CAP moving to the DoD

[mynetdude]

Well, in all honestly, I do wish  we were back to full time Auxiliary status. I wish we would conform to the British ATC model, and have Squadron Commanders and above hold some sort of volunteer comission. Etc Etc.

Well if doing so would benefit CAP in getting more missions and funding as well as training and other support then I'd be all for it. However I'm not knowledgable in this area to say that it would be or wouldn't be a benefit I'm just saying if it did give us a plus then I'd be rooting for it.

[FW]

Well, in all honestly, I do wish  we were back to full time Auxiliary status. I wish we would conform to the British ATC model, and have Squadron Commanders and above hold some sort of volunteer commission. Etc Etc.

In the 31 years I've been a member of CAP, I've never heard any one in the Air Force leadership call us "The sometimes Auxiliary".  In fact since the legislation of Feb. 2000, we've haven't been closer to the Air Force since the 60's.  We are more involved and have more missions of national scope than ever before.   In many wings, assistance to the corresponding states has grown.  Support for cadet programs are at an all time high and support for our ES program has never been better.  

IMHO, moving to the DoD will not help us improve our status nor our membership growth.
Moving to DHS, won't do much more for us either.  If your want us to forget about "posse comitatus",  go join ICE or DEA or enlist in the USCG; you can serve and get paid. (oh boy)

Just for some added color:  We haven't been a "government agency" since 1946.  We've been a Federally Charted Corporation since 1946 and the auxiliary of the Air Force since 1947.  We are only considered an "instrumentality of the government" when engaged in AFAMs for "liability purposes only".

Now that I got that off my chest, I feel much better.  

[mikeylikey]

^ I do believe we "were closer with the Air Force" when an actual Air Force Officer was the Commander.  I think we were closer, before the law changes of 2000. 

We are the Auxiliary ONLY when it suits the AF.  I fear we will never gain full time AUX status again! 

Moving to DHS may have actually been a good move 6 years ago.  We could still be doing the same things we do now, but with more funding and better inter-agency resourcing.  However, there really is no way to know for sure. 

I fear that CAP may end up being the full time VSAF program instead.  That would be a sad day!

[mynetdude]

Well, in all honestly, I do wish  we were back to full time Auxiliary status. I wish we would conform to the British ATC model, and have Squadron Commanders and above hold some sort of volunteer commission. Etc Etc.

In the 31 years I've been a member of CAP, I've never heard any one in the Air Force leadership call us "The sometimes Auxiliary".  In fact since the legislation of Feb. 2000, we've haven't been closer to the Air Force since the 60's.  We are more involved and have more missions of national scope than ever before.   In many wings, assistance to the corresponding states has grown.  Support for cadet programs are at an all time high and support for our ES program has never been better.  

IMHO, moving to the DoD will not help us improve our status nor our membership growth.
Moving to DHS, won't do much more for us either.  If your want us to forget about "posse comitatus",  go join ICE or DEA or enlist in the USCG; you can serve and get paid. (oh boy)

Just for some added color:  We haven't been a "government agency" since 1946.  We've been a Federally Charted Corporation since 1946 and the auxiliary of the Air Force since 1947.  We are only considered an "instrumentality of the government" when engaged in AFAMs for "liability purposes only".

Now that I got that off my chest, I feel much better.  

I remember reading about how legislative made way tor CAP support in the wake of 9/11 as CAP did do its share during 9/11.  So after all we were helping the USAF and other Federal/State/Local agencies along with it.

It doesn't matter where we go, DoD, DHLS, DOT we would still be providing support but with limitations from our affiliations if any for legal reasons. So if where we are now allows us maximum customer base to support then moving isn't a bad idea however any move or no move helps CAP in every way then that is a good thing not necessarily a bad thing.

Now if you want to forget about "posse comitatus" you can rest assured that you'd have to set aside being being weak and old (because they won't take none of that) and I don't mean to offend I don't consider anyone weak (if you recall I did make a post about people with disabilities serving in CAP) and even then those people who have one arm can't join the USCG or DEA whatever (I have never seen/heard of ICE before).

There are a lot of disabled people who are very well capable of serving our country, they can't join the armed forces for legal/liability/safety reasons and yet they can join CAP to serve because this seems to be the only real way they can and be close enough to the US armed forces as a civilian. Unfortunately they have to volunteer to do it, its the only way AFAIK. (I have heard of deaf cops before, its rare though).

[mynetdude]

^ I do believe we "were closer with the Air Force" when an actual Air Force Officer was the Commander.  I think we were closer, before the law changes of 2000. 

We are the Auxiliary ONLY when it suits the AF.  I fear we will never gain full time AUX status again! 

Moving to DHS may have actually been a good move 6 years ago.  We could still be doing the same things we do now, but with more funding and better inter-agency resourcing.  However, there really is no way to know for sure. 

I fear that CAP may end up being the full time VSAF program instead.  That would be a sad day!

I like your style, the only way to know for sure if moving to DHS is/was good is to TRY it and see... if they don't like it... move somewhere else until it fits? I guess thats too costly and too teeth grinding.

I kinda like the VSAF idea, but I wouldn't really know if I really like it or not until I had a chance to try it.

What I wish we could do is serve on bases like Chaplains can do and fill temporary non classified roles other than chaplains (CAP is the only nonprofit civilian organization that allows CAP chaplains to serve and get paid in place of base chaplains when they are deployed). But I know the higher ups would have none of that, thats a threat to security.