Former Cadet Looking to Become a Senior Member Questions

[bassque]

Hey folks,  thanks for the fantastic forum here.  Lots of good and helpful information!!  I have a few questions about becoming a Senior Member after an extended absence from the activity.  I was a cadet from 92 to 95 earning my Mitchell and various other awards including Encampment (of course),Air Search and Rescue, Rescue Find, Red Service, and Unit citation.  This was all done out of the Missouri Wing where I'm now looking to join the California Wing.

The first question I have is regarding rank.  I know that with less than two years out of the activity, a cadet will come in at various ranks depending on award level.  In my case that would be 2LT.  I realize that because I have been out of the activity that I will come I. As a Senior Member but wanted to know if I needed to wait the standard 6 months before obtaining 2LT, or will the rank be available after I complete the Level 1 requirements?  Or am I completely wrong and the rank is available sooner?

The second question I have is regarding my non ranking awards (SAR, Find, etc).  I called national and the young lady I spoke to mentioned that those awards, as long as they are available to be worn as a senior member, are available and can be worn as ribbons and metals.  I, ironically, have all of my old ribbons.  However that is really the only proof that I have that shows I earned those awards because they are not a part of the national record.  I have checked with my old squadron and they are looking for any old records but I'm fairly confident they won't find much of anything considering the time that has passed.  So, the question is do I have enough proof that I can continue to show those awards as a senior member?   

I appreciate any input on this for a number of reasons, the most immediate of which is ordering my uniform.  I want to make sure I get the right things, and of course I'm very proud of what I accomplished as a cadet. 


Thanks again!

Jeff

[JC004]

Maybe you can get creative with the ribbons.  You will have a CAPID number already (even though they didn't exist when you were a member, they were given retroactively to people who weren't current when they did assign them).  NHQ will have some record of you and you will be able to have dates from that database to use for things like Red Service.

For Find, maybe you can get information about missions from wing if you knew when they took place.  If not, maybe someone like a former CC could certify in a memo that you had whatever.  Another option is to get copies of Personnel Authorizations, other memos, etc. from members who were around at that time and still have a current record. 

When I was a Personnel Officer for a sq and group, I used various creative methods of getting old information.  One of which was just getting copies of records from other members' files that had the member in question's name on them.  This worked very well and I could go back decades with this...I think the max I did was like 40 years.  I was able to assemble records for things done as a cadet by SMs who were cadets decades ago.

[MSG Mac]

You will be eligible for 2LT when you complete Level I. Have your commander send in a CAPF2 (paper version) along with a copy of your Mitchell Award. (See CAPR 35-5 for the procedure). As for the various service ribbons as stated you should check to see if anyone has evidence that you were a participant in the required number of SAR's, or who can verify any finds.

[bassque]

Maybe you can get creative with the ribbons.  You will have a CAPID number already (even though they didn't exist when you were a member, they were given retroactively to people who weren't current when they did assign them).  NHQ will have some record of you and you will be able to have dates from that database to use for things like Red Service.

For Find, maybe you can get information about missions from wing if you knew when they took place.  If not, maybe someone like a former CC could certify in a memo that you had whatever.  Another option is to get copies of Personnel Authorizations, other memos, etc. from members who were around at that time and still have a current record. 

When I was a Personnel Officer for a sq and group, I used various creative methods of getting old information.  One of which was just getting copies of records from other members' files that had the member in question's name on them.  This worked very well and I could go back decades with this...I think the max I did was like 40 years.  I was able to assemble records for things done as a cadet by SMs who were cadets decades ago.

Fantastic advice, thank you.  One of the great benefits I got from CAP was lifelong friendships.  Some of those were the cadet commanders at the time so I'll certinally reach out to them.  I appreciate the advice.  Other things like the find and such I hate to bother too many people with.  Especially if I ask the Wing to put together any missions involving my squad from 92 until 95.  I'd be happy to ask if I knew that it wouldn't be too much trouble.  That being said,  never hurts to at least ask the question right?  Who would be the correct person (position) at the wing who would be able to dessiminate? 

Jeff

[SarDragon]

Where are you in CA?

[bassque]

Where are you in CA?

Southern.  I currently live in the Long Beach area.  Looking to join the Los Alamitos Cadet Squadron and participate with the senior squadron as well, when they will have me of course. 

[Therapst]

On a related topic, is a former senior member who held the rank of First Lt before leaving CAP in 1970, and who has the CAPF 2 signed by the wing commander to document that rank, eligible to rejoin CAP with the same rank once the required new member coursework is completed?

[Майор Хаткевич]

On a related topic, is a former senior member who held the rank of First Lt before leaving CAP in 1970, and who has the CAPF 2 signed by the wing commander to document that rank, eligible to rejoin CAP with the same rank once the required new member coursework is completed?

3-8. Former Members. A former member may be reinstated to the same grade held prior to voluntary membership termination, provided he or she qualifies for that grade under current criteria (including applicable senior member professional development criteria). A recommendation for such reinstatement is neither automatic nor mandatory. If approved, the appointment will not be retroactive, and the date of grade will be the date validated by National Headquarters upon reinstatement.

http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/R035_005_489E25C089E93.pdf
On page 12.


Also check here: http://gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_home/former_member/

Rejoin - Former members may choose to rejoin if they do not want to pay back dues or if their membership expired more than 2 years ago.  In order to rejoin, you will need to first contact a local CAP squadron.   Then submit a fingerprint card, a new senior member application and dues for one year (visit our How to Join page for a downloadable application and a link to our dues table).  Your records will reflect a break in service and reinstatement of grade will be at the discretion of the squadron commander.     
 
Are you looking for your old CAP records?
As a private corporation, there is no requirement for CAP to maintain permanent membership records.  The current CAP policy requires local units to maintain personnel records on former members for five years; then the records are destroyed.   

[Therapst]

So basically it's at the discretion of the unit CC then.
On page 12.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Yes, reinstatement isn't guaranteed, but I've seen few cases that had this happen.

[Spaceman3750]

It's interesting that they say your membership will reflect a break in service because I took 2 years off after dropping my cadet membership and didn't pay backdues when I rejoined, yet my online record shows my join date as 2005 - it doesn't seem to reflect a break in service (although if you looked at my personnel file you would see that I wasn't doing anything during that time).

[Майор Хаткевич]

It's interesting that they say your membership will reflect a break in service because I took 2 years off after dropping my cadet membership and didn't pay backdues when I rejoined, yet my online record shows my join date as 2005 - it doesn't seem to reflect a break in service (although if you looked at my personnel file you would see that I wasn't doing anything during that time).

I believe it WILL show the original join date, but the records themselves reflect a break.

[SarDragon]

That is correct.

Depending on where you look in eServices, you will see one or both dates if you have broken service, like I do. I have to do all my own accounting for my Red Service ribbon, since the system can't.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Easy now with online calculators.

[SarDragon]

Easy now with online calculators.

Excel.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Easy now with online calculators.

Excel.

I'm going to channel Eclipse, and raise google docs to your excel.

I can do the formulas manually, but why do it that way when an online calculator will do it with just the dates typed in.

[SarDragon]

Easy now with online calculators.

Excel.

I'm going to channel Eclipse, and raise google docs to your excel.

I can do the formulas manually, but why do it that way when an online calculator will do it with just the dates typed in.

Do 'em once, lay out the sheet right, and it, too, is type & play.

À chacun, son gout.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Of course you need to do it once.

Say you do 7 years, 6 months, 3 days and take a break.

Come back on a random date, not the one you left on. Just need to figure out the day when you hit 8 years, and count the next year from there.

[flyboy53]

The second question I have is regarding my non ranking awards (SAR, Find, etc).  I called national and the young lady I spoke to mentioned that those awards, as long as they are available to be worn as a senior member, are available and can be worn as ribbons and metals.  I, ironically, have all of my old ribbons.  However that is really the only proof that I have that shows I earned those awards because they are not a part of the national record.  I have checked with my old squadron and they are looking for any old records but I'm fairly confident they won't find much of anything considering the time that has passed.  So, the question is do I have enough proof that I can continue to show those awards as a senior member?   

In terms of the cadet achievement ribbon, you wear the highest earn...the Mitchell Award. As far as the other ribbons, you have several options. (1.) Check with your former unit to see if your cadet records still exist. (2.) If you have a friend, acquaintance or know of other current/former members, check to see if you can get copies of anything with your name on it, or (3.) Get a letter from the current/former unit commander verifying your entitlement to the awards or badges.

As a former group commander, that was how I justified a former cadet's ground team badge who was rejoining as a new senior member.

[jimmydeanno]

(3.) Get a letter from the current/former unit commander verifying your entitlement to the awards or badges.

This.

When I turned senior, I moved to another wing.  I was gone from my original unit for a month.  When I put in the request for my personnel record, the squadron commander said they didn't have it anymore because they threw it away.

I asked him to put together a memo listing what I had earned as a cadet.  It's not my fault that they didn't follow the right procedures.  I'm not going to take off 14ish ribbons because someone threw out my paperwork.