Complimentary membership for retiring USAF officers.

[afgeo4]

What do you guys think of CAP membership automatically being given to retiring USAF officers? At least for 1 year?

It keeps them with the USAF family, keeps them from deployments and at home (which is why they're retiring), and at the same time says "you may be old, but you aren't useless". We get experienced leaders, pilots, engineers, scientists, logisticians, personnel, finance, etc officers. Typically these men and women are O-4 and above and bring a ton of experience and skills with them.

[Eagle400]

I think it's a cool idea.  It would be a great way to say "Thank you for your service", as well as a good incentive for joining.  Only thing is I think it would be best for it to be extended to retiring servicemembers from all branches.     

[mikeylikey]

Agreed cool idea!  Lets recruit them before they are even thinking of retiring.  It seems useless to me that a CAP SQD meets on a AF station, base etc.....and the numbers aren't shooting through the roof.  AF Officer Pro Dev should have an entire section on the Auxiliary.  That way they are at least aware of it.

[lordmonar]

Why just retiring officers....what about us enlisted guys?

[JohnKachenmeister]

What about retirees from other branches?

[afgeo4]

Well my original thought was of how to gain qualified pilots with their transport ticket already punched and enough hours for... well anything really. I thought the best people for that would be retiring military pilots. I think it's just easier to pipeline if it's USAF simply because we're a part of USAF and we're governed by the secretary of the Air Force. They could simply integrate us in on paper and since at least 4 of our BoG members are USAF, it shouldn't be much of an issue on our side. Then I thought that maybe extending it to all officers might benefit the rest of our program as well. I thought that making membership complimentary for at least a year was good, but if we offer it to all branches, we'd have to deal with a lot of memberships given away, a lot of people to transform into the AF culture, and difficult set up of the automatic enrollment at retirement since it's a different system.

Enlisted are a whole other bunch of wax. Look, I'm prior enlisted myself and I'd have to say that although we have a lot of brains, brawn and know-how, we aren't of that much use to CAP as we are. At least as long as CAP doesn't have a real NCO program. 90% of us end up as leadership officers in cadet squadrons and I don't think there's a shortage of us anyway. I thought up this program to try to alleviate the shortage of pilots and qualified middle/senior leadership in CAP.

[RiverAux]

Not a bad idea, but it would depend on the AF giving out personal information about their members to CAP and there may or may not be legal issues with that.  I think we would have to make this a fairly limited program since at the basic level we would have to send magazines out to these folks and that costs money.  No way to do it for all AF enlisted and officers. 

However, everybody getting out of the AF at any level should be given information on CAP.  A CAP brochure should be part of the packet. 

[Pylon]

If NHQ can't justify the cost of a free membership, they should think about a targeted recruiting program.

I envision a monthly list of retirees and honorable discharges gleaned from some source (somebody in the know can work on that; partnership with DOD or perhaps one of the associations/orgs.) going into a mail merge.  A colorful and customized CAP recruiting postcard is generated for everyone on the list.  

You have a handful of different postcards, each one with a handy-dandy professional photo on the front and slightly tailored information on the back.  There's one tailored to Army, Air Force, etc.  The database automatically culls the closet unit or two (or maybe the Group HQ?) based on the mailing zip and includes contact information/meeting location and time.

Each month's list would probably have enough postcards to send them non-profit bulk rate, which, for postcards, is fairly cheap.  Printing them digitally 4/1 on a 60# semi-gloss cardstock would also not be too cost prohibitive.

It sounds complicated, but if you're familiar with direct mail marketing, it's not difficult or expensive at all.  A quality color copier and a couple good pieces of software can easily knock this out in an hour or two each month, once properly set up.  

I'm all for local recruiting, but there also needs to be national-level programs designed to bolster national recruiting and awareness.  These types of things are normal for other major organizations; we need to be doing these things, too.

[Major Carrales]

A nice idea...but its viability in this state is precarious.

I would rather likely support reduced dues. 

Then there is the flood gate that many here have already opened.  You know, the "what about me..." paradox.  Justifiable cases can be made for free membership for a host of other issues.

Now, create a version of it that I can support.

[afgeo4]

I wasn't thinking that CAP would get a list of retirees. I was thinking of making a new membership form that NHQ could distribute to the Air Force through the Secretary's office and they would include that into the outprocessing paperwork for separation along with a regular brochure. Once that special application is sent in along with a copy of the DD214 it would be processed for a free 1 year membership.

What if's happen all the time, everywhere. There has to be a limit. I would say if such a program works with USAF, perhaps it could be extended, but you know... we are the US Air Force auxiliary, so I think it's only fair that a transition such as this be made available for US Air Force personnel.

[desert rat]

I think all active duty and retirees should be free to join.  I would not mind donating to this fund for seniors.

[SAR-EMT1]

I would support such a program, IF you could show me a viable way to implement it.

[FARRIER]

Well my original thought was of how to gain qualified pilots with their transport ticket already punched and enough hours for... well anything really.

There is a pool of such perspective members out there. They are called airline pilots.  And roughly half are current or former military pilots. Pylons suggestion would be more workable. 

[Fifinella]

I wasn't thinking that CAP would get a list of retirees. I was thinking of making a new membership form that NHQ could distribute to the Air Force through the Secretary's office and they would include that into the outprocessing paperwork for separation along with a regular brochure. Once that special application is sent in along with a copy of the DD214 it would be processed for a free 1 year membership.

What if's happen all the time, everywhere. There has to be a limit. I would say if such a program works with USAF, perhaps it could be extended, but you know... we are the US Air Force auxiliary, so I think it's only fair that a transition such as this be made available for US Air Force personnel.

I had also been wondering why we don't recruit people at separation/retirement.  Separatees are briefed about Guard & Reserve "opportunities".  Why not add CAP to the brief?

[afgeo4]

The DoD WILL NOT release personnel information to CAP, plain and simple. It's illegal. The point is to insert ourselves into their separation briefing as an option, as stated earlier, they are briefed on Reserve and ANG, so why not us?

[Fifinella]

Ummm, that's what I said.  We are vehemently agreeing with each other.

[capchiro]

Perhaps we could get a public service type message or ad into the Air Force Times, Army Times, etc.  As you know, our biggest problems is that we are the best kept secret around.  I would think the AF Times, etc., would be glad to do that for us and maybe even run an annual story on the Air Force's little brother.  This type of exposure would be seen by military types and some would be reaching the time of retirement/separation.  What do you think?

[SAR-EMT1]

Go for it. - And good luck

[Lancer]

If NHQ can't justify the cost of a free membership, they should think about a targeted recruiting program.

Agreed. And if not free, how about tiered based on rank?

E-1 thru E-4 25% off membership
E-5 thru E-9 50% off membership
O-1 thru O-4 75% off membership
O-5 thru O-11 Free

This is just one of many ways of bolstering our ranks with military skilled members who can impart their knowledge to our cadets and non-military members.

[Major Carrales]

If NHQ can't justify the cost of a free membership, they should think about a targeted recruiting program.

Agreed. And if not free, how about tiered based on rank?

E-1 thru E-4 25% off membership
E-5 thru E-9 50% off membership
O-1 thru O-4 75% off membership
O-5 thru O-11 Free

This is just one of many ways of bolstering our ranks with military skilled members who can impart their knowledge to our cadets and non-military members.

Do they get a tote bag with their membership?...ooops, that PBS not CAP