1st University affiliated CAP unit?

[RiverAux]

CAP Volunteer Now article:

MASSACHUSETTS – Col. William Meskill, Massachusetts Wing commander, delivered a simple message during a special ceremony chartering CAP's first university-affiliated squadron: "It starts here."

And so it did, with the presentation Dec. 7 of the national charter for the Bridgewater State University Senior Squadron by Meskill and Col. Christopher Hayden, Northeast Region commander, at the university's Moakley Technology Center.

The new unit includes both students and faculty who will support the wing in aviation-related and emergency services activities.

"When you compare the core mission of the Civil Air Patrol and that of Bridgewater State University", said Frederick Clark Jr., the school's executive vice president and vice president for external affairs, "both organizations are committed to empower individuals and instill in members and students a deep appreciation for advancing the public good.

"These missions are at the very core of who we are," said Clark, who will serve as the new squadron's legal officer.

Also in attendance for the ceremony was State Sen. Marc Pacheco, who was recently inducted into the wing's Legislative Squadron.

"What has been created here is a great partnership between Bridgewater University and the Massachusetts Wing," Pacheco said. "I am honored to be a part of this organization that has a proud heritage of service to our nation, and I look forward to fulfilling my honorary duties."

Squadron officials have been working for more than a year with wing members to build up the necessary membership numbers for the unit, so the national charter means a lot to both the unit and the community.

Lt. Col. Robert McManus, an associate professor of education, will serve as squadron commander. The   university's chief flight instructor, Capt. Loren Herren, will be deputy commander.

"The Massachusetts Wing will be receiving more aviation-related support, thanks to the launch of the Civil Air Patrol's Bridgewater State University Senior Squadron," McManus said.

Before the evening's activities ended, 19 members of the unit received their Brig. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement awards.

First, I think CAP may be getting a little jealous of the CG Auxiliary's college based units (only a handful)....

Second, haven't we had some sort of joint CAP/AFROTC units for a long time?  Although I've never heard of these being anything more than paper-units utilized to get oflights for AFROTC cadets.  Though I thought there was a "real" CAP unit at the Air Force Academy. 

It is a natural progression from our high school based units.

However, I see them having a hard time keeping this going.  I've been associated with college chapters of other nonprofits and due to the very high turnover rate its pretty hard to keep them functioning.  Not impossible, but it poses challenges.

Doing it as part of a university flight program makes a heck of a lot of sense and if it works could be a great model to follow at other college-based flight schools. 

[Woodsy]

Here in Florida, Embry-Riddle Flight has been around for a long time.  Also, there are several squadrons that meet at universities and are integrated into their aerospace education programs. 

[Eclipse]

"Squadron officials have been working for more than a year with wing members to build up the necessary membership numbers for the unit, so the national charter means a lot to both the unit and the community."

If it takes a year to get 8 people to say "yes' to a CAP unit at a college, the future is not likely very bright.

[RiverAux]

Obviously they wanted to start out as a full squadron, which takes 15.  And the current 20-1 seems to discourage starting a flight unless you think you'll never have enough for a squadron. 

Flights should be organized only in sparsely populated areas where there are an insufficient number of individuals to constitute a squadron.

[Eclipse]

Obviously they wanted to start out as a full squadron, which takes 15.  And the current 20-1 seems to discourage starting a flight unless you think you'll never have enough for a squadron. 

Flights should be organized only in sparsely populated areas where there are an insufficient number of individuals to constitute a squadron.

Fair enough/

If it takes a year to get 8 15 people to say "yes' to a CAP unit at a college, the future is not likely very bright.

[RiverAux]

Well, any senior squadron that recruits 15 new members in a year is probably up for squadron of the year. 

[SarDragon]

Even more deserving would be the squadron that retains that 15 new members into their third year.

[Spaceman3750]

This is good stuff. If I were king for a day, my wing would have flights at all the major public universities that don't have units nearby. I don't have the time or contacts to take on that project, so I haven't ever said or thought much about it.

[BillB]

The University of Florida had a composite Squadron in the 1960's. It was Headquarters Composite Squadron, SER-FL-002. It was composed of cadets from several states attending the University and included cadets from Mississippi, Georgia, New York, Alabama and Florida. Included in the senior staff were AFROTC Detachment officers and NCOs along with former cadets. On average there were 15 cadets and 25 senior members in the Squadron at any time during it's five year existance. There was also a Flight of this Squadron at Florida State University. The Squadron was decactivated when the Wing Commander wanted the charter number for a Squadron in his home area.

[RiverAux]

And they just couldn't issue a new charter number for it?  Seems like a pretty easy administrative action (though still pretty stupid). 

[Woodsy]

The University of Florida had a composite Squadron in the 1960's. It was Headquarters Composite Squadron, SER-FL-002. It was composed of cadets from several states attending the University and included cadets from Mississippi, Georgia, New York, Alabama and Florida. Included in the senior staff were AFROTC Detachment officers and NCOs along with former cadets. On average there were 15 cadets and 25 senior members in the Squadron at any time during it's five year existance. There was also a Flight of this Squadron at Florida State University. The Squadron was decactivated when the Wing Commander wanted the charter number for a Squadron in his home area.

Gainesville Composite Squadron has been at UF for many years. 

[NIN]

One of my former cadets is going to Bridgewater State and is involved in this. I can get you some gouge if you'd like.

[RiverAux]

Probably not needed.  I think we've confirmed that some public affairs officer did a poor job of fact checking and that NHQ did an even poorer job by posting the article without double-checking something that should have raised red flags.

Whenever you claim something is a "first", you've got a very strong obligation to make sure it is, and the publisher has an even stronger obligation to confirm it. 

I don't know if the NHQ public affairs folks are monitoring CAPTAlk as much as they used to be, but I hope they modify this article when they get back from Christmas break. 

[skymaster]

Probably not needed.  I think we've confirmed that some public affairs officer did a poor job of fact checking and that NHQ did an even poorer job by posting the article without double-checking something that should have raised red flags.

Whenever you claim something is a "first", you've got a very strong obligation to make sure it is, and the publisher has an even stronger obligation to confirm it. 

I don't know if the NHQ public affairs folks are monitoring CAPTAlk as much as they used to be, but I hope they modify this article when they get back from Christmas break.

I was as suprised as you were when I read this article, because I know of two other examples at postsecondary institutes of higher learning right off the bat that pre-date the formation of this unit, but have not been mentioned. In Maryland Wing, the Annapolis Composite Squadron, MER-MD-028, when initially founded over 30 years ago at the U.S. Naval Academy, consisted entirely of midshipmen, faculty, staff, and Naval Academy alumni. (It may not be the case now, but it was when it was formed at USNA). (This is a VERY noteworthy squadron, because it is the current home unit of the same Colonel Mary Feik that the cadet achievement is named after). Also (throughout most of the 1990s anyway), there was a Georgia Wing unit at North Georgia College and State University - The Military College of Georgia (SER-GA-127) consisting entirely of cadets, faculty, staff, dependents, and alumni of that institution. (The Corps of Cadets liaison from the school to the squadron, a 1978 NGC graduate, an Army Captain and Associate Professor of Military Science at the time, just pinned on his 3rd Star recently). Maybe the writer of the original article intended to say "...in Northeast Region", (which if added would probably make that article factually correct), and somewhere along the way, some well meaning PAO or reporter inadvertently edited that bit out.

[a2capt]

The Squadron was decactivated when the Wing Commander wanted the charter number for a Squadron in his home area.

That wouldn't have happened to have been in slightly modern times .. along the way of an ascension to a spectacular 2B, would it?

In general, that is a really bogus reason if the unit was -anything- but shamblest of shambles and beyond hope. With a false facade mentality like that, who knows what other things are .. not as you would think.

[BillB]

a2capt.....No the deactivation preceed "that person" by 30 years.

Woodsy. Gainesville Composite has not been associated as part the University  FL002 was listed as a student organization by the University, FL142 never has been.

[Walkman]

I don't know if there was any official affiliation, but my previous unit met at Utah State in the Army/AF ROTC building. The unit had been meeting there for many years. But, like I said, I don't know if there was any official ties with USU.

How many units meet on college campuses that don't have some sort of ties to the school?

[Woodsy]

a2capt.....No the deactivation preceed "that person" by 30 years.

Woodsy. Gainesville Composite has not been associated as part the University  FL002 was listed as a student organization by the University, FL142 never has been.

Yes, I know.  They just meet there.  However, there are quite a few student cadets.  I know several cadets from my area that have gone to UF have been involved in that squadron while they were in school.

As far as I know, the only unit that is actually formally affiliated with a university in FLWG is the Embry-Riddle Eagle Flight.

[BillB]

Up until about 10 years ago, AFROTC paid dues for AFROTC Cadets to be members of CAP. Most AFROTC Detachments had their own chartered CAP Squadron (using a non-Wing series of charter numbers, but rather an AFROTC set of numbers). The FL-002 Squadron while it was mainly for CAP members attending the University of Florida included University faculty and AFROTC Detachment personnel. A seperate Flight of FL-002 was started at Florida State University and had between 10 and 15 members. The main advantage of FL-002 was members fell into the 17 to 21 year age group and there were no 12 year olds so that all members were in the same peer group. There were paperwork transfers to the cadets home unit when they earned the Earhart or Spaatz awards. (These awards were included for points in the home squadrons annual evaluations) Whiole FL-002 produced more Spaatz awards than the rest of the Southeast Region combined, the awards are reflected under other Wings and regions awards when the cadets were transferred back to home Squadrons for the award presentations.

[RiverAux]

Was really expecting NHQ public affairs to fix this blatantly wrong story once they got back from the holidays, but no such luck.