Benefits

[usafcap1]

Do you think that Civil Air Patrol members should receive more benefits than what they receiving now? If so, what would you add? Or what would you remove?

Thank you

[lordmonar]

Benefits?

What benefits?

[THRAWN]

Do you think that Civil Air Patrol members should receive more benefits than what they receiving now? If so, what would you add? Or what would you remove?

Thank you

More than the occasional couple bucks off a car rental? Access to free technical and management education through ECI or what ever it calls itself these days? Resume padding? Logbook padding?

ADDING:
MOUs that are actually beneficial to both parties

Adopting the NASAR standard and testing to that at the various ES Academies

[Holding Pattern]

Nationally recognized ES certification?

[PHall]

The only "benefit" of my CAP membership that I've used has been to take all the money I spend on CAP as a deduction on my taxes.

[THRAWN]

Nationally recognized ES certification?

Is that what we have or what you want? Just because it's nationally recognized, doesnt make it nationally accepted.

[Holding Pattern]

Nationally recognized ES certification?

Is that what we have or what you want? Just because it's nationally recognized, doesnt make it nationally accepted.

There I go typing too fast again...

I think I better go patrol that Neutral Zone again.

[sarmed1]

Federal job protection/mandatory employeer release for mission call out and a XYZ amount of training time, the same as Reserve/National Guard.

Some sort of Federal tax break/refund/deduction (in addition to any "itemized" deduction, for active participation in CAP) ...yeah I know that is a large can of worms to open and manage, and likely to be abused

mk

[THRAWN]

Federal job protection/mandatory employeer release for mission call out and a XYZ amount of training time, the same as Reserve/National Guard.

Some sort of Federal tax break/refund/deduction (in addition to any "itemized" deduction, for active participation in CAP) ...yeah I know that is a large can of worms to open and manage, and likely to be abused

mk

This is actually a pretty good one. Some states do this and it seems to work well. Individual employers do it as well. Getting some consistent and level of coordination for this would be great.

[Sapper168]

Illinois has a law pertaining to this.

[Thonawit]

Commissary and BX/PX access

[abdsp51]

Commissary and BX/PX access

Want those? Sign up and serve. 

[Thonawit]

Commissary and BX/PX access

Want those? Sign up and serve.

I did. Served for 12 years.

I am not talking about unlimited access that is afforded to Service Members. I am thinking about 1 or 2 visits a month to the commissary. The prices at the BX/PX are not that much better than off post stores. (I walked through a BX a few hours ago while waiting for the base thrift store to open, to try and find uniform items for our Cadets.)

[PHall]

Commissary and BX/PX access

Want those? Sign up and serve.

I did. Served for 12 years.

I am not talking about unlimited access that is afforded to Service Members. I am thinking about 1 or 2 visits a month to the commissary. The prices at the BX/PX are not that much better than off post stores. (I walked through a BX a few hours ago while waiting for the base thrift store to open, to try and find uniform items for our Cadets.)

Exactly what has CAP done to earn it Exchange/Commissary privages?

[abdsp51]

CAP already has limited exchange privileges.  Why on Earth would theu need access to the commissary once or twice a month or the bx/px outside of what is established?

If CAP members want these perks then they can sign heir name on DD Form 4 take the oath and serve for those perks.  In many places thats the only decent selection source for families and they don't need to compete for it.

[usafcap1]

I think CAP members should get Mutual Assistance provides an emergency fund that can provide fast financial relief when a member faces an unexpected or "impossible" financial burden that would cause personal hardship if no assistance were provided.

[Holding Pattern]

I think CAP members should get Mutual Assistance provides an emergency fund that can provide fast financial relief when a member faces an unexpected or "impossible" financial burden that would cause personal hardship if no assistance were provided.

We'd have to up the dues quite a bit to make that happen.

[FW]

^We actually have (or had) such a program: "CAP CARES" was developed such for the purpose after Katrina. 

[Mitchell 1969]

CAP already has limited exchange privileges.  Why on Earth would theu need access to the commissary once or twice a month or the bx/px outside of what is established?

If CAP members want these perks then they can sign heir name on DD Form 4 take the oath and serve for those perks.  In many places thats the only decent selection source for families and they don't need to compete for it.

Aren't commissary services subsidized? I don't see that as a CAP benefit at all.

Exchange privileges would be easier to grant. They already go to civilian employees, contractors. But, practically speaking, most CAP people would probably rarely use them. Prices aren't that great and with BRAC, they are few and far between. I certainly wouldn't drive an hour to my closest one to buy toothpaste or an iron. I'd actually be a poor customer for them. Maybe I'd see something on sale if I went in to buy a flight cap.

There is a side benefit to having exchange access for all items, though. It would remove confusion as to what CAP members are allowed to buy if they were allowed to buy anything. I've been challenged simply walking into the store, been held up while someone verifies my access, even escorted from the door to the uniform section. It would be nice to be able to simply show ID and walk in.

[SarDragon]

Commissary is an appropriated funds activity, and falls under Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).

Exchanges operate under the auspices of the individual services (AAFES, NEX, MCX), and are self-supporting. Profits go mostly to MWR.

[Holding Pattern]

I unfortunately think that expanding base privs in any way would end up being abused, probably to the point of it getting locked down even further by everyone.

FWIW, if someone sat down with me and gave me a cost benefit analysis on serving for a few years vs the benefits in advance when I was younger, I probably would have asked for signing papers.

Though I heard something recently about the enlistment age being raised, I suppose I could always take a vacation from finance...

[MSG Mac]

Maryland has just initiated a $3500 Tax benefit for Maryland CAP members who accumulate a 50 hour or more of service during the year. 

[usafcap1]

CAP already has limited exchange privileges.  Why on Earth would theu need access to the commissary once or twice a month or the bx/px outside of what is established?

If CAP members want these perks then they can sign heir name on DD Form 4 take the oath and serve for those perks.  In many places thats the only decent selection source for families and they don't need to compete for it.

Aren't commissary services subsidized? I don't see that as a CAP benefit at all.

Exchange privileges would be easier to grant. They already go to civilian employees, contractors. But, practically speaking, most CAP people would probably rarely use them. Prices aren't that great and with BRAC, they are few and far between. I certainly wouldn't drive an hour to my closest one to buy toothpaste or an iron. I'd actually be a poor customer for them. Maybe I'd see something on sale if I went in to buy a flight cap.

There is a side benefit to having exchange access for all items, though. It would remove confusion as to what CAP members are allowed to buy if they were allowed to buy anything. I've been challenged simply walking into the store, been held up while someone verifies my access, even escorted from the door to the uniform section. It would be nice to be able to simply show ID and walk in.

Same thing happen to me, but I will say about a couple months ago I went to the naval exchange near my house went into the commissary purchase something and all they did was check with the manager that my ID is valid and then they scanned the barcode on the back, said that it was good and I was able to purchase my items. I thought it was kind of funny that the barcode on the back of my card gave me authorization to purchase something at the exchange remind you this wasn't even the airforce exchange is with the naval exchange completely different. I was surprised as heck that it worked. Its not that I go there at all they don't have anything I can go to Walmart and save more money than going there. I just wanted to see.

I will say it would be nice to just show ID and that be good enough versus making a scene.

[usafcap1]

What about receiving college credits. That would be a pretty good plus.

[jeders]

What about receiving college credits. That would be a pretty good plus.

Talk to the college registrar about that one. I got college credit for PE because of my encampment.

[SarDragon]

Same thing happen to me, but I will say about a couple months ago I went to the naval exchange near my house went into the commissary purchase something and all they did was check with the manager that my ID is valid and then they scanned the barcode on the back, said that it was good and I was able to purchase my items. I thought it was kind of funny that the barcode on the back of my card gave me authorization to purchase something at the exchange remind you this wasn't even the airforce exchange is with the naval exchange completely different. I was surprised as heck that it worked. Its not that I go there at all they don't have anything I can go to Walmart and save more money than going there. I just wanted to see.

I will say it would be nice to just show ID and that be good enough versus making a scene.

And yet another example of genuine frontier gibberish. Proper punctuation and grammar are both your friend and ours.

[Garibaldi]

Same thing happen to me, but I will say about a couple months ago I went to the naval exchange near my house went into the commissary purchase something and all they did was check with the manager that my ID is valid and then they scanned the barcode on the back, said that it was good and I was able to purchase my items. I thought it was kind of funny that the barcode on the back of my card gave me authorization to purchase something at the exchange remind you this wasn't even the airforce exchange is with the naval exchange completely different. I was surprised as heck that it worked. Its not that I go there at all they don't have anything I can go to Walmart and save more money than going there. I just wanted to see.

I will say it would be nice to just show ID and that be good enough versus making a scene.

And yet another example of genuine frontier gibberish. Proper punctuation and grammar are both your friend and ours.

I'm guessin' they weren't burdened with an overabundance of schoolin'.

[JeffDG]

Same thing happen to me, but I will say about a couple months ago I went to the naval exchange near my house went into the commissary purchase something and all they did was check with the manager that my ID is valid and then they scanned the barcode on the back, said that it was good and I was able to purchase my items. I thought it was kind of funny that the barcode on the back of my card gave me authorization to purchase something at the exchange remind you this wasn't even the airforce exchange is with the naval exchange completely different. I was surprised as heck that it worked. Its not that I go there at all they don't have anything I can go to Walmart and save more money than going there. I just wanted to see.

I will say it would be nice to just show ID and that be good enough versus making a scene.

And yet another example of genuine frontier gibberish. Proper punctuation and grammar are both your friend and ours.

Gabby Johnson is right!

[ColonelJack]

Same thing happen to me, but I will say about a couple months ago I went to the naval exchange near my house went into the commissary purchase something and all they did was check with the manager that my ID is valid and then they scanned the barcode on the back, said that it was good and I was able to purchase my items. I thought it was kind of funny that the barcode on the back of my card gave me authorization to purchase something at the exchange remind you this wasn't even the airforce exchange is with the naval exchange completely different. I was surprised as heck that it worked. Its not that I go there at all they don't have anything I can go to Walmart and save more money than going there. I just wanted to see.

I will say it would be nice to just show ID and that be good enough versus making a scene.

And yet another example of genuine frontier gibberish. Proper punctuation and grammar are both your friend and ours.

Gabby Johnson is right!

Olson Johnson is right about Gabby Johnson being right!

Jack

[SarDragon]

Has this gotten far enough off track to start the clock yet?