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.