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Started by ol'fido, November 17, 2011, 12:41:12 AM

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Al Sayre

Safety?  What Safety?

In NY:
We had a 1950's era Dodge power wagon ambulance that was top heavy and leaned precariously in the turns, we regularly packed in about 15 Cadets and went places with only 1 SM, when the thing wasn't broke down.  It regularly died on the side of the road from a vapor lock...

We had a 6x6 truck assigned to the group that would hold about 30 cadets in the back with no seat belts...

In FL:
We had weekend training that involved dropping us off at Indian Town Rd and Fl Turnpike (before I-95 was built), just north of West Palm Beach, and about 10 cadets and 1 SM would hike our way through the woods and swamps to emerge at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

We ate snakes, swamp cabbage, and anything else we could find or kill along the way.

SM carried a .357 with snake shot in case of emergency, but if we wanted to kill something to eat we had to do it ourselves.  Usually with one of our bayonettes lashed to a stick or with a machete, which every cadet carried.
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

Spaceman3750

You know, I'm not a huge fan of our safety program in its current form, but I'm certainly not for throwing cadets in the back of pickups or cramming them into vehicles without seatbelts >:D.

ol'fido

Quote from: a2capt on November 18, 2011, 01:22:35 AM
Quote36. There was a beer machine in the encampment area at Volk.
Did it have Sapporo in it?
Quote37. I rode 300 miles to Chicago on the transmission hump of a compact Datsun for the Wing Conference.
See 27 - "Safety?  What safety?"

No Sapporo. It was the generic black and white cans that said BEER on the side. I think the can was tastier than what was inside. I have heard of more than one military unit that would load one or two chutes in the soda machine with beer and then put some completely unappealing label on the button so that no higher up would get a Miller Lite instead of a Diet Coke.

Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

ol'fido

Quote from: Al Sayre on November 18, 2011, 04:04:06 PM
Safety?  What Safety?

In NY:
We had a 1950's era Dodge power wagon ambulance that was top heavy and leaned precariously in the turns, we regularly packed in about 15 Cadets and went places with only 1 SM, when the thing wasn't broke down.  It regularly died on the side of the road from a vapor lock...

We had a 6x6 truck assigned to the group that would hold about 30 cadets in the back with no seat belts...

In FL:
We had weekend training that involved dropping us off at Indian Town Rd and Fl Turnpike (before I-95 was built), just north of West Palm Beach, and about 10 cadets and 1 SM would hike our way through the woods and swamps to emerge at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

We ate snakes, swamp cabbage, and anything else we could find or kill along the way.

SM carried a .357 with snake shot in case of emergency, but if we wanted to kill something to eat we had to do it ourselves.  Usually with one of our bayonettes lashed to a stick or with a machete, which every cadet carried.
Yes, in those days we didn't call out the SWAT Team if a cadet not only had a knife but the temerity to actually use it for something other than checking off the equipment list.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

BillB

To increase safety for cadets CAP should stop issuing Certificates for milestone awards. Cadets may injure themselves with paper cuts.
Gil Robb Wilson # 19
Gil Robb Wilson # 104

ol'fido

Sounds like a subject for a stand up safety brief. >:D
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

AngelWings

I think we should stop having safety classes. The bright light from the computer screen is a safety hazard  >:D .

a2capt

When I went to college they had green filters on the fluorescents in the computer lab. You can guess what color the monitors were.

My Apple II had full color with analog RGB, I didn't care ;-)

Slim

Quote from: Stonewall on November 18, 2011, 02:34:49 AM
SAR CAP in Daytona Beach.  A single senior member driving a 1983 Mazda B2000 pick-up truck.  1 Cadet in the cab, 5 in the back.  We drove down from Jacksonville (i.e. I-95 at 70 mph) in fatigues and gear.  The only flak we got was from the safety officer because we couldn't provide a vehicle check sheet upon arrival to mission base.  The 5 teenage cadets in the back and a single senior member didn't cause anyone to bat an eye.

I'll see your Mazda pick-up and 5 cadets, and raise you a surplus 1953 Willys jeep (strata blue, of course).  One senior, two cadets, all of our gear, pouring rain with hand cranked wipers and no top or seatbelts.  For that matter, the only seat that was attached to the jeep was the driver's. 

Used this, along with a surplus AF pickup at a SAREX in Adrian, Mi, circa 1985.


Slim

ol'fido

38. Soldier of Fortune magazine was considered an official CAP publication.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

Stonewall

#30
Quote from: ol'fido on November 19, 2011, 02:46:57 PM
38. Soldier of Fortune magazine was considered an official CAP publication.

39.  Combat Mission Magazine that mentioned CAP. (Yes, it's true.  Late 80s edition about USAF PJs and they mentioned CAP as being the "premiere" Air SAR source for the continental US.  I'm sure it didn't hurt that the article's author, a retired PJ, was also a SM at the time.  Think his last name was Milsten or something.)
Serving since 1987.

ol'fido

The 1982 IL wing conference was held at the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago and the guest speaker was retired Special Forces general Mike Healy. There was also an AD PJ there.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

ol'fido

40. Blues were worn to every weekly meeting. Fatigues were reserved for missions, bivouacs, and encampments. Most pilots wore smurf suits and the green flight suits were very rare.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

AngelWings

Wish I could have experienced some of these. I fell out of the back of John Deer Gator way back when with CAP at an event. I did not get hurt, and made everyone laugh, and I learned why I should NEVER drag my feet on the ground when sitting unsecured (it was my fault purely, not anyone elses). I had an Air Force loaned radio (a member of ours is in combat comms squadron) and did not drop it or break it, but I did almost have my patrol cap run over. It was my only taste of the old days. If I could actually use a knife freely or do half the stuff you guys did, I'd be the happiest cadet in the world. You learned life lessons back then.

Al Sayre

Yep, and the biggest life lesson we learned was:

"If you do something really stupid, it's probably going to hurt!"
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

Spaceman3750

Quote from: Littleguy on November 25, 2011, 10:49:40 PM
Wish I could have experienced some of these. I fell out of the back of John Deer Gator way back when with CAP at an event. I did not get hurt, and made everyone laugh, and I learned why I should NEVER drag my feet on the ground when sitting unsecured (it was my fault purely, not anyone elses). I had an Air Force loaned radio (a member of ours is in combat comms squadron) and did not drop it or break it, but I did almost have my patrol cap run over. It was my only taste of the old days. If I could actually use a knife freely or do half the stuff you guys did, I'd be the happiest cadet in the world. You learned life lessons back then.

Nobody says you can't use knives to accomplish what you need to accomplish. You simply can't do stupid things with them. Normally, we all learn through mistakes - however, when it comes to knives or other sharp pointy objects you can learn those lessons on your own time, because as a SM and GTL your butt is my responsibility, and when you slice your finger open doing something stupid with your knife you may learn from it, but your mistake (learning experience) is coming down on my head ("Why were you letting C/Snuffy do that with his knife?!?").

AngelWings

Quote from: Al Sayre on November 25, 2011, 11:55:03 PM
Yep, and the biggest life lesson we learned was:

"If you do something really stupid, it's probably going to hurt!"
A lesson hard to come by in the Facebook generation, where all that gets hurt for most of us is our image.

Salty

41. The internet was a few years away from prominence.
CAP Cadet 1989-1994
CAP Senior Member 1994-1995, 2011-current
USAF Aeromedical Technician 1994-1998

Stonewall

42. We contacted each other by phone.  Home phone...as in a land line.  As cadets, from day one, we learned to call our element leader or flight sergeant no later than Monday night prior to the Thursday night meeting, and anytime if our status at the meeting was going to change.

43. As much as you loved CAP and wanted more than anything to be at the meeting, you were still a little nervous and got butterflies in your stomach because in a way, your cadet and senior leadership were intimidating...in a good, military way.
Serving since 1987.

ol'fido

44. Army surplus stores actually carried army surplus items. Wish I could find a BAR belt these days.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006