Is it absolutly required for me to fill out my blood type on my F15?

[Titan 25]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on the forum and I am trying to rejoin CAP after about 2 years. I am in the process of filling out my F15. I thought I would just ask this.... Is it absolutely required for me to fill out my blood type on the form? Because I don't even know what it is and I want to know if I have to go get it checked.

Thanks,

Daniel K. Driskill

[Dracosbane]

I'm not seeing where in the CAPR 39-2 where it speaks of cadet membership applications, that it is required to fill out the blood type.  However, it is probably a good idea to have this information for future reference.  If you plan on attending any future activities, you will be required to have this information on a CAP Form 60, which is an emergency notification paper turned in to activity directors.  This will give people that information should an emergency arise. 

Your family physician should have this info, or should be able to get it easily.   

[Titan 25]

I'm not seeing where in the CAPR 39-2 where it speaks of cadet membership applications, that it is required to fill out the blood type.  However, it is probably a good idea to have this information for future reference.  If you plan on attending any future activities, you will be required to have this information on a CAP Form 60, which is an emergency notification paper turned in to activity directors.  This will give people that information should an emergency arise. 

Your family physician should have this info, or should be able to get it easily.

Allright. I was talking to my Squadron Commander and he just told me that it might not go through if something is left blank. Thanks for the help.

[Bayareaflyer 44]

I can tell you this, as our unit's DP, I have submitted my fair share of both CAPF 12s & 15s.  And while National has held up the application for missing information (the SSN in the upper right corner is the tricky one!), I have never seen an application held up or kicked back for missing blood type.
While this is not an endorsement to just go ahead and omit that info - I believe the application needs to be complete and correct - I just haven't seen National balk at the missing data.

[Spike]

I got one kicked back two months ago.  My fault, as I should have made sure every block was inked in. 

You do need your blood type, it will eventually be useful to you.  Perhaps not today, but one day. 

[Thom]

I got one kicked back two months ago.  My fault, as I should have made sure every block was inked in. 

You do need your blood type, it will eventually be useful to you.  Perhaps not today, but one day.

Actually, I'm not aware of any circumstance where this is useful these days.  No ER/ED in any remotely developed country is going to act without doing a quick type and match, the risks are too great.

Even the military largely ignores the blood type tapes and either uses O Neg or O Pos for initial treatment, or simply waits the two minutes to type and match before transfusing with red cells.

In any case, so many folks around the world think they know their blood type, but have it wrong, particularly on military IDs, that almost no one trusts the information any more.

So, in short, I'm not sure why knowing that info would be particularly helpful to anyone in normal life in the 21st century.

I'd love to be proven wrong though, since I like the cool factor of my O POS tapes!

Thom

[vmstan]

I didn't know mine, turned it in blank, it all still got approved.

[Pingree1492]

It's not required on either the membership application or the Form 60.  I've turned in over a hundred cadet apps over the past few years and only a handful actually had that information on it.

What does get commonly screwed up is the date of birth- make sure you enter it in the format they request.  Your membership application will still get processed, but your DOB may be incorrect, which can be a pain to correct.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Getting a blood type is nothing more than a finger prick these days.

[1LtNurseOfficer]

Donate blood to the ARC.  When you get your fancy wallet card, it will have your blood type on it.

[Al Sayre]

If you don't know 100% for sure what your blood type is, put UNK (unknown) in the block and you will have no trouble processing it.  It's better to have an "unknown" blood type than an incorrect one on any medical documentation.  one will delay treatment for a couple of minutes the other could potentially kill you.

[brasda91]

What does get commonly screwed up is the date of birth- make sure you enter it in the format they request.  Your membership application will still get processed, but your DOB may be incorrect, which can be a pain to correct.

It's not really a pain.  All you have to do is call National and have it corrected.  If you don't, when you try to log into eServices for the first time, you will enter the correct b-day, but the system won't recognize it, because it's looking for the backwards b-day (per say) therefore not allowing you access.

[JayT]

If you don't know 100% for sure what your blood type is, put UNK (unknown) in the block and you will have no trouble processing it.  It's better to have an "unknown" blood type than an incorrect one on any medical documentation.  one will delay treatment for a couple of minutes the other could potentially kill you.

As was said before, no hospital is gonna take a blood type from paperwork without a quick cross type and match. If there's every a situation where a CAP member needs a transfusion after an emergency, I doubt there's even gonna be time to wait for the paperwork on the person to be found and turned over.

[Spaceman3750]

If you don't know 100% for sure what your blood type is, put UNK (unknown) in the block and you will have no trouble processing it.  It's better to have an "unknown" blood type than an incorrect one on any medical documentation.  one will delay treatment for a couple of minutes the other could potentially kill you.

As was said before, no hospital is gonna take a blood type from paperwork without a quick cross type and match. If there's every a situation where a CAP member needs a transfusion after an emergency, I doubt there's even gonna be time to wait for the paperwork on the person to be found and turned over.

IIRC don't most activities require you to carry a CAPF60 on your person, or am I nuts?

[SarDragon]

Not nuts, but a copy needs to be turned in to the Project Officer or similar person in charge. This theoretically provides easy reference to necessary medical info.

[Titan 25]

Thanks for the input everyone. 

[Flying Pig]

I didnt read all the posts, however, if you would ever need a blood transfusion they will always type your blood anyway just to make sure.  They arent going to take the word of some form.   However, knowing wouldnt be a bad idea, but if you need it, the information stored in your brain probably wont be of much use.

[Rowan]

I agree with the other posters:  the blood type is not required, but the SSN is.

[SarDragon]

I agree with the other posters:  the blood type is not required, but the SSN is.

Well, that's not entirely true, either.

It is not needed at all for any activity totally internal to CAP. The AF is working with CAP to eliminate a need for the SSAN on MSAs, etc.

[Flying Pig]

Why do we even need SSN's for CAP?  Not like CAP has any way of verifying them.  We dont even use SSN numbers for anything in LE.

When will CAP learn.  A CAP ID card with your ID AND your photo.  Every CAP ID should be issued with a photo.  Case closed.  Abandon those useless non-photo CAP ID cards and just make the photo ID card that we pay $2 for the standard issue.