OK Missions?

[KyCAP]

They need the help looking at it on Fox News..   Obliteration.

[Eclipse]

CAP should have been lining up assets and alerting neighboring wings all day today, with key players already enroute and others
making work / family arrangements.

Experience shows that assuming there is a call-up at all, no ones phone will ring until the end of the week at the earliest.

[KyCAP]

CAP should have been lining up assets and alerting neighboring wings all day today, with key players already enroute and others
making work / family arrangements.

Experience shows that assuming there is a call-up at all, no ones phone will ring until the end of the week at the earliest.

Sad but often true..

[Fubar]

Sad but often true..

Are damage assessment photographs an urgent, first-responder type need? I would think their efforts to dig people out is more important to them right now, besides the media is providing an enormous amount of aerial photography right now.

[Eclipse]

Sad but often true..

Are damage assessment photographs an urgent, first-responder type need? I would think their efforts to dig people out is more important to them right now, besides the media is providing an enormous amount of aerial photography right now.

First-off, damage assessment photos are not the only thing we do - we can certainly aid in the rescue and recovery efforts, if only to provide ancillary support, transportation, and infrastructure.

But more importantly, today is Monday, people have jobs, and this will most certainly be a large-scale, long term situation.  The kind of members that we consider our best assets - professionals,
with careers, family, and responsibilities, also need lead time to make arrangements so those things continue while they are away helping others.

Direct experience has shown that CAP will drag their feet on whether to go, and where the resources should come from, call up the bare-minimum they can possibly squeak by with,
expect those people to drive straight through and then work upon arrival.  After about a week of 14-16 hour days, grinding members into the carpet doing 4 jobs, even through there
are members all over the country eager to get involved and available, they will start sending people home piecemeal with no thought to back-filling or replacements.

The hots and cots of logistics will likely be an after thought at best.  BTDT

If you want people to be there on Fri, you need to tell them >TODAY<.

[Fubar]

First-off, damage assessment photos are not the only thing we do - we can certainly aid in the rescue and recovery efforts, if only to provide ancillary support, transportation, and infrastructure.

If the community needs it and we can provide it (and are allowed to by regulation), I hope we do. I'm interested in hearing more about the ancillary support and infrastructure we can provide. Perhaps it's something we should start adding to our training scenarios and requirements, because I'm leafing through the Ground Team task guide and I don't see anything pertinent to tornado response (perhaps you have other ES capabilities in mind). I know you certainly don't want anybody out there sandbagging 

Admittedly transportation was not something I'd thought of. In your experience, does it tend to be air or ground transportation (or both?). Typically who is the customer and who pays the bill? In this type of response, does the Air Force pay and request reimbursement from FEMA, or does the money come VFR from FEMA?

If you want people to be there on Fri, you need to tell them >TODAY<.

Couldn't agree with you more.

[sandite190]

I just got called to go help. I'm in the Oklahoma wing. Our team is leaving Tulsa in four hours.

[bflynn]

I just got called to go help. I'm in the Oklahoma wing. Our team is leaving Tulsa in four hours.

Good Luck.

Semper Vigilans.

[MisterCD]

A message was sent to the OKWG and SWR historians, but I pass on as Chief Historian/National Historian that all the CAP personnel participating in the response to the tornado save any and all documents, emails, photographs, artifacts, names, and personal histories pertaining to their work over the coming days and perhaps weeks. The national history program may be restaffing at the moment, so I ask that members assist their respective CAP historian to ensure CAP's work is well-documented and their contributions to alleviate suffering known to be documented to inform and educate the overall membership and nation for years to come.

[Critical AOA]

I am certain that one is allowed to help out in these situations as an individual if one feels the calling.  There is no need to sit around and wait for CAP to call you if you truly want to help. 

[RiverAux]

A message was sent to the OKWG and SWR historians, but I pass on as Chief Historian/National Historian that all the CAP personnel participating in the response to the tornado save any and all documents, emails, photographs, artifacts, names, and personal histories pertaining to their work over the coming days and perhaps weeks. The national history program may be restaffing at the moment, so I ask that members assist their respective CAP historian to ensure CAP's work is well-documented and their contributions to alleviate suffering known to be documented to inform and educate the overall membership and nation for years to come.

If you actually want mission paperwork saved you probably need to work on CAP's horrible records retention policy. 

[RiverAux]

Direct experience has shown that CAP will drag their feet on whether to go, and where the resources should come from, call up the bare-minimum they can possibly squeak by with,
expect those people to drive straight through and then work upon arrival.  After about a week of 14-16 hour days, grinding members into the carpet doing 4 jobs, even through there
are members all over the country eager to get involved and available, they will start sending people home piecemeal with no thought to back-filling or replacements.

Sorry thats your experience, but at least in my Wing if we're requested we're usually there as soon as the weather clears and we can fly. 

[MisterCD]

A message was sent to the OKWG and SWR historians, but I pass on as Chief Historian/National Historian that all the CAP personnel participating in the response to the tornado save any and all documents, emails, photographs, artifacts, names, and personal histories pertaining to their work over the coming days and perhaps weeks. The national history program may be restaffing at the moment, so I ask that members assist their respective CAP historian to ensure CAP's work is well-documented and their contributions to alleviate suffering known to be documented to inform and educate the overall membership and nation for years to come.

If you actually want mission paperwork saved you probably need to work on CAP's horrible records retention policy.

I cannot solve every problem, but I believe you can either sit around and complain about an issue, or try to be proactive and at least do what you can to make a positive difference.  The history that is not saved may very well be your own.  Every member can do something.  Whether they opt to pass the buck or try to help is their own choosing.

[Eclipse]

Direct experience has shown that CAP will drag their feet on whether to go, and where the resources should come from, call up the bare-minimum they can possibly squeak by with,
expect those people to drive straight through and then work upon arrival.  After about a week of 14-16 hour days, grinding members into the carpet doing 4 jobs, even through there
are members all over the country eager to get involved and available, they will start sending people home piecemeal with no thought to back-filling or replacements.

Sorry thats your experience, but at least in my Wing if we're requested we're usually there as soon as the weather clears and we can fly.

River, that's not just "my experience", nor is it ancient history, we did this exact thing with Sandy.

[jimmydeanno]

CAP should have been lining up assets and alerting neighboring wings all day today, with key players already enroute and others
making work / family arrangements.

Experience shows that assuming there is a call-up at all, no ones phone will ring until the end of the week at the earliest.

I've seen numerous emails coming across several wing mailing lists, facebook alerts, etc., from many of the SWR wings requesting that those who are able to assist put their name on the list.  So, CAP is preparing for something...what that is, who knows?

[RiverAux]

Direct experience has shown that CAP will drag their feet on whether to go, and where the resources should come from, call up the bare-minimum they can possibly squeak by with,
expect those people to drive straight through and then work upon arrival.  After about a week of 14-16 hour days, grinding members into the carpet doing 4 jobs, even through there
are members all over the country eager to get involved and available, they will start sending people home piecemeal with no thought to back-filling or replacements.

Sorry thats your experience, but at least in my Wing if we're requested we're usually there as soon as the weather clears and we can fly.

River, that's not just "my experience", nor is it ancient history, we did this exact thing with Sandy.

And you're comparing apples to oranges.  While it is a federally declared natural disaster it is orders of magnitude smaller than Sandy.   This is a fairly typical sort of potential mission for CAP while the Sandys, Deepwater Horizon, and Katrinas are the exception.  I wouldn't expect this to require more CAP resources than a typical SAREX. 

Now, if OK is more involved and called upon more for ground-based disaster response than the normal CAP wing, then yes you might need to be looking at a multi-state CAP response depending on what they've got locally.

[Eclipse]

^ You're right.  I went and looked at the damage affected area, it's horrible, but pretty localized.  Mostly likely OKWG can handle it themselves or with help from direct neighbors.

The frustration is because we all join to help and serve, and a lot of times can't because we can't get out of our own way.

Hopefully CAP can have a positive impact here.

[NCRblues]

Just FYI Texas and Kansas wing are sending limited GTs to Oklahoma

[cap235629]

Just FYI Texas and Kansas wing are sending limited GTs to Oklahoma

So is Arkansas

[NM SAR]

I'm in New Mexico; we're standing by for word from (presumably) the IC in OK as to when and if they need a GT from NM.