Is it time for a divorce from the USAF?

Started by armyguy, March 27, 2022, 03:24:04 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

armyguy

Is it time for CAP to divorce itself from the AF as an auxiliary and reestablish itself a organization that is sponsored and supported by the USAF rather than being part of the USAF?   

In a similar manner that the Sea Cadets receive support from USCG, the cadet program could reach back to historical roots and receive support from the Army. Army bases usually have better infrastructure to support cadet activities like encampments as well.

This could be modeled after the Young Marines and Naval Sea Cadets. 
The organization could concentrate on Aerospace Education and the Cadet Program. There could be a scaling back of Emergency Services mission to those areas that truly need CAP because of an identified gap in state/local capabilities.

HandsomeWalt_USMC

Why? What would be the cost/benefit analysis of such a change?

You're talking about completely redefining legislation, operational and logistical support organization and the entire ethos of CAP for no tangible benefit whatsoever.

We have been a part of the AF family for a lot longer than we were part of the USAAC family. When you consider that the Air Corps was a separate service in all but name, there is no real tangible link to the Army at all.

Speaking solely for MAWG and what little I've seen outside of MAWG, we have no issues getting support from Army bases and units, especially National Guard entities. We don't need to be a part of the army in any way to receive that support.

On the focus on AE and CP, I happens to agree with you in part. In my neck of the woods significant time, effort and money are expended training for missions that we will never perform. Do I think we could better utilize those assets and personnel? Sure. Probably at the cost of retaining members that enjoy those aspects of CAP, whether they ever perform a real world mission or not.

There are plenty of things that could be optimized within CAP, but none of them would be fixed by your idea of "divorcing" from the AF.
HANDSOME SENDS

Semper Fidelis

"PRIDE IS CONTAGIOUS"

Eclipse

#2
Quote from: armyguy on March 27, 2022, 03:24:04 PMIs it time for CAP to divorce itself from the AF as an auxiliary and reestablish itself a organization that is sponsored and supported by the USAF rather than being part of the USAF?

FWIW, that's literally what CAP is today.
CAP is not a USAF line item, Congress appropriates money and the USAF
(i.e. CAP-USAF) is charged with managing the appropriation. Everything
else is either marketing or the reality of modern government / military
bureaucracy.

Removing the auxiliary status likely loses the aircraft, the pilots, 1/3rd of the
adult membership overall, and a non-trivial number of cadets.

Those adults who stay for the flying and ES are also running most of the
other jobs in CAP.

AE isn't a mission, per se, and you would not be able to sustain the organizaiton
as that being anything but the background it is now.

You're left with a handful of den parents and CAP becomes the Junior Marines.

NSCC and the CG have an MOU for training opportunities, but by no means does
the CG "provide support" at anything near the level the USAF does for CAP,
even if that support is often more rhetorical then practical.

CAP's unique status as quasi-private, quasi-military, quasi-government is what allows it
to perform at the level it does, such that it is, break that and it all goes away.


"That Others May Zoom"

RiverAux

So, we would want to model ourselves after organizations that are far smaller than CAP? 

Young Marines - 7,500 youth, 2,500 adults in 235 units
Sea Cadets approx 3000+ adults, 9,000 cadets in 380 units

I'd bet you good money that the leaders in the Young Marines and Sea Cadets would kill to have auxiliary status in some form. 

PHall


RiverAux

Quote from: armyguy on March 27, 2022, 03:24:04 PMIs it time for CAP to divorce itself from the AF as an auxiliary and reestablish itself a organization that is sponsored and supported by the USAF rather than being part of the USAF?   

Weren't you just advocating for putting CAP under the UCMJ?

SarDragon

Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret