Base Access any updates?

[Damron]

With the Total Force transition pretty much complete, has anyone heard anything on the touchy subject of base access for CAP members? 

What does the Total Force transition have to do with base access?

[THRAWN]

With the Total Force transition pretty much complete, has anyone heard anything on the touchy subject of base access for CAP members? 

What does the Total Force transition have to do with base access?

Some people are under the impression that we're now part of the "Total Force", we should have more access to bases, tech school and free rides in fighters. Truth is, CAP has always been part of the "Total Force" package. That and a fin will get me a coffee and...

[Garibaldi]

Not every base commander wants to see "kids running around in Air Faux uniforms trolling for salutes". Or whatever.

Show me this. Show me this right now.  This minute. Documentation. Of "kids running around in Air Faux uniforms trolling for salutes."

Because otherwise you're just perpetuating Radioman15 crap.

Unless you were one of the "kids [...] trolling for salutes," and have first-hand knowledge, just stop bringing up that old saw. Its as worthless in 2016 as Lee Harvey Oswald.

I'm not sure what exactly I did to get on your bad side, but I'm done.

[Fubar]

Show me this. Show me this right now.  This minute. Documentation. Of "kids running around in Air Faux uniforms trolling for salutes."

One of our Air Force reservists has a funny story from early in his career where someone in CAP attempted to demand a salute from him. He reported it to his chain of command, but he had no idea if anything came from it. Fortunately it didn't keep him from helping us out in the later years of his career as he heads off towards retirement. You'll never catch him saluting a CAP member though 

So it does happen. I didn't record our conversation, so I don't have documentation, just the word of an Air Force officer.

It certainly doesn't seem to happen enough to warrant any apocryphal stories though.

[NIN]

I'm not sure what exactly I did to get on your bad side, but I'm done.

You're not on my bad side, man. Its just .. jeez. We need to move on from that crap.

The last guy who proudly said to me "We're the best kept sec-" never finished that statement. I went all Darth Vader on him.

Because it doesn't need to be said OVER and OVER and OVER.

Fubar, I don't doubt people have seen this in the last 75 years, sure, but at a certain point, its like Ferris Bueller:  https://youtu.be/Y-SieCU11r4?t=26s

[Eclipse]

You'll never catch him saluting a CAP member though

Of course the next question would be "why not"?  CAP-RAPS garner considerable benefit from CAP, would it kill them to make a Senior member's day
by throwing a salute? 

Most of the ones I've worked with have been great, but every now and again, as in life generally, you get one who doesn't quite "get" the fact that:

A: Everyone else there is a volunteer just like you, and "your Sunday isn't any more or less valuable then mine", and

B: A fair number of RAPS would be out of the Air force, had it not been for CAP offering them a place to back fill the last few points they need
or offering a duty station in "mid-fly over no base around here".

[Fubar]

Fubar, I don't doubt people have seen this in the last 75 years, sure, but at a certain point, its like Ferris Bueller:  https://youtu.be/Y-SieCU11r4?t=26s

Hey, I'm with ya, it's just that your post had the appearance of without pics it's never happened. I figured you're more reasonable than that.

[NIN]

Hey, I'm with ya, it's just that your post had the appearance of without pics it's never happened. I figured you're more reasonable than that.

Oh, no, I get it. I guess I'm just like "give it a rest, for crying out loud."

Radioman went away and we've enjoyed a relative peace from the "all CAP folks want to do when they get on base is troll for salutes" meme...

[DoubleSecret]

You'll never catch him saluting a CAP member though

Of course the next question would be "why not"?  CAP-RAPS garner considerable benefit from CAP, would it kill them to make a Senior member's day
by throwing a salute? 

Most of the ones I've worked with have been great, but every now and again, as in life generally, you get one who doesn't quite "get" the fact that:

A: Everyone else there is a volunteer just like you, and "your Sunday isn't any more or less valuable then mine", and

B: A fair number of RAPS would be out of the Air force, had it not been for CAP offering them a place to back fill the last few points they need
or offering a duty station in "mid-fly over no base around here".

CAP isn't giving them anything.  USAFR is giving them CAP as an unpaid points-only opportunity, with the possibility of an occasional man-day.

If Big Blue wants its personnel to salute CAP members, Big Blue has the option to mandate it.  I personally think it would be ill-advised and would contribute to CAP members getting the idea that CAP rank carries some authority over that saluting military member.  I think it's ill-advised for military members to do it on a one-off basis for the same reason.

[Eclipse]

CAP isn't giving them anything.  USAFR is giving them CAP as an unpaid points-only opportunity, with the possibility of an occasional man-day.

No CAP no RAPs.  CAP makes and provides the opportunities.

If Big Blue wants its personnel to salute CAP members, Big Blue has the option to mandate it.  I personally think it would be ill-advised and would contribute to CAP members getting the idea that CAP rank carries some authority over that saluting military member.  I think it's ill-advised for military members to do it on a one-off basis for the same reason.

You really believe a salute, in this context, denotes authority?

[Fubar]

You really believe a salute, in this context, denotes authority?

Well, it's not a simple sign of respect, otherwise everyone would be saluting everyone. The custom has a hierarchy in it, to salute first you're saying you're lower in the hierarchy than the person you're saluting. I can see a member of the military not agreeing to be lower in a hierarchy based upon the CAP rank someone has.

[AirAux]

So, you see, Edith, you got your basic problem of not having UNIFORMS that differentiate CAP from USAF.  It leads to confusion and unwarranted salutes.  See, if everyone had their own individual UNIFORM, truly making them UNIFORM, you wouldn't have that problem.  But (and the secret is) the members that want to believe they are USAF, won't let everyone have a UNIFORM uniform...  They feel that they would be less if they wore a truly CAP UNIFORM..  But, Edith, I digress....

[Holding Pattern]

Hey, I'm with ya, it's just that your post had the appearance of without pics it's never happened. I figured you're more reasonable than that.

Oh, no, I get it. I guess I'm just like "give it a rest, for crying out loud."

Agreed.

I'm glad captalk is the only place I see this silliness.

[THRAWN]

So, you see, Edith, you got your basic problem of not having UNIFORMS that differentiate CAP from USAF.  It leads to confusion and unwarranted salutes.  See, if everyone had their own individual UNIFORM, truly making them UNIFORM, you wouldn't have that problem.  But (and the secret is) the members that want to believe they are USAF, won't let everyone have a UNIFORM uniform...  They feel that they would be less if they wore a truly CAP UNIFORM..  But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

It brings up another point that has been frequently argued about the style of the uniforms. It is repeated over and over that the cadet program needs the uniforms for the "military" aspect of the program and moving to a CAP only uniform would detract from that.

How?

Seems to me that there are plenty of "recognized" programs that have their own unis that are distinct and have no ties to any DoD component. It's a CAP uniform. Not an Air Force/Army/Marine Corps/Navy/Coast Guard/SDF/LMNOP uniform. It could be distinct and still be a uniform.

[LSThiker]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

[THRAWN]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

Well that's 3 of us...

[grunt82abn]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

Well that's 3 of us...

4 of us

[arajca]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

Well that's 3 of us...

4 of us

But how many more will not admit to getting the reference?

[JeffDG]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

Well that's 3 of us...

4 of us

But how many more will not admit to getting the reference?

Ahhhhh...Jeez.

[SarDragon]

But, Edith, I digress....

Meathead, I'm left wondering how many even get the reference.

All in the Family sitcom

Well that's 3 of us...

4 of us

Aaaaand... 5.