Do you think CAP is part of the military and why

[manfredvonrichthofen]

You should hear what our National Vice Commander, Brigadier General Carr has to say about whether CAP is part of the military. He said something to the effect of yes and no, we are but aren't. We perform tasks with and for the USAF and we answer to multiple commands in the USAF, we even now get tasks for Strategic Air Command, yet we are civilians. The most interesting thing is that he said to those who would call us "wanna-bees'" yes, we are wanna-bees', we wanna-be part of something bigger than ourselves, we wanna-be something better than we are now. being a wanna-be makes you want to be better, and if you aren't a wanna-be, then you won't go anywhere in life, you will stay stagnant. 

Hearing a speech from him Saturday the 12th, he made me re-think what it really means to be a part of CAP today.

[RRLE]

The second sentence in the third paragraph of then National CC's letter in the "trolling for salutes" thread seems to settle the issue:

Yes, we are the Air Force's Auxiliary but as civilian volunteers we are not members of the military.

[NCRblues]

You should hear what our National Vice Commander, Brigadier General Carr has to say about whether CAP is part of the military. He said something to the effect of yes and no, we are but aren't. We perform tasks with and for the USAF and we answer to multiple commands in the USAF, we even now get tasks for Strategic Air Command, yet we are civilians. The most interesting thing is that he said to those who would call us "wanna-bees'" yes, we are wanna-bees', we wanna-be part of something bigger than ourselves, we wanna-be something better than we are now. being a wanna-be makes you want to be better, and if you aren't a wanna-be, then you won't go anywhere in life, you will stay stagnant. 

Hearing a speech from him Saturday the 12th, he made me re-think what it really means to be a part of CAP today.

Are you sure he said "Strategic Air Command"? Because as of 1 June of 1992, SAC went away. It would be a little odd to get something from SAC now...maybe time travel....

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

^^^I thought that too.

Maybe STRATCOM was intended?

[manfredvonrichthofen]

^^^I thought that too.

Maybe STRATCOM was intended?

Sorry, yes, you are right, not SAC, I now can't remember what it was, I had the name in my head when I clicked to respond, but not that I am typing I can't remember to save my life. It had something to do with the name something combat something, or something like that, I think my wife's preggo brain is rubbing off on me .

[ECHO35]

Can you be a member of the national guard and CAP at the same time?

[Ned]

Can you be a member of the national guard and CAP at the same time?

I was for over 20 years.  Not an issue.

[ECHO35]

Can you be a member of the national guard and CAP at the same time?

I was for over 20 years.  Not an issue.

OK thanks
do you get payed for your time ?
Is there any benefit to being an officer vs enlisted?
How do you become an officer?

[Ned]

do you get payed for your time ?
Is there any benefit to being an officer vs enlisted?
How do you become an officer?

Paul,

I was certainly paid the normal military rates for my Guard time; and of course was not paid for my CAP time.  I'm just a volunteer CAP officer, like most of the participants here.  As a Guard guy, my Army and CAP stuff rarely overlapped.  IOW, when I was on AD or at summer camp, CAP was about the furthest thing from my mind.  When I was doing CAP duty, there wasn't much "Army" about it.

Sometimes I was able to sign for some stuff from my Guard unit to help out with CAP - things like tentage or mess equipment to help a CAP activity, but that was fairly rare.  Occasionally some BDUs or field gear that was being DXed or surveyed made their way into CAP hands (with full knowledge of my Army commander, of course.)

As you know, in the Army, the choice between commissioned and enlisted service is a personal choice and often related to "what you want to do" in the service.   CAP is similar, except that we have relatively few CAP NCOs, and those NCO's role is currently somewhat undefined.  The pay is certainly the same, however, for CAP officers and NCOs.   


I was commissioned through ROTC while I was in grad school.  The ROTC folks were kind enough to waive the first two years of ROTC based on my CAP cadet experience.

Feel free to PM me for any additional info on Guard and CAP experiences.

Ned Lee
Retired Infantry Officer

[ECHO35]

Ned,

Thanks  I am considering joining just not sure if I have the time. I would really like to get back into flying and the CAP seemed like a good way to do that with the added benefit of still serving in some way. It would be nice to just fly and not have to jump out of the dam thing.

[flyboy53]

Ned,

Thanks  I am considering joining just not sure if I have the time. I would really like to get back into flying and the CAP seemed like a good way to do that with the added benefit of still serving in some way. It would be nice to just fly and not have to jump out of the dam thing.

Whether you join or not, remember that as a National Guardsman, your contributions to the CAP make you eligible for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. So, there's a benefit to your service either way.

[Cadet Airman First Class]

My Dad is stationed on Spangdahlem Air Force Base and if you ask me I would say yes the military recognizes it and the fact that My Sq. is on the base and the military gives us a place to run meetings is another good pointer to the answer to be yes.

[FlyTiger77]

My Dad is stationed on Spangdahlem Air Force Base and if you ask me I would say yes the military recognizes it and the fact that My Sq. is on the base and the military gives us a place to run meetings is another good pointer to the answer to be yes.

The military also gives Burger King a place on posts/bases. I doubt anyone would try to make a coherent arguement that Burger King employees are members of the military, even though they are universally recognized by their uniforms as well.

Sorry.

[Flying Pig]

My Dad is stationed on Spangdahlem Air Force Base and if you ask me I would say yes the military recognizes it and the fact that My Sq. is on the base and the military gives us a place to run meetings is another good pointer to the answer to be yes.

Ahhhh, youth....remember how simple life was then   Welcome aboard Cadet Cutler

[AngelWings]

 We are an auxilary. We have connections to the military. I think it would have to mean where are a part of the military. Why else would the military supply us with the stuff that it does all the time. The whole reason we exsist is because being like the military. We wear the uniforms, we do the drill, we talk the talk, and walk the walk, and above all, we have always helped the USAF when it needs us to, or wants us to. We don't go through BMT, not all of us do push-ups or sit-ups, and none of us, has a part of CAP, have an AFSC. We provide a valuable service, we sometimes act has recruitment tools for the military (not just the USAF) and we reflect our learned values back in the classroom/work place.

[ol'fido]

Anybody been sitting in line for an ID check at the front gate of a military institution and had the Domino's pizza guy buzz right by and get waved through the gate? Pre 9/11 of course.

[JArvey]

The second sentence in the third paragraph of then National CC's letter in the "trolling for salutes" thread seems to settle the issue:

Yes, we are the Air Force's Auxiliary but as civilian volunteers we are not members of the military.

Who is the National CC? I am not really familiar with ALL the CAP terms, I thought than CC stood for Cadet Commander?

[davidsinn]

The second sentence in the third paragraph of then National CC's letter in the "trolling for salutes" thread seems to settle the issue:

Yes, we are the Air Force's Auxiliary but as civilian volunteers we are not members of the military.

Who is the National CC? I am not really familiar with ALL the CAP terms, I thought than CC stood for Cadet Commander?

CC is the AF's office designator for commander. C/CC would be a cadet commander.

[PaulR]

Military Officers are commissioned by Congress. We wear the uniform and grade of military officers, we were authorized by congress in 1941. So the question is "are we commissioned officers" in the USAF Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol? .

A CAP "commission" is about as real as a being titled as a "Kentucky Colonel".  It is cool, but holds no weight in the military or in the eyes of Congress.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I would say that we are "appointed" rather than "commissioned."