New CAP Awards Being Proposed

[DNall]

If you take a look at the example of how to write an Air Medal citation in the AF awards manual (bringing in a crippled plane without injury to the crew or damage on the ground) you will see that much the same thing could happen to a CAP plane while on a AF assigned mission.  Why would the CAP pilot's achievement not be as worthy of the same medal for the same reason as an AF pilot might get -- especially since the Air Medal can be awarded to civilians?

Cause the Air medal requires the plane in the scenerio to be crippled in cobat operations. The Ariel Achievment medal is the one you're thinking of. It is the same thing w/o combat, is awardable to civilians, and has been several times over recent years to contractors.

We had a discussio around here somewhere about pursuing an AFI spelling out what AF decorations are awardable to civilians, what ones are awardable to members of the military but CAP might qualify for when on AFAMs, and how CAP members should be nominated to the AF for those awards, plus the justifications & benefits to military personnel for doing so. I strongly recommend NHQ pursue such an AFI with the AF. I feel creation of additional CAP decorations takes away the justifaction for those specific AF awards, when really the initiative is about giving the AF the opportunity to recognize CAP members for service to the AF rather than getting some more stupid bling on uniforms.

[carnold1836]

If you take a look at the example of how to write an Air Medal citation in the AF awards manual (bringing in a crippled plane without injury to the crew or damage on the ground) you will see that much the same thing could happen to a CAP plane while on a AF assigned mission.  Why would the CAP pilot's achievement not be as worthy of the same medal for the same reason as an AF pilot might get -- especially since the Air Medal can be awarded to civilians?

I would like to know how to get the Aerial Achievement Medal citation awarded.  I know a CAP pilot that needs to be awarded this citation. During the Katrina relief mission he was flying over Louisiana in the middle of the night when his aircraft's engine cut out and he landed the disabled aircraft on IH-10 between 2 18 wheelers doing 70 mph. Not a scratch on his aircraft not a bruise on his crew. He says "You haven't experienced wake turbulence until you try to dead stick land behind a semi doing 70 miles an hour."

Who, what, and how is the process started to get this award conferred?

[DNall]

Holy Crap! I never heard that one.  :clap: That meets the standard in my book.

Who/how/why, etc is the focus of the AFI we'd like to have written to help AF personnel understand what is otherwise a complicated process. It has to be submitted by someone in the AF that was in the chain of command for that mission. That'd be CAP-USAF or someone at 1AF. Then it goes up the CAP-USAF or 1AF chain to the SecAF who is the approving authority for all military awards to civilians. In the AFI, we'd like to simplify that process to ALSO allow CAP members to recommend other CAP members thru CAP-USAF & for them to be approved at the AU or AETC (or 1AF) when appropriate for the award in question.

[carnold1836]

Sounds like I have some work to do to get this conferred upon this pilot.

[DNall]

yeah, but honestly it's not that hard. You'd just need to read the requirements & sample recommendation, interview eye witnesses (get written statements w/ contact info), and write such a recommendation from them. Then get LtCol Brown to sell a CAP-USAF officer at Region to sign it & pass it up the chain. That's all you can do. It'll be out of your hands & a long hard process up the chain, but it sounds right & should theoretically make it up the chain. I'd make sure to CC a copy to 1AF CC so he know's it's floating out there & can get it moving.

[James Shaw]

A very important point to make. I see alot of discussion of what should be the criteria and who should be put in for it. This award is only in the developmental stages and has not been evaluated by the CAP or the AF. There is no criteria for it now and it will be atleast March of 2007 before anything concrete is done. These awards all have to go through the normal and long approval process. The earliest it could be done would be at the National Board in Washington DC March of 2007. It has to be voted on. I personally do not see the AF being ready to start approving Air Medal citations for CAP activities on a normal or even rare occasion. The costs associated would be to much for either side to agree to. I can honestly say I am surprised by some of the responses (negative that is) about our members being recognized. In talking with previous members one of their biggest complaints and reasons they left is because they felt that they were doing alot of work and NOT being dually recognized. I see this as an effort to help bridge that gap.

[RiverAux]

That incident was one that I had heard of and was one of the incidents I would think would warrant an AF award. 

By the way if you refer to the DoD Awards (1348.33M) manual it does not limit the Distinguished Flying Cross to combat operations.  From page 100:

The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to any persons who, after
April 6, 1917, while serving in any capacity with the United States Armed Forces,
distinguish themselves by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.

Same goes for the Air Medal:

Awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, subsequent to September 8, 1939, distinguishes himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight.

and the Aerial Achievement Medal:

Awarded for sustained meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

The Katrina incident is definetely worthy of the Air Medal in my book.

[lordmonar]

If you take a look at the example of how to write an Air Medal citation in the AF awards manual (bringing in a crippled plane without injury to the crew or damage on the ground) you will see that much the same thing could happen to a CAP plane while on a AF assigned mission.  Why would the CAP pilot's achievement not be as worthy of the same medal for the same reason as an AF pilot might get -- especially since the Air Medal can be awarded to civilians?

I would like to know how to get the Aerial Achievement Medal citation awarded.  I know a CAP pilot that needs to be awarded this citation. During the Katrina relief mission he was flying over Louisiana in the middle of the night when his aircraft's engine cut out and he landed the disabled aircraft on IH-10 between 2 18 wheelers doing 70 mph. Not a scratch on his aircraft not a bruise on his crew. He says "You haven't experienced wake turbulence until you try to dead stick land behind a semi doing 70 miles an hour."

Who, what, and how is the process started to get this award conferred?

9.2. Awarding United States Decorations to US Citizens. Base the award of US military decorations to
US citizens on an act or service that would satisfy the criteria governing the award of the decoration to a
member of the Armed Forces of the US. See table 2.1 for US military decorations awarded to US civilians:
9.2.1. Recommendations must include a memorandum or letter format of the RDP DECOR 6, narrative
justification, citation, and biography. Forward recommendations through command channels to
HQ AFPC/DPPPRA.

AP1.1.2.24. Air Medal
AP1.1.2.24.1. Authorized by Executive Order 9158, as amended
(reference (www)).
AP1.1.2.24.2. Awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity
with the Armed Forces of the United States, subsequent to September 8, 1939,
distinguishes himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement while
participating in an aerial flight.
AP1.1.2.24.3. Subsequent to April 1974, the letter "V" may be authorized
by the Navy and Marine Corps.
AP1.1.2.25. Aerial Achievement Medal
AP1.1.2.25.1. Authorized by the Secretary of the Air Force, February 5,
1988.
AP1.1.2.25.2. Awarded for sustained meritorious achievement while
participating in aerial flight.

So....what you have to do is write up the recommendation send it up the chain to NHQ who will send it HQ USAF for them to approve or disapprove.

[carnold1836]

Thank you everyone I will be working on this over the next few weeks to get it going up the chain. I would hope that 6 months will be long enough time for it to go up. We will be having our bi-annual awards ceremony in May.

[Major_Chuck]

A very important point to make. I see alot of discussion of what should be the criteria and who should be put in for it. This award is only in the developmental stages and has not been evaluated by the CAP or the AF. There is no criteria for it now and it will be atleast March of 2007 before anything concrete is done. These awards all have to go through the normal and long approval process. The earliest it could be done would be at the National Board in Washington DC March of 2007. It has to be voted on. I personally do not see the AF being ready to start approving Air Medal citations for CAP activities on a normal or even rare occasion. The costs associated would be to much for either side to agree to. I can honestly say I am surprised by some of the responses (negative that is) about our members being recognized. In talking with previous members one of their biggest complaints and reasons they left is because they felt that they were doing alot of work and NOT being dually recognized. I see this as an effort to help bridge that gap.

I don't have any problem with awarding our people, God Knows we don't do it enough and when we do we set the bar  so that it is next to impossible to be awarded anything above a Commanders commendation. 

My problem I am having with these awards is that only a select few will ever be able to earn them.  Ground team and mission base personnel work just as hard if not harder than some  flight Crews. 

[RiverAux]

The Airman's Medal could be an option for heroric actions by ground team members on AFAM. 

From DoD Awards Manual

AP1.1.2.18.2. Awarded pursuant to Section 8750 of reference (qqq) to
members of the Armed Forces of the United States or foreign military personnel who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Air Force, distinguish themselves by heroism involving voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of actual conflict with an enemy.

The AF manual says it can be awarded to civilians but this says member of the Armed Forces (which CAP isn't), so there may be a problem with this one....


Interestingly enough, if you read the DoD requirements for a Purple Heart it looks like a CAP member would be eligible if injured or killed in a terrorist attack while on an AF assigned mission.

[Psicorp]

Interestingly enough, if you read the DoD requirements for a Purple Heart it looks like a CAP member would be eligible if injured or killed in a terrorist attack while on an AF assigned mission.

Which we hope NEVER happens...the paperwork alone would be a nightmare.

[DNall]

An airman medal (same as soldier's medal) is the highest decoration for heroism that CAN be awarded for non-combat actions. Save a bus load of kids kinda thing.

Chris, talk to LtCol Brown to get some help.

[Hawk200]

Yes I do have pictures of all of them but cannot release them until after I get permission from my boss!!

When's that gonna be?

[James Shaw]

Need some help posting a picture of the awards. Any suggestions. I see an image button but not certain how to attach.

[Lancer]

Need some help posting a picture of the awards. Any suggestions. I see an image button but not certain how to attach.

First you need to upload the picture to a photo hosting site. My favorite is:

http://www.photobucket.com/

It's the easiest to use and it's free. Open your account, upload the photo, then under each photo you upload are the image URL's, depending on where your going to post them. Just select the one that has IMG in brackets [ ], cut and paste that into your post and that's it. Do not click on the 'Insert Image' button (here), as it will add an extra set of image tags.

[arajca]

Need some help posting a picture of the awards. Any suggestions. I see an image button but not certain how to attach.

Below the "Message" box is an "Additional Options" drop. Click this and you'll see a small box labeled "Attach:" At the right side of the box is a button labeled "Browse". Click this button and an "Open File" window will open. Navigate in this window to the file you want to attach. Double click on the file. If you want to add more files, there is a link to the right of the Browse button for more attachements. Click this and repeat as needed for a max four attachements.

As an aside, would it possible to send you a couple of ideas I have for evaluation before submitting them through the chain?

[Pylon]

Need some help posting a picture of the awards. Any suggestions. I see an image button but not certain how to attach.

Below the "Message" box is an "Additional Options" drop. Click this and you'll see a small box labeled "Attach:" At the right side of the box is a button labeled "Browse". Click this button and an "Open File" window will open. Navigate in this window to the file you want to attach. Double click on the file. If you want to add more files, there is a link to the right of the Browse button for more attachements. Click this and repeat as needed for a max four attachements.

As an aside, would it possible to send you a couple of ideas I have for evaluation before submitting them through the chain?

Roger what arajca said -- attach it to you post by clicking "Additional Options" and following his directions.  Having them hosted here on CAPTalk ensures they'll be around, whereas posting them to an outside website can't ensure that.

Let's have a look at these!  I'm curious   

[James Shaw]

Here are the designs. Remember that these are going to be done in metal and not color. The ribbons will look like the medal. The IC badge may or may not be color (i doubt it). It will probably be all metal. The designs have allready been approved and wont be changed unless the National Board directs. So no beating up the designer.

[Lancer]

I know our southern border is of concern right now, but don't you think putting a cactus on the Border Patrol Medal just slightly limiting?

What happens when we need to start fending off our neighbors to the north? 

Oh, and on the whole photo posting bit. I didn't know that option was there, otherwise I would have suggested that as well. Photobucket is nice though.