Level 1 Training

[Shotgun]

National used to have a relatively straight forward section of their website dedicated to Level 1 training.  (http://www.cap.gov/one)

However with the all cap.gov traffic being redirected to www.gocivilairpatrol.com that site is no longer available.

I have several new members who are getting a bit frustrated as they are trying to complete their Level 1 training, but don't really know how to go about it.

Does anyone know where the replacement is or how level one training is being handled now?

Thanks in advance!

[Pylon]

http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_university/professional_development/great_start/index.cfm

Giving new senior members a copy of the Great Start booklet and using the checklist therein to get them started is highly effective, in my opinion.  It covers much more than just banging out Level I and shows new members what steps they should keep taking to move through their training.  I'm using this checklist now with several new senior members and I think it makes the otherwise confusing web of training requirements fairly straightforward.

[majdomke]

I agree... Great Start is an excellent way to get them off and running.

[davedove]

The training is located here:

http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_university/professional_development/afiadl__cap_student_page/level_one.cfm

I'm glad you brought this up.  I had to go looking myself so I can give the new info to new members.

[winterg]

Great Start is a .... well, a Great Start.    They could have looked a little closer at the photos they were using to weed out the glaring errors though.  Otherwise, good job.

[majdomke]

Yep, its one of those things... it was in draft form for months and open for discussion. My guess is no one said anything so they finalized and went to print.

[Pylon]

Yep, its one of those things... it was in draft form for months and open for discussion. My guess is no one said anything so they finalized and went to print.

How do you know that?  I know I submitted feedback and corrections on the content and I'm willing to bet that plenty of others did as well.   I can't say that I really care about barely visible uniform minutiæ in the photos; it's a great guide that serves an excellent purpose.

[winterg]

Barely visible? Look at the 1st Lt. on page 7.  And yes, it's a great guide.

[Pylon]

Barely visible? Look at the 1st Lt. on page 7.  And yes, it's a great guide.

Please.  Are there some uniform mistakes in a tiny photograph, smaller than 1" tall?  Yeah.  I can see three uniform mistakes in that photo; none of them seems to be intentional violation of the regs.   

Is that photo being used as an example of how to set-up the uniform?  No.  Would anybody other than pedantic members notice the four or so mistakes in that book?  Not likely.  Did it make them look unprofessional in that photo?  No, not really.  Will any new member jack up their uniform because of these mistakes in a small photo, buried at the bottom of the 7th page of a professional development guide?  No.

There was a previous comment about lack of feedback to National headquarters.  I'm actually wondering now if National gets nothing but comments about uniforms instead of people critically reviewing the actual content of their publications.   

[winterg]

Barely visible? Look at the 1st Lt. on page 7.  And yes, it's a great guide.

Please.  Are there some uniform mistakes in a tiny photograph, smaller than 1" tall?  Yeah.  I can see three uniform mistakes in that photo; none of them seems to be intentional violation of the regs.   

Is that photo being used as an example of how to set-up the uniform?  No.  Would anybody other than pedantic members notice the four or so mistakes in that book?  Not likely.  Did it make them look unprofessional in that photo?  No, not really.  Will any new member jack up their uniform because of these mistakes in a small photo, buried at the bottom of the 7th page of a professional development guide?  No.

There was a previous comment about lack of feedback to National headquarters.  I'm actually wondering now if National gets nothing but comments about uniforms instead of people critically reviewing the actual content of their publications.   

Oh, well then, nevermind.  Wouldn't want to be pedantic now would I?  I guess I'll just lower my standards and we'll all be a lot happier, eh?

[Pylon]

Oh, well then, nevermind.  Wouldn't want to be pedantic now would I?  I guess I'll just lower my standards and we'll all be a lot happier, eh?

Until our organization achieves something like perfection in all of our core mission areas, I personally wouldn't expect absolute perfection from all members in an ancillary area like uniforms.  Do we strive for perfection?  Yes, always.   But excellence doesn't necessarily equal perfection.

[Eclipse]

There was a previous comment about lack of feedback to National headquarters.  I'm actually wondering now if National gets nothing but comments about uniforms instead of people critically reviewing the actual content of their publications. 

If someone would take ten minutes to vet photos better, we wouldn't be having these conversations.  And when the comments are made, someone should go and edit the presentations and re-save them with better pictures. That's another 10 minutes.

New members absolutely do use the pictures in the Level 1 materials and other places provided by NHQ when they are trying to navigate configuring their uniforms correctly, especially the first time, and especially in light of how poorly informed many of our unit CC's are about the issue.

Of the tens of thousands of photos they have access to, they can't find a few that don't still have wing patches on their blues, incorrect badge placement, or funky ribbons? Especially in the uniform manual?  Someone has taken the time with Saunders to shop in the nametag and the AE badge, why not run the ribbons through a rack checker?

[Capt Rivera]

This is a old copy of an email i send to new members. Best i could find before my lunch ended...  I do know that info in this version needs to be updated before used by a new member....  My goal with this email is to give the member point & click steps to bringing himself on board... no searching or typing in long URLs...

Obviously pasted hyperlinks are not going to work here without more effort, so use your imagination for the links... if you want the original email forwarded to you, let me know....

Good Day SM [LastName]

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Joshua Rivera. I am the Deputy Commander of the Grand Forks Composite Squadron as well as the Professional Development Officer. [FirstName], welcome to the Civil Air Patrol & welcome to our squadron. We look forward to your contributions as part of this team.

I would like to take some time to introduce you to the first level of the Civil Air Patrol Professional Development Program. "Level 1" consists of 3 training requirements:

   1. Orientation
   2. Cadet Protection
   3. OpSec (Operations Security).

At the moment you are considered a Senior Member (SM) holding no "grade". To qualify for 2nd Lieutenant you must complete Level 1 & have had 6 months "Time in Grade" or in other words, 6 months of active participation in CAP. (Note: Active participation is easier then it may sound)

Below you will find the 3 courses needed with descriptions for each course. Do keep in mind that the time requirements that each course states is rounding up by a great deal. It will NOT take as much time as the description indicates. I understand you are busy and your time is valuable to you, (it is to CAP as well) so I will do my best to accommodate. We can go over the orientation and cadet protection quizzes over the phone or in person as our individual schedules allow. You do not need to meet at the Thursday night meeting to complete this, if that does not work for you, however it is still the preferred option. The operations security "course" is very quick taking a max of 10 minutes and can be completed online without contacting me unless you have questions.

I look forward to working with you as you progress and meet the goals you set for yourself when you joined CAP.


ORIENTATION

Welcome to your first step in Professional Development as a CAP member! 

Level One provides you with the foundations of Civil Air Patrol missions, policies and opportunities for service. Talk with your mentor or commander if you have any questions about Level One.

To complete Level One of Civil Air Patrol's professional development program, you will need to complete the following (by clicking some of these links, you will be leaving the *.gov domain ):

     a. The CAP Foundations Course - Details below.

     b. Cadet Protection Program Training (CPPT) - Available online only at e-Services (details below).

     c. Online Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Training - Available online only at https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec (details below).

The CAP Foundations Course (Orientation)

The CAP Foundations Course is self-paced and open book. There are a total of six modules for you to complete. Each module contains a three to five page article for you to read, along with a brief quiz.

CAP's professional development is designed around your integrity, one of CAP's Core Values. You are on your honor to read the articles and to take the open book quizzes on your own. Please print out each quiz and circle the most correct answer. Then take the completed quizzes to your squadron for scoring and review.

Each module should take less than 15 minutes to read, and each quiz should take less than 15 minutes to complete. You will need free Adobe PDF Reader or a compatible PDF reader to view these materials:

Module 1    History & Organization article    History & Organization quiz
Module 2    Policies article    Policies quiz
Module 3    Uniforms article    Uniforms quiz
Module 4    Customs & Courtesies article    Customs & Courtesies quiz
Module 5    Core Values article    Core Values quiz
Module 6    Leadership article    Leadership quiz

Your leaders have a "Summary Conversation" guide designed to help you put the topics you studied into perspective. Your leaders will help you to understand the reason why CAP has core values, why CAP members wear a uniform and why CAP emphasizes safety. In the process, you have an opportunity to ask questions in an informal, no-pressure setting.

Cadet Protection Program Training (CPPT)

Cadet Protection Program Training is a required element of Level One and is designed to introduce new senior members, Cadet Sponsor Members and cadets 18 and older to CAP's Cadet Protection policies.

CPPT helps ensure a healthy and safe environment for cadets while providing the foundation for a professional climate and the highest standards of behavior of all our members in leadership positions.

This training is mandatory for all senior members, Cadet Sponsor Members and cadets 18 and older. This training takes most people less than two hours to complete.

To complete CPPT, you will need to establish an account with e-Services (See the e-Services section below for details).

This training is designed for our senior members, Cadet Sponsor Members and cadets 18 years of age and older. Only those 18 years of age or older will see the "Cadet Protection" link in e-Services.
Click here to go to e-Services to begin.


Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Training

One of the key aspects of mission preparedness is training. By completing the online Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Training, you will know how to handle sensitive information concerning our missions, our capabilities and our partner agencies.

The OPSEC awareness training also allows CAP to validate to our partner agencies that members whom we entrust with sensitive information have the necessary training and have agreed to protect that information.

This training is mandatory for all CAP members. It is an online only course that members can access at https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec. This is a secure website and the initial screen will ask some questions to verify your identity.

This training takes most people less than 20 minutes and concludes with an opportunity to agree to protect sensitive information. This is called a "Non Disclosure Agreement" (NDA) and each member's agreement will be recorded electronically in their membership records. This NDA will be required before a member can access sensitive information, or participate in missions. [The E-services website is considered a sensitive source of information and therefor OpSec training must be completed in order to retain access to Eservices]

Click https://tests.cap.af.mil/opsec to begin.

Duty Positions & specialty Tracks

After you have gone through level one, you will be ready to begin impacting the missions of CAP. Below you will find some of the many "jobs" you can do in CAP to support its missions. I will briefly explain some aspects of this program but I do expect to converse with you further to find your place, answer your questions and set you up with a mentor who will assist in training you. Remember, you don't have to have experience doing a specific type of job, just have interest in learning and we will get you where you need to be. If there is a job you are experienced in and WANT to perform in that capacity, that is also available to you.

Here are some facts:

    * Definitions:
          o Duty Position - Your job
          o Specialty track - training guide or pamphlet telling you what you need to be doing at certain levels in your CAP experience

    * You can be assigned as an assistant or as the actual (Ex: Professional Development Officer Vs. Assistant Professional Development Officer)
          o Assistants are great as they share duties and cause for greater efficiency
          o Also allows you to learn/train into a field your interested in but that you might not already posses skill in -giving you time to build confidence & experience
    * You can hold more then one duty position
    * You can train into more then one specialty
    * You can switch duties if you desire
    * It is EASY to find information about your selected track and what you need to do to progress
    * The Professional Development Officer has a open door policy and expects you to ask him questions when you have them
          o Professional Development Officer (PDO)
                + Name: Joshua Rivera, Capt, CAP
                + Email: redacted
                + Cell: redacted

For your convenience I have included the list of specialty tracks with a brief description of each. Please use the information here as well as that found on the cap.gov website and the CAPNHQ.GOV website to select the duty position you wish to train into. If you find that you need longer duty descriptions or wish to read up on specific tasks, I recommend that you download and view the pamphlet associated with the duty. To expedite this I have included a direct download hyperlink to the PDF files. (Click on the BLUE line in each title for its specific information pamphlet.) If this method does not work, follow this LINK for more information on each duty.

Personnel Officer (CAPP 200)
Performs all duties related to processing unit personnel actions

Public Affairs Officer (CAPP 201) VACANT
Official spokesperson for the unit and commander, telling the CAP story to both the public and CAP members

Finance Officer (CAPP 202) (Currently staffed but someone would be appreciated)
Processes financial data for the unit

Senior Programs & Professional Development Officer (CAPP 204)
Coordinates Senior Training and activities for the unit

Administration Officer (CAPP 205)
Maintains publications, correspondence, forms, administrative files for the unit

Logistics Officer (CAPP 206)
In charge of aircraft maintenance, transportation, and supply for the unit

Flight Operations Officer (CAPP 210)
Manages CAP aircraft and aircrew as ordered by the Operations Officer

Operations Officer (CAPP 211)
Coordination of operations activities with other staff in safety, transportation and missions

Standardization/Evaluation Officer (CAPP 212)
Performs duties as a CAP instructor pilot, responsible for flight and ground instruction in a particular aircraft

Emergency Services Officer (CAPP 213)
Develops and maintains an adequate emergency services force in the unit, works with community agencies and the Wing Emergency Services Officer

Communications Officer (CAPP 214) (VACANT)
Helps maintain a reliable communications network within the Civil Air Patrol

Aerospace Education Officer (CAPP 215)
Conducts and promotes effective internal and external aerospace education programs

Cadet Programs Officer (CAPP 216)
Manages cadets and cadet activities

Safety Officer (CAPP 217)
Develops and implements a unit safety program, monitors activities for safety

The CAP Chaplain (CAPP 221) (VACANT)
Professional Chaplain who functions as minister and moral guide to the unit
Historian (CAPP 223)

Collects and preserves material of historical significance

Moral Leadership Officer (CAPP 225)
Assists and supports CAP chaplains and squadron commanders by providing moral and ethical instruction to cadets, by assisting chaplains with worship, and by supporting chaplains during emergency services missions.

Recruiting and Retention Officer (CAPP 226) VACANT
Actively finds and retains qualified individuals to fill the needs of the unit and the organization

Information Technology Officer (CAPP 227) VACANT
Manages and directs all information technology related activities,
Webmaster whould also fit in this catagory

Drug Demand Reduction Officer (CAPP 228) VACANT
Promotes healthy living and drug abuse prevention within Civil Air Patrol and the community

There is no need to rush to choose if your are currently unsure. In fact, you can't be assigned to a duty without completing level one. This information is provided as a preview/reference in case you are motivated to progress as soon as possible.


Emergency Services (ES)

Unless there is a specific need for fast completion, (upcoming SAREx ES tasks should begin after selecting a specialty track and duty position. Below you will find links to some of the many FEMA/NIMS Courses that are available online. You will also find a chart that helps you determin which courses to take. Below the chart you will find links to study guides to be used after compleating the course. The guides are not a answer book so do not attempt to use it as such.

As of today, only ICS 100 is required to partisipate in ES activities.
On 01 Jan 09 ICS 100 & ICS 700 will be required to be a ground team member or a air crew member.

Upon completion of these courses log into Eservices and enter the completion into your training record. If you do not know how to do this yet, don't worry, we will teach you. We MUST have a copy of the completion certificate prior to approval of participation. You can print it out and bring it to a meeting, or forward the certificate to [Redackted].

FEMA/NIMS Courses Available on-line

    * IS-100 (ICS 100) Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100
    * IS-200 (ICS 200) ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
    * IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
    * IS-800.B National Response Framework, An Introduction
    * IS-809 Emergency Support Function (ESF) #9 – Search and Rescue - This is not a requires course but has valuable content for all levels

Who should take what courses
Specialty    ICS 100    ICS 200    ICS 300*    ICS 400*    ICS 700    ICS 800
Ground Team Member    X                   X    
Air Crew Member    X                   X    
Mission Staff    X    X    X         X    X
Incident Commanders*    X    X    X    X    X    X

*Indicates this course is only offered as a residence course

A complete list and detailed information about CAP's NIMS requirements can be found here.

NIMS/ICS Training Guides

    * ICS 100/200/700 Study Guide
    * ICS 800 Study Guide



// Signed //

Joshua Rivera, Capt, CAP
Deputy Commander & PDO
Grand Forks Composite Squadron
North Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol

[EMT-83]

I also send an email, but it's much shorter. Since I'll normally see a new member appear on e-services before they receive their membership card, I include their CAPID with instructions on creating an e-services account.

I ask them to take OPSEC (and now EO) on-line. Eveything else is in a binder that is handed to the new member, so they don't waste time (or have excuses) navigating the website. The binder includes Level 1 material and Great Start, along with an org chart. They review the material, fill out the answer sheets and bring it back. We then sit down and review the material, cover CPPT and local squadron procedures, uniforms, etc.

I just did this last night with another new guy. Yes it took most of my meeting night, but it's done, and expectations have been set. His next step is GES and NIMS, then on to a specialty track. I can't say enough about Great Start - it really works.

[Spike]

How long after you fax and email a copy of the Form 11 to NHQ will it eventually post in E-Services showing completion??

Thanks!

[AlphaSigOU]

How long after you fax and email a copy of the Form 11 to NHQ will it eventually post in E-Services showing completion??

Thanks!

If they're on the ball, probably no later than the following day. Be aware that NHQ CAP is occupying temporary quarters elsehwere on Max-hell or Gunter while they remodel the current NHQ building, so responses may not be as quick.

[AlaskanCFI]

The Birchwod Squadron just North of Anchorage Alaska has a good site dealing with level one.

http://www.mtaonline.net/~bcvcap/newmembers.htm

[Short Field]

Commander's Conversation and appointment of mentor??  After the Commander's Conversation is documented on a CAPF 11 and sent to National, Level One is awarded.

[EMT-83]

Commander's Conversation and appointment of mentor??  After the Commander's Conversation is documented on a CAPF 11 and sent to National, Level One is awarded.

Cite, please.

Orientation and CPPT are documented on CAPF 11, OPSEC and EO are documented on eServices.

[SarDragon]

But there are certain specific things that need to be done before the CC signs the Form 11, and the Commander's Conversation is one of them.

[Spike]

^ However, they not need be documented to NHQ. 

[Eclipse]

^ However, they not need be documented to NHQ.

I'm not sure where you are going with that - the CAPF 11 documents that those things were completed, in total.

Level 1 requires the OPSEC NDA and EOT be completed - the only was to substantiate those is either the hard copy cert or the posting in eServices (which happens quickly).

Regardless, when the CAPF 11 is signed by the CC, he is testifying that all requirements for Level 1 have been completed, including the summary conversations, etc.  He should not be sending the CAPF11 to NHQ until all the pieces are done.

[Spike]

I meant not documented separately.  As in submit a new Form 11 with a check in the "other" box.  My mistake I should have been more clear.   

[EMT-83]

The CC doesn't sign the CAPF 11, it's signed by the PDO.

Level 1 submissions are simple - there's no need to add steps where they're not required.

[Short Field]

My bad - it is called the Summary Conversation not the Commander's Conversation.

This was covered in a package sent to Commanders last year.  The Knowledgebase provides the following.  Note what it says about the end of Level One training.
======================
Summary Conversation Guide and credit for Level One

  Question
  Who does the summary conversation for the new Level One course and what are the qualifications?



  Answer
  The commander appoints a mentor for new members of the unit.  The mentor should be someone with enough experience to be familiar with the operation of the unit and wing. The mentor should be able to share knowledge of the organization and an understanding of CAP's core values of Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence, and Respect. Finally, the mentor should help new members understand their role in CAP by providing a model of desired behavior.

The commander provides a copy of the Summary Conversation to the mentor. The summary conversation is intended as a one-on-one wrap-up activity between a mentor and a new member.  The commander ensures a CAPF 11 is completed and submitted to National Headquarters, crediting the new senior member with completing Level One. See below details from the Summary Conversation for the mentor and the unit commander.

Summary Conversation Guide, Level One

New senior members in the unit will use their "Next Step" CD or will go online to begin their Level One training. Level One consists of the Foundations Course, the online Cadet Protection Program Training (CPPT), and the online Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness training. Visit Level One  for details.
For the Foundations Course and CPPT,  new members will independently read a series of articles and take open book quizzes that will test their knowledge of that information. They will bring these quizzes back to the mentor for review. The correct answers are noted in the Summary Conversation Guide.
There is no pass or fail. Commanders should select a mentor from the unit to validate the answers and to ensure that new members correct their quizzes to 100%. This guide will help accomplish this task.
This "Summary Conversation" guide will also help the new member put the topics they read into perspective. The mentor will help the new member understand the reason why CAP has core values, why CAP members wear a uniform and why CAP emphasizes safety. In the process, the new member has an opportunity to ask questions in an informal, no-pressure setting.
The training ends with a casual discussion between the unit commander and the new member. Our members deserve to be recognized for their hard work. To do this, commanders need to credit the new member with completing Level One training, and to initiate paperwork for any promotions or the award of the membership ribbon for those who are eligible