E doesn't really apply. If, by getting to the objective, you're the lone GT member, I think the mission is more of a failure then a success 

[Stonewall]

Oh yeah, this young troop planned (and probably still plans) to be the first female Ranger, so yeah, this was based on the Ranger Creed, which she also has memorized.  And she's well on her way; I just pinned her jump wings on in July.

Like I said, she wrote it for fun and motivation.  I wouldn't take it too seriously, but still, there's something good about it.

[SJFedor]

Oh yeah, this young troop planned (and probably still plans) to be the first female Ranger, so yeah, this was based on the Ranger Creed, which she also has memorized.  And she's well on her way; I just pinned her jump wings on in July.

Like I said, she wrote it for fun and motivation.  I wouldn't take it too seriously, but still, there's something good about it.

Good for her. There's definitely some motivated females out there that would stand a better chance of getting through RIP then some of the guys they accept into the school.

And you're right, although it's very reminiscent of the Ranger creed, there's a lot in there that speaks true.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I like it!

I'm gonna steal it!

[SARMedTech]

I LOVE IT!!! If it wasnt so long, it would be my next tattoo. I think it speaks volumes about how we should view, train for and execute searches. Prestige, Honor, Esprit D'Corps. Perhaps that should be a rocker for a new, non-cartoonish GT patch. This thing is really fabulous. Yep. Those three words are gonna go on my arm right under my existing "So Others May Live" ink.

Stonewall-

Give that cadet a hearty HooAh! from me the next time you talk to her and I wanna be there when she makes Ranger.

I think CAP has the will and desire to be the country's elite SAR organization. Now we just need the motivation to train that way.

Semper Vi!

[Pylon]

I LOVE IT!!! If it wasnt so long, it would be my next tattoo.

Speaking of which, has anybody had a CAP badge, wings or device tattooed on them?   

[CadetProgramGuy]

Been thinking about getting Pilot wings tatoo'd, most probably not CAP wings tho....

[Pylon]

Been thinking about getting Pilot wings tatoo'd, most probably not CAP wings tho....

Non Committal! 

[fyrfitrmedic]

I LOVE IT!!! If it wasnt so long, it would be my next tattoo.

Speaking of which, has anybody had a CAP badge, wings or device tattooed on them?   

Me personally? No. I've heard stories, however.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Thought I'd Make it look Pretty.....

[RiverAux]

Been thinking about getting Pilot wings tatoo'd, most probably not CAP wings tho....

Sure wouldn't recommend any CAP-related tattoos since we change our stuff around so much it would probably be outdated before the ink was dry. 

[Stonewall]

Thought I'd Make it look Pretty.....

We actually had a full sized Rescue Creed printed out over a grayscale image and presented it to the author.  Yes, I know, the image shows inappropriate uniform items, this was a "posed" picture to purposely look "hard".

It looked really high speed watermarked in the background with the creed written.  I have a hard copy of it somewhere, will have to scan it.



The author is on the far left.

EDIT to add: That picture was taken around 2001 or 2002.  The cadets in that picture are....

1 is in her 3rd year at West Point
2 are Firefighter/Paramedic types
1 is an Infantry Officer (VA Tech Corps of Cadets, the big tall guy with watch cap)
1 is a Marine, not sure what MOS
1 is a HAZ-Mat technican/specialist
1 is in his 2nd year at VA Tech studying engineering
2 Not sure where they are or what they're doing

[Stonewall]

Here, snapped a pic of it.

[Duke Dillio]

With permission I will probably steal some of this too.... Wait, if I ask permission, then it's not really stealing....  hmmm, conundrum

OK, I'm stealing it.  There!

[afgeo4]

2 things...

First of all, Ground Team members aren't the only ones doing the rescuing. I'd like to see that left out. Aircrews log in more finds than GT's and there are non ES trained cadets getting lifesaving awards left and right. Let's just leave it as members of Civil Air Patrol.

Second, why not incorporate the existing motto of SAR "That Others May Live"?

It has association value to the Air Force being part of the Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer creed.

[Stonewall]

2 things...

First of all, Ground Team members aren't the only ones doing the rescuing. I'd like to see that left out. Aircrews log in more finds than GT's and there are non ES trained cadets getting lifesaving awards left and right. Let's just leave it as members of Civil Air Patrol.

Second, why not incorporate the existing motto of SAR "That Others May Live"?

It has association value to the Air Force being part of the Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer creed.

Because a cadet wrote it 5 years ago and she was a ground team type and it doesn't really matter.  This was something a cadet doodled in class at school.  You know, something fun or motivaitonal.  No one ever cared enough or expected it to be a real "creed" that anyone would use.  There is no real reason to make this a big deal.  It's not an "official" creed and no one is asked, persuaded or forced to memorize it.  It isn't a "Safety Oath" and no one is going to start saying this creed before missions.  It's a non-issue.

Plus, I'm sure I'm the only one other than the aurthor who thought it was cool enough to hold on to.

[Duke Dillio]

Why not make a creed for the aircrews?

Recognizing that I need a good donut and a cup of coffee before we take off, I will strive to assist the Ground Teams in any way possible.

Effortlessly shall I sit on the tarmac awaiting departure clearance to take off into the wild blue yonder.

Sitting in the cockpit, I will forget to change my radio back to the CAP frequency and shall not hear the urgent requests for me to change grids.

Carefully will I search the mission base for any leftover morsels which may have been left for the Ground Teams to eat.

Under no circumstances will I ever admit that I am not the man.  I will strive to inflate my ego until I burst into a glittering cloud of dust.

Every day I shall point fingers and make fun of the guys in the dirt knowing that they could be inside my warm cockpit.  These things we do that others may live.

BWA HA HA HA HA.  I'm soooo bad!

[JohnKachenmeister]

2 things...

First of all, Ground Team members aren't the only ones doing the rescuing. I'd like to see that left out. Aircrews log in more finds than GT's and there are non ES trained cadets getting lifesaving awards left and right. Let's just leave it as members of Civil Air Patrol.

Second, why not incorporate the existing motto of SAR "That Others May Live"?

It has association value to the Air Force being part of the Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer creed.

The pilots get the glory, the chick-magnet flight suits, and stay out for a maximum of 5 hours because that's all the fuel they got.

The ground teams do the Lord's work of actual "Rescue"  (Pilots "Search,"  Ground Teams "Rescue").  They endure the cold, the bugs, the heat, the snakes, the alligators, the Burmese pythons, and spend the night securing the site waiting for the FAA/NTSB dudes to arrive.  After the cops and the firemen go home, the CAP ground team is still on scene and serving.  And after all that, we got to put up with guys on the internet saying that we ain't as good as "Real" rangers, and don't measure up to some other civilian-puke Reebok-wearing SAR outfit.   

So, no.  We're not gonna put the pilots in this.  It was written for us, and we're gonna keep it.

[afgeo4]

It's all fun and games until you're the one lost and they're the only ones who can find you.

BTW... I'm not aircrew and probably never will be.

I am a former MXS troop and now I just work with cadets and do recruiting/retention interlaced with some DF/MSA/FLM work. I'm not in awe of pilots, but I'm definitely not in awe of promoting an attitude that divides us as members, especially since so many of us do both, flying and ground pounding.

[Duke Dillio]

I'm hoping that noone's temper is flaring on this one.  This is all about fun for me.  I like giving the aircrews a hard time and I get the same back from them.  We are all part of one team which generally works well together.  There will always be politics; that is just the nature of the game.  I'm hoping that noone is taking this personal.

[Stonewall]

but I'm definitely not in awe of promoting an attitude that divides us as members, especially since so many of us do both, flying and ground pounding.

This was something simple thaht a young 15 year old wrote.  This is not a big deal and no one thought enough into it to consider this any sort of separation between "us" and "them".  I am aircrew and ground qualified and I am not in the least worried about it.  Want to start an "us vs them" thread, go ahead. 

[James Shaw]

Here is a Mission Observer writeup that was done in 2004.  Author will be forthcoming.

[jimmydeanno]

Aircrews log in more finds than GT's and there are non ES trained cadets getting lifesaving awards left and right.

First off, I like the creed, and props err...boots to the cadet that wrote it.

Now this is a little off topic, but of the 25 some odd missions I've been on a ground team for, not once have I had air support...

[afgeo4]

Aircrews log in more finds than GT's and there are non ES trained cadets getting lifesaving awards left and right.

First off, I like the creed, and props err...boots to the cadet that wrote it.

Now this is a little off topic, but of the 25 some odd missions I've been on a ground team for, not once have I had air support...

Stop working in tunnels lol

[Duke Dillio]

We had a mission recently where an aircrew was dispatched to help us in a grid but they didn't turn their radio to the CAP frequency.  Noone knew where they were and they became a "lost" aircraft.  Then, we came to find out that they were still on the ground.  The base sent another aircraft into our grid, and then the first one showed up.  Both the pilots kindof panicked and they both left the grid.  Meanwhile, the beacon was in a bowl and we could not get high enough to get a signal from it.  We got some "help" from the mission base and as soon as we entered the bowl, picked up the signal and got the beacon within 15 minutes or so.  It sure would have been a lot easier if we had had an aircraft to work with...

[afgeo4]

We had a mission recently where an aircrew was dispatched to help us in a grid but they didn't turn their radio to the CAP frequency.  Noone knew where they were and they became a "lost" aircraft.  Then, we came to find out that they were still on the ground.  The base sent another aircraft into our grid, and then the first one showed up.  Both the pilots kindof panicked and they both left the grid.  Meanwhile, the beacon was in a bowl and we could not get high enough to get a signal from it.  We got some "help" from the mission base and as soon as we entered the bowl, picked up the signal and got the beacon within 15 minutes or so.  It sure would have been a lot easier if we had had an aircraft to work with...

Doesn't sound like an aircrew problem. Sounds like an air branch director problem.

[Duke Dillio]

Doesn't sound like an aircrew problem. Sounds like an air branch director problem.

I'm not one to blame anyone.  This was definately brought up during the debrief.  Actually, we didn't get much of a debrief so it was brought up in the swarm of emails that flew around after the SAREX.

[Flying Pig]

Refering to a previous post...I would say that CAP should really stay away from EVER using the motto "That Others May Live". 

Just like in Law enforcement.  We have SWAT units who use  badges that look exactly like the SEAL trident, and use mottos like "Who Dares Wins"  (The British SAS).  Althought these organizations dont have sole right to these terms, I think it makes us look silly, especially in CAP where we have an association with Pararescue through PJOC.

[Stonewall]

I agree with you for the most part, Flying Pig, but I have seen "That Others May Live" a heckuva lot more throughout the entire SAR community, not just CAP.  I ain't saying we should use it, I don't think we should, but I can live with it.  I personally don't own anything that says it except for a coin I got from when I was in a PJ unit (not as a PJ, of course).

[SJFedor]

We had a mission recently where an aircrew was dispatched to help us in a grid but they didn't turn their radio to the CAP frequency.  Noone knew where they were and they became a "lost" aircraft.  Then, we came to find out that they were still on the ground.  The base sent another aircraft into our grid, and then the first one showed up.  Both the pilots kindof panicked and they both left the grid.  Meanwhile, the beacon was in a bowl and we could not get high enough to get a signal from it.  We got some "help" from the mission base and as soon as we entered the bowl, picked up the signal and got the beacon within 15 minutes or so.  It sure would have been a lot easier if we had had an aircraft to work with...

Sounds like an air branch and aircrew training problem. Personally, as an AOBD, I tell each and every aircrew that their flight release is dependant on them calling mission base BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE CHOCKS to ensure their radios are working. If they do not hear someone talk back and tell them they're cleared on mission, they shut down until it gets figured out. There's no reason for an aircraft to leave the ground without making sure the comm equipment works properly. Ever.

We had a mission a few weeks ago with a 243 ELT that had been sounding for a day or so, and the GT couldn't get the signal, although AFRCC was telling them it was still active. The nearest aircraft was my crew (~1.5 hour flight enroute) and we eventually got the call to assist. Once we were there, we found the ground crew, told 'em what we heard, followed the signal, it led to a golf course, and voila, mission over.

NESA doesn't train it in the aircraft, although we'd love them to, but it is discussed in length about air/ground coordination. It's tricky stuff, and to make it work, you need to  have good comms, and good coordination between the air and ground branch prior to either sortie going out the door. Knowing that the GT will be at X coords at X timeframe allows us as an aircrew to pick them up if lost comms happen, and still accomplish the mission the old fashioned way, even if I have to talk to them 1 way through their DF on 121.5.

[Duke Dillio]

Well, not to stray too far but I would like to be able to sit down with some of the aircrews at maybe a tabletop or something and discuss what we can expect from them and vice versa.  In fact, I think I'll start working on something of that nature here shortly.  Thanks for the advice.

[SARMedTech]

I not only use but have inked on my arm "SO others may live," the motto of the USCG Rescue Swimmers but believe there is no better way of expressing not only what CAP does, but the perfection to which we should aspire. Last summer I had the amazing good fortune to meet the men and women of USCG Air Station Kodiak while visiting my cousin and hiking in Alaska. Not only do they not mind that I (and many others) use it and hold that phrase very close to my heart as a reminder of what I have chosen to devote my life to, but told me they were honored that I look to them as a model of service to others, which I do. I aspire to do on land what they do in the water. For me Im not ripping of anyone's mission statement, but trying to reach the level of professionalism and purpose that they have. I was honored to watch them in NOLA after Katrina, I think it can be said that they help set the bar for rescue operations. Im not disrespecting them, Im honoring them and reminding myself that good enough is never good enough.

[Trouble]

I LOVE IT!!! If it wasnt so long, it would be my next tattoo.

Speaking of which, has anybody had a CAP badge, wings or device tattooed on them?   

Yes !  A buddy of mine, years ago,  got our Squadron Logo and GT badge tattooed on his left arm. Think he said it was while drunk one night during leave in the Corps. The thing took up his whole Bicep.

[Flying Pig]

A guy is in the Corps...gets drunk....and gets a CAP tat??

[RogueLeader]

A guy is in the Corps...gets drunk....and gets a CAP tat??

Must love CAP a whole lot. . . .