Feeling appreciated?

[FlyingTerp]

I appreciate that about half of the current membership of the BoG are current or retired AF Generals.  They all praise the actions of CAP and the members. Also, the AU/CC and Air Force Academy Superintendant praise our actions.
I felt appreciated when the PANG AG joined the CAP and became a Lt Col, and active mission pilot for the wing.
I appreciate the assistance of all the reservists who take the time to help at all levels of CAP.
I appreciate the assistance of the many ANG personell who assist us in our CN missions, SAREVALs and other missions.
I appreciate the donated space, vehicles, bus drivers, cooks, hangers, tiedowns, etc. for meetings, encampments and special activities/events.
I appreciate the AF/ANG pilots and crews who give orientation flights to our cadets.
I appreciate the $28 million dollars the AF helps us get every year for our "stuff".
However, what I really appreciate is all that we have accomplished as members of CAP.

Thanks for posting.  There's a lot of "belly aching" around here.  "XYZ Organization is appreciated more than CAP, etc"  Your post was a great reality check.  Welcome!

[RiverAux]

All true, and all basically acknowledged in my initial post.  Those in the AF who deal with CAP on a regular basis as part of their jobs are all generally very appreciative. 

Now, to some extent I can buy the argument that many in the AF don't think about CAP because we aren't relevant to what they themselves are doing.  Obviously, we're not out there working with them every day (maybe we should, but thats another thread). 

However, the fact remains that CAP is the primary force that helps the AF conduct one of its missions -- coordination of federal SAR in the US.  Sure, most in the AF probably have no clue that this is one of their missions (in the form of the AFRCC), but it is an AF mission just as much as dropping bombs on folks.  Is it one of the most important missions -- no, and I wouldn't argue that it was. 

However, the fact that we are out there performing an AF mission should be recognized by the top people in the AF and it would be nice if that recognition filtered down through the organization.   

[jimmydeanno]

What recognition?  What exactly are you looking for?  Do you want the SECAF to come to your local meeting to just say "thanks?" or a 'holiday' card to be sent to you personally?

No one seems to be able to put a hand on "what would make them feel appreciated" so is there really any winning this? 

How about the CAP-USAF commander increasing the number of things we can spend AF money on?  Is that good enough?  They do that all the time - seems pretty appreciative and supportive to me.

I am really confused by this thread...

[RiverAux]

Yeah, I really would like SECAF to say thanks every now and again.  How hard is that?  It really isn't out of line to expect the leaders of an agency with 50,000+ volunteers to go out of their way to recognize those efforts on a regular basis. 

[Fifinella]

Here's my perspective:
WIWITAF, I didn't know anything about CAP.  I heard about CAP once, at the Academy.  Heard nothing about it on active duty.  Didn't know what they did, who they were, or even that CAP was the AF auxiliary.  I probably would have gotten involved with a cadet squadron when I was on AD, if I had known anything about them.  

I would wager that the reason most AD AF don't support/appreciate CAP is that they've never heard of it either.  Or, they've heard it mentioned, but have NO IDEA what it is.

My squadron is located on an AD AF base, and we're working hard to raise our profile.  We get great support when we ask for it.  But most of the base still doesn't know we exist.

Also, although I think CAP does great things such as positively influencing teens, SAR, CD, etc., most of what we do has no impact on AD folks' mission accomplishment.  Only a very few, small programs such as Falcon Virgo/Roving Sands actually affect the AD AF.  So why SHOULD they care who we are or appreciate us?  We make no difference in their daily lives.

[JayT]

Yeah, I really would like SECAF to say thanks every now and again.  How hard is that?  It really isn't out of line to expect the leaders of an agency with 50,000+ volunteers to go out of their way to recognize those efforts on a regular basis. 

Why? We do our job, and we do it well. That's reward enough.

Like the Captain said, we really don't do a whole heck of a lot of make the average Airmens life easier.

[RiverAux]

Yeah, I really would like SECAF to say thanks every now and again.  How hard is that?  It really isn't out of line to expect the leaders of an agency with 50,000+ volunteers to go out of their way to recognize those efforts on a regular basis. 

Why? We do our job, and we do it well. That's reward enough.

Any other agency that had a volunteer program that they treated like the AF in general treats CAP would have long ago lost all their volunteers.  The AF is just lucky that CAP members are much, much more self-motivated than most other volunteers.  The thing is that the AF obviously has the same attitude as you -- we're just doing our job like everyone else.  Actually, we're not, we've paid money to join an organization to volunteer our time to carry out CAP and AF missions. 

If there is one thing I've learned in my non-CAP job activities, you've got to treat your volunteers extra special and make sure that they know that you appreciate what they're doing for you and your organization.  That goes beyond providing them the basics needed so that they can do what you want them to do for you. 

[Hawk200]

Any other agency that had a volunteer program that they treated like the AF in general treats CAP would have long ago lost all their volunteers.  The AF is just lucky that CAP members are much, much more self-motivated than most other volunteers.  The thing is that the AF obviously has the same attitude as you -- we're just doing our job like everyone else.  Actually, we're not, we've paid money to join an organization to volunteer our time to carry out CAP and AF missions. 

If there is one thing I've learned in my non-CAP job activities, you've got to treat your volunteers extra special and make sure that they know that you appreciate what they're doing for you and your organization.  That goes beyond providing them the basics needed so that they can do what you want them to do for you. 

I would have to agree. Most of the time, you say "Civil Air Patrol" to an airman, you get a blank stare.

I think that airmen in basic, cadets at the Academy, and any of the other commisioning programs ought to at least receive material on CAP. Maybe presented by someone actually in CAP. Would go a long way to increase our visibility.

Volunteers do actually need different treatment. The command techniques don't work. Leadership is our only real way of getting our people to accomplish the mission.

[JayT]

I definately agree that new airmen and cadets in the Air Force should recieve some information on CAP, but lets be honest, those guys have a lot of other stuff on their plate to be worried about some volunteers. Should they be informed about the Red Cross? CERT? National SAR Task Force? Sea Cadet Force? ACA? JROTC? Where would you draw the line? Would you waste an entire day of basic training, or even an hour, so that some of our members can feel better about being in CAP?

Like I said, you do your job, and you do it the best you can. That's reward enough.

[Capt Rivera]

Back to that thanking CAP members thing?

How many Squadron, Wing, Region etc commanders have sent out a thank you/ happy holidays to those who serve under you THIS holiday season? How many of you who have not done it yet are saying, "O yeah, Ill get on that now!"

How many remember to say happy birthday to all your members the closest meeting day to their Bday? [If you use SIMS, theres no excuse not to!]

edit: readability

[RiverAux]

Got christmas cards from my wing commander and squadron commander....

[Capt Rivera]

Got christmas cards from my wing commander and squadron commander....

Thats cool.... We (Squadron Commander & I) only sent a email to everyone.

[RiverAux]

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that WIWASC I didn't send out cards -- I'm not a major Christmas card person and it honestly didn't occur to me. 

[Capt Rivera]

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that WIWASC I didn't send out cards -- I'm not a major Christmas card person and it honestly didn't occur to me. 

yeah neither am I,,, if not for this msg thread i wouldnt have thought about it at all.

nerry xmas, happy new year, happy honika,   MERRY FESTIVAS

there was no particular order or spelling correction to this post. sorry

[SAR-EMT1]

Let me flip the bit for one second:
How many Wing/ Group / Squadron Commanders have sent a thank you to the local base / Reserve / Guard unit thanking them for supporting CAP?

How many folks have simply approached the local Military /CC and just asked point blank if there was anything we could do to help their unit?

[Capt Rivera]

Let me flip the bit for one second:
How many Wing/ Group / Squadron Commanders have sent a thank you to the local base / Reserve / Guard unit thanking them for supporting CAP?

How many folks have simply approached the local Military /CC and just asked point blank if there was anything we could do to help their unit?

Excellent Idea! Why didn't I think of that? Hmmm and it's NOT to late! This is something I WILL do, probably tomorrow. If anyone has any good thank you [read halmark] cards around that I can "barrow" from, post away... 

[Capt Rivera]

Split:

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=3916.new#new

Now this is what I call appreciation...