ABU and AFJROTC

[Eclipse]

Cadet-centric / cadet-only programs may look like CAP, but in fact they are different paradigms as they do not have adult programs, nor operational situations where members may be in command of military personnel and resources.  That is not the whole puzzle, but it's a significant part of the issue with CAP uniforms.

Hmm?

Where would there be an operational situation where we would be in command of military personnel and resources?

ES - a military resource assigned to a mission could clearly and easily be reporting into a CAP IC.  Now, that relationship would
be ICS command, not military, but command is command.

That lack of an operational role and mandate is a key delimiter between CAP and other programs that look like us (and the CGAux).

[lordmonar]

And that's the difference between the Navy and the Air Force. They are entirely different cultures, and have been since 1947. I spent 3 years stationed on an overseas air base, and it was scary, and comical, to watch the different ways the two services went about the same tasks.

+1....same base got to see it from the other side of thing!

[Private Investigator]

There's a local Navy Sea Cadet unit that is pretty strong member-wise and it seems like they do a lot with some of the local Coast Guard.  I see them around now and again.  They look a lot more like the Navy (both adults and cadets) than we ever have looked like the AF.  There seems to be a lot less gastrointestinal turmoil among them about uniforms.  They just take the Navy uniform, slap an identifier on the arm (and different rank insignia for cadets) and a different cap device and, hey, presto, good to go.



It doesn't seem like the Navy rides herd on them watching for the slightest uniform boo-boo...nor does it seem they have a sector of their membership howling about "distinctiveness."

We have a Sea Cadet unit that appears pretty sharp too.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My first CAP unit was co-located at an Armed Forces Reserve Facility with the Navy Reserve, Marine Reserve and National Guard.  The Navy and Marine Reservists always seemed like they went out of their way to help them (in fact, the Navy Reservists did more for us locally than the Air Force...despite us being within driving distance of ANG and AFRES units).  Both the cadets and their officers always seemed very sharp and GTG in uniform.

I believe that they are now transitioning to the new Navy "camouflage" uniform, though I talked to an Ensign some months ago who was still in BDU's (with subdued nametapes and hard rank).  Of course, AFJROTC/AFROTC have already done so with the ABU, which started this thread.  Marine Corps JROTC wears MARPAT, which incorporates the Marines' hallowed Eagle, Globe and Anchor.

The only ones besides us that I know of who don't wear the field uniform of their parent service are the Young Marines...but they wear ribbons on BDU's.

Other than the possible ES situation that Eclipse mentioned, what's wrong with this picture?