New CAP ID-Card policy

Eclipse · October 26, 2010, 05:40:29 PM

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On 1 Oct 2010, the new CAP membership card policy went into effect per the CAP National Executive Committee. Effective on that date, senior members (including Fifty-Year and Life members) and cadets over the age of 18 will receive a new photo membership card at no cost when they join CAP or renew their membership. Senior members who do not have a photo on file will receive the new photo membership card with the words "Picture not available" printed on the card where the photo would have been. As of 1 Jan 2012, per the NEC, it will be mandatory for all CAP senior members to have a photo on file in eServices. Cadets over 18 without a photo will have their name printed on the card in the same manner as non-photo membership cards, as the photo is optional for them. Also starting on 1 Oct 2010, members will be charged $3 each for a duplicate or replacement card, which can be ordered online via eServices or by calling Membership Services toll-free at 877-227-9141. New membership cards will no longer be automatically distributed when members are promoted or transfer units. The new gray CAP membership cards replace both the old "blue" CAP ID card and the optional $4 photo ID card, which are no longer available.

As of Monday, 25 Oct 2010, all of the issues with CAP's new photo and non-photo ID cards have been worked out with the vendor. CAP ID card production with the new cards began on Tuesday, 26 Oct. If you have not received your ID card during the month of October, rest assured it will be arriving soon.

1) About time.
2) I don't know why it will take a year to get photos in - the deadline should be 1 Jan 2011 (IMHO).
3) I don't understand why cadet photos should not also be mandatory.

DBlair · October 26, 2010, 05:54:00 PM

Quote from: Eclipse on October 26, 2010, 05:40:29 PM
1) About time.
2) I don't know why it will take a year to get photos in - the deadline should be 1 Jan 2011 (IMHO).
3) I don't understand why cadet photos should not also be mandatory.

Agreed.

spacecommand · October 26, 2010, 06:18:45 PM

Seems silly to have a ID with the words ""Picture not available" printed on it, so make sure members get a photo online.
Not sure why Cadets can't have a photo on theirs.

Quote"The new gray CAP membership cards replace both the old "blue" CAP ID card and the optional $4 photo ID card, which are no longer available. "

Anyone know the difference between the new gray card and the $4 photo ID card I just ordered and received?

manfredvonrichthofen · October 26, 2010, 06:25:31 PM

Does that mean that every one with a photo on eservices will be getting a new ID card even though they are not up for renewal till say, next summer?

Pylon · October 26, 2010, 06:48:08 PM

Quote from: manfredvonrichthofen on October 26, 2010, 06:25:31 PM
Does that mean that every one with a photo on eservices will be getting a new ID card even though they are not up for renewal till say, next summer?

No.

Quote"Effective on that date, senior members...and cadets over the age of 18 will receive a new photo membership card at no cost when they join CAP or renew their membership."

FW · October 26, 2010, 07:00:31 PM

Quote from: spacecommand on October 26, 2010, 06:18:45 PM
Anyone know the difference between the new gray card and the $4 photo ID card I just ordered and received?

$4

arajca · October 26, 2010, 07:03:04 PM

Have they fixed the issue of the missing white on the maj com patch?

Eclipse · October 26, 2010, 07:58:08 PM

My most recent ones (Sept) still have a transparent scroll, and the triangle is more gray then white.

spacecommand · October 26, 2010, 08:05:21 PM

Well I got mine recently, I'm a bit disappointing. The photo is a bit blurred even though I uploaded a high resolution photograph. The MAJCOM has jagged edges, the side of the card is still white (looks like it didn't print the grey/green on the entire car) and on the Hologram the words CIVIL AIR PATROL (in black) appears as CIVIL AIR PATROl (on mine) looks like the line on the L got chopped off.

But it's still better then the library card.

Lancer · October 27, 2010, 01:59:18 AM

Two things.

1) About time, NHQ...thanks for listening to the membership on this one.

2) Anyone complaining about the ID card needs to get over themselves. It's an ID card, the only people that are going to see it and actually care are A) Other members B) The guard at the gate at a local military installation C) The clerk at the local AAFES/PX/BX/NEX/MCCS/CGX etc. oh, and D) Members of other agencies (and that is a stretch at best)

Nobody is going to care how neat or spiffy it might be, or why it's not similar to a Gov't issued CAC card, like so many of our members wish it was. It's an ID card.

arajca · October 27, 2010, 02:10:02 AM

Not counting the "It's not a CAC/DoD issued card" agruments, the biggest complaint is the failure to properly print the maj com patch on the card. The scroll and triangle are WHITE, not LIGHT BLUE. The ones I have seen look like crap as a result (personal opinion). When they send me mine in 18 months, I'll have one. But not before.

Eclipse · October 27, 2010, 02:36:47 AM

Which is weird, because if they left the card full-transparent all the way to the base card layer, it would be white.

spacecommand · October 27, 2010, 02:42:33 AM

Quote from: Lancer on October 27, 2010, 01:59:18 AM
Two things.

2) Anyone complaining about the ID card needs to get over themselves. It's an ID card, the only people that are going to see it and actually care are A) Other members B) The guard at the gate at a local military installation C) The clerk at the local AAFES/PX/BX/NEX/MCCS/CGX etc. oh, and D) Members of other agencies (and that is a stretch at best)

Nobody is going to care how neat or spiffy it might be, or why it's not similar to a Gov't issued CAC card, like so many of our members wish it was. It's an ID card.

1. I don't care if it is a CAC card or looks like a military ID card.
2. When you paid $4 bux you expect something that doesn't look like a Jr. high school project that looks like it was half *** put together. Student ID's look "more real". Why go through the trouble of making a PVC card in the first place then if it isn't going to look half way decent? NO it doesn't need to look like the CAC card, but at least you can have a nicer smooth MAJCOM image instead of something that is pixelized with jagged edges.
I guess we can just print out the 101 card at home and there's your membership card. The 101 card isn't that bad if it were on PVC format and your record was recorded into that barcode (or linked to a network with all your information) but ah this is CAP....

Eclipse · October 27, 2010, 03:05:47 AM

I don't know why we have the gray background to start with - I have to assume it was a compromise of some sort with the CAC being white,
but considering that most ID's in the known universe are white, and the CAC is portrait and ours is landscape, any gate guard being confused needs some remediation.

spacecommand · October 27, 2010, 03:13:13 AM

Might be another one of those hazy dark in the middle of the night confusion things that are known to happen...

RiverAux · October 27, 2010, 03:17:21 AM

Glad I didn't pay extra for something that is now going to be free. Don't really care what it looks like since in all liklihood my photo will still be the worst looking thing there.

manfredvonrichthofen · October 27, 2010, 03:17:51 AM

Could someone upload a scan of what it looks like? I'm curious to see it.

nesagsar · October 27, 2010, 03:51:34 AM

Is this an HSPD-12 issue or just something the membership wanted to happen?

Eclipse · October 27, 2010, 04:00:10 AM

Something one of my CC's just asked me:

"...effective on that date, senior members (including Fifty-Year and Life members) and cadets over the age of 18 will receive a new photo membership card at no cost when they join CAP or renew their membership. Senior members who do not have a photo on file will receive the new photo membership card with the words "Picture not available" printed on the card where the photo would have been..."

You can't upload a photo until they have a CAP id and eServices account.

So is every new member going to get a "photo not available" card? Or will there be some logic built in on a new member that holds the new card longer to get a photo in?

PhoenixRisen · October 27, 2010, 04:11:16 AM

Quote from: nesagsar on October 27, 2010, 03:51:34 AM
Is this an HSPD-12 issue or just something the membership wanted to happen?

If this had anything to do with HSPD-12 or FIPS 201 compliance, we would probably be getting CACs or something similar. But, as exhausted, we really have no need for anything like that. Sure, a visually-similar ID would be nice, for standardization, but the actual functions of the card (multiple barcodes, computer chip) are unnecessary. I'm not sure about our guys that do CD or HLS stuff, but if CAP ever needed IDs that followed those standards, it would be those guys, and most likely only those guys.