Augmentation Rank

[RiverAux]

Unlike many others, I am fully confident that members of the military can fairly quickly identify CAP members as not being part of any of the five US military services, especially those who will be working in very close proximity to them. 

Consider our BDU/BBDU which has absolutely NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING on it that identifies or links us with the AF or any branch of the military in any way. 

We are all blinded by the fact that very often the public mistakenly thinks we are military, but we don't expect them to know better. 

[Major Carrales]

What is there was a U.S. Fire Service Auxiliary and they wore very similar fire service uniforms, wore fire-style badges and amongst their ranks they had Firefighters and Lieutenants, Captains and Chiefs?   But they didn't carry out actual firefighting missions, have authority of real firefighters or have the same training, education and background as their "Chief" and "Lieutenant" etc counterparts?   Wouldn't that be pretty confusing to other fire agencies they worked with.   

Each agency would be constantly explaining "Well, it's only Auxiliary rank, so I'm an Auxiliary Detective... totally different!  Not at all the same thing."   How would a firefighter or police officer know that it's not the same thing without the explanation.  They would assume, right?

C'mon, this is a STRAWMAN argument that lacks logical sense.

Why would a Firefightering organization have an Auxiliary that did not fight fires?  And if it did have an Auxiliary that had nothing to do with fighting fires, as in being a sort of BOOSTER CLUB or FRATERNAL ORGANIZATON...why would it ever be deployed?

If we accept the validity of your argument, then CAP would have no business augmenting the USAF in any regard.

What is goingto happen during this AUGMENTATION?

Let's Look at your example...

First Tier:
US Fire Service = USAF

US Fire SERVICE AUX = CAP

Second Tier:

USAF: COMBAT= US Fire Service:Fire Fighting

CAP:NON-COMBAT ROLES=US Fire Service AUX: NON-FIRE FIGHTING ROLE

So, what is CAP going to do for the USAF via augmentation that is non-combatant?  Is it recruiting?  Passing out food? Paperwork?

In your example, the US Fire Service AUX really serves no purpose.  What is CAP's purpose in augmentation?

Maybe answering that question will dispell much of this.

[RiverAux]

You know I'm on your side on the rank insignia issue, but there actually are police and fire auxiliary programs where they don't do that sort of thing -- Fire Corps and Volunteers in Police Service. 

The difference is that we've been wearing Army and AF-style uniforms for almost 70 years and had them before being associated with those organizations.

CAP has earned the right in battle and blood to wear our uniforms while working with the AF. 

[Major Carrales]

You know I'm on your side on the rank insignia issue, but there actually are police and fire auxiliary programs where they don't do that sort of thing -- Fire Corps and Volunteers in Police Service. 

The difference is that we've been wearing Army and AF-style uniforms for almost 70 years and had them before being associated with those organizations.

My pet peeve is when people try to equate CAP to other organizations, including the USAF, as if it would work for CAP.  Pylon was trying to make a point trying to make CAP's relationship to the USAF somehow equate with a fire reserve.

The frustration begins when people try to look at CAP from a presepective that it is not.

[mikeylikey]

............ but it's that we'd be in AF-style uniforms, on AF bases, working with AF personnel.  Can't imagine why they'd draw assumptions? 

Thats a HUGE assumption.  I suspect CAP will be forced into some backroom closet answering phones for MWR programs.  They may not even be on an AFB.

This whole thing "broke" before any details were worked out.  Just like NHQ.  I guess you can say NHQ strikes again!

[Pylon]

Thats a HUGE assumption.  I suspect CAP will be forced into some backroom closet answering phones for MWR programs.  They may not even be on an AFB.

I was not assuming that will the case for the VSAF program.  There was no assumption on my part.  I was merely pointing out that it wouldn't be a far stretch for a member of the AF to assume CAP rank meant something similar to AF rank should they see somebody in an AF-style uniform, wearing AF-style rank insignia on an AFB.


In fact, if CAP members are going to be filling in for the more "unskilled" type of positions: answering phones, delivering the inter-office mail, staffing the waiting room at the clinic, filing papers, base "beautification", it's probably best we're not wearing our CAP uniforms and CAP grade.   

Do you really want the AF SrA to see some guy wearing silver oak leaves delivering his mail or asking him to fill out these forms and wait over there for the next available nurse?   I'd think it would dilute the work that CAP does to show our members as a qualified group of professionals donating our time with real capabilities.   

"Hey John, did you see that Lt Col mowing the lawn outside the MPF?"
"No, but some Major was pushing the mail cart today.  He even had wings.  I wonder what he did to get assigned to that duty?"

The button-down and khaki combination without rank insignia helps us eliminate the appearance of CAP rank being completely meaningless.